University of Virginia Library

Delving Into The Secret
Life Of Television Stars

By STEVE GRIMWOOD

Jacqueline Susann wrote the
book, Jack Haley directed the
movie, and they both stink.

"The Love Machine" is another
in a long line of potboilers brought
to you by the great people at
Columbia Pictures and resting on
the laurels of other super-flicks
such as "Doctor's Wives."

Instead of delving into the
secret life of your favorite
physician, "The Love Machine"
takes you behind the scenes of the
magical world of television. Imagine
if you will the stud newscaster who
rises from local fame to become
head of the network, literally on
the back of the former Chairman of
the Board's wife. Robin Stone is
the love machine, and John Phillip
Law gives this role just what it
deserves.

David Hemmings (remember
"Blow-up"?) offers the best
performance of the film as your
favorite fashion photographer
faggot, swishing his way in and out
of everyone's life and hopefully
pulling in a good deal of money for
starring in this bomb. Also we have
Dyan Cannon lending her name and
none of her talent to this all-star
production.

The only way to view "The
Love Machine" rationally is to
consider it an attack on television,
something which everyone knows is
really difficult to do. But putting
out films like this is certainly not
going to drag people away from the
tube and down to the
neighborhood theatre.

So what we have is a very bad
book knocking television being
made into a very bad movie.
Nobody comes out on top, and the
bottom is where they all belong.

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