Believe in Me (1971 film)

Believe in Me is a 1971 American romantic drama film directed by Stuart Hagmann and written by Israel Horovitz. The film was produced by Robert Chartoff and Irwin Winkler.

Believe in Me
Theatrical poster
Directed byStuart Hagmann
Produced byRobert Chartoff
Irwin Winkler
Screenplay byIsrael Horovitz
StarringMichael Sarrazin
Jacqueline Bisset
Music byFred Karlin
CinematographyRichard C. Brooks
Richard C. Kratina
Edited byAndrew Horvitch
John C. Howard
Distributed byMGM
Release date
  • 1971 (1971)
Running time
86 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Cast

Production

The film was originally called Speed is of the Essence[1]:73 and reunited the studio, director, producers and writer of The Strawberry Statement. Irwin Winkler wrote in his memoirs that MGM's then head of production James Aubrey was the one who cast Michael Sarrazin and Jacqueline Bisset, although the director and producer liked both actors. Winkler says Aubrey demanded reshoots be done by another director and the producers hired John Alviden to do another three weeks of filming; they would later work together on Rocky.[1]:814–851/3917

Reception

The magazine New York's Judith Crist disliked Hagmann's direction and Horovitz's screenwriting and wrote, "[It] is a sloppy story about an intern driven to drugs because he sees kids and old people get sick, and who apparently makes his girl an addict too—or simply makes her stop wearing eyeliner. You can't tell which—and couldn't care less.[2]

Roger Greenspun of The New York Times wrote that Believe in Me avoided melodrama seen in other drug films but found that it had predictable surprises and failed to explain "crucial" questions. He reviewed, "[It] is full of plot hints dropped and never retrieved, and it seems to have been cut—not so much edited as maimed. When allowed some emotional range ... Stuart Hagmann directs a rather decent movie. But such moments are too few, and in suppressing even pathos, the film also suppresses the other feelings that could have made it live."[3]

See also

References
  1. Winkler, Irwin (2019). A life in movies : stories from 50 years in Hollywood. New York: Abrams Press. ISBN 9781683355281.
  2. Crist, Judith (December 20, 1971). "A Feast, and About Time". New York.
  3. Greenspun, Roger (December 9, 1971). "Screen: Hagmann's 'Believe in Me'". The New York Times.
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