Introduction
Welcome to my corner! This week, I'm sharing my thoughts on the film Inside Daisy Clover. The TCM television channel played Inside Daisy Clover as part of their 'Daytime Theme: Starring Natalie Wood' lineup on July 21, 2025. Enjoy!
Inside Daisy Clover
Inside Daisy Clover is a 1965 American drama film based on Gavin Lambert's 1963 novel of the same name, directed by Robert Mulligan and starring Natalie Wood. It follows a tomboy becoming a Hollywood actress and singer.
Plot: Teen tomboy Daisy Clover (Natalie Wood) dreams of fame—and gets her wish when big-time movie producer Raymond Swan (Christopher Plummer) comes calling. But, as her image is remolded for the media and her family life is thrown into turmoil, Daisy discovers that being star in 1930s Hollywood isn't what it's cracked up to be. Alone and distrustful, the young actress searches for a happy ending with a fellow rising star, Wade Lewis (Robert Redford).
Acting: Natalie Wood played Daisy Clover. I have mixed feelings about Natalie Wood, but she was great as Daisy Clover. Her four most notable titles are Rebel Without a Cause, West Side Story, Splendor in the Grass, and Love with the Proper Stranger. My favorite is Miracle on 34th Street.
Christopher Plummer played Raymond Swan. He plays a great bad guy posing as a good guy. He had a prolific career. His four most notable titles are Beginners, The Insider, Remember and All the Money in the World. My favorite is The Velveteen Rabbit (1985). Apparently he has the perfect voice for a narrator.
Robert Redford played Wade Lewis. Betty White's (and a lot of other people's) heartthrob. I thought he did great in this role, though I disliked his character. His four most notable titles are The Natural, Ordinary People, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and All the President's Men. I haven't seen much of his work. My favorite is All the President's Men.
Playing minor roles were Ruth Gordon as Lucile Clover. Roddy McDowall as Walter Baines and Katharine Bard as Melora Swan.
Technical aspects: Upon its release, the film was a box office and critical failure. However, the film later gained a cult following when it was shown on television and released on home video.
Most of Natalie Wood's singing voice was dubbed by vocalist Jackie Ward. However, Wood herself sings the intro to "You're Gonna Hear From me" for the screen test version of the tune.
Not by coincidence, this film about the perils of childhood stardom features two of the best known and most successful child stars in Hollywood history, Natalie Wood and Roddy McDowall.
Based on the 1963 novel of the same name by veteran Hollywood screenwriter and biographer Gavin Lambert which was set in the 1950s rather than the 1930s. As a result of working together on this film, Lambert and Wood would become lifelong friends, and Lambert's last completed book was a comprehensive and well-received biography of Wood.
From TCM: Wood herself was a Hollywood rarity, a child star who seemed to have made the transition to adult stardom gracefully and effortlessly. But, her apparently-ideal marriage to actor Robert Wagner had ended in scandal when she began an affair with Warren Beatty, her co-star in Splendor in the Grass (1961). That had also ended, and although Wood was a huge star, she did not have the lasting personal relationship she craved, just like the title character of Inside Daisy Clover. Wood loved Gavin Lambert's script for the film, which he adapted from his own novel. Lambert became a close friend of the actress during filming and recalled her saying, "at every key moment of Daisy's life, she's alone!" That insight, along with Wood's own experiences as a child star, added layers to her performance.
Unlike Wood, Robert Redford was a relative newcomer to Hollywood. Inside Daisy Clover was his third film. He had recently starred in a Broadway hit Barefoot in the Park and was being touted as the next big movie star. Redford's handlers warned him against taking the role of the homosexual Wade Lewis in Inside Daisy Clover. But, it would be one of Redford's first important roles, and he wanted to do it. However, before he would accept the part, he insisted on a rewrite so that the character's sexuality would be less overt. And, he played Wade Lewis as a narcissistic rather than sexually ambivalent. But, to Redford's dismay, a scene was added after the principal shooting was completed that spelled out the character's sexual preference. Nevertheless, Redford's performance earned excellent reviews and won him a Golden Globe award as a "Star of the Future." Redford went on to make another film with Natalie Wood, This Property Is Condemned (1966).
Ruth Gordon, who played Daisy's mother, was primarily a stage actress and writer and had not appeared in a film since Action in the North Atlantic (1943). However, Gordon was a good friend of Natalie Wood's, and the two women had always wanted to work together. Although studio head Jack Warner wanted a big movie name to play Daisy's mother, Wood fought for Gordon and finally got her way. The performance won Gordon an Oscar nomination. Inside Daisy Clover was also nominated for art direction and costume design.
In spite of the strong performances and attention to period detail, Inside Daisy Clover was hurt, perhaps fatally, by having 21 minutes cut before release. As a result, it was criticized for having a split personality—was it a satire of the era it depicted, thanks to Lambert's clever script and deliciously campy production numbers (songs by Andre and Dory Previn, and choreography by future director Herbert Ross), or was it a melodrama? At the time, the film failed to find an audience. But over the years, Inside Daisy Clover has won a cult following. It contains one of Natalie Wood's most heartfelt performances, and one of Robert Redford's most nuanced ones, a milestone in his early career.
Final thoughts: I think most everyone is intrigued by stardom and want some form of fame. For most of us though, it's just a dream that doesn't go anywhere. A the same time, most of us don't think about the potential downsides to that stardom and fame. There's a price that not everyone can pay or is willing to pay. For one thing, privacy. To be yourself without eyes prying in to watch your every move. This price is especially hard for child stars.
Inside Daisy Clover tells a great story of before and after fame and what's behind the scenes. How it isn't all cupcakes and rainbows. In a way, it reminds me of A Star is Born, but there's way less romance in Inside Daisy Clover. This movie is purely about Daisy Clover, and no one else.
Where to watch it: According to Google, Inside Daisy Clover is not currently available on any streaming service. But, you can also purchase or rent a digital copy for a few dollars. I've also donated a DVD copy of the film to the Emil M. Larson Public Library in Clark for you all to enjoy if you choose to.
That's it for this week! What were your thoughts? Feel free to share them with us! You can call us, email us, visit us at the office, leave us a comment or message on Facebook, or even mail us something. Keep the comments, suggestions, questions, submissions, etc. coming our way! We'd love to hear from you!
