The Yellow Canary (1963)

Touches You

Just perfect...

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Competent but not extraordinary thriller is interesting for several elements. First it gives Pat Boone a chance to play a slightly less savory character than his candy coated image usually allowed. I'm not much of a fan of the actor but he does a good job as the initially self involved singer who is a neglectful husband and father but basically decent man who gets an unexpected wake-up call when his infant son is kidnapped. The script also presents a few instances for him to sing without disturbing the flow of the story.Barbara Eden, quite the knockout, was still a couple of years away from I Dream of Jeannie and working her way up the leading lady chain. Her role doesn't offer much opportunity outside frantic anguish but she handles the requirements well. Also on hand, though given little to do, is Jack Klugman as the police inspector on the case adding another solid portrayal to the film.As for the general story while it has several plot holes that stretch believability it is overall an enjoyably put together nail-biter. A real benefit comes from the effective and evocative musical score provided by Kenyon Hopkins. It adds a great deal of tension and snap to scenes that could have otherwise been flat.Not a long lost classic but an under-known worthwhile entertainment. Hard to find but if you happen upon it take the time to give it a chance.

I saw this movie when I was just 13 years old, and it scared me to death. I remember that the movie theater had trouble opening the curtain all the way at the beginning of the movie, which only made the whole experience even more bizarre, and it was one of the opening scenes that really freaked me out. I can still see it in my mind today, some 40 years later. From what I remember, I would compare it to "Cape Fear" and "Wait Until Dark" for comparable chills. I suspect that it would play pretty innocently these days, but I would love to see it again just to see how much of what I remember was really there. Anybody have any leads on where to find this, contact me at [email protected].

It's a shame that this film gets trashed all the time by critics, when it's really a fine Rod Serling movie. Boone, Eden, and Forrest give nice performances in this little mystery. I sure wish that I could find a copy of it on VHS, but I don't think it's ever been released on video. Maybe someday.

"The Yellow Canary", movie is the story of a singer who's baby is kidnapped. The best acting in the film is from Barbara Eden in one of her best dramatic roles of Lissa Paxton, the wife of the singer and mother of the baby son who's kidnapped. The reaction when she comes home and finds her baby son kidnapped is one of the best scenes in the film. A good mystery and story from Rod Serling.