- No Minor Vices
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No Minor Vices 
Theatrical posterDirected by Lewis Milestone Produced by Lewis Milestone Screenplay by Arnold Manoff Story by Arnold Manoff Starring Dana Andrews
Lilli Palmer
Louis Jourdan
Jane WyattMusic by Franz Waxman Cinematography George Barnes Editing by Robert Parrish Studio Enterprise Productions Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Release date(s) November 12, 1948 (US Theatrical) Running time 96 minutes Country United States Language English No Minor Vices is a 1948 American black-and-white comedy film written by Arnold Manoff and directed by Lewis Milestone[1] with Robert Aldrich as 1st assistant director.[2] Created for David Loew's Enterprise Productions, the film was released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer,[1] and is the last of four films made by Dana Andrews for Lewis Milstone.[3]
Contents
Background
After the expensive flop of the film Arch of Triumph bankrupted Enterprise Productions, a film which United Artists called "probably the greatest commrcial failure in the history of motion pictures", No Minor Vices was conceived as a means to keep Enterprise going until all possible revenues could be gotten from Arch of Triumph.[3] Enterprise co-founder Charles Einfeld gave Lewis Milestone a title No Minor Vices and suggested he create film to go with it.[4] It became literally a matter Milestone calling in friends to make the film, with Dana Andrews even investing some of his own money in the project, but losing his investment when the film bombed. Andrews felt that part of No Minor Vices poor box office showings were due to the film being released by MGM rather than by United Artists, and with MGM not doing a decent a job in promoting as might have UA. Milestone chose to "play it safe" with the film. In order to keep audiencs interested in the film's simple plot line, Milestone would sometimes cut to a scene that had a litle man in a window making cigars and reacting to things that had nothing to do with the scene just intercut. Film editor Robert Parrish reported that if a scene was lousy, Milestone could cut to this little guy, but the running gag was not enough upon which to build a film.[3] No Minor Vices kept Enterprise alive as a company, but money was tight.[4]
Plot
Successful dentist Perry Ashwell (Dana Andrews) takes his attractive wife April (Lilli Palmer) and their conservative lifestyle for granted. When he allows artists Octavio Quaglini (Louis Jourdan) into their lives to sketch Their "inner selves", Octavio becomes enamoured with April and tries to steal her away from Perry.
Cast
- Dana Andrews as Perry Aswell
- Lilli Palmer as April Ashwell
- Louis Jourdan as Octavio Quaglini
- Jane Wyatt as Miss Darlington
- Norman Lloyd as Dr. Sturdivant
- Bernard Gorcey as Mr. Zitzfleisch
- Roy Roberts as Mr. Felton
- Fay Baker as Mrs. Felton
- Sharon McManus as Gloria Felton
- Ann Doran as Mrs. Faraday
- Beau Bridges as Bertram
- Frank Kreig as Cab Driver
- Kay Williams as Receptionist
- Robert Hyatt as Genius
Critical response
The New York Times praised the film, writing that it was a "brand of frivolous spoofing that is very rare on the screen—so rare, indeed, that it is difficult even to understand." They refer to the film as "cubist humor" that spoofs in the manner of Gertrude Stein, making a "very original film". They further offered that the film was directed by Lewis Milestone for the defunct Enterprise Productions, and that the three main stars are good as they play their roles "in the grand and sweeping style."[1] Hal Erickson of Allmovie wrote "No Minor Vices doesn't always work, but it's fun to watch Louis Jourdan plug his way through a role that Burgess Meredith or Hans Conried could have played blindfolded."[5] Jane Lockhart of The Rotarian wrote that with "Prolonged attempt to symbolic, whimsical turns out to be faintly boring long before the end is reached."[6]
Awards and nominations
- 1949, Writers Guild of America WGA Award nomination for 'Best Written American Comedy'[7]
Release
The film had international film and television release: In Germany as Eine Frau zuviel, in Finland as Katselen ihmisiä, in Poland as Kobieta bez skazy, in Sweden as Kyss mej långsamt, in Spain as Ningún vicio menor, and in Italy as Tra moglie e marito. For its 1959 Danish television debut, it was titled Tre er én for mange.
References
- ^ a b c Bosley Crowther (February 26, 1949). "review: No Minor Vices (1948)". The New York Times. http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9807E3D71F38E23BBC4E51DFB4668382659EDE. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
- ^ Robert Aldrich, Edwin T. Arnold, Eugene L. Miller (2004). Edwin T. Arnold, Eugene L. Miller. ed. Robert Aldrich: interviews. Conversations with filmmakers series. Univ. Press of Mississippi. pp. 11. ISBN 1578066034. http://books.google.com/books?id=XTyiWFpWORUC&pg=PA11&lpg=PA11&dq=%22No+Minor+Vices%22,+%22Robert+Aldrich%22&source=bl&ots=dcofkqTw60&sig=OuCslaSaCGANXWyn_ESLmZefrao&hl=en&ei=u3W-TduWB4e-sQPKnOzKBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBYQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22No%20Minor%20Vices%22&f=false.
- ^ a b c James McKay (2010). Dana Andrews: The Face of Noir. McFarland. pp. 12, 49, 99–101, 150. ISBN 0786446145. http://books.google.com/books?id=Tcgy1GdWvRwC&pg=PA100&dq=%22No+Minor+Vices%22,+%22Dana+Andrews%22&hl=en&ei=IoS-TfH9DYT6swPpt4HCBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCoQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22No%20Minor%20Vices%22%2C%20%22Dana%20Andrews%22&f=false.
- ^ a b Norman Lloyd, Francine Parker (1993). Stages of life in theatre, film, and television. Limelight Series. Hal Leonard Corporation. pp. 104. ISBN 0879101660. http://books.google.com/books?id=hWQ-ManK5T4C&pg=PA104&dq=%22No+Minor+Vices%22,+%22Dana+Andrews%22&hl=en&ei=_3a-TYfNGZSmsQOhpcHPBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=%22No%20Minor%20Vices%22%2C%20%22Dana%20Andrews%22&f=false. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
- ^ Hal Erickson. "No Minor Vices ". Allmovie. http://www.allmovie.com/work/no-minor-vices-104147. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
- ^ Jane Lockhart (June 1949). The Rotarian. Vol. 74, No. 6. Rotary International. p. 34. ISSN 0035-838X.
- ^ "No Minor Vices". Writers Guild of America. Writers Guild Foundation. http://www.wgfoundation.org/librarycatalog/title/titleAwards.ashx?id=924. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
External links
The films of Lewis Milestone 1920s Seven Sinners · The Caveman · The New Klondike · Two Arabian Knights · The Garden of Eden · The Racket · Betrayal · New York Nights
1930s All Quiet on the Western Front · The Front Page · Rain · Hallelujah, I'm a Bum · The Captain Hates the Sea · Paris in Spring · Anything Goes · The General Died at Dawn · The Night of Nights · Of Mice and Men
1940s Lucky Partners · My Life with Caroline · Our Russian Front (with Joris Ivens) · Edge of Darkness · The North Star · The Purple Heart · A Walk in the Sun · The Strange Love of Martha Ivers · Arch of Triumph · No Minor Vices · The Red Pony
1950s Halls of Montezuma · Kangaroo · Les Misérables · Melba · They Who Dare · Pork Chop Hill · The Widow
1960s Television Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (1958) · Suspicion (1958) · Have Gun–Will Travel (1958) · The Richard Boone Show (1964) · Arrest and Trial (1964)
Screenplays The Mad Whirl (1925) (with Edward T. Lowe Jr.) · Dangerous Innocence (1925) (with James O. Spearing) · Bobbed Hair (1925) (with Jack Wagner)
Categories:- 1948 films
- American films
- English-language films
- 1940s comedy films
- Black-and-white films
- Films directed by Lewis Milestone
- Film noir
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