Swiss Family Robinson (1960)

 

Swiss Family Robinson - 1960

Coming up next we have 1960's "Swiss Family Robinson", that classic Robinson Crusoe tale that sees a family bound for New Guinea stranded after a shipwreck.  They must make the best of their new life on a deserted island.  Wild animals, pirates, and aventure abound!

The film's cast includes John Mills, Dorothy McGuire, James MacArthur, Janet Munro, Tommy Kirk, Kevin Corcoran, and Cecil Parker.

A storm at sea puts a ship on the rocks in the South Pacific.  The entire crew abandons ship, leaving the Robinson family, aiming at moving from Switzerland to New Guinea, alone on board.

After building a makeshift raft, the Robinsons set off for the nearest island.  The captain's two dogs, Duke and Turk, also left behind, make the move from the ship to land with them.

Once they make it to land, the Robinsons drop to their knees to thank God for seeing them safely to shore.

The safety of shore, however, is not all that it seems.  A deadly tiger is watching their every move from a distance, and even dares to get too close for comfort on occasion.

After they build some shelter, Father Robinson sets up watch, wondering what on earth he and his family are going to do.

A pirate ship is spotted in the water and the family knows that it must prepare to have visitors to their island refuge.

In the meantime, the men of the family return to the site of the shipwreck and collect all of the livestock that had been left behind.  Using barrels to keep them afloat, the guys guide them to shore.

A wide variety of wild animals also call the island home.  The youngest of the Robinsons, Francis, captures an elephant, and it becomes a pet.  He also takes a shine to the monkeys that scurry through the trees.

The family works to build a refuge from the threatening elements on the ground.  A house in the trees is constructed, complete with running water and a refrigerator.  Skylights, a pipe organ, and staircases that can be drawn up are just a few of the features of this ingenious house.

The eldest two Robinson boys, Fritz and Ernst, do some exploring on the island.  They come upon a pirate band that has a couple of captives.  A sea captain and a cabin boy need their help.  While they succeed in rescuing the cabin boy, the sea captain goes with the pirates.  It turns out that the cabin boy is not a boy at all, but the captain's granddaughter who disguised herself as a boy to protect herself from the pirates.  Her name is Roberta.

On the way home, the group comes across a zebra stuck in some mud.  After fending off some hyenas intent on having zebra for dinner, they tame it and bring it home with them.

All of the Robinsons take Roberta to their hearts, but Fritz and Ernst find themselves vying for her attentions.

Unfortunately for Ernst, Roberta finds herself very drawn to Fritz, who returns her affections.

Naturally, the pirates return to the island.  The Robinsons and Roberta have to mount a defense if they are to remain unscathed.  The plan of attack includes a tiger trap (thought of by Francis) and some explosives (thought up by Ernst).

Their defenses work for a while, but it is Roberta's grandfather who sails in and blows the pirates out of the water.  The Robinsons are thrilled wave him down to let him know they are there.

Ernst decides to return to Europe so he can attend university.  The rest of the group decides to live on the island, happy in the home they never intended to like so much.

Cast rundown:

   John Mills............................Father Robinson

   Dorothy McGuire..................Mother Robinson

   James MacArthur..................Fritz Robinson

   Janet Munro........................Roberta

   Tommy Kirk.........................Ernst Robinson

   Kevin Corcoran....................Francis Robinson

   Cecil Parker.........................Captain Moreland

And that's it for Swiss Family Robinson.  While set in the South Pacific, this was actually filmed on the island of Tobago.  Animals used during the filming included eight dogs, two giant tortoises, forty monkeys, two elephants, six ostriches, four zebras, one hundred flamingos, six hyenas, two anacondas, and a tiger.  The film was significantly popular enough to earn its own attraction at Disneyland.  In 1962, the Swiss Family Treehouse was unveiled at Disney's Anaheim amusement park.  It remained until 1999, when it was remodeled to become Tarzan's Treehouse.

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Invitation (1952)

Invitation - 1952

Coming up next is 1952's "Invitation", in which we find a young woman who is terminally ill.  She finds that the life she's been living is not all it appears, and her world crumbles around her when she finds that even her very existence is in jeopardy.  Have your Kleenex handy!

The film's cast includes Van Johnson, Dorothy McGuire, Ruth Roman, Louis Calhern, Ray Collins, Lisa Golm, and Barbara Billingsley.

Ellen Pierce is living a life in which she wants for nothing.  She's got everything her heart desires: a husband, a home, etc.

Her father has generously footed the bill for their living expenses.  Ellen can't believe how lucky she has been, especially in regards to her husband Dan.

Unbeknownst to Dan, Ellen goes to see her physician, who happens to be visiting her father.  Ellen tells him of an episode where she blacked out.  It's becoming a more common occurrence.  Only this time, Ellen said she felt afraid when she came to.  The doctor tells her to just take it easy and rest and she should be feeling back to normal in no time.  What Ellen doesn't know is that after a bout of rheumatic fever when she was a child, her heart was severely weakened.  Now, she only has months to live.

After visiting with her father and the doctor, Ellen goes to visit her friend Maud.  Maud, however, is behaving in a hostile manner towards Ellen.  Having been an old girlfriend of Dan's, Ellen can understand why Maud feels that way.  But something Maud tells her causes Ellen to re-think the relationship.  It was something that Maud told her at her wedding.

At the wedding, Maud told Ellen that she could have Dan on loan for a year.  At the time, Ellen just thought Maud had had too much champagne and didn't really give it much thought.  In the present, Maud reminds Ellen that the year is almost up.

Eventually, Ellen works out the truth.  Everything in her life seems to have been planned for only one year, including the employment of her housekeeper.  She calls her father and angrily confronts him with what she knows.

Wanting his daughter to be happy in her final year, Ellen's father even paid Dan to marry her.  Ellen confronts Dan as well, who acknowledges the truth of the accusations.

Dan opens up to Ellen about the whole truth of the situation.  He also tells her that he fell in love with her during the course of the year.  "The days we’ve spent together, the things we’ve done together, building our home here, walking in the woods out there on the weekends, all the little things.  I found that the times I wasn’t with you, everything seemed very empty."

He tells Ellen that there is a doctor who can do an experimental procedure, and it may give her a normal life.  While he was investigating the possibility, he ran into Maud, who was angry as ever.  "Ellen may get well.  If she does, she may wish she hadn’t," Maud tells him.

After Dan gives her a chance to think, Ellen goes to him and tells him that he's made life worth living for her.  "Oh, Dan, I’m so glad to have had my life, because I have it.  Because out of all the sham and deceit something happened.  Because in loving me, you’ve given my life a meaning, a reason, a justification.  You’ve made the past years worthwhile, and the future glorious."

The two reconcile, and Ellen agrees to undergo the experimental procedure.  When she asks Dan how long it would be before they know if it works, he tells her the doctor said they would know by the spring.

The next thing we know, it is spring.  Ellen kisses her husband goodbye as he makes his way to work.

Cast rundown:

   Van Johnson...............................Dan Pierce

   Dorothy McGuire.........................Ellen Bowker Pierce

   Ruth Roman...............................Maud Redwick

   Louis Calhern..............................Simon Bowker

   Ray Collins.................................Dr. Warren Pritchard

   Lisa Golm...................................Agnes

   Barbara Billingsley.......................Miss Alvy

And that's it for Invitation.  The wedding gown in this film was designed by Helen Rose, who also designed the wedding gown of Grace Kelly.  This gown appears to be an earlier version of that dress.

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