The Moon-Spinners: Difference between revisions

The Moon-Spinners is a novel by Mary Stewart set in Crete, filmed by Disney in 1964, starring Hayley Mills, Eli Wallach, and Peter McEnery.

Set on the island of Crete, The Moon-Spinners is an engaging mystery/adventure. Hayley Mills stars as Nikky Ferris, a British girl vacationing in Greece with her Aunt Francis (Joan Greenwood).

The film opens with the two ladies trying to cope on a bus with a dead fish swinging above them. One might expect a wacky tale of misadventures, the type Disney was fond of in the 1960s. But, in fact, The Moon-Spinners is a mostly dramatic and suspenseful story (a la Alfred Hitchcock), though not without a sense of humor.

The Ferrises find the owners of The Moon-Spinners hotel, where they plan on staying, noticeably short on hospitality. The owner, Stratos (Eli Wallach) is particularly reluctant to have unexpected visitors. Aunt Francis and Nikky then come across a young Englishman named Mark Camford (Peter McEnery), who also seems to be a part of the strange goings-on.

When Mark does not meet Nikky to go swimming as planned, she starts looking for him. It end up Mark has been injured, but refuses to enlighten Nikky. With the suspicious Stratos on their trail, Nikky and Mark run off and solve a mystery involving stolen emeralds, while simply trying to stay alive.

At the center of The Moon-Spinners, Hayley Mills is delightful as always. Now age 18, Mills was a few years older than Pollyanna (1960) and The Parent Trap (1961), but no less charismatic. She does a commendable job as a teen protagonist by neither taking the role too seriously nor forcing out-of-character comedy.

As her counterpart, Peter McEnery's performance is less praiseworthy. His character is as not likeable as he should be, and he does not give Mark personality.

Eli Wallach, who made The Moon-Spinners shortly after appearing in the classic western How the West Was Won (1962), brings color to his role as the menacing Stratos. Silent film star Pola Negri shows up late in the film as the offbeat Madame Habib. It is the last film of the actress, who in her time was romantically linked to Charlie Chaplin, Rudolph Valentino, and even Adolf Hitler.

But the star supporting performance of the film belongs to Michael Davis, who plays Alexis, a funny local boy who happens to be Stratos' nephew. Alexis is fond of expressions like "For crying out loud!" This boy is a potent source of comedy, without feeling like a forced element or hindering the plot.

Caricature can work, Alexis proves. It is just amusing when after he rescues Nikky, she goes to hug him, and he says "No time make love." Or when he tells Nikky before they attempt a dangerous stunt, "You not fall if you don't be stupid girl. Watch me. I show you how."

If there is one fault to find with the film, it is that it unnecessarily goes a bit heavy on PG-rated mano-a-mano fighting. This serves no purpose thematically, as its clunky nature belies the suspense it is trying to build.

A bit of a departure from Disney's formula comedies of the '60s, The Moon-Spinners is an exciting and enjoyable adventure. With its scenic photography, mostly strong performances, and intriguing plotting, the film has a great deal of appeal.

• Hayley Mills: Nikky Ferris
• Eli Wallach: Uncle Stratos
• Peter McEnery: Mark Camford
• Pola Negri: Madame Habib
• Joan Greenwood: Aunt Francis Ferris
• Irene Papas: Sophia
• John Le Mesurier: Anthony Gamble
• Paul Stassino: Lambis
• Michael Davis: Alexis

• [[1]]
• The Moon-Spinners at IMDb

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