User reviews

Brassy, singing tomboy near Hollywood in the 1930s gets a screen test and is soon thrust into the crazy spotlight of Tinsel Town. Ham-handed soaper intends to paint show business as cool, decadent and uncaring, but director Robert Mulligan is unable to set an appropriate tone, and his bad guys are enigmatic shadies who conspire in whispers. This combined with Natalie Wood's raucous rendering of a 15-year-old results in some problems. Still, the look and atmosphere of the film are really extraordinary, and Christopher Plummer gives off sparks of neurotic heat as the head of the movie studio. Robert Redford is a good screen match for Natalie, although his love-interest role is steeped in the hypothetical; Wood herself runs hot and cold, though she has some very strong early moments. The pacing might've stood some picking up, and the movie is much too long, but it looks stylish and has a lot of talent behind it. **1/2 from ****

It's always amazed me that this movie doesn't get more respect--sure it's campy, but the performances are fantastic: Christopher Plummer's speech to Daisy by the pool after she's been abandoned by her new husband (a super young Robert Redford playing a gorgeous pansexual for God's sake--what more could a person ask?) is stunning and Natalie Wood's "The Circus is a wacky world"-induced breakdown in the sound booth is brilliant and scary. Roddy McDowell's killing smile as he says "Good night, Miss Clover." Redford getting away with lines like "Good night, sweet, sad, lonely lady" and a drunken Malora (great name) screaming at Daisy "They say I've got a headache, BUT I'VE GOT A HEARTACHE!!!" The gorgeous black and white promotional video of Daisy singing and bouncing her way through the cardboard galaxies. All incredible stuff--why isn't this on DVD yet? Wake up, Hollywood, and give us this treasure on DVD!

This movie often seems surrealistic, sometimes comic, sometimes despairing and it has musical numbers which come from another dimension entirely--they are a mix of Busby Berkeley and 1960s design. The film seems like an eccentric comedy at first with 15 year-old tomboy Daisy (Natalie Wood) and her wacky mother (Ruth Gordon) both competing over who can chew scenery faster. Suddenly, she's plucked by sinister studio head Christopher Plummer and turned into a star. The studios of the time were certainly often sinister, but I found the dispatch of Ma Clover to the mental institution a bit of a stretch. The film has other implausible moments plus a tone of anachronism as the songs, by Andre and Dory Previn, are 1960s Broadway in style. Many scenes of loneliness and isolation--a strangely deserted Santa Monica pier,an empty desert motel, a studio that always seems empty, even the sound stages seem empty. You rarely see the bustle you expect in a film set at a studio or in Hollywood. This is an odd, fascinating, 1/2 successful film.

I would speculate that this is one of the worst major studio motion pictures ever made, starring and directed by A-list talent. I was a teenager when this came out in the theatre, and even then, I distinctly remember - because I was a Natalie Wood fan -- that I hated this movie. I expected forty years later that I would embrace it more deeply, partially for nostalgia, partially for being more forgiving of its foibles. Well ... it's even worse than I remember – a lurid, melodramatic potboiler where not a scene, or piece of dialogue, rings true. Natalie Wood acts like a silent film star, mugging atrociously, and playing tomboy like a truck driver in army boots. I am reminded of the numerous Razzie worst actress awards she got from Harvard back then. Someone on IMDb assumed that 60s audiences accepted this -- but it was a critical bomb back then. The story is beyond far-fetched as she dreams of being a singer, she sends in a recorded disc of her voice -- and the studio head himself pays her a personal call at her pier-side shack because he's so excited about her talent – and when we watch her screentest – her singing is mediocre. She's immediately signed to a contract, but never shows a shred of pleasure or excitement that she has gotten her wish, but only seems to want to escape. The costumes and hair are maddeningly anachronistic – teased hair, pink lipstick, eyeliner, shaggy bangs, turtlenecks, Capri pants, empire waist dresses, narrow suit lapels, pure 60s. Her musical number belongs more on Hullabaloo than a 1930s movie screen. Scenes on the 1930s studio lot, and on the soundstage, are always as deserted as a tomb, and the studio head – who is so evil he should be twirling his moustache like a silent film villain -- seems to have no other duties or interests than meeting incessantly with, and watching over, Daisy. Worth renting only for curiosity value -- or Wood fans who need to round out their viewing repertoire. The one positive is Robert Redford – not the most interesting of actors but more animated than in some of his later roles, and gorgeously handsome beyond belief.

Last night I had the pleasure of watching my third Natalie Wood film of the week, and it was 1965's "Inside Daisy Clover," which I had never seen before. In this one, Natalie lives with her senile mother (Ruth Gordon, in her first picture since the '40s) in a little shack on Angel Beach, California. She sends a recording of herself singing to studio head Raymond Swan (Christopher Plummer...yes, in the same year that he appeared in "The Sound of Music"...quite a year for him), who sees something in her and turns her, practically overnight, into "America's Valentine," and a movie sensation. Daisy soon starts to realize that the Hollywood life has its perils and pitfalls, and eventually marries another popular star, Wade Lewis (the ridiculously, almost angelically handsome Robert Redford), who turns out to be gay, or at least wildly bi. A nervous breakdown of sorts and a run-in with the satanic Swan lead to a suicide attempt for poor Daisy, before she sees the light. Anyway, this film is not as great as I was hoping it would be, but is still pretty darn good. Like 1963's "Love With the Proper Stranger"--another Natalie film, and one that I watched the other day--it was directed by Robert Mulligan, but is not as fine as that earlier film. And it is not as fine, I thought, as the film that Natalie and Redford appeared in the following year, "This Property Is Condemned." Still, as I say, it does have much to offer. The promotional film that introduces Daisy is a wowser, filled with amazing special FX (especially for the mid-'30s), although the song that Daisy sings in it hardly sounds as if it comes from that era; it almost sounds like a 1960s Vegas lounge act kind of number. As would be expected, Natalie and the other performers are all aces. Almost forgot to mention that Roddy McDowall is in here also, playing Swan's unctuous assistant. All in all, great fun, if nothing classic, but so good to see Natalie once again proving the critics wrong. The gal really COULD act!

INSIDE DAISY CLOVER is a could have been good movie. Good plot and story line, but the execution doesn't work. Part of the Natalie Wood collection, CLOVER is about a young slum type girl who wants to be a singer. She submits a record and before you can blink, a studio head wants to test her. Now that only happens in the "movies". Natalie Wood is much to old for the role, but she has many good scenes. Not one character in this movie is sane except for the Roddy McDowell character, but he has so little to do that one wonders what he's doing in the film at all. The movie is very slow paced, yet there seems to be chunks deleted which make the story hard to follow. The ending is very lame. Another strange factor to this strange movie is that the studio scenes are eerie. This is supposed to be the 30's when film making was at its peak, yet there is virtually no one at the studio. The streets and lots are barren of people and even the sound stage which should be full of hustle, bustle is void of people except for a couple of camera men. Also, as studio head, Chris Plummer is always around which is unreal in that he has other stars and VIP's to contend with. Even the studio offices are devoid of people. Very strange indeed. The film depicts the Daisy character of wanting to sing and be in movies, but when she gets the chance she does nothing but sulk and seem unhappy at her success!! Extraordinary. It's been noted that Natalie herself said that she wasn't right for the role and that Tuesday Weld should have played Daisy. Amen.

Inside Daisy Clover is not just any movie about a wanna-be-star that has her dream come true and in the process witnesses the changes and corruption that bring her to the top. It is a movie about the movie industry itself. Actually it is the BEST movie that Hollywood has ever made about itself. Natalie Wood stars as the 15-year-old child star and manages to pull it through. She is a lot older and we all know, but there are times when just a look or a smile of hers can be nothing but as close to childhood as an adult actress could ever get. On the other hand we have Robert Redford, the young careless and unsteady lover that lifts everyone he meets to the sky and then dumps them to the ground leaving in his passage something more than pain: the realization that what is inevitable will happen and we all know it from the beginning. Somehow we wish it were different but it isn't and the end offers the only solution that could close such a movie without destroying its unique feeling. Redford's role is undoubtedly the greatest of his career. He is so young, strong and handsome that no one can resist him. And yet, there is a lot more hidden beneath his nice facade than anyone could ever think possible. Somehow he is a tortured character that finds content in hurting others but still he does it in such a way that you can't but admire him. Even the most fanatic feminist can try to persuade me he isn't the most charming - and at the same time cryptic - character even written for the big screen but the truth remains the same: like Michael Caine in Alfie we'd love to hate him but we can't! I must say the end is not exactly as dark as I would have expected it given the fact that we all know Daisy's path goes only downhill from the moment she meets Wade (Redford) but the queer thing (and what makes it a little unbelievable and lame) is that she manages to survive in such a random way that even the viewer wouldn't want her to. But that's the beauty of it all!

"Inside Daisy Clover" stars Natalie Wood and it's a film about a girl with a great voice who makes it big. Oddly, however, Miss Wood's singing was dubbed by another woman. Either the studio had no faith in her singing or her voice was weak...either way it seemed unusual to make such a casting choice. But it isn't unprecidented...Hollywood often dubbed its stars in musicals...and as recently as "My Fair Lady" which was made the year before "Inside Daisy Clover". But considering that the story is supposed to be about a teen (and Wood was a bit too old to convincingly carry this off), you do get the impression that the studio was really fixated on casting Wood regardless of her suitablity. By the way, I am NOT criticizing Wood...she was a wonderful actress...just not the best for this particular role.

The film begins in the 30s and Daisy (Wood) is a teen living with her extremely eccentric mother. It's hard to determine when watching the picture how mentally ill or capable Mrs. Clover (Ruth Gordon) was...but she certainly was NOT a normal lady. In fact, after Daisy's gift for music is discovered, the folks grooming her for success somehow have the embarrassing mother institutionalized...and young Daisy, though upset, goes along with this. What else must she sacrifice on the road to success?? See the film and find out for yourself...just know there will be a lot of sacrifices!

In many ways, this film is a lot like "A Star is Born" merged with a cynical movie about Tinseltown such as "The Bad and the Beautiful"....sort of a flip side of success picture. But it's also an odd amalgum of the 1930s...with a strong 1960s look to it. Kwindrum's review of the film and this odd style is spot on.

So is it any good? Yes...but nothing you should run out to see. Good but not as drenched in cynicism and despair as a few of the other anti-Hollywood pics. Much of it is because of the movie's odd style and lack of subtlety. As a result, it's good but just manages to miss the mark which might have made it great.

Natalie Wood, Christopher Plummer, Robert Redford, Roddy McDowell, Ruth Gordon … what a cast! What a waste!

Sheer, unending boredom abounds in this Hollywood story. Wood is unbelievable throughout as the oh-so-talented tomboy. Her hair looks like a wool mop, and is styled in a mid-60s shag – even though the story takes place in the mid-30s. There are two equally horrid production numbers featuring Wood – one filmed in black and white ("Everything's coming up Clover," she warbles). Watch carefully at the beginning of the black and white song, you'll notice Wood shaking her head as if she can't quite believe it either. Poor Wood. They gussyed her up in the most gawdawful Scarlett O'Hara ballgowns – and then made her run around in them barefoot to underscore what wild child she's playing. Much of the time, Wood does not even get to speak, but hangs her head and glares at the camera.

Katharine Bard, who plays the mogul's serene and seemingly noble wife, looks like late period Marlene Dietrich and serves no purpose other than to inform us of Redford's bisexuality. McDowell, playing a secretary, has exciting lines, most of them informing Wood that her car is waiting or that so-and-so is waiting. Gordon, maybe in character, maybe not, looks dazed and confused and longing for the whole thing to be over.

This flick does not even score points for camp value.

I remember this movie was highly publicized in the 1960s, but it had no appeal to me then as a teenager. As an adult, however, I was pleasantly surprised. Natalie Wood plays an oddball 15-year-old. It took every ounce of her acting skills, since she was nearly 30 when she made the film. And it requires a willing - heck, make that mandatory - suspension of disbelief on the viewer's part. But it's worth it.

Wood plays against type, since she's not the suave glamor princess she usually played in other movies. And the movie itself is pretty odd, particularly in a scene where Wood's character has to repeatedly over-dub a musical number. And somewhat shockingly, during the otherwise serious dramatic arc of Inside Daisy Clover, you will suddenly be treated to several minutes of what is - at least in my dark-humor-loving eyes - one of the funniest, laugh-out-loud suicide scenes I've ever seen.

Particularly if you're a Natalie Wood fan, this film is quirky, fun, and worth watching.

This film seems way ahead of it's time, made in 1965 it's one of the first to show a darker side of Tinsel Town. Natalie Wood plays a tomboy who's plucked from obscurity and becomes a teen singing star. Her character is almost immediately jaded by the experience, manipulated by a studio head and a dubious male heartthrob, played by a stunning looking Robert Redford. Ruth Gordon once again stands out as the teen stars' mother. Christopher Plummer is excellent as the smooth studio head with Roddy McDowall as his cold assistant. Katharine Bard plays Plummers' wife, and her character is fascinating. She seems to float and flow when she moves and her character sums up the film's overall feel. Distant, detached and alien yet seething with anger and disappointment.

The problem with the film is that it's very dark in tone. That is to say the slick big budget production is overshadowed by a strange menace, highlighting the fact that the studio system was basically a people factory, uncaring and cannibalistic. Audiences at the time must have been very confused, expecting a light, breezy musical. Instead it's a realistic yet stylized downer, reminiscent of Valley of the Dolls, which was yet to come. There's very little genuine romance, sentiment or humor, just a steady flow of odd scenes.

This is one of those movies that many have never heard of, it remains obscure despite it's almost epic appeal. It's certainly worth a look, but just try to nail it down to any specific category.

Every time I watch this movie, I am more and more impressed with the range of ability that Natalie Wood exhibits. Terrific job on her part. As for the story itself, what really strikes me about "Inside Daisy Clover" is the countless times that she is alone, confined and boxed in. The entire time that Daisy is trying to break loose and make a noise in the world, she continuously finds herself practically jailed. The little booth where she makes her first records, the tiny shop where she sells star photos, the claustrophobic cabin she shares with "The Dealer," the sound room where she dubs "The Circus Is A Wacky World"--all of these create a sense of suffocation. With Daisy constantly placed in these pressure cookers, you just have to believe that sooner or later she is going to explode!

I happened to channel surf onto the very beginning of this on TCM and was so intrigued I stuck with it. First of all it was filmed in Panavision, so the color quality and the aspect ratio were stunning. Today's movies just don't look this good. And the cast - how can you go wrong with Natalie Wood, Ruth Gordon, Christopher Plummer, Robert Redford and Roddy MacDowell? The movie is a tad long and could have benefited from some editing and does seem to stall in a couple of places, but on the whole it's a well-done portrayal of the how the Hollywood studio system can chew up a young person. I can't figure out why this flick doesn't get more air time but it's good entertainment.