Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961).

Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961). Romantic comedy. Cast: Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard, Patricia Neal, Buddy Ebsen, Martin Balsam, and Mickey Rooney. The film was directed by Blake Edwards. It was loosely based on the novel of the same name by Truman Capote. Orangey as "Cat" (trained by Frank Inn). Hepburn's performance of "Moon River" helped composer Henry Mancini and lyricist Johnny Mercer win an Oscar for Best Song.

The story begins in the early morning hours, as a taxicab pulls up at Tiffany's and Holly Golightly, enjoys her "Breakfast at Tiffany's" while looking in the window. At her apartment building, Holly sneaks away from her date from the night before, who has been waiting in his car all night.

The next morning, Holly is awakened by her new neighbor Paul Varjak, ringing the door bell. After feeding her pet cat she calls "Cat", Holly visits with Paul, as she quickly dresses for her visit to Sing Sing prison. This is a weekly routine from which she earns $100 for a visit with mob boss, Sally Tomato.

Wealthy Emily Failenson, arrives at the apartment and is introduced as Paul's "decorator". Holly later drops by Paul's apartment to escape another date and sees Failenson leave money on a table.

Paul is invited to Holly's party, where he meets Jose da Silva Pereira, a rich Brazilian and Rusty Trawler, one of the richest American's under 50. Paul, also meets Holly's "agent" O. J. Berman who tells Paul that Holly is a "real phoney".

After becoming fast friends, Paul joins Holly when she visits Sally at Sing Sing. One afternoon, Paul hears Holly playing guitar and singing "Moon River" from her windowsill. This is when they first realize that they are attracted to each other. Unfortunately Holly, is a "free spirit" a independent, adventurous woman who lives for the moment. Will her love for Paul turn her life around?



These two actors performances are what make the film memorable. One of my favorite scenes is when, Holly and Paul agree to spend the day together, visiting the library and going to Tiffany's, where Paul has the ring from a box of Cracker Jacks engraved. Below is the movie trailer, Breakfast at Tiffany's .



Fun Facts:

In the novel, there is no mention of anything romantic going on between Holly Golightly and the character who is named Paul in the film (in the novel, he is nameless). The character of Paul's "decorator", Mrs Emily Eustace Failenson or Patricia Neal, does not feature in the book and was originated in the film.

In the novel, Mag Wildwood, a model with a stuttering problem, moves into Holly's apartment after Holly falls out with the novelist upstairs. In the film, Mag appears as a stuttering guest who arrives at Holly's party with Rusty Trawler.

The film changed the novella's unresolved, open ending to a more conventional "Hollywood" romantic happy ending.

Capote, who sold the film rights of his novella to Paramount Studios, wanted Marilyn Monroe to play the role of Holly Golightly in the film. Barry Paris references a quote by Capote: "Marilyn was always my first choice to play the girl, Holly Golightly." Screenwriter Axelrod was hired to "tailor the screenplay for Monroe." When Lee Strasberg advised Monroe that playing a prostitute would be bad for her image, she turned it down. When Hepburn was cast instead of Monroe, Capote remarked: "Paramount double-crossed me in every way and cast Audrey."

Kim Novak was asked to play the role of Holly Golightly, but she turned it down, for fear of being typecast as a scared sex kitten.

Originally producers Martin Jurow and Richard Shepherd had picked John Frankenheimer as the director, but Hepburn said: "I've never heard of him" and he was replaced on her request.

Most of the exteriors were filmed in New York City, except the fire escape scenes and the alley scene at the end in the rain where Holly puts Cat out of the cab and then Paul and Holly look for Cat. All of the interiors, except for portions of the scene inside Tiffany's, were filmed on the Paramount Studios lot in Hollywood.

It was rumored that the film's on-location opening sequence, in which Holly looks into a Tiffany's display window, was extremely difficult for director Blake Edwards to shoot. Crowd control, Hepburn's dislike of pastries, and an accident that nearly electrocuted a crew member are all said to have made filming the scene a challenge.

Audrey Hepburn said the scene where she throws Cat into the rainy street was the most distasteful thing she ever had to do on film.

George Peppard was a student of Method acting, a style Hepburn found difficult to work with. Nonetheless, the two actors remained close friends until her death.

Holly's couch is really an old-fashioned bathtub split in half. In some scenes, you can still see the gold handles at one end and the legs on the bottom.

Hepburn as Holly, carrying an over sized cigarette holder, is considered one of the most iconic images of 20th century American cinema.

Orangey, a red tabby cat, was owned and trained by animal trainer, Frank Inn. Orangey (credited under various names) performed in film and television in the 1950s and early 1960s and was the only cat to win two Patsy Awards (Picture Animal Top Star of the Year, an animal actor's version of an Oscar) - the first for the title role in Rhubarb (1951), a story about a cat who inherits a fortune, and the second for his performance in, Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961). Other appearances included a regular role as "Minerva" on the television series, Our Miss Brooks (1952-1958). The cat was also credited as "Jimmy" and "Rhubarb".

Filmography:

Rhubarb (1951) (uncredited) .... Rhubarb
This Island Earth (1955) (uncredited) .... Neutron
The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957) (uncredited) .... Cat
Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) (as Cat)
Gigot (1962) (uncredited)
The Comedy of Terrors (1964) (as Rhubarb the Cat) .... Cleopatra
Village of the Giants (1965) (uncredited) .... Giant Cat

Horror: The Nanny (1965).

The Nanny(1965). Suspense film directed by Seth Holt. Cast: Bette Davis as a devoted nanny caring for a ten-year-old boy recently discharged from a home for disturbed children. It is based on the novel of the same name by Evelyn Piper (a pseudonym for Merriam Modell), and the film was scored by Richard Rodney Bennett.

The viewer feels the tension right from the very beginning. Nanny has always taken care of Virgie Fane and is now the nanny for her two children. After two years, Joey is now coming home, after being placed in a home for disturbed children. Everyone believes that he was responsible in the drowning of his younger sister, although, he puts the blame on, nanny.. Both of his parents Virgie and Bill, are worried about Joey's behavior when returns home. Joey refuses to have anything to do with Nanny, but no one believes his story except, maybe the girl upstairs. The father, is called away on business and the mother ends up in the hospital after being food poisoned. Aunt Pen, comes to take care of Joey and she begins to believe Joey is telling the truth, when she sees Nanny, standing outside his bedroom door with a pillow. Joey, is so disrespectful that you believe that he is capable of murder and it makes you wonder, did he or didn't he?

Fun Facts:

The role of the Nanny was originally intended for Greer Garson who first accepted then declined, saying the script would not be good for her career.

The last film of Nora Gordon.

The Great Dramas: The Night of the Iguana (1964).

The Night of the Iguana (1964). Based on the 1961 play The Night of the Iguana by Tennessee Williams. Directed by John Huston.Cast: Richard Burton, Ava Gardner, and Deborah Kerr. It won the 1964 Academy Award for Best Costume Design, and was nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Art Direction and Best Cinematography. Actress Grayson Hall received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, and Cyril Delevanti received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

A defrocked Minister by the name Shannon, is now working as a tour guide for Blake Tours, his first job is to take a group of Baptist School teachers on a bus to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Charlotte's aunt, accuses Shannon of trying to seduce her niece and fires him. Panicked, Shannon drives the bus and ladies, to a Costa Verde Hotel in Mismaloya on the coast of Mexico, where he tries to prevent Fellowes from calling his boss. Shannon is surprised when he hears that his old friend Fred, died a month earlier, and the hotel is now run by Fred's widow, Maxine Faulk. Soon after, Hannah Jelkes, a painter from Nantucket who travels from place to place with her elderly poet grandfather show up. They have run out of money and Shannon convinces the not to happy Maxine, to let them stay.

While Shannon ties to battle his demons, Miss Fellows niece continues to make trouble for him.

Shannon suffers a breakdown, the cabana boys tie him in a hammock, Hannah calms him with poppy tea and understanding..





Another emotional  scene.


Night of the Iguana is deeply emotional film. The characters all have their troubles, but.. they are also thoughtful and courageous. Creating a film that is absolutely amazing. One that you will want to watch many times.

TO SIR, WITH LOVE (1967)

During my formative teenage years, I developed a fondness for the British cinema of the mid-to-late 1960s. These films spanned several genres: the serious spy film (The Deadly Affair); social satire (Nothing But the Best); quirky thriller (Bunny Lake Is Missing); and pop culture comedy (Georgy Girl). The only thing they shared was a healthy dose of cynicism and impeccable British casts. So, it seems ironic that one of my favorite films of this period is an upbeat, almost sentimental, tale starring a mainstream American actor.

In a role seemingly tailored for him, Sidney Poitier plays Mark Thackeray, a young engineer looking for a job. Unable to find one in his chosen profession, he accepts temporary employment as a teacher in an inner-city London school. It’s a bleak situation—the students are out of control, most of the teachers are burned out, and the school reflects the poverty of the surrounding neighborhood.

Thackeray’s initial attempts to reach his students fail miserably. He finally concludes that the teens act childish because they’re treated as children. He starts showing them respect and demands the same of them. He tosses out the curriculum and teaches his students about life. In the end, Thackeray becomes a teacher and his students become adults.

Cynics will no doubt criticize To Sir, With Love as simple-minded and obvious. Perhaps, it is, but the story is put across with such conviction and professionalism that it’s impossible to ignore its many charms. In particular, a subplot involving an attractive student (Judy Geeson) who develops a crush on Thackeray is handled impeccably. Its only flaw is that Poitier and Geeson have such a natural chemistry that one almost wishes a romance could work out between them (but then, To Sir, With Love would have been a very different film).

The film’s theme, sung by Lulu (who plays one of the students), became a huge hit. Director Clavell must have recognized the song’s potential—it’s heard multiple times through the picture. In one scene, it’s played over a montage of Thackeray taking his students to a museum. The scene looks very much like the world’s first music video.

Sidney Poitier is one of my favorite actors of the 1960s, with memorable performances in films like A Patch of Blue, Lilies in the Field, and In the Heat of the Night. Judy Geeson went on to play a major role in the vastly entertaining British miniseries Poldark and Poldark II. When my wife and I were in London in 1987, we saw Lulu in a production of the stage musical Peter Pan. She played Peter and she still sounded great.

* Sorry for the re post. Something went screwy when I deleted a video that was no longer available. I' am glad that I did not loose the article to cyber land. *

Thrillers and Chillers - REPULSION (1965)

Catherine Deneuve stars as Carol Ledoux, a Belgian manicurist living with her sister, Helen (Yvonne Furneaux), in a London flat. Simultaneously attracted and repulsed by sex, Carol is a virgin who finds her sister's relationship with a married man, Michael (Ian Hendry), extremely disturbing. When her sister and Michael go on holiday, Carol begins to disintegrate mentally, hallucinating bizarre encounters, being forced into taking a sabbatical from her job and ultimately committing a pair of murders in her deranged state. Very creepy and disturbing film. Catherine Deneuve gives a terrific performance.

Thrillers and Chillers - THE INNOCENTS (1961)

Deborah Kerr, gave a perfect performance as a spinster governess who must fight for the souls of two orphan children. A classic thriller from 1961 that uses beautiful black and white cinematography. One of the best ghost films of all time.



FACTS TRIVIA:

To create such sharp visuals, director of photography Freddie Francis used lots of huge bright lamps.

Deborah Kerr sometimes had to resort to wearing sunglasses between takes.

Deborah Kerr always regarded this as her finest performance.

When the governess first arrives at the house, it's a bright, sunny day. In fact, Freddie Francis had had some of the trees painted lighter to exaggerate this.

At one point when Deborah Kerr's character wanders around the house at night with only a candelabra for illumination, you might think you see something in the corner of your eye. You do. It's the clapperboard which had briefly wandered into shot. Jack Clayton decided to keep it in because he liked the idea of something almost subliminal being present to add to the air of unease.

The film opens with a creepy song written by Paul Dehn and Georges Auric sung over a black screen for about 45 seconds before the 20th Century Fox logo appears. In some cinemas, the projectionists assumed this was a mistake on the print and edited the film so it began with the appearance of the Fox logo.

BUtterfield 8 (1960)

BUtterfield 8(1960) film directed by Daniel Mann. Cast: Elizabeth Taylor and Laurence Harvey. Taylor won an Academy Award for her performance.



The film begins when sophisticated call girl Gloria, wakes up in Weston Liggett's apartment. She is heartbroken when she finds the $250 dollars he left for her. Gloria, whose dress is torn, takes Wes's wife Emily's mink coat to cover up and writes "No Sale" in lipstick on the mirror, but tells her telephone exchange, Butterfield 8, to put Wes calls through when he calls.

Later, Gloria visits her old friend, pianist Steve Carpenter, in his apartment, he tells Gloria to stop wasting her life on one-night stands. Will she be able to change her life around before it is to late?

Elizabeth Taylor, is one of the last great actors that came out of old Hollywood. No one will ever have a career like Elizabeth Taylor. We may never see an actor like her again.

Eddie Fisher, was a talented singer and entertainer, who was one of the world's most famous and singers in the 1950s, selling millions of records and having his own TV show. He performed in his first movie, Bundle of Joy(1956), with his first wife, Debbie Reynolds. His second film, Butterfield 8(1960), with Elizabeth Taylor, whom he married soon after.

The Nutty Professor(1963)

The Nutty Professor(1963). Science fiction comedy film produced, directed, co-written with Bill Richmond and Jerry Lewis. The score was composed by Walter Scharf.

Professor Julius Kelp (Jerry Lewis), is a nerdy, introverted, accident prone, university professor who always seems to find himself in trouble with the university by continually destroying the classroom lab. When a football-player bullies Kelp he decides to join a gym, with no results. He then invents a potion that turns him into the handsome, smooth, obnoxious, Buddy Love.

As Buddy Love, he now as the confidence to date one of his students, Stella Purdy (Stella Stevens). Who finds herself strangely attracted to him. Buddy impresses the crowd with his jazzy personality at the Purple Pit, a nightclub where everyone hangs out. He also teaches the bartender, how to mix the cocktail, The "Alaskan Polar Bear Heater". Which is two shots of vodka, a little rum, some bitters, a smidgen of vinegar, a shot of vermouth, a shot of gin, a shot of scotch, a little brandy, a lemon peel, orange peel, cherry, some more scotch. At one point the bartender says "You going to drink this here, or are you going to take it home and rub it on your chest?

Love says "mix it nice" and pour it into a tall glass. The bartender asks if he can take a sip, when he does he freezes like a statue. While the drink started as fictional, it now listed among real drinks.

Later that night, Buddy performs at the student dance, and while on stage, the formula starts to wear off. Will this Jekyll and Hyde's real identity be revealed?

I thought Jerry Lewis must be a very talented actor to be able to manage two very distinct characters with two distinct personalities.

Fun Facts:

Film debut of Henry Gibson.

Buddy Love is often thought to be Lewis' former show business partner Dean Martin. Film Critic Danny Peary wrote in his book Cult Movies that the character of Love is actually the real counterpart of Jerry Lewis. Les Brown and his Band play themselves in the senior prom scenes. Stella Steven's costumes (and the rest of the casts costumes as well) were designed by Edith Head.

The Nutty Professor was filmed mostly on the campus of Arizona State University (Tempe, AZ) in 1962 with the prom portion filmed in the newly completed Gammage Auditorium Hall (designed by Frank Lloyd Wright).
Stella Stevens was first under contract to 20th Century Fox. Then after performing in the role for the musical, Li'l Abner (1959), she signed a contract with Paramount Pictures (1959-1963) and later Columbia Pictures (1964-1968). She shared the 1960 Golden Globe Award for "Most Promising Newcomer - Female", with Tuesday Weld, Angie Dickinson and Janet Munro for the film, Say One For Me.

In 1962, Stevens performed with Elvis Presley in the movie, Girls! Girls! Girls!. Later that year, she played Jerry Lewis's love interest in The Nutty Professor. This was followed by other comedy, The Courtship of Eddie's Father and opposite Dean Martin in the "Matt Helm", The Silencers.
Plus How to Save a Marriage and Ruin Your Life.

Stevens was featured in the western, The Ballad of Cable Hogue(1970). She also performed in the film, The Poseidon Adventure(1972), as the wife of Ernest Borgnine's character.

Stevens was a regular on the 1981-1982 prime time soap opera Flamingo Road. She teamed with Sandy Dennis in a touring production of an all-female version of Neil Simon's The Odd Couple, playing the Oscar Madison character. She had a contract role on NBC's daytime drama Santa Barbara as Phyllis Blake from 1989 to 1990.

Stevens produced and directed two films, The Ranch (1989) and The American Heroine (1979).

Blue Hawaii (1961).

Another one of my favorite beach movies is the film, Blue Hawaii (1961) a musical filmed in Hawaii. Cast: Elvis Presley. After two years in the Army, Chad Gates returns home to Hawaii, happy to be back with his surfboard and beach buddies.

He rebels against his wealthy and domineering parents by not going to work for the family pineapple business. Chad decides to go to work as a guide for the same tourist agency where Maile, his Hawaiian girl friend works. His first job is to show school teacher Abigail Prentace and four teen aged girls around the Hawaiian Island..


At a luau, Chad gets into a fight with a drunken tourist who is making inappropriate moves on one of the teenage girls. He is arrested and thrown in jail. Chad's mother blames the fight on Maile's bad influence. Maile is worried about Abigail's interest in Chad.

FUN FACTS:
The closing scene, was shot at the Coco Palms Resort on Kauai, where Elvis was staying when filming the movie. Cameo: (Hal B. Wallis) walking down the street.

The soundtrack for this movie is Elvis' most successful chart album, but it is also the number one album for (1961). "Blue Hawaii" spent 20 weeks at the #1 spot of the Billboard Top LP's chart in 1961-1962 (a record to be broken in (1977) by Fleetwood Macs "Rumors" album), which stayed on the charts for 79 weeks.

About seven minutes before the end of the film. Maile is peeking through the blinds, you will see a couple paddling a canoe. The blond woman seated up front, is singer Patti Page. Patti was then married to Charles O'Curran, a choreographer for many films produced by Hal B. Wallis, including "Blue Hawaii."

What I liked most about this fun film was the location and Angela Lansbury's performance as Elvis's crazy Southern Belle mama.

Summer Beach Movie - Don't Make Waves (1967)

This is one of those movies not too many people may know about. I saw it the other night on TCM and liked it. It's not the usual 60's style sex beach comedy with tons of laughs or really much deep thought. Actually it's kinda weird in certain scenes but it held my interest the entire time. Tony Curtis plays New Yorker Carlo Cofield, newly arrived in Southern California, who while stopping at the local beach, has one hell of a day. He runs into quirky artist Laura (played by Claudia Cardinale) who manages to send Carlo's car running downhill off the side of the road, crashing and burning. He loses all his belongings and once Laura finds out it was her fault, does the only sensible thing...she takes him home with her. Of course Laura has a sugar daddy...a married executive named Rod Prescott (played by Robert Webber) who takes offense to Carlo being there. Well Rod kicks Carlo out, who has to sleep on the beach overnight. The next day Carlo goes swimming in the beach and gets promptly knocked out by oncoming surfers. He is pulled from the water and given CPR by a lovely girl named Malibu, who also happens to be a sky diver...it could happen (love the name and she is played by Sharon Tate). Carlo immediately is smitten with her and puts in motion a plan to seduce her. All he is to do is avoid her boyfriend Harry, a hulk of a body-builder. In the meantime, Carlo finagles his way into Rod's office and secures a job through blackmail. If Rod doesn't agree, Carlo goes straight to his wife Diane (wonderfully played by Joanna Barnes). So Carlo is now in the business of selling pools, which is very lucrative in California. And has to deal with three beguiling women. Everyone ends up at Carlo's hillside house during a severe rainstorm and eventual mudslide. A lot happens in this movie doesn't it? Like I said it's not the greatest but it does have it's moments. And the cast is very easy on the eyes. Curtis is in tip top shape as he has several scenes sans his shirt. And he gets most of the best lines in this movie. He even has a scene with Tate jumping from a airplane doing a skydive. Well Carlo passes out because he looses his parachute and it's one of the funniest reactions you will ever see. The women all are stunning especially Cardinale. Tate looks great too, but her part is very under-demanding. Joanna Barnes delivers the best performance of the three as the much put upon wife who is smarter than everyone else in the movie except maybe for Curtis. So all in all Don't Make Waves is a diverting comedy that will pass the time quite quickly at 97 minutes. Two sidenotes, the musical score is by Vic Mizzy, who did the Green Acres TV show score. And Jim Backus shows up with his wife and they play themselves in a cool little scene as Carlo tries to sell them a pool. Backus even gets to do a Mr. Magoo impression. Like I said a lot of stuff happens in this movie.

Too Kill a Mocking Bird(1962).

To Kill a Mockingbird(1962). Drama film adaptation of Harper Lee's novel of the same name. Cast: Mary Badham and Gregory Peck.In 1995, the film was listed in the National Film Registry. It also ranks twenty-fifth on the American Film Institute's 10th anniversary list of the greatest American movies of all time, and #1 on AFI's list of best courtroom films. In 2003, AFI named Atticus Finch the greatest movie hero of the 20th century.This film marks the film debut of Robert Duvall, William Windom and Alice Ghostley.

The story is about Atticus Finch, a widowed small town lawyer and his two children who live a carefree life. They spend their time running the neighborhood, teasing eccentric Mrs. Dubose, and hanging out with their new little friend, who has BIG stories about Boo Radley, a mentally retarded neighbor whom they have never seen.

Soon there is big trouble for the town, Atticus agrees to defend Tom Robinson, who is accused of raping Mayella Ewell. The children find themselves defending their father against the taunts of their classmates. Even though Atticus proves Tom's innocence, the jury finds him guilty. In revenge against Atticus, Bob Ewell attacks the two children, but Boo Radley, who has secretly watched over the children comes to the rescue.

"To Kill a Mockingbird" has what I thought one of the most impressive child performances I have ever viewed. The scene in which Scout breaks up the lynch mob by identifying its individual members is a very powerful moment. One you may not soon forget.



Mary Badham, best known for her portrayal of Jean Louise 'Scout' Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. At the time, Badham (age 10) was the youngest actress ever nominated in this category. Mary Badham is the younger sister of film director John Badham. Badham had no prior film acting experience before being cast in To Kill a Mockingbird. The Oscar in her category went to another child actress, Patty Duke for The Miracle Worker. During filming, Badham became close to Gregory Peck and remained friends with him. Badham is also known for her performance in, The Bewitchin' Pool, the final episode of the original Twilight Zone series. She also performed in the films, Let's Kill Uncle and This Property Is Condemned. She also made a cameo opposite Keith Carradine for his film, Our Very Own. At present Badham is an art restorer and a college testing coordinator. Married to a school teacher, and the mother of two, she travels around the world sharing her experiences in the making of the film, To Kill a Mocking Bird.