Porgy And Bess (1959)
OTTO PREMINGER Bil’s rating (out of 5): BBB. USA, 1959. The Samuel Goldwyn Company. Screenplay by N. Richard Nash, based on the musical by DuBose Heyward, from the play by … Continue reading
The Best Of Everything (1959)
JEAN NEGULESCO Bil’s rating (out of 5): BBB. USA, 1959. Jerry Wald Productions. Screenplay by Edith R. Sommer, Mann Rubin, based on the novel by Rona Jaffe. Cinematography by William C. Mellor. Produced by Jerry … Continue reading
Imitation Of Life (1959)
BBBB (out of 5) The subliminal messages in this Douglas Sirk soaper are just as timely as they were in All That Heaven Allows, even though the overall effect isn’t … Continue reading
Anatomy Of A Murder
BBBB (out of 5) Small-town lawyer James Stewart returns from a fishing trip to discover that he is required to defend a soldier who shot a bartender at the town’s local … Continue reading
Journey To The Center Of The Earth (1959)
BBB (out of 5) New advances in stop-motion animation technology were encouraging movie producers of the fifties to create lots of deliciously pulpy science-fiction films for mass audiences to enjoy. … Continue reading
The 400 Blows (Les Quatres Cents Coups)
BBBBB (out of 5) Classic coming-of-age masterpiece about a young boy (Jean-Pierre Léaud) growing up in Paris with a negligent mother and an assortment of charismatic friends. He enjoys moments … Continue reading
Pillow Talk (1959)
MICHAEL GORDON Bil’s rating (out of 5): BBBB. USA, 1959. Arwin Productions. Story by Russell Rouse, Clarence Greene, Screenplay by Stanley Shapiro, Maurice Richlin. Cinematography by Arthur E. Arling. Produced by Ross Hunter, Martin Melcher. Music by Frank … Continue reading
Ben-Hur
BBB.5 (out of 5) “Gorgeously junky” is how uncredited screenwriter Gore Vidal described this pseudo-Bible epic, and no truer word could possibly be said about it. Everything about this expansive … Continue reading
The Diary Of Anne Frank
BBBB (out of 5) Countless versions of this story, including Broadway revivals, television movies and even an Oscar-winning documentary have been made since this was filmed in 1959. Based on … Continue reading
