Danny & Marlo Thomas & Roddy McDowall in Cricket on the Hearth (1967)

When we think of Dickens and Christmas, we naturally think of A Christmas Carol. In truth, Dickens wrote five Christmas stories, including the one that this holiday special was based on. Though this animated story produced by holiday heavyweights Rankin & Bass bears little resemblance to the original novela, it has some charming musical numbers and a sweet story to warm your heart. Bertha (Marlo Thomas), the daughter of toy maker Caleb (Danny Thomas) is in love with handsome Edward. When Edward is lost at sea, Bertha suffers a case of hysterical blindness and the family falls on hard times. Will the luck of their cricket, Crocket (Roddy McDowall) see them through? Also in the cast is veteran character actor Hans Conried, Abby Lane and the Norman Luboff Choir.

This special is available on DVD, and can also be seen on YouTube. Part one is above, uploaded by starwarsmarveldc.

Obscurity factor: 8 (available on DVD & YouTube, largely forgotten)

Peter Lawford & Sammy Davis Jr. in Salt & Pepper (1967)

The sixties saw an explosion of spy themed filmes, all inspired by the success of the 007 franchise. From serious cold war dramas like The Spy Who Came In From the Cold (1965) to ridiculous romps with sexy starlets like Modesty Blaise (1966), the intrigue was thick and heavy. This film is one of the latter type, with Lawford and Davis playing night club owners who are sucked into a seriously stick situation. A girl is found dead in their club and she just happens to be part of a terrorist group, bent on wrecking havoc on the British government. Will the inimitable Salt (Davis) and Pepper (Lawford) be able to intervene in time?

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This silly film is more of an excuse for the stars to act cool and hip and for the producers to parade an endless collection of sexy sixties babes in front of the camera. The scenes of swinging London are fun to look back on and the film was successful enough to inspire a sequal - One More Time (1970) which has the distinction of having been directed by Jerry Lewis.

This film is available on DVD, as is its sequal. Above is the trailer, uploaded to YouTube by OurManInHavana.

Obscurity factor: 7 (on DVD, known to rat pack fans, dimly remembered otherwise)

Elizabeth Montgomery in Johnny Cool (1963)

Kill, kill, kill... The poster for Johnny Cool says it all. When a Sicilian rebel leader (Henry Silva) is ambushed by the police, he's presumed dead. He's really been smuggled to Rome where he's given a new identity by exiled American gangster, Johnny Colini. He becomes Johnny Cool, the epitome of the iron fist in the kid glove. Sent to America to exact revenge on the men who deposed his benefactor, Johnny Cool is merciless. Along the way, he meets, and becomes the obsession of divorced socialite Darien Guiness (Montgomery). She becomes entangled in his plot of revenge and murder and soon regrets it. Will Johnny Cool complete his homicidal plans and emerge alive or will he lose the game?

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This Rat Pack production has the distinction of being produced by Peter Lawford and features many familiar faces from that illustrious group of stars, including Sammy Davis Jr. as a craps shooter called Educated, and Joey Bishop as a used car dealer. It was directed by William Asher, who cast his wife as Darien (oddly close to Darren, isn't it?) and she gives a performance which will be a revelation to fans who only know her as Samantha Stevens. Look for Jim Backus and cerebral comedian Mort Saul in a pivotal role.

Johnny Cool has been out on DVD less than a year. It's part of the MGM Limited Edition Collection, which is similar to the Warner Archive in that it's printed on demand. It has something of a cult following and clips can be found on YouTube. Above is the trailer, uploaded to YouTube by Soapbxprod.

Obscurity factor: 8 (on DVD, has cult appeal)

Roger Moore & Martha Hyer in Crossplot (1969)

This rather silly thriller is saved by a truly gorgeous Roger Moore, a glamorous 60's London setting and some great retro visuals - for the most part. The plot concerns agitators, international intrigue and a nest of spys that suck an ad man (Moore) and a Hungarian beauty (Claudie Lang) into the fray. The action and characters remind one of North by Northwest (1959) and the whole film comes off in hind sight as Moore's audition for James Bond.

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This is a film to watch if you're fond of swinging London, the Mods, glamorous clothes and settings and you don't mind a somewhat derivative plot and extremely bad process screen sequences. There are a number of scenes that are pure comedy because of the green screen effects. Look for Bernard Lee, "M" from the Bond series, in a small role.

Crossplot is available on DVD and can be watched instantly on Netflix. The trailer is above, uploaded to YouTube by britflix.

Obscurity factor: 8 (not well remembered, available on DVD and Netflix instant)

Lana Turner, Cliff Robertson & Stefanie Powers in Love Has Many Faces (1966)

In this, the last of Lana Turner's super soapers, she plays an heiress, ex pat living in Acapulco with a beautiful trophy husband (Robertson). When we meet her, one of her boy-toys has committed suicide and the police are investigating. The seamier side of the tropical paradise is on full display in this glamorous, if highly overdramatic tome. Hugh O'Brian is the beach's ruling giglio and he hooks Ruth Roman. Meanwhile, Stefanie Powers (looking very strange and pixie-like in perky short hairdos) has come to see about the death of her former fiance, the aforementioned boy-toy.

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Though not as well known as Lana's other starring vehicles like Imitation of Life (1959) or Madame X (1966), this film is fun to watch for several reasons. It's thick with manufactured drama that can be and is spread on toast on a regular basis. It also has a delightful theme song, sung by the incomparable Nancy Wilson, and Lana Turner's wardrobe, designed by Edith Head has its own, deserved starring role. Look for an absurd climax featuring bull fighters.

This film is available on DVD, and can be rented to watch instantly at Amazon.com. It's hard to find footage online. Above is a clip from the beginning of the film from TCM's website.

Obscurity factor: 8 (on DVD and Amazon.com, not as well remembered as other Lana Turner epics)

Terrance Stamp & Robert Vaughn in The Mind of Mr. Soams (1969)

I'd been reluctant to watch this film because it has something of an aura of impending doom. A brain surgeon (Vaughn) revives John Soams (Stamp) who has been in a coma since birth. At the age of 30 he must begin to learn to join the human race. The well meaning, but autocratic head of the institute (Nigel Davenport) takes a clinical approach that makes no allowances for warmth, tenderness and love and understandably, John develops a rebellious nature. When he escapes the institute, he's completely unprepared for the world at large.

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This was an Amicus production. The British studio was known for its horror films, primarily, and it milks the subject matter for its scare factor, but in this case, the "monster"everyone is afraid of is a 30 year old man with the mind of a child. You can't help but identify with him, and the pain he's going through. Stamp's performance is extremely effecting and seeing this innocent subject to uncaring treatment and indifference can be painful to watch. It's very much a piece of its time, reflecting the pessemistic attitudes about human nature and the world at large.

This film was released on DVD last year and can be seen in full on YouTube. Part one is above, uploaded by feverpitch96.

Obscurity factor: 8 (on DVD & YouTube, largely forgotten)

The Apple - George Dunning & Richard Williams (1963)

This British short film was produced in London and has the distinction of being animator, Richard Williams' [The Little Island, (1958) Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)] second project. Williams is an interesting figure. His work is inspired and inspiring, but, like Charles James, the famous couturier, he's found it difficult to complete and let go of projects, most notably his masterpiece, The Thief and the Cobbler, which was seized from his control by the completion bond company two years after it was funded and 24 years after it was begun.

This short is rare and hard to find. It can be seen only online as far as I've been able to surmise. Above is the entire film, uploaded to YouTube by TheThiefArchive.

Obscurity factor: 9 (not on DVD, difficult to find, on YouTube)

Imogene Coca in It's About Time (1966)

With the success of Gilligan's Island (1964) under his belt, Sherwood Schwartz forged ahead with this closely tied concept. Two astronauts travel around the earth close the speed of light and upon landing, find they've traveled back in time. They're "marooned on the desert island" of the paleolithic era and taken in by caveman, Gronk (Joe E. Ross) and his wife, Shag (later Shad when network censors learned the meaning of the word in the UK) (Coca). Will they get back to the 20th century? Well, yes. They found their way back as soon as the ratings started to flag, and they brought Gronk, Shag(d) and their kids Mlor and Breer with them. The last seven episodes of the series were all about the cave family assimilating into contemporary America, so the series went from Gilligan's Island to The Beverly Hillbillies (1962).

This series has never rated a commercial DVD release, though unofficial copies are available. You can also find complete episodes on YouTube. Above is the promo reel for the show, uploaded to YouTube by RetroGoop.

Obscurity factor: 7 (not on DVD, has small cult following, episodes available on YouTube)

Craig Stevens & David Doyle in Mr. Broadway (1964)

This ultra sophisticated series about a New York publicist has an excellent pedigree - it was written by Garson Kanin (of Born Yesterday fame) co-produced by David Susskind and features music by Dave Brubeck. Each week Mike Bell (Stevens) has another task that involves his high profile clients and the people that surround them. He's assisted in his labors by his able girl friday Toki (Lani Miyazaki). In this clip from the pilot episode, he is asked to look after a friend's 19 year old daughter Emily (Tuesday Weld) who is visiting New York. She turns out to be quite a handful and he must protect her from herself. This series attracted an impressive list of guest stars in its 13 episode run, including Oleg Cassini, Jill St. John, Barbara Feldon, Larry Hagman, Nina Foch, Tina Louise and Liza Minnelli in her first television appearance. Look for a young David Doyle in the clip below as a lackey delivering a message.

This show has never been released on DVD and can be hard to find in its entirety. Above is a clip of the pilot episode, uploaded by Hardtofindvideos2.

Obscurity factor: 10 (not on DVD, difficult to find full episodes. clips on YouTube)

James Garner & Melina Mercouri in A Man Could Get Killed (1966)

William Beddoes (Garner) is a bank official sent to Lisbon to do a survey. When he's mistaken for the replacement agent for a man who was killed, he steps into a hotbed of espionage, smuggling and assorted underworld characters. He encounters Steve (Tony Franciosa) a young American smuggler masquerading as a Spaniard and Aurora (Mercouri) the former girlfriend of the deceased agent, who has ideas about how to resolve the mess he's fallen into. Meanwhile Steve has been accosted by Amy Franklin (Sandra Dee) a friend from home who's about to blow his cover. Will they figure out where the missing diamonds are before they get bumped off?

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This caper comedy has a complicated plot that is deftly handled by a charming cast. Mercouri is delightful as usual and Garner is at his befuddled best. Though the romance between Franciosa and Dee is the least likely aspect of a highly unlikely plot, it's still enjoyable to watch. Look for a funny scene where Mercouri is forced to strip.

Though it's not yet been released on DVD, this film can be found in full on YouTube. Above is the entire film, uploaded by 99WhatsUpDoc99.

Obscurity factor: 9 (not on DVD, available on YouTube, largely forgotten)

Jack Lemmon & Virna Lisi in How to Murder Your Wife (1965)

This film owes a lot to Hugh Hefner, who's brand of bachelorhood was much envied and widely copied in the swinging sixties. Stanley Ford (Lemmon) is one of those blissful bachelors. He's a comic strip creator and wealthy New Yorker. His life is extremely ordered, thanks to his man servent, Charles (Terry Thomas). And his comic strip character, Bash lives life in much the same way his creator does. Ford attends the bachelor party for one of his friends and drinks a bit too much, only to awake the next morning, married to the blond bombshell who emerged from the cake at the party. Mrs. Ford (Virna Lisi) is shapely, beautiful, sensuous and doesn't speak a word of english! Suddenly Stanley's world is turned upside down - Charles leaves him, his home is redecorated and his social calendar is rearranged, his in-laws descend upon him and he finds himself unable to sustain the marriage of his character Bash. When plans to do away with Bash's wife are confused for plans to do away with his real life wife, she disappears, leaving him to defend himself in a criminal trial. Will she turn up before he ends up in jail?

Though rather silly at times, and decidedly misogynistic, this film is a fun time capsule of 60's attitudes about marriage and the battle of the sexes. Look for Claire Trevor, Mary Wicks and Jack Albertson in the cast as well.

This film is available on DVD, and can also be watched instantly on Amazon. Above is the opening sequence with Terry Thomas giving you a tour of Ford's gracious lifestyle. It was uploaded to YouTube by ttfellowship.

Obscurity factor: 4 (known to Lemmon fans, on DVD and streaming, not widely known)

Bob Hope & Raquel Welch in The Bob Hope Christmas Special (1967)

This time capsule collection of footage from Bob Hope's 1967 USO tours features performances by Raquel Welch, Barbara McNair, Les Brown and his Band of Renown and a bevy of beautiful starlets. It's interesting to note that these shows are what the 1991 Bette Midler film, For The Boys were based on. Watching Hope's monologues gives you a window into the unpopular pro-war point of view of the time and seeing the boys is both heart warming and heart breaking at the same time.

This film is apparently in public domain, but is still available on DVD and can be seen in full on YouTube. The entire production is above, uploaded by thefilmarchive.

Obscurity factor: 8 (available on YouTube and DVD, well remembered in theory but not practice)

Sammy Davis Jr., Zsa Zsa Gabor & Hedda Hopper in Alice in Wonderland (1966)

This Hanna Barbera production of Alice in Wonderland (subtitled What's a Nice Girl Like You Doing in a Place Like This?) is updated to contemporary suburban America. The familiar tale is changed to reflect the times beginning with Alice's (Janet Waldo) journey, which isn't down a rabbit hole, but through a television screen. She meets the requisite assortment of characters including the White Rabbit, Cheshire Cat (Davis Jr.), the Queen of Hearts (Gabor) and the Mad Hatter (Harvey Korman) who, in this version has a wife played by Hedda Hopper. Also featured are Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble (Alan Reed and Mel Blanc) as the Talking Caterpillar.

As far as I can tell, this production of the classic story isn't available on DVD. It can be seen in full on YouTube, however. Above is part one, uploaded by OneDareLand.

Obscurity factor: 9 (not on DVD, available on YouTube, not well remembered)

Alan Reed, Mel Blanc & Harvey Korman in The Man Called Flintstone (1966)

The curious similarity between secret agent Rock Slag and Fred Flintstone is uncanny. It's this similarity that lands Fred the job of filling in for Slag when he's injured in Bedrock. His assignment is to stop the terrible Green Goose from destroying the world and that quest takes him to Paris and Rome.

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This full length feature is the first one starring the popular characters and, though silly, has a flashy sixties style to it. Listen for the voice of Harvey Korman as Chief Mountmore. Also featured are voice artists Janet Waldo and Paul Frees.

This is marginally well known to the general public and very well known to fans of The Flintstones and fans of cartoons in general. It's available on DVD and can be watched on Veoh. Above are the opening credits, uploaded to YouTube by alexmystyleno3.

Obscurity factor: 2 (somewhat known to the general public, on DVD and Veoh)

Yvette Mimieux in Three in the Attic (1968)

Yesterdays post featured a film about a young lothario keeping a trio of women in a cellar. It is rumored to have been based on this film about a trio of women keeping a young lothario in an attic. Paxton Quigley (Christopher Jones) has deceived his girlfriends - all three of them. When they discover this they take him captive and alternately please and punish him for his transgressions, while he protests by fasting.

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"Can you be Jewish and psychedelic at the same time?"Jan (Maggie Thret) asks Paxton during their chance meeting in the woods. The dialog in the film pokes fun at the cultural trends of the times and the circumstances landed the film am "Adults Only" status. The clip below was uploaded to YouTube by modcinema.

Though it's never been given a commercial release, you can find DVDs of it online. It's difficult to find online video of it, however. The only one I could find is above.

Obscurity factor: 9 (hard to find, no commercial DVD, barely remembered)

James Coburn in The President's Analyst (1967)

Sidney Schafer (Coburn) is a successful analyst living and working in New York. When one of his patients (comedian, Godfrey Cambridge) recruits him for a prestigious assignment he's honored. Who wouldn't be when asked to work for the president of the United States? This plush assignment soon becomes a nightmare when he realizes that his knowledge has put him in danger from foreign powers, corporations, the FBR, CEA and the most insidious agency of all, The Phone Company. He's even beginning to suspect his girlfriend is spying on him, but that's crazy, right?

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This swinging sixties comedy examines some serious issues, including rights of privacy and the protection or dissemination of classified information. It wasn't a box office success, but did fairly well with the critics and has since become a cult classic. Also look for Will Geer, William Daniels and Arte Johnson in the cast.

Above is the trailer for the film, uploaded toYouTube by videowebcaster.

And here is part one of the whole film, uploaded by cinemaeclectica. It's also available on DVD with some restored audio tracks that were left out of the television broadcasts.

Obscurity factor: 4 (occasionally seen on television, on DVD & YouTube, somewhat under the general public's radar)

Daws Butler & Janet Waldo in The Space Kiddets (1966)

This Hanna Barbera series set in space features a gang of kids who were constantly beset upon by space pirate Captain Skyhook and his evil henchman Static (both Butler). The kids were less distinct, though they did have cute names, including one named, oddly enough, Snoopy. Their dog was called Pupstar. The shows were originally produced as 15 minute stories meant to be interspersed with other content in a half hour time slot.

The clip above is the opening sequence, uploaded by cartoonboy180. One of the more memorable conceits of the show revolved around a treasure map that the Captain wanted from the kids, but was unwilling to do them harm to get. Static on the other hand was more than willing to go that extra mile and was constantly being kept in check by the Captain, as can be seen in the clip below, uploaded by WarnerBrosOnline. The animation style was clever and sophisticated with something of a Chuck Jones quality to it, as evidenced by the quivering spaceship in this clip.

This series has made it to DVD, along with the show that replaced it - Young Samson. It's part of the Warner Archive collection.

Obscurity factor: 9 (on DVD, barely remembered)

Marlon Brando & Sophia Loren in A Countess from Hong Kong (1967)

This charming and gentle, if strange film was Charlie Chaplin's last directorial effort. Natascha (Loren) is exiled Russian royalty - a countess - working as a dance hall girl in Hong Kong. She's part of an underclass of people such as herself who have no identity papers and therefore cannot leave. They have no prospects and very little future. Enter Ogden Mears (Brando), heir to a petroleum fortune. He's just been appointed ambassador to Saudi Arabia and has arrived in Hong Kong on business. He's traveling by ocean liner and is met by a friend of the family who bring with him three of the royal underclass, including Natascha. After a drunken night on the town Ogden and his entourage depart for home, only to discover that Natascha has stowed away in Ogden's closet. She appeals to his better instincts, but when that doesn't work, she blackmails him let her stay. Of course, the close quarters of a stateroom lead to love, and complications. Will Ogden throw away his career for Natascha?

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There's a strange quality to this film. It's shot through with Chaplin's charm and sophisticated physical comedy, most deftly performed by Sidney Cargill as a dotty butler, but Brando as Mears strikes an odd note. His comedic style is a bit heavy handed, in a part more suited to Cary Grant (who had retired from films a year earlier, and also had a stormy relationship with Loren). Not only did Chaplin direct, he also scored the entire film and cast his son, Sidney Chaplin, as Mear's associate. Look for Tippi Hedren as Ogden's wife and Margaret Rutherford in a cameo as a passenger.

This film is available on DVD and can be seen in full on YouTube. Part one is above, uploaded by Longoaiphong.

Obscurity factor: 8 (not well known, available on DVD & YouTube)

Casey Kasem in The Cattanooga Cats (1969)

Obscurity factor: 8

Anyone who loves 60's and early 70's bubblegum music should know about the Cattanooga Cats. This  series followed the animated antics of the similarly named band as they traveled around singing their upbeat music. The series was made up of segments with the Cats, short musical interludes, something like music videos and segments featuring three other sets of characters - Around the World in 79 Days, It's the Wolf! (featuring Paul Lynde as Mildew) and Motormouse and Autocat. Originally an hour long, Saturday morning show, it was shortened to a half our in its second year and was cancelled in 1971. Casey Kasem, noted radio DJ voiced one of the cats in the speaking portion of the show. He didn't contribute his voice in the songs, however.

The Cats have developed something of a cult following, though the actual episodes can be hard to find. Many of the musical interludes can be found on YouTube. Above are the opening credits, uploaded by cartooncoon.

Obscurity factor: 8 (enjoys a small cult following, not on DVD, available on YouTube)

Sophia Loren & Vittorio Gassman in Ghosts Italian Style (1969)

Now that Halloween is over, I thought this film would be a fitting one to feature - not because it's scary, but because it's misnamed. There's very little supernatural phenomena in this film, it's really a bedroom farce with Maria (Loren) being pursued by two men - her husband, Pasquale (Gassman) and a rich suitor (Mario Adorf) who wants her to get a divorce and marry him. The young couple, who are having financial problems, move into a villa that seems too good to be true - it's vast, with many rooms and classical detailing, but run down and it's rumored to be haunted. The only ghost haunting this house is Maria's suitor who sneaks around and is caught by Pasquale, who assumes he's the ghost.

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There are oh, so many misunderstandings and a good deal of Italian scenery chewing. Speaking of scenery, it's quite nice, both feminine and masculine - Loren is in beautiful form and both Gassman and Adorf are quite delectable. Margaret Lee plays Sayonara, a singer/prostitute who rents one of the rooms in the villa, and she is quite the character, wearing some pretty outlandish outfits. Look for an outrageous cameo by Italian film legend Marcello Mastroianni at the end of the film.

This film has yet to make it to DVD. It can be found on television occasionally and the trailer is above, uploaded to YouTube by OurManInHavana.

Obscurity factor: 10 (largely unknown, not on DVD or YouTube)