Released in
1966, this is arguably
Roddy McDowall's finest
performance.
He stars as as high school prankster Alan "Mollymauk" Musgrave who meets fellow classmate Barbara Ann Greene (Tuesday Weld) and decides to make all of her dreams come true. Even when such dreams include her getting a cashmere sweater so that she may belong to the most exclusive clique in the school. He even goes so far as to help her to win the man she wants. And then, when she's decided she doesn't want him any more, he devises a plan to remove the now-inconvenient husband.
McDowall is quiet and riveting throughout as the strange young man set to make a girl's dreams reality. You find yourself wanting him to succeed, even when you're never quite sure what it is he is trying to accomplish.
Lola Albright and Max Showalter are Barbara's parents, Marie and Howard, and Martin West is Bob Bernard, the unfortunate man Barbara thinks she wants. Ruth Gordon is superb as Bob's mother, Stella. This movie also features Harvey Korman, Sarah Marshall, Donald Murphy, Dan Frazer, Joseph Mell, and Jo Collins.
Although the humor is meant for a more mature audience, and much of the humor is dark and intelligent, there is also quite a lot about the movie that would appeal to teenage viewers, particularly Alan's complete disregard for rules and disdain of those in authority.