Movies

Penelope (1966) Natalie Wood is the pert young wife of a wealthy New York banker but she has one little quirk - she just likes to steal! Luckily she is also a master of disguise, meaning she can duck down behind the seat of a taxicab and pop up with a different color of wig on and nobody recognizes her. Has potential to be one of those bright cheerful bits of fluff, but somehow ends up being kind of terrible. Wood was good in similar light pieces, and great as a serious actress even in overwrought melodrama like Splendor in the Grass, but here she is never convincing in the role, certainly not in her flashback recollections of bohemian life in the Village as a folk singer and artist. Much of the credit goes to the poor script, with some basically bad ideas and continuity. I certainly don't mind seeing any young actress disrobe, but not when a rape-mad Jonathan Winters is ripping her dress off. It doesn't help at all that Edith Head was in her salad bowl hat period. Someone probably loves this movie, I thought it stunk all the way through. Luckily there were lots of bright colors and moving shapes. 2/10