Lee-65 Reviews

Tickle Me (1965)

Some of the best music of any Elvis picture..

[7/10 · 8 April 2019]

This is the film that saved Allied Artists from bankruptcy. It is entertaining, because of Elvis' performance and comedic flair, and the shattering beauty of Jocelyn Lane, one of Elvis' sexiest co-stars. Also good to see Merry Anders in her real hair color. She does a fun comedic turn as well, as a gastronomically deprived guest at the ranch. Jack Mullaney, a vastly underrated comedian, does reasonably well in this film with what he has to work with. The soundtrack contains some of Elvis' best recordings, although I wish Norman Taurog had not applied orchestral sweetening, as the tracks are perfect on their own, recorded by the best musicians in Nashville, along with the irreplaceable Jordanaires and soprano Millie Kirkham. It's a fun programmer and, not a bad way to spend a couple of hours (although the haunted hotel part is a bit silly). It also is a feast for the eyes, because it contains some of the most beautiful starlets present in the SAG directory at that time.

The Wild Geese (1978)

Superb performances + story equal a great film

[10/10 · 18 November 2004]

This is one of the best films of the 1970s - wonderfully executed, written, and played. It keeps you on the edge of your seat from the first reel on! Today's PC types will take issue with some of the characterizations of misfit guns-for-hire who, in real life, populated (and fought and died in) places like Katanga, Kolwezi and Stanleyville, but still it molds action, suspense, plot twists and heart-clutching scenes into a great action-adventure film - A lovingly prepared valentine to the British fighting spirit transported to perpetually strife-torn 1970s Africa. The film's producer, Euan Lloyd has said that the collapse of Allied Artists prevented "The Wild Geese" from enjoying greater distribution and success in the US, which is very sad. I anxiously await a Region 1 DVD version (I hope the 4-track stereo mix still exists)- Hopefully someone will have the good sense to release it soon.

The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)

Cartoon and cardboard.

[17 May 2003]

Someone needs to inform the makers of this film that they needed to do more research. Folks who were around in 1958 know that fashions for men and women did not resemble those of the WWII era. Also, cardboard characters who spout clichés and gesticulate like Looney Tunes do not make for great film entertainment. The defense of the makers of this film might be that "this isn't a documentary". Quite right. But it helps not to insult the intelligence of your audience with myriad anachronisms and lousy acting. Tim Robbins makes a pretty poor imitation of Jimmy Stewart or Gary Cooper. He comes off like no-talent 'actor' Keefe Brasselle in the title role of the B biopic "The Eddie Cantor Story". Jason-Leigh tries to imitate Katherine Hepburn and comes across like Marjorie Main imitating Tallulah Bankhead. How Paul Newman got here we'll never know. But his talent is wasted in this epic. Leave the Capra classics to Frank Capra. Capra had talent. This film is a travesty.

Once Before I Die (1966)

Unfortunate by 1965 standards, and 2002 standards, too.

[1/10 · 14 January 2002]

This film, in spite of a few capable performers, like Ron Ely and Richard Jaeckel, for example, deserved to be left in the jungles of the Philippines from whence it came. Ursula Andress (once dubbed by the press as "Ursula Undress") is nice to look at, but in this film she hasn't much to do except show off her well-nourished superstructure through anachronistic wet clothing - The screenplay certainly doesn't show off her acting ability. John Derek treats her contributions to this picture like one of those front-page, soft-focus pictorials in "Playboy" that Andress (and, subsequent subject Linda Evans) did so often throughout the 1960s and 70s. For better material featuring Ursula Andress, see "Dr. No" (1962) and "Casino Royale" (1967). What a waste of time for anyone looking for serious drama about the post-Pearl Harbor Philippine invasion of 1941-42.

The Front Page (1931)

Superior to Lemmon-Matthau version and "His Girl Friday"

[10/10 · 11 December 2001]

This picture, of astronomical quality compared to other films of its era, represents, by and large, a photographic, if sanitized, record of the Hecht-MacArthur classic Broadway hit depicting yellow journalism, the "Red Anarchist Scare", and political corruption in 1928 Chicago. Being intimately familiar with the original stage production, this picture represents the play more faithfully than any subsequent remake (except for the rampant profanity in the original stage work); "His Girl Friday" being an inverted rework of the original, and the 1974 version merely a caricature of the original concept - with superfluous "madcap" elements added. Let's hope an intact negative can soon be found and restored - The viewing public and the memory of the artists and makers of this film deserve as much.

The Harmonists (1997)

A wonderful story, told in a wonderful way

[22 April 2000]

The story of the group "Comedian Harmonists" must take its place among the best films of the 1990's, no matter from what country. The story is told in a loving and respectful way and generates genuine interest in the characters and their music- the true brotherhood of men who love to sing. I'm sure the filmmakers forgot that until 1948 the U.S. military was segregated - and also about the American flag having only 48 stars. But, who cares? Some things from the 1930s no longer exist (especially the USS Saratoga - lost in the Bikini A-bomb tests of 1946) and are impossible to recreate; but this does not detract from the period realism of the film or the wondrous performances of the entire cast. A true 10 out of 10!

Raid on Entebbe (1976)

High production values score a direct hit

[29 December 1999]

Compared to its other US competitor, "Victory at Entebbe"(1976) this film displays higher production values and more attention to detail than "Victory" does. For instance, the Air France uniforms are much more realistic in this picture, whereas in the other production the costume designers resorted to just using U.S. Navy and Coast Guard shoulder boards. Also Idi Amin (Yaphet Kotto) gets a much better costume, much more realistic than the ridiculous getup Julius Harris had to wear in "Victory at Entebbe".I think the secret is that in doing this picture, and the definitive Israeli Golan-Globus work, "Operation Thunderbolt"(Mivtza Yonatan)(1977); the film makers were given much more time to prepare their production than ABC gave David L. Wolper in doing "Victory at Entebbe", which was shot on videotape like a soap opera, later transferred to film. It is an excellent lesson for film students that time spent on a project avails much. For this picture and "Thunderbolt" are much better films, even though in some respects "Victory at Entebbe" had more "big names" than "Raid" or "Thunderbolt". It seems all to be in the execution.

Paths of Glory (1957)

One of the true greats

[10/10 · 21 July 1999]

This is, bar none, one of the greatest films ever made in the English language, or any other, for that matter. The true insanity and stupidity of misguided authority is presented here in no-nonsense terms. Also some of the greatest battle scenes ever applied to film are here, which even Winston Churchill affirmed were some of the "most realistic" he had ever witnessed. Top honors to all concerned, with fine acting jobs all around -- considering the budget of this film, which Kirk Douglas paid for mostly out of his own pocket. As one of the reviews at the time hailed it: TRULY A GREAT FILM!

The Manchurian Candidate (1962)

A great film, unmarred by certain flaws

[13 February 1999]

It was interesting to read BB-15's observations about the dialect maladies of the late Lawrence Harvey, because in the John Wayne film "The Alamo"(1960), Mr Harvey suffered much the same, in that in early parts of the picture he was speaking with a pseudo-Texas accent, while in the rest of the film he had his British one. But his acting skills do not suffer because of this malady. He remains as one of the best actors of English-language cinema. The film itself showcases Frank Sinatra's acting talent, as well as the versatility of Angela Lansbury as a truly hateable character. Justifiably, Sinatra chose to shelve this film after the JFK assassination, because, owing to the topicality of the film's subject matter, in those days (as, arguably, common sense would dictate) showing the picture would truly be in bad taste. But the film stands as one of the great films of the 20th century, even with the flaws previously complained about. (The film "Doctor Strangelove" made in the same period had a line change because of events surrounding the JFK assassination: When Slim Pickens, as Major Kong, was going through the contents of the aircraft survival kit, the original line was: "Shoot, a guy could have a great weekend in Dallas with all this stuff!"...the line was changed to "Vegas".)

Soldier of Orange (1977)

An exciting, true story

[10/10 · 15 January 1999]

This is the self-penned true story of the Dutch war hero Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema, and his college friends from Leiden who endured the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands and, who eventually, lived to see the Liberation. Some of his friends were not so lucky. The best version of this picture to see is the original version, in Dutch, German and English, with literally-translated subtitles. The dubbed-English version, particularly the one released in the U.S., is HORRIBLE! The most-commonly available subtitled version is one that has only the script of the dubbed version as subtitles, some of which don't make any sense. Beware this version! This is a great film, with stellar performances, most notably those of Rutger Hauer and Jeroen Krabbe'. Derek de Lint (Alex) is also magnificent as the Dutch youth of German descent who joins the SS-volunteers. The scene where Erik and Alex meet by chance at the Scheveningen dance-hall after Alex's return from the Russian front (the tango scene) is wonderfully done! The most touching part is set in May, 1945 at the moment of the Liberation. The part where Queen Wilhelmina steps onto Dutch soil after a five-year absence is an extremely emotional one. Don't miss this film, for it is the best one told about the Dutch view of the war, and will make you shout "Oranje Boven!" even if you aren't Dutch! Highly recommended!!

Reptilicus (1961)

Godzilla meets Soldaterkammerater

[28 December 1998]

Reptilicus is a run-of-the-mill monster pic, interesting if only for the change of scene to Denmark. Pity poor Carl Ottosen, famous in Scandinavia for the Soldaterkammerater series, whose English dialogue was dubbed by someone else to mask his very thick Danish accent. He is a fine comedic talent in his native language, but his talents were wasted in this film. There are some nice color scenes with shots of the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, and also some scenes of a Royal Danish Navy frigate doing its work. Not much else to recommend it, the special effects leave much to be desired. The positives I described would be more useful in a good travelogue or NATO training film. Just cut out all the dinosaur and slime stuff.

A Christmas Carol (1951)

The definitive Dickens classic

[28 December 1998]

A wonderful view of the oft-told Dickens story "A Christmas Carol" told in the best manner possible, and, as I have heard, under the watchful eye of one of the Dickens great-granddaughters. Alistair Sim is a joy to watch as old Ebenezer, without much of the histrionics of earlier and later versions. The only one to hold a candle to Sim's performance was the portrayal in the musical version by Albert Finney. Beware all other versions. This one is one of the few in recent memory to capture the feel of what London must have been like in the mid- Victorian era. And no phony Hollywood-esque British accents, either! Don't dare miss it! It'll put the Spirit of Christmas back in 'ya!