March 28, 2024

TOP 100 HENRY MANCINI FILMS: #20-11

#20-11 of the Top 100 Henry Mancini Films

I simply can't believe we are nearing the end of our trip through the Top 100 Henry Mancini Films. From here on out, it's the best of the best - with many films having received a variety of nominations, awards, critical acclaim, inclusion on other noteworthy lists, and so on. Some titles did surprise me for being this high up but, for the most part, you can't go wrong watching any one or more of these pictures on any given day. Here we go...

#20: All I Desire (1953)

Oh, the melodrama! Everyone does their part in this small-town soap opera with a tongues-a-waggin'. Honestly, I didn’t love All I Desire (1953) but it scored quite well with online fans and critics. That said, if you are confused as to why this film scored so high, please check out The System we used to rank the Henry Mancini films. I did my best to combine critics and fans' opinions on the films for their mathematical placement on the list.

#19: The Great Race (1965)

The music, of course, is wonderful, The cast is hilarious. But the real draw for me (and my sons when they were considerably younger) is the fact that The Great Race (1965) has the largest pie fight ever to take place on the silver screen with a whopping 4,000 pies thrown in the epic custard battle. The Great Race is dubbed one of nine “Must-See” Blake Edwards features by Turner Classic Movies writer Sloan De Forest. See the complete "Must-See" Blake Edwards list on Letterboxd.

#18: The Far Country (1954)

The Far Country (1954) is a great western with stellar performances, well-constructed cinematography, breathtaking vistas, and a meandering-but-catchy storyline. Mancini’s music is top-notch, too.

#17: Sometimes a Great Notion (1971)

Sometimes a Great Notion (1971) is a bold film about work, love, life, and society. While wallowing a little bit in typical early 1970s sarcasm and pessimism, Sometimes a Great Notion (1971) soars with deep performances and an experimental Mancini score that taps into the western motifs and scorching electric guitar solos years ahead of its time.

#16: To Hell and Back (1955)

Swedish power metal band Sabaton, and their song that bears the same name as this film, first made me aware of the To Hell and Back (1955) film. John Capp’s book on Henry Mancini propelled me to watch it. Mancini only scored a few passages but you can clearly hear his style which fits nicely in the picture. With real-life war hero Audie Murphy playing himself, the movie could have gotten weird quickly. It doesn’t. Murphy is great, a natural as he did every maneuver before filming in the real war. Structurally, To Hell and Back is built with Frankenstein-like construction of propaganda, documentary, found footage (to an almost experimental film degree), and classic Hollywood melodrama. A strange and great watch.

#15: Experiment in Terror (1962)

Another film dubbed one of nine “Must-See” Blake Edwards features by Turner Classic Movies writer Sloan De Forest, Experiment in Terror (1962) is a nerve-wracking, nail-biting noir thriller with one of Mancini’s most memorable themes.

#14: The Return of the Pink Panther (1975)

A dumb, silly, fun ride with the pop culture icon Inspector Clouseau that’s nearly harmless except for a few dated, cringe-inducing jokes. Probably the best Pink Panther movie after the original - although that’s a weird honor to bestow.

#13: Two for the Road (1967)

Henry Mancini wrote in his autobiography, “Two for the Road (1967) was a unique picture…a little too imaginative for its time.” This hyper, non-linear storyline, covering a dozen years of a relationship and marriage via four repeat trips from London to the Riveria, moves through time with each passing car, sunbather, or recently-filled wine glass. It may have been too much for audiences in 1967 but is ripe for storytelling this century. It’s basically a longer version of an Instagram reel that delves deep into the pleasures and pains of marriage. Mancini loved his work on the picture and considered the Two for the Road theme to be one of his two favorite love themes he ever wrote (see #57 on our list for his other favorite). Thanks to this Top 100 blog project, and a suggestion from a good friend, I had the pleasure of officially introducing Two for the Road at the famous Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville, PA this past February. Here is my presentation:

#12: The Glenn Miller Story (1954)

Mancini would receive his first Oscar nomination for his arrangements in The Glenn Miller Story (1954) – along with his boss Joseph Gershenson. It’s no wonder this film scored so high on our Top 100: Mancini is arranging classic Miller hits like “String of Pearls” and “Moonlight Serenade”, hot commodity Jimmy Stewart is playing the title role, and the whole film is a sugar-coated, greatest-hits-laden biography of a struggling musician who makes it big. The New York Times film critics distinguished The Glenn Miller Story as one of the 10 best films of 1954 (see the complete 1954 NYT list on Letterboxd). The Glenn Miller Story is being screened during the daily free matinee at The Jimmy Stewart Museum this May 20-26th. And Digging Star Wars is presenting a brief talk at The Jimmy Stewart Museum about Henry Mancini and The Glenn Miller Story before the matinee on Tuesday, May 21st. Join us for some even more fun facts about this film and Hank! Check out this write-up on the official Jimmy Stewart Museum Facebook page:

#11: A Shot in the Dark (1964)

And yet another Mancini movie that’s been dubbed one of nine “Must-See” Blake Edwards features by Turner Classic Movies writer Sloan De Forest! De Forest also credited this farce film – along with The Pink Panther (1963) – as the impetus for the entire Pink Panther film and cartoon series. This Mancini theme is often forgotten when one starts listing favorites but…when the first notes are heard, listeners automatically know sneakiness, sexiness, and hilarity abound. A Shot in the Dark theme is truly a study of how a song can start small, build up to something big, twist seductively, and end with a grand finale.

That’s a wrap on #20-11. Next week: Top 10! Which film will be the Number One Henry Mancini film of all time? Swing by next week to find out.

* Thanks to David P. Ramos for that impressive sketch of Hank hard at work, Scott Derby for the iconic Digging Star Wars logo, and Josh Taback for the much-needed art direction of the overall Top 100 “square art” layout.

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