Alive & Twitching

I am listing my 20 favourite films released during the 1960s. As with the pre-1960 list, I am not going to attempt to itemise them in anything other than date order and those mentioned are films I have either seen or revisited in the past few years or are otherwise deeply etched in my memory.

 

The Apartment Dir. Billy Wilder (USA, 1960)

The winner of five Oscars, including Best Film and Best Director, this is a bitter-sweet comedy from the great Billy Wilder, with outstanding performances from Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine.

 

The Magnificent Seven Dir. John Sturges (USA, 1960)

Although it is very closely based on Kurosawa’s The Seven Samurai, this can be viewed on its own merits as one of the best westerns ever made. The story lends itself very well to the Wild West and the cast is terrific. Supporting Yul Brynner were several charismatic actors at an early stage of their careers, including Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson and James Coburn.

 

Yojimbo Dir. Akira Kurosawa (Japan, 1961)

Kurosawa fans, bemused by my previous selection, may take some comfort from the inclusion of this film starring Toshiro Mifune as a Samurai for hire. It was also subsequently adapted as a famous western, A Fistful of Dollars.

 

To Kill A Mockingbird Dir. Robert Mulligan (USA, 1962)

A faithful adaptation of a classic novel about an attorney in the Deep South defending a black man accused of raping a white woman. Gregory Peck, as the attorney, was perfectly cast and deservedly won a Best Actor Oscar. This is a very powerful and moving film and would probably be included in my personal Top Ten.

 

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance Dir. John Ford (USA, 1962)

This is another western but is one that transcends the genre, so that it can be enjoyed even by those who do not normally like “cowboy films”. It is an elegy for the passing of the old West and is a study of the creation and preservation of its myths. With John Ford as director and James Stewart and John Wayne as its stars, it is a true classic.

 

Whatever Happened To Baby Jane Dir. Robert Aldrich (USA, 1962)

A weird and wonderful combination of psychological thriller and black comedy, starring Bette Davis and Joan Crawford as two elderly sisters who share a house. The Davis character is clearly unhinged and wages a campaign of terror against Crawford. The film is totally over the top but hugely entertaining.

 

The Manchurian Candidate Dir. John Frankenheimer (USA, 1962)

An intelligent, scary political thriller in which the tension builds to a terrific climax. The excellent cast is headed by Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey and Angela Lansbury.

 

Lawrence Of Arabia Dir. David Lean (UK, 1962)

Arguably the greatest historical epic movie, this runs for over 3½ hours yet it never palls. It should, ideally, be seen on a big screen, in order to appreciate fully the wonderful cinematography. The film launched the international film careers of Peter O’Toole and Omar Sharif. The way the latter first appears out of the desert haze is one of the great moments of cinema. The film won seven Academy Awards, including those for Best Film, Director and Cinematography.

 

Tom Jones Dir. Tony Richardson (UK, 1963)

Adapted by John Osborne from Henry Fielding’s eighteenth-century novel, this bawdy comedy is great fun. Albert Finney is superb in the title role. It won Oscars for Best Film, Director and Screenplay.

 

Dr Strangelove Dir. Stanley Kubrick (UK, 1964)

A brilliant political satire about the Cold War and the possibility of a nuclear Armageddon, this film is very funny yet disturbing at the same time. Comedy doesn’t get much blacker than this. Three of the leading roles are played by Peter Sellers.

 

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