Herman Wouk who wrote such classics as the Caine Mutiny and Marjorie Morningstar must have decided one morning maybe on a bet that he could write a trashy novel the equal of Harold Robbins or Jacqueline Susann. So he penned Youngblood Hawke and an equally trashy film was made from a trashy novel. In writing trash Wouk succeeded admirably.
Playing the title role in this film is James Franciscus who back in the day was a poor man's Richard Chamberlain and was fresh from his Mr. Novak series where he played a high school English teacher. Youngblood Hawke was his bid to transfer to big screen stardom, but the reviewers panned it horribly and deservedly.
Franciscus comes over as way too nice for such a rebel part. Paul Newman might have carried this film, but if someone sent him the script he probably sent it back showing uncommon good judgment. The title role concerns a kid from Kentucky who writes a best seller and then gets caught up in the fast life. Women are throwing themselves at him and he has to choose between his editor Suzanne Pleshette and the married and voluptuous Geraldine Page.
A really good cast of supporting character actors are the film's best asset and the two who standout are critic Edward Andrews and agent Don Porter. My favorite scene is Porter negotiating with Franciscus's current publisher to get out of his current contract. As for Andrews he's unmistakeably based on Bennett Cerf who could have sued but probably didn't want to give the film any publicity.
Poor Jim Franciscus must have wondered for the rest of his life how he got talked into doing Youngblood Hawke.
Playing the title role in this film is James Franciscus who back in the day was a poor man's Richard Chamberlain and was fresh from his Mr. Novak series where he played a high school English teacher. Youngblood Hawke was his bid to transfer to big screen stardom, but the reviewers panned it horribly and deservedly.
Franciscus comes over as way too nice for such a rebel part. Paul Newman might have carried this film, but if someone sent him the script he probably sent it back showing uncommon good judgment. The title role concerns a kid from Kentucky who writes a best seller and then gets caught up in the fast life. Women are throwing themselves at him and he has to choose between his editor Suzanne Pleshette and the married and voluptuous Geraldine Page.
A really good cast of supporting character actors are the film's best asset and the two who standout are critic Edward Andrews and agent Don Porter. My favorite scene is Porter negotiating with Franciscus's current publisher to get out of his current contract. As for Andrews he's unmistakeably based on Bennett Cerf who could have sued but probably didn't want to give the film any publicity.
Poor Jim Franciscus must have wondered for the rest of his life how he got talked into doing Youngblood Hawke.