saturn

I have always admired a film based on a story with steadily ascending human values. Like "An Affair to Remember", the story in "One Special Night" begins with a negative relationship between Garner and Andrews but, as they become better acquainted, their antagonism goes into neutral. When they are finally forced to take refuge in a deserted house to shelter from the heavy snowstorm and they eventually discover that they both possess that sublime quality of positive human values, their affection for one another gradually develops into a beautiful kind of love superbly suited to their advanced age. The dialogue between Andrews and Garner is admirably sober, witty, and often deeply touching. One feels compelled to offer congratulations also to writers Hartman and Silvers, and director Roger Young for a truly heart-warming story. One would wish to be witnessing a reversal of the sleazy trend so frequently adopted by the movie makers of the last quarter of the twentieth century. I gave this story a score of 9, and I added another point for the fact that the film was produced well after what I've always considered to be the golden age of Hollywood movies (1930-70) in this age when films are being made in abundance but rarely with any depth of meaning.

I find The Voice of the Turtle (One For the Book) to be one of the most endearing movies of all time, perhaps even more so than The Petrified Forest with young Bette Davis. Despite its colorless and unimaginative title, I find it most exhilarating for at least two reasons: 1. Eleanor Parker's charmingly seductive role constantly reminds one of a playful kitten forever running around after a ball of wool. 2. The excellent humorous scenes and dialogues continue unabated throughout the movie to the very end. I shall never get tired of watching this movie again and again.