Review of The Moon-Spinners (1964) by Kenneth E — 21 Jul 2013
This odd-titled film is filled with mystery, suspense, and is peppered with the same kind of dramatic, visual/narrative liberalisms as Alfred Hitchcock's body of work from the same era. Hayley Mills, for the first time with the studio, begins to leave her cutesy girl image behind in favor of something more serious and (do I dare say it?) sexy.
However, make no mistake, Moon-Spinners is a fun family film, as it contains the same frolicking antics, good music, and humor as many Disney classic films from earlier years, (though I subtract a full star from the overall rating because Act 3 does get a bit TOO silly and chatty, particularly during scenes with Pola Negri's Madame Habib.
As a side note, this was Negri's final on-screen performance.) Not universally recognized as a classic in the Disney canon, Moon-Spinners is an under-appreciated effort from the studio, and is a bold departure from their early-1960s formula.
This review of The Moon-Spinners (1964) was written by Kenneth E on 21 Jul 2013.
The Moon-Spinners has generally received positive reviews.
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