Customer Reviews

Phffft!

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4 star:		(2)
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2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Thanks to Sony/Columbia Pictures for deciding to release this great Jack Lemmon film as a stand alone movie since up until now it was only available in the The Jack Lemmon Film Collection (Phffft! / Operation Mad Ball / The Notorious Landlady / Under the Yum Yum Tree / Good Neighbor Sam). If you are a Jack Lemmon fan and have the extra money, I would highly recommend investing in that set as all the movies in it are truly worth watching. That said, "Phffft!" is a great 50's comedy that revolves around a divorcing couple (played by Lemmon and the wonderful Judy Holliday) who may or may not still have feelings for each other. The film is particularly notable as it is one of the first films to officially introduce Kim Novak to the big screen who here plays a Marilyn Monroe type vixen smitten with Lemmon (Novak had already starred in Columbia's "Pushover" earlier the same year). In addition, the script is pretty witty, and there is one scene which features a great dance scene with Lemmon and Holliday, If this DVD is anything like the previous release in the Lemmon Box Set, you can expect an excellent transfer in the correct anamorphic aspect ratio, and english/french audio and subtitles. As far as special features, the previous release included the theatrical trailer, photo galleries, and an enjoyable 25 min. episode from the Ford All-Star Theater called "Marriageable Male," so hopefully those will all carry over to this release as well. This is a fun little film to see, and I highly recommend it to all those who enjoy a good, old, classic comedy.

A slow-moving, dry-humored, rather predictable comedy about a divorced couple who get back together after they realize how compatible they actually are with each other. It's one of the first feature roles for a young Jack Lemmon (who already had his sad-sack schtick pretty well polished...) and the not-quite-so-ditzy, not-quite-so-dumb blonde bombshell, Judy Holliday, in one of her lesser roles. It's not a great film, but it is fun to see the two of them, also interesting to see how consistently she upstages Lemmon, right from the start. (Originally released in 1954.)

PHFFFT! is an oddly titled, quaint romantic comedy that handles the sticky subject of divorce most delicately.

As Walter Winchell's gossip column reports, the Traceys, Nina (Holliday) and Robert (Lemmon) are 'Phffft!" after an eight-year marriage. Nina cites "incompatibility" and "mental cruelty" as grounds only because they're the most commonly used reasons.

Robert moves in with Navy buddy Charlie Nelson (Carter) while Nina's mom (Gear) influences her daughter by redecorating the bedroom and making unsolicited suggestions.

Concerned for his friend's social well-being, Charlie sets Robert up with gorgeous college girl Janis (Novak as a Monroe type), but when they're alone Robert freezes, confesses to being depressed and sends Janis home.

He would try dating her again, but first some mambo lessons (Nina meanwhile is learning the same dance at Arthur Murray's). Robert takes Janis to a club for dinner and dancing. Nina is by coincidence also there with a co-worker. The two couples mambo and somehow Nina and Robert end up together. Their flamboyant dance moves clear the floor.

The next day, Robert finds a pretext for visiting his ex, but they quarrel and he leaves. When Robert later learns that pal Charlie is with Nina at his old Westchester home, he dashes off to confront the cad. After quietly entering the house, Robert picks up the ringing phone and hears Nina tell her mom that she kicked Charlie out. Then Nina laments how she never should've divorced her husband. It WAS the 1950s after all. You know how the story ends.

(Watch for Head Mousketeer Jimmie Dodd in a cab driver cameo.)


"Phffft!" is available on DVD as part of THE JACK LEMMON FILM COLLECTION.

Related item:
Jack Lemmon's first credited big screen role came a few months before "Phffft" was released. He again appeared with Judy Holliday in George Cukor's IT SHOULD HAPPEN TO YOU. (VHS) (DVD)


Parenthetical number preceding title is a 1 to 10 viewer poll rating found at a film resource website.

(6.3) Phffft! (1954) - Judy Holliday/Jack Lemmon/Jack Carter/Kim Novak/Luella Gear/Donald Randolph (uncredited: Jimmie Dodd/Merry Anders)

This has got to be one of the funniest movies about the break up of a marriage and the way the divorced couple rediscover their love for one another. Judy Holliday and Jack Lemmon were such a great comedy team -- funny, dramatic and yet sophisticated -- truly classy! This is one of a kind!!

If you like Jack Lemmon this is the funnest movie featuring him!! Not frequently seen it features the wonderful Judy Holliday who also is adorable in this movie. Very worth the buy as I will watch it frequently.

This movie starts with the married couple Jack Lemmon and Judy Holiday divorcing each other. The ending is very predictable. That would be okay, except the journey to the end is not much fun. Judy Holiday is just not an appealing actress. Kim Novak is not in the movie very much, and she comes across as a young bimbo. (She had much more depth in her role in Vertigo.) This movie is suppose to be a romantic comedy. There are flashbacks showing the couples courtship and these might be a little appealing with a different actress. Then there are scenes of Jack and Judy trying to learn to become swinging singles. Jack Lemmon's womanizing friend was very unappealing. It turned my stomach listening to his little speech on various ways to try to get a woman in bed. There isn't any humor, and the script is just boring. Call me bored. However, the picture was crystal clear. Great copy of the movie.