lordjim13

This is right in the midst of his early, and best, Bond films, and I was impressed how well Connery did here. When you consider the quality of Leading men (and women) that Hitchcock often has, it is interesting that he picked a young "action film" star for this thriller. But it immediately obvious why--his character is strong, forceful, chauvanist and self-confident, all things that Sean Connery can play very well. But the details of the performance--his facial expressions (under those huge eyebrows), for example--are what impressed me. The movie itself is an interesting, if unconventional, thriller, and while not one of Hitch's best it is certainly still very good. Tippi Hedren plays "frigid" very well and the only let down for me was the rather dated psychological diagnosis by amatuer shrink Sean...

This is the one Hopalong Cassidy adventure that really stands out in my mind as being the best. It's a little more gritty than some of the later ones, and more like a real western than an episode of a tv show. Later on Hoppy would get a bit more corny and more like a wandering doo-gooder, but here he's just an ordinary cattle-man, trying to get his herd on down the trail. Gabby Hayes is, as usual, excellent as Windy, while the rest of the cast make great cowboys. My dad taped a whole bunch of these off PBS for us, and this is what I watched growing up, instead of cartoons or other things, and I think I'll always love these classic adventures. This is definitely the best of them all.

I have such fond memories of this film, but it was refreshing that when I saw it again last year on TV (with subtitles for the Russian!) I could easily remember why I loved it, and still do. It's just fun, and funny, and it has a rather obvious and simple point to make, too. Alan Arkin is brilliant, and the cast as a whole is full of good people, and it's the little things that make the movie great--which is why even with the long running time it doesn't drag. There are so many fun characters, and a crazy plot. You just have to get caught up in it, and it'll win you over. Check out the quotes page for a sampling of the style--so many highlights! Even when it reaches that tense climax, the scene works despite the silliness of the rest of the film. It may not be to everyone's tastes, most notably any snobby critics out there, but I think it's brilliant entertainment and a hilarious film.