THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE IFFY (2)

The GOOD:  "LAWRENCE OF ARABIA."  This 1962 epic directed by David Lean was nominated for ten Academy Awards and won seven including Best Picture and Best Director. It is visually one of the best films ever made,   Starring Peter O'Toole in the title role, it also has an amazing cast including Alec Guinness, Omar Sharif, Anthony Quinn, Anthony Quale, Jack Hawkins, Claude Rains and Arthur Kennedy.  The Oscar winning score by Maurice Jarre is thrilling to say the least as are all the other Oscar winners especially Best Cinematography and Best Art Direction.  All in all, you can't go wrong seeing this picture. It is simply staggering!


The BAD: "PAINT YOUR WAGON."   What many people felt "killed" the American musical (for the time being) is this sadly miscast and badly written attempt to breathe life into a bygone musical.  But casting Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood  in singing roles would be its downfall  The one true singer in the piece is Harve Presnell who does fine in his numbers, notably "They Call the Wind Maria."  Jean Seberg plays the love interest in these proceedings and is not unwatchable.  If fact, most of the book scenes are quite nice until they sing.  So, as a relic, it's an interest film and a lesson in casting gone wrong.


The IFFY: "HOW THE WEST WAS WON."  Filmed in Cinerama (a three-camera, three projector system) one is totally aware of the "seams" that split the screen into a trio of images.  And that is why I list this as an "Iffy."  If you can accept this cinematic form, then you will enjoy this all-star cast that reads like a who's who of 1962 American movie stars.  We have John Wayne, Gregory Peck, Henry Fonda, James Stewart, Debbie Reynolds, Carroll Baker, Karl Malden, George Peppard, Richard Widmark, Robert Preston, Agnes Moorehead, Lee J.Cobb, Raymond Massey, Thelma Ritter, Russ Tamblyn, Walter Brennan, Andy Devine and David Brian.  Plus over-seeing the whole lot is Spencer Tracy as narrator.  The movie spans decades and Debbie Reynolds ages gracefully throughout.  So it is a worthy film to view (except for those "gall-dern" seams.)



























































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