In Search of Gregory


In Search of Gregory is a 1969 British-Italian drama film directed by Peter Wood and starring Julie Christie.

Plot

Catherine Morelli goes to the latest wedding of her father, Max, who in turn wants to introduce her there to a potential suitor, Gregory Mulvey, an American friend of both himself and her brother. Gregory is not to be found, so Catherine starts fantasizing about the missing American based on the face of a man she saw on a billboard.

Cast

In Search of Gregory was the last of the four movies Christie made while under contract to Joseph Janni, who produced Billy Liar, which provided her breakout role as Liz, and Darling, the movie which made her a star and brought her a Best Actress Oscar in 1966. Those two films, as was the Janni-produced Far from the [Madding Crowd (1967 film)|Far From the Madding Crowd], were directed by John Schlesinger, whereas Peter Wood helmed this picture.
Michael Sarrazin, who was under contract to Universal, had to drop out of the role of Joe Buck in Midnight Cowboy that brought Jon Voight an Best Actor Oscar nomination due to a commitment to appear in this production.
Despite In Search of Gregory being a box office flop and forgotten while Midnight Cowboy went on to become a smash hit and a classic, Sarrazin expressed no regrets for the turn his career took.
It was the last picture produced by Universal's European production company, and was shot in the summer of 1968. The movie wasn't released for more than a year after the production was completed, having its New York premiere in May 1970.

Reception

in The New York Times panned the picture, though he did praise John Hurt for being a talented actor. "In Search of Gregory fails not so much from the stupidity of its plot as from the dim timidity of its inventions.... very crucial incident dulls and strains, and does not excite, the imagination."
The TV Guide review is negative. "The film tries to be a Pinter-style psycho-drama but doesn't make it."