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Goodbye Charlie
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Goodbye Charlie
Theatrical release poster
Directed byVincente Minnelli
Screenplay byHarry Kurnitz
Based onGoodbye Charlie
1959 play
by George Axelrod
Produced byDavid Weisbart
StarringTony Curtis
Debbie Reynolds
Pat Boone
CinematographyMilton R. Krasner
Edited byJohn W. Holmes
Music byAndré Previn
Color processColor by DeLuxe
Production
company
Venice Productions
Distributed by20th Century Fox
Release date
  • November 18, 1964 (1964-11-18)
Running time
117 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$3.5 million[1]
Box office$3,700,000 (US/ Canada rentals)[2]

Goodbye Charlie is a 1964 American fantasy comedy film directed by Vincente Minnelli and starring Tony Curtis, Debbie Reynolds and Pat Boone. The CinemaScope film is about a callous womanizer who gets his just reward after a jealous husband kills him. It is adapted from George Axelrod's 1959 play Goodbye, Charlie. The play also provided the basis for the 1991 film Switch, with Ellen Barkin and Jimmy Smits.

Plot

[edit]

Philandering Hollywood writer Charlie Sorrel is shot and killed by Hungarian film producer Sir Leopold Sartori when he is caught fooling around with Leopold's wife, Rusty. Charlie's best and only friend, novelist George Tracy, arrives at Charlie's Malibu beach house for the memorial service, after an exhausting series of flights from Paris that have left him broke. There are only three people there: Charlie's agent and two ex-girlfriends. George does his best to eulogize his friend, but there is little to be said in favor of Charlie, whose final bad joke on George is making him executor of his estate, which is a mess of debts and unpaid taxes.

Soon after the guests leave, an exhausted George is awakened by a knock at the terrace door and the appearance of Bruce Minton III assisting a petite blonde woman swathed in a huge brown overcoat. Bruce came to her aid when he found her dazed and wandering on the road, completely naked. She does not remember much, but she recognized Charlie's house as they drove past it and it made her feel safe. Bruce rushes off to a dinner engagement, leaving a sleep-deprived George to cope with the delirious woman. The next morning, George awakes to her screams as she gazes at herself in a mirror. She recalls that she is Charlie, reincarnated as a woman. After getting over the shock, she convinces George of her identity by telling him about a dirty trick that she had recently played on him as a man. George realizes that this must be a case of karmic retribution for all of the women that Charlie had used and betrayed.

All manner of complications arise as Charlie decides to take advantage of the situation. George helps her by establishing her as Charlie's widow, figuring out their finances—they are both broke—and boosting her morale. From the beginning, Charlie finds herself subject to a whole new set of emotions and sensations. Her masculine mannerisms begin to fade, partly because Charlie is a consummate actor, but also because the change is more than skin deep. At one point, she bursts into uncontrollable tears. George comforts her as he would a weeping girl, wiping her tears and stroking her hair to calm her, then pulls back, disturbed at the tenderness.

Although Charlie has changed her gender, she is unable to change her ways. She decides to solve her money problems by using her intimate knowledge for blackmail and by marrying Bruce for money. The plans fall apart when Bruce, on the verge of passing out, reveals the depth of his love for her. Charlie takes pity on him and slips the engagement ring into his hand.

Eventually, in a grim role-reversal that she recognizes when it happens, Charlie is chased around the house by Leopold, who cheerfully spouts amorous nonsense and is intent on making love to her. Rusty arrives, gun in hand, and, just as Charlie climbs onto the terrace railing with intent to jump, Rusty shoots her, and she plunges into the ocean below. George, who has arrived in the midst of the melee, leaps after Charlie, but there is no sign of a body. After admonishing the Sartoris for their actions, George orders them to leave and never tell anyone about it. The couple reconcile, and Leopold promises eternal gratitude to George.

George is asleep in a chair; the sound of a woman's voice repeatedly calling "Charlie" wakes him. This time, there are two beings on the terrace: a woman, who looks identical to Charlie Sorrel's reincarnated appearance, and her Great Dane, named "Charlie". George quickly establishes that she is a real person, Virginia Mason. Assessing George, Virginia decides that he needs food. She commands Charlie to sit and stay. Virginia and George talk in the kitchen; it is clearly love at first sight. The dog goes into the living room, to the bookcase, to Charlie's secret cache of vodka (behind War and Peace). The bottle falls and breaks; Charlie laps a bit from the floor and, looking heavenward, begins to howl.

Cast

[edit]
Goodbye Charlie
Written byGeorge Axelrod
Date premieredDecember 16, 1959
Place premieredLyceum Theatre, New York
Original languageEnglish
GenreComedy
SettingThe beach house of the late Charlie Sorel, a few miles north of Malibu, California. The present.

Production

[edit]

Film rights to the play were bought by 20th Century Fox before it premiered for $150,000 plus a percentage of the profits.[3] James Garner and Marilyn Monroe were discussed as stars.[4]

Darryl F. Zanuck offered the project to Billy Wilder after he returned to Fox, but Wilder turned it down, saying that "no self-respecting picture maker would ever want to work for your company".[5] (Zanuck had just forced Joseph L. Mankiewicz to re-cut Cleopatra (1963)).

Playwright Harry Kurnitz was hired to write the script, and Tony Curtis was attached early.[6] Vincente Minnelli was hired to direct, his first movie away from MGM since 1942.[7]

Reception

[edit]

According to Fox records, the film needed to earn $7 million in rentals for the studio to break even on its release. The film earned $4,555,000.[8]

George Axelrod's play debuted on Broadway in 1959 starring Lauren Bacall and Sydney Chaplin, produced by Leland Hayward, and directed by Axelrod. It was not a success, running for 109 performances.[9]

The New York Times critic Bosley Crowther led his review of the film by panning the play and the movie: "… 'Goodbye, Charlie,' was bad enough on the stage. On the screen, it is a bleak conglomeration of outrageous whimsies and stupidities. And it has Debbie Reynolds and Tony Curtis so sadly cast in distasteful roles that it causes even a hardened moviegoer to turn away from it in pain and shame."[10] Crowther concluded, "Under Vincente Minnelli's direction, the film has a certain style and pace. But it is much more vulgar than stylish, much more sluggish and dull than fast."[11]

In 2019, Stephen Vagg reviewed the film in Diabolique magazine: "It's not that shocking to see the star of Spartacus (1960)... make moves on a woman not knowing she's a man, but it is a surprise to see Boone to do it. He later admitted to having a drinking problem around this time and shot some scenes for the movie while drunk.... This film remains resolutely undiscovered by queer/feminist film analysts, despite its subject matter and bisexual director... I think this is in part because Reynolds's performance is so utterly sexless. It holds any feeling of kinkiness at bay. However, there's no denying it because Boone plays a guy who effectively tries to make out with a dude." The magazine also points out that the opening scene features a tracking shot at a party where a man gets upset and shoots the man sleeping with his wife, similar to Boogie Nights (1997).[12]

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has 50% rating, based on 8 contemporary and modern reviews.[13]

Television adaptation

[edit]

In 1985, Goodbye Charlie was made into a TV series (starring Suzanne Somers as the reincarnated Charlie), but only the pilot episode was broadcast.[14]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Goodbye Charlie

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Goodbye Charlie is a 1964 American directed by and produced by 20th Century Fox, adapted from the 1959 Broadway play of the same name by . The story follows Charlie Sorel, a philandering Hollywood screenwriter who is shot and killed by the jealous husband of one of his lovers, only to mysteriously reincarnate as a beautiful blonde woman named Virginia Mason, leading to comedic situations as his best friend George attempts to navigate the bizarre circumstances. Starring as George Tracy, in the dual role of Charlie/Virginia, and featuring as Bruce Minton alongside supporting actors like and , the film explores themes of gender roles and identity through and supernatural elements. The original play, a full-length comedy by Axelrod known for works like , premiered on Broadway at the Lyceum Theatre on December 16, 1959, directed by the playwright himself, and starred in the lead female role opposite Sydney Chaplin, running for 140 performances before closing on March 19, 1960. Despite its short run, the play's premise of a deceased playboy returning as a garnered attention for its satirical take on and attracted Hollywood interest, leading to the film adaptation with a by Axelrod and Harry Kurnitz. Minnelli's direction emphasized visual humor and the performances of Reynolds, who was praised for her versatile portrayal capturing the character's lingering male traits, though the film received mixed reviews for its uneven tone and reliance on dated gender stereotypes. Overall, Goodbye Charlie represents a mid-1960s Hollywood effort to blend with fantasy, reflecting Axelrod's signature witty dialogue and , and it remains notable for its star power and Minnelli's elegant despite a modest and performance.

Background and Development

Original Play

George Axelrod, a prolific and renowned for his sexually frank farces and witty satires, crafted Goodbye Charlie as a dark comedy exploring and gender reversal, where a lecherous Hollywood womanizer is reborn as a woman to atone for his sins against . Following successes like (1955), which ran for over 700 performances, Axelrod drew on his experience in radio, television, and stage writing to infuse the play with sharp dialogue and provocative themes. The premise, likened by Axelrod to a "" suddenly becoming a "lamb chop," highlighted the irony of reversed sexual dynamics in a manner bold for the late . The play premiered on Broadway on December 16, 1959, at the Lyceum Theatre in , directed by Axelrod himself and produced by . It closed on March 19, 1960, after 109 performances, marking a modest run that fell short of commercial blockbuster status despite the era's appetite for sophisticated comedies. The original cast featured in the lead role of the reincarnated Charlie Sorel, as her best friend George Tracy, and Sarah Marshall as Rusty Mayerling, with supporting performers including Frank Roberts as Sir Leopold Sargente, Clinton Anderson as Greg, as Paul Blair, and Michelle Reiner as Jacqueline. Bacall's portrayal, marking her return to the stage after 17 years, was praised for sustaining a masculine essence within a feminine allure, while Chaplin brought comedic energy to the confused dynamics. Marshall's performance earned her a nomination for the 1960 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play, recognizing her sharp comedic timing amid the ensemble. Critics offered mixed responses, with describing it as an "expanded vaudeville sketch" that delivered "a few droll moments" through Axelrod's direction but lacked deeper substance. The play's frank handling of sexual themes—such as , gender confusion, and predatory behavior—drew attention for pushing boundaries in post-Hays Code theater, though some reviewers found the humor contrived and the gimmick underdeveloped, contributing to its lukewarm reception and limited run. Despite this, Bacall's star power provided a boost, sustaining interest through its three-month engagement.

Film Adaptation Development

In July 1959, prior to the Broadway premiere of George Axelrod's play Goodbye Charlie, 20th Century Fox acquired the film rights in a deal with the , who also directed the stage production. The agreement included an initial payment of $150,000, along with a percentage of the play's profits that could bring the total compensation to as much as $400,000. Screenwriter Harry Kurnitz was subsequently hired to adapt Axelrod's play for the screen, transforming its stage-bound structure into a more visually dynamic narrative suited to cinema while amplifying the comedic elements of the premise. Kurnitz's version shifted the tone toward broader Hollywood , emphasizing visual gags and romantic entanglements to enhance appeal for a wider audience. Vincente Minnelli was attached to direct in early 1964, marking his first project outside since joining the studio in 1943. This attachment followed the project's consideration by other directors, including and , who ultimately passed. advanced with secured in a starring role, leveraging his established comedic talents, and the budget set at $3.5 million to support elaborate production values. The film was developed as a between Curtis's independent outfit, Venice Productions, and 20th Century Fox.

The 1964 Film

Plot

Charles Sorel, a notorious Hollywood womanizer and , is shot and killed by Leopold Sartori, a jealous Hungarian , after being caught in a compromising position with Sartori's wife, Rusty, during a yacht party; Sorel's body falls overboard and is lost at sea. Days later, at Sorel's seaside Malibu home, his best friend and fellow writer, George Tracy—who has returned from to settle Sorel's debt-ridden estate and deliver the —encounters an attractive blonde woman named "Charlie" who arrives with but gradually reveals herself to be Sorel reincarnated in a woman's body, retaining his memories, lecherous personality, and mannerisms. As George reluctantly helps the reincarnated Charlie adjust to her new and identity, comedic chaos ensues from role reversals, such as Charlie struggling with feminine attire and while attempting to seduce women from her past conquests, including blackmailing them for money to cover old debts; Charlie also flirts outrageously with Rusty, a young entangled in Sorel's former affairs, and develops a romantic entanglement with the wealthy, mother-obsessed Bruce Minton, who proposes . Sir Leopold, initially horrified upon recognizing echoes of Sorel in Charlie, becomes inexplicably attracted to her, leading to further entanglements that highlight the 's fantastical of karmic retribution for Sorel's philandering ways. The underscores themes of identity confusion through Charlie's dual male-female psyche, karma via her and redemption arc amid Hollywood's decadent excess of parties, affairs, and financial impropriety, all while George grapples with to his old friend and his own growing exasperation. The story culminates in further turmoil when Rusty, discovering Charlie's liaison with Sir Leopold, shoots her in a fit of rage, causing Charlie to fall into the ocean once more; shortly after, George meets a at the beach, and her accompanying dog reveals itself as Charlie's third incarnation through familiar behaviors, allowing George to finally move on to a genuine romance free from his past companion's antics. This resolution reinforces the film's blend of and fantasy, adapted from George Axelrod's 1959 play of similar premise involving a reincarnated philanderer.

Cast

The principal cast of the 1964 film Goodbye Charlie features in the lead role of George Tracy, Charlie's loyal best friend and roommate who grapples with the extraordinary events following his friend's death. portrays the reincarnated Charlie Sorel, initially appearing as the woman Virginia Mason, bringing a dynamic energy to the central gender-reversal premise. plays Bruce Minton, a young suitor entangled in the comedic complications. appears as Janie Highland, one of Charlie's acquaintances. In supporting roles, embodies Sir Leopold Sartori, a flamboyant Hungarian adding layers of eccentricity to the narrative. , billed as Ellen McRae in her early film appearance, plays Franny Salzman, George Tracy's devoted secretary. makes her debut as Rusty Sartori, contributing to the ensemble's interpersonal dynamics. Additional supporting players include as Morton Craft, a business associate. Casting for the film drew on established stars to anchor its comedic fantasy elements, with Marilyn Monroe initially considered for the role of the reincarnated Charlie but declining due to doubts about convincingly portraying a man's persona in a female body. Shirley MacLaine was also among those considered for the part before Debbie Reynolds was selected.

Filming

Principal photography for Goodbye Charlie commenced on March 16 or 18, 1964, under the production of David Weisbart at 20th Century Fox, and wrapped in late June 1964 after approximately two and a half months of shooting. The 117-minute film marked Vincente Minnelli's first directorial effort outside Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer since 1942, allowing him to explore a broader palette free from studio constraints. Filming took place primarily on the Fox studio lot in , , with additional location work around , including Malibu for the beach house sets and yacht sequences that opened the story. Minnelli's directorial style focused on visual comedy, leveraging vibrant colors and dynamic framing to heighten the farce's playful tone and accommodate the widescreen format's expansive compositions. Cinematographer Milton R. Krasner employed processing to capture these elements, emphasizing Minnelli's signature aesthetic of pop-art-inspired decadence in scenes like the yacht party. For the reincarnation theme, special effects supervision by L.B. Abbott and Emil Kosa Jr. handled subtle visual transitions, though the film's comedic emphasis relied more on performance than elaborate technical feats. On set, Minnelli navigated challenges with comedic timing to balance the screwball elements, a departure from his musicals, while production anecdotes highlighted logistical creativity: loaned his 1932 Rolls-Royce for key scenes, and studio head supplied five genuine Academy Award statuettes as props. ' brief absence on April 10 due to exhaustion briefly halted filming, underscoring the demands of her dual-gendered role. A seamstress also coached in authentic for her scenes, adding realism to the ensemble dynamics.

Release and Reception

Theatrical Release and Box Office

Goodbye Charlie premiered in New York on , 1964, before its wider theatrical release by 20th Century Fox later that month. The studio distributed the film across the in format, positioning it as a broad-appeal for general audiences. Promotional materials focused on the star appeal of and , with posters featuring taglines that played up the film's gender-swap premise, such as "They don't make girls like Charlie." In terms of financial performance, the film had a budget of $3.5 million and earned $3.7 million in U.S. and rentals, per industry reports, with an estimated worldwide gross of around $10 million; it underperformed relative to expectations for a major release.

Critical Response

Upon its release, Goodbye Charlie received mixed reviews from critics, who often highlighted its uneven blend of fantasy and comedy. of panned the film harshly, describing it as a "bleak conglomeration of outrageous whimsies and stupidities" that was "much more vulgar than stylish" and "much more sluggish and dull than fast," while lamenting the miscasting of stars and in "distasteful roles." Variety offered a more tempered assessment, describing it as "the mildest type of entertainment" due to its "wildly implausible premise." The overall critical consensus reflects this , with the film holding a 50% approval rating on based on eight reviews, praising the cast's chemistry while critiquing its dated humor and pacing. Reviewers commended Reynolds for excelling in blending lechery with and for delivering as the bewildered best friend, creating engaging interplay between the leads. However, the humor was frequently dismissed as sophomoric and reliant on crude innuendo, with the narrative's sluggish pace failing to sustain momentum. In retrospective analyses, Goodbye Charlie has been viewed as a campy artifact of 1960s sex comedies, appreciated for its outrageous premise and acerbic take on Hollywood excess. Director Vincente Minnelli's handling of the material, often underappreciated amid his more acclaimed musicals, brings a daring originality through uproarious humor that masks industry critiques, though some note its jagged style clashes with the story's tone. Compared to George Axelrod's original play, the film adaptation adopted a lighter, more fantastical comedic tone suited to the screen.

Adaptations and Legacy

Television Pilot

In 1985, ABC aired a adaptation of Goodbye Charlie as a potential , updating the original story's premise of the deceased reincarnated as a for a contemporary audience. The pilot, titled Goodbye Charlie, starred in the dual role of Charlene, the reincarnated form of the late Charlie Sorel, bringing a glamorous, comedic edge suited to television humor. Directed by Charlotte Brown, the episode modernized the narrative with faster-paced dialogue, broader physical comedy, and a condensed 30-minute format to fit network sitcom standards, while retaining core elements like Charlie's resurrection and interactions with his skeptical friend George. John Davidson portrayed George Erskine, Charlie's loyal companion navigating the absurdity of the situation, alongside supporting cast members Kathleen Wilhoite as Victoria Burns and Ray Buktenica as Ray Lemmon. Guest appearances included Steve Guttenberg and George Gaynes, adding star power to the ensemble. An earlier Austrian television adaptation, titled Letzte Grüße, lieber Charlie, was produced in 1971. The pilot premiered on June 4, 1985, at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC, produced by Twentieth Century Television, but despite Somers' rising popularity post-, the network opted not to order a full series, citing insufficient viewer interest and scheduling conflicts. This marked an unsuccessful attempt to revive the property on television, with no further episodes produced.

Cultural Influence

The 1964 film Goodbye Charlie served as a direct inspiration for the 1991 comedy Switch, directed by and starring , which adapts the same gender-reversal premise from George Axelrod's original play, where a womanizing man returns as a woman to confront his past indiscretions. Home media availability for Goodbye Charlie includes a manufactured-on-demand DVD release by Cinema Archives on April 16, 2013, presented in a 4:3 pan-and-scan format rather than its original aspect ratio. The film is also accessible for rent or purchase on major streaming platforms such as Amazon Video, Apple TV, and at Home, and it occasionally airs on (TCM) as part of their classic film programming. In terms of broader cultural legacy, Goodbye Charlie is regarded as an early precursor to gender-bending comedies, pioneering the trope of a male character's reincarnation as a woman to explore themes of identity and sexuality within a screwball framework, though its treatment often leaned toward titillation over deeper commentary. The film's handling of gender transformation has placed it within discussions of LGBTQ+ film history, particularly as one of Hollywood's initial forays into transgender-adjacent narratives during the 1960s, highlighting sexual liberation amid the era's conservative norms. Despite receiving no major awards or nominations, Goodbye Charlie has been featured in retrospectives of director Vincente Minnelli's oeuvre, such as those organized by film festivals examining his post-MGM works.

References

  1. https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/16777/goodbye-charlie
  2. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058154/
  3. https://www.concordtheatricals.com/p/966/goodbye-charlie
  4. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058154/plotsummary/
  5. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/goodbye_charlie
  6. https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/goodbye-charlie-2873
  7. https://variety.com/1963/film/reviews/goodbye-charlie-2-1200420638/
  8. http://www.morgansills.com/morgansills/2020/9/11/shows-for-someday-2-goodbye-charlie-part-2
  9. https://www.wearemoviegeeks.com/2017/06/goodbye-charlie-1964-dvd-review-tribute-debbie-reynolds/
  10. https://themagnificent60s.com/2024/01/27/goodbye-charlie-1964/
  11. https://www.theguardian.com/news/2003/jun/24/guardianobituaries.film
  12. https://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/23/movies/george-axelrod-81-quirky-writer-for-stage-and-film-dies.html
  13. https://playbill.com/production/goodbye-charlie-broadway-lyceum-theatre-1959
  14. https://playbill.com/person/sarah-marshall-vault-0000069829
  15. https://www.nytimes.com/1959/12/17/archives/theatre-expanded-vaudeville-sketch-goodbye-charlie-has-premiere-at.html
  16. https://www.nytimes.com/1959/07/03/archives/of-local-origin.html
  17. https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/22683
  18. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Goodbye-Charlie
  19. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058154/faq/
  20. https://spectrumculture.com/2014/03/06/oeuvre-minnelli-goodbye-charlie/
  21. https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/52906-goodbye-charlie/images/posters
  22. https://www.nytimes.com/1964/11/19/archives/debbie-reynolds-stars-in-goodbye-charlie.html
  23. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/goodbye_charlie/reviews
  24. https://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/movie-of-the-week-goodbye-charlie
  25. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0250409/
  26. https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/469040/goodbye-charlie
  27. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0250409/fullcredits/
  28. https://www.chicagotribune.com/1985/06/04/somers-returns-in-goodbye/
  29. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0923773/
  30. https://popculturereferences.com/what-were-suzanne-somers-two-failed-cbs-pilots-after-she-left-threes-company/
  31. https://www.chicagotribune.com/1991/05/10/faulty-switch-2/
  32. https://www.blu-ray.com/dvd/Goodbye-Charlie-DVD/52220/
  33. https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/goodbye-charlie
  34. https://www.out.com/armond-white/2016/9/21/transgender-transgenre-inside-hollywoods-first-trans-screwball-farce
  35. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058154/awards/
  36. https://judygarlandnews.com/2011/09/08/two-vincente-minnelli-film-retrospectives/
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