JohnHowardReid Producer: Ross Hunter. Copyright 1957 by Universal International. New York opening at the Palace (as a support to a vaudeville bill): 14 June 1957. U.S. release: August 1957. U.K. release: 15 April 1957 (sic). Australian release: 9 May 1957. 8,025 feet. 89 minutes. U.K., Australian and New Zealand title: Tammy.SYNOPSIS: Tammy Tyree lives with her grandfather on a houseboat on the Lower Mississippi. They rescue a downed pilot from the river and nurse him back to health. When her grandfather is imprisoned for distilling and selling corn whiskey, Tammy and her pet goat hike to the stately mansion of Brentwood Hall, the home of the grateful flyer.NOTES: If Universal had sold "Tammy" a bit more confidently, the film would easily have broken into the topmost ranks of 1957's money-spinners. It was certainly one of the studio's top grosses and — thanks to a hit record of the title song — was equally if not more successful in Australia and New Zealand.COMMENT: By the humble standards of director Joseph Pevney, "Tammy" is superior entertainment. True, Pevney has done little to embellish the drama. Aside from a confrontation scene between Nielsen and Hill, with Reynolds caught in the middle, Pevney has used CinemaScope so sparingly one wonders why Universal took the trouble. And even discounting this omission, Pevney has hardly handled proceedings with anything like style.If we look at the ultra-glossy efforts of producer Ross Hunter, "Tammy" is definitely in the minor league. Yes, the sets, costumes and color are moderately attractive but hardly "All That Heaven Allows".What makes "Tammy" special is the script and the players. Especially the players. The plot is a variation of that old chestnut Abraham Lincoln was laughing at, but the players, especially Miss Debbie Reynolds, make it all seem reasonably fresh, tolerably amusing and even engaging.OTHER VIEWS: Blessed with a catchy title song and the appealing presence of Debbie Reynolds, "Tammy" is an entertaining rustic versus urban conflict, with lots of biblical, cracker-barrel philosophy doing battle with genteel impoverishment. That the old formula can still strike more than a few sparks is a tribute to the players generally, Debbie Reynolds and Mildred Natwick in particular.That "Tammy" struck a sympathetic chord in 1957 picture-goers is evidenced by the fact that it inspired not only three sequels, but a TV series (1965-66) as well. Unfortunately, Debbie Reynolds had moved further towards super-stardom when "Tammy Tell Me True" was released in 1961 and "Tammy and the Doctor" in 1963, so Sandra Dee took her place in both these entries. Debbie Watson starred in the TV series where the character was called Tammy Tarleton (doubtless because "Tyree" was too difficult to pronounce in time-pressed television set-ups). In 1967, Universal released a movie, "Tammy and the Millionaire", culled from three of the TV episodes. — JHR writing as Tom Howard.

bkoganbing Debbie Reynolds like so many of contract stars was being cut loose from MGM and she sure was fortunate enough to get this film which turned out to be one of her iconic roles. Debbie Reynolds is really something special as the back woods bayou girl with an uncommon amount of common sense.In her memoirs she had a lot to say about Tammy. First off she had to watch that crafty old scene stealer Walter Brennan playing her grandfather whom she lives with on the bayou. That man did not win three Oscars for nothing, but fortunately he's only in the film in the first 15 minutes before the revenuers clap him in the pokey.At that point Reynolds takes up an invitation to stay with Leslie Nielsen's family. She and Brennan had rescued Nielsen from a plane crash near their bayou home on the Mississippi. She had a lot of problems with Nielsen as Leslie at the time was not the lovable oaf Frank Drebbin that we later got to know. He was a rather serious Method actor from New York and he and Reynolds did not mesh well. She took some satisfaction in her memoirs at pointing that at the time she thought Nielsen had a great gift for comedy if he'd relax and forget the Stanislavsky. And by God later on he did.Finally she notes that the film was initially a flop. But later on she recorded the title song and got a Gold record for it. In the movie The Ames Brothers sing it over the title credits and Reynolds sings it during the film. The popularity of the record caused Universal to re- release the film and it was a smash.Despite Nielsen's serious demeanor and Brennan's irrepressible scene stealing, no doubt this film belongs to Debbie Reynolds. 56 years after it was first release, Debbie will charm the pants off you in this role. Sad she never did the other two films, but even in this she was pushing it to play a bayou teenager.But she succeeded, oh how she succeeded.

moonspinner55 Debbie Reynolds plays a 17-year-old girl from the bayou who goes to stay with a friendly pilot (Leslie Nielsen) and his society folks after her grandfather gets thrown into jail. Corny, yet also surprisingly sensitive growing-pains comedy-drama is silly and trite only in retrospect. The film treats its protagonist and her emotions quite sympathetically and the film is sweet without being nauseating. Good support from Walter Brennan, Fay Wray, and the always fun Mildred Natwick. Followed by two sequels in 1961 and 1963, with Sandra Dee taking over the role of Tammy, as well as a failed mid-'60s television series. **1/2 from ****

johnzap Recommended to me by a friend, this romantic comedy will enlighten and touch your heart. I thoroughly enjoyed the view of life through Tammy's eyes where we are all reminded of just how much we all take for granted. See it, you won't be disappointed!