From 1967 part 1:
The Way West - Kirk Douglas leads a wagon train west to Oregon during the pioneer days in this somewhat unengaging western. It’s more a series of extended vignettes. Also stars Robert Mitchum, Richard Widmark and Sally Field in her big screen debut.
The Night of the Generals - One of the last pictures to be censored before the production code was abolished. The code was replaced by the MPAA voluntary rating system. This is a murder mystery set during WWII and although it becomes clear who the murderer is quite early in the movie it doesn’t spoil the rest of the picture.
Magical Mystery Tour - This is actually a TV movie. Similar in style to the Beatles two earlier outings this is another anarchic collection of scenes interspersed with some classic Beatle tunes....Which tbh is the only reason to see it.
King Kong Escapes - Kong goes up against Robo-Kong who is being controlled by the fiendish Dr. Who! Yep you read that right, although it isn't the real Timelord. More Toho monster mashups.
The Dirty Dozen - An all-star cast and a classic war time actioner that spawned an 80's franchise.
Easy Come Easy Go - Standard Presley vehicle the first of three he did that year....I'm not doing the other two!
To Sir With Love - The First of three pictures starring Sidney Poitier that year. Poitier plays a black American teacher in a north London school and has to contend with both racism and teenage rebellion. The picture isn't perfect but I actually enjoyed this.
In The Heat of the Night - From North London to Sparta Mississippi. Poitier plays Virgil Tibbs in what is arguably his most iconic role. Once again he has to face racism and prejudice whilst investigating the murder of a local business man. The Picture went on to win five Academy awards including Best Picture and Best Actor for Rod Steiger. Steigar also won a BAFTA for the role. Poitier would return to the role of Tibbs three years later in 'They Call Me Mister Tibbs!'
Guess Who's Coming To Dinner - Poitiers last picture this year and also Spencer Tracy's last film. You would think a film that dealt with both racism and interracial marriage would be full of histrionics but the tone of the movie couldn't be further from that. It has a comedy element to it, just watch Poitiers reaction when the black housemaid practically throws his cup and saucer across the table at him. Spencer Tracy, ill at the time of filming, died just short of three weeks after the film was released. He was given an Oscar nomination posthumously for Best Actor but lost out to Rod Steigar for the film above.
Son of Godzilla - When 'Godzilla' was released in 1954 the tone of the picture was of a monster wreaking havoc, death and destruction, but over the years this tone has become more comical and aimed at a younger audience. Godzilla is now almost the hero fighting other monsters who threaten to destroy various cities. In this one he tries to protect his newly hatched son from three gigantic praying mantises as well as a giant arachnid. All in all somewhat silly really....And the throwing rocks back and forth that seems to be the staple comedic moments in most of this pictures is getting old fast!
Casino Royale - James Bond returns....sort of! A 007 spoof where every spy is James Bond 007. Just what the hell was I thinking by adding this to my cinematic history list I don't know, bloody awful! It would be another 39 years before Bonds first literary debut would be filmed again for the big screen...and for the better!
Billion Dollar Brain - Harry Palmers third and final big screen adventure is very 'Bondian' in nature. The Ipcress File was espionage that wasn't glamorous, quirky camera angles and no gadgets! Now we get an opening credit sequence that you could replace Palmer for Bond,(deliberate spoof?) a villain with piles of money who wants to cause a war, a supercomputer and a leggy blonde. This is in no way as good as the first movie although it does pass the time.
You Only Live Twice - Connery's penultimate Bond, (if you don't count 'Never Say Never Again), and the first time we get to see Blofeld's face. Spectre makes an appearance in this the fifth Bond picture.
Tarzan and the Great River - Mike Henry's second outing as Tarzan saw him being bitten by the chimp causing him to receive twenty stitches as well as a serious infection and the chimp was destroyed as a result. By this time Sy Weintraub already had his Tarzan TV series in production with Ron Ely as the jungle lord. Henry, (who still had one more outing in 'Tarzan and the Jungle Boy' (1968), was meant to star in the series but pulled out due to the gruelling shoot that this and 'Jungle Boy' had.