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.

STAY (2005)

 This film is an exercise in creative cinematography that happens to have an engrossing narrative attached to it. Director Mark Forster has combined David Benioff's story about life, death and alternate realities with the amazing camera work of Roberto Schaefer. The result is a film that unfolds as a kind of fever dream where clear answers and coherent reasoning don't matter as much as the feeling one gets while watching the imagery. 

Sam (Ewan McGregor) is a psychiatrist who is trying to help a new patient, Henry (Ryan Gosling), a young man who is planning to kill himself in a few days. Sam's girlfriend, Lila (Naomi Watts), herself a survivor of a suicide attempt, tries to help and support him. The encounters between Sam and Henry are increasingly bizarre and disturbing to Sam, as his life seems to be somehow intersecting with Henry's. Sam discovers that Henry is going to kill himself on the Brooklyn Bridge and he goes there to try and stop it from happening. 

The performances by the three leads are all very convincing. This was the first time I had seen Ryan Gosling in a film, and I found him to be quite impressive. His rather understated portrayal is a perfect contrast to the more physical style of McGregor, who is called upon to portray a man who is desperately searching for answers as his life spins out of control. Naomi Watts is always excellent in everything she does and is seen to good advantage here. Bob Hoskins and Janeane Garofalo are good in their supporting roles.

But the real stars here are Mr. Schaefer and his camera. It was the imagery of STAY, more than any other factor, that held my interest from start to finish. 

CRAZY HEART (2009)

 

For a film that is riddled with cinematic cliches, CRAZY HEART is nevertheless a thoroughly enjoyable watch. One reason for that is Jeff Bridges, an actor so talented and so likable that it's always a pleasure to watch him do anything. His sensitive portrayal of Otis "Bad" Blake, a once successful country singer who is in the midst of a professional and personal decline, is believable and heartbreaking. Although the Blake character is one we've all seen before, Bridges wisely underplays the role and makes it seem totally original. The other reason for enjoying the film is the music. The soundtrack is filled with good, solid country music, some of it performed by Bridges and his co-stars Colin Farrell and Robert Duvall. Farrell plays Tommy Sweet, who was once Blake's singing partner and still considers the older man to be his mentor. Duvall plays an old friend of Blake's who helps him to get sober and turn his life around. 

Duvall, of course, is famous for his portrayal of another alcoholic country singer who tries to turn his life around: Mac Sledge in TENDER MERCIES (1983), a classic film that is completely devoid of cliches. Duvall is also one of the producers of CRAZY HEART, along with first time director Scott Cooper and singer/songwriter T Bone Burnett, who composed some of the music for the film.

Much of the film rings true in spite of the deja vu factor. What doesn't ring true is the romance between the 57 year-old Blake and the much younger divorced mom, Jean Craddock, played by Maggie Gyllenhaal. The actress does her best with what the script gives her. But it makes little sense that a young woman who has been burned once by a bad marriage would drift into a relationship with an alcoholic who is old enough to be her father and allow him to become an influence on her four year-old son. Is it just celebrity worship? The attraction-to-bad-boys syndrome? Or is Jean every bit as self-destructive as Blake, albeit in a different way? The movie doesn't tell us. And, honestly, who cares?

So, in keeping with the genre of fallen musicians climbing their way back to redemption, Blake hits rock bottom, sobers up and gets a new lease on life. And we have the happy ending we needed, if not exactly the one we were hoping for. The most interesting thing about the film is what they decided to cut out, as we can see in the extra features included on the Blu-ray. There is a long sequence where Blake goes to meet the 28 year-old son he hasn't seen or spoken to in 24 years. The son is played by Brian Gleason. The encounter between the two men is performed brilliantly and is filled with tension and emotional energy. Not a cliche in sight. Another deleted scene shows Blake relapsing from his sobriety, picking up a woman in a bar, and ending up stranded in the middle of nowhere. Also expertly played and believable. I think they should have left these scenes in and cut out some of the exchanges between Blake and Jean.

Jeff Bridges won an Oscar for his performance in the film. I suspect the award was given for his long career and commendable body of work as much as for this particular role. Whatever the case, the award was much deserved.

THE WILD ANGELS (1966)

 

Three years before he starred in the iconic EASY RIDER (1969) Peter Fonda first tried his luck on a motorcycle in this innovative exploitation flick that was produced and directed by Roger Corman for American-International Pictures. With this film, Fonda abandoned his clean cut screen image (1963's TAMMY AND THE DOCTOR) and made the big plunge into the Counterculture. 

The real-life motorcycle gang, The Hell's Angels, lend their name to the fictional gang in the film. Fonda plays the gang leader, who is stuck with the unlikely name Heavenly Blues. (??) Along with his girlfriend, Mike (Nancy Sinatra), his best friend, Loser (Bruce Dern), and his girl, Gaysh (Diane Ladd, Dern's wife at the time), and some of the real-life Angels, they ride, fight, party, make out, etc., all to a soundtrack of innocuous rock music, similar to the music heard in other "hip" movies of the period. 

The plot has the gang setting out to retrieve a bike that was stolen from Loser. A brawl ensues. The cops show up. The gang flees, but Loser gets left behind. He steals a police motorcycle and is shot in the back during a getaway chase. His injuries are serious and he undergoes surgery. The gang springs him from the hospital and he dies soon afterward. They take Loser's body to his home town in the California mountains. The funeral in a small church turns into a drunken, violent orgy. When the gang tries to bury Loser's body in the local cemetery, some townspeople confront them. A brawl ensues. The cops show up. Everyone flees, except for Heavenly Blues, who laments to Mike: "There's nowhere to go." 

This unsavory little photoplay was the beginning of a long string of similar biker flicks to follow, some of them released by AIP. Roger Corman may have considered this film to be a kind of sequel or homage to the 1953 Marlon Brando classic THE WILD ONE. Or maybe he didn't. In either case, the two films have little in common, other than the central theme of a motorcycle gang. There are some good moments in THE WILD ANGELS, most of them involving Bruce Dern's excellent performance in a relatively small role. But the overall feeling is one of cheap sensationalism and an attempt to preach to the audience about the yearnings of young people caught up in the 60's culture. During the climactic funeral sequence, Heavenly Blues gets to passionately speak lines such as: "We want to ride our machines without getting hassled by The Man!" And: "We want to get loaded!!" Peter Fonda must have learned something valuable from this experience. In EASY RIDER, his character, Wyatt, is tight-lipped and doesn't say much of anything during the entire movie.

For American-International, THE WILD ANGELS marked the beginning of their next phase of film production. Having successfully made and marketed horror movies and beach party movies, they were ready to move into more adult content. In the next few years, the biker flicks would be released, along with other countercultural films such as THE TRIP, PSYCH OUT, and MARYJANE. Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello would step aside to make room for Jack Nicholson and Susan Strasberg.

Also featured in the cast are Buck Taylor, Gayle Hunnicutt, Joan Shawlee, Michael J. Pollard, Frank Maxwell, and a brief appearance by Corman regular Dick Miller, always a welcome presence in any movie.

LADY ON A TRAIN (1945)

 

A delightful combination of comedy, music and mystery, LADY ON A TRAIN was created primarily as a vehicle for Deanna Durbin, Universal Pictures' number one box office star from 1936 until her retirement in 1948. From her beginnings as a teenage operatic prodigy, Miss Durbin had matured into a beautiful and talented young woman in possession of more warmth and charisma than most female stars of her era. This is one of her best films. Directed by Charles David, who would later become Miss Durbin's husband, the film also stars David Bruce, Ralph Bellamy, Edward Everett Horton, Dan Duryea, Elizabeth Patterson, Patricia Morison, George Coulouris and Allen Jenkins. Based on an unpublished story by Leslie Charteris.

LADY ON A TRAIN is included in the book Film Noir: An Encyclopedic Reference To The American Style, edited by Alain Silver and Elizabeth Ward. It may be considered an odd choice for such a classification, given the overall lighthearted nature of the movie. However, there are many moments of Noir sensibility throughout the film, thanks in part to the striking cinematography of Woody Bredell, who shot the low budget classic PHANTOM LADY at Universal in 1944.

Nikki Collins (Durbin) is on a train pulling into Grand Central Station when she witnesses a man being murdered in a nearby office building. But she doesn't see the face of the killer. When she is unable to get the police to believe her, she enlists the help of mystery writer Wayne Morgan (Bruce). Nikki learns that the murder victim was a man named Waring, a shipping magnate. She goes to his mansion and meets his rather bizarre family, headed by crusty old Aunt Charlotte (Patterson). She also meets Waring's nephews, Jonathan (Bellamy) and Arnold (Duryea). The plot from there is a combination of mistaken identity, broad physical comedy, and three musical numbers performed by Miss Durbin, one of which is a stunning rendition of Cole Porter's Night and Day.

It shouldn't be surprising that the same studio that had produced so many marvelous, atmospheric horror films would be able to add convincingly dark sequences even into their best comedies. And that is the case with LADY ON A TRAIN, mainly at the beginning and toward the end of the film. The scene where Nikki looks out of her window and witnesses the murder, which occurs right after the opening credits, could easily have been the beginning of a serious Noir crime thriller. The fact that Nikki was reading a pulp crime novel, and her overstated reaction to the murder, add a comic veneer to the scene.

At the film's climax, however, when Nikki learns the identity of the murderer, the atmosphere turns exceedingly dark and serious. Trapped in the exact location of the murder, Nikki is confronted by both of the Waring brothers, played convincingly by Ralph Bellamy and Film Noir regular Dan Duryea. Which one is the killer? The revelation is expertly played out in the darkness of the deserted building. There is one memorable shot of Miss Durbin's face as a ghostly reflection in a glass door as she gazes in terror at the killer. And there is also a nice bit of psychological weirdness thrown in as the killer, addressing Nikki, alludes to a twisted, incestuous relationship between old Aunt Charlotte and himself that began in his childhood. Some pretty heavy stuff for a 1940's comedy with music!

A thoroughly engaging film on so many levels, LADY ON A TRAIN is highly recommended. And I dare you not to fall madly in love with Deanna Durbin!