The Part-Time Voyeur Picks His Five Favorite Clips of the Month

1. Here is the first round of the Norman Mailer v. Marshall McLuhan bout (aka debate) which Editor Smirnoff called “fascinating” in his latest tirade (aka editorial). Smirnoff said that in the debate, Mailer is “feisty, robust, and speaks in the patois and cadence of a James Cagney mobster” and that McLuhan “is dispassionate, unflappable, and brings to mind Lt. Commander Spock of the starship Enterprise.” So which bloke do you think won?

2. You no doubt agree with The Voyeur that today’s Caucasian actors are a lazy, safe lot. Unlike your modern brat, a Caucasian actor in the Golden Era of Hollywood eschewed ethnic boundaries. He could handle any nationality; all he had to do was dab on a little face paint, and, presto!, suddenly he was “Negro,” “Oriental,” “Indian” (not to be confused with “Injun”—but them too), and so on. Why, even John Wayne, that purest of American specimens, only needed to have his eyelids stretched to play Genghis Khan. The rest was acting:

To be fair, some Caucasians could be funny on purpose. Here is Peter Sellers in THE PARTY (1968) as a bit-actor from India named Hrundi V. Bakshi:

3. For some reason, it was in our memory that Pauline Kael detested the musical version of OLIVER! (1968) but, in fact, she deemed the picture a “superb demonstration of intelligent craftsmanship." Carol Reed, the brilliant force behind THE THIRD MAN, also directed OLIVER! and perhaps that explains the moody environment (which is a striking backdrop for the mostly cheery songs). If you want to experience some intelligent craftsmanship in your life, check out how everything falls smoothly into place in this classic number:

4. Who were I Corvi? Not sure; perhaps the Italian Os Mutantes? The guy on drums looks like a young Javier Bardem if that helps. Bonus: The bird on the guitar is a deft Disney reference.

5. The Collins Kids. Showmanship and content is a double whammy impossible to ignore: