windypoplar
The "moon-spinners" from '64, is latter-day Disney fare, so there's a surprising amount of bite to the story, for a Hayley Mills film. Hayley, who never looked more lovely, plays young Nikki Ferris, on vacation with her Aunt on Crete. The locations are absolutely gorgeous! Hayley is soon mixed up with compatriot Mark Camford and they become embroiled in jewel theft and attempted murder.The film does drag a bit at times, but you can always look at Mayley, a windmill stunt is fun and Eli Wallach has a juicy part as the villainous Stratos. Unfortunately the great Irene Papas is wasted as his sister, who clearly doesn't approve. Some characters introduced very late in the story don't quite make sense, still its an exciting mystery and one does want to see how it turns out.The "Moon-Spinners" is a good family film. It does contain some violence and a bit of bloodshed, so I guess this would be "PG", but its really just fine for ten and up. Recommended for fans of Disney live-action and Hayley Mills.
kidboots
I quite liked this film. Being a "Hayley lover' I have seen it a few times.It was the kind of film that made her transition from child to young adult on the screen so smooth.It was partly filmed in Crete so there was some beautiful scenery. The opening credits were filmed against the most beautiful sunset.Hayley plays Nikki Ferris, who along with her aunt (Joan Greenwood) happen to arrive on one of the islands during a wedding. There is also mystery afoot. No-one (except the young boy) seem pleased to see them - they claim never to have received the telegram that Hayley sent.The plot concerns stolen jewels and Peter McEnerys' efforts to clear himself and expose the real thieves.It is and old fashioned adventure and there are some thrilling parts. - the scary cave of wild cats and when Hayley has to somehow climb down a windmill to escape the evil Eli Wallach. Pola Negri (in a rare appearance) looked stunning as the Countess.
Vincent Spletinckx
Based on Mary Stuart's novel, The Moon-Spinners is a nice and amusing adventure comedy. Constructed a little bit like an Hitchcock movie, where tension is building up slowly but surely and where many characters are not always what they seem to be, it is filled with memorable scenes (the escape from the windmill, for example) and good humor. Although she may not be as sparkling as in Pollyanna or The Parent Trap, Hayley Mills is nevertheless still the star of the show, both charming and endearing. Furthermore, as a beautiful grown up, she is portraying a modern heroin, not afraid to take charge of her own detective work. As the villain, Eli Wallach is also particularly brilliant. Eventually, the music and, especially, the title song by Terry Gilkyson are lively and enchanting.
Linda Lee
For me, this really is an example of how not to adapt a book to the screen. Mary Stewart's novel is an exciting mixture of suspense and romance, with the added bonus of a beautiful and exotic setting. It is also a fairly dark tale of murder and vengeance.Unfortunately, with Hayley Mills as the principal character, the film becomes a pretty-pretty story of a teenage romance with a few rather obviously sinister 'baddies' thrown in. John le Mesurier is simply wasted - his character's role in the book is pivotal, whereas in the film he appears towards the end almost as an afterthought. He is also given a completely unnecessary alcoholic wife - a role that did not exist in the book, because he was gay!This is a story with terrific potential for the screen (as are most of Mary Stewart's novels) - what a shame it was wasted in this production.
AD
