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Reviews
Dr. Heidegger's Experiment (1969)
A shorthand retelling of Nathaniel Hawthorne's cautionary tale
The very short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Dr Heidegger's Experiment, tells of the doctor's dispensing to his four old friends water from the Fountain of Youth. This film short from 1969 captures some of the visual imagery from the story but falls short in capturing the poignant aspects. The actors are all very competent but the script could contain more of what was written in the story. Since the story is really quite brief it seems puzzling why so much of Hawthorne's narrative is omitted. To see this film on its own is to miss much of what Nathaniel Hawthorne strove to impart to us, mainly that after all, youth may indeed be wasted on the young. By all means see the film but also read the story by Hawthorne for yourself. The film can be seen on YouTube for free.
Meet John Doe (1941)
It's a wonderful movie
It's not so much that they don't make movies like this anymore as they don't make actors like this anymore. The scenes with Brennan and Cooper are the stuff of Hollywood dreams. Stanwyck is at times sexy, conniving and compassionate. Edward Arnold is the villain who makes absolute sense of the whole mess. Look for a brief cameo by Sterling Holloway as a burger flipper. Spring Byington is more than adequate playing Stanwyck's mother. It's hard to wrap a movie this great up in a satisfying ending and perhaps this film falls a bit short in that respect. But you will never feel that you wasted your time watching it.
The Andy Griffith Show: Andy and Opie - Bachelors (1962)
Andy Griffith and Joanna Moore Make Beautiful Music Together
Joanna Moore, mother of Tatum O'Neal, appears as Andy's might be girlfriend in one of four episodes in which she graced the Andy Griffith Show. The plot, as usual, is a simple one but the performances by the cast raise it above the mundane. Midway through the episode, Andy and Joanna give a front porch rendition of 'Down in the Valley'. The song is both folksy and moving and is one of the true gems of the Mayberry series. Noticeably absent from the episode is Don Knotts as Barney Fife. But the story moves well without him as Floyd the barber provides a foil for Andy.
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour: Memo from Purgatory (1964)
Early James Caan and Walter Koenig Efforts
At the time this episode was produced it was almost mandatory to have a delinquent teen entry. Brando's 'The Wild One', James Dean's 'Rebel Without a Cause' and countless other lower budget hell-raiser flicks paved the way. The dialogue is a bit stilted, true, but it's what people expected at that time from this type of drama. There is some respectable jazz as background music. Caan and Koenig exhibit their early acting chops. That alone is interesting to see. By today's standards, these 'delinquents' look like Eagle Scouts.