Plot introduction
Dear Brigitte is one of the funniest comedies from the 1960s, about a tone-deaf, color-blind boy genius with one interest: Brigitte Bardot. James Stewart plays professor Robert Leaf, a typical college professor (when speaking of college professors typical means liberal, but this was 40 years ago and labels change). Leaf teaches poetry, lives in a houseboat in San Francisco, vocally opposes nuclear power and progress in general. He has an original way to make the family stick together - family concerts. His daughter calls him square. Leaf's 8-year old son Erasmus is played by Billy Mumy (Sammy the Way Out Seal, Lost In Space, Bless The Beasts & Children, Three Wishes). Leaf hopes to find artistic genius of some sort in his only son, and nurtures him in music, painting, literature, etc. But Leaf is disappointed, to put it mildly, when it turns out Erasmus has a gift for math, can out-think the colleges newest computer, instantly compute horse-race winners. I don't want to give away too much of the plot, but Erasmus had been writing to Bardot regularly, and after the family comes to depend on his ability, his love-sickness causes a mental block. Glynis Johns (Father's Delicate Condition, The Cabinet of Caligari, Mary Poppins) plays Leaf's wife. Ed Wynn (Requiem For A Heavyweight, Mary Poppins) is a neighbor / captain / narrator. Other cast include Fabian, Cindy Carol, John Williams, Jesse White, Jack Kruschen, and James Brolin in an early bit part. Brigitte Bardot appears at the end.
expand all
