The Main Attraction (film)

Eddie is a singing drifter who wants to travel around the world. He works in an Italian café, but is fired when he gets into a brawl with a drunken customer. At the same time he meets Gina a ventriloquist in a visiting circus. Soon enough Eddie helps Gina out with her act and they become lovers. All is well until Eddie moves on, falling in love with another circus performer, Tessa; this is complicated by the jealousy of Gina's ex-husband, Bozo. Eddie runs off after a fight, fearing he has killed Bozo, but runs into Tessa on a bus. They return to the circus. ==Cast==

• Pat Boone as Eddie • Nancy Kwan as Tessa • Mai Zetterling as Gina • Yvonne Mitchell as Elenora Moreno • Kieron Moore as Ricco Moreno • John Le Mesurier as Bozo ==Production==

The film was the first in a multi-picture deal between MGM and Seven Arts. Pat Boone says he was talked into doing the film by Ray Stark who encouraged Boone to try a straight dramatic role. Boone agreed because Hollywood was making fewer musicals at the time. "I want to develop as an entertainer and also an actor", he said. "I realise I can't always be an ex teenager... I want to take on anything that a guy my age would be called up on to do in the movies with one exception: it must be family entertainment. I wouldn't want to make a picture that I wouldn't permit my children to see." Stark and writer-producer John Patrick wanted Boone's character to sleep with Nancy Kwan's. Boone was reluctant and refused to shoot a scene with them in bed together. However, as he did not have script approval he filmed scenes which indicated his character slept with Kwan's. Filming Filming started February 5, 1962. "I am terribly concerned about the board's reaction to certain scenes", said Boone. "Because as long as I have anything to do with it, no Pat Boone picture will ever be released without a seal of approval." ==Reception==

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "Only a richly flamboyant production could do justice to the extravagance of the plot. But the film as a whole is as timid as Pat Boone's attempt to be bold and bad – although the latter spectacle has a kind of freakish interest, as if Snow White had decided to behave like the wicked Queen. Even the circus setting – the last resort of the unimaginative film-maker – lacks its customary vitality. However, Mai Zetterling has a few moments of drunken splendour which are bloodshot beacons of light in an otherwise dimly soppy little film. According to Diabolique magazine "it's a weird film, not quite successful, but interesting which benefits from being shot in Europe. And there is a catchy theme tune. The public didn’t particularly like it. Pat Boone said it was because it was too sexy for something starring him, and he's probably right. It was a role that needed an Elvis." Leonard Maltin said: "Boone is fatally out of his depth..." ==References==