Billie (1965)

Lace up your sneakers and get ready for fast-paced fun with this first-rate (The Hollywood Reporter) musical co-starring Oscar® winner* Patty Duke (The Miracle Worker) and Jim Backus ( Gilligan s Island )! Featuring Duke s energetic and appealingly innocent (Films & Filming) performance and memorable music this refreshingly unpretentious charmer [is] a fun film from beginning to end (Citizen-News)! Billie (Duke) is a bright-eyed tomboy whose love of that crazy rock n roll beat helps her outrun the entire high school boys track team! But while she is winning medals her father (Backus) is busy campaigning for mayor on a platform of male superiority! And to complicate things even further Billie s new boyfriend Mike (Warren Berlinger) a fellow team member fearful of being left in the dust wants her to quit the squad forcing Billie to make a decision that could change her life forever! Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY UPC: 027616903945 Manufacturer No: 1006192 Product Description

Grab some popcorn, an easy chair and enjoy the beat!

I remember watching this film as a small child with my mother. I loved it then and am glad it is now on DVD. I watched it on a black & white TV back then, so this is the first time I was able to see it in color. It is such a treat--so sixties camp, yet fun for the whole family! I was delighted to also catch it on cable in its widescreen mode (the DVD is pan & scan). If you want a fun "cabin fever" movie, this is a great choice. July 26, 2008

Nostalgia and Fun!

I was a huge "The Patty Duke Show" fan and I had (and still have) the Billie album, but as a child never had the opportunity to see the movie my beloved album was based on. I so enjoyed this, although it was definitely out of the past! You must view this in the right frame of mind for the 60's, but it makes for great entertainment if you do. April 26, 2008

Nice little movie

I loved this movie when I was a kid and was pleasantly surprised when I saw it on video. Not quite an enthralled with it now but it was a nice jog down memory lane. Patty Duke is always good in my book. December 21, 2007

that crazy beat!

Patty Duke was at the height of her teenybopper fame when she starred in BILLIE (1965). Modern audiences may sneer at it's depiction of a girl's fight for equality (which she ultimately drops), yet it's mix of teen angst and lively musical numbers is quite a delicious combo.

15-year-old Billie Carol (Patty Duke) sets out to beat the boys at their own game by joining the highschool track team; a decision that could disrupt her entire family. With her father (Jim Backus) busily campaiging for mayor, her sister (Susan Seaforth-Hayes) home from college with a guilty secret; and mother (Jane Greer) constantly talking about putting her head in the oven(!), Billie's antics could send them all over the edge! In the end, Billie decides her greatest victory is just "being a girl", as the whole cast dances away into the night. Yay!

BILLIE is harmless fluff in the vein of "Gidget" and "Beach Party". Patty Duke, at the very apex of her teen fame, is pert and perky in the lead, belting out songs like "Funny Little Butterflies". Warren Berlinger is the boyfriend who feels threatened by Billie's sporting prowess, and "That Girl"'s Ted Bessell also puts in a fun appearance. The lively choreography comes courtesy of talented "West Side Story" cast member David (Baby John) Winters. Keep an eye out for Broadway hoofer Donna McKechnie amongst the dancers.

The DVD of BILLIE is truly appalling though. Cropped and sliced into fullscreen, the image is full of telecine wobble and lots of grain (which could have been minimalised by keeping the film in it's original widescreen ratio). The sound is in big fat mono with minor hiss and distortion evident throughout. Extras are limited to the original trailer (which is presented in widescreen, another kick in the pants for those who would have loved the whole movie in widescreen).

Fans of 60s kitsch should love BILLIE. Despite a shoddy DVD presentation, this is a movie that deserves to be enjoyed. (Single-sided, single-layer disc). December 11, 2007

Nice package, Poor Quality!

I was so disappointed that the film transfer was not letterbox, as were the opening credits. The film is grainy and distorted. It is pan and scan and many times you cannot see who is talking! The characters look like dwarfs, the video VHS copy is much better! At the end is an interesting note, copyrights Anna Marie Pierce! AKA Patty Duke! Do not waste your money. November 19, 2007

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