Bedtime Story (1964)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Ralph Levy

Writers:

Stanley Shapiro (writer) and
Paul Henning (writer)

Release Date:

21 August 1964 (West Germany)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

The story of two gigolos who vie to see which is the best at their profession.

Plot Keywords:

Con Artist | Beautiful Woman | Swiss Psychiatrist

Cast

Marlon Brando	...	Freddy Benson
David Niven	...	Lawrence Jameson
Shirley Jones	...	Janet Walker
Dody Goodman	...	Fanny Eubank
Aram Stephan	...	Andre
Parley Baer	...	Col. Williams
Marie Windsor	...	Mrs. Sutton
Rebecca Sand	...	Miss Trumble
Frances Robinson	...	Miss Harrington
Henry Slate	...	Sattler
Norman Alden	...	Dubin
Susanne Cramer	...	Anna
Cynthia Lynn	...	Frieda
Ilse Taurins	...	Hilda
Francine York	...	Gina

Also Known As:

King of the Mountain (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:K-12 | Sweden:15

Company:

Pennebaker Productions

Trivia:

Marlon Brando said that he found co-star David Niven so funny, he often broke into uncontrollable laughter during filming, thus ruining many takes. It was so bad he would have to force himself not to look Niven in the eye during filming.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Brando (2007) (TV)

FYI - A little history on Bedtime Story and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

I saw it in the late '60's on TV when I was home from school. Years later I became a screenwriter and got a call from David Bowie's production company. He and Mick jagger wanted to do a movie together and hoped I would write it. I suggested doing a remake of Bedtime Story with Bowie as Lawrence Jamison and Mick as Freddy.

They were both interested, the studio (UA) was interested, but the movie had been made at Universal and there was no way they could get the rights. A number of other studios were interested, but couldn't wrestle the right away from Universal.

Turns out no had bothered to do a copyright search. I did. Turns out the rights had reverted back to the original writer/producer Stanley Shapiro. We met at the Pink Turtle (a coffee shop at what was the Beverly Wilshire) and did a deal on a napkin.

The original title was King of Hill. Since Stanley was the man behind the Doris Day/Rock Hudson/Cary Grant movies - he decided to write (with Maurice Richlin - who went on to pen the original Pink Panther) a movie where Cary Grant and Rock Hudson would compete for Doris Day.

Apparently, Cary had asked Rock to do a movie with him, but Rock had turned him down. So Cary didn't want to do a movie with Rock. And Doris wouldn't do the movie without the both of them. Hence it was re-cast with Niven, Brando and Shirley Jones.

Stanely said this movie didn't do all that well in its original run. He felt that the movie fell flat in the south because of Brando championing civil rights.

Thought I do prefer my ending, but this is nevertheless a very charming movie. Which is why I tried to preserve as much as the original as possible. Hey, if ain't broke, don't fix it. And certainly don't change it.