Our Picks for the Five Movies on an Island Blogathon

To celebrate the second annual National Classic Movie Day, the Cafe is hosting and participating in the Five Movies on an Island Blogathon. The idea behind this blogathon is simple: If you were stranded on a deserted island and could only watch five movies over and over, what would they be?

I pondered this question with Toto, my fellow Cafe contributor and editor extraordinaire. Each of us focused on identifying comfort movies--as opposed to our favorite movies. A major criterion was how well a film still entertained us after repeated viewings.

Danny Kaye and Basil Rathbone in
The Court Jester.

Toto's fine selections, in no particular order, are:

1. The Court Jester.

2. 101 Dalmatians (1961).

3. Lover Come Back.

4. Pollyanna.

5. The Bishop's Wife.

I had a tough time narrowing my choices to just five. I knew there had to be a Hitchcock picture and a Hammer film in my list. It was difficult to omit at least one guilty pleasure, such as the island-friendly Beach Blanket Bingo, but there just wasn't an available slot. Again, in no particular order, my choices are:

The courtyard in Rear Window.

1. Rear Window – Vertigo is my favorite Hitchcock classic and Marnie and The Birds are right up there, too. But, when it comes to "repeatability," it's hard to match Rear Window. James Stewart, Grace Kelly, and Thelma Ritter are a terrific trio and Raymond Burr makes a memorable villain. Thematically, it's one of Hitch's finest (e.g., the hero is a peeping tom and fears commitment). However, my favorite element is that wonderful courtyard and the "stories" featured in the other apartments.

2. Brides of Dracula – My Hammer friends may be shocked I didn't select a film with Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. For that reason, I seriously contemplated The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959). In the end, though, I went for a vampire flick and this is the best of Hammer's Dracula series, pitting Van Helsing (Cushing) against a handsome vampire (David Peel) taking advantage of a girls' boarding school. An added bonus: I never get tired of watching the windmill climax.

Kirk Douglas in disguise!

3. The List of Adrian Messenger – For this slot, I contemplated choosing Green for Danger or Ten Little Indians (1965). However, they were bumped in favor of John Huston’s gimmicky 1963 mystery, in which several famous stars make cameos in heavy make-up. While trying to spot the stars is undeniably fun, the gimmick disguises the fact that The List of Adrian Messenger is a highly-entertaining, crafty film that starts as a mystery and evolves into a suspenseful cat-and-mouse game. The revelation of the murderer's motive is only part of the fun. It’s the “how” that differentiates it from other mysteries. Among his many skills, the murderer, played delightfully by Kirk Douglas, is also a master of disguises!

4. The Andromeda Strain – As regular readers of this blog know, I'm a sucker for movies in which the protagonist forms a team (the prototype of this kind of movie is The Adventures of Robin Hood). The Andromeda Strain is a great "get the team together" film, but it's also a superior science fiction outing that pits four dedicated scientists against a microscopic menace capable of destroying all life on Earth. I find it intellectually exciting. Its thrills come not from action sequences (though there’s a doozy at the climax), but from the time-sensitive need to determine: What is the Andromeda Strain? How can it be destroyed? Why did a 69-year-old man and a six-month-old baby survive when Andromeda wiped out a New Mexico town of 68 people? 

Jane Powell and Howard Keel.

5. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers – You may think I selected this movie just to drool over the most excellent breakfast that Jane Powell prepares for husband Howard Keel and his rowdy brothers in the Oregon Territory in 1850. Well, I can't deny it--I've often thought of that tempting breakfast! However, this colorful musical features a memorable score by Johnny Mercer and Gene de Paul, Michael Kidd’s spectacular choreography, and charming performances from the cast.

Be sure to check out other bloggers' choices for the Five Movies on an Island Blogathon. You can see the full schedule by clicking here. Also, don't forget to wish your favorite movie fans a Happy National Classic Movie Day!