With the Christmas movie season now upon us I thought it would be fun to take another look back at Christmas movie releases of the past. This article will look at Christmas movies of 1966 and will be followed by 1971, 1976 and 1981.
The 1966 Christmas movie season was a rather light one. Movie palaces were still getting the exclusive, first run bookings while the still fairly new twin screens in the suburbs were getting second run releases as their Christmas films. Another reason for the relatively light schedule was the huge successes of films such as The Sound of Music, Alfie and Georgy Girl that had opened a few months earlier and played well past the Christmas season into the new year of 1967.
1966 saw the major release of only nine motion pictures for the holiday season. Of the nine only one was aimed for the family audience. Four of the films would be remembered at Academy Awards time but only one of them, an art film, would get any major nominations.
Here is a look at the releases in alphabetical order. If you were old enough to see movies back then I hope this brings back some fond memories and, if not, I hope a few of them will spark your interest and you will seek them out.
AFTER THE FOX (United Artists; Director – Vittorio DeSica) One of the oddest trios to assemble for one movie. Italian director DeSica, American writer Neil Simon and British leading man Peter Sellers. In the film Sellers plays an Italian con man who poses as a movie director for his latest scheme. As always Sellers is worth a peak but the film belongs to Victor Mature as a faded movie star with a still giant ego. The film comes in fits and starts with a still green Simon trying to get his feet wet as a screenwriter. Critical reaction was mixed but the film was not a success at the box office.
THE BIBLE (20th Century Fox; Director – John Huston) This epic movie was a Roadshow engagement (this was when a film played in one theater with one showing a day and two on the weekends and Wednesday where the only way to get tickets was through the mail. Most often these movies played many month, sometimes a year at this one theater) that told the first twenty-two stories of the book of Genesis from Adam and Eve to Cain and Abel to the great flood. An all-star cast included Michael Parks, Richard Harris, George C. Scott, Ava Gardner, Peter O’Toole, Franco Nero and director Huston. The film’s reviews were extraordinarily mixed, some called it brilliant and masterful while others called it the worst movie of the year. The film’s budget was an overwhelming $18 million and would only gross $15 million which made it one of the big losers of the decade. The film was nominated for Best Score but would not win.
THE BUBBLE (Arch Obeler Productions; Director – Arch Obeler) An oddball movie that plays like an over extended episode of Twilight Zone about a couple on vacation who, while flying their twin engine plane, experience some weird atmospheric phenomenon and land in a small town where everyone behaves a little oddly and they soon realize they are encased in a large bubble-like dome. The film was bashed by critics but was a hit at the box office. The film would be re-released in 1974 under the misleading title Fantastic Invasion of Planet Earth in 3-D (misleading because there is no invasion or aliens of any sort) and would be a mild hit yet again.
FOLLOW ME, BOYS (Walt Disney; Director – Norman Tokar) The holidays one family film stars Fred MacMurray as a wanna be lawyer who moves to a small town and, in the hopes of fitting in, becomes a scout master for a local troop of boys (one of them played by a young Kurt Russell). Critical reaction was mixed but because it was the one holiday family film it was a big hit earning $7.3 million at the box office.
A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM (United Artists; Director – Richard Lester) Film adaptation of the smash hit Broadway musical stars Zero Mostel as a conniving slave in ancient Rome who wreaks havoc at every turn. Fans of the musical were disappointed with the liberties the filmmakers took with the play and critical reaction was mixed. The film would earn over $3 million but had a budget of $2 million. It was nominated for its Score Adaptation but failed to win.
GAMBIT (Universal; Director – Ronald Neame) Michael Caine stars as a car burglar who enlists the aid of a dancer (Shirley MacLaine) to help him swipe a rare artifact from a millionaire. This is a solid and very entertaining caper film with strong performances by its lead players. The film was both a critical and box office success and would be nominated for three Academy Awards for Art Direction, Sound and Costume Design. It would not win any of them.
A MAN AND A WOMAN (Allied Artists; Director – Claude Lelouch) The sleeper hit of Christmas of 1966 was this hard to find art house film about a man and a woman who meet and how their relationship slowly develops. The film is told more through action with dialogue (most of the dialogue heard is the thoughts of the characters) and moves slowly, but the story is involving and very real. Critics hailed this film and it was a box office smash making over $6 million at the box office. In Chicago, at the long gone Cinema Theater, the film would play for one year. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards, winning for Best Foreign Film and Best Original Screenplay and losing for Best Actress and Best Director.
MURDERER’S ROW (Columbia; Director Henry Levin) Earlier in the year Dean Martin starred as secret agent Matt Helm in The Silencers, a fun spoof of the popular James Bond movies. The film was such a big hit that this film, the second of four, was rushed into production to make the Christmas season. In this film Helm is killed in the opening scene but it turns out to be a fraud so Helm can go undercover to find a demented mad man with a helium laser beam that can destroy the world. As with the earlier film this film is total silliness with plenty of action and gorgeous women (particularly Ann-Margret). It’s all tongue and cheek including a terrific jab at Frank Sinatra by Martin. Critical reaction was harsh but the film was a solid hit earning over $6 million at the box office.
SPINOUT (MGM; Director – Norman Taurog) Back in the 60’s you could always count on an Elvis Presley movie three times a year. One in the spring, one in the summer and one for Christmas. For this Christmas release the King played the lead singer (what else!) of a band who raced cars on the side. The paper thin story follows our hero as he is pursued by three different women who all want his hand in marriage. Hijinks and plenty of music ensue in this typical, run of the mill Elvis movie. As was the case the film was beaten down by critics but was a solid hit with the teenage audience.