YELLOW CANARY

US, 1963, 83 minutes, Colour.
Pat Boone, Barbara Eden, Steve Forrest, Jack Klugman.
Directed by Buzz Kulik.

The Yellow Canary is an enjoyable murder mystery. It stars Pat Boone who is better known as a singer and as a man with religious background. Barbara Eden from television's I Dream of Jeannie is his co-star. The material is conventional enough but entertainingly so. Director Is Buzz Kulik who went on to direct a number of films but more especially some fine television movies.

I. The meaning of the title and its tone? the success of the film as a mystery, a thriller? Which conventions and techniques of mysteries did it use best? Was it conventional in its use of these?

2. How well did the film employ the ballyhoo of the backstage life of the stars? Did this add to the atmosphere of the thriller? Influencing the characters and their response to the situation? the irony of Pat Boone as the main star and the comments on the cult of pop singers?

3. Was the view of the marriage important for the film? The presentation of selfishness? What kind of person was Andy, as a husband, as a performer with a career? How did he change during the film and the crisis? Was he to blame for the failure of the marriage? Her response to Andy? His career? Her love for the child?

4. How important for the film and its impact was the relationship between mother and child? How strongly was this bought out? What response does this crisis bring from audiences? For identification?

5. The importance of the minor characters and audience suspicion of the presentation of Bake? Audiences suspecting him? the fact of his death? The woman who was tortured?

6. Rub ? and the way that he was presented as ordinary? Andy's reliance on him, audience response to Steve Forrest and to the character, did the audience suspect him to be mad? to be the villain? Was he credible? the impact of the climax involving him?

7. How well did the film communicate anxiety on the part of parents, their relationship to the police, their changing attitudes towards each other, that impact of sharing suffering?

8. The place of death in this film? the kidnapping, the threat of death, the murders, the final death of Sub?

9. The importance of greed in the film and its comparison with happiness and personal relationships?

10. How important were the police in this film? Conventional presentation or something different? Their work, efficiency, attitudes towards duties, their attitudes towards stage and pop stars?

11. Comment on the impact of the dialogue, its sharpness and its humour?

12. Was the resolution of the film satisfying and satisfactory for this film?