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YOUNG MANS FANCY (Robert Stevenson, 1939).
YOUNG MAN’S FANCY (Robert Stevenson, 1939).
Young Man’s Fancy is a very early comedy from the Ealing Studios. Released in what was producer Michael Balcon’s second year as studio head, the movie has few of the hallmarks later associated with Ealing.
Griffith Jones stars as aristocrat Lord Albarn who is to be wed to a brewery heiress. Unhappy with the marriage of convenience he rebels, visiting a music hall and falling for human cannonball Ada (Anna Lee).
Ada agrees to help Albarn out of the forthcoming wedding but soon the pair are caught up in the Siege of Paris and the events of the Franco-Prussian War.
Such an odd dramatic turn in an otherwise frothy rom-com is slightly jarring but don’t let that put you off of this surprisingly entertaining movie. Not only are there plenty of laughs but it also has a social conscious rare in 1930s British cinema outside of the Documentary Movement.
The talented Robot Stevenson only directed three films at Ealing before decamping to Hollywood where he gained critical and commercial success with Jane Eyre (1943). Late in his career he worked almost exclusively for Walt Disney Productions where he was responsible for number of excellent family drama and fantasy films including Old Yeller (1957) and Mary Poppins (1964). Young Man’s Fancy is probably the best of Stevenson’s Ealing output, a somewhat frivolous but enjoyable ‘B’ picture from his and the studio’s formative years.
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THE HORSE IN THE GRAY FLANNEL SUIT (Norman Tokar, 1968).
Based on Eric Hatch’s book The Year of the Horse, Walt Disney Productions’ The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit is a lighthearted comedy set in the world of showjumping.
Madison Avenue advertising executive Fred Bolton (Dean Jones) has just 24 hours to appease a client and save a valuable account. He hits upon the idea of sponsoring showhorse Aspercel - named for his client’s brand of indigestion tablets - which his shy daughter will hopefully ride to glory.
Jones, in his 5th film for Disney is an amiable leading man. Diane Baker is equally likeable as his romantic interest. In her sole movie credit Ellen Janov impresses as Bolton’s daughter, while Disney regulars Kurt Russell and Norman Grabowski appear in smaller roles.
Yet despite this quality cast the movie is something of a disappointment.
To describe The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit as a gentle comedy would be an understatement. There are plenty of mild chuckles but few big laughs in a movie that canters rather than gallops to the finishing line. Even its climax at a critical International Horse Show event fails to generate much excitement.
It seems a little redundant to be over critical of The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit. It is well meaning and completely inoffensive yet also predictable and slightly dull. At just shy of 2 hours it is also about 20 minutes too long. In fact it is only the game playing of the appealing cast that saves it.
If you’ve seriously nothing better to do it will while away a couple of hours. Horse lovers will undoubtedly enjoy the equine aspect but, to be honest, it is no champion.
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DR NO (Terance Young, 1962).
NOTE: The following is an edited version of a review available in full on my blog JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME. Check it out! Link below.
The film that launched the longest running franchise in movie history. Sean Connery stars as Ian Fleming’s James Bond 007 in this adaptation of the sixth novel in the series.
Investigating the disappearance of fellow MI6 operatives, Bond heads to Jamaica and is soon on the trail of the titular Dr No, an underground dwelling, Nemo-esq scientific genius with plans to wreck the US space programme. Fist fights, shoot-outs and car chases ensue!
In many respects, Dr No is Bond in its purest form. Before the over reliance on gadgets, before the campy, double entendre laden humour, before the over the top action set pieces. Connery is perfect in the role: suave yet cool, a lover and a fighter. He is surrounded by a classy supporting cast. As Island girl Honey Ryder, Ursula Andress set the standard for Bond girls, emerging like Venus from the ocean in a two-piece swimsuit and creating one of the most iconic images of the entire series. Jack Lord and John Kitzmiller make appealing allies for Bond, while Bernard Lee and Lois Maxwell make their first appearances as Bond’s MI6 boss M and his flirtatious secretary Miss Moneypenny, respectively.
Director Terance Young never lets the pace flag. Dr No is one of the shorter Bonds but Young never wastes a second as he delivers a gripping, intelligent thriller.
Rewatching the movie almost 60 years after release it is fascinating to see how much of what we associate with the series is already present. Refinements were made to the formula over the coming films but I don’t think this series opener was ever bettered. Equalled maybe, but it has a certain economic, raw, unpolished appeal that box office success and bloated budgets would not allow for in the future. Six decades on this is still a fantastic piece of popular cinema. Intelligent in a way action movies rarely are today, shot through with streak of sardonic humour. If you are only familiar with later entries than this original classic should really be next on your Bond viewing list!
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DINOSAUR (Dir: Ralph Zondag & Eric Leighton, 2000).
Travel back 65 million years in Walt Disney Pictures' visually stunning Dinosaur.
Iguanodon Aladar, separated from his mother while still an egg, is adopted by a family of lemurs and raised in the lush tropical surrounds of Lemur Island. When a devastating meteor shower hits, the ensuing deadly dust cloud forces the family to leave their now barren home. Joining a herd of dinos heading for the Nesting Ground, Aladar clashes with group leader Kron whilst catching the eye of his sister Neera. A dino romance ensues, but drought, rockslides and a pair of hungry Carnotaurus threatens the perilous mission at every turn.
With its real life filmed backdrops and detailed CGI dinosaurs, the movie looks beautiful. Yet, this groundbreaking approach to filming is undermined by a pretty pedestrian screenplay which is marred by some unfortunate glib, facile dialogue.
It is perhaps best not to dwell on the story and screenplay elements of Dinosaur, after all its writers didn't. Anyone above the age of 7 is clearly here for the spectacular visuals. This was the first time Disney had utilised CGI on such an elaborate scale in one of its own non-Pixar movies. While computer graphics have undoubtedly been refined in the two decades since its release, the visuals are still mightily impressive. Its most spectacular set-pieces include the meteor storm, the Carnotaurus attack and an opening, following the journey of Aladar's egg from nest to Lemur island, which the studio used as the film's trailer, such was their belief in the strength of the animation.
Dinosaur was a hit with cinema audiences, but not on the scale the studio had hoped. A better script would have undoubtedly elevated it above the status of matinee popcorn fodder; its visuals belonging to an epic on a much grander scale than dialogue and plot suggest. None the less, Dinosaur is a highly entertaining movie, both for dino obsessed kids and grown-ups who are willing to overlook its shortcomings to enjoy the awesome visuals.
Read an unedited version of this review and reviews of other Disney classics on my new blog: jinglebonesmovietime.blogspot.com
THE MAN IN THE SKY aka DECISION AGAINST TIME (Dir: Charles Crichton, 1957).
In 1955 the Ealing Studios were sold to the BBC for use as a production facility. Production of Ealing Films was moved to the MGM British Studios at Borehamwood and a distribution deal with MGM was secured. The deal was short lived; only 6 films were released through MGM and Ealing’s days as a production company were numbered.
The first movie to be released under the new deal was The Man in the Sky, retitled Decision Again Time for US audiences.
Ealing regular Jack Hawkins stars as a test pilot who must make a difficult, life threatening decision when the engine of his aircraft fails. Elizabeth Sellars co-stars as his wife who believes her husband puts himself at unnecessary risk.
Hawkins does well in one of his many stoic action hero roles and is ably supported by a fine supporting cast including Brit acting legends Lionel Jeffries, Donald Pleasence and Megs Jenkins. Charles Crichton, better known for helming comedy classics Hue and Cry (1947) and The Lavender Hill Mob (1951), proves adept at combining highflying thrills with the earthbound familial trails in what might have been an uneasy mix of domestic drama and disaster movie.
The suspense is held to the final reel in this fairly tense and absorbing drama which, while perhaps not quite top drawer Ealing, is still a quality product with much to recommend it. Aircraft connoisseurs will enjoy the location footage shot at Pendeford Airfield and the Bristol Freighter plane which Hawkins pilots.
Check out my blog jinglebonesmovietime.blogspot.com for more reviews of vintage Ealing Studios classics!