Come Fly with Me

Some would like to place significance in the content of Hart's final screen shot, her last before she became a nun in the "real" world the next year. Unfortunately, as we all know, films are not shot chronologically, so her tearful "farewell" signifies no deeper meaning. That concept is a bit too "Entertainment Tonight" for my taste.

Anyway, the film is a nicely produced cliché of its genre(s) - the-young-women-in-Europe-for-love, crossed with the stewardesses-as-Mid-60s-sex-symbols. The acting ranges from good (Hart and Nettleton), to miscast (Malden), to just plain grating (Tiffin).

The plot is silly, although it is mainly Tiffin's scenes that nearly derail the movie.

The one pleasure derived from viewing this period piece, is to appreciate the experience of flying commercial jets in the Golden Age. What was once truly a joy, is now akin to riding a Greyhound Bus in the sky. And when was the last time a "flight attendant" actually smiled at you?

The movie is worth a viewing. However, once is enough for me.

This is a super frivolous fun fictional film epitomizing some of the spirit of the 1960's. The movie almost glorifies the likes of sexist behavior and smoking in public including on airlines. These were indeed the days of the friendly skies,when passengers and air crew could seemingly parade on and off airplanes at their leisure. Three charismatic air hostesses have various romantic adventures back and forth on international flights including when in Paris and Austria. I found this picture engaging, humorous and nostalgic with an excellent cast and very good direction:

8/10.

Although some might dismiss this film as typical early sixties fluff, it is a good lightweight comedy with nice scenes and easy on the eye. I find such films often relaxing when stressed from work or other matters. But what makes this particular film special to me is one of the very last scenes showing Dolores Hart sitting by herself with tears in her eyes and a faraway look in her eyes. Of course, in her role as stewardess Donna Stuart in the film she does this scene to mark her separation from Baron von Elzingen (played by Karl Boehm), but it has far greater significance as far as the actress' own future was concerned. This was the very last shot that Dolores Hart did on the silver screen; soon after 'Come Fly With Me' was completed, she left Hollywood for good and took Holy Orders to become a nun. That's exactly what she is today, 40 years later.

While not as blatantly tacky and overdone as some of the other films of this type (which are actually good things for some people who seek out glossy, over-produced flicks like this!), it still has it's points of interest and moments of eye-rolling cheesiness. After Frankie Avalon croons the title song, flash-in-the-pan Tiffin comes jiggling on wearing an extremely sexy and snug flight attendant's uniform, spoiled only by the somewhat unflattering hat they all wear. It is utterly fascinating to see how stewardesses were perceived at this time. It's hard to say, at this point, how close to real life it was, but in this film they are treated as total sex objects with clothes that stress looks over functionality. Her hair is done in manner that makes one wonder if Catherine Zeta Jones and her stylists keep a loop of this film running in their salon. There is a definite occasional resemblance. Hart is quite a revelation. For someone who was about to become a nun in real life, she is surprisingly hard-edged and mouthy here. She may even swear once and she smokes incessantly. It's great to see a lesser beauty, but still a talented actress, like Nettleton get a featured role. She creates a sympathetic, if a bit overly difficult character. Poor Maxwell ("Miss Moneypenny" of 007 films) barely even got in a word edgewise. O'Brian is his usual suave and macho self as a voraciously skirt-chasing pilot. Cruelly, he keeps his shirt on at all times and never goes swimming. Malden does an okay job as a lonely businessman. German actor Boehm is a bit of an annoyance with his thin voice and heavy accent. There's a "love song" sung by a Parisian street chanteuse that will have many folks wretching and screaming for her to stop. All in all, a pretty, easy, soufflé of a film with just enough color and wit to hold interest up to a point. A mid-air trauma or an appearance by Joan Crawford.....something to punch it over the edge, may have been welcome, though. Nary a moment of it is believable, the same as it was for similar films like "Three Coins in a Fountain", "The Best of Everything" and "The Pleasure Seekers".

This movie is not an Oscar winner, but what it does have going for it is its charm. It is the perfect romantic comedy to watch with your loved one! This, in fact, is the best kind of romantic comedy. It is corny, but in the kind of way that invokes whimsical smiles and nostalgic thoughts of the happy days of youth.

The locations in the movie are beautiful as the airline crew and passengers travel throughout Europe. The perspective is almost unique: nearly the entire movie is filmed aboard plane.

But the charm of the movie is by far the biggest reason to watch it. One can view and enjoy it with the same suspension of disbelief as was possible with many of the musicals of the 1940s and 50s. The movie is predictable and not a critical success. But in view of the fact that the movie's title tune was later covered by Frank Sinatra; also, considering that "Come Fly With Me" was Dolores Hart's last movie before religious life, it is a shame that this movie is not available on VHS, at least. How could it have been overlooked?! Come on, guys! You can do better than that!! Give us what we're asking for!!