The Silver Screen Oasis

Paul Muni's last role comes on this afternoon. I saw about half of this one last time it showed and was pleasantly surprised. Needless to say, I'm recording today.

Does anyone have any insights on this one?

I have oddly vivid memories of the first time I saw this when it originally appeared; our parents took us to see just about everything in those days and the film deeply saddened me. Seeing it again a number of years later it was easy to see why: Muni is outstanding and quite believable in this role as an aging Brooklyn doctor unable and unwilling to change with the times. And despite (or, I suppose, because of) his compelling performance (as well as those of soon to be stars like Cicely Tyson, Billie Dee Williams and Godfrey Cambridge) Muni really is the whole show here. (The director, Daniel Mann, was usually one to coax strong performances from his actors: Liz Taylor in BUTTERFIELD 8, Shirley Booth and Burt Lancaster in COME BACK LITTLE SHEBA and Susan Hayward in I'LL CRY TOMORROW.) The second time around felt as if I was watching one of those Playhouse 90-type televsion dramas so popular in the late 50s; extremely well-intentioned but somewhat flat in its overall presentation. Worth it, however, for Muni's heartbreaking performance. I'll probably check it out again myself.