ALL SCI-FI

[Pow]

"The Honeymoon Machine" was originally released on August 23, 1961 and was based upon the Lorenzo Semple Jr ("Pretty Poison," "Papillon," and "The Parallax View") play "The Golden Fleecing" which ran on Broadway from October to December of 1959 for 84 performances.

Plot : Civilian scientist Jason Eldridge (Jim Hutton) is on board the US Navy military ship the Elmira overseeing the super computer MACS (Magnetic Analyzer Computing Synchrotron).

Jason's pal Lt. Ferguson 'Fergie' Howard (Steve McQueen) concocts a plan with Jason, LtJG Beauregard Gillman (Jack Mullaney), and another officer operating MACS to break the bank at a casino in Venice, Italy.

Defying the direct orders of Admiral Fitch that all naval officers are to wear their uniforms when on shore and cannot enter the casino; Fergie and his cohorts check into a swanky hotel suite.

There they plan to use a signal lamp in order to communicate with their confederate manning MACS on board the USN Elmira. Their pal will signal the correct computer tabulations from MACS that will correctly predict the results of the casino roulette wheel.

Naturally, things become very complicated during this gambit for Fergie and his gang.

Julie Fitch, Admiral Fitch's daughter, and Fergie meet and begin to fall for each other. Eldridge meets his former girlfriend & heiress Pam Dunstan (Paula Prentiss) who is engaged.

Admiral Fitch---in the suite just below Fergie & company---is made aware that mysterious signals are being sent from the Elmira to the casino. They don't have a clue as to what the coded numbers mean but Fitch immediately puts his staff on alert to figure out what this 'espionage' is all about.

The American & Soviet consulates also get in on the act suspecting some kind of spy ring at work.

THM is one of those screwball-romantic comedies that were so prevalent in movies once upon a time.

No, this isn't a classic film by any means.

However, if you're looking for a humorous and fun lighthearted comedy this movie fits the bill.

The cast all do a fine job of keeping the story moving briskly along.

Steve McQueen had comedic chops as seen here that he rarely showed in many of his films.

He reportedly walked out of the premiere of THM and hated the film even more than "The Blob."

I think Steve took this all too seriously. The film is exactly what it is meant to be; a romcom to entertain people and nothing more.

Currently available on Youtube.

[Bud Brewster]

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I really like this movie, and I bought the DVD from WB Archive Collection. The cast is excellent, the script is terrific, the acting is very good, and the concept is fascinating.

Steve McQueen gave a great performance. He's likable, witty, and energetic!

. . . Which makes it very surprising that he despised this movie. Here's an IMDB trivia item.
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Steve McQueen hated this movie even more so than "The Blob (1958)." According to a 2011 biography of McQueen, he walked out of the first public preview screening, vowing to never again work for "MGM."
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Bud Brewster]

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I wish this trailer looked as good as the $9.99 DVD from Amazon, but it does do a fine job of promoting this wonderful movie!.

____________The Honeymoon Machine (trailer)


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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Krel]

This gets shown on TCM periodically, and despite my best attempts I've missed it every time. Well I had that problem with "His Kind of Woman" for years too.

David.

[Bud Brewster]

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His Kind of Woman was on TCM a few month ago, and I finally got around to watching my DVR copy recently. It's a fun movie with an action packed climax which mixes comic moments with gritty violence in a skillful way.
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Bud Brewster]

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My opinion of Steve McQueen has been greatly diminished by his monumentally wrong feelings about this movie!

Steve tried to be funny in many of his films — especially in the lighter moments of his better movies, such as The Magnificent Seven.

McQueen is brilliant in all his movies, and The Honey Moon Machine is the best example!
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Pow]

The entire cast does a wonderful job in THM.

I found the lead love interest played by Brigid Bazlen (June 9, 1944~May 25, 1989) a doll.

I was amazed to discover that she was only about 16 or 17 while making the film; I thought she was older and certainly very sophisticated in her demeanor in the role.

According to author Christopher Sandford in his biography about Steve MvQueen, Steve and Brigid were briefly involved with one another.

Even so, McQueen fought with Brigid nonstop over issues relating to the movie.

Brigid would sadly die at the young age of 44. She had been a heavy smoker which was the cause of her demise.

[Bud Brewster]

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Thanks, Pow! You've given me more reasons to appreciate this fine comedy!

For example, I didn't know that Miss Brigid Bazlen was an adorable teenager when this movie was made! Frankly I'm stunned. Like you, I thought she was in her mid-to-late twenties! But her early demise because of smoking is a real tragedy. My beloved mother died of COPD, despite having given up cigarettes decades before her death.

But the fact that Steve managed to disrupt his romance with the lovely young lady by disagreeing with her (and me) about the merits of this fine movie is further evidence that McQueen didn't appreciate what a fine comedy he was helping to make.

IMDB says, "Steve McQueen hated this movie even more so than "The Blob (1958)." According to a 2011 biography of McQueen, he walked out of the first public preview screening, vowing to never again work for "MGM."

Geez, what a snotty little prima donna Steve must have been! A great actor, sure — but he obviously had an inflated opinion of himself if he could get all huffy at the preview and walk out!

And yet (as I said above) his terrific comedic performance is something he should have been proud of!

Wow . . . go figure, eh?
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Pow]

Yeah Bud, it's a shame that Steve could not appreciate this charming movie for what it was: an entertaining lighthearted romantic comedy. Why did it need to be anymore than that?

I'm guessing that the roots of his prima dona behavior that you mention may have been a combination of his brutal childhood and being a member of the prestigious New York Actor's Studio.

His father, known as Red McQueen, left Steve's mother before Steve was born. Steve never did meet or have any contact with his father.
Steve's mom was alcoholic and lived life in the fast lane.

She was in and out of his life over the years.

Steve was a very troubled kid and was a member of a young street gang. He got arrested and was sent to a boys home for problematic teens.

His stepfather beat the hell out of him and once threw Steve down a flight of stairs.

Steve served in the USMC and helped in the rescue of fellow Marines during a training exercise and was awarded a metal. He also went AWOL and was found by the military police living with a girlfriend. He could be his own worst enemy.

So the man did have one hardscrabble life that must have left some deep scars. Not saying it excuses his lousy behavior to others over his lifetime, but you can see where he was coming from.

His life was never a Leave It To Beaver or Father Knows Best existence . . . not even close.

He and Martin Landau auditioned for the NY Actor's Studio and they were the only two accepted out of 2,000 applicants. So, the guy had talent.

I think the 'method actors' that this studio produces are incredibly talented. I think they also can be very intense, complex individuals which can cause problems in plays, film, and television.

Sometimes they are coming from a place of truth and honesty regarding their approach to their work, so they are not willing to comprise for the sake of just doing crap so a production can move along.

And sometimes they are indeed just prima donas as you point out.

Steven Hill who played secret agent Dan Briggs on the first season of Mission: Impossible was also a graduate of the NY Actor's Studio. Hill was immensely talented, but he caused so many problems on M:I that the producers fired him after that first season.

Interestingly, James Garner (who was a friend of Steve's)
did not think Steve was a great actor. He felt he had a great screen persona that worked very well for Steve. Garner referred to McQueen as 'my kid brother, my juvenile delinquent kid brother.'

I admire McQueen the actor, as a human being though that's another story. Guess we can apply that thinking to many actors. I doubt I'd want to actually meet many of 'em in person. It could well be disappointing.

Except for Roy Rogers & Tom Hanks.

[Bud Brewster]

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Mike, with your vast informational resources and your detailed knowledge of Hollywood and it's legends — as well as your gift for presenting the facts in an interesting way — I can honestly say that you qualify as a "film historian".

All Sci-Fi is proud to have you as a member.

Among the fascinating facts you presented above was the revelation that James Garner (a favorite star of mine) didn't think Steve McQueen was a great actor.

James is mistaken.

I recently watched a very entertaining movie on TCM which starred James Garner, a film called Cash McCall (1960). It demonstrates how charming and likable Garner could be. And that was what James was best at — being charming and likable.

That's all well and good . . . but Steve McQueen was capable of playing tortured souls like the main character in Pallion (1973), a dark and depressing movie whose main character struggles to survive many hardships, including prison life in Devil's Island.

Perhaps James Garner never saw this movie, but if he did and still thought Steve wasn't a great actor, I'd be very surprised.
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Pow]

Thank you Bruce, and I'm equally pleased to be a member of All Sci~Fi and getting to know you and the other members.

Yeah, much as I like and admire Jim Garner I think he underestimated his friend Steve McQueen's talent.

What I got from the JG interview on that topic is that Jim was a follower of the Spencer Tracy philosophy of acting: 'don't let the audience catch you doing it.' So Jim was of the mind that your acting should come off as very natural looking and that's what he tried to do in his career.

He felt there are actors who are deliberately mannered in their performances and that Steve was one of 'em.

I find both styles appeal to me. The natural unassuming type of acting and the very stylized form.

I'd classify Peter O'Toole, Richard Burton, Charles Laughton as mannered in a number of their roles...and I loved it.

Robert Duvall, Spencer Tracy, Jim Garner are more natural and less flashy. That approach works too; depends on the type of character you need and the type of movie it is.