While sequestered in bed for a week with the flu, I had a chance to catch up on rarities saved in my "Instant Queue", and took a chance on the rarely seen '60s romp, The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom, starring Shirley MacLaine, James Booth, and Lord Richard Attenborough. I'd wrongly assumed I'd seen every likeable swingin' '60s flick in exisitance, so this was a total psychedelic surprise! It is an adorable love story, with loads of mod eye candy and a groovy soundtrack by The Spectrum and The New Vaudeville Band.
It's the story of Mrs. Blossom . . . a wealthy and dutiful housewife/painter of psychedelic artwork, who is quite lonely due to having a husband that is obsessed with building his company, Blossom Brassieres. When Mrs. Blossom's antique sewing machine breaks, her husband sends one of his factory workers, the ever-eccentric Ambrose Tuttle, to repair it, and the two begin an adorable affair, culminating in Mr. Tuttle secretly moving into the attic so they can hang out while her hubby is at work.
While it's a wacky premise, it's not merely a story about adultery. . . it has more heart than that, and is beautifully sweet, with a surprisingly un-formulaic ending. Not to mention the inspiring LSD-meets-Art Nouveau set design by Assheton Gorton, and wickedly wonderful costumes by Jocelyn Rickards, both of whom were also responsible for the look of iconic films such as; Blow-Up, Wonderwall, and The Knack . . . and How to Get It. See it, live it, love it!
good grief. i think i need to see this IMMEDIATELY! the arched ceiling (and everything else) looks amazing
Posted by: pilgrim | February 15, 2012 at 03:16 AM