The Impossible Years (film)

The Impossible Years
Theatrical poster
Directed byMichael Gordon
Screenplay byGeorge Wells
Based onThe Impossible Years
1965 play
by Bob Fisher
Arthur Marx
Produced byLawrence Weingarten
Starring
CinematographyWilliam H. Daniels
Edited byJames E. Newcom
Music byDon Costa
Production
company
Marten Productions
Distributed byMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date
  • December 5, 1968 (1968-12-05) (New York City)
Running time
98 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$5.8 million (North America)[1]

The Impossible Years is a 1968 American comedy film directed by Michael Gordon, and starring David Niven. The film also features Lola Albright, Chad Everett, Ozzie Nelson in his final film appearance, and Cristina Ferrare, who was 17 years old at the time the film was shot. It is based upon the 1965 play of the same name by Bob Fisher and Arthur Marx, the son of Groucho Marx, and was adapted for the screen by George Wells.

The eponymous theme song was written by The Tokens and performed by The Cowsills.

Plot

Jonathan Kingsley is a professor of psychiatry at the local university. An author of numerous books on parenting, he and wife Alice are raising two teenage daughters. The elder, Linda, 17, begins to display uncharacteristic behavior: walking as if on air, smiling incessantly for no reason, cleaning up her room daily, showing politeness toward her little sister, and more. It is suspected that she has lost her virginity while on a school field trip to Catalina Island, and Kingsley's general practitioner confirms this. Linda, while being interrogated, admits as much, and she reveals that she is married. She insists on concealing the identity of her husband until the film's conclusion.

Cast

Production

MGM bought the film rights to the play in 1965 for $350,000.[2] George Wells completed the script by March 1966.[3] MGM announced it for production in August 1966. The movie was greenlit by the team of Robert O'Brien and Robert M. Weitman.[4] Filming took place in October 1967.

At one stage, Peter Sellers was announced for the lead[5] but by May, David Niven had been signed. Christina Ferrare, who played Niven's nubile daughter, had been under contract to 20th Century Fox for a year.[6] The film featured the final movie performance of Ozzie Nelson.[7]

Release

The Impossible Years premiered at New York City's Radio City Music Hall on December 5, 1968.[8]

Box office

The film was a box-office hit, earning $5.8 million in rentals in North America,[1] making it the 17th most popular movie at the U.S. box office in 1969.[9]

Critical response

Critical reaction to The Impossible Years was overwhelmingly negative.[10]

Home media

The Warner Archive Collection released The Impossible Years on an MOD DVD-R on May 16, 2011.[11]

Adaptations

In 1970, it was reported that Jackie Cooper and Bob Finkel had written a pilot script for a TV adaptation of the play for NBC.[12]

References

  1. ^ a b ""Big Rental Films of 1969"". Variety. 7 January 1970. p. 15.
  2. ^ Smith, Cecil. (October 15, 1965). "'Impossible Years' Has All Possible Comedy Ingredients". Los Angeles Times. p. d13.
  3. ^ Martin, Betty (March 31, 1966). "'Impossible' Script Ready". Los Angeles Times. p. d17.
  4. ^ Martin, Betty (August 9, 1966). "Top Role for Candy Bergen". Los Angeles Times. p. c9.
  5. ^ "MGM Plans 14 Films on 1967 Budget". Los Angeles Times. January 25, 1967. p. d10.
  6. ^ Haber, Joyce. (October 12, 1967). "Cindy: She Came to Work, Not Play". Los Angeles Times. p. e15.
  7. ^ Fristoe, Robert. "The Impossible Years". Turner Classic Monthly. Archived from the original on December 21, 2014.
  8. ^ "Cristina in Town". New York Daily News. November 27, 1968. p. 51 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "The World's Top Twenty Films." Sunday Times [London] September 27, 1970: 27. The Sunday Times Digital Archive.
  10. ^ Champlin, Charles (February 9, 1969). "The Wonder of Hollywood's Movie Decisions". Los Angeles Times. p. t1.
  11. ^ "The Impossible Years DVD-R". Oldies.com. Archived from the original on August 29, 2022.
  12. ^ Haber, Joyce (October 19, 1970). "Hairdresser Just for Julie, Warren". Los Angeles Times. p. c18.