TURN BACK THE CLOCK
US, 1989, 90 minutes, Colour.
Connie Sellecca, David Dukes, Gene Barry, Dina Merrill.
Directed by Larry Elikann.
Turn Back the Clock is an entertaining fantasy thriller. It is a remake of the 1947 movie, Repeat Performance (with Louis Hayward and Joan Leslie, who has a momentary special guest appearance in this film).
The film is a star vehicle for televisions Connie Selecca. She portrays a women who kills her husband in a struggle on New Year's Eve and makes a wish that she could have the time over again. This immediately happens. She knows what happened during the past year, tries her best to steer things to better resolution - but despite her efforts, everything happens as before.
The film is done in the slick television style, entertaining in its plot as well as in following through the themes and exploring the characters.
1. Entertaining thriller? Mystery? Fantasy? Story of crime? The New York and Californian settings? The world of movie affluence? The use of colour for the action and faded colour with suggestions for the original year? The musical score?
2. The title, the title of the original movie? Indication of themes?
3. The opening, the struggle, Sheila and her husband's death? New Year? Her seeking out William? The party? Her relationship with Jack and trying to get him to help her?
4. Sheila as a character, strong, her media background, success in films? Relationship with her husband? Her going back into the past knowing what was to happen? Her efforts to change the past? Her love for her husband, trying to protect him, letting him work with the Mini-Series? His infidelities, going to California, her not realising the truth, discovering it? The clash with Tracey? Trying to get William to write the screenplay, protect him from Maureen Dowd? His being put in the institution? Her growing frustration and grief? The nearness to herself and Barney? Barney's accident, hospital? His arrival, struggle and William intervening to change the future? Her New Years Eve? Her trying to contrive the distance between herself and Barney, Barney's accident, hospital? His arrival just before midnight? The struggle and William intervening to change the future? Her strong character?
5. Barney, the successful Hollywood director, man about town? relationship with his wife and their successes? His roving eye? The party, the attraction to Tracey, meeting her again, giving her the novel to write the screenplay? Her turning against him after using him? Relationship with Michael? Barney and his anger, the violence? The hospital, moving him? Coming back to the apartment, the struggle with Sheila, William killing him, a burnt out case?
6. William, friendship with Sheila, his success as a poet, his failures? Relationship with his wife and their successes? The opportunity to write the screenplay? The meeting with Maureen Dowd, living with her, her using him? Coming to California with her? The growing clashes? Her anger and putting him in an institution? Sheila's warnings? Her visit to him and his reaction? His emergence and saving Sheila?
7. Maureen Dowd, widow end wealth, using people, anger, vengeance on William?
8. Jack, the producer, his friendship with Sheila, trying to arrange deals, the bargains, the mini-series? His concern about her, his attempts to protect her?
9. Tracey as an ambitious writer, coming to the wrong party, the relationship with Barney, in California, her seduction of Barney, writing the screenplay? Her clashes with Sheila? Her relationship with Michael, dumping Barney and going to England?
10. Glossy situations, glossy characters, but entertainingly presented?
