Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story (TV Movie 1987) Poster

(1987 TV Movie)

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7/10
A fantastic lead performance doesn't help move this along at all.
mark.waltz27 August 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Years ago, someone wrote into the Sunday "Parade" magazine asking if Farrah Fawcett was considered a good actress. The droll response? "Farrah Fawcett is kind to her father". That was after her season on "Charlie's Angels" before she could prove what she was really capable of, taking on stronger roles mainly in TV movies where her name alone could bring in enough advertising revenue to get a decent time slot. Her reputation rose from those sardonic critical assessments, and thus was offered parts like this where she sinks her teeth into the role of Barbara Hutton with gusto.

Basically a saga of eacg of her unsuccessful marriages (7!) and general unhappiness at being a million (actually billion!) dollar baby, wanting love more than anything, and perhaps not capable of receiving it, and giving it with far too many demands. Or perhaps it was just a string of jerks (Cary Grant being the exception) wanting to control her and her fortune, jet setting around the world, yet trying to make the best use of her fortune in humanitarian ways while keeping the lifestyle she's become accustomed to.

Burl Ives as her maternal grandfather (a Woolworth) and Kevin McCarthy as her father (who according to Barbara drove her mother to her death) are the patriarchal figures in her life, and with socialite friends like Doris Duke (another poor little rich girl) and the Countess DeFrasso, brassy columnist Elsa Maxwell (a hysterical Miriam Margolyes) and cousin Marjorie Merriweather Post are the influential women in her life. Husbands from around the world indicate that even though she held the purse strings, this was a patriarchal world, and her money was only meant to pay for it.

Certainly mesmerizing to watch on the level of the beautiful places and fabulous clothes she wore, and even not judging her for the money others say she should have given more of, I found this frequently tedious and definitely overly long. But back then, we'd watch these multi part TV specials over a series of nights and not binge through.

I like the fact that Barbara is presented as basically a kind woman with ladylike characteristics, only on occasion showing a self centered controlling nature. For the most part as shown here, she was the victim of greedy men and unhappy as a result of her planned destiny. It gets better when showing the world around her, especially when confronted with great poverty and issues of her reputation from being one married to someone who ended up a Nazi. James Read seems closer to Clark Gable than Cary Grant, but he definitely gives her the most happiness and least drama of all the husbands.
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8/10
Should have had a better cast.
valstone5210 November 2023
I've watched this mini series twice, it's a shame that this woman had to buy so called love. That shows she had a low opinion of herself. True her father neglected her, but no way would I have given money to men, who just had a title and nothing else. The danish count was a sadist and over bearing. The prince was a loser period. The only one who really loved her was Cary grant I think. James Read was definitely not the Cary Grant type in looks or anything else. And his so called accent was hilarious. She was a self indulgent person, money wasted on material things, and men that weren't worth anything.
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6/10
The Rich Are Different
VintageSoul5618 September 2020
First of all, Farrah Fawcett did a great job portraying Barbara Hutton. She was an actress and I'm glad that after her time on "Charlie's Angels" she was able to show that she could do so much more in several TV movies and theatrical releases. The acting in general was very good. Although, James Reed, playing Cary Grant was a left field choice. I'm sure there had to have been an actor that looked more like Grant, with his mannerisms and voice. That's when I started becoming less interested in this mini series. After the Grant divorce, I became even less interested. The self indulgent lifestyle after the move to Tangier made me far less sympathetic than in the beginning of the movie. The ultra rich are different in their concept of the real world. Barbara Hutton could have been a philanthropist, but chose to continue on her self destructive lifestyle, coddled in her cocoon of money and being a socialite. I know that she poured money to husband's (except Grant), ex husband's, people who called themselves friends, people she didn't even know who would give her a little attention. However, she could have done so much more (it is mentioned by her lifelong governess that Barbara did donate & contribute to charities, government causes. However, in my research online, I did not find anything to substantiate this). What a waste of a life when you have so much and other have so little. I'm sure that many of the people that I see on IMDB, People magazine and countless other forms of media are the same way. Just clueless except in their own little stratosphere. Just famous for being famous.

In the end of this mini series, I found it so repetitive, another husband, another divorce, another bundle of money to make it go away.
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Absorbing bio-pic
sundar-25 May 2001
It is fashionable to look down on made-for-TV movies. But this one is one of the best examples of such flicks. Despite its length, I watched it fully, because the title character was an interesting person. Farrah Fawcett does a good job playing Barbara Hutton, the much-married Woolworth heiress. Cary Grant, who was, at one time, wedded to her is portrayed as a nice guy, who divorces her because of her partying. Hutton was also married to a sadistic Danish count who tries to steal her fortune. She even renounced her American citizenship in order to live with him. Another of her husbands was Count von Kramm, the Nazi-trained tennis player who failed to win at Wimbledon and suffered consequences in Germany. Hutton discovered that he was bisexual, so she divorced him. Barbara Hutton was an ardent socialite, so she neglected her only son. The movie has her telling him that she could not live with him in Arizona because she was not that kind of mother. Later, when someone calls him a "son of a bitch", he simply says "Exactly"! Probably, the most memorable dialogue in the film!

The film follows Hutton around the world. It is interesting to see the film's depiction of exotic countries in the middle part of the twentieth century.

(Reviewed by Sundar Narayan)
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10/10
I may be young, but this is FANTASTIC
nicky-b21 November 2004
My comment isn't so much about the quality of the film itself, Whilst Farrah played the role to a tee, The film if you watched with awe represents to you the value of our existence. All anyone ever really needs in life is validation and the love we find within ourselves and others to make our lives worthwhile. Barbra clearly missed out on a life of happiness, in fact she missed out on the role model's that in society, would shape you in to a person that sees value in your worth. I believe not having known Barbra that more than likely if given the validation of her worth her demise may not have been as it was, I sat in awe and appreciation whilst watching this flick, I remember seeing it on television years ago and it has been in my mind ever since, it impacted my life in many ways, I could relate to it on many levels. I am currently trying to track down a copy that is viewable here in Australia. I hope that for future viewers of this film that you try to find your own personal lesson from it. seeing Barbra's life helped me find the value in my own, its sad to think that maybe if she had have known her value in this world her life may have been fantastic instead of Tragic. Thankyou to Charles Jarrott,the Producer. Fantastic...
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What I got out of this movie of life of the rich and famous
justhanginin6 February 2008
I love this picture, The portrayal of the late great Barbara Hutton was exceptionally done by Farrah Fawcett, and the rest of the cast was also very professional and great. The amount of hardship and loneliness one has to face when they have all the money in the world and all the people in her life that was suppose to make it easier for her only made it that much more sad. I felt sad for this rich woman as she grows into one of the country's wealthiest woman and only to find she is alone in life, and in love. With a few rare exceptions of real happiness and love, she is more to be pitied than envied. She is rich only in monetary value, not in life, Barbara Hutton is defiantly the poorest little rich girl I've ever read about her seen. I felt for her throughout the entire movie and even cried at the end when she dies a lonely, broken, broke woman. I can only say that it was then and there that I learned that money does not buy happiness or friends. I wonder if this particular television movie will soon be released on DVD as I cannot locate it anywhere.
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A fascinating must watch and terrific cast too
phd_travel3 October 2011
This is one of the best biographical miniseries ever made. The fascinating life of Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton is told to perfection here. Very entertaining and well cast and acted. Really enjoyable from her sad childhood through the many marriages to her death. The screenplay is very good. It's told chronologically - no needless jumping around in time. It shows both the triumph and tragedy of her life but doesn't dwell too much on the sordid or unpleasant like some of the new biopics. It's much better than the Doris Duke TV movie with Lauren Bacall and Richard Chamberlain - that one was depressing. The locations are beautiful from South of France and Venice to Morocco. Farrah Fawcett did a superb job. She is beautiful here and shows a lot of range. The supporting cast are all very well cast - especially those who played her many husbands. Some of the outstanding supporting cast drawn from European and US actors include Carmen du Sautoy as her sister in law, James Reed as Cary Grant, Nicholas Clay as her first husband the list goes on. The actor who played Court Raventlow is good too. Bruce Davison as cousin Jimmy is a scene stealer. The score is very suited too. They don't make miniseries like this anymore.
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