What's New Pussycat (1965) is a definite product of the 60s...which is a good thing

Following the recommendation of my good friend and fellow blogger Irene, I finally had the chance to see this awesome film. First let me describe what I had to go through to finally watch it. I ordered it through Amazon over a month ago along with some other titles. The other movies came in 2 weeks ago and Amazon said they were still trying to find a copy to send me. The other day they sent me an email saying it was still out of stock and for me to cancel my order and resubmit at a later time. Which I did. So I then went to TCM and they did have the movie listed but it was out of stock. I was getting quite irritated now. Best Buy, Wal-Mart and Target did not have it either. But thanks to my awesome blu-ray player and the online service that comes with it, I was able to watch it through them. And glad I did. Whew..now on to my review.

Michael and Herr Doctor Fritz

Set during the height of 60's frantic comedies, What's New Pussycat pairs the two Peters, Sellers and O'Toole in this madcap farce set in England, about a young man named Michael James (O'Toole) who has trouble committing to his girlfriend Carole (ahhhh my new love Romy Schneider). You see Michael loves women. All women. He can't help himself. He has bedded so many women it's hard to keep track of them all. So he seeks out the help of a psychoanalyst named Fritz Fassbender (Sellers) who has problems of his own. He is married but longs for the life Michael has. Their sessions are quite interesting to say the least.

Carole and Michael

Carole wants to get married but Michael has cold feet and keeps putting her off. It doesn't help the matter much when he keeps running into different women and having sex with them. Including a transplated American stripper named Liz (a kooky performance by Paula Prentiss); a refined aristocratic nymphomaniac named Renee (Capucine in a departure for her usual staid roles); and a friendly parachutist named Rita (Ursula Andress). He also has to deal with his buddy Victor (played by Woody Allen, who also wrote the screenplay) who works at a gentleman's club. Victor also happens to love Carole and they have a funny scene in which Carole gets a little tipsy.

 LIZ

 RENEE

RITA

All the characters wind up a a hotel in the country for a wild and riotous afternoon of mistaken identity and sexual shenanigans. Things get sorted by the end as Michael and Carole walk down the aisle but it's a mad finish to the altar. And even then things are not bliss. Loaded with surprise cameos and in-jokes and that catchy title song by Tom Jones, What's New Pussycat is one hilarious movie. Some may find it over the top and childish at times but it's all in good fun. The sex is never vulgar and the mood is quite often funny for the most part.  I liked it quite a bit.


Rating: *** out of ***** stars

Things get out of hand frequently in this movie

My love of classic movies is beyond measure

Monty

Some birthday treats from Jack Lemmon and Lana Turner

About set to watch some movies in honor of two stars who have birthdays today. Jack Lemmon and Lana Turner. Up first will be Jack Lemmon in a funny if very sexist 60's comedy, Under The Yum Yum Tree. He plays a lecherous landlord named Hogan who rents out units to luscious young women at half price.  And then tries to make a move on them. He meets his match in Robin Austin (played by Carol Lynley). I haven't seen this movie in years but remembering liking it. Has a super supporting cast in Edie Adams (yay!), Dean Jones, Paul Lynde, and Imogen Coca. It fits in with all those sex comedies of the 60's like Sunday In New York, Barefoot In The Park, Don't Make Waves, Sex and the Single Girl and others.

Next up will be Lana in Who's Got The Action?, another comedy from the 60's. Paired with Dean Martin as a married couple who must deal with Dino's gambling problem. Solution..Lana as Melanie Flood becomes his mysterious bookie and hopes that her husband will lose enough money to call it quits. The opposite happens as Steve (Dean's character) gets on a lucky streak. A funny movie with a solid supporting cast, including Eddie Albert, Nita Talbot, and Walter Matthau. 

I know Jack and Lana did better movies, but I am in the mood for some mindless comedies. And these seem to fit the bill.


Happy Birthday Jack and Lana!

Happy Birthday Dorothy Provine (1935 - 2010)

The beautiful and funny Dorothy

Happy Birthday to Dorothy Provine, one of the most underrated actresses of all time. And quite the comedienne. She appeared in such films as It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World, The Great Race, Good Neighbor Sam, Who's Minding The Mint? and That Darn Cat. Happy Birthday Dorothy!

With Romy Schneider in Good Neighbor Sam (1964)

Dorothy with Hayley Mills and Dean Jones in That Darn Cat (1965)

With Ethel Merman and Milton Berle in It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963)

The colorful Dorothy

TCM spotlights some of the 60's best sex comedies on Friday, January 13th

Just a quick little mention as I am fighting off this cold that came out of nowhere, that TCM will be airing some of the best sex comedies of the 60's. You know the type of movies that were cranked out on regular basis during this time period as times and attitudes were changing. Men and women in relationships, are lack thereof and trying to understand each other always led to hilarious results. And while they are known as sex comedies, they are in fact pretty mild. I mean the women dress sexy, and the men drop some crass remarks every now and then, but it's pretty mild. Nothing too risque or offensive. Nothing on the level of say modern films like The Hangover. On the docket will be The Apartment (1960) with Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine; Any Wednesday (1966) with Jane Fonda and Jason Robards; Sunday in New York (1963) Jane again this time with Rod Taylor and Cliff Robertson; Boys' Night Out (1962) with James Garner, Kim Novak and Tony Randall; and finally Bachelor in Paradise (1961) with Bob Hope still swingin', this time with Lana Turner. I can recommend all except for Bachelor in Paradise which I haven't seen. I was surprised Sex and the Single Girl with Natalie Wood and Tony Curtis or Under The Yum-Yum Tree (1963) with Jack Lemmon and Carol Lynley didn't make the schedule. But regardless, Friday seems like a great day for movie watching. Especially if you like the 1960's and comedies. Starting at 7am EST and running through 5:30 pm.

Rod and Jane enjoying a nice relaxing Sunday afteroon..

COME SEPTEMBER (1961) made for a delightful movie to watch on Christmas evening

After enjoying a wonderful Christmas dinner at my mom with my wife and three sisters, I came home to find that the film Come September was showing on TV. This 1961 comedy starring Rock Hudson, Gina Lollobrigida, Sandra Dee and Bobby Darin is a very funny film. I had only seen it one time before and it's been years ago. So I only had missed like the first 20 or so minutes as I sat down on my comfy sofa to watch the rest of it.

Rock and Gina
Hudson is in good form as wealthy industrialist Robert Talbot who visits his Italian villa every September. This year he comes early in July and finds a boatload of trouble. First his long time girlfriend Lisa (played by Lollobrigida) who is tired of waiting on Robert to pop the question, decides to marry another man. Secondly, the major domo of his villa, Maurice (played by Walter Slezak) has turned the villa into a hotel to make some easy money while Talbot is away. And lastly, his place is run amok with a pack of vacationing American girls with the winsome Sandra Dee leading the charge. Plus a group of American boys led by Bobby Darin camp outside waiting to make their move on Dee and her friends, much to the chagrin of Talbot.

Bobby makes his move..

Come September is a breezy battle of the sexes type comedy with Hudson being very funny. He has wonderful chemistry with Gina too. Their  scenes together are the best in the film. Rock is in great shape and Gina looks stunning. Wearing some of the best clothes one would wear during the 60's. Evening wear, sun dresses, you name it, Gina wears it amazingly well. A nice movie to see on a casual Sunday.
B+

Everyone goes on a little motor scooter ride thru the Italian countryside

Don't Make Waves (1967) is frothy fun...60's style

This is one of those movies not too many people may know about. I saw it the other night on TCM and liked it. It's not the usual 60's style sex comedy with tons of laughs or really much deep thought. Actually it's kinda weird in certain scenes but it held my interest the entire time. Tony Curtis plays New Yorker Carlo Cofield, newly arrived in Southern California, who while stopping at the local beach, has one hell of a day. He runs into quirky artist Laura (played by Claudia Cardinale) who manages to send Carlo's car running downhill off the side of the road, crashing and burning. He loses all his belongings and once Laura finds out it was her fault, does the only sensible thing...she takes him home with her. Of course Laura has a sugar daddy...a married executive named Rod Prescott (played by Robert Webber) who takes offense to Carlo being there. Well Rod kicks Carlo out, who has to sleep on the beach overnight. The next day Carlo goes swimming in the beach and gets promptly knocked out by oncoming surfers. He is pulled from the water and given CPR by a lovely girl named Malibu, who also happens to be a sky diver...it could happen (love the name and she is played by Sharon Tate). Carlo immediately is smitten with her and puts in motion a plan to seduce her. All he is to do is avoid her boyfriend Harry, a hulk of a body-builder. In the meantime, Carlo finagles his way into Rod's office and secures a job through blackmail. If Rod doesn't agree, Carlo goes straight to his wife Diane (wonderfully played by Joanna Barnes). So Carlo is now in the business of selling pools, which is very lucrative in California. And has to deal with three beguiling women. Everyone ends up at Carlo's hillside house during a severe rainstorm and eventual mudslide. A lot happens in this movie doesn't it? Like I said it's not the greatest but it does have it's moments. And the cast is very easy on the eyes. Curtis is in tip top shape as he has several scenes sans his shirt. And he gets most of the best lines in this movie. He even has a scene with Tate jumping from a airplane doing a skydive. Well Carlo passes out because he looses his parachute and it's one of the funniest reactions you will ever see. The women all are stunning especially Cardinale. Tate looks great too, but her part is very under-demanding. Joanna Barnes delivers the best performance of the three as the much put upon wife who is smarter than everyone else in the movie except maybe for Curtis. So all in all Don't Make Waves is a diverting comedy that will pass the time quite quickly at 97 minutes. Two sidenotes, the musical score is by Vic Mizzy, who did the Green Acres TV show score. And Jim Backus shows up with his wife and they play themselves in a cool little scene as Carlo tries to sell them a pool. Backus even gets to do a Mr. Magoo impression. Like I said a lot of stuff happens in this movie.