From the Terrace (1960)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Mark Robson

Writers:

John O'Hara (novel)
Ernest Lehman (screenplay)

Release Date:

9 September 1960 (West Germany)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

An ambitious young executive chooses a loveless marriage and an unfulfilling personal life in exchange for a successful Wall Street career.

Plot Keywords:

Career | Marriage | New York | Business | Loveless Marriage

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe.

Cast

Paul Newman	...	David Alfred Eaton
Joanne Woodward	...	Mary St. John / Mrs. Alfred Eaton
Myrna Loy	...	Martha Eaton
Ina Balin	...	Natalie Benzinger
Leon Ames	...	Samuel Eaton
Elizabeth Allen	...	Sage Rimmington
Barbara Eden	...	Clemmie Shreve
George Grizzard	...	Alexander 'Lex' Porter
Patrick O'Neal	...	Dr. Jim Roper
Felix Aylmer	...	James Duncan MacHardie
Raymond Greenleaf	...	Fritz Thornton
Malcolm Atterbury	...	George Fry
Raymond Bailey	...	Mr. Eugene St.John
Ted de Corsia	...	Mr. Ralph W. Benziger
Howard Caine	...	Creighton Duffy
Kathryn Givney	...	Mrs. St. John
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dorothy Adams	...	Mrs. Benziger (uncredited)
Alexander Campbell	...	Partner (uncredited)
Regina Carrol	...	(uncredited)
Harry Cheshire	...	Partner (uncredited)
Gordon B. Clarke	...	Train Conductor (uncredited)
Jack Daly	...	Cab Driver (uncredited)
Cyril Delevanti	...	MacHardie's Secretary (uncredited)
Ralph Dunn	...	D.D. Jones (uncredited)
Cecil Elliott	...	Josephine (uncredited)
Douglas Evans	...	Partner (uncredited)
Joseph Forte	...	Mansergant (uncredited)
Lauren Gilbert	...	Charles Frolick (uncredited)
Clive Halliday	...	Lord Sevringham (uncredited)
John Harding	...	Newton Orchid (uncredited)
Rory Harrity	...	Steve Rimmington (uncredited)
Henry Hunter	...	Partner (uncredited)
David Macklin	...	Messenger (uncredited)
Mae Marsh	...	Sandy's Governess (uncredited)
Jimmy Martin	...	Sandy Duffy (uncredited)
Ottola Nesmith	...	Lady Servringham (uncredited)
Barbara Perry	...	Blonde (uncredited)
Bill Quinn	...	Lawrence Von Elm (uncredited)
Stuart Randall	...	Jerry Kelly (uncredited)
Frank Richards	...	The Bartender (uncredited)
Felippa Rock	...	Jean Duffy (uncredited)
Countess Elektra Rozanska	...	Mrs. Ripley (uncredited)
Elizabeth Russell	...	Frolick's Woman (uncredited)
Robert Shayne	...	Partner (uncredited)
Truman Smith	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Rachel Stephens	...	Miss Trimmingham (uncredited)
John Warburton	...	Partner (uncredited)
Johnstone White	...	Partner (uncredited)
Mack Williams	...	Hotel Doorman (uncredited)

Directed by
Mark Robson

Writing credits
John O'Hara		(novel)
Ernest Lehman		(screenplay)

Produced by
Mark Robson	....	producer

Original Music by
Elmer Bernstein

Cinematography by
Leo Tover		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Dorothy Spencer

Art Direction by
Maurice Ransford
Howard Richmond
Lyle R. Wheeler

Set Decoration by
Paul S. Fox
Walter M. Scott

Costume Design by
Travilla

Makeup Department
Ben Nye	....	makeup artist
Helen Turpin	....	hair stylist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Hal Herman	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Alfred Bruzlin	....	sound
Harry M. Leonard	....	sound

Visual Effects by
L.B. Abbott	....	special photographic effects
James B. Gordon	....	special photographic effects

Editorial Department
Leonard Doss	....	color consultant

Music Department
Edward B. Powell	....	orchestration

Production Companies

• Linebrook

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1960) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1966) (USA) (TV) (original airing) (pan/scan)
• 20th Century Fox (1960) (France) (theatrical)
• CBS / Fox Video (1990) (USA) (VHS)
• Hispano Foxfilms S.A.E. (Spain)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

149 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Canada:18A (video rating) | USA:Approved (certificate #19577) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

Linebrook

Trivia:

Fox Movietone newsreel footage of the premiere shows Ina Balin, David Hedison, and then current Oscar nominee Peter Falk (for Fox's "Murder Inc.") in attendance.

Goofs:

Continuity: The amount of milk in MacHardie's glass changes between shots when he's alone with Eaton.

Quotes:

Sage Rimmington: Darling, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll put on something more comfortable, hmmm? Like my husband!
Alexander 'Lex' Porter: Uh, bye, sweetie.

Soundtrack:

The More I See You

entertaining trash

It's not nearly as much fun as "The Long, Hot Summer", but how could it be when it's loosely based on an O'Hara novel (which means that it has to be turgid, self-important trash). But it's still fun. In some ways it's even more enjoyable to see how they've butchered O'Hara's novel, since they leave out more than half of it and cast Newman as a sort of hero (damaged by personal tragedy), instead of having him be a contemptible loser (as he was in the book). There are a lot of these late 50's to early 60's movies that were based on "organization men" stories from the 50's ("Cash McCall", "The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit", and "From the Terrace" being those that pop to mind), and every one of the movies mangled the books. Interestingly, I think that the one that was closest to the book, TMitGF, was by far the worst movie. It's odd on reflection how similar these books are, and how randomly different the movies are. I don't know if all of the writers suffered from existential nausea or if it was just that this sort of thing sold books, but I never saw it get to the screen.