• Rating:
• Genre: Comedy Drama
• Director: Ernie Pintoff
• Main Cast: Gene Troobnick, Hermione Gingold, Patricia Harty, Arlene Golonka, Will MacKenzie
• Release Year: 1965
• Country: US
• Run Time: 76 minutes

Plot

In this interesting comedy, an even-tempered fireman with a happily tepid life, finds his peaceful world disrupted when he becomes infatuated with the woman he saved from a burning building. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Review

Harvey Middleman, Fireman marked the live action debut of Ernest Pintoff, who had previously created a number of imaginative, slightly surreal and highly individualistic cartoon shorts. Middleman retains some of the quirkiness that Pintoff brought to his cartoon work -- but unfortunately, it didn't retain enough of it, and the gentle whimsy that is felt throughout the film is not enough to sustain it for its full length. A satirical fable about middle class life in 1960s America, Middleman starts out promisingly but eventually turns conventional and rather predictable. This would be less important if it were packed with solid laughs, but it isn't; it's pleasant, mind you, and very easy to watch. But it too often fails to grab the viewer, leaving his attention to wander in and out, becoming engaged for a while, the drifting away before returning again for a few more minutes. Gene Troobnick's lead performance suffers from the same inability to "connect" with the viewer on a consistent basis. At times, he is quite good, but the performance doesn't carry over and build from moment to moment. The supporting cast (including Charles Durning in an early role) is good, and there are some nice visual touches as well. If Middleman disappoints, it's still an off-beat, mildly entertaining little film, and for some viewers its "offbeat-ness" will more than compensate for its flaws. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide

Cast

• Gene Troobnick - Harvey Middleman
• Hermione Gingold - Mrs. Koogleman
• Patricia Harty - Lois
• Arlene Golonka - Harriet
• Will MacKenzie - Dinny

Ruth Jaroslow - The Mother; Charles Durning - Dooley; Peter Carew - Barratta; Stacy Graham - Librarian; Maurice Shrog - Mr. Koogleman

Credit

John P. Austin - Set Designer; Harold Belfer - Choreography; Hilyard M. Brown - Art Director; Gene Callahan - Production Designer; Russell A. Gausman - Set Designer; Joseph E. Gershenson - Composer (Music Score); Joseph E. Gershenson - Musical Direction/Supervision; Bernard Green - Composer (Music Score); Bernard Green - Musical Direction/Supervision; Bernard Herzbrun - Art Director; Joseph Hoffman - Screenwriter; Anna Hill Johnstone - Costume Designer; Don Malkames - Cinematographer; Rosemary Odell - Costume Designer; Ernie Pintoff - Director; Ernie Pintoff - Composer (Music Score); Ernie Pintoff - Screenwriter; Ted Richmond - Producer; Russell Schoengarth - Editor; Douglas Sirk - Director; Clifford Stine - Cinematographer; Hugh A. Robertson - Editor