Hadrina
The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful
mraculeated
The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.
Sienna-Rose Mclaughlin
The movie really just wants to entertain people.
JohnHowardReid
Producer: Ross Hunter. Copyright 1957 by Universal International. New York opening at the Palace (as a support to a vaudeville bill): 14 June 1957. U.S. release: August 1957. U.K. release: 15 April 1957 (sic). Australian release: 9 May 1957. 8,025 feet. 89 minutes. U.K., Australian and New Zealand title: Tammy.SYNOPSIS: Tammy Tyree lives with her grandfather on a houseboat on the Lower Mississippi. They rescue a downed pilot from the river and nurse him back to health. When her grandfather is imprisoned for distilling and selling corn whiskey, Tammy and her pet goat hike to the stately mansion of Brentwood Hall, the home of the grateful flyer.NOTES: If Universal had sold "Tammy" a bit more confidently, the film would easily have broken into the topmost ranks of 1957's money-spinners. It was certainly one of the studio's top grosses and — thanks to a hit record of the title song — was equally if not more successful in Australia and New Zealand.COMMENT: By the humble standards of director Joseph Pevney, "Tammy" is superior entertainment. True, Pevney has done little to embellish the drama. Aside from a confrontation scene between Nielsen and Hill, with Reynolds caught in the middle, Pevney has used CinemaScope so sparingly one wonders why Universal took the trouble. And even discounting this omission, Pevney has hardly handled proceedings with anything like style.If we look at the ultra-glossy efforts of producer Ross Hunter, "Tammy" is definitely in the minor league. Yes, the sets, costumes and color are moderately attractive but hardly "All That Heaven Allows".What makes "Tammy" special is the script and the players. Especially the players. The plot is a variation of that old chestnut Abraham Lincoln was laughing at, but the players, especially Miss Debbie Reynolds, make it all seem reasonably fresh, tolerably amusing and even engaging.OTHER VIEWS: Blessed with a catchy title song and the appealing presence of Debbie Reynolds, "Tammy" is an entertaining rustic versus urban conflict, with lots of biblical, cracker-barrel philosophy doing battle with genteel impoverishment. That the old formula can still strike more than a few sparks is a tribute to the players generally, Debbie Reynolds and Mildred Natwick in particular.That "Tammy" struck a sympathetic chord in 1957 picture-goers is evidenced by the fact that it inspired not only three sequels, but a TV series (1965-66) as well. Unfortunately, Debbie Reynolds had moved further towards super-stardom when "Tammy Tell Me True" was released in 1961 and "Tammy and the Doctor" in 1963, so Sandra Dee took her place in both these entries. Debbie Watson starred in the TV series where the character was called Tammy Tarleton (doubtless because "Tyree" was too difficult to pronounce in time-pressed television set-ups). In 1967, Universal released a movie, "Tammy and the Millionaire", culled from three of the TV episodes. — JHR writing as Tom Howard.
dougdoepke
Plot—a backwoods southern girl is invited into a plantation manor after her father is sent to jail for bootlegging. The invite comes after she's rescued the hunky son from a plane crash. Now she's caught up in a humorous conflict of cultures while trying to adjust. At the same time, she pines for the son's affections despite his snobbish girlfriend.Okay, after 70-some years of breathing my brain is turning to mush—Reynolds is charming, the song's cute, and I even enjoyed the suds this time around. Sixty years ago I hated the movie, but then I preferred rubber space monsters and Elvis's shaking' up the world. So I guess Reynolds and her song didn't really register. Truth be told, I still like Roger Corman's quickies and, of course, Elvis forever.Nonetheless, in my now geezer opinion, the movie's a charmer, with occasional brain teasing moments. Tammy's a role the spunky Reynolds was born to play. Her sparkly innocence is winning from the git-go. Pairing her with the hunky Nielsen, however, remains a stretch. He towers over her like Tarzan in a spiffy suit. Still, her down-home truth-telling contrasts engagingly with the uptown sophisticates. I can see Peter (Nielsen) succumbing to her natural charm. But she's not all innocence. Behind her lack of education, Tammy has a perceptive inner eye, or a kind of backwoods wisdom. That compensates a lot for her amusing goofs in polite company. And catch the many innuendos I missed first time around. For example, when Tammy comes up with "of a carnal nature" while fending off masher Ernie's eager advances, I had to rerun the passage to make sure I heard correctly.What also catches my eye this time is the subtle romancing of the ante-bellum South. The Brents represent the gentile side of the Old South transposed to the 1950's. In that sense, there's something of a nostalgia for the earlier time though it's not rubbed in. Then too, a contrasting note is sounded when Osia (Beavers), the Black cook, explains to Tammy the onerous meaning of her red bandanna headgear. So we're reminded of the Old South's not so gentile other side. And catch those colorful battleship cars. 1957 was about the peak year for showy fender fins that seemingly stretch into the great beyond.Anyway, sociology aside, my age may be showing, but this time around I found the movie charming and occasionally insightful. So maybe something can be said said for geezer-years, after all.
dgz78
It's hard to believe that Debbie Reynolds did this movie 5 years after Singin' In The Rain. It seems like she should have played Tammy 5 years before Singin'. Reynolds infuses some complexity in the role - check out her sly grin when Leslie Nielsen picks her up in the barn. It's a role that could easily have been annoying to audiences but Reynolds never loses a viewers affections. In the two sequels Sandra Dee came very close to crossing that annoying line.Besides Reynolds, the other treat is the great cast around her. It was fun to see a young Leslie Nielsen in a straight role as the leading man and Mildred Natwick does her usual excellent job (why did she never get more Oscar recognition). Fay Wray, Walter Brennan, Philip Ober & Sidney Blackmer also do a great job.The director, Joseph Pevney, should get credit for keeping the story moving forward and not getting bogged down in the corny aspects of the movie. Had i been more than 1 years old when this movie came out, I'm sure it would have been a fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
n-kc
Being in my early 60's, I saw 'Tammy and the Bachelor' when I was a teenager. It was a wonderful movie to me then: the poor girl who gets the handsome, affluent beau. I still like the movie for its simple message: one should be judged by his/her character, not by social status. "Tammy" was the first song that I ever sang in a talent contest (and I won first place), so I have a reason to remember the title song with much interest. A friend of my older brother came from New York to North Carolina for a visit back then and had me to sing "Tammy" over and over. Back then, I felt as if I WERE Tammy. Such movies don't wear as well with time as the classics, but they're nice to remember and to watch again.
