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Cinema '62: The Greatest Year at the Movies
Lawrence of Arabia, The Miracle Worker, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Manchurian Candidate, Gypsy, Sweet Bird of Youth, The Longest Day, The Music Man, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane, and more.
Most conventional film histories dismiss the early 1960s as a pallid era, a downtime between the heights of the classic studio system and the rise of New Hollywood directors like Scorsese and Altman in the 1970s. It seemed to be a moment when the movie industry was floundering as the popularity of television caused a downturn in cinema attendance. Cinema ’62 challenges these assumptions by making the bold claim that 1962 was a peak year for film, with a high standard of quality that has not been equaled since.
Stephen Farber and Michael McClellan show how 1962 saw great late-period work by classic Hollywood directors like John Ford, Howard Hawks, and John Huston, as well as stars like Bette Davis, James Stewart, Katharine Hepburn, and Barbara Stanwyck. Yet it was also a seminal year for talented young directors like Sidney Lumet, Sam Peckinpah, and Stanley Kubrick, not to mention rising stars like Warren Beatty, Jane Fonda, Robert Redford, Peter O’Toole, and Omar Sharif. Above all, 1962—the year of To Kill a Mockingbird and The Manchurian Candidate—gave cinema attendees the kinds of adult, artistic, and uncompromising visions they would never see on television, including classics from Fellini, Bergman, and Kurosawa. Culminating in an analysis of the year’s Best Picture winner and top-grossing film, Lawrence of Arabia, and the factors that made that magnificent epic possible, Cinema ’62 makes a strong case that the movies peaked in the Kennedy era.
Most conventional film histories dismiss the early 1960s as a pallid era, a downtime between the heights of the classic studio system and the rise of New Hollywood directors like Scorsese and Altman in the 1970s. It seemed to be a moment when the movie industry was floundering as the popularity of television caused a downturn in cinema attendance. Cinema ’62 challenges these assumptions by making the bold claim that 1962 was a peak year for film, with a high standard of quality that has not been equaled since.
Stephen Farber and Michael McClellan show how 1962 saw great late-period work by classic Hollywood directors like John Ford, Howard Hawks, and John Huston, as well as stars like Bette Davis, James Stewart, Katharine Hepburn, and Barbara Stanwyck. Yet it was also a seminal year for talented young directors like Sidney Lumet, Sam Peckinpah, and Stanley Kubrick, not to mention rising stars like Warren Beatty, Jane Fonda, Robert Redford, Peter O’Toole, and Omar Sharif. Above all, 1962—the year of To Kill a Mockingbird and The Manchurian Candidate—gave cinema attendees the kinds of adult, artistic, and uncompromising visions they would never see on television, including classics from Fellini, Bergman, and Kurosawa. Culminating in an analysis of the year’s Best Picture winner and top-grossing film, Lawrence of Arabia, and the factors that made that magnificent epic possible, Cinema ’62 makes a strong case that the movies peaked in the Kennedy era.
270 pages, Hardcover
Published March 13, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 3, 2020
While most film buffs cite 1939 as the year the largest number of great films were released, in CINEMA '62, Stephen Farber (Hollywood on the Couch) and Michael McClellan persuasively argue that 1962 deserves that honor. The two film scholars write that 1962 was "a rare confluence of art, studio craftsmanship, and commerce that has never been surpassed." By succinctly examining acclaimed, underappreciated, hidden and neglected films, the authors showcase 1962 as a spectacularly varied and vital year in film. This was a year where Golden Age directors (including John Ford, Howard Hawks, George Cukor, Busby Berkeley) released films alongside young maverick directors (John Cassavetes, Sam Peckinpah, Roger Corman) and newly imported international filmmakers (Akira Kurosawa, Federico Fellini, Ingmar Bergman).
Even veteran directors were breaking movie taboos. Otto Preminger's "Advise and Consent" and Edward Dmytryk's "Walk on the Wild Side" battled decades-old Production Code restrictions to represent homosexuality on screen. Stanley Kubrick's "Lolita" was restricted to viewers over 18 (which meant its star Sue Lyon couldn't see the film). McClennan, who served on the MPAA ratings board, is an astute historian on the changing morals in films. Other outstanding movies discussed include "The Manchurian Candidate", "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?", "Cape Fear", "The Music Man", "To Kill a Mockingbird" and one entire chapter on the obstacle-filled making of "Lawrence of Arabia" (1962's top grossing film and Best Picture Oscar winner).
CINEMA '62 is a compelling and entertaining assessment of the films released in 1962 and will help budding film buffs assemble a list of must-see movies.
Forget 1939, CINEMA '62 looks at the acclaimed and neglected films of 1962, and persuasively and entertainingly argues it was the peak year for motion pictures.
Even veteran directors were breaking movie taboos. Otto Preminger's "Advise and Consent" and Edward Dmytryk's "Walk on the Wild Side" battled decades-old Production Code restrictions to represent homosexuality on screen. Stanley Kubrick's "Lolita" was restricted to viewers over 18 (which meant its star Sue Lyon couldn't see the film). McClennan, who served on the MPAA ratings board, is an astute historian on the changing morals in films. Other outstanding movies discussed include "The Manchurian Candidate", "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?", "Cape Fear", "The Music Man", "To Kill a Mockingbird" and one entire chapter on the obstacle-filled making of "Lawrence of Arabia" (1962's top grossing film and Best Picture Oscar winner).
CINEMA '62 is a compelling and entertaining assessment of the films released in 1962 and will help budding film buffs assemble a list of must-see movies.
Forget 1939, CINEMA '62 looks at the acclaimed and neglected films of 1962, and persuasively and entertainingly argues it was the peak year for motion pictures.
December 19, 2021
Well written and well researched argument that 1962 was a greater movie year than the often cited 1939 and 1999.
The authors show how the great Hollywood films of that year including ‘The Manchurian Candidate’ and ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ coincided with an influx of important and influential foreign fare such as ‘Jules and Jim’ and ‘La Notte.’
American critics often overlook the role that foreign movies played in the late 1950s and 1960s in the US - showing sophisticated moviegoers what films made without Hollywood restrictions could accomplish. These movies helped break down censorship here and eventually led to the freedom of late 1960s Hollywood.
The authors include new interviews with key players from 1962 including ‘Manchurian Candidate’ actress Angela Lansbury and ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ editor Anne V. Coates.
The authors show how the great Hollywood films of that year including ‘The Manchurian Candidate’ and ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ coincided with an influx of important and influential foreign fare such as ‘Jules and Jim’ and ‘La Notte.’
American critics often overlook the role that foreign movies played in the late 1950s and 1960s in the US - showing sophisticated moviegoers what films made without Hollywood restrictions could accomplish. These movies helped break down censorship here and eventually led to the freedom of late 1960s Hollywood.
The authors include new interviews with key players from 1962 including ‘Manchurian Candidate’ actress Angela Lansbury and ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ editor Anne V. Coates.
October 7, 2020
Good book.
January 15, 2022
This well-researched book sheds light on the movie year 1962 in ways that I never considered. Although I still question if 1962 was, indeed, "the greatest year at the movies", that authors do an excellent job in making their case about such films as THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, LOLITA, LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT, THE MIRACLE WORKER, BIRDMAN OF ALCATRAZ, MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY, WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE, DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES and THE MUSIC MAN - all released in that year. They also reveal films I was less familiar with including RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY, WAR HUNT and BILLY BUDD. At times the authors get too into the weeds with minute details more appropriate for a film studies course, but they also bring clarity to the ways the Hollywood production code and the Legion of Decency held power and then didn't. It's fascinating history about a movie year that has been seriously overlooked.
September 16, 2021
A nice companion to Mark Harris' "Pictures at a Revolution". The authors say that 1962 is one of the greatest years in film, citing such examples as "Lawrence of Arabia", "To Kill a Mockingbird", The Manchurian Candidate", "Lolita", Days of Wine and Roses" "Whatever Happened to baby Jane", "Jules et Jim", :"La Notte", "A Taste of Honey" and The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner" - to name a few. They make a good case and it's a great read for a film lover.
May 26, 2021
A good, traditional book on film, one that looks at key movies from 1962. Whether one agrees with the authors that it was the greatest year ever is up to the reader, but one will certainly find movies that sound intriguing enough to search out and watch.
June 11, 2021
Quick, what's the best year for movies?
There's almost no right answer, my generation can point to 1984, 1987, or 1999. Younger viewers will state the best year has been 2007. When I was growing up, the answer was 1939.
The book CINEMA '62 by Stephen Farber and Michael McClellan is an overview of the films of 1962 and an attempt to make the case that 1962 is the best year for movies. So how did they do?
The authors divide their book into chapters focusing on aspects of the year that manifested in the films. One chapter covered social and sexual themes, another covers emerging foreign masters, emerging younger talents (John Frankenheimer and Stanley Kubrick in particular) and yet another covers notable entries in established genres like musicals and westerns. From out of these chapters, the authors then proceed to examine the notable films of these areas. They cover the genesis and production of the films and their eventual release and reception.
Their descriptions along these lines are concise and satisfying. While entire books have been written about just one of the films at hand, their ability to summarize all the major events and import into a handful of pages is impressive. You may find yourself wanting to seek out some of these films yourself, or at least peruse assorted internet articles for further background. Building that desire is probably the surest sign of success on an endeavor like CINEMA '62.
If there is any criticism, it might be that for as expansive as it is, there will always be some entries that haven't been discussed. For myself, I was disappointed that WALTZ OF THE TOREADORS wasn't mentioned even though Peter Sellers received a lot of examination in the section on LOLITA (film) and there is no mention of Frank Tashlin's film BACHELOR FLAT. When you read this, and I hope you do, you'll have your other omissions to complain about.
These are mitigated by the substantive discussion some other lesser known titles like THE INTRUDER, LONELY ARE THE BRAVE and WAR HUNT are given.
The book is US centric and titles from other countries that never made it to US shores receive almost no mention. The appendices are however very useful as they cover a lot of topics one might have yearned for while reading the main text. For instance, almost every one of the highest grossing pictures of 1962 gets adequate discussion save for… the Walt Disney Production IN SEARCH OF THE CASTAWAYS. I know, I don't think I've heard of it either and I'm kind of surprised Disney hasn't remade it because, Disney. This is quickly dealt with in a couple of paragraphs at the end.
The only point that I'll really argue with, is a quote in the chapter on LAWRENCE OF ARABIA that suggests the Iraq War might have been avoided had a teenaged George Bush watched THE THREE STOOGES IN SPACE instead of LAWRENCE OF ARABIA in 1962. Well, it's a great line but it's wrong. A number of the guys involved in planning OIF were huge fans of LAWRENCE… They just took the wrong lessons from it. I don't throw this entirely at the feet of the authors, but the supposition gnaws at me.
For all this, CINEMA '62 should be read. It's a great argument in support of 1962 and will lead you to a bunch of great titles to watch. As I write this, we're about six months from the 60th Anniversary of this great year. More than enough time to plan the appropriate festivals, retrospectives, and media releases to commemorate it. So for the handful of film programmers out there… get to work.
There's almost no right answer, my generation can point to 1984, 1987, or 1999. Younger viewers will state the best year has been 2007. When I was growing up, the answer was 1939.
The book CINEMA '62 by Stephen Farber and Michael McClellan is an overview of the films of 1962 and an attempt to make the case that 1962 is the best year for movies. So how did they do?
The authors divide their book into chapters focusing on aspects of the year that manifested in the films. One chapter covered social and sexual themes, another covers emerging foreign masters, emerging younger talents (John Frankenheimer and Stanley Kubrick in particular) and yet another covers notable entries in established genres like musicals and westerns. From out of these chapters, the authors then proceed to examine the notable films of these areas. They cover the genesis and production of the films and their eventual release and reception.
Their descriptions along these lines are concise and satisfying. While entire books have been written about just one of the films at hand, their ability to summarize all the major events and import into a handful of pages is impressive. You may find yourself wanting to seek out some of these films yourself, or at least peruse assorted internet articles for further background. Building that desire is probably the surest sign of success on an endeavor like CINEMA '62.
If there is any criticism, it might be that for as expansive as it is, there will always be some entries that haven't been discussed. For myself, I was disappointed that WALTZ OF THE TOREADORS wasn't mentioned even though Peter Sellers received a lot of examination in the section on LOLITA (film) and there is no mention of Frank Tashlin's film BACHELOR FLAT. When you read this, and I hope you do, you'll have your other omissions to complain about.
These are mitigated by the substantive discussion some other lesser known titles like THE INTRUDER, LONELY ARE THE BRAVE and WAR HUNT are given.
The book is US centric and titles from other countries that never made it to US shores receive almost no mention. The appendices are however very useful as they cover a lot of topics one might have yearned for while reading the main text. For instance, almost every one of the highest grossing pictures of 1962 gets adequate discussion save for… the Walt Disney Production IN SEARCH OF THE CASTAWAYS. I know, I don't think I've heard of it either and I'm kind of surprised Disney hasn't remade it because, Disney. This is quickly dealt with in a couple of paragraphs at the end.
The only point that I'll really argue with, is a quote in the chapter on LAWRENCE OF ARABIA that suggests the Iraq War might have been avoided had a teenaged George Bush watched THE THREE STOOGES IN SPACE instead of LAWRENCE OF ARABIA in 1962. Well, it's a great line but it's wrong. A number of the guys involved in planning OIF were huge fans of LAWRENCE… They just took the wrong lessons from it. I don't throw this entirely at the feet of the authors, but the supposition gnaws at me.
For all this, CINEMA '62 should be read. It's a great argument in support of 1962 and will lead you to a bunch of great titles to watch. As I write this, we're about six months from the 60th Anniversary of this great year. More than enough time to plan the appropriate festivals, retrospectives, and media releases to commemorate it. So for the handful of film programmers out there… get to work.
May 27, 2020
I'm not sure the authors convinced me that 1962 was indeed the **greatest ever** year of cinema, but they definitely put across that a lot of special films were released then, and that the year was a watershed in terms of the kinds of subject matter that post Hayes Code filmmakers could delve into, including homosexuality. The book is well-crafted and smoothly written, but lacks that deeply personal touch that the best film critics infuse into their work. At any rate, this inspired me to add several titles such as A Taste of Honey and The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner to my To Watch list and to revisit some old classics like Lawrence of Arabia and To Kill a Mockingbird.
January 31, 2025
Well researched and argued case that 1962 was the best year for movies. Missteps a few times and a fair bit is just plot synopses but overall a quick and enjoyable read.
July 18, 2020
It's evident from the research and writing that Stephen truly loves film. Too bad he had to insert his political viewpoints that had nothing to do with the subject.
September 17, 2024
Good read for movie fans!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews