The High Cost of Loving

In the 1950s, José Ferrer's career seemed to be charmed. He won the Oscar for Best Actor in 1951, was nominated two years later and with this film, "The High Cost of Living", they not only had him star in the picture but direct it as well. And, in the process proved he was exceptional at both jobs.

Jim Fry (Ferrer) is a simple man...a guy who works hard in a predictable job with a wife who loves him and enjoys this predictability. However, when there is talk of a merger with his company and another, everyone seems to have received an invitation to a big luncheon except for Jim. He soon starts to wonder if they are going to fire him...that WOULD explain why he wasn't invited. The problem is that his wife (Gena Rowlands) just informed him that she's pregnant!

I loved so much about this film. The script seemed honest and realistic, the acting just the same. Overall, they take a movie that SHOULD have perhaps earned a 5 or 6 and made it nearly earn a 9...something I rarely give any film. Well worth your time.

Ferrer and Gena Rowlands (in her big screen debut) think she may be expecting after nine years of marriage. They're overjoyed about it, but there's trouble at work. Ferrer's company has just been taken over, and despite the statement of the new management that they don't expect to make changes, except to promote people, Ferrer reads the winds and concludes he's going to be fired.

The audience is quickly assured that he is not going to lose his job. Indeed, he's going to be promoted. This turns the movie into a comedy. In support, a lot of the roles are taken by players who would later distinguish themselves in TV comedies, like Edward Platt, Werner Klemperer, Nancy Kulp, and Jim Backus. Ferrer, who also directs, plays his role absolutely straight The result is a peculiar study of 1950s middle-class anxiety in an insulated environment.

Huge names in this! José ferrer, who had already starred in caine mutiny and moulin rouge. Jim backus is probably best known as thurston howell III, and mad mad world, of course. Gena rowlands made a ton of films with peter falk, and was married to cassavetes. Keep an eye out for ed platt (the chief), werner klemperer was colonel klink! And one of the secretaries is nancy kulp, who will go on to be miss hathaway! Fun scene right at the start, where husband and wife don't speak, but have a perfectly choreographed routine, from getting dressed to eating breakfast. The first words spoken by them come at eight minutes in! The issues of the day are jim thinks they will be making big changes at work, and ginny thinks she might be "with child". It's okay. Kind of slow in the middle, picks up again at the end. It's more interesting for the big names, even though some of these actors weren't so big yet! Directed by josé ferrer. And mrs. Mason was played by henny backus, jim's real wife!

... to put a spin on that old MGM slogan, plus this film is oddly prescient.

Jim Fry (Jose Ferrer who also directs) and his wife Ginny (Gena Rowlands in her film debut) discover that after nine years of marriage they are expecting a child. This is good news for them. But at work, Jim's company has just been bought by a larger firm. Jim is all swaggering and confident with his "law of the jungle" talk about how the larger firm may axe less productive employees until he finds out that perhaps the new owners think he is one of those less productive employees! He gets this idea initially because all of the other employees who have a supervisory role are invited to a luncheon being held by the new owners and he is not. This gets the wheels - and his imagination - turning.

From that point forward he walks in on this or that conversation and hears rumors about possible terminations and thinks this all about him. The audience knows better - we see what happens in every case where Jim does not. In fact the new management intends to promote Jim, but they haven't bothered to tell Jim yet. Not knowing this, he is worried about how he is going to support a wife and now a child if he loses a job at age 40 - too young to retire, too old to find an equivalent position somewhere else.

I don't know how this was received in 1958, but in 2024 it all looks oddly prescient. Layoffs today are a fact of life. If you are over a certain age, it can be hard to find work. Unlike in 1958, it is now illegal to fire someone or not hire them because of their age, so you'll get the excuse that "it's just not a good fit for the organization." Which can mean anything, but it actually means they think you are too old.

The cast has many stars of 60s TV right before they become recognizable faces - Jim Backus of Gilligan's Island, Bobby Troup of Emergency, Werner Klemperer of Hogan's Heroes, Edward Platt of Get Smart, Richard Deacon of The Dick Van Dyke Show, and Nancy Kulp of The Beverly Hillbillies. Several of these folks are not even in credited roles, but skilled performers make the production. Joanne Gilbert is the well-meaning yet shrewish wife of Jim's colleague. Gena Rowlands plays the supportive wife to the point of being almost ridiculous.

With the cast of future TV stars that I mentioned, this thing has more of the feel of a made for TV movie than a theatrical production, but that's not necessarily bad. With the audience being in on Jim's situation it's more of a comedy from the audience perspective and a drama from Jim's. I'd recommend it.

Although this film is a little light-hearted comedy, it is well worth seeing, for many remarkable features. One is the sheer talent of everyone involved!

Mel Ferrer, who directed and acted as its main star, has far more legendary talent in both areas than this film shows. Gena Rowlands is a fabulous actress and although this is her first film, you can already see the fine acting talent she was about to become.

Rather fascinating to see is Richard Deacon, who has played in so many films and sitcoms I've lost count, in the role of the obstetrician, and Nancy Kulp, who was deeply loved as the gawky bank secretary in "The Beverley Hillbillies", and Ed Platt, who was legendary as "the Chief" in "Get Smart".

The story itself revolves around a misunderstanding. Jim Fry, played by Ferrer, believes that he is about to get the sack, when in fact he is actually about to be promoted. A series of events worsens his fears with each passing day, and he very nearly causes a catastrophe. Although this film is obviously limited in its scope and storyline, seeing all these wonderful and deeply loved actors all together in this one film transforms this little piece of fluff into a genuinely remarkable experience, which no lover of films and TV sitcoms should miss!

The best parts of the film, in my opinion, occur in the parts of the film when Ferrer and Rowlands are together. They play a very sweet couple who, after nine years of marriage, have their morning routine worked out so well it's a symphony of timing and choreography. Several other subsequent films have tried to mirror this routine but no-one has yet achieved the perfection of this original one.

This film gets a thoroughly deserved 9 out of 10 from me. It doesn't get a higher score only because of the limitations in its scope.