Overrated and overhyped

just watch it!

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

Joan and Cliff are both wonderful in this 1956 drama. An unknown movie, with an unusual story for the 1950s. A spring - autumn romance. Not at all surprising for a husband/wife but a wife/husband. The spring- autumn romance of Cliffs character's ex-wife and his father raises no eyebrows in that department, but a father sleeping with his son's wife, well! Naturally, the leading male character comes with problems. It is up to Joan to stick by her husband and hope that he recovers, despite her misgivings he will no longer want her as his wife. A sympathetic role for Joan. Recommended!

Joan Crawford was a great screen actress and her performance in this otherwise routine melodrama is terrific. But her eyebrows are yikes- in at least one scene they are not smooth across but spiked, the result is unintentionally frightening. Oh well, thats just Joan being Joan.Usually Anthony Perkins would have played the confused ex-soldier part, but I guess he was busy. So we fortunately have Cliff Robertson in the role. Robertson was at that time a virile and vibrant young New York stage actor who is perfect for this role. Crawford and Robertson work well together.While the actual character emotions are intense, the methods and practice of psychiatry is rather shallow and obviously just there to up the melodrama quotient. Shallow, skimmed-over psychiatry in a melodrama that is at the same time so definitely intense with Robertson's fine portrayal of suffering is a dichotomy I find detrimental to the film. And in a desperate attempt by the film-makers to enhance the melodrama effect, they actually carry the May/December angle into Mommie territory, emphasizing Crawford's motherly qualities (to the extent she had any). If you view "Autumn Leaves" strictly for its performances and dramatic attributes while ignoring its implausibility and unnecessary references to May/December Mommie relationships you will certainly enjoy this highly dramatic film. Look for Lorne Green and Vera Miles in excellent portrayals of an unhealthy relationship- and wow does Crawford verbally chew them out in a magnificently acted scene by Ms.Crawford.Overall "Autumn Leaves" is a noteworthy accomplishment by Aldrich and a great example of his ability and skill.

As the opening credits of "Autumn Leaves" are benignly rolling by, the viewer is treated to listening to the golden, mellow voice of Nat "King" Cole as he effortlessly sings this melodrama's title song.And even though there were no autumn leaves anywhere to be found in "Autumn Leaves", this song and its lulling effect played (surprising enough) a somewhat significant part when it came to setting the pace and mood of this film's stormy plot-line.Many years following this picture's 1956 release, Joan Crawford stated, in an interview, that of her later films, "Autumn Leaves" was, indeed, her #1 favourite.I think that that was kind of a funny thing for Crawford to say, since, from my perspective, I clearly found her to be miscast in her role as Millie Wetherby, the longing, lonely, middle-aged typing-dynamo who finally finds her man (who's half her age) only to discover that an unbalanced mind lurks behind those twinkling, baby-blue eyes of his.From my point of view, even though "Autumn Leaves" had all the makings of being a fairly intriguing picture and its subject matter was certainly handled in a mature fashion, I found that a lot of the story (especially the ending) just didn't ring true.Like I said earlier, Joan Crawford just wasn't well-suited for her role as a woman who would allow a man (regardless of how cute he was) to slap her around and brutalize her. And, then, after all was said and done, actually come crawling back for more. (Oh? Yeah!?) Yes. "Autumn Leaves" was a decidedly flawed affair and its dead-serious dramatics contained some unintentionally humorous moments, but, all the same, I think that this 1950's Chick Flick was certainly well-worth a view just to see how mental illness was looked upon in the realm of Hollywood movies nearly 60 years ago.Filmed in b&w, "Autumn Leaves" was directed by Robert Aldrich whose other notable films included - Kiss Me Deadly, Whatever Happened To Baby Jane and The Dirty Dozen.

And if you think that's weird, his mom looks exactly like Michael Jackson did just before he died.But seriously, this sudsy bit of kitsch stars none other than the high priestess of camp herself, Joan C. She gets to perform her trademark overwrought teary thing almost continuously throughout this flick, and the viewer is invited to pretend along with her that Cliff falls head over heels for this freak. The day after they meet he's all "What would I ever do if you left me?" and I'm like "WTF, you just met her dude!" Back in the day, Charles Busch did this act really well in drag. I actually found this film fun to watch though. I laughed along with it but mostly at it. Is that so wrong?