All the Fine Young Cannibals is a 1960 American film directed by Michael Anderson, based on the novel by Rosamond Marshall, starring Robert Wagner, Natalie Wood, Susan Kohner, George Hamilton and Pearl Bailey.[3] Hamilton said that the film "combined Southern Gothic with a biopic of jazzman Chet Baker."[4]
All the Fine Young Cannibals | |
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![]() Original movie poster by Reynold Brown | |
Directed by | Michael Anderson |
Written by | Robert Thom |
Based on | novel The Bixby Girls by Rosamond Marshall |
Produced by | Pandro S. Berman |
Starring | Robert Wagner Natalie Wood Susan Kohner George Hamilton |
Cinematography | William H. Daniels |
Edited by | John McSweeney, Jr. |
Music by | Jeff Alexander |
Production company | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Distributed by | Loew's Inc.[1] |
Release date | September 15, 1960 (1960-09-15) |
Running time | 112 min. |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $1,638,000[2] |
Box office | $1,810,000[2] |
Two young people in love, musician Chad Bixby and Sarah "Salome" Davis, are forced apart despite Salome's pregnancy and marry others, but are then brought together again by chance. A downtrodden blues singer mothers Bixby while guiding his career.
All the Fine Young Cannibals was the first film that Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood made together.[5] George Hamilton says that director Vincente Minnelli shot some scenes when Michael Anderson was unavailable, including an ending for the film that was not used.[6]
Wagner's character is loosely based on the jazz trumpeter Chet Baker.[7]
According to MGM records, the film earned $950,000 in the U.S. and Canada, and $860,000 elsewhere, resulting in a loss of $1,108,000.[2]
The film's title was the inspiration for the name of the musical group Fine Young Cannibals.[8]