Review of Cannery Row

Earlier this year, I saw a production of the rather obscure Rodgers and Hammerstein musical "Pipe Dream" at the New York City Center. The musical failed simply because of a lack of storyline (in spite of a lovely score) and this film version of the same story has the same issue. The lives of these residents of a small California coastal town (where life surrounds a brothel) are presented in a sweet manor with a series of minor conflicts but no real glue holding them together. The performances are all admirable, with Debra Winger a definite future star and Nick Nolte excellent in the leads. Audra Lindley stands out as the bohemian madame, red hair flowing as if she was Mrs. Roper's fun-loving grandmother. Equally memorable is the powerful narration by the legendary John Houston. His diction is so heart-felt that it doesn't matter that you don't see him-you really FEEL him. Add to this some masterful photography and wonderful period music, and you have a nice film that sadly misses the mark of being a great movie.