TOP 100 HENRY MANCINI FILMS: #10-1

 

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#10-1 of the Top 100 Henry Mancini Films

We made it! This is the best of the best. Scroll on, my huckleberry friend.

#10: Imitation of Life (1959)

Imitation of Life (1959) tells the tale of a widower and her daughter after they befriend a would-be photographer and a single Black mother and her child at Coney Island. Their lives become intertwined and the struggles of a biracial child in the 1950s play out. It’s a daring subject to put on the silver screen in 1950s America. Yet, as cutting edge as that sounds, Imitation of Life (1959) unspools so subtly and in true classic film fashion from hair and make-up to lighting to camerawork and staging. Don’t let the gloss lull you to sleep, this is a film worth seeing and thinking about from beginning to The End. 

#9: Wait Until Dark (1967)

When I picked up Wait Until Dark (1967) on DVD at the library years ago for my first viewing, the librarian stopped me and said, “It’s so good!” She wasn’t kidding. Hepburn’s performance earned her an Oscar-nom, but the real star is Alan Arkin as 'Roat' - a villain that’s smart, charming, violent, ruthless, and seemingly unstoppable.

#8: That's Entertainment (1974)

In addition to the awesome overture of That’s Entertainment (1974), Henry Mancini wrote tracks that segued from film clip to film clip – often with the audio and music from two different films that were years, if not decades, apart. Mancini loved it as he was back to arranging music like at the beginning of his career at Universal. To learn more about the early days of Mancini’s career, check out his biography written by yours truly.

#7: The Party (1968)

Dubbed one of nine “Must-See” Blake Edwards features by Turner Classic Movies writer Sloan De Forest, The Party (1968) is a silly romp that intensifies with each passing moment. Some of the humor is a bit off by modern standards, but this is very common in any Edwards films. 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.

#6: Days of Wine and Roses (1962)

Another one of nine “Must-See” Blake Edwards features by Turner Classic Movies writer Sloan De Forest, Days of Wine and Roses (1962) looks and sounds lovey-dovey but is dark and almost perfect. Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick do an outstanding job in their individual roles that have them swirling in the chaotic tug-of-war between the alcoholic downward spiral and to-be-continued-off-screen rise to redemption. Mancini and lyricist Johnny Mercer won the Oscar for Best Original Song for Days of Wine and Roses (1962).

#5: Touch of Evil (1958)

Touch of Evil (1958) is dubbed one of nine “Must-See” Orson Welles features by Turner Classic Movies writer Sloan De Forest. It also is one of the first Mancini films I saw on the big screen and fights to be my all-time favorite Henry Mancini film (see #4). In his 1958 review, New York Times film critic Howard Thompson said the film had “sinister electricity” in what felt like “a wild, murky nightmare.” Touch of Evil (1958) was the film they used to make film students watch for the opening shot – an impressive three-minute and twenty-second long take that careens through a border town and ends with a wallop. Trust me: the shot is amazing. The whole film is amazing. Watch it. p.s. You can see Sloan De Forest's list of all 8 "Must-See Movies" by Orson Welles on Letterboxd.

#4: Charade (1963)

My all-time favorite Henry Mancini film landed at #4. I get it. It’s not a film for all. But it’s so much fun. Many people mistakenly think Hitchcock directed Charade (1963) due to its suspense, drama, and well-placed one-liners. But it wasn’t. It was directed by Stanley Donen. In 2023, I saw Charade (1963) for the first time on the big screen, and WOW! On the big screen, Paris looks absolutely cool and gorgeous. Mancini's score sounds phenomenal (of course!). And the entire cast looked like they were having so much fun with each role.

#3: The Pink Panther (1963)

Another of De Forest’s “Must-See” Blake Edwards, The Pink Panther (1963) has one of Mancini’s most recognizable themes. Writer John Capp noted that Panther is one of the three pillars of Mancini. If “Peter Gunn” is his jazz-based rock and Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) is his use of melody as a storytelling device in “Moon River” and its variations, then The Pink Panther theme is “hip and wry” and “cool humor” film scoring. Mancini would be known to do all three styles of music effortlessly. The Pink Panther (1963) movie itself is fun to a degree but just isn’t as fun or cool as Hank’s music and opening animation. New York Times film critic Bosley Crowther called The Pink Panther (1963) “unoriginal and largely witless” but agreed it was worth the price of admission just to see the opening animated titles. Okay, so it ain’t Shakespeare. Yet, many, many fans love it. Ergo, it landed as our #3. 

#2: Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)

Yes, Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) is not Number One. It’s also one of nine “Must-See” Blake Edwards features by Turner Classic Movies writer Sloan De Forest. And while it does have a problematic caricature performance by Mickey Rooney, the film also has Audrey Hepburn’s portrayal of Holly Golightly in what would be an early pioneer effort in the revolution of independent, sexually-powered female film lead characters in the 1960s. And Mancini and his Breakfast score contributed to that revolution. Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) is also remembered for Henry Mancini’s Oscar-winning song “Moon River”, the now-iconic fashion, and the onscreen magnetism of Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard. And that cat! Oh, my goodness, that cat! Just see it for the cat!

#1: Victor/Victoria (1982)

Victor/Victoria (1982) is Mancini’s personal proudest achievement and, according to film critic Vincent Canby, is Blake Edwards’s “Duck Soup, Hotel Paradiso, Some Like It Hot, and Citizen Kane” all rolled up into one. The film won Mancini’s final Academy Award for Best Music. Mancini’s song ‘Crazy World’ – a personal favorite of mine -  softly reverberates the rare, chaotic beauty of this hip, stylish, yet still old-fashioned musical about a woman-impersonating-a-man-impersonating-a-woman. Yes, Turner Classic Movies writer Sloan De Forest, dubbed  Victor/Victoria (1982) a “Must-See” Blake Edwards feature (see the complete "Must-See" list on Letterboxd). The New York Times film critics also distinguished Victor/Victoria (1982) as one of the 10 best films of 1982 (this list is also on Letterboxd at this link). In our scoring system, Victor/Victoria (1982) edged out Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) by only 2.1 points. To gain perspective, The Pink Panther (1963) was a whole 80.4 points behind Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961). This was a tight race at the top, but to Victor/Victoria (1982) belonged the spoils.

We made it! Next week, we’ll post the entire 100 in one entry with links to each batch of 10. But wait, there's more! Here's a bonus video - and a bit of a teaser of the next stage of our ongoing celebration of the Top 100 Henry Mancini Films....

Happy 100th Birthday, Henry Mancini!

• The Top 100 Henry Mancini Films: #100-91
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• The Top 100 Henry Mancini Films: #40-31
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• Henry Mancini 100 - A Celebration! - The Official Henry Mancini Website
• Henry Mancini 100 - A Celebration! - Spotify Playlist

* 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.