Midway (1976)

Midway was shown on American network television in June of 1992, and I remember watching it and really enjoying the battle scenes, and learning a little about the battle of Midway.

Toshiro Mifune plays Japanese Admiral Yamamoto and Henry Fonda plays American Admiral Chester Nimitz. The battle is planned and executed.

There is a subplot involving American naval captain Charlton Heston and his son played by Edward Albert, whose girlfriend is Japanese. The interracial romance was reflective of the times and relevant to the audiences of the 1970s but otherwise the film isn't  too remarkable.

It's an all star cast, so if you know your classic movie stars, you can play the game "Oh look it's .....". James Coburn, Glenn Ford, Robert Wagner, Dabney Coleman, Pat Morita, Erik Estrada, Robert Mitchum, Hal Holbrook, Tom Seleck, Cliff Robertson and more.

Read another review from the blog Mike's Take on Movies here. 

Trailer for Gidget (1959) with Dick Clark

In this original trailer from1959, American Bandstand's Dick Clark says a few words about "Gidget" with Sandra Dee 

"As the kids say, it's a ball!"

Gidget (1959) Starring Sandra Dee

The original 1959 classic (which laid the groundwork for the later beach party movies of the 1960s) was screened the other night at a theater hall at The University of Chicago, as part of their year-round DOC film series.

Before the movie started, , the organizers of the film series played a few fun records from the "Gidget" era to set the mood: "26 Miles to Santa Catalina" by The Four Preps (who preform a song in the movie during a beach party scene)"Teenage Crush" by Tommy Sands and "Kookie, Lend Me Your Comb" by Edd Byrnes & Connie Stevens

Cute-as-a button Sandra Dee plays a 16-year old late bloomer who is not as interested in chasing boys as her girlfriends. One day she is dragged to the beach by them, only to be teased by a gang of surfer dudes they meet on the shore. One of the guys (James Darren) saves her life when she swims out too far.

She then becomes determined to learn how to surf; in a very amusing scene, she begs her parents (Mary LaRoche and Arthur O'Connell) for $21.50 for a surfboard. She's also struck by cupid's arrow (or rather, "hit on the head with a sledgehammer") as she develops a deep crush on one of the guys, but she's too shy to tell anyone who.

A very funny film; the audience I saw it with - college students, adults, couples, and senior citizens - laughed out loud at many parts, including the scene where Gidget practices surfing on her bed as her pixie-cut sporting girlfriend shakes her mattress.

Oscar-winning actor Cliff Robertson ("Charly") also has a large part is this; he plays a California beach bum named Kahuna, who does nothing but surf day after day, a rather interesting free spirited character. He's sort of the leader of the surfer group.

Singer-actor James Darren (no relation to Bobby Darin) sings several songs (including the title song) and he reprised his role in two other "Gidget" films (which are not as good as the original, I understand). I had never seen him in any other movie before.

The film was actually based on a book, which I was surprised to learn. This movie isn't a brainless beach party movie that some might expect. I found it to be warmhearted and touching. The scenery is great.

Directed by Paul Wendkos, who passed away last November 2009 at the age of 84.

The adorable Sandra Dee (who also appeared in A Summer Place and Imitation of Life that same year) became a top 10 box office star for the next several years.

I really don't know much about her life after the 1960s; she was a very private person who only appeared occasionally on TV. I was saddened to hear about her passing in 2005.

One of her interesting TV-movie credits was a film called "Houston, We've Got a Problem" in 1974, which co-starred Robert Culp. The film was about the Apollo 13 space flight, 21 years before the Tom Hanks movie Apollo 13.