Movie review - "The James Dean Story" (1957) **1/2

 A curio. An early work from Robert Altman, a documentary about the recently deceased James Dean. Because it's Altman it is visually interesting. It benefits from lots of contemporary footage - chats with people who knew Dean, stills, clips from premieres of his films.

They didn't get the best talent to talk - people who vaguely knew him at his home down and college, some kind-of ex girlfriends.

You can tell it's made by people of talent. They got Sandy Stern to write it, so the narration (with Martin Gabel's bombastic tones) has a poetic quality.

Interesting. I mean, Dean comes across as a pretentious wanker, to me at any rate, but interesting movie.

Movie review - "The Parent Trap" (1961) ***

Listening to Tommy Sands and Annette Funicello warble away at the title track I couldn't help wondering what Funicello thought when Disney pushed Hayley Mills so strongly. "What am I, Walt? Chopped liver?"

Probably not, everyone says she was super nice.

And Mills was a better actor. Her accent is slightly jarring but she's fun as the twins who realise they're twins and swap. Talk about cruel parents-  not introducing themselves to their own children, not letting them know they had a sibling - but those were the times. And it makes for better drama.

The script is quite well structured once you get past the cruelty - Maureen O'Hara is uptown, Brian Keith more rugged, so the girls grew up differently. They meet at camp, clash, then become friends, realise they're sisters, plot to get parents back together, there's a villainous child hating woman after Keith's money (I actually wound up having sympathy for her).

The sexual/familial politics are dodgy by today's standards but it works dramatically. Brian Keith plays the comedy straight, effectively - O'Hara does her hoity toity bit but is appropriate (though you don't feel the remarriage will last). The pacing is deliberate but effective. More could have been done with the grandparents.

Movie review - "Babes in Toyland" (1961) ** (re-viewing)

The idea of this film always intrigued me - I think I had a story version of it in a book of Disney stories or something and was attracted to the bright bold primary colours of its design. That remains striking - it's set in a fairytale never never land where everything is white, pink, blue, green, whatever. It has a little fairytale magic too.

But it's very juvenile. Annoyingly so. No one acts like a real person - everyone's in a pantomime. Annette Funicello is chirpy, Tommy Sands is bouncy, the villagers dance, the kids are noisy. The baddies have more human emotion but not much - the head baddy (Ray Bolder) twirls his moustache, the dudes based on Laurel and Hardy (Gene Sheldon, Henry Calvin) bumble.

Compare it to say The Wizard of Oz (which is surely what Disney had in mind) - Dorothy is very believable, she wants to leave, and her friends are very relatable - cowardly lion and so on.

It's only towards the end when Annette finds the toy maker (Ed Wynn), a wizard style figure, and his assistant played by Tommy Kirk the piece really comes alive - because Wynn and Kirk are more warm, relatable people. Wynn has flaws (he's pompous and jealous) and Kirk was always a very good "ordinary boy".

Kirk should have played Sands' role - he was simply more engaging. And I think Disney realised his mistake because he went on to put Kirk with Funicello in a number of films.

There's wonky story stuff - Funicello thinks Sands has abandoned her at the beginning but then he reveals it's all cool within 20 minutes and the film brings in these kids to get lost to kick off a whole new story. Really they should have just had Funicello get lost (run away or something) and Sands go looking for her. There's not enough threat or danger.

I liked the talking trees, and the soldiers at the end, and the opening dance number in the town.

Movie review - "Sing Boy Sing" (1958) **

20th Century Fox had a lot of success with movies starring Elvis Presley and Pat Boone so it's no surprised that they snapped up the remake rights to The Singing Idol, a TV play starring Tommy Sands. It wasn't a big hit but this isn't a bad drama about singing idol Sands feeling a pull towards his religious up brining.

The film makes some mistakes. It was in CinemaScope but not colour, which I feel was an odd decision. Apart from financial reasons maybe they figured that black and white suited the heavier drama of this (as opposed to something like say April Love) - but why do CinemaScope?

Even more importantly, the film holds off Sands visiting his dying grandfather until one hour into the film. That's meant to be the guts of the plot and they delay it. Instead they bring in this plot where Sands strikes up a friendship with a yokel delivery boy played by Nick Adams; and O'Brien gets testy about Adams and Sands and Adams hang out.

Why did they do this? Did they want to build up a part for Adams? If so why not cast Adams in the the role of O'Brien's off sider who is kind of a moral conscience figure? Instead we get all this screen time with Adams, who has nothing to do with the central theme; we have to sit through a big monologue where Adams has been arrested and talks about how hard life is. Why not make Adams Sands' brother at least? Have some reason for Sands to stick by him? From what I saw, Adams was basically using Sands (which actually would've been a lot more interesting dramatically) - there's no reason Sands should stick by him. It's a waste of screen time.

There's not enough romance either. There's a girl he knows from childhood but we don't really met her until an hour in. The role was sketchy in the TV play - she just sits and listens - but unfortunately it's not improved here, when it should have been.

And there's not enough granddad. The Jazz Singer starts off with the conflict straight away - we see the cantor and the kid, then the kid starts singing and he and the cantor have a big fight and the kid takes off. Why didn't they do that here? The grandfather here isn't much of a character - we never see him raising Sands or dealing with him before he's sick. He just turns up in bed. This was an issue in the TV play but it didn't matter that much with a 50 minute running time. It matters at feature length.

The film lacks star power. The girl, Lili Gentle, is okay but a bit minor league (in her defence she doesn't have much of a role to play). Edmond O'Brien sweats his way through his role as a manager - he's not that much better than Fred Clark but I guess O'Brien was coming off an Oscar win at the time.

Tommy Sands however is good - he can sing, he's got presence and can act. It's not his fault the film flopped though he was probably blamed for it. The fault is Claude Binyon, who wrote the script, and Henry Ephron, who directed it. And whoever idea it was to build up the Nick Adams part

TV review - "Kraft Theatre - The Singing Idol" (1957) ***

A stand alone one hour episode of an anthology drama series that rocketed Tommy Sands to fame. He plays a pop idol who is a little like Elvis Presley (side burns, a southern accent, controlling manager) but also a lot like the singer in The Jazz Singer (dad is a preacher who wants Sands to go back to God).

It's not bad drama - we meet Sands at the height of his fame, he hears his father is dying, he goes home, dad asks him to do God's work and dies, he reconnects with his childhood sweetheart.

Some roles are meh - the sweetheart (who just kind of sits and listens to Sands monologue and gets offended when he tries to kiss her) and the all-wise all-tolerant... assistant I think it is, some middle aged dude who seems to be the conscience of the piece.

Better value are the characters of Sands' pop star, and also manager, played by Fred Clark in an unsympathetic role. Clark's character is mean and ruthless but is given a strong point of view - he's put a lot of work into Sands' career, he grew up with religion and hates it. I really liked the ending where Sands agrees to go along with Clark but the execs are warned (not Clark, oddly) that Sands one day will stand up for himself. It's a lot more believable.

Sands acquits himself quite well - not a great actor, but not bad. It's a fantastic part and he can sing. Some decent scenes and Paul Bogart directs well. Sands sings "Teenage Crush" which became a hit song.

This was filmed as Sing Boy Sing.

Movie review - "The Longest Day" (1962) ***

Very long and far too often it falls into self importance with characters sitting around going "this is the most important thing that ever happened ever" (eg Rod Steiger's scene). The Canadians are once again pretty much entirely ignored, although they are mentioned once or twice.

But the use of real locations helps it as does the fact it's performed in German and French as well as English. While it was still filmed like a 50s/60s war movie - with the standard actors gripping their stomach and collapsing when shot, and bland dialogue - you get to see the real beaches, and countryside. The black and white photography was a good decision.

The all-star cast (even though at the time only John Wayne and Robert Mitchum could have been said to be box office draws) helps us follow the action, the music is rousing. It does go for long and I was surprised how large Richard Beymer's part is - he indicates all over the shop, giving a real "I am playing a GI performance" but it's part of the movie's charm.

The most memorable scenes for me: the German officer spotting the massive Allied Armada coming out of the fog, all those pop stars playing US Rangers (Fabian, Paul Anka, Tommy Sands... along with Robert Wagner and George Segal), Jeffrey Hunter being killed on Omaha, Sal Mineo being killed because of the click thing, Kenneth More with his bulldog and beard on the beach, random people like Mark Damon, Tom Tryon, Stuart Whitman and Steve Forrest hanging around in the side of frame, Aussie John Meillion as an admiral (Ron Randell is in it apparently but I must have blinked and missed them), Richard Todd defending a bridge, Red Buttons going deaf.

Sean Connery is pretty embarrassing as an Irish soldier and I wasn't wild about the French stuff - I had trouble telling the characters apart - in part because I didn't recognise the actors as well, but I didn't have that problem with the Germans. Peter Lawford underwhelmed me too in a terrific role (Lord Lovat). And some times the depiction of the action was hokey - not to mention long.

Still, a worthwhile movie with some excellent moments. Daryl F Zanuck made a lot of other better movies, but it's still pretty good.

Movie review - "Mardi Gras" (1958) **1/2

Pat Boone's first two movies were straight up star vehicles - this is more of an ensemble piece in the vein of On the Town, with Pat sharing the load with an interesting bunch: Tommy Sands, Christine Carere, Sheree North, Dick Sergeant, Barrie Chase, Gary Crosby and others.  Pat does carry the main plot but the others get their own little story - and also the songs are distributed among the support cast: North and Sands in particular get their own numbers.

Boone, Crosby and Sands are military cadets who visit New Orleans in Mardi Gras and get up to hijinks. The main plot also borrows from Roman Holiday and The Fleet's In: Boone wins a date with Hollywood star Carare, but she absconds to enjoy life as a normal person. She meets up with Boone, who doesn't recognise her, she pretends to be normal, and they fall in love.

That's an irritatingly implausible story. Boone's best friends Sands and Crosby are obsessed with Carare - yet Boone doesn't recognise her? And she is able to walk around incognito? Also Carare isn't believable for one second as a star who is big in Hollywood - she has this stunned bug-eyed look as if she's frightened of the camera and struggles to get out her lines. She also can't convey a character - she seems like this girl toying with old Pat, like a robot constructed like a china doll. On the plus side, she does have a nice figure. The logic of her romance with Pat Boone and her performance are the biggest problems with this movie.

The subplots are easier to swallow - Crosby romances Sheree North (Carare's assistant), Sands falls for a studious glasses wearing Barrie Chase who turns out to be a stripper, Sergeant goes off with Jennifer West. There are some bright songs and the film has a fun sense of camraderie amongst young people mucking around and having a good time. Director Edmund Goulding stages one song number with Sands, Crosby and Boone taking off their clothes and singing together naked in a shower - make of that what you will.

Crosby - who, like most of the lead cast was under long term contract to Fox at the time - imitates his dad a lot, who he does looks like - admittedly a blonder chunkier version. Sands isn't bad in a support role - he's a bit sleazy, but it suits his character and bounces off well against squeaky clean Boone. Boone remains stiff, struggles with Carare, and works well with his male co stars.

There is a hilariously shameless plug from Jerry Wald where a producer character announces he's brought the film rights to The Best of Everything, which Wald had done. There are also some cameos from Fox stars Jeffrey Hunter and Robert Wagner.

Movie review - "Love in a Goldfish Bowl" (1961) **

Paramount's attempt to jump on the clean teen bandwagon did not result in one of the classics of the era (it's no Gidget, no Beach Party) but is bright enough. Tommy Sands (distracting dyed blonde) and Toby Michaels are two platonic best friends from college who decide to spend the Easter break together at Sands' mother's beach pad, playing house together (because it's 1961 this means she agrees to do all the cooking).

Michaels' character is a little sweetheart; Sands' character is an intellectual, pompous individual who seems very old fashioned in his view of the sexes (expecting Michaels to cook and clean) - and has nil sexual interest in Michaels... at least until Fabian rocks up, as a member of the coast guard. And even then he's more protective in a fatherly way most off the time.

Very possible to do a gay reading of this film, particularly when Fabian brings over a floozy for Sands and he displays no interest in her either. Or maybe that's too limiting: because when Fabian puts the hard word on Michaels she is very coy and not keen at all, despite flirting heavily throughout the movie until then. So maybe it's more accurate to describe this movie as being about two people with low sex drives who find each other; at the end they do kiss, but when they're together at the very end they are chatting away as per normal.

There are some unexpected surprises here: a catchy theme song sung by Sands (written by the team of David and Bacharach), poignancy in the last act where parents Edward Andrews and Jan Sterling realise they've been neglecting their kids. Of the three leads, Michaels (billed as "the new kid" but didn't have much of a career) and Fabian come off best; Sands has the showier role but lacked the chops to pull it off (he's not a believable intellectual). Fabian was still inexperienced but is more comfortable in a straightforward part: all American (Italian-American, rather) coast guard. (He sings a song too.) There's strong veteran support from Andrews, Sterling and John McGiver.

Movie review – “Babes in Toyland” (1961) **

With a few key exceptions, notably Mary Poppins, Disney’s live action musicals don’t have the highest reputation, but this is colourful stuff for kids, with bright production design and costume and inoffensive songs. It’s definitely only for kids, though - Walt Disney once said that the quickest way to go broke making children’s films was to make them just for children; he may have been thinking of this movie, which wasn’t that popular despite its generous budget.

Tommy Sands and Annette Funicello (billed just as “Annette”) are the leads; Funicello later said this was her favourite Disney film, because she had a chance to dance in it. There are some veterans such as Ray Bolger and Ed Wynn, plus the regular Disney juveniles, Tommy Kirk (funny as in a small role, a bumbling assistant) and Kevin Corcoran. The finale with the toy soldiers and a shrunken Sands is reminiscent of The Incredible Shrinking Man.

Book review – “Love in a Goldfish Bowl” (1961) by Jack Sher

A novelisation of Columbia’s entry into the teen pic genre – it really works because it can get inside the head of the lead character Gordon, and is limited by the acting abilities of Tommy Sands. This is decent enough teen fiction – two platonic friends, both with neglectful parents, go for a holiday together, and jealousy rears its head when she strikes up a romance with a local coast guard. The character of Gordon does admittedly read a little gay at times – notably his lack of interest in any other female – but his uniting with Blythe does work.

Book review – “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes” by Annette Funicello

Sweet memoir from the woman who was America’s sweetheart for a long period of time. Funicello comes across exactly like you’d imagine – a bit shy, hard working, naïve, from a strong loving if strict family, nice to fans. She’s no dummy, though – recognising part of her appeal came from having a big chest (Though she points out she didn’t develop until after The Mickey Mouse Club and there were other girls on the show with bigger ones).

But the extent of Funicello’s success took her by surprise – takes her by surprise still. She was the break out star of The Mickey Mouse Club, despite being the last mouse-keteer. She headlined her own serial and had a semi-hit record and was the only mouseketeer kept on by Disney after the original series ended. Perhaps this was because she was the only one personally selected by Disney, thus meaning he had a personal stake in her success. But she did have a genuine, non-threatening girl next door quality. She also had a twinkle in the eye, which all stars need.

Full of interesting tidbits. I had no idea Disney planned on making a sequel to the Wizard of Oz and actually shot a few scenes, some of which were shown on the Disney program, but it never went ahead. (Surely it would have been better than Return to Oz). 

There’s also a charming vignette about Funicello travelling on one of those all-star late 50s rock caravans (like other one Buddy Holly died in) – being forced to do homework by a tutor, making out with Duane Eddy, romancing Paul Anka (mum sat in the bathroom so they could have quality time).

Some darker stuff too – well, dark-ish: at one stage Annette asked Disney if she could see a shrink to help conquer her shyness but he advised against it for fear it would ruin her appeal )which Disney thought was partly based on her shyness) – and Annette wondered how her life would have turned out had Disney not done that.

There’s other stuff in this vein - Nancy Sinatra giving her the evil eye when Annette co-starred with Tommy Sands, a knife-wielding fan had to be turned away at the Disney gates and another maniac threatened to kill her when she decide to get married. She married her agent, an older guy, but they drifted apart – Annette was very much a homebody (she comes most alive in the book when talking about being a parent), whereas her husband was social. She considered herself a dancer more than anything else – yet says she only got to show off her stuff in one film, Babes in Toyland, one of her faves (she seems to forget Pajama Party, which also gave her a chance to shine – she also seems to forget that she made this as well as How to Stuff a Wild Bikini without Avalon, and that she did in fact show her navel in a few of the beach party movies.)

She talks with affection of Frankie Avalon, Fabian, Sands and Paul Anka – but barely mentions Tommy Kirk despite co-starring with him more than any of the others. She displays a great deal of postivity in the face of her MS. Reading this its easy to see why, for all her tinny singing voice and sameness of her roles (basically impatient-girlfriend-of-hero) she retains such affection with the public.