Bill Crider, another big Max Schulman fan, wrote about I Was a Teenage Dwarf here. Inspired by Bill, I read Max Schulman’s very funny Rally ‘Round the Flag, Boys! and watched the DVD of the 1958 comedy based on Schulman’s very funny book. Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, and Joan Collins in a comical love triangle: what more could you ask for?
Terrible picture of Joanne Woodward on that poster.
Steve, movie posters have greatly improved since the Fifties.
Great stuff!
Bill, you motivated me to catch up on some Max Schulman. He’s a lot of fun!
I also reread the book recently. It was fun but very, very dated I thought. The movie was one of my favorites when I was younger. You can’t go wrong with Tuesday Weld – and Dwayne Hickman is in it too.
Jeff, you’re right about the dated aspects of the book and movie. Kids today might not “get” Max Schulman. But you and I and Bill do!
Never been crazy about the movie (Newman could be incredibly funny but always seems too hemmed in with conventional genre pictures) but I’d love to read the book as I do remember liking what i read of Schulman way back when – thanks for the reminder George.
Sergio, Max Shulman’s RALLY ‘ROUND THE FLAG, BOYS! novel is much funnier than the movie. You’re right about Paul Newman being hemmed in. He could handle comedy as well as drama.
I read the book back in the day. I don’t remember the movie so I’ll have to watch for it.
I heard they are releasing the complete series of The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis. Fans of Tuesday Weld, Warren Beatty, and – of course – Dwayne Hickman and Bob Denver – get your credit card ready.
I liked the book a lot – and the other books by him too – but didn’t see the movie. Maybe I was busy watching Frankie and Annette in those “Beach” movies. I wouldn’t mind the datedness of the book, but I’ll still skip the film.
I think the book was the only full-length Shulman I read as a sprat.
Beth, the new complete Dobie Gillis DVD set runs about $100. It’s hard to believe there were 130 episodes!
Rick, I really enjoyed Max Shulman’s books when I read them back in the Sixties. But Jeff is right: they are dated.
Todd, Max Schulman’s humor was perfect for a teenager (which I was when I read his books). I’m giving you and Patti props in tomorrow’s blog posting. Tune in for some well-deserved praise!
Sez who that movie posters are better these days? I’ll take one from the fifties over any computer-generated modern poster. As for Rally, I saw the movie when I was a teenager and thought it was lame. I should give it another go now that I’m senile and see if I like it any better. I’ve never read the book.
Bob, you’re right about the CGI generated movie posters. I really like the movie posters Robert McGinnis did especially the Bond movie ones. Kids today would never get many of the dated references in Max Schulman’s book, but Bill and I did.
McGinnis, Frazetta, Jack Davis, etc. have done tons of wonderful movie posters, and well beyond the fifties, of course.
Bob, now the movie posters are PhotoShopped.
Sorry it’s been the kind of week where I missed the shout-out till now. Thanks! Finally saw “89,000 Children,” the only episode of BORGEN i’d missed completely in webcast previously…I, too, need to buy the dvd sets…and new BORGEN in October on Link! Forget when BBC America has promised more ORPHAN BLACK…but will Go Look. (Currently, I’m wondering how HELL ON WHEELS survives the loss of so many important characters at the end of last season.)