Movie Review: ****Swiss Family Robinson (1960)

This is a classic Disney with a shipwrecked family and pirates.  It lead to a creation of a tree house at Disneyland.  It featured adult actors as well as child stars.  Father (John Mills) and Mother (Dorothy McGuire) with there three sons, Fritz (James MacArthur), Ernst (Tommy Kirk) and Francis (Kevin Corcoran) make life as best as they can on a deserted island.   They find all they need, and a wide assortment of wild animals from several different continents.  They also rescue a girl from pirates, Roberta (Janet Munro).  This creates jealousy between Fritz and Ernst as they both vie for her attention.  Then there is the issue of

those pesky pirates, so the family prepares for them, but almost find themselves unprepared, as they had let their guard down for a day of recreation.

Movie Review: Three Coins in a Fountain (1954)

Her we not only have a romantic movie, but a romantic movie x three.  The introductory song implies that only one romance will be successful.  That only one coin will be selected and rewarded as three woman make a wish at the fountain.  We have two women working for a company, with very strict guidelines for relations between American employees and local employees.  Two women are working for this American company in Rome.  A third woman works for an American author, who is living in Rome for some time.  They all establish relationship, the first with a local coworker (the against the rules relationship.)  The coworker gets fired, and there goes his chances to be a lawyer.  The new woman, falls for a rich local.  She studies his life, to know what to like and say to win him.  And the third, our secretary has been in love with the author for many years, he just doesn't realize he loves her as well.  All these relationships are doomed in their way.  The first because of the rules, the second when she confesses what she has been doing, and the third when the author finds he does not have long to live, but there is small hope with medical procedures in the United States.  So which of the relationships will be rescued?
I enjoyed the characters, and the story line.  After listening to the song I didn't expect the ending.  This movie stars: Clifton Webb as the author John Shadwell, Dorothy McGuire as the secretary, Jean Peters as the new employee, Louis Jourdan as the rich local Prince Dino di Cessi, Maggie McNamara as the employee returning home and Rossano Brazzi as the local.

Disney Movie Review: **** Old Yeller

This is the classic movie of a boy and his dog.  Travis (Tommy Kirk) is the man of the house, as his father (Fess Parker) goes on a cattle drive.  A stray dog comes on the scene causing a heap of trouble the first day his father is gone.  His younger brother (Kevin Corcoran) insists the dog is his.  At first Travis doesn't like the dog; but mother (Dorothy McGuire) insists that the keep the dog for his younger brother, Arliss.  Travis learns to love the dog, as he is a true cattle dog and saves Arliss from a bear, Travis from a from a new mother cow, and from the hogs.  Trouble brews the the dogs rightful owner (Chuck Connor) comes to claim him.  However Arliss is so intent on keeping the dog, the visitor trades the dog for a meal.  However there is "Hypothermy" [rabies] in the country.  In saving the family from a wolf, Old Yeller is infected.  A humorous aside is the character of Bud Searcy (Jeff York).  He instructs his daughter in gathering corn, "Make sure you get ears what is sweet and juicy."