GOOD NEIGHBOR SAM

Looking back, there was more to this movie than I realized.

I was in the ninth grade when I saw Good Neighbor Sam in the movie theater back in 1964. I thought it was a lot of fun. In retrospect, the film stands out for a lot of reasons.

First, the theme song was composed by Frank DeVol, the man who sometimes went by just “DeVol.” Talk about catchy! So you’re up and running from the start. DeVol, by the way, received five Oscar nominations in his time and co-wrote “The Happening,” the Supremes hit. In 1977, he played the balding bandleader Happy Kyne on Fernwood 2 Nite.

Okay, Jack Lemmon is your star. You can’t go wrong there. No, it’s not The Apartment, Odd Couple, or China Syndrome, but Jack plays the harried adman/family man/suburban squire to perfection. What else would you expect?

Edward G. Robinson also makes an appearance in this picture. Now, when I saw this back in the 60s, I had no idea of his stardom in Double Indemnity or Key Largo, those noir favorites of the 40s. He was just an old guy in the movie doing a guest star bit, but there was something about him that caught your attention.

Romy Schneider (above, with Lemmon) made her Hollywood debut in this movie. A German actress who lived in France for much of her short life (she died at 43), she made films all over Europe, serious films, a serious actress. But she has fun in this one.

Dorothy Provine is Lemmon’s wife in the film. Provine did a lot of TV and movies in the 60s and then retired early. Among the films she made in that period was Disney’s That Darn Cat.

Mike Connors was a couple of years away from becoming Mannix, the TV detective whose show ran for eight seasons (1967-75). He’s the jealous husband here.

From l. to r., Lemmon, Lewis, and Andrews.

Among the character actors who had memorable parts in Sam were Louis Nye, Edward Andrews, and Robert Q. Lewis. Nye came to the fore as one of the men in the street on the old Steve Allen Show, along with Don Knotts, Tom Poston, and Bill Dana. Andrews and Lewis were both known for the horn-rimmed glasses they always wore. Lewis was a radio star and game-show host (longtime panelist on TV’s What’s My Line, too) who did the occasional movie, while Andrews was all over the TV and movie scene in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. I think it’s important to recognize the accomplishments of these players who only show up for a brief period on the screen, but add so much.

Other elements in Good Neighbor Sam include the use of the Bradbury Building for one of the scenes. That’s the famous L.A. building that’s been a feature in a lot of movies like Blade Runner and Chinatown, as well as an episode of Outer Limits (Demon with a Glass Hand starring Bob Culp).

One of the running bits in this movie about an advertising agency is the filming of a Hertz TV commercial. At the time, the rental car company’s big theme was “Hertz puts you in the driver’s seat,” using special effects to do just that in a TV commercial. You see the difficulties of getting that driver into the seat during the movie. I wonder what Hertz paid for such prominent product placement?

Outdoor advertising gets big play in this one as the main characters have to go about town defacing posters (you’ll understand why when you see the movie).

All in all, it’s a snapshot of the 60s with familiar faces from both cinema and TV with a soundtrack that sets your toes a-tapping (take it, DeVol).