John and Mary **** (1969, Dustin Hoffman, Mia Farrow, Michael Tolan, Tyne Daly) – Classic Movie Review 8665

Director Peter Yates’s 1969 romantic drama John and Mary tells a slender but beguiling little anecdote with the help of charming turns from two then sweet, upcoming young players, Dustin Hoffman and Mia Farrow as John and Mary, who wake up in bed one morning after a one-night stand following an encounter in a singles bar, spend the next day getting to know each other and wonder about embarking on having an affair together.

John and Mary is an amusing, touching film, delicately handled by Yates from a canny script by John Mortimer (based on Mervyn Jones’s novel) that hits all the right notes. Way back then, future Oscar-winner Olympia Dukakis (Moonstruck) was playing Hoffman’s mom.

It was nominated for three Golden Globes: Best Actor and Actress – Comedy or Musical and Best Screenplay.

Also in the cast are Michael Tolan, Sunny Griffin, Stanley Beck, Tyne Daly, Alix Elias, Julie Garfield, Marvin Lichterman, Marian Mercer, Susan Taylor, Olympia Dukakis, Cleavon Little, Kristoffer Tabori, Carl Parker and Richard Clark.

John and Mary is directed by Peter Yates, runs 92 minutes, is made by Debrod, is released by 20th Century Fox, is written by John Mortimer, based on Mervyn Jones’s novel, is shot in Color by Deluxe by Gayne Rescher, is produced by Ben Kadish, is scored by Quincy Jones and is designed by John Robert Lloyd.

It was shot at the Biograph Studios, Bronx, New York City.

John and Mary is available on Region 1 DVD in the Cinema Classic Collection.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8665

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