MY 100 FAVOURITE FILMS (PART SEVEN). It's time to finish off the sixties and head pell mell into the seventies. But before I do, I'd like to draw your attention to the picture of a movie theater on your left; that is the Walt Whitman in Pennsauken, N.J. Now long gone, it was originally built by my great grandfather who was an architect. But now, on with the movies. As I previously warned you all, we're getting into the territory where the films I love are on this list because I fell in love with them way back in childhood. It's true that there is a tremendous impact deriving from such movies and I make no apologies for the love I bear these films. As I said before, these are not necessarily the greatest films ever made (although sometimes they are) but merely those films with which I have a particularly strong connection. So, with the fear that I may have been apologizing TOO much, here we go with the next ten of my 100 favourite films.

• Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine (1965) dir. Norman Taurog -- As in the case of DONOVAN'S REEF, here we have a film that's pure fun. And like THE COMEDY OF TERRORS, this one also arose from AIP and it's one of my favourite movies to watch during the summer. (I must pause to mention that not only do I rewatch favourite movies all the time but also SOMETIMES those movies tend to be rewatched around the same time of year). This film features Vincent Price as the devilish arch fiend Dr. Goldfoot in a parody of the 60's vogue for spy films in which he creates ravishing lady robots who will explode at opportune moments. Please don't confuse this film with the dire and unfunny sequel DR. GOLDFOOT AND THE GIRL BOMBS because you'll be eternally sorry if you do. Here we have a very light, dumb romp that really sums up the mid-60's for me. All that and a theme song sung by Diana Ross and the Supremes (I shit you not!).

• Carry On Screaming (1966) dir. Gerald Thomas -- Another comedy/parody; this time poking affectionate fun at Hammer Horror. While (attempted) smooching in the woods at night, Jim Dale has his girlfriend snatched by a Frankensteinian monster named Oddbod. The monster returns with the girl to the sinister mansion of Dr. What (Kenneth Williams) and his hubba-hubba sister (Fenella Fielding doing a spot on Joan Greenwood impression) where the pair are coating them with wax and selling them as department store dummies. Most of the "Carry On" crew are on hand for the silliness (as is future Doctor Who Jon Pertwee) and, in feel, the Hammer Horror parody is just about perfect.

• Guess Who's Coming To Dinner (1967) dir. Stanley Kramer -- So what if Sidney Poitier is so perfect you'd have to be NUTS not to think he's a great catch?!? This film was still rather brave for it's time in its depiction of white woman Katharine Houghton (Kate Hepburn's real life niece) falling in love with black man Sidney Poitier. The film concerns itself with a single day as the pair break the news to their respective parents. The final (and most tearjerking) film teaming of Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn, the final speech is obviously showing more than what's in the script. And the scene where Hepburn tells off the bigoted Virginia Christine (later to hawk coffee as Mrs. Olsen) is pure gold; Hepburn is ever so calm and sweet resulting in the fact that her anger isn't apparent to Christine until the final "get lost".

• The Lion in Winter (1968) dir. Anthony Harvey -- Two films in a row where Katharine Hepburn won the best actress Oscar! This time she's Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine and Peter O'Toole reprises his portrayal of Henry II from BECKET. Like EXECUTIVE SUITE, here we have a power struggle over the question of succession: who will be Henry's air to the throne of England? His sons are the young nitwit John (Nigel Terry: later to portray King Arthur in EXCALIBUR), the crafty John Castle or the rough-and-tumble (in more ways than one) Anthony Hopkins. A ridiculously young Timothy Dalton and a mind-numbingly gorgeous Jane Merrow are along for the ride. Palace intrigue on a grand, Shakespearean scale.

• Night of the Living Dead (1968) dir. George A. Romero -- The newly dead are walking around chomping on people. Who knew such a fantastic movie could arise from so simple a concept. NIGHT is an innovator and still remains compelling and frightening to this very day. The grainy, black and white photography gives a documentary feel as if this is really happening; the television bulletins help this as well. Duane Jones is the anchor as he presides over an amateur cast that nevertheless gives a good accounting of themselves. They're not only coming to get Barbara but the whole "midnight movie" audience which would soon elevate this film to icon status.

• Rosemary's Baby (1968) dir. Roman Polanski -- Simply the most faithful adaptation of a book to the screen I've ever seen. Mia Farrow's actor husband John Cassavettes makes a deal with a group of Satanists (lead by Sidney Blackmer and Oscar-winning Ruth Gordon) to impregnate her with the devil's child. The film is minutely paced to an exact degree in order to build up the most suspense. The ridiculous criticism about not seeing the baby at the end of the film is totally unfounded. Who needs to see the baby? That's missing the whole point of the film. I'm thankful we were spared the possibility of a rubber baby with red eyes looking like something from IT'S ALIVE. It would have ruined a film whose mood is painstakingly built from the first reel.
• Harold and Maude (1971) dir. Hal Ashby -- Bud Cort plays a morbid young man obsessed with death and faking suicide attempts. He also loves to go to strangers' funerals. So does Ruth Gordon whom he meets there and a warm friendship develops which eventually turns to love. The oddest of odd couples make up this first film on the list from the 1970s. It's funny how two characters so fascinated by death can make such a statement about life. The Cat Stevens soundtrack matches the mood perfectly and I've been lusting all my life after Harold's porsche hearse!
• 1776 (1972) dir. Peter H. Hunt -- This is the real way the American Revolution happened. Swear. The founding fathers really did sing (and you'll never convince me otherwise) as they do here in one of my favourite musicals. Williams Daniels will forever be John Adams in my mind (obnoxious and disliked, it must be said) and Howard DaSilva makes a perfect Benjamin Franklin. Ken Howard (The White Shadow himself) even makes a very credible Thomas Jefferson with a beautiful Blythe Danner as his wife. There are too many wonderful songs to count. I can rewatch this again and again. Frequent - lee!
• Jesus Christ Superstar (1973) dir. Norman Jewison -- Another of my favourite musicals DESPITE the fact that Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote the music. I hate Andrew Lloyd Webber. I really do. But THIS one I like. It's really an opera (that "rock opera" term would be bandied about in the early 70's) since almost every single word is sung. The mostly unknown cast (with future disco queen Yvonne Elliman as Mary Magdelene and a perfectly cast Barry Dennen as a slightly camp Pontius Pilate) bring us this hippy passion play with tunes.

• The Missiles of October (1974) dir. Anthony Page -- Tense and gripping TV movie starring William Devane as JFK and Martin Sheen as RFK (with our friend Howard DaSilva portraying Nikita Kruschev) depicts the Cuban Missile Crisis from start to finish. A large cast of superb character actors (even including THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD's Kenneth Tobey) are the bedrock upon which stands this phenomenol historical drama based on eyewitness accounts and memoirs of the participants.

And with the bombs NOT falling, we take our leave once again from the list until next time. And what do the 70's have in store?!? Well, how about ANOTHER drama based on historical events? -- as well as stolen goods fencing, diets, vaudevillians, insanity, the Boer War and a well known dinner. And if you thought you were worried about the 70s, it's only fair to warn you we'll be entering the 80s next time around.