22. BEYOND MOMBASA (1956)
An incredibly B movie with an incredibly A cast. Cornel Wilde is a devil-may-care adventurer, Donna Reed an uptight (or is she?) churchman’s daughter, and Christopher Lee is a mysterious (and incredibly good looking) French guide. Much cheesy excitement and stock footage of animals ensues. Wilde, in particular, is having a blast .
Verdict: Stupid and fun, if you’re in the mood for that kind of thing, this is your flick.
23. THE SCARECROW OF ROMNEY MARSH (1963)
One of my great childhood favorites has aged like fine wine and stands as one of Disney’s finest live action efforts, with plenty of appeal for kids and adults alike. Location filming creates terrific atmosphere, and Patrick McGoohan’s brainy, elegant, swashbuckling performance as Dr. Syn, mild-mannered vicar by day, scary masked smuggler by night, is one of my all-time favorites.
Verdict: Inductee, Laurie’s Cinematic Hall of Fame
Watch here: Part I, Part 2, Part 3
24. ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST (1969)
Very long, very slow and suffused with a surreal quality that makes it hard to tell if you are watching it while asleep or not. A strange recommendation, but a wholehearted one. It’s pretty great. Great looking, epic in scope, with a fantastic cast, with Henry Fonda commanding the entire movie playing spectacularly against type as a villain of chilling, inhuman cruelty.
Verdict: It’s easier to watch broken up into multiple viewings. Worth seeing for Fonda’s work alone. And I’m not even a fan of his.