Showing posts with label Tony Curtis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tony Curtis. Show all posts

Thursday, October 1, 2009

The Great Race

Ok, so it's overly long. And sometimes stupid. But stupid can be funny too.

1965 effort from Blake Edwards stars Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, Natalie Wood, Keenan Wynn, and Peter Falk.

Curtis is "The Great Leslie", a heroic daredevil who proposes a transcontinental automobile race around the turn of the centuiry. His foil is "Professor Fate", Jack Lemmon, who overacts to the hilt and makes this fluff actually funny. Natalie Wood looks great as a feminist reporter, and Peter Falk is hysterical as Lemmon's sidekick.

Gimmicky and tries too hard (and, believe me, Edwards threw EVERYTHING into this one including a bar room brawl, pie fight, and more). But there are some genuinely funny moments. I particularly like the first part of the film - which is sort of a live action Road Runner cartoon with Professor Fate coming up with outlandish ways to do in his rival Leslie.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059243/

Sunday, September 20, 2009

The List of Adrian Messenger

1963 film directed by John Huston starring George C. Scott, Kirk Douglas, Dana Wynter.

Murder mystery with an interesting twist: stars Tony Curtis, Robert Mitchum, Frank Sinatra, and Burt Lancaster all appear in cameo roles but are disguised. Half the fun is trying to pick out who's under the heavy make-up and prosthetics. It adds to the enjoyment but the film holds up on its own as a suspenseful mystery.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057254/

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Captain Newman, M.D.

1963 film directed by David Miller stars Gregory Peck, Tony Curtis, Angie Dickinson, and Bobby Darin.

Comedy/drama about a psychiatrist treating military personnel at an air base here in the U.S. during World War Two. Afflictions range from the silly to the intense. Eddie Albert shines as a mentally ill officer, Robert Duvall is notable, but the scene stealer is singer Bobby Darin as a corporal who relives his most traumatic combat experience.

It will make you laugh, it will make you cry (maybe) but certainly worth a peek.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056903/

Friday, September 18, 2009

Operation Petticoat

Gee, who ever thought war could be this much fun?

Made in 1959 and directed by Blake Edwards, Operation Petticoat stars Cary Grant and Tony Curtis.

Straightforward submarine commander Grant is vainly trying to get his damaged sub back to a safe port during World War Two. Complicating matters are a group of nurses who have to hitch a ride and a con-man wheeler dealer (Curtis) who actually comes in pretty handy in a pinch. Hilarious...from Curtis' shenanigans to the idea of a pink submarine limping into port. Grant and Curtis are great together.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053143/