The Dick Powell Theatre (TV Series) In Search of a Son (1962) User Reviews

Terrific Acting Depicts a Topical Subject

[Maliejandra · 6/10 · 27 May 2014]

"In Search of a Son" is a contrast between the older and younger generation. At this time, the rift between them was wider than any other up to that point in American history, so it was a highly topical issue. This hour-long episode couldn't possibly tackle the complexity of such a subject but it does a good job at doing so on a micro-scale and features some terrific actors.

Dick Powell shows off his range in this episode, where he begins as the scowling disobeyed father but has moments to run the gamut. When he is forced to hop on the back of a motor scooter, he is unsure where to put his hands, and his feet comically splay out on either side. His comedic talents are basic but amusing. But while Dick's performance is more subtle, Dean Stockwell's will blow you away. He has the advantage of incredible good-looks, but he proves here that his looks aren't the only reason he is famous. He makes what might have been confusing and muddled dialogue on paper become conversational and powerful.

In Search of a Son

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 25 August 2022]

Dick Powell plays wealthy US businessman Alex Harper who flies off to Spain to look for his son.

His son Gary (Dean Stockwell) is rebelling and trying to find himself. Working for his father corporation is not for him.

The catalyst in Spain seems to be an elderly British Dame. Margaret Langdon (Gladys Cooper) seems to understand the concerns of young people in a post world war 2 atomic age.

This is well a well acted drama including Yvonne Craig who plays Gary's girlfriend.

It was made at a time when the young were rebelling and America was on the cusp of the Vietnam war. Times were changing and Alex comes across as old fashioned and conservative.

In the end with the help of Margaret and some booze, it is he who changes and tells his son just how much he needs Gary.

A great script!

[lor_ · 18 December 2023]

Thanks to a terrific screenplay by S. Lee Pogostin, this episode of the Dick Powell Theatre rises above its genre as a "Generation Gap" story to become an acting showcase for a motley set of top talents, and addresses universal themes that remain highly relevant 60 years later.

Story structure is interesting, as we have no-nonsense businessman Dick Powell, owner of a chemical company, traveling to Spain to try and convince his son Dean Stockwell to return to America from an extended post-grad year in Europe "finding himself".

Powell, underplaying with consummate skill, is the listener as each co-star takes center stage in turn, concisely delivering flavorful performances.

It begins with chatty Englishman Sebastian Cabot, greeting Powell at the Madrid airport and pontificating about the aimless (to him shiftless) lifestyle of the local Spaniards. He amusingly comes off as a portrait of The Ugly Englishman, similar to The Ugly American memorably created in literature of the time and later on screen by Brando.

Then taking over is Yvonne Craig, very pretty and sexy as his son's girlfriend from England, a true free spirit flirting with Powell and making it clear that he's an old fuddy-duddy caught up in the rat race of "square" society.

The not so prodigal son Dean Stockwell enters the picture on the beach and forces daddy Powell to listen to his philosophy of the Beat Generation need to discover a reason for living. His drop out from society approach is incomprehensible to Powell, who insists it's time to take on responsibilities, namely taking over as the successor to run his chemical company back home. Dean's fine acting is still under the sway of James Dean, as underscored by his taking daddy on an exciting fast drive in his sports car on a winding mountain road (photographed against an unfortunate '60s process screen backdrop). It's not a Porsche, but the spectre of Dean's fate hangs over this scene.

Next, Gladys Cooper is found drinking at a local bar, playing the role of Craig's grandmother Lady Margaret Langdon. She takes over the movie with an amazing turn, lecturing Powell on the so-called lost, misguided generation of youth, and brings the movie to a very serious plane. Noting that these European kids who surround Powell's son have grown up in the shadow of the war and the bomb know they're all going to die, and this fatalism shapes their "live for today" attitude. Soaking up the local wine and getting a bit drunk, Powell ends up inviting Glady to do the twist with him (thankfully not shown), and we even get a kids twisting on the beach scene right out of a Funicello/Avalon beach party movie, though "In Search of a Son" was broadcast a year before those drive-in classics began.

Climax of the story is simple, but poignant, as Cooper brings Powell to the beach and hebreaks down, shouting "I need my son!", his drunkeness bringing out his true feelings.

A bit of irony, after this moving climax on the beach, David Niven comes out to thank the audience for watching and the first end credit reads: "Produced by Aaron Spelling". This was among his earliest TV series as producer, and Spelling went on to produce "The Smothers Brothers Show" before settling down to an incredibly successful career of making schlock entertainment.