1. Whatever Happened to Aunt Alice? (1969)
The Premise: A widow finds an unusual source of income after her husband's untimely death.
Overall: Geraldine Page is wonderfully unhinged in the lead role. I'm not entirely sold on the premise, but it's an enjoyable movie throughout.
Fun Fact: The film's title is a reference to Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, another movie Robert Aldrich was involved with. A third film in this "trilogy" was proposed but never made.
2. The City of the Dead (a.k.a. "Horror Hotel") (1960)
The Premise: An inexplicably trusting young woman ventures into the New England countryside looking for witches.
Overall: The fog machine was working overtime for this one. More fog per frame than any other movie I've seen.
In The City of the Dead Christopher Lee and Co. deliver a fairly by-the-numbers horror thriller, even though Lee's character's role in the plot is interestingly ambiguous throughout.
3. The Marriage-Go-Round (1961)
The Premise: Yet another one of those "battle of the sexes romps," of which the 60s provided many examples.
Overall: The plot of this movie is one of the most contrived things ever. A stunning Swedish woman arrives at a married couple's home, announces she wants to bear the married man's children, and for whatever reason his wife leaves them alone for an extended period of time. Really, Susan Hayward, respect yourself more!
It must be admitted, however, that Julie Newmar gives the 60s equivalent of a boner-inspiring performance here, and I fully understand why subsequent generations of drag performers were so fascinated by her. But aside from her performance this movie is, largely, an embarrassment. I'm not saying that it's Susan Hayward's or James Mason's fault, but yeah, it hasn't aged well.
In Case You Didn't Already Know: Julie Newmar would go on to play Catwoman in the Batman TV show later in the decade.
4. Birds Do It (1966)
The Premise: Soupy Sales plays janitor in a rocket laboratory.
Overall: The one thing I can really, truly say in this movie's favor is that the actress playing the head scientist's daughter is hot. As for the rest... well, I suppose it depends on how amenable you are to screwball comedy.
Fun Fact 1: That "hot daughter" (Beverly Adams) went on to marry noted hair stylist Vidal Sassoon.
Fun Fact 2: This was the only time Soupy Sales starred in a film. He despised this movie, and spent the rest of his life criticizing it.
Fun Fact 3: Soupy Sales' two sons, Tony and Hunt Sales, went on to form the band Tin Machine with David Bowie.
5. Surf Party (1964)
To some extent The Beatles would kill this scene, but hey, it was fun while it lasted.
Anyone else remember a 1987 movie Back to the Beach? That movie was predicated upon movies like this one, all part of the early to mid 60s surf craze.
The Premise: Bobby Vinton teaches three wayward girls how to surf.
Overall: Harmless fun, and one of those "time capsule films" that says a lot about the era that produced it.
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6. The Explosive Generation (1961)
The Premise: High school students stage a protest after their teacher's suspension. His transgression? Talking about S-E-X!
Overall: The ending isn't convincing, but up until the last five minutes it's an engaging movie. William Shatner, by the way, plays the teacher. The Explosive Generation was his fourth film appearance and his first starring role.
7. Riot (1969)
With both Jim Brown and Gene Hackman in the cast you know the 70s aren't far off. Jim Brown, it should be said, more than holds his own in the presence of Gene Hackman, who'd go on to become one of the major stars of the 70s.
The Premise: Several prisoners stage a riot inside an Arizona prison.
Overall: It's a good movie, better movie than many of the other movies discussed here.
Buzz Kulik, the director, also oversaw The Explosive Generation above. The best known of his films is probably the made-for-TV Brian's Song.
8. Operation Atlantis (1965)
The Premise: James Bond via the Italian film industry.
Overall: The plot goes absolutely nowhere and makes almost no sense. Most damning of all, that one evil henchmen barely brings his wicked-looking claw thing into play.
9. Dementia 13 (a.k.a. "The Haunted and the Hunted") (1963)
The Premise: Death and horror on an Irish estate.
Overall: It may surprise you to know that Francis Ford Coppola directed this one. It was his very first movie, made under the auspices of Roger Corman. After a brief stint with Corman at American International Pictures, he'd go on to Warner Bros., where he'd direct You're a Big Boy Now, Finian's Rainbow and The Rain People. After The Rain People he'd move to Paramount, where he'd direct The Godfather between 1971 and 1972.
Dementia 13 is... OK. To its credit it's very short, and it offers an interesting look at a big name very early in his career. It was filmed for a little over $22,000, which wasn't much even in the 60s, though Coppola did do a lot with the meager resources at his disposal.
Fun Fact: A remake of this movie was released in 2017.
10. What a Way to Go! (1964)
The Premise: Shirley MacLaine works her way through a series of wealthy husbands.
Overall: The cinematic equivalent of fluff. It's pleasant fluff, but yeah, it's fluff.
Fun Fact: This movie was originally conceived as a vehicle for Marilyn Monroe, but she died before filming began.
Sad Fact: Actress Teri Garr, who passed away recently, appears in this for a second.
11. Goodbye Charlie (1964)
The Premise: A womanizer survives his own murder in the body of a woman.
Overall: Given the current dialogue surrounding gender and gender identity this movie has aged like wine. Much of it seems very prescient.
It might remind modern viewers of Blake Edward's 1991 movie Switch, which was based on the same play, but where that movie's awkward this one exerts a breezy charm.
Critics weren't kind to this film. I, however, think it's great. In 1964 they were obviously walking a tightrope with regard to the subject matter, and in my opinion they did a masterful job.
Fun Fact: Ellen Burstyn is in this. Goodbye Charlie was, by some accounts, her first movie role.
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