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CANDLESHOE (Dir: Norman Tokar, 1977).
Walt Disney Poductions' Candleshoe is a comedy crime caper based upon Michael Innes' novel Christmas at Candleshoe.
Leaving the mean streets of Los Angeles, Casey Brown (Jodie Foster) heads to England to hustle the elderly Lady St Edmund (Helen Hayes) out of her dilapidated stately home Candleshoe. Within Candleshoe lays the hidden treasure of pirate Captain St Edmund to which Casey holds the first clue. In cahoots are disgraced former Candleshoe employee Clara (Vivien Pickles) and her brother Bundage (Leo Mckern) who masterminds the misdemeanour. Welcomed into the Candleshoe family, Casey turns the tables on Bundage and sets about the treasure hunt with intent to save the debt racked estate from foreclosure.
A first rate cast was assembled for this production. 15 year old Jodie Foster was fresh from her Oscar nominated turn in Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese, 1976). She does excellent work here too and it is to her credit that she is not overshadowed by the acting heavyweights in support. Most notably David Niven, donning multiple disguises as butler, gardener, chauffeur and a visiting Colonel, in what is perhaps his best late career role.
A neat premise also lifts the movie above the usual formulaic fluff the Disney Studios were producing in the late 70s. Rosemary Anne Sisson's and David Swift's screenplay mixes humour and excitement as the race is on to recover the spoils before the bad guys. Norman Tokar directs at a surprisingly steady pace, but one that allows the mystery to unfold and for characters to develop so that Casey's change of heart is completely believable.
Candleshoe’s view of a genteel England of stately homes and steam trains must have seemed downright archaic in 1977. However, in 2019 it feels innocent and charming; nostalgic for an idealised period in British history which never really existed.
With a superior story and a distinguished cast Candleshoe is easily a highlight of the Disney Studios' live-action catalogue. Equally entertaining for children and adults, this treasure hunt movie is a gem.
Visit my blog JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME for a longer, more in-depth review of Candleshoe!
THE PARENT TRAP (Dir: David Swift, 1961).
Hayley Mills' second movie for Walt Disney is also arguably her best for the studio. Indeed, nearly 60 years after release it remains one of the studio’s most popular and well regarded live action features.
Based upon Erich Kästner’s German language novel 'Das Doppelte Lottchen' (Lisa and Lottie) The Parent Trap tells the story of identical twin sisters Susan and Sharon (both played by Mills) who are separated at birth by their divorced parents. Thirteen years later they meet at summer camp and decided to switch places on their folks, knowing that they would have to meet up again in order to switch them back and hopefully reconcile their romance. So Susan heads to Boston to meet mom (Maureen O'Hara), while Sharon jets off to stay with dad (Brian Keith) at his sprawling California ranch. With unfortunate timing dad is just about to wed gold digging platinum blonde Vicky (Joanna Barnes), with whom he is besotted, forcing the twins to plot ever more elaborate schemes to 'submarine' Vicky and save their parents marriage.
While its plot is far fetched to say the least, the movie is executed with such skill and warmth that disbelief happily takes a vacation.
Maureen O’Hara was never lovelier than she is here and Brian Keith was never more lovably oafish. Of course the real star is Mills in her duel role as the twins. Her deft performance displays genuine charisma and expert comedy timing in what is only her third screen appearance.
Save for the odd bit of obvious back project, the pre-digital effects are excellent; the movie would be far less effective if they were not. The trick photography that allows two Hayleys to appear on screen together is astonishing and completely believable.
Perhaps The Parent Trap’s greatest achievement is that it works as a sophisticated romcom for adult audiences just as well as it does a slapstick comedy for kids. If you have never seen The Parent Trap or haven’t seen in a while, I highly recommend giving it a watch. It is a comedy gem whose warmth and charm is hard to resist!
Check out my blog JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME for a longer, more in-depth review of The Parent Trap! Link below.
