Reviews

My wife and I watched this film last night on TCM (all hail) and we both enjoyed it. I get so tired of hearing comments about this and other films being "dated". What do you expect? I consider what other people call "dated" as direct links into what society was like at the time the film(s) was(were) written, kind of a celluloid sociology course. Lighten up! A movie that is forty-three years old isn't going to be a modern example of people, places, and things. Sheesh! Anyway, what I'll take from this film is that Ronny Howard WAS the finest child actor in films and television. Consider that, in 1963, at 9 years old, he was already doing the Opie-thing for 3 years. In this film, he acts nothing like Opie, he turns into a whole different child: Eddie Corbitt. The under-used Shirley Jones (big crush) was marvelous again, and Glenn Ford was supremely good at his self-styled "non-acting". Stella Stevens's drum solo scene is an excellent highlight. Also, did anyone recognize Clint Howard as a toddler at Eddie's birthday party scene? Or Rance Howard as a camp counselor?