Tall Story

Basketball players flock to "Custer College" and its team. Located somewhere in sunny California, the university is known for scholastics and athletics. After drooling over a portrait of popular All-American player Anthony Perkins (as Ray Blent), pretty young Jane Fonda (as June Ryder) enrolls as a home economics major. Looking to make Mr. Perkins her husband, Ms. Fonda decides to join activities which show off her comely legs. Of course, this puts her on the court in a short skirt. Fonda also takes the same classes as Perkins – modern ethics with Ray Walston (as Leo Sullivan) and chemistry with Marc Connelly (as Charles Osman). Cupid's arrow lands safely and Perkins proposes. Their future happiness is threatened due to lack of money – then Perkins is offered $4,000 to throw a game...

This was an odd assignment for director Joshua Logan at the time, but he makes it an enjoyable collegiate comedy about ethics – with sexual overtures. Chiefly responsible for the passing grade are costars Perkins and Fonda. This was his last role as a "teen idol" as the next released "Psycho" (1960) changed Perkins' image forever. Here, he is innocent and genuine. In her very first performance, Fonda is obviously beginning her "sex kitten" phase. She is lovely and arousing. The supporting cast is full of interesting names and faces. "Tall Story" is best when making itself fun – Fonda on her bicycle, seeing Van Williams naked, colliding with Perkins on the basketball court – Highlights are the love scenes, Fonda' sexy babysitting seduction and the couple trying out Tom Laughlin's shower for size.

****** Tall Story (4/6/60) Joshua Logan ~ Anthony Perkins, Jane Fonda, Ray Walston, Marc Connelly

Tony Perkins wasn't type-cast after "Psycho." Not at first. For the next six years, he went on to act in seven or eight other movies, most of which were shot in Europe by some of the world's best directors including Orson Welles, Claude Chabrol, Jules Dassin and Anatol Litvak and none of the roles were similar to Norman Bates. In fact, Perkins went on to be a bigger star in Europe than he ever had been in America after starring in "Goodbye Again" in 1961, for which he won he Best Actor Award at the Cannes Film Festival. "Pretty Poison," released in 1968, was the first movie in which he played a similar character to Norman Bates, and only after that film did the "type-casting" begin. But it was really all of the "Pyscho" sequels that did him in, so to speak. Perkins had a wider range as an actor than producers, directors (and casting directors) had given him credit. Too bad he did not have a more "creative" agent for the second half of his career. (Ironically, he was represented by CMA also known as "Creative Management Associates.")

...and Jane Fonda starring in her film debut. This was directed by Josh Logan and very well I may add-the entire production is top notch. Perkins is lanky, adorable and comes across as a typical but naive young adult. Fonda is just gorgeous due to both youth and flattering photography, and we get to see her wearing more conservative 60's fashion as a college co-ed.

Where this movie fails horribly is the silly plot line (get ready) Fonda's character majors in Home Economics and is only attending college to "find a husband" - cue my surprised Pikachu face. She sets her sights on Perkins, the star basketball player who is bribed to "throw" the big game. Of course, everything ties up neatly in the end and if you just roll with the silly plot line, it's a fairly enjoyable little romp, not unlike some of the silly Doris Day/Rock Hudson type of films of the era.

This movie featured several familiar talented supporting actors such as Elizabeth Patterson, Jaws Mayor Murray Hamilton as the coach, and an unrecognizable Tom Laughlin as a fellow student.

But the standout for me was Ray Walston, whom I never cared for on MY FAVORITE MARTIAN. It was great to see him in a "normal" role and as a first year prof with goatee and glasses, just stood out as the best supporting actor in the film. The character's wife was played by Anne Jackson who, along with Ralston, was an Actor Studio member. She was beautiful and did the most she could with a small part.

Perhaps most notable as Jane Fonda's screen debut, "Tall Story" is also remarkable for what it didn't do for Anthony Perkins: define his acting career. Released the same year as Hitchcock's classic thriller "Psycho," "Tall Story" shows the charming, naive and humorous side of Perkins. He stars as Ray Blent, Custer's star basketball player and star student who finds himself caught in an ethical nightmare just before the biggest game of his life against the Russian Sputniks. Fonda is adorable as a cunning co-ed whose one aim in college is to snare the unwitting Ray. Unfortunately, we didn't see more Perkins characters like this one because the actor was typecast as a psychotic madman following his admittedly excellent portrayal of Norman Bates in "Psycho." This movie shows the virtuosity of a great actor who regretfully didn't get the chance to demonstrate his full range of acting skills more often.

I noted that in this comedy about a college basketball star lanky Anthony Perkins sure looks the part. But if you watch closely there are no real shots of him actually playing basketball. I suspect that Perkins in real life was no athlete though the story focuses on him potentially missing a big game.

A big game it is indeed with no less than a team of Soviet All-stars touring the USA and playing many colleges. Perkins missing the game would certainly affect the odds.

So when money is dumped on him from a mysterious source to throw the game this throws Perkins in an ethical quandary. And because he's got Ray Walston his professor who is his ethics professor the whole thing becomes a mess as Perkins deliberately flunks Walston's class to miss the big game.

Although Perkins and a young Jane Fonda as the coed looking to snare Tony for a husband, the real star of this show is Walston. When he flunks Perkins and then refuses to give him a makeup exam to make him eligible he's got everyone hating him including his wife Anne Jackson and next door neighbor and colleague Marc Connelly.

In 1959 Tall Story ran on Broadway for 108 performances. Authored by the legendary team of Howard Lindsay and Russell Crouse, only Connelly and Robert Wright as the college president repeat their Broadway roles in the film.

Some mention has to be given to Murray Hamilton as the frantic basketball coach who has the idea that the university exists to give his basketball team a home. What could possibly give him that idea in the America of 1960 let alone today?

The stars do well and the supporting cast is fine. But this film is a must for fans of Ray Walston.