Baxter!
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Baxter! | |
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Directed by | Lionel Jeffries |
Screenplay by | Reginald Rose |
Based on | The Boy Who Could Make Himself Disappear by Kin Platt |
Produced by | Arthur Lewis |
Starring | Patricia Neal Britt Ekland Lynn Carlin Jean-Pierre Cassel Scott Jacoby |
Cinematography | Geoffrey Unsworth |
Edited by | Teddy Darvas |
Music by | Michael J. Lewis |
Production companies | |
Distributed by | MGM-EMI Distributors (UK) National General Pictures (US) |
Release date |
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Countries | United Kingdom United States |
Language | English |
Baxter! is a 1973 British-American drama film directed by Lionel Jeffries and starring Patricia Neal, Jean-Pierre Cassel and Britt Ekland.[1] The film follows a young boy called Roger Baxter who struggles to overcome his speech problem (rhotacism) and his strained relationship with his parents. The film was based on a book by Kin Platt, called The Boy Who Could Make Himself Disappear.[citation needed]
The film was made before Jeffries' third film as director, The Amazing Mr Blunden, but released afterwards.[2]
Plot[]
Roger Baxter (Scott Jacoby), a young boy with a speech impediment from the U.S.A. goes to live in London with his mother (Lynn Carlin), after his parents' divorce. He makes friends with his speech therapist (Patricia Neal) and Chris Bentley (Britt Ekland), his neighbour whom he met in a lift. He also makes friends with Chris' French husband, Roger Tunnell (Jean-Pierre Cassel) and Nemo (Sally Thomsett), a girl across his flat. He struggles to get along with both of his parents and he feels isolated in a strange city. He struggles to say the letter R and eventually slides into an emotional breakdown. A few times he can say the letter R but then sometimes he can't.
Cast[]
- Scott Jacoby – Roger Baxter
- Patricia Neal – Doctor Roberta Clemm
- Jean-Pierre Cassel – Roger Tunnell
- Britt Ekland – Chris Bentley
- Lynn Carlin – Mrs. Baxter
- Sally Thomsett – Nora "Nemo" Newman
- Paul Eddington – Mr. Rawling
- Paul Maxwell – Mr. Baxter
- Ian Thompson – Dr. Walsh
- Ronald Leigh-Hunt – Mr. Fishie
- Frances Bennett – Mrs. Newman
- George Tovey – George
- Marianne Stone – Woman
Production[]
The Boy Who Could Make Himself Disappear was published in 1968. One critic called it "unforgettable".[3]
In November 1971 it was announced the film would be called The Boy and it would be a co production between EMI Films and Group W Films.[4]
The film starred Scott Jacoby, who had just played the lead in a TV movie, That Certain Summer.[5] It was a rare English-language film for Jean-Pierre Cassel.[6]
References[]
- ^ "Baxter! (1972)". Ftvdb.bfi.org.uk. Archived from the original on 14 January 2009. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
- ^ "BAXTER!" Monthly Film Bulletin London Vol. 40, Iss. 468, (Jan 1, 1973): 48.
- ^ Coles, Robert. (6 October 1968). "Review 3 -- No Title". Chicago Tribune. p. 20.
- ^ Aldrich, Lancaster Reunited Murphy, Mary. Los Angeles Times (27 Nov 1971: a9.
- ^ Haber, Joyce. (13 March 1973). "Would-be Lawyer Tuning Up as Actor". Los Angeles Times. p. e9.
- ^ Michael Kernan. (10 March 1973). "Cassel on Tour: Of Cassel and 'Baxter!'". The Washington Post. p. B1.
External links[]
- 1973 films
- English-language films
- 1973 drama films
- British drama films
- British films
- Films shot at Elstree Studios
- Films about dysfunctional families
- Films directed by Lionel Jeffries
- Hanna-Barbera films
- EMI Films films
- 1970s British film stubs