Dedications: My four late friends Rory, Stan, Bryan, Jeff - shine on you crazy diamonds, they would have blogged too. Then theres Garry from Brisbane, Franco in Milan, Mike now in S.F. / my '60s-'80s gang: Ned & Joseph in Ireland; in England: Frank, Des, Guy, Clive, Joe & Joe, Ian, Ivan, Nick, David, Les, Stewart, the 3 Michaels / Catriona, Sally, Monica, Jean, Ella, Anne, Candie / and now: Daryl in N.Y., Jerry, John, Colin, Martin and Donal.

Tuesday 19 January 2010

An ultimate '60s caper...


DUFFY -from 1968 is one of those lost caper movies of the late 60s - 1968 also had OTLEY, SEBASTIAN, as well as the very swinging 60s SMASHING TIME and HERE WE GO ROUND THE MULBERRY BUSH. DUFFY is more of the same, but fascianting to see at this remove, with James Coburn as the hip outsider, James Fox at his prettiest and James Mason as his father. Add in a very young John Alderton and Susannah York at her most ravishingly beautiful. Its about two half brothers who plot a heist to rob their overbearing father (Mason) and is full of twists and turns. Its the hip 60s beautiful people at play in Tangier and North Africa, cue a long groovy party scene where some of the cast appear rather high. There are also echoes of Losey's MODESTY BLAISE with that ship being robbed at sea. Duffy is one of Coburn's best roles (along with HARD CONTRACT), and Donald Cammell is co-scriptwriter, there are echoes of his next one, PERFORMANCE also with Fox, here with those rich hippies in North Africa. Its all put together by Robert Parrish, whose earlier IN THE FRENCH STYLE with Jean Seberg is an under-rated pleaser. He makes Susannah York look even more georgous here, and its certainly one caper to savour.

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