The Right Approach (1961)

Review by All Movie Guide
The Right Approach is a film that cries out for someone like Frank Sinatra to play the all-important lead (although Ol' Blue Eyes would have already been a might too old in 1961 to fit comfortably in the role). What it got instead was Frankie Vaughan, who was more at home in a recording studio than a soundstage. Vaughan is not a disaster, and he actually handles a few scenes quite nicely, but he's lacking the screen presence that is absolutely essential if the film is to work. Without that, Leo Mack is nothing more than an overly ambitious, annoying heel; Vaughan simply doesn't have the charm or appeal that would make sense of the story and of the fuss that is being created over the character. And he can't stand up to Juliet Prowse, who blows him away even when given very little with which to really work. Beyond Vaughan, there are other credibility problems with the screenplay, and Fay and Michael Kanin's dialogue just never really crackles the way it intends to. David Butler's direction is serviceable, but more is needed to bring the film to life. Like Prowse, Martha Hyer makes a strong impression, and the supporting men are solid, if unspectacular. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide