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I'VE SEEN MOST OF THE FILMS STARRING OR CO-STARRING FRANK SINATRA - SOME OF THEM ARE TOTAL FILM CLASSICS, MANY ARE GREAT, MOST ARE ENTERTAINING, BUT THIS ONE IS A DUD. FRANK AND PAL, DEAN MARTIN, SEEM TO HAVE BEEN MORE INTERESTED IN BOOZING THAN ACTING, BECAUSE THEY SEEM BARELY AWAKE. NANCY SINATRA DOES A GOOD JOB, BUT EVERYONE ELSE IS A DRAG. THIS IS A SHAME, BECAUSE THE CAST IS MADE UP OF SUPER-TALENTED PEOPLE WHO EITHER OVER-ACT, OR ARE IN A DAZE (SINATRA & DEAN). EVEN THE RAT-PACK FILMS ARE MORE ENTERTAINING THAN THIS ONE.

I WAS BORN IN '62; THIS FILM CAME OUT IN '64. I SAW IT MANY TIMES AS A CHILD, AND I STILL HAVE MY ORIGINAL COPY OF THE SOUNDTRACK ALBUM - IT IS HELD TOGETHER BY TAPE, AND THE VINYL LOOKS LIKE A NAIL WAS USED INSTEAD OF A NEEDLE! THIS IS SIMPLY BECAUSE I LISTENED TO THE SOUNDTRACK PROBABLY EVERY DAY, FROM MY FIRST MEMORIES, 'TIL ABOUT 2ND GRADE. THIS MOVIE CAPTURED MY IMAGINATION LIKE NO OTHER AS A CHILD. WHEN I SAW IT AS AN ADULT, I SAW IT IN A WHOLE DIFFERENT, BUT EQUALLY DELIGHTFUL, WAY. I SAW THE CONSIDERABLE WIT AND IRONY, AND CAME TO FULLY APPRECIATE THE BRILLIANCE OF THE MUSIC. I AM BIASED, BUT I THINK THIS IS THE GREATEST CHILDREN'S FILM EVER, THE BEST DISNEY FILM, ONE OF THE BEST MUSICALS, AND IT CAN EVEN BE VIEWED AS A SURREAL, TRIPPY FILM. THIS DEFINITELY SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE AFI TOP 100. A MASTERPIECE, AND A GATEWAY TO IMAGINATION, LIKE NO OTHER FILM. I REALLY FEEL SORRY FOR CHILDREN WHO HAVE GROWN UP WITHOUT EXPERIENCING THIS FILM - IT IS SAD THAT THERE ARE NO LONGER ANY CHILDREN'S FILMS BEING MADE THAT ARE REMOTELY THIS MAGICAL. IF YOU HAVE A YOUNG CHILD WHO IS NOT TOTALLY CYNICAL YET, DO THEM A GREAT FAVOR AND SHOW THEM THIS FILM! WHEN I LOOK BACK AT MY YOUNGEST YEARS, "MARY POPPINS" IS THE VERY FIRST THING THAT ALWAYS COMES TO MIND - ONE OF WALT DISNEY'S FINEST GIFTS TO CHILDREN (AND ADULTS). ALSO, THE ENTIRE CAST, ESPECIALLY THE INCREDIBLY TALENTED JULIE ANDREWS, ARE SUPERB. IF IT'S POSSIBLE TO "THANK" A FILM, I'D THANK THIS FILM FOR MAKING MY YOUNGEST YEARS VERY HAPPY.

THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST MUSICALS I HAVE SEEN. IT HAS A SENSE OF IRONY ABOUT ITSELF (THE "MUSICAL" FILM FORM). THE COLE PORTER SCORE IS GREAT, WITH MANY CLASSIC MOMENTS, INCLUDING THE GREATEST "CROSBY & SINATRA MOMENT" EVER ("WELL, DID YOU EVAH?"), GREAT SENSUAL CHEMISTRY BETWEEN GRACE KELLY & SINATRA ("MIND IF I MAKE LOVE TO YOU?"), LOTS OF LOUIS ARMSTRONG, ALL IN GLORIOUS COLOR, A SCRIPT WITH A VERY LIBERAL AND CASUAL ATTITUDE TOWARDS SEX (FOR 1956!), AND LOTS AND LOTS (AND LOTS!) OF BOOZE FLOWING. THIS IS A MOVIE THAT IS AS PLEASURABLE AND CLASSY AS A BOTTLE OF CHAMPAGNE. I FIRST SAW IT ABOUT 15 YEARS AGO, BEFORE I EVEN KNEW OR CARED ABOUT THE STARS OR THE MUSIC, AND THOROUGHLY ENJOYED IT THEN. NOW, I LOVE COLE PORTER'S MUSIC AND SINATRA, AND STILL FIND IT ONE OF THE HIGH POINTS FOR BOTH OF THOSE ARTISTS, ON FILM.