THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE IFFY (7)

The GOOD:  "THE YEARLING." A wonderful film from Hollywood's Golden age with incredible performance all across the boards.  It is the story of a family, a coming of age film that started the genre.  Claude Jarman, Jr.  plays Jody, a boy who finds and adopts a fawn.  Gregory Peck and Jane Wyman are the parents who have lost three other children in childbirth causing the mother to be afraid of showering too much love on Jody. Nominated for Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Actress and winning the Oscar for Best Art Direction and Best Cinematography, every frame of this film is a masterpiece in beauty and design.  It is an emotional journey that you will long remember.  One of the greats!!



The BAD:  "STAIRCASE."  A film with good intentions, no doubt. but this story of an aging homosexual couple (Rex Harrison and Richard Burton) has too many stereotypical moments to merit
watching.  The pair do their best but seem lost in their attempt to portray these characters.  Directed by Stanley Donen, there are some obvious laughs along the way but the whole thing is rather embarrassing and a waste of two talents.  (Three, if we count Donen.)




The IFFY:  STATE FAIR:   The reason this is an "Iffy" is a matter of choice.  There were two versions of this film.  The good one (1945) had Jeanne Crain, Dana Andrews, Vivian Blaine and Dick Haymes.  The not-so-good one (1962) featured Pat Boone, Ann-Margret, Bobby Darin and Pamela Tiffin.  The Rogers and Hammerstein score is decidedly better in the earlier version with a splendid rendition of "It's a Grand Night for Singin' (Picture below) as well as " Jeanne Crain's wistful "It Might as Well be Spring."  So if you must choose, go for the good one...…….the other is downright iffy.
 










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