Two 14 year old girls, both new to an all girls school in New York City, form a friendship and begin to engage in adventurous mischievous behavior throughout the city. One day in Central Park, they happen up hack concert pianist Henry Orient with a woman in the park and they seemingly keep happening on him in ways that are very inconvenient to him. One of the girls develops a crush on him, and the two begin to follow him and keep a diary which raises concerns for one of the girl's often absent and controlling mother. "The World of Henry Orient" is a cute little comedy from director George Roy Hill from a book by Nora Johnson and a screenplay by Johnson and Nunnally Johnson. Chameleonlike actor Peter Sellers does a wonderful job and is exceedingly funny as the womanizing musician, but the real stars of the film are Merrie Spaeth and Tippy Walker and I was delighted at how well the film handled the two young actresses and how well the two handled themselves onscreen. Phyllis Thaxter and Bibi Osterwald contribute nicely as the considerate mother and friend of Spaeth's character, and Angela Lansbury and Tom Bosley are great as Walker's parents, Lansbury playing her usual icy bitch role and Bosley a warm father coming to terms with his marriage and neglect for his daughter. "The World of Henry Orient" is a good natured and funny film which tells a good story with young protagonists, a feat that isn't always easily accomplished.
