''Youngblood Hawke'' is a 1964 American

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

directed by Delmer Daves and starring

James Franciscus James Grover Franciscus (January 31, 1934 – July 8, 1991) was an American actor, known for his roles in feature films and in six television series: ''Mr. Novak'', ''The Naked City'', '' The Investigators'', '' Longstreet'', ''Doc Elliot'', an ...

Suzanne Pleshette Suzanne Pleshette (January 31, 1937 – January 19, 2008) was an American theatre, film, television, and voice actress. Pleshette started her career in the theatre and began appearing in films in the late 1950s and later appeared in prominent ...

, and

Geneviève Page Geneviève Page (born Geneviève Bonjean, 13 December 1927) is a French actress with a film career spanning fifty years and also numerous English-speaking film productions. She is the daughter of French art collector Jacques Paul Bonjean (1899– ...

. It was adapted from

Herman Wouk Herman Wouk ( ; May 27, 1915 – May 17, 2019) was an American author best known for historical fiction such as ''The Caine Mutiny'' (1951) for which he won the Pulitzer Prize in fiction. His other major works include ''The Winds of War'' and ' ...

's 1962 novel of the same name, which was loosely based on the life of

Thomas Wolfe Thomas Clayton Wolfe (October 3, 1900 – September 15, 1938) was an American novelist of the early 20th century. Wolfe wrote four lengthy novels as well as many short stories, dramatic works, and novellas. He is known for mixing highly origin ...

Plot

Youngblood Hawke is a Kentucky truck driver who moves to New York City with dreams of becoming a hot-shot writer. Almost immediately he meets editor Jeanne Green. She sees great promise in Hawke's writing and falls for the handsome Kentuckian while helping him put together his first book deal. His first novel is moderately successful, but is transformed into a Broadway play by a has-been stage actress. Jeanne discovers that Youngblood has an effect on a great many women, so she takes a job at a publishing company. Soon after, Hawke's second novel is heralded, and he becomes the toast of the town. He then has an affair with a married socialite. His third novel bombs and is panned by critics. Hawke's financial state declines, and he has to move back to Kentucky. While in Kentucky working on his next book, he contracts pneumonia and then realizes that Jeanne was his ideal woman.

Cast

Production

In September 1962, Warner Bros announced that

Delmer Daves Delmer Lawrence Daves (July 24, 1904 – August 17, 1977) was an American screenwriter, film director and film producer. He worked in many genres, including film noir and warfare, but he is best known for his Western movies, especially '' Br ...

would write, produce and direct a feature film based on the novel. Daves previously made ''A Summer Place'', ''Parrish'', ''Susan Slade'' and ''Rome Adventure'' for the studio, all of which had starred

Troy Donahue Troy Donahue (born Merle Johnson Jr., January 27, 1936 – September 2, 2001) was an American film and television actor and singer. He was a popular sex symbol in the 1950s and 1960s. Biography Early years Born in New York City, Donahue was ...

. Daves spent time deciding which part of the novel he wanted to film. He decided to start with Hawke's rise while driving a truck and end with his recovery in hospital from a near death. The original script took six weeks to write. It was 140 pages in fine print, which would have run six to seven hours. He then cut the script after looking at various locations. The lead role was offered to

Warren Beatty Henry Warren Beatty (né Beaty; born March 30, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker, whose career spans over six decades. He was nominated for 15 Academy Awards, including four for Best Actor, four for Best Picture, two for Best Director, ...

, who demanded a fee of $200,000 plus script and cast approval.

George Peppard George Peppard (; October 1, 1928 – May 8, 1994) was an American actor. He is best remembered for his role as struggling writer Paul Varjak in the 1961 film '' Breakfast at Tiffany's'', and for playing commando leader Col. John "Hannibal ...

Stuart Whitman Stuart Maxwell Whitman (February 1, 1928 – March 16, 2020) was an American actor, known for his lengthy career in film and television. Whitman was born in San Francisco and raised in New York until the age of 12, when his family relocated to ...

and

Terence Stamp Terence Henry Stamp (born 22 July 1938) is an English actor. Stamp is known for his sophisticated villain roles. He was named by ''Empire Magazine'' as one of the 100 Sexiest Film Stars of All Time in 1995. He has received various accolades inc ...

also were discussed.

was cast without even a screen test. (Daves saw him in ''The Outsider'' and the pilot for ''Mr Novak''.) He signed in March 1963. The female lead went to Suzanne Pleshette who made ''Rome Adventure'' with Daves.'Hawke's' Adapter Eyes the Director: He's Same Fellow, Daves; Comic Berman Gets Serious, Scheuer, Philip K. Los Angeles Times 7 May 1963: D16. Filming began on location in New York in April 1963.HOLLYWOOD'S LITERARY SET By MURRAY SCHUMACH. New York Times 19 May 1963: X7

References

External links

* * * * {{Delmer Daves 1964 films 1964 drama films Films based on works by Herman Wouk Warner Bros. films American drama films American black-and-white films 1960s English-language films Films scored by Max Steiner Films about writers Films based on American novels Films set in Kentucky Films set in New York City 1960s American films

Plot

Cast

Production

See also

References

External links