The Moon-Spinners

An aunt and niece (Joan Greenwood & Hayley Mills) are traveling through remote areas of Crete whereupon they encounter the suspicious brother of the proprietress of an inhospitable coastal hotel (Eli Wallach). Intrigue ensues. Peter McEnery plays a young Brit the girl finds attractive while Pola Negri shows up in the last act.

"The Moon-Spinners" (1964) inserts Hayley Mills into an island adventure that works well because it's relatively realistic, has superb locations/sets and a well-chosen cast (e.g. Wallach is perfect as the villain). It's basically Hayley Mills meets "North by Northwest" (1959) and "The Day the Fish Came Out" (1967).

Hayley was 17 during shooting and blossoming into a winsome young woman.

The film runs 1 hour, 58 minutes, and was shot on Crete and Pinewood Studios, London.

GRADE: B+

I saw the film in 1964 when I was 11 and loved it then. I feel the old Disney films are still the best. As I know many of my students are not familiar with the old films, I showed it to my fifth-graders recently, and they loved it (and asked to see it again). For youth viewing, the film still holds up. I still love it.

From Walt Disney, an overly-involved story of jewel thieves and a young girl swept away by intrigue while vacationing in Crete. I understand why some say the film is sluggish or dull; it does drag, and has one too many plots going on, not to mention far too many characters who may-or-may-not be what they seem. However, Hayley Mills is enchanting as intrepid Nikky Ferris. She gets her ire up, gets to be silly, trades quips with Pola Negri (looking regal). Also fabulous: the dizzying sequence where Mills escapes villainous Eli Wallach by jumping from a windmill (beautiful camera-work and direction). Not a taut Hitchcockian mystery, but a good attempt at one. Terrific Terry Gilkyson theme song, fine supporting work from Wallach, Joan Greenwood and young Peter McEnery, who gives Hayley her first screen kiss. *** from ****

The Moon-Spinners is by far a classic movie for your video collection. Besides great actors, this movie has every little speck of something for everyone. A fortune in stolen jewels, add a dash of danger, a pinch of romance, and season this movie with Alfred Hitchcock-like intrigue and comic flair, and you have a helluva movie for the entire family! 8 out of 10.

Based on Mary Stuart's novel, The Moon-Spinners is a nice and amusing adventure comedy. Constructed a little bit like an Hitchcock movie, where tension is building up slowly but surely and where many characters are not always what they seem to be, it is filled with memorable scenes (the escape from the windmill, for example) and good humor. Although she may not be as sparkling as in Pollyanna or The Parent Trap, Hayley Mills is nevertheless still the star of the show, both charming and endearing. Furthermore, as a beautiful grown up, she is portraying a modern heroin, not afraid to take charge of her own detective work. As the villain, Eli Wallach is also particularly brilliant. Eventually, the music and, especially, the title song by Terry Gilkyson are lively and enchanting.