A remarkable film where Natalie Wood gives her everything to the title part. This is definitely a story of frustration and that success cannot buy everything.

Ruth Gordon, her mother in the film, received a best supporting actress nomination. Shame is that after several excellent opening scenes, Gordon is not heard from again until the near end of the film. (She lost the coveted Oscar to Shelley Winters for "A Patch of Blue.")

Christopher Plummer is a standout as the hard driving, nasty producer Swan who uses Wood so as to make more money for the studio. He has no personal regard whatsoever. There are two scenes where his swagger is similar to his role of Captain Von Trapp in "The Sound of Music," which was made in the same year as this film.

The curious part here is played by Robert Redford. He is also a star who has a problem with drinking. He weds Wood only to leave her for homosexual pursuits. This comes from out of the blue and is delicately left alone. Was this a takeoff on Rock Hudson?

Katherine Bard is effective as Plummer's long-suffering wife.

Wood's voice steadily improves as the film progresses.

The most acidic book about Tinseltown is Kenneth Anger's Hollywood Babylon with stories that may not be entirely accurate.

Hollywood likes to make movies about its dark side. Inside Daisy Clover is based on a novel by Gavin Lambert.

From the production team behind To Kill a Mockingbird. Director Robert Mulligan takes a caustic bitter look at the 1930s studio system of Hollywood.

Daisy Clover is a 15 year old tomboy who lives in a seaside trailer with her eccentric mother Lucile (Ruth Gordon.) Movie studio head Raymond Swan (Christopher Plummer) thinks Daisy can be a star when she hears a song she sent in.

Daisy is groomed to stardom by Swan. However he and his wife control Daisy's life. Lucile is sent to a mental asylum and the publicity tells the world that her mother has died.

As Daisy becomes a teenage star after her first movie. She is romanced by movie idol Wade Lewis (Robert Redford) and they marry but he suddenly leaves her.

The pressure of work and Daisy's tumultuous personal life causes her to have a breakdown.

The movie never quiets gel and skips forward too quickly. Daisy's rise to stardom is very rapid. For a controlling monster. I did not buy that Swan would let Daisy miss her first movie premier. She is led astray by Wade.

As for Wade, it seems Redford played him straight. His sexuality is only revealed later by another character.

Although the movie was nominated for an Oscar for best art direction. It looked more like a 1960s film than one set in the 1930s. This might have been in part with the song and dance sequences.

Natalie Wood was 27 years old and does not pass for a teenager.

Plummer is suitably chilly as the studio head. He has the veneer of a considerate man but he cares only for the bottom line, money.

This was one of Redford's early movie roles and he looks like a star in the making. The film suffers when he is written out in the middle and it needed a more pivotal scene when Wade returns to see Daisy.

Inside Daisy Clover should had been a more twisted and satirical version of A Star is Born.

"Inside Daisy Clover" stars Natalie Wood and it's a film about a girl with a great voice who makes it big. Oddly, however, Miss Wood's singing was dubbed by another woman. Either the studio had no faith in her singing or her voice was weak...either way it seemed unusual to make such a casting choice. But it isn't unprecidented...Hollywood often dubbed its stars in musicals...and as recently as "My Fair Lady" which was made the year before "Inside Daisy Clover". But considering that the story is supposed to be about a teen (and Wood was a bit too old to convincingly carry this off),you do get the impression that the studio was really fixated on casting Wood regardless of her suitablity. By the way, I am NOT criticizing Wood...she was a wonderful actress...just not the best for this particular role.

The film begins in the 30s and Daisy (Wood) is a teen living with her extremely eccentric mother. It's hard to determine when watching the picture how mentally ill or capable Mrs. Clover (Ruth Gordon) was...but she certainly was NOT a normal lady. In fact, after Daisy's gift for music is discovered, the folks grooming her for success somehow have the embarrassing mother institutionalized...and young Daisy, though upset, goes along with this. What else must she sacrifice on the road to success?? See the film and find out for yourself...just know there will be a lot of sacrifices!

In many ways, this film is a lot like "A Star is Born" merged with a cynical movie about Tinseltown such as "The Bad and the Beautiful"....sort of a flip side of success picture. But it's also an odd amalgum of the 1930s...with a strong 1960s look to it. Kwindrum's review of the film and this odd style is spot on.

So is it any good? Yes...but nothing you should run out to see. Good but not as drenched in cynicism and despair as a few of the other anti-Hollywood pics. Much of it is because of the movie's odd style and lack of subtlety. As a result, it's good but just manages to miss the mark which might have made it great.