The World of Henry Orient (1964)

George Roy Hill directs "The World of Henry Orient", a once original now thoroughly tame film starring Peter Sellers as Henry Orient. Orient's a self-centred concert pianist who dates a series of married women. Unfortunately he's caught in the act by a pair of preteen boarding-school friends, played by Tippy Walker and Merrie Spaeth, both of whom worship Orient from afar. The girls' overworked imaginations result in them pursuing Orient and recording their fantasies in their diaries, a fact which irks one of their mothers, played by Angela Lansbury.Sellers' role isn't particularly well written, but Walker and Spaeth do good work. Much of the film consists of the duo engaging in flights of fancy or pulling pranks on unsuspecting adults. In this way, Hill finds an unusual tone; a playful perspective befitting zany adolescence. Think of "Orient" as a teen version of Hill's more popular "Sting" and "Butch Cassidy".6/10 - Worth one viewing.

Merrie Spaeth and Tippy Walker play two rather eccentric teenage girls (is there any other kind?) who find fascination in the comings and goings of Henry Orient (Peter Sellers), a world renowned pianist they come upon kissing his married mistress (Paula Prentiss) in the Ramble in Central Park. Like Doris Day's victim (a perplexed movie producer) in "It's a Great Feeling", Sellers gets paranoid every time he sees these two girls. In real life, having someone appearing in comical ways out of the blue rather frequently would drive a person to become unglued, and the publicity shy Sellers is truly put off by their childish pranks. Walker, the neglected daughter of wealthy but unhappily married Tom Bosley and Angela Lansbury, likes to play "fantasy" games of acting like somebody totally different. Today, we just call it a desperate cry for attention. At one point, she feigns a medical crisis; At another point, she claims to shopkeeper Al Lewis ("Grandpa Munster") that she's waiting for her mother, Jayne Mansfield! Each time gets the two girls into trouble. When mama Lansbury and papa Bosley come back from a trip, the two girls are separated, but when they get back together for one last visit to the shy Sellers, mama Lansbury gets involved which brings a show-down over the neglect Walker feels.Some people may not find these two girl's antics amusing, but there are a few moments that are truly funny. The film drags here and there, and finally settles into domestic drama that unleashes the reasons for the wealthy girl's strange behavior. Spaeth and Walker aren't your Patty Duke/Sally Field 60's teen; They reminded me of Hayley Mills' two "Parent Trap" characters needing a good dosage of Ritalin. Other than perhaps being raised without a father, there's no explanation for Spaeth's character's willingness to follow in Walker's footsteps. Phyllis Thaxter is Spaeth's sensible mother, and that wonderful rather obscure character actress Bibi Osterwald is hysterically funny as her eccentric pal. Lansbury plays one of her typically typecast harridan mothers, although in her Christmas party scene, she looks a lot like how she would just a few years later in "Mame". Her future "Murder She Wrote" co-star Tom Bosley adds a lot of heart as her unhappy husband. This is a comedy that will require the viewer to think a bit more psychologically than normal in movies. A good usage of Manhattan scenery is another one of the film's pluses. I do not see how this could be musicalized, as it was for the 1967 Broadway flop "Henry Sweet Henry". As for Peter Sellers, he is always hysterically funny, and especially so when he is expressing exasperation at the girls' constant sudden appearances during awkward moments. But basically his character is a cad, sort of a continuation of his role in "Lolita" minus the desire for "jail bait".

I remember seeing this movie when I was a teenager and loving it, and then it disappeared for years only to return a few years ago around the Christmas season on TCM. To me it will always be a December movie. I liked it then, and I like it now as a 52 year old. Its themes are universal; the score is magnificent, and the unaffected acting of the two young stars is refreshing. I can't imagine any other young actresses playing these roles, and I hope no one ever decides to do a remake. I'm not a huge Peter Sellers fan; but every time I watch this movie, I pick up on more and more of his comedic genius. The transition the girls make at the end was believable to me; they were growing up largely due to what they had experienced together in their pursuit of Henry Orient and the real truths that emerged. This was a 'chick flick' long before anyone had even coined the phrase.

Two teenage girls stalk a pianist in "The World of Henry Orient," a 1964 film starring Peter Sellars, Angela Lansbury, Phyllis Thaxter, Tom Bosley, Paula Prentiss, Merrie Spaeth and Tippy Walker.Spaeth and Walker are the 14-year-old teens, and the writing for them isn't good - it's PERFECT, capturing what it's like to be that age and having your first crush. The object of their affections is vain, paranoid Henry Orient (Peter Sellars) a pianist who apparently specializes in somewhat ugly modern music whom the girls see kissing his married girlfriend (Prentiss) in the park. When they see him again, he recognizes them and becomes unnerved. Then they attend a concert -- he sees them from the stage and nearly goes into orbit. After that, the girls read all they can about him and start staking out his apartment and restaurants he frequents.The Prentiss character, Stella, lives in fear of her husband finding out about her non-affair - she refuses to go to Orient's apartment, and whenever she acquiesces, she ends up running out of the back of the restaurant while he's getting a cab. Finally Henry gets her to his place. He spots the girls outside, and Stella becomes convinced that her husband has hired two child detectives. The kids have told a storekeeper next to their stalking stoop that they're waiting for their mother, Jayne Mansfield, who has been kidnapped. It goes from there - and it's HILARIOUS.The teens are sensational, giggly, wildly imaginative and creative, swooning, and faking terminal illness and other events on the street as they race all over the gloriously photographed New York City. Val comes from a super-rich family and neglectful parents, played by the glamorous Angela Lansbury and Tom Bosley as her quiet, hard-working husband. Her story, despite all the humor, is a poignant one.Sellars is fantastic, sporting an odd accent, and using the most subtle of expressions and body language to show what he's thinking. Lansbury is terrific and looks great, Bosley is excellent, and Prentiss is a riot as a neurotic mess.But the young girls - what memories they brought back of fantasy, crushes, wild laughter, pranks, and complete devastation. Phenomenal direction by George Roy Hill, gorgeous cinematography, great music. A no-miss if you want to recapture days of record albums, sitting on your bedroom floor with your friends, scrapbooks dedicated to the love of your life, hating teachers, and complete, uninhibited, euphoric daring.