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The World of Henry Orient

Play trailer Poster for The World of Henry Orient 1964 1h 46m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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91% Tomatometer 11 Reviews 59% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
While trying to seduce a married woman (Paula Prentiss), egotistical concert pianist Henry Orient (Peter Sellers) is interrupted by two precocious schoolgirls, Valerie (Tippy Walker) and Marian (Merrie Spaeth). At first he thinks nothing of it, but as he sees them more often, he becomes convinced they're spies for his lover's husband. The girls, meanwhile, have found out who he is, and Valerie insists she's in love. She starts a scrapbook, which her mother finds and, of course, misconstrues.

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The World of Henry Orient

Critics Reviews

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Tim Cogshell FilmWeek (LAist) 01/25/2020
I love this film. Funnily, I don't think you could make this film today. Go to Full Review
Eddie Harrison film-authority.com 07/07/2022
3/5
…with impressive location work on NYC streets, and a bygone, innocent flavour, The World of Henry Orient offers a jolt of old-fashioned nostalgia that was fading even in 1964… Go to Full Review
Nathanael Hood The Retro Set 12/28/2018
8/10
...one of the warmest, most delightful, and honest portrayals of female adolescence in cinema. Go to Full Review
Matt Brunson Film Frenzy 08/08/2015
3/4
[UPDATED 2025 REVIEW] A memorable picture in which youthful exuberance believably gives way to the bracing pain of parental betrayal and dashed expectations. Go to Full Review
Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews 12/01/2006
A
An immensely enjoyable film. Go to Full Review
Jake Euker F5 (Wichita, KS) 07/29/2005
3/5
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Audience Reviews

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Sep 19 The world of Henry Orient is a perfect example of periodicity; confined as it is between adolescence and maturity of human emotions. At first I was confused by the adolescent antics of the teens and the mature love of Henry toward Paula Prentiss vis-a-vis their Rock-ala-Rock romance that entranced the teens, and aroused their curiosity and led them to explore their undeveloped emotions about mature love. Henry was an undeveloped or quixotic pianist as was the teen equivalent, who had an excuse for her naiveté' ; i.e., her age. The teens exuberance was displayed through their acrobatic antics of splitzing fire hydrants on their way toward maturity. All in all the film was excusably clumsy in presenting a unique perspective that could be described as a compromise of moral value with insight. See more Jo B Feb 28 This is NOT a Peter Sellers movie as you know it -- he plays a pianist adored and stalked by two teenage girls. But the movie is equally if not more about the girls than Henry Orient. The good news is the girls are not annoying or cloying or anything but what they were supposed to be, gawky, giggling but exuberant BFFs. I always enjoy watching this movie -- it's cute comedy rather than truly hilarious, a terrific timepiece that includes a great supporting cast: Tom Bosley, Angela Lansbury, Paula Prentiss and Phyllis Thaxter. Think The Trouble with Angels, it's along those lines. See more Marcus T Dec 17 A cute period piece from the early 60's. Some have said it isn't really a comedy, but it has a light touch and is good for a lot of chuckles. The two girls carry the show with Sellers playing a supporting role, but not as a comedian. It has a feel good ending. Definitely worth a watch. See more 08/25/2021 Two young teenage girls in New York City develop a crush on a concert pianist and follow him around, to the latter's dismay. The pianist is a womanizer who even fools around with married women; and the girls themselves have their own domestic problems. One has divorced parents and lives with one of them; the other has parents who are still married but her mother is both unfaithful to her husband and indifferent to her daughter. As might be expected, pianist and mother meet and complications ensue. The story is based on a novel of the same name, which itself was based on a real-life teen's obsession with Tony Bennett. The adults are technically the stars, but the teenage girls are the real ones, and you are interested in what they do and what happens to them. Recommended. See more steve d 07/18/2020 Nowhere near as amusing as they think it is. See more aristidis m 03/19/2020 Was just good/ok, nothing special, sorry. :( See more Read all reviews
The World of Henry Orient

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Movie Info

Synopsis While trying to seduce a married woman (Paula Prentiss), egotistical concert pianist Henry Orient (Peter Sellers) is interrupted by two precocious schoolgirls, Valerie (Tippy Walker) and Marian (Merrie Spaeth). At first he thinks nothing of it, but as he sees them more often, he becomes convinced they're spies for his lover's husband. The girls, meanwhile, have found out who he is, and Valerie insists she's in love. She starts a scrapbook, which her mother finds and, of course, misconstrues.
Director
George Roy Hill
Producer
Jerome Hellman
Screenwriter
Nora Johnson, Nunnally Johnson
Distributor
United Artists
Production Co
Pan Arts Productions
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 19, 1964, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 20, 2017
Runtime
1h 46m
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