THE THREE INVESTIGATORS AND THE SECRET OF SKELETON ISLAND

The Three Investigators on the job

THE THREE INVESTIGATORS AND THE SECRET OF SKELETON ISLAND (2007). Director: Florian Baxmeyer. Based on the book by Robert Arthur.

In the sixties there was a series of juvenile mysteries called "Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators". Three young boys would report to the famous film director, and take off on assignments to solve puzzling mysteries. One of the books was entitled "The Secret of Skeleton Island."  [NOTE: There was an even better young adult mystery with the same title published as the first novel in the Ken Holt Mystery series by Bruce Campbell.] This German-South African production basically throws out the story of the novel and substitutes a tale of a mythical monster, a search for treasure, and a sub-theme of the evils of racism set on an island near Capetown. [The only relation to the book is that one of the boys' father's is hired to work on an amusement park, but it is never seen or referred to again in the movie.] The film has an excellent prologue wherein the boys are nearly crushed under a descending elevator, and a good scene late in the film when they're trapped in an underground chamber [this may be taken for a substitute for the books' best sequence, in which they are caught in an underwater cavern]. There's also an exciting scene when the boys go paragliding, although none have much experience at it. The young actors in this -- Chancellor Miller, Nick Price and Cameron Monaghan as the investigators, and Naima Sebe as a girl they befriend and help during the adventure -- are excellent, and the production is certainly slick. A sequel, The Three Investigators and the Castle of Terror is only available in Australia. Alfred Hitchcock, alas, is nowhere to be seen.

Verdict: Fun for children. **1/2.

THE BOYS OF PAUL STREET

THE BOYS OF PAUL STREET (1969). Director: Zoltan Fabri.

This Hungarian film was based on the same novel that was the basis of No Greater Glory. I saw the film in the early 70's and penned the following review back then:

"Rival clubs of young boys in early 20th century Budapest decide to have a war in order to decide who gets to keep a local yard as a playground. The parallel between the children and the juvenile antics of real-life armies, as well as the pointed observations of the futility of the battle, make this more meaningful than most children's films. Unfortunately, the movie is still not as effective nor as moving as it could have been. The child actors need discipline, however Anthony Kemp as the brave, impish poor fool who gets so caught up in hero-worship and loyalty that he makes a pointless sacrifice, is marvelous. And William Burleigh as the club president, may emerge a mature screen personality in the future. Having all the bullies eventually metamorphose into good guys further weakens the impact. Photography and music are fine."

NOTE: Kemp made two more movies and Burleigh only one. However, John Moulder-Brown, who was also in the cast, went on to make many more film appearances and was still acting as of 2007.

Verdict: Some good performances and nice moments. **1/2.

BIG RED

BIG RED (1962). Director: Norman Tokar.

In Quebec dog breeder James Haggin (Walter Pidgeon) allows a young French orphan boy Rene (Gilles Payant) come to work for him, where the boy bonds with the beautiful Irish Setter, Red. After the show dog is injured, Haggin wants him put down, but Rene runs off with the animal and nurses him back to health. There are more misunderstandings and arguments and eventually Rene sets off to find Red and Molly, a female setter, who have run off -- and Haggin sets out to find the boy. The dogs are cute and beautiful, although the story is at times contrived, with Haggin made out to be more insensitive than he would be to drive the plot along. Still, this is a worthwhile family film for dog lovers of all ages. Supposedly Big Red made the Irish Setter breed so popular that they were widely inbred, turning them into the neurotic -- if lovably crazy -- species they are today. Pidgeon is okay but Payant is better; this was apparently his only film. Janette Bertrand adds some warmth and humor as Haggin's wise, motherly housekeeper. Very nice scenery and location photography.

Verdict: Appealing Walt Disney film in spite of its flaws. **1/2.

WHITE MANE

WHITE MANE (Crin blanc: Le cheval sauvage/1953). Director: Albert Lamorrise.

A group of ranchers in France try to capture White Mane, the leader of a group of wild horses. The young fisherboy Folco (Alain Emery) befriends the horse and tries to tame him. When he succeeds, the exasperated ranchers decide they want the horse after all and set off in pursuit of the boy and White Mane -- with tragic results. This short film, which won the Grand Prix in Cannes in 1953, is poetic, charming and poignant, beautifully photographed by Edmond Sechan and with a lovely score by Maurice Le Roux (Leroux). One of the nicest moments has Folco bringing a small turtle to his fascinated younger sibling, who is delighted with it. The latest version is narrated by actor Peter Strauss. Although the commentary tries to put a positive spin on the ending, there's no getting around its grimness. Albert Lamorrise was also responsible for the cheerier Red Balloon. An amusing aspect of White Mane is the way the horse's mane, falling over its eyes, reminds one of the "peekaboo bangs" of Veronica Lake!

Verdict: Heartbreaking children's film for adults. ***.