dual personalities

So we all have been preoccupied recently with the year 1963, especially with the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President Kennedy.

So I got to thinking about what would be an appropriate movie to recommend as this Friday’s pick.

So I looked up the top-grossing films of 1963. You would not believe what fun movies are on that list! Indeed, many are favorites of mine. There is hardly a serious drama in the bunch. Here are the top 16, starting with #1:

Cleopatra, How the West Was Won, It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, Tom Jones, Irma la Douce, The Sword in the Stone, Son of Flubber, The Birds, Dr. No, The V.I.P.s, McClintock!, Charade, Bye Bye Birdie, Move Over, Darling, Come Blow Your Horn, The Thrill of It All,

and #17: The Great Escape.

I’ve missed him, have you?

It is kind of eye-opening. It was a different world back then and the movie stars were different too–Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn, Doris Day, Debbie Reynolds, Shirley MacLaine, John Wayne and Steve McQueen and this guy:

Albert Finney, you were adorable

Not to put too fine a line on it (or to be disrespectful), but it was all downhill from November 22, 1963. The world became a depressing and chaotic place.

I was just in the second grade that fall, but I have to say I have always gravitated to the early 1960s time period as a favorite era (see above list of movies).

Flyover blondes and me

I guess I was happy then. My parents were still fairly young and seemed happy and not un-hip to me. We had moved into a new (old) house. Things were on an upward trajectory. I suppose that’s why.

ANYWAY, How the West Was Won has always been in my Top Ten list.

I went to see it at the movies with my best friend Trudie Glick (her birthday party) and it was practically the first movie I had ever seen at the movies. My 12 year-old brother, of course, had already seen it and he gave it an enthusiastic thumbs up. He told me about all the really good parts. I was pretty bowled over by it–remember, it was in Cinerama–and especially loved the magnificent musical score by Alfred Newman. It is the soundtrack by which I have judged all soundtracks since.

Charade, starring Audrey and Cary Grant, is another all-time favorite of mine.

This rom-com is bright and light and much-copied. The original is always best! Stanley Donen’s direction is perfect–he made some great movies with Audrey Hepburn. And Cary Grant is on his A-game. Plus there is all that and wonderful European scenery and Henry Mancini music.

Move Over, Darling and The Thrill of It All are both terrific Doris Day vehicles, even with the B-Team James Garner (i.e. not Rock Hudson). The Thrill of It All in particular has been a favorite of our family: Happy Soap saved my life!

So I leave it to you which movie to pick, but I recommend them all (maybe not Son of Flubber). No conspiracy theories for me this weekend.