Joy in the Morning is a 1965 American romance film starring Richard Chamberlain and Yvette Mimieux and directed by Alex Segal. Adapted from the 1963 novel of the same name by Betty Smith, the film tells the story of a young newlywed couple, Carl and Annie Brown, who marry against their parents' wishes while Carl is still in law school and struggle to maintain their relationship.
In the late 1920s, 18-year-old Annie McGairy travels from Brooklyn to a college town in the Midwest to marry her boyfriend Carl Brown, a law student, at the local courthouse. The newlyweds must overcome many obstacles, including disapproval from their parents (who knew each other before emigrating to the U.S. from Ireland), financial problems, and Annie's sexual insecurities. Due to the marriage, Carl's law school cuts off his loans; his father also cuts off financial support, forcing Carl to work multiple jobs on top of studying. Annie causes local gossip by befriending a lonely, gay florist and babysitting for the mistress of a married businessman.
Annie discovers she is pregnant, but before she can tell Carl, the couple have a heated argument caused by the stress of his night job interfering with the couple's marital intimacy. Annie returns to her mother in Brooklyn without telling Carl she is pregnant, not wanting to burden him while he finishes his education. Carl, devastated without Annie, falls behind with his studies which puts him in danger of failing his classes. When Carl's father discovers the situation, including Annie's now-obvious pregnancy, his attitude toward Annie softens, and he convinces the couple to reconcile. Annie helps Carl catch up with his studies and Carl passes his exams the same day Annie gives birth. Carl graduates, and he and Annie celebrate a church wedding with family and friends before happily riding away with their newborn son.
The film was based on the 1963 novel by Betty Smith, author of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Joy in the Morning, Smith's fourth and last novel, was based on her life; she married during the Depression and lived near campus while her husband studied law. "I had to return to that background", she said. "That's where I was born."[2] (The marriage later ended in divorce.[3])
Film rights were bought by MGM in June 1963 for a minimum of $100,000.[4] In January 1964, the lead role was given to Richard Chamberlain, who was at that time a teen idol and the star of the MGM TV series Dr. Kildare.[5] His co-star was Yvette Mimieux, who was also under contract to MGM and had played Chamberlain's love interest in a two-part episode of Dr. Kildare.
Filming began in May 1964.[6] Producer Henry Weinstein said he wanted to make a romance in the James Stewart–Margaret Sullavan tradition.[7] Mimieux called the film "light and charming".[8]
The film's score was composed by Bernard Herrmann. Chamberlain performed the title song, "Joy in the Morning", which was released as a single and included on his 1964 album Richard Chamberlain.
Chris Noel, who played a college student, wrote a book with editor and designer Kirk Kimball about the making of the film titled Filming Joy in the Morning: Behind the Scenes with Richard Chamberlain.[9]
The film has been described as "amateurishly acted (especially by stars Richard Chamberlain and Yvette Mimieux as Carl and Annie), badly written, and hideously directed ... unrelenting mawkishness".[10] According to one report, preview audiences "laughed in all the wrong places."[11]
12Anticipated rentals accruing distributors in North America. See "Top Grossers of 1965". Variety. January 5, 1966. p.36.
↑PAUL GARDNER (August 17, 1963). "Betty Smith Recalls How 'Tree' Grew to Success 20 Years Ago". New York Times. p.17.
↑"Best-Selling Novelist Betty Smith Dies at 75: Author of 'A Tree Grows in Brooklyn' Earned Estimated $1 Million on 1943 Book". Los Angeles Times. January 18, 1972. p.c4.
↑A.H. WEILER (June 23, 1963). "BY WAY OF REPORT: Metro Buys Betty Smith Novel--Other Matters". New York Times. p.95.
↑Hopper, Hedda (January 30, 1964). "Looking at Hollywood: Briton Richard Harris Has a Ball at Home". Chicago Tribune. p.c4.
↑Hopper, Hedda (April 21, 1964). "Mary Tyler Moore Has Many Talents: Actress Helps Danny Kaye; Loretta Likes Busy Retirement". Los Angeles Times. p.C8.
↑Hopper, Hedda (May 8, 1964). "Looking at Hollywood: Roz Eyes Role of Colorful Gabrielle Chanel". Chicago Tribune. p.b11.
↑Hopper, Hedda (April 11, 1965). "Yvette Mimieux's Got a Secret". Los Angeles Times. p.m4.
↑Noel, Chris (September 2, 2014). Kimball, Kirk (ed.). Filming Joy in the Morning: Behind the Scenes with Richard Chamberlain. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN978-1501050305.
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