THE WRONG BOX

 With a screenplay by Larry Gelbart and Burt Shevelove of 'A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum' fame, Bryan Forbe's film "The Wrong Box" proved to be one of the best and most surprising comedy gems of the sixties. The source material was, in part, a Robert Louis Stevenson story which might only add to the sense of surprise and a terrific cast, (Michael Caine, John Mills, Ralph Richardson, Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, Nanette Newman, Peter Sellers and Wilfred Lawson amongst others), carry the whole thing off splendidly. The plot, involving a tontine, mistaken identities, a dead body or two, scheming relatives and two ancient warring brothers, is suitably daft while Ray Sims' set designs and Gerry Turpin's cinematography ensure it all looks great. Not seen much these days it's become something of a cult classic and it really shouldn't be missed.

GOLDDIGGERS OF 1935

 Hardly a high point of the Warner Brothers' musicals of the thirties. In fact, it's mostly terrible except for the magnificently spectacular and Oscar-winning 'Lullaby of Broadway' number. The plot is basically another 'putting-on-a-show' job, in this case an 'amateur' production in a fancy hotel with Alice Brady as the rich backer who hates spending a cent, Adolphe Menjou as the eccentric director and a cast that includes regular Dick Powell. This time Busby Berkeley wasn't just responsisble for staging the musical numbers but everything else as well and there is way too much unfunny 'comedy' padding. It's all fairly painless but it's certainly not memorable.

MARGIE

 Virtually plotless, Henry King's masterpiece "Margie" is just a series of reminiscences by the title character, (beautifully played by Jeanne Crain), looking back on her high-school years in the 1920's when she, and every other girl in the school, had a crush on their handsome French teacher, (Glenn Langan). Nothing much happens; this is a character-driven piece in which each of the characters have their own bits of business to contend with, (like losing your bloomers in public over and over again), while negotiating the ups and downs of young love. All the performances are first-rate, Charles G. Clarke's Technicolor photography is splendid and, for once, King never puts a foot wrong. This is his lightest and certainly his most charming picture. It's also very funny in a very sweet-natured way and why it isn't better known is something of a mystery.