30 Is a Dangerous Age, Cynthia (1968)

User Rating:

4.8/10   

Director:

Joseph McGrath

Writers:

Dudley Moore (written by) &
Joseph McGrath (written by) ...

Release Date:

4 March 1968 (USA)

Genre:

Romance | Comedy

Plot:

Rupert Street, a piano player and composer, decides to write a musical and marry before he reaches his thirtieth birthday...

Plot Keywords:

Composer | Marriage | Turning Thirty | Pianist | Music Hall

Cast

Dudley Moore	...	Rupert Street
Eddie Foy Jr.	...	Oscar
Suzy Kendall	...	Louise Hammond
John Bird	...	Herbert Greenslade
Duncan Macrae	...	Jock McCue
Patricia Routledge	...	Mrs. Woolley
Peter Bayliss	...	Victor
John Wells	...	Honorable Gavin Hopton
Harry Towb	...	Mr. Woolley
Jonathan Routh	...	Captain Gore-Taylor
Ted Dicks Jr.	...	Horst Cohen
Nicky Henson	...	Paul
Clive Dunn	...	Doctor
Frank Thornton	...	Registrar
Derek Farr	...	TV Announcer

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Last film role of Duncan Macrae.

Like a birthday cake - sweet and fluffy

"30 Is A Dangerous Age, Cynthia" shares a producer (Walter Shenson) with the Beatles' "Help!" and runs along the same lines as well - the flimsy so-called plot is merely an excuse for endless musical segments, fantasy sequences and comic gags. It's very clear from the beginning how things are going to turn out for our hero (Dudley Moore as Rupert Street), and even moments of worry or conflict for the characters pass very quickly or are made humorous. Several chances for drama are wasted - much like Rupert's own musical, you could imagine that this movie began life with some thought and delicacy that was discarded in favour of more harmless frolic. Well, it's undeniably full of that, with its swinging 60's colour, fun and music. The detective who fancies himself an American-style "private dick" with appropriate voiceovers is very funny, as is Eddie Foy Jr. as Oscar, Rupert's endlessly scheming agent. Those who are looking for something along the lines of "Bedazzled" (ie. the Moore/Cook version, a personal favourite of mine) will likely be disappointed with the fluffy non-plot and lack of anything resembling drama (not to mention the absence of Peter Cook's witty scripting). However, this really is a must-see for Dudley Moore fans - the imaginary bits display him in a vast array of costumed guises, and he performs several of his self-penned songs in their entirety. If you're just looking for a bit of "Help!"-style silly fun, you'll enjoy this one.