Follow the Boys (1963 film)
- For the theme song sung by Connie Francis, see Follow the Boys (song). For the 1944 movie starring Marlene Dietrich, see Follow the Boys.
| Follow the Boys | |
|---|---|
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| Directed by | Richard Thorpe |
| Written by | David T. Chantler David D. Osborne |
| Produced by | Lawrence Bachmann |
| Starring | Paula Prentiss Connie Francis Janis Paige |
| Cinematography | Ted Scaife |
| Edited by | John Victor-Smith |
| Music by | Ron Goodwin Alexander Courage |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Running time | 95 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Follow the Boys (1963) is a comedy film starring Connie Francis, Paula Prentiss, and Janis Paige,[1] and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Directed by Richard Thorpe[1] and shot on location on the French and Italian Riviera, Follow the Boys was MGM's second film vehicle for top recording artist Francis following Where the Boys Are (1960). While Francis' role in the earlier film had been somewhat secondary, she had a distinctly central role in Follow the Boys playing Bonnie Pulaski, a newlywed traveling the Riviera.
Plot
Bonnie visits various ports-of-call in hopes of a rendezvous with her sailor husband (Roger Perry), who is summoned to active duty from their honeymoon. Missing the original point and time of rendezvous in the port of Nice by a few minutes, Bonnie follows the ship to Italy in a somewhat rickety and battered pink 2 CV accompanied by veteran navy wife Janis Paige and two other officers' girlfriends, played by Francis' Where the Boys Are co-star Paula Prentiss and by Dany Robin, who are likewise intent on romantic reunions. Happy endings for each of the ladies are delayed by a series of romantic and comedic misunderstandings.
Paige's husband is played by Ron Randell, with Richard Long and Russ Tamblyn as the respective love interests for Robin and Prentiss.
Cast
- Connie Francis as Bonnie Pulaski
- Paula Prentiss as Toni Denham. Follow the Boys was the first instance of Prentiss and her husband Richard Benjamin performing in the same film production, although Benjamin's part as an aide to the admiral did not make the final cut.
- Janis Paige as Liz Bradville
- Dany Robin as Michele Perrier
- Russ Tamblyn as Lt(JG) "Smitty" Smith
- Richard Long as Lt(JG) Pete Langley
- Ron Randell as Lt. Cmdr. Ben Bradville
- Roger Perry as Radarman 3rd Class Billy Pulaski
Production
MGM producer-writer Lawrence Bachman had a vacation home in the south of France. While staying there, he met several Navy wives who lived in Villefranche and spent a lot of their time following their husbands from port to port.[2]
The cast originally announced was Paula Prentiss, Jim Hutton, and Connie Stevens.[3] Ron Randell was cast off the back of his success in MGM's King of Kings.[4]
The film was shot in the south of France and at London's Elstree Studios.[5][6]
References
- ^ a b "Follow the Boys". Turner Classic Movies. Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System (Time Warner). Retrieved August 20, 2016.
- ^ Fleet's In...With Wives On the Dock, Aline Mosby. The Washington Post, Times Herald, October 16, 1962
- ^ Scheuer, P. K. (1962, May 23). Is french riviera a location threat? Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File) Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/168134172
- ^ Vagg, Stephen (August 10, 2019). "Unsung Aussie Actors – Ron Randell: A Top Twenty". Filmink.
- ^ The Tea Break Notwithstanding, London Studios Humming Scheuer, Philip K., Los Angeles Times, August 12, 1962
- ^ Great Sebastians' Up for Lucy, Bing: Randell, Martin on Own; Foreign-Film Fans Choosy, Scheuer, Philip K., Los Angeles Times, May 11, 1962