Baxter!

<i>Baxter!</i>

Baxter!

1972 British-American drama film

For other uses, see Baxter (disambiguation).

Baxter! is a 1973 British-American drama film directed by Lionel Jeffries and starring Patricia Neal, Jean-Pierre Cassel and Britt Ekland.[1] The film follows a young boy called Roger Baxter who struggles to overcome his speech problem (rhotacism) and his strained relationship with his parents. The film was based on a book by Kin Platt, called The Boy Who Could Make Himself Disappear.[citation needed]

Quick Facts Baxter!, Directed by ...

The film was made before Jeffries' third film as director, The Amazing Mr Blunden, but released afterwards.[2]

Plot

Roger Baxter (Scott Jacoby), a young American boy with a speech impediment, goes to live in London with his mother (Lynn Carlin) after his parents' divorce. He struggles to pronounce the letter R, and at school he becomes close to his speech therapist (Patricia Neal). He makes friends with his upstairs neighbour Chris Bentley (Britt Ekland), whom he meets in the lift, and her French husband, Roger Tunnell (Jean-Pierre Cassel). He also meets Nemo (Sally Thomsett), a girl who lives across the street from his flat. His parents are extremely self-centred and neglectful, and he feels isolated in a strange city. He eventually slides into an emotional breakdown.

Cast

Production

The Boy Who Could Make Himself Disappear was published in 1968. One critic called it "unforgettable".[3]

In November 1971, it was announced the film would be called The Boy and it would be a co production between Anglo-EMI Films and Group W Films.[4] Hanna-Barbera also produced the film; it is one of the studio's live-action efforts, despite being primarily known as an animation studio.

The film starred Scott Jacoby, who had just played the lead in a TV movie, That Certain Summer.[5] It was a rare English-language film for Jean-Pierre Cassel.[6]

References

  1. [1]
    "Baxter! (1972)". Ftvdb.bfi.org.uk. Archived from the original on 14 January 2009. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  2. [2]
    "BAXTER!" Monthly Film Bulletin London Vol. 40, Iss. 468, (Jan 1, 1973): 48.
  3. [3]
    Coles, Robert. (6 October 1968). "Review 3 -- No Title". Chicago Tribune. p. 20.
  4. [4]
    Aldrich, Lancaster Reunited Murphy, Mary. Los Angeles Times (27 Nov 1971: a9.
  5. [5]
    Haber, Joyce. (13 March 1973). "Would-be Lawyer Tuning Up as Actor". Los Angeles Times. p. e9.
  6. [6]
    Michael Kernan. (10 March 1973). "Cassel on Tour: Of Cassel and 'Baxter!'". The Washington Post. p. B1.
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