Requiem for a Heavyweight
Directed by Ralph Nelson
Written by Rod Sterling from his teleplay
1962/USA
Columbia Pictures Corporation
Repeat viewing/Amazon Instant

[box] Louis ‘Mountain’ Rivera: Mountain Rivera was no punk. Mountain Rivera was almost the Heavyweight Champion of the World![/box]

Why are all boxing movies so darned sad?

Mountain Rivera (Anthony Quinn) is coming to the end of his seventeen-year career.  He’s still strong enough to last seven rounds against Cassius Clay/Mohammed Ali (who has a cameo).  The trouble is that his long-time manager Maish (Jackie Gleason) had bet the farm that he would not last four and, worse, convinced a gangster to make the same bet. Also, the beating has left Mountain unfit to fight due to an eye that will probably be blinded with the next blow.

Mountain has never done anything else but fight.  He’s too big to fit into a movie usher’s uniform.  He meets Grace (Julie Harris), a social worker who has worked with disabled vets, and she gets him an interview for a camp counselor job.  They also look to be starting a tentative romance.

This does not suit Maish in the least.  He is desperate to get the money to get the gangster off his back and figures Mountain owes him.  The idea is to get Mountain to sign a contract to wrestle.  It will be a major blow to Mountain’s dignity.  With Mickey Rooney as a trainer.

This is a solid, if predictable, tale of corruption and cynicism in the boxing world.  All the acting is good, with Gleason being the standout.  Quinn plays his part with a delivery that we should see as punch-drunk but somehow seems slightly off.  It takes some getting used to.

Carnival of Souls
Directed by Herk Harvey
Written by John Clifford
1962/USA
Harcourt Productions
Repeat viewing/Netflix rental

[box] Mary Henry: [yelling into the void] WHY CAN’T ANYBODY HEAR ME?[/box]

An educational and industrial film maker wanted to achieve the “look of a Bergman” and the “feel of a Cocteau” on a budget of $17,000 and shooting time of three weeks.  He didn’t do too badly.

As the film begins, a group of boys is drag racing with a group of girls.  Both cars occupy a bridge at the same time and the girls’ car goes over the side and into the water.  After awhile, Mary Henry surfaces looking completely dazed.

Previously, she had been hired as a church organist and goes off to take her job in Lawrence, Kansas.  On her way, she drives by an abandoned carnival site that haunts her for the rest of the film.  She finds a room in a house.  The only other boarder is a randy young alcoholic who simply will not leave her alone.  She keeps seeing terrifying visions of a man (played by the director) whom no one else can see.

As Mary goes about her daily business, it seems people are ignoring her completely.  I’ll stop here.

This movie looks beautiful but a horror film without a monster was not going to be a blockbuster in 1962.  Amateur acting betrays its small budget and a lot of what was happening does not make complete sense, even in the context of the fantasy.  It’s an interesting film, though, and worth seeing once.  There are several full versions available on YouTube – be sure to find one that has not been colorized.

The Miracle Worker
Directed by Arthur Penn
Written by William Gibson based on his play and the book by Helen Keller
1962/USA
Playfilm Productions
Repeat viewing/Netflix

[box] Annie Sullivan: I wanted to teach her what language is. I know without it to do nothing but obey is no gift. Obedience without understanding is a blindness too. Is that all I’ve wished on her?[/box]

Spectacular acting meets a powerful, inspirational story.

This is based on the true story of Helen Keller (Patty Duke), who, at nineteen months, was stricken by an illness that left her deaf and blind.  Her doting family responded by letting her do what ever she wanted to, eventually resulting in an out-of-control “wild child”.  The violence of Helen’s outbursts could no longer be tolerated.  After much hesitation, the family sent for a teacher and Annie Sullivan (Anne Bancroft) came into their lives.  Since Sullivan also had a visual impairment she could relate somewhat to Helen’s challenges.

Annie sensed an innate intelligence in her pupil and was determined that Helen would learn to behave, obey, and communicate.  The early days of Helen’s education were accompanied by Helen’s violent physical attempts to resist obedience but Annie was persistent.  The real miracle however came when Helen finally learned the relationship between objects and the words that label them.  With Victor Jory as Helen’s father and Inga Swenson as her mother.

This movie is exhausting but so worth it!  The acting is nothing short of mind-blowing.  You will believe every second that Helen can neither see nor hear.  The story is a real testament to the human spirit.  Highly recommended.

Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke won the Oscars for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress.  The Miracle Worker was nominated in the categories of Best Director; Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium; and Best Costume Design, Black-and-White.

Trailer

Knife in the Water (Nóz w wodzie)
Directed by Roman Polanski
Written by Jakub Goldberg, Roman Polanski, and Jerzy Skolimowski
1962/Poland
Zespol Filmowy “Kamera”
First viewing/Netflix rental

[box]Krystyna: You’re just like him… only half his age, and twice as dumb.[/box]

Polanski proves himself to be a very talented beginner.

From the outset Andrzej and Kristina seem to have a rocky relationship.  He is decades older than she is and, more importantly, is a complete jerk.  When a young hitchhiker tries to catch a ride by standing in the middle of the road, Andrzej brakes at the last possible second.  (The young hitchhiker is never named in the film and will be referred to here as the Young Man. His dialogue was post-dubbed by Polanski.)

Then to prove a some kind of point to Kristina, he gives the Young Man a lift.  The couple are going as far as the nearby marina, where they plan a day’s sailing on their boat.  Andrzej invites the Young Man to join them, apparently to torture both him and Kristina.

Andrzej then begins a sort of Alpha Male competition with the Young Man.  He belatedly finds out the Young Man can more than hold his own …

There is an underlying theme of class struggle going on here as it would be a rare couple in 1962 Poland who would privately own both a Mercedes and a boat.  On the other hand, the Young Man is almost as obnoxious as Andrzej.

It’s an interesting watch that amounts to less than what it promises.  The shooting, on the other hand, is brilliant – the kind where almost every frame makes a beautiful still.  Polanski does fall victim to self-conscious artiness at times here.  He would improve.

Knife in the Water was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Foreign-Language Film.

Clip

The Creation of the Humanoids
Directed by Wesley Barry
Written by Jay Simms from a novel by Jack Williamson
1962/USA
Genie Productions Inc.
First viewing/Netflix rental

[box] Capt. Kenneth Cragis: How do you apologize to someone for killing them?[/box]

From the poster and title I was expecting no more than a potentially fun cheesefest. Instead, I got a solid and intriguing little B flick.

Sometime in the past, an atomic war wiped out 98% of humanity.  Many of the survivors were sterile.  So man got busy and created robots to fill in the gaps.  Mostly, man and robot live in harmony but there are bigots in every society.  This one has The Order of Flesh and Blood to contend with.  The order is dedicated to keeping robots in their place and is known to resort to terrorism.

One of the highest officials in the order is The Cragis.  Unfortunately, his sister has formed “Rapport” with her robot – i.e., they are in love.  The Leader sends him to give her a talking to.  In the background, the robots continue to evolve.  I will say no more.

I was very pleasantly surprised by this movie.  Sure, it’s no FX marvel but what is there is not ludicrous.  The film kept my interest all the way through and was even kind of thought provoking.  Recommended to sci-fi fans.

Clip – evolution of the humanoids

Pitfall (Otoshiana) 
Directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara
Written by Kobo Abe
1962/Japan
Teshigahara Productions/Toho Company
First viewing/Netflix rental

[box] I have never yet heard of a murderer who was not afraid of a ghost. John Philpot Curran [/box]

There’s some effective filmmaking here but I failed to get the point if there was one.

A miner and his young son are wandering around looking for work.  They are told they can find some in a certain town.  When they arrive they discover it is a ghost town.  The only living soul they can find is the woman who operates the candy store.

Before very long, the miner is murdered by a mystery man in white.  The mystery man pays the candy store lady to deny he was ever in town.  The miner’s ghost observes the investigation.  A bunch of other stuff happens, somehow involving two rival miners unions and other ghosts.

I’m a big fan of Teshigahara’s Woman in the Dunes (1964) but I found his feature film debut underwhelming.  The staging and photography have some of the eerie feel of Woman but the story lacks the focus or power of that film.  It’s basically a loosely connected series of unpunished bad acts.  Not a favorite.

Trailer – no subtitles