Dear Heart (1965)

Redundant and unnecessary.

Fresh and Exciting

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Here's what the allmovie.com reviewer said:"....a sweet and charming little film that is ultimately too insubstantial and dated to rank as a great film. "Excuse me? ALL films from 50 yrs ago are dated - that's what makes them charming, a moving time capsule, our only chance to really experience what America used to be - or at least how we saw ourselves (no movie is an absolute representation of life).The only question I have is why Glenn Ford would be more attracted to Angela Lansbury than Patricia Barry. Barry was an extraordinary beauty.

Every so often, I see a movie that seems to have been a real enjoyable undertaking for the actors. Such is the case with "Dear Heart," especially for Geraldine Page, but also for Glenn Ford and the rest of the cast. Page plays Evie Jackson, a postmaster (was it postmistress back then?) from a small town attending an annual convention. This time it's in the Big Apple. She's not married, in her mid- to late-30s, and clearly looking for a husband. "Hoping" for a mate may be a more accurate description. I read a couple of reviewers who saw loneliness in the main characters – Evie, Harry Mork and Phyllis. Ford plays Mork and Angela Lansbury plays Phyllis. I can see that. But in Evie's case, we also have a person who may have some problems with self- confidence and self-esteem. Why else would she have herself paged so frequently in the movie? She also sent phone messages to herself at her hotel, and sent flowers to herself. Her gregarious persona and overt friendliness with everyone is a nice touch and admirable quality in any person. But, that may mask the character's insecurity that needs to have recognition by her frequent paging, messages, etc. Clearly, Page brought much of this to the character, and she does a tremendous job. I can understand how her manner could become irritating after a while to some people. I would love to have heard an interview with the actress to understand how she interpreted the role. In any event, she clearly seems to be having a great deal of fun in the making of the film. Glenn Ford's character, on the other hand, seems preoccupied at times. He's hankering to settle down himself, and met a widow (a "tomato in Altoona") whom he proposed to on the spur of the moment. So, how clear his thinking about settling down is suspect. Especially when he then tries to take out a "tomato" working at a hotel sales counter. Other characters in the film add a little color. And, the film gives a picture of a convention with many middle-aged and older men who enjoy their time away from home with some heavy drinking and wandering eyes. I can't see the perfect romance that some reviewers apparently see in this film. It's a light romantic comedy at best, and that's OK. It's somewhat fun, and a very good acting job by Page. But it's nothing special.

I really found little to like about this film. Yes, it was well-written, but I couldn't get past the premise that it was just a bunch of horny, middle-aged people hooking up at conventions. Glen Ford, on his way to meet his fiancée, stops off to have some drinks at a former lover's apartment, and she seems to have no trouble suggesting they just keep it up. Geraldine Page, an extremely unlikeable, needy, busy-body flirts with absolutely every man she sees, married or not. The whole premise here was Glen Ford not being faithful and constantly weighing his options, while Geraldine Page tries her hardest to snag someone she believes has a wife. It wasn't funny to me in the slightest - I wanted her to shut up and for Glen Ford to man up.

Watched the first three minutes and was so taken with Geraldine Page's performance I spent noon til two glued to the TV. All the acting is wonderful with Glenn Ford at his best and Angela Lansbury at her usual level of excellence. Im about to look up who wrote and directed this. The combination of wit, charm and, above all, restraint is intoxicating. Any student of acting should watch Geraldine's perf over and over to watch how she plays against the pathos and chooses the sunny choice in a character that in other hands would fade into the shadows of sentimentality. The ending is strangely abrupt. If they wanted to end it suddenly they should have let her settling onto her suitcase in Penn station with studied delight be the final image.