Pat Boone Movie...Bernadine

[Ron Hill]

Didn't we have some pictures from "Bernadine"? Ernie Dawe recorded it the other day and I took a few pictures off the TV screen....I wanted to post them with the movie, but have searched for it...



July 25, 1957
'Bernardine' Introduces Pat Boone here


MOVE over, Elvis Presley. And welcome, Pat Boone, his exact antithesis, in Twentieth Century-Fox' "Bernardine," opening yesterday at various neighborhood theatres. Meet a singing teen-age idol—a sunny, clean-cut youth of manly mien and fine voice—with a real screen future, in a wholesome, pleasant comedy about adolescence. As much as we hate to say so however, Mary Chase's stage play was better.
For three wonderful acts the audience literally eavesdropped on a gang of likable high-school Lotharios, lounging in a make-shift clubhouse and yearning for the woman to end all women. In Samuel G. Engel's production, the dream remains the same. Meet "Miss Bernardine Mudd of Sneaky Falls, Idaho, by the banks of the Itchy River—where love is never mentioned." The play was funny, tough-minded and tender all at once. The Hollywood refurbishment is attractive but superficial.
There is a good cast, numbering such people as Terry Moore, Janet Gaynor and Dean Jagger. The small-town settings, spaciously framed in CinemaScope and color, are excellent. So are two new Johnny Mercer tunes, unobtrusively rendered by Mr. Boone.
However, Henry Levin's direction is extremely uncertain for some reason. And the trumped-up plot by scenarist Theodore Reeves (Miss Chase just didn't bother) has most of the cast coddling the gang's least winning member, a selfish numskull with a case of the sulks. As played, like a 12-year-old, by Richard Sargent, this pouting lad has a sub-adolescent crush on Miss Moore, as an understanding clerk. Our real hero, unfortunately, is a pill.
But the others, perhaps taking a cue from the good-natured ease of Mr. Boone, as the boys' leader, render Miss Chase's amusing, often knowing, dialogue most personably, even while the action meanders. The original cutting edge of "Bernardine" is gone, but on the whole, you still couldn't find a nicer bunch of people.

The Cast
BERNARDINE, screen play by Theodore Reeves, based on Mary Chase's stage play; directed by Henry Levin; produced by Samuel G. Engel for Twentieth Century-Fox. At neighborhood theatres.
Beau . . . . . Pat Boone
Jean . . . . . Terry Moore
Mrs. Wilson . . . . . Janet Gaynor
Sanford Wilson . . . . . Richard Sargent
Fullerton Weldy . . . . . Dean Jagger
Lieutenant Beaumont . . . . . James Drury
Griner . . . . . Ronnie Burns
Mr. Beaumont . . . . . Walter Abel
Mrs. Beaumont . . . . . Natalie Schafer
Ruby . . . . . Isabel Jewell

[Tim Chance]

I bet I went to that movie twenty times when I was a kid. I wonder if it is available on tape or DVD?

[Ron Hill]

The motor that Pat Boone is standing by is my number three "A" Motor... I'll explain on the Antique Forum, someday...

Ernie Dawe taped the entire movie.... I watched enough to realize it was really BORING!!!! But will admit seeing boat racing on TV always JACKS ME UP!!!!

Ernie's E-Mail is Dawecraftboats@aol.com

[Ron Hill]

Bernadine: You Tube, no boats here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us7ENOGnV7A

[russhill]

Yeah, Ron---you and the Movie Academy of Arts and Sciences---You totally left out my name. And I had rented a tux for the Oscar presentation.

You weren't old enough, so I used one of your A Stock Utility engines and a KeenCraft hydro I borrowed from Dick Riley and became a movie star. We were paid $87.50 per day for Friday and Saturday, total $175, but we had to continue "shooting" on Sunday for double time. I made $350 for the weekend. I offered myself for a full time job, but was rejected. That was pretty good pay for 1957. But no Academy Award.

[F-12]

As photogenic as you were back then, I'm surprised they turned you down, Russ. Their loss.............

[Ron Hill]

As I recall, you and PP bent my Kamic, a we collected $32 insurance money from the movie company.

You and PP took here '54 Chevy convertible and our trailer as I recall. She had a Terrrill hydro.

[Gene East]

I remember that movie and would love to see it again. Did Pat Boone actually drive a boat or was this just "movie magic".

We watched an old Guy Lombardo New Years Eve program on PBS last weekend. The credits showed him in his racing jacket.

I suspect he had bigger balls than most celebrity boat racers.

BTW: Norma was not impressed to learn Guy Lombardo was a boat racer.

[Ron Hill]

Seems his dad and grandfather were at Lake Saguaro for the filming...This is Pat Boone and Janet Gaynor.

Ron

Thanks again for lunch. I enjoyed hearing all the stories and my Dad really enjoyed seeing You and Russ. I noticed a thread on the Forums about the movie Bernardine. My Dad went over and took part in that as well. I remember as a kid seeing it on TV, been bored to death waiting for the few minutes of boat racing. A few years ago I came across a stack of studio promotional stills from the movie. Only about 4 have boat racing in them. I can only find 2, so I scanned them I will send them separate because they are big files. You can zoom in on the computer, and see the folks in the background pretty good. Maybe you can find Russ.

TOM WILLARD

ADD:

That is my brother, Russ, putting gas in that boat next to 324-C...That was his girl friend's A Hydro!

[russhill]

More Bernadine. Ron and I had lunch a few weeks ago with Bobby Willard and his (57 year old) son, Tom. Tom sent these new pictures. Bobby was a talented racer in the late 50s. Anyway, Bobby and his ever faithful father, Roy were there. Bobby had a cheater A engine. It had a KG7 block and a small stack with a couple inch and a quarter, six inch long pipes. (For the benefit for you young kids, under 50, a KG7 was a 20 ci block. We were all running KG4s, 15 ci blocks.)

As I remember, Bobby was sort of the "captain" of the group and drove the "Berandine Mudd" boat. He got his directions from the director and we followed him.

I just reread the first entry on this thread and noticed two names: Ronny Burns and Janet Gaynor. Ronny was George Burns' son and we hung out together years later in the Offshore group. Several of the Offshore guys were from the Hollywood group. Janet was Mitzy Gayner's younger sister. Janet and I had become pretty good friends years earlier.