''All the Fine Young Cannibals'' is a 1960 American film directed by Michael Anderson, based on the novel by Rosamond Marshall, starring

Robert Wagner Robert John Wagner Jr. (born February 10, 1930) is an American actor of stage, screen, and television. He is known for starring in the television shows '' It Takes a Thief'' (1968–1970), ''Switch'' (1975–1978), and '' Hart to Hart'' (1979� ...

Natalie Wood Natalie Wood ( Zacharenko; July 20, 1938 – November 29, 1981) was an American actress who began her career in film as a child and successfully transitioned to young adult roles. Wood started acting at age four and was given a co-starring r ...

, Susan Kohner, George Hamilton and

Pearl Bailey Pearl Mae Bailey (March 29, 1918 – August 17, 1990) was an American actress, singer and author. After appearing in vaudeville, she made her Broadway debut in ''St. Louis Woman'' in 1946. She received a Special Tony Award for the title role in ...

. Hamilton said that the film "combined

Southern Gothic Southern Gothic is an artistic subgenre of fiction, country music, film and television that are heavily influenced by Gothic elements and the American South. Common themes of Southern Gothic include storytelling of deeply flawed, disturbing or ...

with a

biopic A biographical film or biopic () is a film that dramatizes the life of a non-fictional or historically-based person or people. Such films show the life of a historical person and the central character's real name is used. They differ from docudr ...

of jazzman

Chet Baker Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker Jr. (December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988) was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist. He is known for major innovations in cool jazz that led him to be nicknamed the "Prince of Cool". Baker earned much attention and ...

."George Hamilton & William Stadiem, ''Don't Mind If I Do'', Simon & Schuster 2008 p 139

Plot

Two young people in love, musician Chad Bixby and Sarah "Salome" Davis, are forced apart despite Salome's pregnancy and marry others, but are then brought together again by chance. A downtrodden blues singer mothers Bixby while guiding his career.

Cast

as Chad Bixby *

as Sarah "Salome" Davis * Susan Kohner as Catherine McDowall * George Hamilton as Tony McDowall *

as Ruby * Jack Mullaney as Putney Tinker *

Onslow Stevens Onslow Stevens (born Onslow Ford Stevenson; March 29, 1902 – January 5, 1977) was an American stage, television and film actor. Early years Born in Los Angeles, California, Stevens was the son of British-born character actor Houseley St ...

as Joshua Davis * Anne Seymour as Mrs. Bixby *

Virginia Gregg Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...

as Ada Davis *

Mabel Albertson Mabel Ida Albertson (July 24, 1901 – September 28, 1982) was an American actress of television, stage, radio and film who portrayed Phyllis Stephens in the TV sitcom ''Bewitched''. Early years Mabel Ida Albertson was born on July 24, 1901, in ...

as Mrs. McDowall *

Louise Beavers Louise Beavers (March 8, 1902 – October 26, 1962) was an American film and television actress. From the 1920s until 1960, she appeared in dozens of films and two hit television shows. She was most often cast in the roles of a maid, servant ...

as Rose

Production

''All the Fine Young Cannibals'' was the first film that Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood made together. George Hamilton says that director

Vincente Minnelli Vincente Minnelli (born Lester Anthony Minnelli; February 28, 1903 – July 25, 1986) was an American stage director and film director. He directed the classic movie musicals '' Meet Me in St. Louis'' (1944), '' An American in Paris'' (1951), ' ...

shot some scenes when Michael Anderson was unavailable, including an ending for the film that was not used. Wagner's character is loosely based on the jazz trumpeter

Box office

According to MGM records, the film earned $950,000 in the U.S. and Canada, and $860,000 elsewhere, resulting in a loss of $1,108,000.

Influence

The film's title was the inspiration for the name of the musical group

Fine Young Cannibals Fine Young Cannibals (FYC) was a British pop rock band formed in Birmingham, England, in 1984, by bassist David Steele, guitarist Andy Cox (both formerly of The Beat), and singer Roland Gift (formerly of the Akrylykz). Their self-titled 1985 ...

References

External links

* * * * {{Michael Anderson 1960 films 1960 romantic drama films 1960s romantic musical films American musical drama films American romantic drama films American romantic musical films 1960s English-language films Films about music and musicians Films based on American novels Films based on romance novels Films directed by Michael Anderson Films set in New York City Films set in Texas Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films Cultural depictions of Chet Baker CinemaScope films 1960s American films