THE CARELESS YEARS (1957)

 Acclaimed director Arthur Hiller made his feature film debut with THE CARELESS YEARS. Not a bad little film, although at times it resembles one of those educational movies we Baby Boomer types had to sit through in the 1950's and 1960's. Movies with titles like: How Going Steady Can Ruin Your Life Before You Even Know What Hit You. Or, Making Out:: How It Leads To Lust, Sin, And Unending Social Degradation. And no, I'm not kidding. (OK, maybe a little.)

Jerry Vernon (Dean Stockwell) and Emily Meredith (Natalie Trundy) are two decent teenagers who meet at a party and start dating. In no time at all sexual attraction rears its ugly head and the kids are all over each other. Racked with guilt and confusion, Emily talks to her mother (Barbara Billingsley), who in turn talks to Emily's father (John Stevenson). Dad's solution to the problem is to move the family across the country in order to preserve his daughter's virginity and prevent her from ruining her life. Meanwhile, Jerry also talks to his parents (John Larch and Virginia Christine). His blue collar father has been saving money for Jerry's college education and urges his son to be sensible and not to ruin HIS life. But Jerry has decided he and Emily should get married, even though they are both seventeen and still in high school. Jerry withdraws the money his father had been saving for him and rents a cheap apartment for he and Emily to live in after they run off to Mexico for a quick wedding. After a dramatic confrontation between Jerry and his father, the two teens manage to come to their senses and call off the wedding, to their parent's relief.

Dean Stockwell and Natalie Trundy

Many teen-oriented films of the period dealt with the same issues, and there is a strong sense of deja vu here. But the film does have some strong points. Dean Stockwell, with his lean and hungry appearance, looks like he could have been James Dean's younger brother. He brings quite a bit of emotional and physical energy to his portrayal of a young guy suffering from hormonal overload. The adults in the cast are also very effective. John Larch as Mr. Vernon is a standout. His powerful, sensitive performance is a perfect match for Stockwell's. His sincere attempts to reason with his son, and the confrontation between the two after Jerry withdraws the college money, are the best moments in the film.

Dean Stockwell and John Larch

Natalie Trundy, however, is the film's biggest drawback. Sixteen years old, and making her first film appearance, Miss Trundy's poor acting is what makes the film seem at times like an educational documentary. She displays the same level of controlled emotion in practically all of her scenes, whether getting hot and heavy with the boyfriend or arguing with her parents. As a result, she seems to hover over the proceedings like a spiritual being who can't be soiled by intimate relations with imperfect humans. While everyone else around her is in turmoil, she walks through the movie with a detached, placid look on her face. Maybe that's how lust affects some people. 

Barbara Billingsley would join the cast of the TV classic LEAVE IT TO BEAVER in 1957. For the next six years she would play the mother of two sons for whom the subject of lust simply never came up.

MIKE'S DRIVE-IN: A 1960'S BEACH PARTY DOUBLE FEATURE

 

WILD ON THE BEACH (1965)

Despite the somewhat suggestive title, no one in this film gets the least bit wild, and hardly anybody actually sets foot on a beach. But don't let such minor details steer you away.

Top billed Frankie Randall (described on the trailer as "The Singing Sensation") and Sherry Jackson (known primarily as one of Danny Thomas' kids on TV's MAKE ROOM FOR DADDY) end up sharing the same beach house with several other college students of both genders. Conflict ensues. Not to mention drama. But not so much to prevent the kids from hanging out together at the local coffee house, The Wheel. There they listen to the swinging sounds of The Astronauts, drummer Sandy Nelson, Jackie and Gayle and none other than Sonny and Cher, performing It's Gonna Rain. The latter duo look completely out of place in their hippie garb among the well dressed, clean cut, middle class darlings who inhabit the universe of this strange little movie.

At some point, Frankie and Sherry manage to take a walk on the beach, both of them barefoot and holding hands as the waves caress the sand. This gives Frankie a chance to lip synch a song called The Gods of Love while Sherry gazes at him adoringly.

The rest of the movie is filled with slapstick comedy bits and the usual atrocious dancing endemic to all beach party flicks. Still, this was fun to watch. Shot in black and white. Directed by Maury Dexter, who also gave the world SURF PARTY (1964) and THE MINI-SKIRT MOB (1968). Thanks, Maury!!

FOR THOSE WHO THINK YOUNG (1964)

Nineteen sixty-four was the year I became a teenager. I can't remember what I was doing that summer, but I somehow managed to miss seeing this movie. Just a few years ago I picked up a copy from The Video Beat.com, one of my favorite online sites to acquire flicks from the days of my lost youth. But the one thought that came to mind after seeing this was: Were the 1960's really this boring?

Maybe it's foolish to expect too much from a movie that takes its title from a soft drink jingle. ("Now it's Pepsi...for those who think young," Remember? If you DO remember, then you are no longer young, and no amount of thinking that way is going to help you.) But this convoluted mess takes boredom to a whole new level. The director, Leslie H. Martinson, was mostly a director of television shows, which explains why this film seems like a half hour sitcom that has overstayed its welcome.

The film attempts to cash in on the beach party craze of the period. Stock footage of surfing is included. This footage contains some of the best moments the film has to offer. Naturally, there is plenty of singing and dancing out on the sand, all of which is every bit as bad as what is featured in all beach flicks. But what is really missing here is the sense of fun and the undeniable Frankie/Annette chemistry of the American-International movies. The stars of the film are James Darren and Pamela Tiffin. Both of them are attractive, talented actors. And Darren is a terrific singer. But they're let down by the story. 

James Darren and Pamela Tiffin

Speaking of the story: Rich kid and party animal Darren is out to get gorgeous Tiffin in a compromising position. Meanwhile, her two guardians, Paul Lynde and Woody Woodbury, are busy trying to make a success of their beach hangout, aptly called Surf's Up. Darren's grandfather wants to shut the place down. Most of the action takes place at the hangout. Surf's Up has a resident stripper played by Tina Louise. Miss Louise shows off some sexy moves, but never gets around to taking too many clothes off. Most of the entertainment at the club is provided by Woodbury's comedy routines. Woodbury was a successful comic and radio personality in real life, and his scenes in the film are quite enjoyable. Also featured are Bob Denver and a young actress named Ellen MaCrea, later to change her last name to Burstyn. Making their film debuts are Nancy Sinatra and Claudia Martin, daughter of Dean martin. Miss Sinatra was two years away from an extensive cosmetic and professional makeover that would lead to a successful singing career, beginning with the hit song, These Boots Are Made For Walkin'. Miss Martin was two years away from, well, obscurity, for the most part. Bob Denver was still channeling his iconic Maynard G. Krebs beatnik persona from THE DOBIE GILLIS SHOW. He and Tina Louise, soon to be shipwrecked for all eternity on GILLIGAN'S ISLAND, have no scenes together. Two fugitives from the AIP films, Susan Hart and Mike Nader, show up during the orgiastic dance segments.

The movie does have its moments, mostly because of the adult stars. Robert Middleton is his usual formidable self as Darren's grandfather, and the always delightful Anna Lee is Darren's mother. There are some fun cameos from three old time players from the 1930's and 40's: Jack LaRue, Robert Armstrong and Allen Jenkins. And there is a brief appearance by the ubiquitous Bess Flowers, possibly the most famous extra, and one of the most recognizable faces in cinematic history.

Best advice for those who think young: Grab an ice cold Pepsi-Cola, get comfortable, and let the 60's nostalgia wash over you. Just don't take any of this too seriously.

Nancy Sinatra and Bob Denver share a mystical moment in For Those Who Think Young

EAGLE EYE (2008)

 

The term "thrill ride" as a description for an action film is certainly overused. But it's the only term I can think of that aptly describes D.J. Caruso's EAGLE EYE. While the story begins in a reasonably calm, almost solemn manner, it very quickly shifts into a high gear of almost constant movement, complete with all the requisite amounts of noise, car chases and destruction that are necessary for such cinematic ventures. This movie could quite possibly induce motion sickness and/or physical and emotional exhaustion. But it won't leave you bored.

Shia LaBeouf stars as Jerry Shaw, a college dropout who has always lived in the shadow of his twin brother, Ethan, an Air Force officer who has just been killed. After Ethan's funeral, Jerry's life inexplicably goes into bizarro mode. He suddenly has $750,000 in his bank account, and someone has delivered enough explosive materials to his apartment to reconstruct 9-11. He is contacted on his mobile phone by a mysterious woman who informs him that the FBI is coming to arrest him and he needs to flee. Now. This is where the thrill ride kicks in. Jerry finds himself connected to single mother Rachel Holloman (Michelle Monaghan), who has been receiving telephone instructions from the same mysterious woman. Rachel has been told that her young son will be in danger if she doesn't comply. The two confused, reluctant partners find themselves caught up in an insane adventure they don't even begin to understand. They are being pursued by FBI agent Tom Morgan (Billy Bob Thornton) and Air Force OSI agent Zoe Perez (Rosario Dawson).

Giving away too many plot details will spoil the many surprises and twists and turns in the film. Let's just say it has to do with terrorism, secret government security measures and a runaway computer. It leads to a riveting climax that takes place in the U.S. Capitol, a rather uncomfortable plot point considering what happened in January of 2021. The climax reaches an almost Hitchcock-like crescendo by adding the appearance of a children's school band (one of the children being Holloman's son) to an intense life or death situation.

LaBeouf and Monaghan exhibit all of the necessary energy needed for their roles as normal citizens forced into an outrageous situation. And in their (very) few quiet moments, they interact well as two people who slowly learn to trust and care about each other. Rosario Dawson is a strong, commanding presence throughout. And Billy Bob is, well, Billy Bob. And that's good enough.

As someone who isn't a huge fan of action films, I have to admit this was an enjoyable experience. Noisy, but enjoyable. And despite the subject matter, the violence quotient wasn't nearly as high as might be expected.