Kelt Smith

Unintentional laughs hardly compensate for unnecessary movie. Silly storyline was created in an attempt to use honest to god film footage of oil field fires. Can you already see where we're headed ? JOHN WAYNE'S character is named 'Chance Buckman' which sounds like they stole it off of a young stud catalyst from a William Inge play. As usual WAYNE will knock down a man or two to show us and himself what a real man he is but of course one of these men WAYNE will come to realize is actually up to his impeccable standards. Why the man might actually marry WAYNE'S gutsy, perky daughter. Haven't we seen this before ? Of course ego centric plot aside there are other WAYNE staples here too including BRUCE CABOT as his sidekick and ANDREW McLAGLEN (McLINTOCK) as the movie's director and just enough non-white actors to show us how 'multi-cultural' a JOHN WAYNE movie can be. Interior sets have the cost quality of a porn movie.

Near criminal to see someone of VERA MILES' caliber in a stinker like this. Usual fight scenes abound. During production KATHARINE ROSS who plays the DUKE' daughter with the most unflattering hairdo I've ever seen on her normally breathtaking self told a reporter that the film "was the biggest piece of crap" that she'd ever done. I'm inclined to agree.

If you like scary movies, you'll enjoy THE STRANGERS. Young couple (LIV TYLER & SCOTT SPEEDMAN) go to his parents isolated vacation home for the night. Arriving late at night, they're not in the house for long before the 'strangers' begin to slowly toy with the two. Strange sounds, moved objects, a young girl at the front door at 4 am looking for an unknown.

I won't say anything more about the plot because I don't want to spoil it for you. I will say that the movie pulls you in from the beginning. It is fast paced and well done. Additionally the main characters in the film are sensible with the situation for the most part; unlike so many horror movies where the would be victims are constantly doing stupid things making it easier for the perpetrator(s). The film has all of the ingredients for a good scary movie and it delivers !

Sexy, schmaltzy & slick; all good words to describe this 1966 Paul Newman vehicle. Newman cast in the title role of HARPER is a 40ish 'Private Eye' living out of his small agency office pending divorce from his 'had it up to here' wife Susan played by Janet Leigh.

The movie starts out on an early California morning with LEW HARPER going to visit the extremely wealthy convalescent Elaine Sampson (Lauren Bacall) at her palatial mansion. Mrs. Sampson's husband has been missing for a day and one her husband's attorneys Albert Graves (Arthur Hill) has suggested that she hire his longtime friend HARPER to find the missing millionaire.

"Drink, Mr. Harper ?", offers Mrs.Sampson. "Not before lunch," the declining HARPER says as he spits out his gum. "(But) I thought you were a detective," inquires Mrs. Sampson. "New type," counters HARPER.

Mrs. Sampson's concern about her husband's alleged disappearance has little to do with his well being and more to do with his affability while drunk. Apparently Mr. Sampson has a history of going on drunken binges with "happy starlets" and giving away things. Also present at the house are Mrs. Sampson's ever snooping manservant Felix (Eugene Iglesias), step daughter Miranda (Pamela Tiffin), and Mr. Sampson's private pilot Alan Taggert (Robert Wagner) who was the last person to see Mr. Sampson.

HARPER goes on a whirlwind through southern California running into a variety of interesting supporting characters from fat boozy former starlet Faye Estabrook (Shelly Winters) who had been doing Mr. Sampson's astrology charts for the past several years, Faye's sadistic criminal husband Dwight Troy (Robert Webber), cabaret singer Betty Fraley (Julie Harris), and Claude (Strother Martin), a man to whom Mr. Sampson gave away a whole mountain that he has turned into a 'religious sanctuary'.

Throughout, HARPER is a 'smart Aleck', who runs circles around the inept police personnel, and is one step ahead of the rest of us.

Bright crisp colorful photography, to the point action as directed by Jack Smight, a terrific supporting cast (particularly Winters who didn't mind going out on a limb), & an easy background score. This film is fast paced, and thoroughly enjoyable. HARPER is Paul Newman's baby all the way.