Wild in the Country (1961)

Notes: 5/3/11

Elvis movies usually rely on great music or a seasoned cast to be watchable.

Lots of ladies! Hope Lange, Tuesday Weld, and Millie Perkins.

Elvis offers a good performance. He was a good actor, as well as singer.

Certainly a good showcase for Tuesday Weld. Hope Lange was very pretty.

The ladies and Elvis each get a curtain call at the end.

Review: C+

Elvis gets to show off his fine dramatic acting as a troubled man who must undergo counseling as a parole requirement. Hope Lange plays the counselor who encourages Elvis to explore his literary talents. Tuesday Weld and Millie Perkins are local girls who attract (and distract) his attention. The cast is memorable, but the movie is not, despite a saucy showcase for Weld and a surprisingly complicated role for Elvis.

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961)

Notes: 4/27/11

Seriously, a title song? Sung by Frankie Avalon.

Curious cast! Joan Fontaine and Walter Pidgeon with Barbara Eden and Frankie Avalon.

Irwin Allen directs. Eventually made Lost in Space and disaster films.

Fontaine reminds me a bit of Patricia Neal in this.

Peter Lorre shark-walking. Much amusement.

Pidgeon was a good actor without ever truly hamming it up.

Great supporting cast. Mostly silly antics.

Review: C+

Mostly silly Irwin Allen adventure tale in the tradition of Jules Verne's underwater adventures. Walter Pidgeon leads a submarine crew to prevent the Earth's radiation belt from exploding. A bit too far-fetched, but not without general good humor and escapist adventure. Appearances by a fine supporting cast, including Joan Fontaine and Peter Lorre, make the film sparkle well enough.

Yojimbo (1961)

Notes: 4/26/11

Artful, chic music lends itself to the culture and the era the film was made.

Opening credits. Following Sanjuro from below.

Great set design. The window shutters.

Awesome swordfights with severed limbs!

Widescreen framing is impressively cinematic.

The bad guy has a gun! Very creative for a samurai film.

Mifune has probably his best role here. “So long.”

Review: A-

Legendary Akira Kurosawa directs Toshiro Mifune as a samurai who comes upon a small town in the midst of a violent feud. Mifune plays Sanjuro, who takes it upon himself to end the feud by turning the two rival families against each other. Many colorful characters inhabit the town, but it is Unosuke, son of one of the rivals, who, along with his shiny revolver, creates the biggest challenge for Sanjuro. Artfully cinematic, powered by a chic fusion of Japanese-American music, and the tough, iconic presence of Mifune in the role he was born to play. Classic samurai and peerless filmmaking.

Francis of Assisi (1961)

Notes: 4/26/11

Finlay Currie plays the Pope. This guy was always an old man.

Dolores Hart plays a nun and became a nun in real life.

Lacks the dramatic power needed to maintain my interest.

Doesn't really offer much.

Review: C

Biopic of renowned Saint is mostly nice to look at, under steady direction from Michael Curtiz. Cast includes young Bradford Dillman in the title role and memorable appearances by Finlay Currie and Cecil Kellaway. Ultimately, the film lacks the dramatic power to be a definitive telling of the life of St. Francis.

The Comancheros (1961)

Notes: 4/13/11

Amusing opening duel. Stuart Whitman is fun.

Exciting music by Elmer Bernstein.

Last film of the great Michael Curtiz.

Not sure what to make of Ina Balin. Pretty, but boring.

Nehemiah Persoff is memorable. Great voice.

John Wayne sure had a warm presence.

Not really following the plot.

Film gets by on music, cinematography, and charming cast.

Review: B-

Exciting John Wayne western owes quite a bit to its Elmer Bernstein music score, as well as a charming cast. Stuart Whitman stands out alongside Wayne and Nehemiah Persoff proves to be a memorable villain. What is lacking in plot is made up for in technical achievements. A worthy swan song for legendary director Michael Curtiz.

Salvatore Giuliano (1961)

Notes: 4/7/11

The opening examination of Giuliano's body is memorable.

Hard to follow. It seems to jump back and forth in time.

I'm probably just an idiot, but I'm not sure what's going on.

The shrieking mother of the dead soldier is annoying!

The music is moody and strange.

Would probably be more enjoyable if I knew the history and understood the politics.

Review: C+

Italian docu-drama about the real-life murder of criminal Salvatore Giuliano and the specifics surrounding who killed him and why. Told mainly in flashbacks, the film requires the full attention of the viewer, as well as some grasp on the history and politics involved. Could have been more effective with a stronger narrative device and, perhaps, some narration.

Twist Around the Clock (1961)

Notes: 4/6/11

One of those snapshots of the world of rock & roll.

Not as amateurish or dumb as others of its kind.

Title song is catchy. Can't imagine the twist ever being popular.

The Wanderer and Runaround Sue are such good songs.

Dion is probably the film's highlight.

The film's plot is silly, but not entirely stupid.

Checker perform the songs and dances they originated.

Review: C

Yet another snapshot of Americana, this time depicting the rise in popularity of the dance craze 'the twist'. Not as amateurish or dumb as previous films of its kind. The opportunity to see Dion perform The Wanderer and Runaround Sue is reason enough to check this out. Chubby Checker also appears to perform his hit songs.

Fanny (1961)

Notes: 4/6/11

Charles Boyer, Leslie Caron, Maurice Chevalier, and Horst Buchholz light up the screen.

Love the actress who plays Fanny's mother (Georgette Anys).

Charles Boyer is great in the scene with Marius's letter.

Nice movie. Sweet story. Charming in parts.

If Boyer got an Oscar nomination, then Chevalier should have gotten one too.

Beautiful cinematography by Jack Cardiff.

Review: B

Charming love story set in France about a pair of star-crossed lovers and the years of complications that prevent them from spending their lives together. Leslie Caron is lovely as Fanny, a young girl who transfixes the hearts of everyone in town. Despite the title, the film is just as much about Fanny's childhood love, Marius, played by handsome Horst Buchholz. Marius's yearning for a seafaring life dashes all plans for marriage to Fanny, causing Fanny's mother and Marius's father (a delightful Charles Boyer) to take charge of the situation, with the help of a very rich, and much older, Maurice Chevalier. The ensemble works very well together and the cinematography by Jack Cardiff is truly marvelous to behold. The film runs a bit too long, but is certainly a fine example of how to portray chest-ripping romance onscreen.

El Cid (1961)

Notes: 4/5/11

Overture score is quite sweeping. Preparing for battle. Something grand.

Miklos Rosza does the music. Genius.

Memorable shots throughout. Carrying the cross, Raf Vallone riding through town.

Charlton Heston and Sophia Loren. Maximum starpower.

Feels and looks very Italian, or am I imagining things?

Awesome swordfight. Lasted almost 10 minutes!

Sophia Loren = gorgeous all the time.

Review: B

Sweeping epic powered by a grand Miklos Rosza score and some superb action sequences. Story wavers in the mid-section deflating the grandeur from this otherwise expertly-made production. Sophia Loren is given little to do but look gorgeous and she handles that beautifully. Charlton Heston is reliably macho as the film's noble hero. Anthony Mann successfully directs, despite the uncharacteristic genre, particularly in the film's best scene: a nearly ten-minute swordfight between Heston and Loren's father!

The Young Savages (1961)

Notes: 4/3/11

Flashy opening credits. Talented director John Frankenheimer.

Burt Lancaster and Shelley Winters make this movie a must-see.

Shelley Winters as Mary diPace. Love it!

Murder of young boy, shot very tastefully, is still shocking.

Heavy subject matter. Racism, death penalty, gangs, juvenile delinquency.

Dina Merrill is pretty, but her role is a bit limited.

Well-made but not entirely effective courtroom drama.

Review: C+

Courtroom drama starring Burt Lancaster as a district attorney prosecuting three teenaged delinquents charged with the murder of a young Latin boy. Shelley Winters does well as the mother of one of the boys on trial. Film touches on heavy subject matter, like racism, death penalty, gangs, and juvenile delinquency, but fails to draw any satisfying conclusions.

Mysterious Island (1961)

Notes: 4/3/11

Opening credits are very exciting. Bernard Herrman does the music!

First half hour is a slow blend of Civil War, seafaring, and a slight British feel.

Suddenly – giant crab monster!

Awfully talky. The effects really do stand out to some degree.

Interesting female characters. British femmes.

The giant bumblebee attack in the honeycomb. Exciting stuff.

Review: C+

Good Ray Harryhausen effects can't compensate for a slow-moving, rather talky production. Giant crab monsters and killer bees make up the highlights in this Jules Verne adventure tale about castaways on an island inhabited by very strange creatures. Herbert Lom shows up as Captain Nemo, but none of that plot thread proves all that interesting. Viewers will likely find themselves growing impatient when the special effects are not the focus.

Flower Drum Song (1961)

Notes: 4/2/11

Glossy Universal-International musical production.

Nancy Kwan is very pretty. 'I Enjoy Being a Girl' is quite memorable.

Juanita Hall is my favorite as Madame Liang.

Very bright and colorful. Good energy and not too corny.

Great sets and costumes. All Asian cast is certainly groundbreaking.

Not the best of the Rodgers and Hammerstein ouvre, in terms of songs and story, but it has memorable moments.

Review: B-

Vibrantly colorful musical production features lavish sets and costumes, OK songs, and a few memorable moments. Notable for its use of an all-Asian cast, this Rodgers and Hammerstein musical may not be their best, but it's certainly entertaining and groundbreaking. Good energy throughout with Nancy Kwan stealing much of the film from the rest of the ensemble.

Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)

Notes: 3/26/11

Audrey Hepburn is truly an iconic beauty in this role.

Everything Audrey does is graceful and legendary.

Martin Balsam – Fun! Great performance.
Love the people at her party. The woman in the mirror! The eyepatch!

Film has such a sleek, modern look to it.
Great screenplay. Great direction.

Moon River – such a perfectly jazzy score.

Wonderfully romantic ending. Man, woman, and cat.

Review: A-

The beauty and talent of Audrey Hepburn make this romantic comedy an irresistable treat. Memorable scenes spiced by a snappy screenplay, soaring music by Henry Mancini, including Oscar-winning 'Moon River', and great supporting performances are all part of the film's many assets. Seeing an iconic Audrey running around New York City looking chic and cute as can be is enough to intoxicate any film lover.

The Errand Boy (1961)

Notes: 3/26/11

Satirical expose of Hollywood set to Jerry Lewis slapstick.

Brian Donlevy had a colorful career. Good character actor.

Funny, quick, and not entirely stupid.

Renee Taylor!

Loses steam over time.

Sig Ruman has an amusing bit as a film director.

Jerry Lewis is quite a comedian, but not every routine works here.

Review: C+

Satirical expose of Hollywood set to Jerry Lewis slapstick. Fun runs out over time, but the film's enjoyment is owed mainly to the fine supporting cast of character actors like Brian Donlevy and Sig Ruman. Lewis is very talented, but not every routine works in this outing.

La Notte (1961)

Notes: 3/17/11

Very philosophical. Themes of life and death.

When you're alone you begin to appreciate things more. The important thing is to create something lasting.

Men are constantly chasing Moreau, but she keeps running away.

Mastroianni seems to come across girls he can't hold on to.

Monica Vitti steals the movie.

Review: A-

Quiet, reflective, simple study of a crumbling marriage seen through a series of events leading up to a long night of meditation. The lead characters are Mastroianni and Moreau, each bringing the right levels of masculinity and femininity to their roles. Man and wife each undergo numerous mental and emotional challenges while visiting a sick friend, carousing at a rich man's party, and meeting other people. The film maintains Antonioni's typically deliberate pacing, as well as his ability to forsake narrative for imagery, assuring that he is a cinematic artist. Monica Vitti is marvelous in a crucial supporting role.

101 Dalmatians (1961)

Notes: 3/16/11

Lengthy, colorful opening credits. Lots of spots.

Cute, cute, cute.

The women and their dogs. Fun similarities.

Cruella de Vil - villainous joy! Excellent entrance. Green toxic smoke.

Love the scene with the puppies watching the cliffhanger with the heroic dog.

Too much time spent with the farm animals and with Cruella's henchmen.

Exciting escape scene with the soot and footprints and Cruella prowling around.

Possibly one of the cutest Disney movies. Love those puppies!

Review: B+

Possibly one of the cutest Disney movies follows the adventures of a dalmatian couple and their offspring in 1960s England. The lives of the dalmatian puppies are soon threatened by Cruella de Vil, one of cinema's most memorable villains. Unique-looking animation and charming characters make this one of the most enjoyable of the later Disney classics.

The Colossus of Rhodes (1961)

Notes: 3/15/11

Sergio Leone certainly makes this film look like the epic it's trying to be.

So the movie is two hours of swords, bondage, and betrayal and then...Earthquake!!!

Wow, I just realized that Lea Massari was Anna in L'Avventura. I knew she looked familiar.

The sets are pretty cool, especially the The Colossus statue.

If the script and most of the plot had been removed, the movie would be so much better.

Review: C-

Early Sergio Leone epic has some impressive sets, particularly when they're being destroyed by an earthquake. Film offers little else in terms of real entertainment. Too much sword and sandal seriousness offers little more than wooden dramatic flourishes.

The Pleasure of His Company (1961)

Notes: 3/14/11

Pretty damn talented cast and director.

Wait... Fred Astaire and Debbie Reynolds play father and daughter? Strange.

Even stranger is the obvious sexual tension between these two.

Fluffy story is very well acted. Nice ensemble. Everyone does well.

Reynolds does a good job, but the film really belongs to Astaire and Lilli Palmer.

Review: B-

Nice ensemble rescues a slightly strange premise about Fred Astaire returning home for the wedding of estranged daughter Debbie Reynolds. Complications ensue when Astaire, charming even in his old age, sparks new feelings with his daughter while stirring up old ones with ex-wife Lilli Palmer. Well-acted by all, with fine support from Charles Ruggles and the adorable Tab Hunter.

Susan Slade (1961)

Notes: 3/7/11

Good music by Max Steiner

Theme from A Summer Place is featured.

Lots of similarities to A Summer Place. Delmer Daves, Dorothy McGuire, Troy Donahue, etc.

Favorite scene could be the father-daughter walk. Nice fatherly advice.

Soap opera story with glossy treatment and pretty good performances.

Baby is accidentally set on fire. Oh, the drama!

Review: B-

Soap opera story with glossy treatment and pretty good performances. Young Connie Stevens becomes pregnant and deals with the effects of love and loss while her mother passes the baby off as her own. Similarities to A Summer Place are hard to ignore when you have director Delmer Daves and stars Dorothy McGuire and Troy Donahue re-teaming. Still, this film holds its own as an entertaining melodrama.

Snow White and the Three Stooges (1961)

Notes: 3/4/11

Color and Widescreen for a Three Stooges movie? Wow.

Film is well-made, but lacking in acting and humor.

Feels a bit empty. Not a typical stooges movie, but that sort of makes it a waste of talent.

Lots of ice skating.

Review: C-

The Three Stooges have very little do, making this film an unfortunate waste of talent. The cast has limited acting experience and lacks humor and energy. What should have been a fun, silly re-telling of the fairy tale is merely an empty, if well-made, movie experience.