Libramedi Intense, gripping, stylish and poignant

StyleSk8r At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Myron Clemons A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

Phillipa Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

bkoganbing Although Susan Strassberg has been unfairly compared to Katharine Hepburn from the original Morning Glory, it's not quite a fair comparison. Forgetting that there is no one like Hepburn, Strassberg does do a decent job with the material given in Stage Struck. The problem is that the story has been changed and not for the better.Romance was added to this production and it weakens the basic story of a young girl who is so single minded in her determination to be a success in the theater. The characters played by Adolphe Menjou and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. in Morning Glory are now played by Henry Fonda and Christopher Plummer. The producer and the playwright now engage in a rivalry for Strassberg which weakens the story.In the original Morning Glory it's made clear from the beginning that Menjou is a love 'em and leave 'em type and he's really got no interest in Hepburn in that direction as he sees she's not the type. Pipe smoking Fairbanks after Hepburn makes good would like to get something going with her, but she's into her art first and for always.But Fonda and Plummer have a civilized rivalry for Strassberg and the story is which one will she choose. That I'm not telling.Stage Struck has some nice location shots of New York in the late Fifties, Broadway and the Greenwich Village area and a bit of Park Avenue. Joan Greenwood is here as the star who falters and allows Strassberg her big break. Greenwood's quirky personality that British films utilized so well is strangely missing here. Herbert Marshall is great as the older actor that C. Aubrey Smith played in Morning Glory.Stage Struck is a nice film, but definitely a come down from Morning Glory.

J B Thackery I had to keep reminding myself that this film was made in 1958, not in our day. It is "timelessly modern." It's not just another fantasy film about the backstage theater world. The acting is so real and emotions so true, you get caught up in every scene as if you are part of the film. Add the excellent photography and cinematography which seem ahead of their time, and you think you are watching a movie made half a century later.This is not all dreamy, and it is not all hardline: It is a perfect blend of both the aspirations of the heart, and the realities people must overcome to achieve them.The story itself has true personal appeal, as it combines dreams of stardom with down-to-earth human feeling. The directing and acting prove that a halfway decent script can be brought to life, exuding an appeal uncommon in any film of any era.Moreover, this is a fine example of how acting and directing can make a movie entertaining MINUS sleeze and vularity.

Marco Trevisiol Before this film, I had seen Susan Strasberg in two late 1960s AIP low-budget films 'The Trip' and 'Psych-Out' and enjoyed her performances in both so was quite interested in seeing her in the starring role here.Alas, not only is she not up to the task, but she takes down the film with her. Her performance in the first 30 minutes or so is truly wretched; she's so strained and overwrought that it makes one cringe.To be fair, from the time she does a reading from 'Romeo & Juliet' (which is quite charming) her performance settles down somewhat but the damage is done. After all, it's in the opening scenes where we're supposed to believe that she wins over Herbert Marshall as a close friend and enchants Plummer and Fonda but her performance kills any chance of that being convincing and the film never recovers.However, the film is still fairly entertaining. While Fonda seems rather too genial to convince as a Broadway producer he's always entertaining to watch and helps hold the film together. And Joan Greenwood does a nice balancing act as she gives a melodramatic performance yet still lined with depth.And, as other reviewers have mentioned, director Sidney Lumet puts in some nice touches with the detail he displays in the preparation that goes behind the scenes for opening night.Also of interest is that it was released as an RKO picture and was probably close to the very last film released by that studio.

geoff-161 Was Susan Strasberg over the top? Absolutely.I made the mistake of not turning the TV off while preparing for bed and Stage Struck came on. I thought I'd just watch a moment or two and hit the sack.Well, I watched the whole thing. I couldn't turn it off.Susan Strasberg was most certainly over the top. But, the amazing feat was that Eva was not totally and completely obnoxious. Instead, she was lovely and thoroughly likable. (Unlike Katherine Hepburn who made Eva obnoxious in Morning Glory.)I agree about the chemistry bit - there was none between Fonda and Strasberg. On the other hand, wasn't that the way it was supposed to be? They didn't end up as a couple in the end. Fonda clearly was infatuated with Eva, but what he really loved was her talent.There wasn't any romance in the movie - it was more about never making the romantic connection. Fonda gets his hit, Plummer is now a director to match his success as a playwright, and Strasberg is launched as a potentially great star.The beauty of it is that, because Fonda and Strasberg, and Plummer and Strasber only stuck their toes in the romantic waters, the movie ends with us knowing that the three of them will be great friends and that the truly obnoxious Rita Vernon as delightfully played by Joan Greenwood has been edged out by the much more appealing Eva.There was great chemistry between Herbert Marshall and Susan Strasberg. That was the real romance in the film - they regarded each other with such warmth. Herbert Marshall went from "Who the Hell is this naive creature" to caring deeply for her.