(227) YELLOW CANARY (1963) Pat Boone's dark crime noir
5072DVD
original German title KENNWORT: CANARY [Password:
Canary]
director:
Buzz Kulik [possibly Maury Dexter]
starring: Pat Boone · Barbara Eden · Steve Forrest · Jack Klugman · Harold
Gould · Jeff Corey
Finally!
A decent print of this impossible to find film! It's still far from perfect but the best we've ever seen (please note the actual screen shots on this page). Here's an interesting
[and vastly underrated] crime noir thriller, written by Twilight
Zone creator Rod Serling, based on Whit Masterson's book Evil
Come, Evil Go. It features a fine collection of performers [see
above listing] with Pat Boone as arrogant pop singer Andy Paxton. He is
a womanizing, privileged star on the brink of divorce. During the night
of a big concert, his infant son is kidnapped. The police get involved
immediately. But despite explicit instructions from detective Lt. Bonner,
the singer thinks he's capable of dealing with the kidnappers on his own
even though they are obviously ruthless killers.
The
film is credited to Buzz Kulik, a high profile TV director, but many sources
insist it is actually the work of Maury Dexter [a European 20th Century
producer who helmed other Euro productions at the time including Spaghetti
Western Django: Outlaw of Red River].
This
is the third of three European films (preceded by THE
HORROR OF IT ALL and THE
MAIN ATTRACTION) made by Pat Boone in an attempt to revamp his
squeaky clean image. Reportedly, he had been so embarrassed by his performance
in the movie State Fair (1961), overshadowed by Bobby Darin's
more-adult earthy presence [as well as Pat's own waning popularity], that
his management company arranged for this series of 'mature' projects to
be shot in Europe. In the early '60s, it was shocking to see a sexually
active Boone, smoking cigars, womanizing and drinking alcohol. Shocking,
yes. But also terrifying for everyone involved, from management to Boone
himself. These movies were essentially shelved in the States. NOTE: While not perfect, as noted from the images on this page, the print is decent and the best available.
A
German/Italian co-production in English language;
widescreen format, uncut (89 min.),
in DVD format, encoded for ALL REGIONS, playable on any American DVD machine.
Extras include selected Pat Boone trailers.
Violence/Sexual
Situation/Drugs
suggested for Mature Audiences
Finally!
A decent print of this impossible to find film! It's still far from perfect but the best we've ever seen (please note the actual screen shots on this page).
