Good Neighbor Sam
Encyclopedia
Good Neighbor Sam is a 1964 American
comedy
movie co-written
and directed by David Swift
and starring Jack Lemmon
and Romy Schneider
.
It was based on the novel
by Jack Finney
. The screenplay was the motion picture debut of James Fritzell and Everett Greenbaum, who had written many American television situation comedies
including Mr. Peepers
(created by David Swift). Greenbaum also created the mobile sculpture featured in the film.
).
An extremely important client, Simon Nurdlinger (Edward G. Robinson
), is considering taking his business elsewhere when he believes there are no "family men" working at Sam's company. Sam's boss, Mr. Burke (Edward Andrews
), introduces the client to Sam. The client is delighted by Sam and agrees to do business with him and the company. Sam feels his career is now on the way up and he goes home to celebrate with his wife. There, he meets his wife's longtime friend and their new next-door neighbor, Janet (Romy Schneider
), and they all have dinner together to celebrate his promotion and Janet's new home.
Janet, a beautiful French woman, is recently divorced from her husband Howard (Mike Connors
) and is happier than ever. She has also come into a large inheritance from her grandfather, which carries the stipulation that she must still be married to Howard in order to receive the inheritance. State law dictates that a divorce is not final until a year from final settlement. Since only six months have passed, Janet decides to hide the divorce from her cousins Irene (Anne Seymour) and Jack (Charles Lane
) who stand to inherit if Janet is disqualified.
With Howard unavailable, Sam is pressed to impersonate him when Irene and Jack arrive for a visit. Having never met Howard, Irene and Jack seem convinced but begin watching the couple, requiring that Janet and Sam (with Min's complicity) continue the charade for several days. When caught by Mr. Burke and Mr. Nurdlinger, Sam and Janet are then forced into a double charade in which Janet pretends to be Min. The situation begins to unravel when Irene and Jack hire a private investigator to keep watch on Sam and Janet, and Howard re-enters the picture.
Cinema of the United States
The cinema of the United States, also known as Hollywood, has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. Its history is sometimes separated into four main periods: the silent film era, classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood, and the contemporary period...
comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
movie co-written
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
and directed by David Swift
David Swift (director)
David Swift was an American film actor, writer, director and producer. He is best known for his 1967 film, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and the Disney films Parent Trap franchise.-Biography:...
and starring Jack Lemmon
Jack Lemmon
John Uhler "Jack" Lemmon III was an American actor and musician. He starred in more than 60 films including Some Like It Hot, The Apartment, Mister Roberts , Days of Wine and Roses, The Great Race, Irma la Douce, The Odd Couple, Save the Tiger John Uhler "Jack" Lemmon III (February 8, 1925June...
and Romy Schneider
Romy Schneider
Romy Schneider was an Austrian-born German film actress who also held French citizenship.-Early life:Schneider was born Rosemarie Magdalena Albach in Nazi-era Vienna, six months after the Anschluss, into a family of actors that included her paternal grandmother Rosa Albach-Retty, her Austrian...
.
It was based on the novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by Jack Finney
Jack Finney
Jack Finney was an American author. His best-known works are science fiction and thrillers, including The Body Snatchers and Time and Again. The former was the basis for the 1956 movie Invasion of the Body Snatchers and its remakes.-Biography:Finney was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and given the...
. The screenplay was the motion picture debut of James Fritzell and Everett Greenbaum, who had written many American television situation comedies
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
including Mr. Peepers
Mr. Peepers
Mr. Peepers is an American television sitcom that aired on NBC from July 3, 1952 to June 12, 1955.-Overview:Mr. Peepers starred Wally Cox as Jefferson City's junior high school science teacher Robinson J. Peepers...
(created by David Swift). Greenbaum also created the mobile sculpture featured in the film.
Plot
Lemmon plays Sam Bissell, a hard-working advertising executive, with two young daughters and a loving wife, Min (Dorothy ProvineDorothy Provine
Dorothy Michelle Provine was an American singer, dancer, actress, and comedienne.-Career:Provine was born in Deadwood, South Dakota, to Virgil and Kathleen Provine. She attended the University of Washington, where she majored in drama. In Washington she handed out prizes for a local television...
).
An extremely important client, Simon Nurdlinger (Edward G. Robinson
Edward G. Robinson
Edward G. Robinson was a Romanian-born American actor. A popular star during Hollywood's Golden Age, he is best remembered for his roles as gangsters, such as Rico in his star-making film Little Caesar and as Rocco in Key Largo...
), is considering taking his business elsewhere when he believes there are no "family men" working at Sam's company. Sam's boss, Mr. Burke (Edward Andrews
Edward Andrews
Edward Andrews was an American actor, one of the most recognizable character actors on television and films between the 1950s and the 1980s...
), introduces the client to Sam. The client is delighted by Sam and agrees to do business with him and the company. Sam feels his career is now on the way up and he goes home to celebrate with his wife. There, he meets his wife's longtime friend and their new next-door neighbor, Janet (Romy Schneider
Romy Schneider
Romy Schneider was an Austrian-born German film actress who also held French citizenship.-Early life:Schneider was born Rosemarie Magdalena Albach in Nazi-era Vienna, six months after the Anschluss, into a family of actors that included her paternal grandmother Rosa Albach-Retty, her Austrian...
), and they all have dinner together to celebrate his promotion and Janet's new home.
Janet, a beautiful French woman, is recently divorced from her husband Howard (Mike Connors
Mike Connors
Mike Connors is an American actor best known for playing detective Joe Mannix in the CBS television series, Mannix. Before that, he had played a crime-fighting investigator, wielding a .38 handgun hidden in his back, in another CBS series, Tightrope.-Early life:Connors was born Krekor Ohanian in...
) and is happier than ever. She has also come into a large inheritance from her grandfather, which carries the stipulation that she must still be married to Howard in order to receive the inheritance. State law dictates that a divorce is not final until a year from final settlement. Since only six months have passed, Janet decides to hide the divorce from her cousins Irene (Anne Seymour) and Jack (Charles Lane
Charles Lane (actor)
Charles Gerstle Levison , better known as Charles Lane, was an American character actor seen in many movies and TV shows, and at the time of his death may have been the oldest living professional American actor. Lane appeared in many Frank Capra films, including You Can't Take It With You , Mr...
) who stand to inherit if Janet is disqualified.
With Howard unavailable, Sam is pressed to impersonate him when Irene and Jack arrive for a visit. Having never met Howard, Irene and Jack seem convinced but begin watching the couple, requiring that Janet and Sam (with Min's complicity) continue the charade for several days. When caught by Mr. Burke and Mr. Nurdlinger, Sam and Janet are then forced into a double charade in which Janet pretends to be Min. The situation begins to unravel when Irene and Jack hire a private investigator to keep watch on Sam and Janet, and Howard re-enters the picture.
Cast
- Jack LemmonJack LemmonJohn Uhler "Jack" Lemmon III was an American actor and musician. He starred in more than 60 films including Some Like It Hot, The Apartment, Mister Roberts , Days of Wine and Roses, The Great Race, Irma la Douce, The Odd Couple, Save the Tiger John Uhler "Jack" Lemmon III (February 8, 1925June...
as Sam Bissell - Romy SchneiderRomy SchneiderRomy Schneider was an Austrian-born German film actress who also held French citizenship.-Early life:Schneider was born Rosemarie Magdalena Albach in Nazi-era Vienna, six months after the Anschluss, into a family of actors that included her paternal grandmother Rosa Albach-Retty, her Austrian...
as Janet Lagerlof - Dorothy ProvineDorothy ProvineDorothy Michelle Provine was an American singer, dancer, actress, and comedienne.-Career:Provine was born in Deadwood, South Dakota, to Virgil and Kathleen Provine. She attended the University of Washington, where she majored in drama. In Washington she handed out prizes for a local television...
as Minerva Bissell - Mike ConnorsMike ConnorsMike Connors is an American actor best known for playing detective Joe Mannix in the CBS television series, Mannix. Before that, he had played a crime-fighting investigator, wielding a .38 handgun hidden in his back, in another CBS series, Tightrope.-Early life:Connors was born Krekor Ohanian in...
as Howard Ebbets (as Michael Connors) - Edward AndrewsEdward AndrewsEdward Andrews was an American actor, one of the most recognizable character actors on television and films between the 1950s and the 1980s...
as Mr. Burke - Louis NyeLouis NyeLouis Nye was an American comedy actor.-Early years:He was born Louis Neistat in Hartford, Connecticut, the son of Joseph Neistat and Jennie Sherman . His sister was Rose Neistat...
as Reinhold Shiffner, detective - Robert Q. LewisRobert Q. LewisRobert Q. Lewis was an American radio and television personality, game show host, and actor. Lewis added the middle initial "Q." to his name accidentally on the air in 1942, when he responded to a reference to radio comedian F. Chase Taylor's character, Colonel Lemuel Q...
as Earl, neighbor - Edward G. RobinsonEdward G. RobinsonEdward G. Robinson was a Romanian-born American actor. A popular star during Hollywood's Golden Age, he is best remembered for his roles as gangsters, such as Rico in his star-making film Little Caesar and as Rocco in Key Largo...
as Simon Nurdlinger - Anne Seymour as Irene Krump
- Charles LaneCharles Lane (actor)Charles Gerstle Levison , better known as Charles Lane, was an American character actor seen in many movies and TV shows, and at the time of his death may have been the oldest living professional American actor. Lane appeared in many Frank Capra films, including You Can't Take It With You , Mr...
as Jack Bailey - Joyce JamesonJoyce JamesonJoyce Jameson was an American actress best remembered for her blonde bimbo roles during the Marilyn Monroe period...
as Elsie, the hotel hooker - Barbara BouchetBarbara BouchetBarbara Bouchet, is a German-American actress and entrepreneur.She has acted in more than 80 films and television episodes and founded a production company that has produced fitness videos and books as well as owning a fitness studio...
as Receptionist - Kym KarathKym KarathKimberly "Kym" Karath is an American actress, best known for her role as Gretl in The Sound of Music.- Career :...
as Denise Bissell - Richard HaleRichard HaleRichard Hale was an American character actor of film, stage and television. Hale was known for his unusual appearance which usually landed him in the roles of either Middle Eastern or Native American characters....
as Mr Bernier - Linda WatkinsLinda WatkinsLinda Watkins was an actress in theater, motion pictures, and television. She was born Linda Mathews Watkins in Boston, Massachusetts, the daughter of Gardiner and Elizabeth R. Watkins.-Theatrical actress:...
as Edna - Bernie KopellBernie KopellBernard Morton "Bernie" Kopell is an American television character actor who is probably best known for his roles as Dr. Adam Bricker in The Love Boat and KAOS agent Siegfried in Get Smart...
as Richard Taragon, Photographer - Bess FlowersBess FlowersBess Flowers was an American actress. By some counts considered the most prolific actress in the history of Hollywood, she was known as "The Queen of the Hollywood Extras," appearing in over 700 movies in her 41 year career....
as Mrs. Burke (uncredited) - David SwiftDavid Swift (director)David Swift was an American film actor, writer, director and producer. He is best known for his 1967 film, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and the Disney films Parent Trap franchise.-Biography:...
as Hertz Commercial Director (uncredited)
Trivia
- This was the last film by contract that Jack Lemmon did for Columbia Pictures (he was to be loaned back to Columbia a few years later for one final film). He had been a Columbia player throughout the 1950s. The studio was the first to sign Lemmon to a contract when he was starting out as an actor in 1953.
- The name of the advertising firm for which Sam Bissell (Lemmon) works, Burke & Hare, is clearly a reference to William Burke and William Hare, two Irish laborers living in 18th century Edinburgh, Scotland who became notorious as history's most famous "body snatchers." Until they were discovered by the British authorities, they killed at least 15 travelers and then sold their corpses to medical schools for dissection.
- Although the movie takes place in the Bay Area, much of Good Neighbor Sam was filmed in Los Angeles. The interiors of Sam and Janet's homes and the backyards were actually sets inside sound stages at Columbia Studios. Background street scenes using back-projection were also done at the studio. Some notable Los Angeles landmarks that can be seen in the film include the Bradbury Building with its ornate cast iron railings and cage elevators, the Pacific Mutual Building on West 6th Street where Edward G. Robinson's character Simon gets out of the limo to enter the building, and Pershing Square in a scene showing the altered billboard of Sam and Janet on the roof top of the Philharmonic Building.
- An ongoing gag was to poke fun at Hertz Rent a Car advertisements of the 1960s. Characters in the film had to walk through a recording studio in the advertising firm where Sam Bissell worked, seemingly at the precise moment that a Hertz commercial was being recorded.
- Another ongoing theme was periodic introduction of Bissell's Rube GoldbergRube GoldbergReuben Garrett Lucius Goldberg was an American cartoonist, sculptor, author, engineer and inventor.He is best known for a series of popular cartoons depicting complex gadgets that perform simple tasks in indirect, convoluted ways. These devices, now known as Rube Goldberg machines, are similar to...
contraptions, both as metaphors for escapism and creativism stifled by corporate culture, and as reminders of the complicated machinery in life that achieves little, if nothing. - The phrase "in the middle of the night" is used 8 times, starting 57 minutes into the movie.