From 1962: Part 2
Tarzan Goes to India - Jock Mahoney's second Tarzan picture was his first as the jungle lord, his first was Tarzan the Magnificent where he played the villian of piece. Taking over from Gordon Scott, Mahoney was the oldest actor to take on the role at 42, Weissmuller was only a year older when he retired. The picture isn't too bad and it has a reasonable story which most of the post Weissmuller ones dont have.
It's Trad Dad - The first Amicus Production, (directed by Richard Lester), is a teen orientated pop/jazz musical with such stars as Acker Bilk, Helen Shapiro, Del Shannon and... Arthur Mullard! In a town whose name is unmentioned the mayor decides to ban modern jazz music. A couple of teens decide to coerce a 'disc jockey' (David Jacobs, Pete Murray and Alan Freeman) into organising a Jazz Festival in the town...Cue lots of musical numbers by famous stars.
To Kill A Mockingbird - The word 'classic' tends to be bandied around for almost anything that has achieved either cult or iconic status, but here it really is justified. Another one of those movies that has earned the status with almost every frame filmed from cinematography to performances.
Lolita - Kubrick's controversial picture starring James Mason as the professor who is obssessed with an underage girl. My first time seeing this and when I put the timer up on the blu player to see how long it was I originally sighed "2h 34m"! You know what I quite enjoyed it! Not a fan of Peter Sellers tbh but like the rest of the cast he gave a great performance.
On The Beat - A Norman Wisdom slapstick comedy in which he plays a dual role, that of a wanna be copper and an Italian mobster. I laughed a few times but for me Wisdom reminds me too much of Lee Evans and I'm not a fan of his.
Mutiny on the Bounty - A remake of the 1935 Clark Gable, Charles Laughton Oscar winning picture, this time starring Marlon Brando and Trevor Howard. A great film with a equally great score from Bronislau Kaper.
The Manchurian Candidate - A great picture, my first time seeing this so didn't realise at first who the 'American Controller' was, the build up to the assassination was tense and really did surprise me as to its outcome.
The Longest Day - Darryl F. Zanuck's multi-starred WWII epic, although a good picture its more a series of vignettes with almost everyone from John Wayne to Kenneth More getting their five minutes.
How the West Was Won - Another multi-starred historical epic, a western, charting three generations of a family as they head west during the 1830's to the 1890's. The film utilises Fred Waller's short lived Cinerama technique which before the films restoration and arrival on blu really didn't work on the flat screen although it still has a few 'hhmmm!' moments, again another picture with a great score, this one from Alfred Newman.
That Touch of Mink - A Cary Grant and Doris Day romcom....As much as I like Cary Grant this isn't one of my favourites.
Going to take a break for awhile see you all in the new year, (if I don't pop in before Xmas have a good one).
