Mandy and A Boy Ten Feet Tall

Mandy Miller as Mandy.

Mandy (aka Crash of Silence) (1952). The lives of Christine and Harry Garland are thrown into turmoil when they discover that their young daughter, Mandy, is congenitally deaf. The parents grapple with their own misconceptions and differing views on how to best support Mandy. Should she be kept at home for private tutoring, as her grandparents suggest, or placed in a school with other deaf children? The tension between the parents, fueled by suspicions of an affair, add emotional weight to the narrative. The first-rate British cast shines all around. Phyllis Calvert and Terence Morgan capture the parents’ emotional struggles as they try to determine if their actions reflect what they want or what their daughter Mandy needs. Jack Hawkins shines as an instructor at the deaf school, whose intense focus on his students puts him at odds with an influential member of the school's board. Finally, there is the young actress Mandy Miller (who was not deaf in real life), who plays Mandy. With very limited dialogue, she expresses the young girl's loneliness, confusion, and frustration, especially when placed in the boarding school and separated from her family. (Incidentally, that's Jane Asher--Paul McCartney's one-time girlfriend--as Mandy's eventual friend at school.) Director Alexander Mackendrick, best known for his Ealing comedies and the noirish Sweet Smell of Success (1957), deserves praise for sensitively portraying Mandy’s world. Through her eyes, we witness the challenges of communication, isolation, and the desire to connect with others. (You can stream Mandy for free on the Million Dollar Movie Classics channel.)

Fergus McClelland and Edward G. Robinson.

A Boy Ten Feet Tall (aka Sammy Going South) (1963).  Another Alexander Mackendrick film with a young protagonist, A Boy Ten Feet Tall focuses on ten-year-old Sammy Hartland. After his parents are killed during the Suez Crisis in 1956, Sammy embarks on an epic journey from Egypt to South Africa. Armed with only a toy compass and the knowledge that his goal to is to travel south, Sammy sets out to find his aunt in Durban. He encounters a variety of characters along the way, including: a Syrian nomad who hopes to profit off Sammy; a well-meaning American tourist; and a kind-hearted diamond smuggler. Despite the immense challenges he faces, including the loss of his parents and the daunting task of traveling across a continent, Sammy remains determined and resourceful. His character evolves from a vulnerable child into a strong and independent young boy, showcasing his inner strength and adaptability. Newcomer Fergus McClelland makes a likable lead, but Edward G. Robinson delivers the film's standout performance as Cocky Wainwright, the diamond smuggler who temporarily becomes Sammy’s surrogate father. Robinson brings warmth and subtle compassion to the role, creating a character that is both gruff and endearing.  Director Mackendrick masterfully allows the audience to see the events through Sammy’s eyes, much as he did with the young protagonist in Mandy. This perspective ensures that the film remains focused on Sammy’s emotional journey, making it a poignant and engaging--if episodic--adventure. The mostly on-location shooting brings a raw, realistic quality to the film, highlighting the vastness and beauty of the African continent. This review is based on the 118-minute cut of A Boy Ten Feet Tall, which you can view stream for free on the Million Dollar Movie Classics channel. The original 129-minute version is believed to be lost. An 88-minute version was released to theaters in the U.S. in the 1960s.

The Snubbed By the Oscars Awards...The Results Are In!

Earlier this month, the Cafe's staff selected twenty performers snubbed by the Oscars and placed them in categories based on one of their most famous performances. We then asked classic film fans to vote in an online poll to select the winners of our first-ever Snubbed By the Oscars Awards!

We'd like to thank everyone who took the time to complete their ballots. To our surprise, we reached the maximum number of votes allowed by our (free) survey software in less than two weeks. Our accountants tell us we can't provide the voting percentages for each performer in each category. However, we will state that Best Supporting Actor was by far the most competitive category.

Without further discussion, here are the winners:

Robert Mitchum showing "love."

Best Actor

Richard Burton, Becket

Kirk Douglas, Ace in the Hole

Cary Grant, Notorious

Robert Mitchum, Night of the Hunter

Peter O’Toole, Lawrence of Arabia

Best Actress

Greta Garbo, Ninotchka

Deborah Kerr, The Innocents

Marilyn Monroe, Some Like It Hot

Barbara Stanwyck, Double Indemnity

Gene Tierney, Leave Her to Heaven

Lansbury as cinema's worst mother.

Best Supporting Actress

Margaret Hamilton, The Wizard of Oz

Elsa Lanchester, Witness for the Prosecution

Angela Lansbury, The Manchurian Candidate

Agnes Moorehead, The Magnificent Ambersons 
Thelma Ritter, Rear Window

Best Supporting Actor

Sydney Greenstreet, The Maltese Falcon

Vincent Price, Laura

Edward G. Robinson, Double Indemnity

Peter Sellers, Dr. Strangelove

Eli Wallach, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

CMBA Blogathon: "The Prize" and Rodgers & Hammerstein's "Cinderella"

Paul Newman as a cynical novelist.

The Prize (1963). Ernest Lehman adapted this mixture of North By Northwest and Grand Hotel from Irving Wallace's 1963 novel. If Lehman's name sounds familiar, it's because he also penned North By Northwest. Lehman keeps the basic structure of Wallace's multi-character story about a gathering of Nobel Prize winners in Stockholm. However, he gives the film a definite Hitchcock treatment.

Newman and Elke Sommer.

Paul Newman stars as Andrew Craig, a hard-drinking, cynical, but charming author who has won the Nobel Prize for his little-known, critically-acclaimed novels. He considers turning down the honor, but decides that $50,000 "ain't hay." While he is checking into the hotel, he meets an atomic scientist (Edward G. Robinson) who politely chastises him for his unpatriotic attitude. The following day, Andrew meets the scientist again, but the elderly gentleman doesn't recognize him--and makes disparaging remarks about the free world to the press. It's almost as if he's a completely different person. And, of course, he is!

Edward G. Robinson and Diane Baker.

The Prize will never be mistaken for a Hitchcock classic, but it's still satisfying escapist fare headed by a game cast. The subplots involving the other Nobel Prize winners--a scientist who thinks a rival stole his discovery, a wife who wants to make her cheating husband jealous, etc.--provide some humor and, in one case, are tied into the kidnapping. Elke Sommer adds glamour and sass as Newman's eventual ally. Diane Baker keeps the viewer guessing whether she's actually good or bad. And Hitch favorite Leo G. Carroll adds the perfect touch as the fretful head of the awards ceremony.

Journeyman director Mark Robson knows how to keep the plot rolling along. He lacks the Hitchcock touch, but let's reflect for a moment. The Prize is a superior film to Torn Curtain, a European-set thriller about a physicist involved with spies, which was made the following year and starred Paul Newman. That misfire was directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

Stuart Damon and Lesley Ann Warren.

Cinderella (1965). Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II originally adapted the famous fairy tale as a television musical in 1957. That version was broadcast live on the East Coast and earned Julie Andrews an Emmy nomination. However, we baby boomers harbor fond memories of the 1965 version starring Lesley Ann Warren as Cinderella and Stuart Damon as the Prince.

Shot on studio sets, it's essentially a filmed play, though that never detracts from its charms. Running just 77 minutes, Cinderella features a lovely score comprised of catchy tunes like "In My Own Little Corner," "Impossible," "Ten Minutes Ago," and the incandescent "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful?"

Eighteen-year-old Lesley Ann Warren got the lead role after she was turned down as the oldest Von Trapp daughter in The Sound of Music (1965). Her clear, melodious voice and youthful innocence led to a contract with Disney and plum parts in The Happiest Millionaire (1967) and The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band (1968). She had a long career on television and film, eventually receiving an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress in Victor, Victoria (1982).

Her co-star, Stuart Damon, had appeared on Broadway in Irma La Douce in 1960. Despite a fine singing voice, he spent most of his career in non-musical roles. He starred in the 1968-69 British television series The Champions as a government agent with extrasensory powers. In 1977, he was cast as Dr. Alan Quartermaine on the daytime drama General Hospital. He played the role for 30 years, earning nine Emmy nominations and two wins along the way.

Ginger Rogers and Walter Pigeon.

The supporting cast in Cinderella consists of screen veterans Walter Pigeon (the King), Ginger Rogers (the Queen), Celeste Holm (the fairy godmother), and Jo Van Fleet (the stepmother). Alas, Ginger doesn't get a big dance scene!

There have been several other versions of this Rodgers and Hammerstein musical. The most notable ones are a 1997 television version with Brandy and Whitney Houston and a big budget 2013 Broadway adaptation. Both of these musicals added songs that expanded the show's running time. For me, though, I'll just stick with the original...well, the original remake with Lesley Ann and Stuart.


This post is part of the Words, Words, Words! Blogathon hosted by the Classic Movie Blog Association. Be sure to check out all the outstanding posts by clicking here.