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I Never Sang for My Father

January 28, 2023

I Never Sang for My Father is a 1970 American drama film, based on the 1968 play of the same name. It tells the story of a widowed college professor who feels dominated by his aging father, yet still has regrets about his plan to leave him behind when he remarries and moves to California. It stars Melvyn Douglas, Gene Hackman, Dorothy Stickney, Estelle Parsons, and Elizabeth Hubbard.

I Never Sang for My Father
film poster
Directed byGilbert Cates
Written byRobert Anderson
Produced byGilbert Cates
StarringMelvyn Douglas
Gene Hackman
Dorothy Stickney
Estelle Parsons
Elizabeth Hubbard
CinematographyMorris Hartzband
George Stoetzel
Edited byAngelo Ross
Music byAl Gorgoni
Barry Mann
Distributed byColumbia Pictures
Release date
  • October 18, 1970 (1970-10-18)
Running time
92 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The film was produced and directed by Gilbert Cates, and Robert Anderson adapted the screenplay from his 1968 Broadway play.

It was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Melvyn Douglas), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Gene Hackman), and Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium (Robert Anderson).

Plot summary

At the airport, college professor Gene Garrison meets his parents who have returned from Florida. After driving them home, he takes them out to dinner. Back home, he spends the evening with them. The barbs of his father, Tom, run through his mind as he drives home. Gene seeks solace in the arms of his mistress, who pines for a more serious relationship with him. Soon after, his mother, Margaret, suffers a heart attack and is hospitalized. Upon visiting her at the hospital, Gene finds Tom pacing in the waiting room. Tom asks Gene to go to the Rotary Club with him, though Gene was expecting not to leave his mother's side.

When Margaret dies, Gene helps his father shop for a casket. His sister, Alice, arrives without her husband and children. She explains to Gene that Tom's failing memory and health will require constant care either in a nursing home or with live-in assistance. She broaches the idea with their father, who rejects it outright. The conversation brings up old tensions about Tom's disinheritance of Alice over her taking a Jewish spouse. Alice leaves Gene to deal with their father by himself.

Gene's girlfriend Peggy arrives for a visit. She is charmed by Tom and offers to relocate to New York to live with Gene and his father. That night, Gene and Tom reminisce together over old photographs. Tom's love for his son comes shining through in their conversation, and he asks about a tune that Gene used to sing for him as a boy. Gene confesses that he never sang the tune for his father, but Tom recalls otherwise. Gene tells Tom that he is thinking about moving to California to be with Peggy, where she has a successful gynecological practice. Tom becomes irate at the notion, feeling abandoned. Gene leaves the house with Peggy and never comes back.

Cast

Production

Original play

Gilbert Cates had been one of the producers of the original stage play together with Doris Warner Vidor. Directed by Alan Schneider and starring Alan Webb, Lillian Gish and Hal Holbrook, it initially ran for 124 performances in New York in 1968 and lost most of its $195,000 investment. The story was widely considered to be quasi-autobiographical.[1]

The play was profiled in the William Goldman book The Season: A Candid Look at Broadway.

Filming

The film was shot at several locations, including Southern California and the Great Neck - Douglaston area of New York. Applauded by critics and viewers, the film (and play) predicted the coming of the sandwich generation, in this case, grown children and other family members helping their elderly parents who are up in age. It preceded other films on the subject, including The Savages and Away from Her.

Critical reception

Roger Ebert summarized the film in his review before concluding, "These bare bones of plot hardly give any hint of the power of this film. I've suggested something of what it's about, but almost nothing about the way the writing, the direction, and the performances come together to create one of the most unforgettably human films I can remember."[2]

Vincent Canby, in his review for The New York Times, was far less complimentary, writing, "(The film) does the human spirit a disservice in the way it pleads for sympathy for people who are small and flat, like comic strip characters, without sweetness, without imagination, without any suspected reserves of emotion. Indeed, it almost becomes ridiculous when you realize that it is without any honest problem, either psychological or economic."[3] Murf. of Variety called it " dull, distended, and lacking clear point of view" however he called the performances of the lead actors "superb".[1]

Awards and nominations

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Murphy, Arthur D. (19 October 1970). "Film reviews: I Never Sang For My Father". Daily Variety. p. 3.
  2. ^ Ebert, Roger. "I Never Sang for My Father". January 1, 1970.
  3. ^ Canby, Vincent (October 19, 1970). "Cates's Film, 'I Never Sang for My Father,' Begins Run". The New York Times. Retrieved November 15, 2018.

External links

  • I Never Sang for My Father (1970 film) at IMDb
  • I Never Sang for My Father (1970 film) at Rotten Tomatoes
  • I Never Sang for My Father (1970 film) at AllMovie
  • I Never Sang for My Father (1970 film) at the TCM Movie Database
  • ​I Never Sang for My Father​ (1968 New York stage production) at the Playbill Vault ()

January 28, 2023
never, sang, father, 1970, american, drama, film, based, 1968, play, same, name, tells, story, widowed, college, professor, feels, dominated, aging, father, still, regrets, about, plan, leave, behind, when, remarries, moves, california, stars, melvyn, douglas,. I Never Sang for My Father is a 1970 American drama film based on the 1968 play of the same name It tells the story of a widowed college professor who feels dominated by his aging father yet still has regrets about his plan to leave him behind when he remarries and moves to California It stars Melvyn Douglas Gene Hackman Dorothy Stickney Estelle Parsons and Elizabeth Hubbard I Never Sang for My Fatherfilm posterDirected byGilbert CatesWritten byRobert AndersonProduced byGilbert CatesStarringMelvyn Douglas Gene Hackman Dorothy Stickney Estelle Parsons Elizabeth HubbardCinematographyMorris Hartzband George StoetzelEdited byAngelo RossMusic byAl Gorgoni Barry MannDistributed byColumbia PicturesRelease dateOctober 18 1970 1970 10 18 Running time92 minutesCountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglishThe film was produced and directed by Gilbert Cates and Robert Anderson adapted the screenplay from his 1968 Broadway play It was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Leading Role Melvyn Douglas Best Actor in a Supporting Role Gene Hackman and Best Writing Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium Robert Anderson Contents 1 Plot summary 2 Cast 3 Production 3 1 Original play 3 2 Filming 4 Critical reception 5 Awards and nominations 6 See also 7 References 8 External linksPlot summary EditAt the airport college professor Gene Garrison meets his parents who have returned from Florida After driving them home he takes them out to dinner Back home he spends the evening with them The barbs of his father Tom run through his mind as he drives home Gene seeks solace in the arms of his mistress who pines for a more serious relationship with him Soon after his mother Margaret suffers a heart attack and is hospitalized Upon visiting her at the hospital Gene finds Tom pacing in the waiting room Tom asks Gene to go to the Rotary Club with him though Gene was expecting not to leave his mother s side When Margaret dies Gene helps his father shop for a casket His sister Alice arrives without her husband and children She explains to Gene that Tom s failing memory and health will require constant care either in a nursing home or with live in assistance She broaches the idea with their father who rejects it outright The conversation brings up old tensions about Tom s disinheritance of Alice over her taking a Jewish spouse Alice leaves Gene to deal with their father by himself Gene s girlfriend Peggy arrives for a visit She is charmed by Tom and offers to relocate to New York to live with Gene and his father That night Gene and Tom reminisce together over old photographs Tom s love for his son comes shining through in their conversation and he asks about a tune that Gene used to sing for him as a boy Gene confesses that he never sang the tune for his father but Tom recalls otherwise Gene tells Tom that he is thinking about moving to California to be with Peggy where she has a successful gynecological practice Tom becomes irate at the notion feeling abandoned Gene leaves the house with Peggy and never comes back Cast EditMelvyn Douglas as Tom Garrison Father Gene Hackman as Gene Garrison Son Estelle Parsons as Alice Sister Dorothy Stickney as Margaret Garrison Mother Elizabeth Hubbard as Doctor Margaret Peggy Thayer Lovelady Powell as Norma Daniel Keyes as Dr Mayberry Conrad Bain as Rev Sam Pell Jon Richards as Marvin Scott Nikki Counselman as Waitress Carol Peterson as Nurse 1 Sloane Shelton as Nurse 2 James Karen as Mr Tucker old age home director Gene Williams as Dr Jensen state hospital director Production EditOriginal play Edit Gilbert Cates had been one of the producers of the original stage play together with Doris Warner Vidor Directed by Alan Schneider and starring Alan Webb Lillian Gish and Hal Holbrook it initially ran for 124 performances in New York in 1968 and lost most of its 195 000 investment The story was widely considered to be quasi autobiographical 1 The play was profiled in the William Goldman book The Season A Candid Look at Broadway Filming Edit The film was shot at several locations including Southern California and the Great Neck Douglaston area of New York Applauded by critics and viewers the film and play predicted the coming of the sandwich generation in this case grown children and other family members helping their elderly parents who are up in age It preceded other films on the subject including The Savages and Away from Her Critical reception EditRoger Ebert summarized the film in his review before concluding These bare bones of plot hardly give any hint of the power of this film I ve suggested something of what it s about but almost nothing about the way the writing the direction and the performances come together to create one of the most unforgettably human films I can remember 2 Vincent Canby in his review for The New York Times was far less complimentary writing The film does the human spirit a disservice in the way it pleads for sympathy for people who are small and flat like comic strip characters without sweetness without imagination without any suspected reserves of emotion Indeed it almost becomes ridiculous when you realize that it is without any honest problem either psychological or economic 3 Murf of Variety called it dull distended and lacking clear point of view however he called the performances of the lead actors superb 1 Awards and nominations EditAward Category Nominee s ResultAcademy Awards Best Actor Melvyn Douglas NominatedBest Supporting Actor Gene Hackman NominatedBest Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium Robert Anderson NominatedGolden Globe Awards Best Motion Picture Drama I Never Sang for My Father NominatedBest Actor in a Motion Picture Drama Melvyn Douglas NominatedLaurel Awards Top Male Dramatic Performance 5th PlaceNational Board of Review Awards Top 10 Films I Never Sang for My Father 6th PlaceNew York Film Critics Circle Awards Best Actor Melvyn Douglas Runner upWriters Guild of America Awards Best Drama Adapted from Another Medium Robert Anderson WonSee also EditList of American films of 1970References Edit a b Murphy Arthur D 19 October 1970 Film reviews I Never Sang For My Father Daily Variety p 3 Ebert Roger I Never Sang for My Father January 1 1970 Canby Vincent October 19 1970 Cates s Film I Never Sang for My Father Begins Run The New York Times Retrieved November 15 2018 External links EditI Never Sang for My Father 1970 film at IMDb I Never Sang for My Father 1970 film at Rotten Tomatoes I Never Sang for My Father 1970 film at AllMovie I Never Sang for My Father 1970 film at the TCM Movie Database I Never Sang for My Father 1968 New York stage production at the Playbill Vault archive Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title I Never Sang for My Father amp oldid 1106736612, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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