User reviews

Handsome blond James Franciscus (as Arthur Youngblood Hawke) goes from small town Kentucky truck driver to successful New York City novelist. Nice editor Suzanne Pleshette (as Jeanne Green) desires Mr. Franciscus, but sexually arousing older woman Genevieve Page (as Frieda) turns the sheets in his bed. The problem is that Ms. Page is married to a millionaire and finds it difficult to give up her lifestyle, although Franciscus seems to be the most tempting in a string of hunky young lovers. Both Page's son Pat Cardi and Franciscus' mother Mildred Dunnock walk in on their passionate embraces...

Franciscus and Page are attractive and passionate in this trimmer, happier version of Herman Wouk's novel, but Ms. Pleshette is sadly underused. The story features the typical corrupting influence of life in the fast lane, with a stinging indictment of adultery. "Youngblood Hawke" benefits mostly from beautiful black-and-white photography by Charles Lawton, directed with occasional brilliance by Delmer Daves. In hindsight, the lack of expected Technicolor for this type of film is a plus. In small roles, golden age movie star Mary Astor and glamorous Eva Gabor contribute to the overall glossy look.

****** Youngblood Hawke (11/4/64) James Franciscus, Genevieve Page, Suzanne Pleshette, Mildred Dunnock

This film feels more like an 80s miniseries, glossy, melodramatic, padded and EIGHT HOURS LONG. There is no need for this film to be nearly 150 minutes long.

The three stars are the reason to watch this. James Franciscus is handsome and incredibly appealing as the lead. Suzanne Pleshette is wasted again as the second banana beautiful smart girl. Even if Warner Brothers rarely found her a good role while they had her under contract, they at least knew how to coif and dress her. She is gorgeous. Genieve Page is glamorous, stunning and gives the best performance of the movie.

This films seems to meander along with some melodramatic moments thrown in to keep it going. It is stilted and doesn't gel or flow. It is still glossy and entertaining.

Youngblood Hawke is one of those movies that has great promise, just like the movie's namesake. It starts out with the usual story of small-town young man makes good in the big city. He writes The Great American Novel while driving his coal truck in his small hometown in Kentucky, then gets called up to the big leagues in the publishing world of NYC. James Franciscus plays the too-good-looking-to-really-be-a-novelist looking for his next big seller and winds up in the arms of Genevieve Page, who is a married arts benefactor. Meanwhile, his hard-at-work editor, played by Suzanne Pleshette, has feelings for him too. There is a subplot involving his mother and uncles fighting over mineral rights to her land that complicates things but really prove to be inconsequential. It could have been cut out in a twenty-minutes too long movie. Will Youngblood be the same fresh faced writer from a small town, or a philandering hack corrupted by the big city? Watch and see. If you've seen a fair amount of 60's TV shows, you'll definitely be playing the "I know who that is!" game that will keep you going during the drawn out dialogue. The attractive leads all deserved to be shot in color in this movie. But instead we get a black and white movie where especially Pleshette's gorgeous blue eyes don't get the love they deserve. There is a running line in the movie where Franciscus and Pleshette's characters argue about smoking too much, which is interesting and sad considering in real life both died due to illnesses derived from being chain smokers.

This soap opera based on a Herman Wouk novel is entertaining in its meandering way but suffers from a less than riveting lead actor, James Franciscus.

Franciscus was a decent actor and certainly movie star handsome but not charismatic enough to carry a big budget film. Although he was quite effective as a series lead in Longstreet and several other shows the character of Youngblood Hawke required a more compelling actor than he. Warren Beatty, who was originally cast but bowed out or George Peppard would have worked much better in the star spot.

As it is the attractive but bland Franciscus is surrounded by high quality actors who all act rings around him. The little known Genevieve Page is cast in the trickiest part as an unhappily married woman who falls for Hawke. Even though she's a bit too young for the role her air of world weariness suits sad Frieda, she makes quite an impression and you miss her when she's off-screen.

The film is loaded with a variable kaleidescope of outstanding performers in every role. Suzanne Pleshette and her volcano of hair are terrific as Hawke's editor, even in her relatively brief screen time she makes something out of a standard part. Same goes for Mildred Dunnock, Eva Gabor, John Dehner and Don Porter all of whom are handed stock characters but still manage to stretch those characters with entertaining portrayals.

Another two old reliables who add some dash to this overlong stew are Mary Astor as a renown stage actress searching for a new vehicle and thinks she sees it in Hawke's novel. This was her penultimate screen appearance, she played a key role in Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte later that year then retired permanently, she imbibes her handful of scenes with a class and mastery that only the best actors are able to do with cameo appearances. The other is Edward Arnold as a critic who is both friend and foe, he obviously knows he has one of the better roles in the film and clearly relishes his opportunity. By word and gesture he makes Quentin Judd a memorable character.

This was also almost the end of the line for director Daves, that master of the overblown cinematic soap, and is right in his wheelhouse but his pacing seems rather off. The film is at least 20 minutes too long and is oddly in black and white. While all his other films of this type, A Summer Place, Rome Adventure etc, were in rich Technicolor with sweeping vistas which would have helped here he and cinematographer Charles Lawton Jr. use the shadows indigenous to black & white effectively.

Not anywhere near a great film but the cast makes it worth checking out.

Youngblood Hawk is more than just a story about a writer. Similar to Executive Suite, we are shown the "inner workings" of a process that most people at the time were not aware of, and the personal relationships of the people involved; here, we see the book editing process, and how a young writer (James Franciscus) from suburbia comes to New York and takes the town by storm. In one of the opening scenes, a critic, played by Edward Andrews, tells him a story of the stag who must outrun the hounds to survive, an apt lesson for a truck driver trying to make it in the big city. (Andrews always played the Colonel, the General, the statesman, and was a riot in Glass Bottom Boat.) Suzanne Pleshette plays Jeanne Green, Hawk's editor. Pleshette, had just made "The Birds" with Hitchcock, the year before, and will probably be best known as Bob Newhart's wife on the B. Newhart show in the 1970s. Unfortunately, Pleshette's southern drawl comes and goes in this one. French actress Geneviève Page is Frieda Winter, who introduces Hawk to all the right people who can help his career. Viewers will also recognize Mary Astor as Irene Perry, who makes an appearance about halfway through. Also keep an eye out for Martin Balsam and Werner Klemperer. And even Eva Gabor has a couple lines. Good, solid, entertaining, (LONG) story. It's got some flaws, but its entertaining enough. Written by Herman Wouk, who also did Caine Mutiny and The Winds of War. Wikipedia says this is loosely based on Thomas Wolfe... very loosely. Lots of changes in the story and facts. Directed by Delmer Daves, who wrote and directed many of our classic films. His films all have great pacing, and good solid plots.

Talented rube from a mining town in Kentucky pens a novel ("Alms For Oblivion"!) and apparently has it accepted by the very first publishing house in New York City that he sends it to. Writer-director Delmer Daves, who adapted his screenplay from Herman Wouk's bestseller, keenly understands the awe and wonderment a trip to the big city can hold for a country kid--and he also handles the circling society sharks and poison-pen critics with aplomb. However, this two hour-twenty minute melodrama is teeming with ridiculousness, some of which is so absurd that one can only scoff. This is the kind of movie in which book reviewers actually turn up on television, or are invited to stand up and read their critiques at major galas. Daves hopes to underline the notion that a few bad reviews can destroy a book's chances at finding an audience (or automatically cause a play to fold), but it's a nonsensical extension of circumstances--and this approach is applied throughout the film, from characters to situations. "Youngblood Hawke" (bad title!) is a glossy, fairly well-acted keg of soap, but not the involving guilty pleasure you may be hoping it'll be. It's too overripe to take seriously, and too slow to be viewed as camp (though it certainly comes close). ** from ****

Of all the melodramas Delmer Daves made in the sixties,"Youngblood Hawke" is perhaps the least interesting ;it was probably intended to match the scale and the duration of "Parrish",James Franciscus replacing Troy Donahue -who in "Susan Slade " was also a writer who finally found an editor .Suzanne Pleshette was Donahue's co-star in "Rome adventure".Daves ,who ditched westerns ,his forte in the fifties,is on home ground.But there is something hollow in this success story:unlike "Parrish" ,the movie drags on -you could easily cut 30 min-and French Genevieve Page's (and her deep voice)role is too underwritten to justify the tragedy that happens to her -compare to Ingrid Bergman's one in Rosselini's "Europe 51" to see what THAT tragedy means.

Even social criticism -overnight success whereas your books ,if we are to believe the critics ,are nothing but novelettes- does not ring true for we know little or almost nothing of the writer's literary talents.

Delmar Daves is best known as one of the major director/producer/screenwriters of sprawling melodramas in the '50s and '60s, though his work in Hollywood began in the '30s. These films often featured young, up and coming stars, high production values, and ran over two hours. "Youngblood Hawke" was Daves' last foray into this kind of film. He only made one more movie, The Battle of Villa Florita, a year later.

Based on the novel by Herman Wouk, Youngblood Hawke concerns a young writer (James Franciscus) who drives a coal truck in his native Kentucky before being plucked from obscurity by a New York publisher who wants to publish his novel. Hawke is assigned an attractive editor (Suzanne Pleshette) and moves to New York City. He soon loses his way by taking up with a married woman (Genevieve Page) who has a powerful husband (Kent Smith), and he runs into a variety of difficulties while trying to do what he came to New York to do - write books.

Despite some great shots of '60s New York, Youngblood Hawke falls flat, mainly because of the lead performance. Franciscus, who died at the age of 57 from emphysema, was an extremely handsome actor who enjoyed a good career in television. As an actor, he was on the superficial side. Here, he plays a Kentuckian, a hick, who goes to the big city, cleans up well, and becomes overwhelmed by the good life. Occasionally Franciscus made an attempt at a down home accent but it was only an attempt and only occasional. As far as cleaning up well, he looked pretty darn good to me from the first reel and also came off as sophisticated from his first trip to NYC - way too sophisticated for a truck driver from Kentucky. We should see this naive, energetic, ambitious young man, rough around the edges, who evolves over time. In over two hours, there was no evolution.

The rest of the cast - Pleshette, Edward Andrews, Don Porter, Mary Astor, Lee Bowman et al. were all good. Though one of the posters here praised Genevieve Page, I had a great deal of trouble understanding her so I can't comment.

Youngblood Hawke is a fairly predictable story, entertaining in spots, but evocative of movies like "The Oscar" - big, overdone, without much substance. Daves in the past had better material.

James Franciscus had the role of his career (yes, even greater than Beneath the Planet of the Apes!) as a Kentucky truck driver who comes to New York City to make it as a novelist. I'm not being facetious about Franciscus: he never looked more handsome, and he plays his role with a disarming blend of cockiness and vulnerability. He has perhaps the most soulful and expressive eyes of any blond-haired actor in the movies.

Suzanne Pleshette plays his patient editor with her usual warmth and intelligence, and Genevieve Page is elegant and fascinating as the society woman who "keeps" him. Edward Andrews is witty and menacing as a literary critic, and Mary Astor is totally believable as a veteran stage actress. Everybody shines in the all-star cast.

Delmer Daves took Herman Wouk's mammoth bestseller (what's new?) and wisely made some changes in his screen adaptation. In the novel, Youngblood Hawke is a brawny, average looking man where Daves gives us a beautiful, cerebral hero. Now for a glossy, unabashed soap opera, eye candy can sure help 137 minutes pass a little more pleasantly! Another of Daves' departures from the novel is in permitting more of the leads to remain alive by the end; by doing this, Daves is giving us our cake and letting us eat it. Frankly, I *devour* it on average of once a month!

This film was the last of Delmer Daves' potboiler masterpieces - an enormously entertaining blend of class and trash.

In the popular subgenre of "cads are irresistible" comes another perfect Paul Newman vehicle: Youngblood Hawke. By 1964, there were plenty of competing actors, and Warren Beatty had been signed to play the heartless bad boy with a charming Southern accent. When he dropped out, Stuart Whitman, George Peppard, and Terence Stamp were considered before James Franciscus was cast. What a cutie pie! If you have pictures of Randolph Scott and Richard Chamberlain on your wall, you'll be in love once you see this movie.

James plays a backwater hick who's written a novel. It's unrealistic, but his dream becomes a reality as his book quickly gets snatched up by a publisher, Lee Bowman, and editor, Suzanne Pleshette. He starts off wide-eyed and innocent, but once fame and fortune go to his head, he turns into a selfish cad. He starts up a torrid affair with Genevieve Page, which really isn't interesting. Not only is there no motivation in the script, but Genevieve carries no chemistry in her performance. James's character is incredibly unlikable, since he constantly makes the wrong choice and hurts people who try to love him. He's also quite spineless. Whenever someone criticizes his work, he agrees with them, and whenever Genevieve crooks her finger, he succumbs even when he's vowed not to. Even though she's a married woman with children. When Genevieve suggests James enter into a business deal with her husband, Kent Smith, he agrees. When she sets him up in a penthouse suite, he quickly ditches the place Suzanne had found for him earlier in the film.

Since sections of the film are a bit uneven, I can only imagine that the original novel is quite lengthy and complicated. After all, it's a Herman Wouk book. The running time is long, but I'm sure swaths of the novel were cut out. This isn't really a movie I'd care to watch again, but if you think James is cute, you'll probably want to watch it. Suzanne fans will be wasting their time since she's made out to be the undesirable one; and I can't imagine anyone being a fan of Genevieve.

Herman Wouk who wrote such classics as the Caine Mutiny and Marjorie Morningstar must have decided one morning maybe on a bet that he could write a trashy novel the equal of Harold Robbins or Jacqueline Susann. So he penned Youngblood Hawke and an equally trashy film was made from a trashy novel. In writing trash Wouk succeeded admirably.

Playing the title role in this film is James Franciscus who back in the day was a poor man's Richard Chamberlain and was fresh from his Mr. Novak series where he played a high school English teacher. Youngblood Hawke was his bid to transfer to big screen stardom, but the reviewers panned it horribly and deservedly.

Franciscus comes over as way too nice for such a rebel part. Paul Newman might have carried this film, but if someone sent him the script he probably sent it back showing uncommon good judgment. The title role concerns a kid from Kentucky who writes a best seller and then gets caught up in the fast life. Women are throwing themselves at him and he has to choose between his editor Suzanne Pleshette and the married and voluptuous Geraldine Page.

A really good cast of supporting character actors are the film's best asset and the two who standout are critic Edward Andrews and agent Don Porter. My favorite scene is Porter negotiating with Franciscus's current publisher to get out of his current contract. As for Andrews he's unmistakeably based on Bennett Cerf who could have sued but probably didn't want to give the film any publicity.

Poor Jim Franciscus must have wondered for the rest of his life how he got talked into doing Youngblood Hawke.

Youngblood Hawke is the pen name for James Franciscus, an aspiring writer. The film boasts a strong supporting cast with Suzanne Pleshette, Eva Gabor, Mary Astor, John Dehner, Mildred Dunnock and Edward Andrews. But what drags this film down is the fact that James can't act and his affair with a married woman, Genevieve Page, is not only boring, but depressing, too. And, add the fact that the film talks you to death with little to no action, and you get this mess. The film drags and drags and drags and you feel beaten to death and down-trodden by the end. And the film is so long at almost two hours and a half. Of course, Suzanne Pleshette is a knockout, and it's always nice to see her. But she can't salvage trash by herself.

James Franciscus was perfectly cast in the title role of Youngblood Hawke. he was a excellent intense actor who always gave his all. fact is he was handsome and very talented who should have became a major star and this film should have given him the success he deserved. Franciscus commands the film along with great dramatic scenes with Genevieve Page. don't know why the film was poorly received and why his critics on here make false comments about him and his acting. if you wanna see a good soap opera story with attractive leads, then watch this film. i liked it and it keeps your interest. the film is loosely based on Thomas Wolfe from a novel by Herman Wouk.

Arthur "Youngblood" Hawke is a coal truck driver living with his mother in Kentucky. His uncle Scotty had swindled his father's share of the mining company. He dreams of becoming a writer when he gets a call from New York. Jeanne Green (Suzanne Pleshette) is assigned his editor and is taken with the handsome writer. As he gains more success, he drifts away from Jeanne and towards his other leading ladies.

It may be a small thing but James Franciscus' swoopy blonde locks don't fit a coal truck driver. I wonder if people wore baseball caps back in the day but he needs a hat to protect those fine feathers. Anyways, he's a bit of a stiff acting-wise. There is plenty of old fashion over-acting. This is based on a Herman Wouk novel. From this film, it looks like a lesser work. It's basically a romance potboiler. It does have Suzanne Pleshette whom I only know from her later TV work. There is a place for this type of work and it's not the top shelve. It is also much too long. It seems to be aiming for a cinematic epic but it's really a dime novel.

James Fransiscus was Mr. Novak on TV and landed the star role in this film after Jack Warner fired Warren Beatty from this film.. Beatty after 2 weeks of rehearsals on the WB Lot refused to sign his contract. Warner exploded and banned Beatty from the WB Lot. In a jam Warner picked James Fransiscus to star in this film directed by Delmer Davis with a great cast that included Suzy Pleshette and lovely French actress Genevieve Page. I recall Rita Hayworth one of the biggest stars in movies during the 40's and 50's and Queen of the Columbia Lot had to test for the role eventually played by Ms. Page. James Franciscus was at the time of filming son in law of famed director Bill Wellman.

Troy Donahue was the star of Delmer Daves: Summer Place, Pasrish, Susan Slade and Rome Adventure why wasn't he cast as Youngblood Hawke? Troy was at the time a huge star at WB.

This is a fine film with top notch WB production values. After Beatty left the film the studio decided to film it in black and white rather than color.

I have a feeling the back story of this film's production would be more intriguing than the film itself.

Genevieve Page sets the screen alight with one of the most scintillating, passionate, humorous, and intense performances ever seen in a Hollywood movie. What an original! This film is excellently scripted and directed, and all of the cast are superb. I cannot understand why it is not for sale on DVD in every major shop. The word 'classic' is often used to describe a film, but in this case the word 'classic' is if anything inadequate. The film ranks with SHIP OF FOOLS as one of the greatest world cinematic achievements of the 1960s. And as in the case of that film as well (Simone Signoret and Oscar Werner), it is the performances which put it over the top. Without Genevieve Page, this film would have been very good, but with her it is a triumph. She really ranks at the very top of screen actresses in the history of the cinema, for this amazing performance. The sophistication of her technique and the subtlety of her work are a lesson to all aspiring actresses, and the film is pure delight.

Youngblood Hawke is a film treasure. The plot is timeless and the movie flows with the grace of an Olympic skater. This movie, along with The Fountainhead give us two of the strongest and most creative heroes of our day - Howard Roarke (Gary Cooper) and Youngblood Hawke (James Franciscus. Both of these individuals express through their art form (Roarke the architect and Hawke the author) their passion and individuality and allow us to dream of overcoming temptation and triumphing in the end. The performance of both leading actors stand the test of time and are worth viewing again and again. The supporting casts are outstanding and the two authors of original texts Herman Wouk and Ann Rayn are without peer.

Even if you're not an aspiring author/artist, this film offers so much. You'll know of what that is after viewing it. Just know from the outset that it has a great story with great characters, and it's performed by exceptionally qualified, well-cast actors all.

Gregory C . Finkell.

Well @ 69 This Is One That Got My Me...

I Had NEVER THIS FILM UNTIL TODAY 3-31-2021..!

The Support Cast Was Magnificent, A Who's Who..?

Another Classic Regarding The Old Adage From God That "No None Gets EVERYTHING" No One..!

No Matter How Rich Or How Poor - No One Gets EVERYTHING...

Page & Pleshette Were BOTH Brilliant...

Page's LAST Attempt At Reconciliation Was Most Gut Wrenching...

Although this movie has flaws (and there are some), it is worth watching on several levels. First, how often do you see a movie that delves into the book publishing and broadway production worlds at the same time during the 1960's in a very captivating manner. There is no doubt that this is a very intriguing story. Second, it beautifully captures New York City and its rich and powerful society world that existed in the early 1960's. Third, the costumes and sets are very sophisticated and sixties cool, particularly the women's fashions, make-up, and hairstyles as worn by the extremely attractive Suzanne Pleshette and Genevieve Page. Fourth, the acting by Pleshette and Page is top notch. This is one of the best performances of Pleshette's career, which leads to one of the film's biggest flaws. James Franciscus was always a very likable actor, but, here, as the lead character, Youngblood Hawke, a country boy turned into a successful author, his performance is very two-dimensional. There is something missing. You really don't develop any type of feeling for what his character is going through. So, it's Pleshette and Page as Youngblood's book editor (Pleshette) and married paramour (Page) who carry the film, with wonderful performances that keep the viewer very interested in the plot of the story. The other flaw is the script. Based on a then best-selling novel by Herman Wouk, Delmer Daves not only directed this movie, he also wrote the script. At times, the dialogue is cliched and hackneyed while, at others, it is smart and snappy. So, it is very inconsistent. As a matter of fact, a subplot involving the death of Page's pre-teen son is revealed is such a melodramatic and unbelievable manner, that it is almost silly instead of devastating as was probably intended. Pleshette was known to be an intelligent and very capable actress. She had a reputation for always being able to rise above the material. One wonders if, during filming, she told Daves, "why don't I say it this way instead," because her lines are always sincere, realistic, natural, and, at times, witty. Finally, the supporting cast is full of familiar faces from 1960's and 1970's movies and television. The only problem is that so many of them tend to overract and are hammy in order to compensate for some of the overwrought dialogue they have to deliver. Unscathed and very good in their roles, however, are Mildred Dunnock as Youngblood's mother, Mark Miller as a rival publisher, and the great Oscar winner Mary Astor as Broadway star Irene. Astor won her Oscar supporting Bette Davis in "The Great Lie" and should have won on Oscar for her brilliant femme fatale performance in Humphrey Bogart's "The Maltese Falcon". She returned to acting as a favor to friend Davis in "Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte," but this is her final acting job. "Hawke" was released to theaters before "Charlotte" so "Charlotte" is often erroneously referred to as Astor's last movie. Ironically, in both movies, she has a scene where she says she is tired and must depart. Depart she did, to an actor's retirement home in Woodland Hills, CA, where she lived out the rest of her life content and happy. So, this movie also serves as a nice record of a film great's last performance, delivered with style and grace.

So, the bottom line is, this is a movie that is truly worthwhile due to the captivating storyline, the scenery, and the terrific acting of Pleshette and Page, two female performers who steal the show from the lead male character. Who wins in the acting department between the two ? Pleshette, by the eyes and a smile. She rivals Elizabeth Taylor and Natalie Wood for the most attractive and expressive eyes ever recorded on film in the 1960's. She knew how to use them to maximum effect, as well as her warm and natural smile.