The next in the 60s Retrospective reviews, THE CARPETBAGGERS from 1964 (linked). It was based on Harold Robbins blockbuster novel, and considered highly salacious in its day and was the 4th biggest US film of 1964, and I’d put both Dallas and Dynasty as direct descendants. An interesting time capsule of Hollywood at its most sexist.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Alan Ladd, Bob Cummings, Carroll Baker, Edwrd Dnytryk, Elizabeth Ashley, George Peppard, Harold Robbins, Matha Hyer | Leave a Comment »
Review of the Netflix Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga. Some of my favourite films recently have been on Netflix. I’ve very carefully avoided any plot spoilers nor let any funny lines creep in. It’s highly entertaining … Will Ferrell, Rachel McAdams, Dan Stevens star. I’ve also explained Eurovision for readers outside Europe!
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Dan Stevens, David Dobkin, Melissanthi Mahut, Mikael Persbrandt, Pierce Brosnan, Rachel McAdams, Will Ferrell | Leave a Comment »
Review of The Dave Clark Five in Catch Us If You Can (1965) in the 60s Retrospective series. While the debt to A Hard Day’s Night is obvious, it was a successful film in its own right (retitled Having A Wild Weekend in the USA). Dave Clark chose the director (It was John Boorman’s first feature film) and screenwriter, Peter Nichols. Barbara Ferris co-starred. Black and white, and very unusually it’s a comedy chase drama, with a Dave Clark Five soundtrack, but no songs are performed, sung or mimed on film.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Barbara Ferris, Dave Clark, Dave Clark Five, Dennis West Payton, JohnBoorman, Lenny Davidson, Mike Smith, Peter Nichols, Robin Bailey, Yootha Joyce | 4 Comments »
My first play review since lockdown! Review of Terence Rattigan’s THE DEEP BLUE SEA at the National Theatre in 2016 (linked). This started live streaming on YouTube on 9th July, and is available now. It’s a detailed review which also continues and discusses live theatre v streamed recordings, and also the comparison with the Chichester 2019 production and the difference in the theatres. Definitely one to see.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Adetomiwa Edun, Carrie Cracknell, Helen McCrory, Hubert Burton, John Sullivan, Nick Fletcher, Terence Rattigan, Tom Burke, Yolanda Kettle | Leave a Comment »
Review in the 60s Retrospective series of WONDERFUL LIFE (1964). (follow the link) It’s the third Cliff Richard musical, and suffered from its release date, just days before ‘A Hard Day’s Night.’ It’s much maligned, though the “In The Movies” series of pastiches gets praised. I’ve put more pictures in than any other review, because there are two long pastiche / send ups of dance movies, and then movies worth illustrating. I had never seen it before. I was struck by the criticized ‘film within a film plot’ at the time, which makes it look most knowing in subverting movie conventions nowadays. It suffers from the music (a burden for a musical) but filming and cinematography are always good.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Brian Bennett, Bruce Welch, Cliff Richard, Gillian Lynne, Hank B. Marvin, John Rostill, Melvyn Hayes, Peter Myers, Richard O'Sullivan, Ronald Cass, Sidney J. Furie, Stanley Black, Susan Hampshire, The Shadows, Una Stubbs | Leave a Comment »
An article added to rants on lockdown, 100 Days Plus & Counting.The title should be self-evident. What we’ve been doing and not doing. The inertia of lockdown …
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The 60s Retrospective series stays with pop exploitation for the other huge non-Beatles one, Cliff Richard and The Shadows in SUMMER HOLIDAY (1963). Linked. Like The Young Ones it didn’t make a mark in the USA but dominated the coldest British winter on record in 1963. The burst of colour and sunshine throughout was a tonic. A significant snippet – the LP topped the British charts for fourteen weeks. It was replaced by Please Please Me. That marks a watershed point in British popular culture. So a look at pre-watershed pop.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Cliff Richard, David Kossoff, Lauri Peters, Melvyn Hayes, Ron Moody, The Shadows, Una Stubbs | 2 Comments »
The superb Bridge Theatre 2019 production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is on YouTube. Link to my original review from last year. Look for National Theatre Live. It’s definitely on for five more days. It’s great. You lose the action of stages going up and down all over the auditorium, but in compensation you get the facial close ups you don’t see in the theatre so well- and we saw it twice in the theatre. This is the end where they’re choosing who will do the entertainment for the nuptials. The Rude Mechanicals at the bottom. With Bottom.
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One of my most thorough 60s reviews, laden with pictures. THE YOUNG ONES from 1962, starring Cliff Richard & The Shadows. This film did nothing in the USA, but in the UK, the rivals in popularity on release would be A Hard Day’s Night and Help! (And the sequel, Summer Holiday). This film was massive. It has some discomfort in mixing genres … pastiche MGM musical with 60s pop exploitation. In spite of that we enjoyed revisiting it. It’s a great snapshot of the era … filmed in mid-1961, General Release was January 1962.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Carole Gray, Cliff Richard, Melvyn Hayes, Richard O'Sullivan, Robert Morley, The Shadows | Leave a Comment »
Review of the 1964 film THE CHALK GARDEN. Starring Hayley Mills, Deborah Kerr, Edith Evans, John Mills, Felix Aymler, Elizabeth Sellars. This was a film version of the popular stage play from 8 years earlier which was described as the last and best of the drawing room comedy-thriller genre. The film loses most of the comedy. The stage play has been revived and as well as an overview of the film, there is a comparison between stage play (at Chichester in 2018) and the film, and on acting styles in general.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Deborah Kerr, Edith Bagnold, Edith Evans, Elizabeth Sellars, Felix Aymler, Hayley Mills, John Mills, Rodney Neames | Leave a Comment »
