Favorites from the decade of transition, 1960-69

[Nathan Dodge]

Let's go for bizarre.

The first time I ever saw Reflections In a Golden Eye (1968) late one night in 1999, I thought it was the most bizarre film--considering the big name cast and director--I'd ever seen.

 

[Smithy]

For me it has to be:

"Battle of Britain"
"Zulu"
"The Party"
"The Guns of Navarone"
"The Birds"
"Goldfinger"

 

[carouselvic]

The Dirty Dozen
The Green Beret

 

[carouselvic]

Bob & Carrol & Ted & Alice
The Birds
True Grit
To kill a Mockingbird

 

[Naphtali]

The Fortune Cookie (1966) Walter Matthau, Jack Lemmon. A sharp, witty Billy Wilder comedy.

The Train (1965) Burt Lancaster, Paul Scofield, Jeanne Moreau. One of the best World War II dramas.

The Flim Flam Man (1967) George C. Scott, Harry Morgan, Michael Sarrazin, Sue Lyon. A bittersweet comedy about greed.

The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! (1966) Carl Reiner, Eva Marie Saint, Alan Arkin. "Pop, ask'em if they're Russians."

Blindfold (1966) Rock Hudson, Claudia Cardinale. Psychiatrist is asked to treat a disturbed nuclear scientist. Results: comedic chaos.

Lonely Are the Brave (1962) Kirk Douglas, Walter Matthau. A fascinating character study based on Edward Abbey's novel.

The Rounders (1965) Glenn Ford, Henry Fonda. A comedic look at the modern West of itinerant cowboys.

Experiment in Terror (1962) Glenn Ford, Lee Remick. One of the best police procedurals.

No Way to Treat a Lady (1968) George Segal, Rod Steiger, Lee Remick. Excellent comedy-thriller about a serial killer.

 

[Nathan Dodge]

A Couple More Starring Burt Lancaster...

The Young Savages (1961)
A Child Is Waiting (1963)

 

[Doctor Strange]

If you're going to talk great 60s flicks with Burt Lancaster, how about Elmer Gantry, Birdman of Alcatraz, and The Swimmer?

 

[DeeDub]

When discussing 1960s films, a movie that rarely gets a mention is Soldier In the Rain (1963). The seemingly odd pairing of Jackie Gleason and Steve McQueen works well and the screenplay by Blake Edwards and haunting theme by Henry Mancini makes this one of my favorite "interesting failures" of the 1960s.

Soldier in the Rain is easily one of my top 5 favorite films. I searched for years before I found both the book and the DVD. The movie ending is very different, but overall close to the book. I pull out the DVD from time to time to get my Gleason+McQueen fix.

And another Steve McQueen picture: It was more 40s than 60s, but I really enjoy his bad good guy opposite Robert Wagner's good good guy in The War Lover (1962)

I'll second the votes for Flim-Flam Man. I saw when it was playing in the local theater. I'd never heard of it until then, and I've never forgotten it since.

Finally, another of my top 5 is from the 1960-1969 period: Father Goose (1964). One of Cary Grant's last and one of his best. Loaded with quotable lines. (Well, they're mostly quotable if you know the movie.) "Coconut milk. Baby coconuts must love it."

 

[Nathan Dodge]

When discussing 1960s films, a movie that rarely gets a mention is Soldier In the Rain (1963). The seemingly odd pairing of Jackie Gleason and Steve McQueen works well and the screenplay by Blake Edwards and haunting theme by Henry Mancini makes this one of my favorite "interesting failures" of the 1960s.

I agree. I totally forgot about that movie. Haven't seen it in many years.

Soldier in the Rain is easily one of my top 5 favorite films. I searched for years before I found both the book and the DVD. The movie ending is very different, but overall close to the book. I pull out the DVD from time to time to get my Gleason+McQueen fix.

I'm pleased at the dedicated following Soldier In the Rain has. I was unaware of any DVD release, at least in the U.S. I haven't seen the film myself in about ten years, but I often think of it.

Sidebar: Is it just me, or does much of Henry Mancini's music sound depressing? It's celebrated as "Lounge" or kitsch, but I find so much of his work wonderfully melodic, yet haunting and sad. Soldier In the Rain is a good example of this.

 

[DeeDub]

Sidebar: Is it just me, or does much of Henry Mancini's music sound depressing? It's celebrated as "Lounge" or kitsch, but I find so much of his work wonderfully melodic, yet haunting and sad. Soldier In the Rain is a good example of this.

Mancini is often haunting, but not always sad. One of my favorite Mancini scores is from another of my favorite films, Silver Streak (1976). When I listen to the dreamy main theme on the soundtrack album, I can see a passenger train chooglin' across wide open spaces, and I want to get on board.

 

[Nathan Dodge]

If you're going to talk great 60s flicks with Burt Lancaster, how about Elmer Gantry, Birdman of Alcatraz, and The Swimmer?

THE SWIMMER is so powerful. I read the story before seeing the film and Lancaster was not only perfectly cast, he gave a brilliant performance. Beautiful Marvin Hamlisch score (his first), which I'm listening to right now.

Also on the Lancaster front, 1964's THE TRAIN is another overlooked movie.

Seems like Burt Lancaster's most interesting work was in the 1960s (and early seventies).

 

[jack miranda]

DeeDub: Steve McQueen's character in "The War Lover"

was named Buzz Rickson. Yes, I believe that is where the name of the Japanese obsessives' company came from.

Already mentioned, but high on my list as well:
"Zulu". I watch every time I feel depressed. It breathes steel into my spine again.
"Help"; "The Knack" (Oh, you remember); "Once Upon A Time in the West"; "The Producers"--IMO the funniest movie ever made. Dick Shawn as Hitler--"I lieb you, baby, I lieb you. Now lieb me alone."

And, "Z", absolutely scared the livin' bejeebers out of me. It fed right into our raging paranoia in the sixties--The Man is Everywhere, and He is out to get Us." Well, at least in Berkeley.

 

[Naphtali]

Until now, I had no idea of the exquisite taste of Loungers. A magnificent video library is being presented.

Has anyone mentioned "Love with the Proper Stranger" (1963) Natalie Wood, Steve McQueen?

Or "In the Heat of the Night" (1967) Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger?

 

[Nathan Dodge]

I'll throwin Splendor in the Grass (1961). Kazan's post-On the Waterfront work is frustratingly uneven, but still so interesting.

 

[carouselvic]

IN COLD BLOOD

 

[CopperNY]

Dr. No (1962).

Connery will always be 'my' Bond.

 

[HadleyH]

Many of the movies mentioned above, like "Splendor in the Grass", "Reflection in a Golden Eye" and " Blow-Out" which is one of my favorites movies of the 60s.
Also i like "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane", "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf" ,"Butterfly 8" ,"The Apartment" with Jack Lemmon ,love that one , "Ben-Hur", my favorite Charlton Heston movie ..... and of course all of the French New Wave films.... the sixties was an interesting decade, and for me the early 60s were the best!

 

[Naphtali]

Many of the movies mentioned above, like "Splendor in the Grass", "Reflection in a Golden Eye" and " Blow-Out" which is one of my favorites movies of the 60s.
Also i like "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane", "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf" ,"Butterfly 8" ,"The Apartment" with Jack Lemmon ,love that one , "Ben-Hur", my favorite Charlton Heston movie ..... and of course all of the French New Wave films.... the sixties was an interesting decade, and for me the early 60s were the best!

Thank you for mentioning Charlton Heston. My favorite motion picture of his, and I believe his best acting performance, is "Will Penny" (1968). His and Joan Hackett's understated performances rendered the film poignant rather than maudlin -- a beautiful, beautifully acted Western.

 

[Lincsong]

The Young Savages (1961)
A Child Is Waiting (1963)

I was going to say The Young Savages myself. I'm glad someone else also liked this film. It covers a topic that many don't want to admit or deny that it exists. A very very good film.

Hadley, The Apartment is another great choice.

I only recently saw A Flower Drum Song and I like it because it gets panned by others. It's probably the only musical I can actually stomach.

There were so many good films in this time period I can't really list them all.

 

[Nathan Dodge]

I'm pleased at the dedicated following Soldier In the Rain has. I was unaware of any DVD release, at least in the U.S. I haven't seen the film myself in about ten years, but I often think of it.

Sidebar: Is it just me, or does much of Henry Mancini's music sound depressing? It's celebrated as "Lounge" or kitsch, but I find so much of his work wonderfully melodic, yet haunting and sad. Soldier In the Rain is a good example of this.

The WB Archives site has a DV-R of Soldier in the Rain for sale. Pricey, but if one likes the film enough...