Penelope

source: Penelope

** Here be spoilers ** Penelope Elcott (Wood) is bored and thinks her husband is too occupied with his bank to notice her. So how to get his attention? Why not rob his bank. And then join the investigation, led by Lt. Bixbee (Falk). However, when Bixbee arrests another suspect, Penelope feels that she must admit her crime to acquit the innocent lady. But now nobody believes her! Not great but amusing and entertaining nonetheless. Good story with a lot of funny situations. Wood is good, and Falk is very much Falk (couldn't help to think of Columbo). Though both Bannen and Shawn has major parts as Penelope's husband and psychiatrist, respectively, I feel that their roles are minor in comparison to Wood. However both actor performs well. Unfortunately, the writers/director/producer or whoever decided cut the movie a little short. I believe that the movie could have been much more entertaining if more troublesome situations could have been made. Now, the entire movie along with some of the scenes seem to resolve a little too quickly. 6/10

It's the opening of the City Federal Bank and an old lady with a gun is robbing the bank. It's a costume. It's Penelope Elcott (Natalie Wood), the wife of the bank manager James Elcott (Ian Bannen). She escapes and police Lieutenant Horatio Bixbee (Peter Falk) investigates. She tells her psychiatrist Gregory the many times of her kleptomania but he refuses to accept it. This is a comedy without laughs. I'm not sure where the jokes are supposed to be coming from. Natalie Wood is trying to be wacky but she's not actually funny. The only potential is that nobody ever suspects her despite the clues being all there. The problem is that she's not actually trying to hide. I must wonder if the robber's identity remaining secret until the last act would be helpful. She could play dumb for the whole movie and the reveal would shock the audience. The whole psychiatrist section is a drag. There is no tension or comedy coming from the flashbacks. Other than the opening sequence, this has no tension and nothing is funny.

Natalie Wood, Peter Falk, Dick Shawn a great cast, NYC in the 60's a great location, even great opening credits… so how does this add up to such a boring movie? It is a movie I tried to there were some laughs and some great location shots, but what a bunch of annoying characters, I mean just about all of them. I guess Arthur Hiller was still just getting his feet wet; he did become a great director, and who would cast Ian Bannen as Penolpe's husband even as a straight man he's too much of a bore. As beautiful and sexy Penolpe is hers is the most annoying character of all, the Gracie Allen routine went out with... well Gracice Allen. I see that Hiller was trying to invoke the zaniness of the "screwball comedy" but this just came off as boring. High light - Natalie in her under garments being chased by Jonathan Winters

It's always fun to see Nat again. She was so pretty. This movie hasn't very much going for it but Nat and her marvellous Head wardrobe which is really the star of the movie. It just shows how powerful Head became at this point in Hollywood. Edie was by now writing books on how to dress as well as appearing on TV regularly doing makeovers for civilians. It is a bit of a waste to see Peter Finch in his pre-Columbo days as well as some well-used character actors inc. the usual penny-pinching stealing Jew selling Penelope's designer clothes at marked up prices from a thrift shop. It's unfortunate that Hollywood was still stereotyping people, but as I always say, stereotypes come from a large portion of the population that is exactly that. I speak from firsthand experience. I'm a gay man who admits the stereotypical 'flaming faggot' does exist in great numbers in the community and is unfortunately still around (witness 'Queer Guy' and the worst designer queens available they hired for the show). So, yeah, NYC back in the 60s was rife with back-stabbing retail Jews and I suppose they included him as a token. So, go for the looksee at what was chic in 1966 and forget the other.

Serious reviewers keep out, stay away, and spare us the jaded film-jargon-filled evaluations! This movie is about only one thing: FUN! It's a screwball comedy chick flick for men who love Natalie Wood. If the shoe fits, have a ball with this one! (BTW: What DOES it mean when you always forget your shoes?). I could have watched this film all night, over and over. Maybe that nauseates some of you stuff-shirted Scorsese devotees, but you can just take a hike anyway. I love Natalie, and this film is a smörgåsbord of shots and scenes of her just the way we love her. That alone should be enough. She steals every scene, of course; so, where's the downside in that? I know she hated herself in this film, but the real Natalie was something of a bitchy *, anyway. Most of us are glad that only Bob Wagner had to put up with that Natalie. The rest of us can enjoy her wholeheartedly in this little trinket of a movie!

"Penelope" is a Natalie Wood film with some redeeming qualities, though mostly it's tiresome and about as subtle as a * at a Baptist picnic! Penelope (Wood) is a screwball who is married to a 5th Avenue banker. Despite them having lots of money, she's a compulsive thief...and the film begins with her robbing her husband's bank! Along with her psychiatrist, they come to realize that she has stolen for years but it's out of control now because she is doing this to get her inattentive husband's attention. So, she then realizes that she should let the husband know....but he and the police don't believe her. This leads to one of the only funny portions of the film...when she is HAPPY to see blackmailers come to threaten to tell her husband she's a thief! What's next? See the film. "Penelope" is a very uneven movie. Too often, it lacks subtlety and resorts to very cheap laughs (complete with kooky sound effects) instead of intelligent writing. It's not all bad....but mostly bad. I cannot blame the actors...they are pretty good (including Peter Falk in a role much like his later Columbo). No, the writing (and to a lesser extent the direction) that are the problem. Interesting but highly flawed. By the way, if you do see the movie, you might also find it surprising to see Arlene Galonka playing a prostitute. Normally on TV she played sweet roles on wholesome shows like "Mayberry RFD"!!

Alright so it's not the greatest film in the world BUT I must recommend it anyway especially to those fans of the fabulously fun era of the late 60's. That 60's vibe is evident throughout the film. And I was surprised to hear "Johnny" Williams aprapos and quality score complete with Penelope theme song. Natalie Wood as Penelope is stunning and is also featured on a vocal number at the local "beatnik" club (now you don't want to miss that do you?) Peter Falk is the detective on Penelope's trail previewing his future role as Columbo and there are also many recognizable actors of that era in the film as well. Natalie Wood was very depressed over the lack of appreciation for this film but regained her career momentum with the success of "Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice" 3 years later.

When I was six years old this was on TV. I saw the beginning and was sent to bed. I just remember the great theme song with the cartoon credits ( I love cartoon credits.. EVERY movie should have cartoon credits.. do you realize how much better BLAIR WITCH PROJECT would be with cartoon credits?), the robbery and Jonathan Winters chasing Natalie Wood around. I remember thinking, "Why is he doing that?" After all these years I am finally watching it again. It is kinda surreal.. Like a spoof of wacky sixties farces. Wood plays a kleptomaniac. I await the remake with Wynona Ryder.

If nothing else "Penelope" helps to explain the attraction the French have for Jerry Lewis movies, as unlike these "Penelope" type comedies the Lewis stuff actually contains a fair amount of humor. During the ten years before the arrival of Woody Allen and Mel Brooks, Hollywood had virtually ceded comedy over to television and concentrated on epics and overwrought melodrama. Disney did funny stuff for children like "The Shaggy Dog" and Disney alumni did beach movies for teenagers, but only Lewis was doing comedy features. Hollywood did try to pass off a few very mild titillation films (for adults) as old style screwball comedies and "Penelope" is as good an example of this mislabeled genre as any other. "Penelope" was Natalie Wood's last big starring role. She looks great but had no business being cast in this role because "The Great Race" had already revealed an almost complete absence of comedic talent and timing. Technically it is a well-made production with a decent if not particularly witty script. You get a sense that the set was full of underutilized creative and production talent, constrained from making the film into more than its producers wanted. It is interesting to see a very young Peter Falk playing (big surprise) a detective and perhaps even more interesting to see Dick Shawn as a relatively straight laced psychiatrist (why did director Arthur Hiller keep Shawn's manic talents in check?). Jonathan Winters makes a brief appearance as Penelope's lecherous college professor (in the film's main titillation scene). There is even an appearance by the ubiquitous Fritz Feld, playing his standard pompous Frenchman, and (another big surprise) making popping noises by slapping his mouth with the palm of his hand to indicate his superiority and impatience. If you just want to "look" at "Natalie" you could do worse than "Penelope". If you want actual comedy from the 1960's you will do a lot better with Jerry or with Frankie and Annette. Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.