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Welcome to 1962!! The year of some great movies to come out in the world. You have films where the day is long, a British officer in the desert of Arabia, the start of the greatest spy to ever grace the screen, a young girl’s life unfolding, a teacher helping a student and a crazy soldier. There are so many things to love about 1962 in terms of film and it was all about the acting and less special effects.
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
Lawrence of Arabia is considered one of the greatest films ever made. AFI listed it as the 5th greatest movie of all time when they did a ranking in 1998 and then moved it down to 7th when they updated their list. My favorite director of all-time, Steven Spielberg, stated that this was his favorite movie of all time, and it was the one that inspired him to become a filmmaker. Starring the great and legendary Peter O’Toole as the main character. The film shows Lawrence’s experiences in the Ottoman provinces of Hejaz and Greater Syria during the First World War. Warning, this film is freakin long. It almost pushes 4 hours. Get ready to sit for a good while.
The Longest Day
If you want to talk about a film that employee almost every white star in Hollywood, then look no further than The Longest Day. The film is about the D-Day landings in Normandy on June 6, 1944. The movie is almost three hours long and you will get a sense of how the events unfolded. I remember watching this film and seeing how both sides approached the day. The Allies keeping it secret while the Axis forces thought it was on a different day and didn’t plan for it. The film had four directors with each director taking a particular group. Here is a taste of the stars that appeared John Wayne, Kenneth More, Richard Todd, Robert Mitchum, Richard Burton, Steve Forrest, Sean Connery, and Henry Fonda to name a few.
Dr. No
“My name is Bond. James Bond.” The film that started it all and is the first film in the James Bond series. Starring the greatest James Bond ever, Sean Connery, this film brought the famous MI6 agent to the big screen. In this film, Bond is sent to Jamaica to find out what happened to a fellow British agent. The film is known for Sean Connery, the famous scene where homegirl comes out of the water and setting up many of the James Bond ways such as the intro with the gun barrel and the crazy opening title sequences. It also introduced the famous theme song
To Kill a Mockingbird
During one of my English classes, we had to read To Kill a Mockingbird. I would say all high school students had to read it during their education years, but I met some people who never read the story. Written by Harper Lee, the movie, like the book, is a coming-of-age story about a young girl named Scout. The story and plot are told through the eyes of Scout. Most of the characters are inspiration from Lee’s life growing up when she was around ten years old. This is the film where Gregory Peck won the Academy Award by beating out Peter O’Toole.
The Miracle Worker
This is one of the best films made in 1962. I know you probably heard of Helen Keller in school. This film is about Anne Sullivan, a blind tutor, who helps Helen Keller learn words and how to be a functioning person. Both actresses, Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke, won the Academy Award for Best Actress and Supporting Actress at the Oscars. The film is crazy to watch as it is literally the will of two people. People are slapped, hit and arguments ensue. You will cheer at the end because it is a great story and ending.
The Manchurian Candidate
This film is one of the best psychological political thrillers around. The film stars Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey, and Angela Lansbury. The plot revolves around Korean War veteran Raymond Shaw who is part of a prominent political family who has high aspirations. Shaw was brainwashed by communists when his platoon was captured. He becomes an unknowingly assassin with the target of killing the presidential nominee and the goal to overthrow the U.S. government. The film will get your heart pumping as it is intense. I also learned that the film came out during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Can’t make this shit up.
The Music Man
If you are looking for a fun and entertaining movie/musical to watch, then look no further than the Music Man. The film revolves around Harold Hill, a con man who somehow poses as a boys’ band organizer and sells band instruments to gullible townsfolk. It’s funny because Harold plans on skipping town because dude is no musician. To make matters worse, Marian sees through his shit as she is a piano teacher. Musicals are the way to go if you are trying to win an award. This film is a fun watch and you will sing along.
Birdman of Alcatraz
I was amazed at how well and entertaining this film was. Starring the legendary Burt Lancaster, it tells the story and life of Robert Stroud. Stroud was sentenced to solitary confinement after having killed a prison guard. Damn, I’m surprised they didn’t give you the chair for that. Stroud was a pretty ruthless dude in real life, but the film focuses on his studies of birds. That is why he is called the Birdman of Alcatraz. He had birds when he was Leavenworth, but they didn’t let him have any at Alcatraz. Lancaster is great in this role along with Telly Savalas and Thema Ritter.
Sweet Bird of Youth
Mr. blue eyes and cool as the other side of the pillow Paul Newman stars in this drama film. He stars as charming gigolo Chance Wayne who wanders back in his hometown with Alexandra Del Lago, a movie star. Yup, you read that correctly, Newman played a gigolo. Nothing wrong with that. In this film, Chance falls for his former sweetheart named Heavenly Finley which sounds like a stripper name. The film is interesting to watch as you don’t know if Chance deserves the ending that he received.
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
I almost forgot about this film. This is one of the best psychological horror thriller films and I am ashamed that I almost didn’t put it in the top 10 list. The film stars the great divas, Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. It follows an aging former child star who is freakin horrible to her paraplegic sister. Shit is messed up. This is a film that shows the real-life drama between Davis and Crawford. Watch this film because it is that good and will mess you up.
