A 20th Century Fox Retrospective Scrapbook: 1965

[CinemaInternational]

And we're back. sorry for the lapse.

The year began with Dear Brigitte, the best of Jimmy Stewart family comedies of the 60s, and a fine showcase for him, Bill Mumy, and Glynis Johns. Very charming.

Back to the west with War Party, a B....

The Sound of Music was the Best Picture winner of 1965, and Fox's second biggest hit in their history. It's a film people either love or hate, and is constantly divisive, but it has certainly held the public's interest for many years.

John Goldfarb, Please Come Home was a comedy set in the Mideast.

Devils of Darkness was a foray into Brit horror. it was on a double bill with....Curse of the Fly, an American horror and a return to The Fly, so popular for Fox in the late 50s

Fort Courageous brought back the Western

Up from the Beach had Cliff Robertson and Red Buttons in a post D Day war tale

 

Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines was a manic all star comedy much in the tradition of It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World. It has its moments.

Anthony Quinn and James Coburn were pirates in A High Wind in Jamaica.

Convict Stage was another B western

Frank Sinatra came to Fox for the big war film, Von Ryan's Express. Could be wrong, but I think this was the first widescreen A-list film made by Fox that was in a process other than CinemaScope or Todd-AO

Rapture was a chamber piece involving an autistic teenager (Patricia Gozzi) who falls, in a sense, for an escaped convict (Dean Stockwell). It was a very unusual film, rather poetic and heartbreaking, and very well acted, an attribute that also extends to Melvin Douglas as Gozzi's disapproving father.

Wild on the Beach was one of the few beach films in black and white. In retrospect, it is probably of most interest of being one of the earliest appearences of Cher, in the film with husband Sonny Bono.

 

Morituri found Marlon Brando and Yul Brynner in a tale of spies and espionage.

The Cavern was an imported war film. It actually came out at the end of the year, but I'm putting it here because it was released in Europe in 1964.

Max Von Sydow was the top-billed player in the Western The Reward

Spaceflight IC-1 was sci-fi, the British way

The Agony and the Ecstasy was a big-scaled epic about the painting of the Sistine Chapel. A bit wordy, but well acted  and with its heart in the right place.

Bette Davis was suspected of terrible things in The Nanny

The English brought back Mr. Moto.

Jimmy Stewart returned for the exceptional Flight of the Phoenix

And the last A-list release of 1965 (the last one period was The Cavern placed earlier here) was Doris Day and Rod Taylor in Do Not Disturb.

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[LawrenceA]

I've seen many of those, and most of 'em weren't too good. There are a few I have in my queue to watch soon. Of what I've seen, I liked Morituri and The Nanny somewhat, and would rank The Flight of the Phoenix as my favorite among them. The Reward, which you didn't go into much detail on, had the unlikely sight of Max von Sydow in a typical western. Spaceflight IC-1 was bad.

 

[TopBilled]

My top 10 would include:

1. THE SOUND OF MUSIC. It's a perennial crowd pleaser. Even if it is too long.
2. A HIGH WIND IN JAMAICA. Tony Quinn gives a charming performance. The on-location filming is wonderful. It's a very likable and enjoyable film.
3. VON RYAN'S EXPRESS. Frank Sinatra was starting to turn out some junk in the 60s. But this was one of his better films.
4. RAPTURE. It's unique and should be more well-known.
5. THOSE MAGNIFICENT MEN IN THEIR FLYING MACHINES. A bit too epic for its own good, but a fun romp.
6. UP FROM THE BEACH. Uses ideas and leftover footage from THE LONGEST DAY. Cliff Robertson is always excellent.
7. THE NANNY. It's flawed. The production code limits it, but Davis does a good job and so do the rest of the cast.
8. MORITURI. A bit dull in spots but still commendable.
9. THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY. Not nearly as spectacular as it could have been. It's too self-important, too belabored to be taken seriously.
10. DO NOT DISTURB. It's enjoyable. Certainly better than the other Day-Taylor rom-com.

[Det Jim McLeod]

13 hours ago, CinemaInternational said:

Rapture was a chamber piece involving an autistic teenager (Patricia Gozzi) who falls, in a sense, for an escaped convict (Dean Stockwell). It was a very unusual film, rather poetic and heartbreaking, and very well acted, an attribute that also extends to Melvin Douglas as Gozzi's disapproving father.

I would love to see this, Gozzi was in one of my favorite films "Sundays And Cybele" but I never saw her in anything else.

[CinemaInternational]

7 hours ago, Det Jim McLeod said:

I would love to see this, Gozzi was in one of my favorite films "Sundays And Cybele" but I never saw her in anything else.

This was her only other film, i believe. It made its rounds within the last few months on FXM, but I think is out of rotation again. There was a blu-ray put out a few years ago, a limited edition one. It's most likely out of print by now, but I see that some used copies aren't too expensive. Gizzi is indeed wonderful in the film, a truly astonishing performance. There's also a beautiful score by Georges Delerue.