Semi-autobiographical account of a young actor’s struggles for freedom from professional disappointments and familial expectations in the early 50s.
The one-sheet is reminiscent of Norman Rockwell’s 1945 painting The Homecoming.
Written & Directed by Paul Mazursky
Starring: Lenny Baker as Larry Lapinsky. Shelley Winters as Fay Lapinsky, Ellen Greene as Sarah, Lois Smith as Anita, Christopher Walken as Robert (credited as Chris Walken), Antonio Fargas as Bernstein, Mike Kellin as Ben Lapinsky, Lou Jacobi as Herb, Dori Brenner as Connie, Jeff Goldblum as Clyde Baxter, Joe Spinell as Cop At El Station
Before he became Hollywood flavor of the month after the bewildering success of Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, a title that promised much more than the story delivered, director Paul Mazursky was an actor (Fear and Desire, Blackboard Jungle). He saw far too many Fellini movies, but managed to make some good movies anyway.
Before he got a gig with Stanley Kubrick, Larry Lapinsky moved to Greenwich Village from Brooklyn to escape the confines of neighborhood expectations and his hysterical shrew of a mother.
As played by Shelley Winters, she is a type of Jewish mother who would give Woody Allen and Philip Roth the heebie-jeebies”. Kinda creeped me. To this Californian, Greenwich Village is an exotic kingdom of free-spirited writers, actors, and who knows? maybe even painters and musicians. A haven for Beatniks, fer sure. There Larry can flower, impossible back in Brooklyn. Although, Brooklyn is where Southern boy Stingo moved to in order to write his novel in Sophie’s Choice. I guess you have to be there.
Curiously, Larry manages to avoid the young actor’s career high ark cliché as a waiter, or pre-professional actor. No, this lucky lad finds employment in a health food store under employment of the delightful Lou Jacobi. Thus engaged, he has the time and money needed to schlump his girlfriend Sarah (the luscious Ellen Greene), who is in turn quietly schtupps the handsome, charming yet vapid (surprise, surprise) Robert (Christopher Walken). Some things never change.
Toss in a few characters from Central Casting and it rounds out Larry’s social circle. A few personal disappointments and a single tragedy throw only a minor pall over the proceedings. Of course, Larry attends an acting class, parsing the fine points of a Clifford Odets play. World-building on a personal level. Remembering lines and hitting your marks just isn’t enough anymore.
But it is Larry’s story and Lenny Baker makes the most of it. I suspect much of the performance is autobiographical, and it rings true. Like most actors he is self-obsessed and prone to lapse into characters he might play. Somewhat schizoid, just enough. He is a realist, “I’m ten years away from a good Hamlet”. Experience is much of the method. Seeing the way, he acts through his life you are confident he’ll be a good Prince of Denmark, maybe bringing it in sooner, maybe eight years, three months.
It comes as no surprise being accepted to Actor’s Studio is a sign of status, rather than talent. Larry avoids that trap and gets an acting job. You knew he would.
It’s a pleasant look into a sad little drama I’ve no double is still being played out in New York and LA and wherever the young gather to take a shot at the Hollywood brass ring, rather than apply to medical school. At least no one said he wanted to direct
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