DAVID SWIFT

Bil’s rating (out of 5):  BBB. 

USA, 1961.  Walt Disney Productions.  Screenplay by David Swift, based on the book Das Doppelte Lottchen by Erich Kastner.  Cinematography by Lucien Ballard.  Produced by Walt Disney.  Music by Paul J. Smith.  Production Design by Carroll Clark, Robert Clatworthy.  Costume Design by Bill Thomas.  Film Editing by Philip W. Anderson.  

Disney could have found no better use for Hayley Mills after her Oscar-winning performance in Pollyanna than to come up with a film that features her twice. While spending the summer at a camp she has no desire to be at, Mills meets a young lady who is her exact height, weight, face and age (thanks to far-out trick photography, of course). Upon examining each other’s lives more closely, they soon discover that they are twin sisters who were separated when their parents (Brian Keith, Maureen O’Hara) divorced and went their separate ways. Now they concoct a scheme to get their parents back together, switching places in each other’s homes and putting their plan into action. The delights of this film are many for the young and young at heart, and it still manages to charm the pre-teen set to this day despite two remakes coming along in its wake (one under the same name and another called It Takes Two, a vehicle for the ever-popular Olson twins). Stick with the original:  it’s no classic, but its naivete likely suits its time better.

Academy Award Nominations:  Best Film Editing; Best Sound

Golden Globe Award Nominations:  Best Picture-Comedy; Best Actress-Musical/Comedy (Hayley Mills)