Naked As Nature Intended (1961) ***

Judgement At Nuremberg (1961) ****

Spencer Tracy plays an American judge presiding over the trial of a former Nazi judge.

Nude On The Moon (1961) ***

Rozstanie (1961) ***

Wojciech Has directed this simple story of disposing with a heritage and finding new tenants for an apartment as if it was a great romantic love story (complete with firework displays). An interesting study in contrast between content and style – proof positive that even the most mundane material can be treated with flourish and stylishness.

The End Of Summer (1961) ***

An aging family patriarch tries to enjoy life right to the very end, while two of his daughters hesitate whether to accept arranged marriages.

Nudist Life (1961) ***

Une Femme est une femme (1961) ***

Katiforos (1961) ***

Le Ciel et la boue (1961) ***

Diary Of A Nudist (1961) ***

Davee Decker plays a journalist who joins a nudist colony to write a scathing exposé about their immoral lifestyle. Directed by Doris Wishman, it's the "Citizen Kane" of the "nudie cutie" cinema, at once hilariously campy and completely serious about defending the naturist way of life.

Daniella By Night (1961) ***

The Adventures Of Lucky Pierre (1961) ***

Blue Hawaii (1961) ***

Elvis Presley's musical set in Hawaii.

Maz swojej zony (1961) ***

The Misfits (1961) ***

Summer And Smoke (1961) **

An adaptation of a minor Tennessee Williams' play.

Fanny (1961) **

Hollywood adaptation of Marcel Pagnol's classic trilogy (already filmed in the 1930's in France).

Pocketful Of Miracles (1961) **

Swiadectwo urodzenia (1961) **

War seen through the eyes of three children.

One-Eyed Jacks (1961) **

L'Année dernière à Marienbad (1961) ****

Difficult, pretentious, but visually mesmerizing art movie directed by Alain Resnais. The ultimate in Euro-chic cinematic snobbery, but extremely well made.

Drugi czlowiek (1961) *

Bizarre Polish film about an unemployed steelworker who wants his old job back.

Dzis w nocy umrze miasto (1961) *

Polish war drama set during the firebombing of Dresden in February 1945.

Le Gros et le Maigre (1961) ***

Short film, directed by Roman Polanski, about a peculiar master-slave relationship between two men: a fat exploiter and his lean servant.

Golden Gloves (1961) ***

The best documentary short produced by the French-language unit of the National Film Board of Canada in the early 60's. Pictures made at that unit are commonly refered to as "cinema direct" films. Directed by Gilles Groulx. Length: 28 minutes.

Erotyk (1961) ***

Memorable, but not particularly erotic short film by Jerzy Skolimowski.

Brunswick Bowling (1961) ***

King Size Coke (1961) ***

Mr Hayashi (1961) *

A haiku-like experimental short about a Japanese gardener. Directed by Bruce Baillie.

101 Dalmatians (1961) ****

A classic Disney animated feature about dalmatian puppies kidnapped by cruel and evil... Cruella DeVil. Co-directed by Wolfgang Reitherman, Hamilton Luske and Clyde Geronimi.

West Side Story (1961) ****

Energetic, Oscar-winning adaptation of a huge Broadway hit, starring Natalie Wood as a Puerto Rican Juliet in gang-infested New York. Electrifying musical score by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim includes:

"Jet Song" *
"Something's Coming"
"Dance At The Gym" *
"Maria" **
"America" **
"Tonight" ***
"Gee Officer Krupke" **
"I Feel Pretty" ***
"One Hand, One Heart"
"Tonight" (reprise) **
"Roof Dance" *
"Somewhere"
"Cool" ***
"A Boy Like That" *
"I Have A Love" *

Accattone (1961) ***

Pasolini's first picture is also among the finest of all Italian neo-realist films. It's the story of a young pimp.

The Days Of Thrills And Laughter (1961) ***

Excellent compilation of silent comedies. It includes following fragments:

0:40-4:07 A Snub Pollard film set in a movie theatre, with a projectionist falling asleep.

4:07-7:38 A French comedy about a jealous husband chasing his wife while pushing a wheelchair. A rare gem from 1904.

7:38-9:04 "Mabel's Dramatic Career" (1913).

9:04-9:56 A superb montage of Keystone Kops. Great chases and cliffhangers.

9:56-11:09 A montage of Bathing Beauties.

11:20-16:06 "The Adventurer" (1917).

16:06-22:33 "The Cure" (1917).

23:02-31:53 Fragments of a feature film, "Wild And Woolly" (1917, J.Emerson). Douglas Fairbanks dreams of being a cowboy. He goes West and saves a town from
Indians.

31:53-33:10 Brief scenes from Sennett and Roach comedies.

33:10-37:00 "Spot Cash" (1921, Charley Chase, Roach). Snub Pollard is a grocer facing stiff competition from a former employee.

37:00-39:35 An Al St.John comedy with a cliffhanger sequence.

39:35-41:35 Two comedies starring Oliver Hardy. In the first, he eats sausages. In the second (produced by H.Roach in 1926), he tries to bathe his son.

41:35-44:29 "Kill Or Cure" (1923).

44:29-49:19 Ben Turpin has a spring on his butt. A dog plays checkers, drinks and smokes. Kewpie Morgan co-stars.

49:19-53:35 "All Night Long" (1924).

53:35-58:08] A lion disrupts a party. Great cliffhanger scene with the lion "driving" a police van.

58:08-1:02:04 Snub Pollard is a president, whose functions mostly involve ducking bombs.

1:03:04-1:07:21 Two Harry Houdini films. In the first, he liberates himself from chains using his toes. In the second, "A Man From Beyond" (1921), he saves
his girl from drowning in Niagara Falls.

1:07:21-1:10:49 Scenes from three adventure serials starring Pearl White: "Lightning Raider" (1919), "The Perils Of Pauline" (1914) and a third one with a Chinese
bandit played by Warner Oland.

1:10:49-1:16:25 A series of exciting climaxes from adventure serials.

1:16:25-1:25:54 "Play Safe" (1926).

1:26:04-1:28:57 Snub Pollard is a hotel clerk.

1:28:57-1:30:49 Snub Pollard tries to elope. His car crashes through walls.

1:30:49-1:32:40 Charley Chase is caught in the rain.

Matka Joanna od Aniolow (1961) ***

Diably kusza zakonnice w tej adaptacji powiesci Jaroslawa Iwaszkiewicza.

Samson (1961) ***

Mlody Zyd ucieka z getta i ukrywa sie przed hitlerowcami.

The Absent-Minded Professor (1961) ***

Classic Disney farce about a brilliant inventor.

Breakfast At Tiffany's (1961) ***

Audrey Hepburn is excellent in this sophisticated comedy set in New York City.

Flower Drum Song (1961) ***

Memorable musical.

The Guns Of Navarone (1961) ***

Impressive war drama starring Gregory Peck.

The Hustler (1961) ***

Paul Newman stars as a pool shark in this memorable drama directed by Robert Rossen.

The Ladies Man (1961) ***

Outstanding set designs are the real star of this otherwise routine Jerry Lewis' comedy.

The Parent Trap (1961) ***

Classic Disney comedy about twin sisters separated as infants, who accidentally meet at a summer camp. Adapted from a novel by Erich Kastner.

The Pleasure Of His Company (1961) ***

Pleasant little comedy starring Fred Astaire. No musical numbers in this one.

Splendor In The Grass (1961) ***

Warren Beatty and Nathalie Wood star in this classy soap opera directed by Elia Kazan.

Through A Glass Darkly (1961) ***

Stylistically brilliant film by Ingmar Bergman.

Two Women (1961) ***

Sophia Loren won an Oscar for her memorable portrayal of an Italian fascist woman raped by Allied soldiers.

The Last Hungry Cat (1961) *****

A great parody of Alfred Hitchcock's films with Sylvester haunted by his guilty conscience for supposedly devouring poor and hopeless Tweety. A superbly crafted masterpiece with a carefully maintained somber mood and some hilarious touches of black humor (including "gas chamber music"). Along with 1951's "Canned Feud", this is Friz Freleng's finest achievement.

The Devil's Messenger (1961) *

The Devil (in Hell) sends a suicide victim to deliver three objects to Earth, spreading death and destruction in the process. A very bad horror movie in three parts, taken from a never-aired Swedish TV series "13 Demon Street".

D'Fightin' Ones (1961) ****

A superb spoof of Stanley Kramer's "The Defiant Ones" (1958), with Sylvester and a tough bulldog as two convicts escaping from justice while handcuffed to each other. Their frantic attempts to cut their chains provide ample material for hilarious gags and exciting cliff-hangers. Superior to the original film in every respect, with an ironic twist ending (freed from their chains, the fugitives get their feets stuck in the same pipe).

Aquamania (1961) ****

An exciting Goofy cartoon, dealing with the art of water-skiing. Excellent action scenes as Goofy wins a tight race while trying to keep afloat, wrestling with giant squids and riding roller-coasters.

Vasen (1961) ****

A toddler tries to repair his toy car by destroying an alarm clock. As he grows up, his obsession with speed gets him into various misadventures. A hilarious puppet cartoon.

Ersatz (1961) ****

The Saga Of Windwagon Smith (1961) ***

A sea captain builds a windwagon to travel across the American Prairies. A beautiful cartoon with impressive visuals and a great musical score.

Beep Prepared (1961) ***

An Oscar-nominated Road Runner cartoon with the Coyote getting sandwiched between two boulders while flying off a cliff, pursuing the bird on roller-skates and becoming an astronaut (inadvertently creating a new Coyote constellation).

The Mouse On 57th Street (1961) ***

Cops are chasing after a mouse that stole a diamond in this enjoyably silly cartoon from Chuck Jones.

Young Love (1961) ***

A young man plays innocent tricks on a young woman, moving various objects around when she's not looking. Charming little film about young people in love.

The Pied Piper Of Guadalupe (1961) ***

Sylvester cannot catch Speedy Gonzales, but he finds a clever way of snatching his friends. The fast Mexican mouse must rescue them one by one, while avoiding the cat's flute. Among Speedy's best films, much more inventive than usual.

Nelly's Folly (1961) ***

Stylish, Oscar-nominated cartoon about a singing giraffe.

Zip 'n' Snort (1961) ***

A typical Road Runner cartoon with the best gag involving ACME's Axle Grease.

A Scent Of The Matterhorn (1961) ***

A typical Pepe le Pew cartoon, but funnier than most.

Rebel Without Claws (1961) ***

Confederate carrier pigeon Tweety must cross enemy lines with a vital message and avoid Yankee pussy-cat Sylvester. Some gags are repetitive (Sylvester always gets shot or blasted), but the cartoon is an amusing little charmer.

Alpha Omega (1961) ***

Directed by Bruno Bozzetto. A story of a man and the influences in his life - TV, religion, alcohol, sex, cigarettes, etc. etc.

Lines horizontal (1961) ***

Horizontal lines moving up and down.

The Abominable Snow Rabbit (1961) ***

Daffy and Bugs run into the Abominable Snowman in the Himalayas (apparently they took a wrong turn in East St. Louis). The dopey creature mistakes the duck for a bunny rabbit and the chase is on.

The Litterbug (1961) ***

Donald and the garbage.

Compressed Hare (1961) ***

Wile E. "The Genius" Coyote wants to cook a rabbit stew, but Bugs Bunny is reluctant to provide the main ingredient. Coyote's ACME gadgets include a powerful magnet that attracts every metalic object in sight (including the Eiffel Tower and space satellites).

Donald And The Wheel (1961) ***

Following the success of "Donald In Mathmagic Land" (1959), Disney decided to produce another educational cartoon, this time dealing with the invention of the wheel and its importance in technological progress. The film combines jokes and amusing anecdotes with interesting didactic segments.

Down And Outing (1961) **

Tom and Jerry go fishing.

What's My Lion (1961) **

Basically a remake of Disney's "Ragged Bear" (1953), but with Elmer Fudd in Donald's role. Less funny too.

Daffy's Inn Trouble (1961) **

Porky and Daffy are competing for hotel guests in the Far West.

Au bord du ravin abrupt (1961) **

Une chasse aux loups dans un forêt russe. Durée: 47 minutes.

Switchin' Kitten (1961) **

In a haunted castle, Jerry performs strange experiments on animals.

The Innocents (1961) **

Nothing is more difficult in cinema than to adapt a Henry James' novel. Many have tried, few have ever succeeded. This tale of supernatural possession is often consider as one the most successful attempts. But it still leaves much to be desired. It's far too enigmatic for its own good.

Doc's Last Stand (1961) **

Indians and peddlers.

Ercole al centro della terra (1961) *

Laughable adventure pic about Hercules descending to Hades. Directed by Mario Bava.

Prince Varmint (1961) **

Viking Sam attacks a castle defended by Bugs Bunny. Aka "Prince Violent".

Birds Of A Father (1961) **

Sylvester discovers his son fraternizing with birds, so he must teach him some "facts of life" about how to catch and eat his former friends.

Lickety Splat (1961) **

Wil E. Coyote (Apetitius Giganticus) is chasing the Road Runner (Fastius Tasty-us).

Gabby's Dinner (1961) **

Gabby Gator opens a hotel in Florida and tries to cook his first guest, Woody Woodpecker.

Franken Stymied (1961) **

Woody Woodpecker, a haunted castle, a mad scientist, a monster...

It's Greek To Me-ow (1961) *

Tom and Jerry in a Greek setting. An ancient Greek setting.

Strangled Eggs (1961) *

Foghorn Leghorn tries to get rid of Henery, an orphan chicken hawk left on Prissy's doorsteps.

Poop Deck Pirate (1961) *

Woody versus a pirate dog looking for a treasure.

Hoppy Daze (1961) *

A mediocre cartoon with Sylvester mistaking a kangaroo for a mouse. Yet another revival of the tired formula.

Phantom Of The Horse Opera (1961) *

Cartoon western starring Woody Woodpecker and set in a ghost town.

Cannery Woe (1961) *

Speedy Gonzales steals some cheese from a factory guarded by Sylvester. Very talky.

Lapac zlodzieja (1961) **

Short Polish film about a thief escaping with his loot. Directed by Krzysztof Zanussi.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Bang You're Dead (1961) *****

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, 22 minutes of pure, edge-of-the-seat suspense.

The Avengers: Girl On The Trapeze (1961) ***

The sixth (and the earliest surviving) episode of the cult British TV series.

The Twilight Zone: The Obsolete Man (1961) ***