Flickers in Time

The Railrodder
Directed by Gerald Potterton, Buster Keaton and John Spotton
Written by Gerald Potterton and Buster Keaton
1965/Canada
National Film Board of Canada
First viewing/Netlfix rental

[box] I’ve had few dull moments [in my life] and not too many sad and defeated ones. In saying this, I am by no means overlooking the rough and rocky years I’ve lived through. But I was not brought up thinking life would be easy. I always expected to work hard for my money and to get nothing I did not earn. And the bad years, it seems to me, were so few that only a dyed-in-the-wool grouch who enjoys feeling sorry for himself would complain. – Buster Keaton[/box]

This is a charming dialogue-free short promoting rail travel in Canada.  Buster Keaton crosses the nation from ocean to ocean in a “speeder” motor car.  The scenery is beautiful but there is no way you can take your eyes off Buster!

Buster Keaton Rides Again
Directed by John Spotton
Written by Donald Brittain
1965/Canada
National Film Board of Canada
First viewing/Netflix rental

Fantastic “making-of” documentary for The Railrodder (1965) ended up being twice the length of that short.  Affectionate look at Keaton’s creative process and the artist in quiet moments.  Loved this.  Highly recommended.

Both films are currently available on YouTube.  No trailer or clips so here’s an analysis of Buster’s gags.

Von Ryan’s Express
Directed by Mark Robson
Written by Wendell Mayes and Joseph Landon from a novel by David Westheimer
1965/USA
Twentieth Century Fox/P-R Productions Picture
First viewing/Netflix rental

[box] Maj. Eric Fincham: You’ll get your Iron Cross now, “Von” Ryan![/box]

OK action adventure.

American Colonel Joseph Ryan (Frank Sinatra)  arrives at an Italian POW camp and becomes ranking officer.  Most of the men are British prisoners closely aligned with Major Eric Fincham (Trevor Howard).  The major has a tunnel readied for a mass escape.  Ryan knows that the war in Italy is nearly over and betrays the escape plans.  By this time both the Italians and the British are sure Ryan is a Nazi agent.  When the Italians surrender, the prisoners are placed on a fast train to Berlin.  This requires something more than a tunnel! Plenty of action ensues.

If you want something to get your blood pumping, this might be just the ticket.  I tend to be a giant fan of these kind of movies but something about this one didn’t grab me.  Part of it was you just have to know from minute one that Sinatra is a hero, removing some suspense and question marks from the story.

Catch Us If You Can (AKA “Having a Wild Weekend”)
Directed by John Boorman
Written by Peter Nichols
1965/UK
Bruton Film Productions
First viewing/Netflix rental

[box] Here they come again, mmmm-mm-mm/ Catch us if you can, mmmm-mm-mm/ Time to get a move on, mmmm-mm-mm/ We will yell with all of our might/ Catch us if you can – “Catch Us If You Can”, lyrics by Dave Clark and Lenny Davidson [/box]

Mostly fails both as an A Hard Day’s Night rip-off and as a romantic drama.  Still, the boys are cute and some of the songs are catchy.

Dinah (Barbara Ferris) is the “Meat” girl, starring in a massive ad campaign aimed at carnivores.  While shooting a TV commercial, she and Steve (Dave Clark), one of the stunt men, run off together. Their disappearance becomes part of the ad campaign.  In the mean time the entire band cavorts together in a very Lester-esque manner.

Worth seeing if you were there, are a completist, and have a lazy afternoon on your hands.

Darling
Directed by John Schlesinger
Written by Frederic Raphael
UK/1965
Joseph Janni Productions/Vic Film Productions/Appia Films Ltd.
First viewing/YouTube rental

[box] Diana Scott: My friends seemed to get on very well with your friends.

Robert Gold: Because your friends are so pretty.

Diana Scott: And your’s so intelligent.[/box]

Now why in the hell is this fantastic film not on The List?  Goes immediately on my Favorite New-to-Me Movies of 2018 List.

Diana Scott (Julie Christie) has been told since infancy that she is just darling.  She’s got it all – beauty, sex appeal, charm, and social skills.  But there’s an emptiness where empathy and conscience ought to be.  Obviously, such a person is cut out to be a fashion model or celebrity – maybe both.

The story follows Diana’s highly successful career and the fate of the men -a journalist (Dirk Bogarde) and producer (Laurence Harvey) – she spends time with on the way up.

Darling would make a great triple bill with La Dolce Vita and Blow-Up as another dark critique of the Swinging Sixties and popular culture.  Christie is simply fantastic.  She has to play quite a range and her expressive face tells us what she is feeling (or not).  The men are her equals.  Loved all the irony.  Adored the ending!  Highly recommended.

Darling won Academy Awards in the categories of Best Actress; Best Writing, Story and Screenplay – Written Directly for the Screen; and Best Art Direction-Set Direction, Black-and-White.  It was nominated in the categories of Best Picture and Best Director.

Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes
Directed by Ken Annakin
Written by Jack Davies and Ken Annakin
1965/UK
Twentieth Century-Fox Productions
Repeat viewing/Netflix rental

[box] Lord Rawnsley: The trouble with these international affairs is they attract foreigners.[/box]

Another of the epic comedy adventures spawned by Around the World in Eighty Days is decent fun for a slow afternoon.

A London newspaper offers a 50,000 pounds to the flyer who has the best time from London to Paris over the English channel.  The prize attracts contestants from many countries.  The most prominent are Englishman Richard Mays (James Fox) and American Orvil Newton (Stewart Whitman).  These two easily fall into love triangle combat over feisty Patricia Rawnsley (Sarah Miles).  With Robert Morley, Alberto Sordi, Gert Frobe, Terry-Thomas and a cameo by Red Skelton.

Well this was exactly what I expected it to be.  Not a bad thing, when one doesn’t want to put a lot of effort  A couple of giggles and some nice scenery doesn’t add up to anything special.

The Slender Thread
Directed by Sidney Pollock
Written by Stirling Silliphant from an article by Shana Alexander
1965/USA
Stephen Alexander Productions
First viewing/YouTube

[box] Mark Dyson: [to Inga] Do you think that not getting caught in a lie is the same as telling the truth?[/box]

Could have been better but enjoyable for the performances.

Alan Newell (Sidney Poitier) is a college student who volunteers at a Crisis Hotline.  He is hoping for a quiet night but almost immediately picks up a call from Inga Dyson (Anne Bancroft) who has just taken a handful of barbiturates.  She just wants to talk while waiting for the drugs to take effect and refuses to give her name or address.  Her breaking point came when her husband Mark discovered that the son they had been raising is not his own.  Alan struggles to keep her awake and on the phone while the authorities attempt to trace the call.  With Telly Savalas as Alan’s supervisor.

Poitier and Bancroft act their hearts out and there are several touching moments.  The problem is the excessive amount of time focused on police procedural elements like tracking the call and on the flashbacks.

The Slender Thread was nominated for Academy Awards in the categories of Best Costume Design, Black-and-White and Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White.