Operación Cupido

"Family" movies usually make me cringe. Saccharine plots, cloying kiddie actors, goopy dialogue...no, thank you! But "The Parent Trap" succeeds admirably as both children-friendly fare and reasonably witty, sophisticated comedy.

The high-class production values don't hurt, and neither does the superb cast, right down to the character roles. The ever-dependable Una Merkel is a gem as the smart-talking maid, having lost none of her streetwise timing since her brassy blonde days in the 1930's. Charlie Ruggles is extraordinarily lovable as the grandfather, and Cathleen Nesbitt plays wonderfully against type as the domineering grandmother. Leo G. Carroll once again benefits a film simply by his appearance, and even Nancy "Miss Hathaway" Kulp is on board as a butch camp counselor (quite a stretch).

Of course, at the heart of it all, is the bravura performance of Hayley Mills as twins Susan and Sharon. She's never revoltingly sweet--there's a winning streak of spice in her personality that separates her from all other child stars. Plus, her kicky pre-Beatles British accent and snub-nosed beauty lend her a more worldly air than her contemporaries.

The ravishing Maureen O'Hara, in one of her last major roles as the twins' mother, Maggie, begins the film as a nondescript cipher, but her glamorous metamorphosis in the latter half of the film shows just how funny and sexy she can be. Mitch, the twins' father, is played by the ruggedly handsome Brian Keith, who generates the right mixture of roughneck toughness and paternal warmth.

And the criminally-overlooked Joanna Barnes plays Vicki, the predatory golddigger looking to sink her claws into Mitch. Vicki's verbal duels with Maggie and the twins are surprisingly catty for a children's film, and delivered with perfect villainy.

The very 1961 flourishes are priceless: the hopelessly tone-deaf Tommy Sands and Annette Funicello "singing" the theme song; the "formal" dance, with the girls all decked out in crinolines and laces; Susan plastering her bungalow wall with pictures of her favorite pin up boys (Rick Nelson!); and, my personal favorites, Sharon and Susan showing each other their parents' photos: hyper-posed, glamorous Hollywood 8x10 glossies!

The plot actually plays like a highly sanitized Rock Hudson/Doris Day bedroom farce, except that Susan and Sharon direct the course of action. You know what the ending will be even before you watch the movie, but it doesn't really matter. This is a delicious bon-bon of a flick, as irresistible to adults as to their children.

I first saw this movie on Sunday night TV Wonderful World of Disney in 1979 and was hooked. I bought the book at the school book fair and reread it a dozen times.

My older sister had seen Parent Trap in the theater and knew all of the parts that 1970s TV had edited out.

In the 1980s I finally got to see the whole film uncut on the Disney cable channel and finally got to figure out "the little dolls signing the parent trap song" my sister spoke of (there was 15 minutes I'd never get back)....

Dorky animated cupids aside, as a kid I loved the movie's cross country saga. The camp cabin sabotage, the twins joining forces to prank dad's girlfriend.

Although most kids will still enjoy the original movie's favorite kid moments of the punchbowl splashing into a chaperon, the timeless cake falling on Miss Inch's face, and Vicky's hissy fit, the movie's long pace might bore todays kids.

Although some purists don't like the new remake of Parent Trap, I thought the remake kept the essence of the original story and updated it to match todays global travel, destigmatization of divorce, etc.

I loved the parent trap. I think that it is an excellent family movie. Too bad that we can't get back to good family movies such as this one. The only thing is that I couldn't figure out who I liked best Susan or Sharon.

This movie always brings me back to my childhood days, it is perfect for whenever I feel nostaglic! This version is WAY better than the 1998 remake, for the remake is too silly and cheesy (at least for me!) I always enjoy this movie, and feel good at the end because I have traveled back in time to my younger days. I hope my children will feel the same in the near future. **** out of ****

This is an agreeable updating from an E. Kastner's story , it deals about two twins little girls (Hayley Mills). When they are in summer holidays and after several antics each other , discover the surprise which they are twin sisters and then they plot change characters with their different parents (Mauren O'Hara , Brian Keith) who are disjointed since the divorce and the girls have been separately raised . The father is going to marry a young woman (Joanna Barnes) and the eleven-years-old girls scheme the parents reconciliation by making impossible life of the father's bride .

The picture contains enjoyable comedy , humor , tongue-in-cheek and being pretty entertaining . This classical Disney comedy was remade in 1998 with Lindsay Lohan and previously adapted to British cinema in a movie titled : ¨Twice upon a time¨ (1954) . Hayley Mills acting is sympathetic and amusing . Hayley plays two sisters and she makes it splendidly . Hayley starred two sequels for Television (1986, 1989). Susan Henning took on the role as Hayley Mills' body double for several of the twin shots in the film , as part of her contract, she signed away her rights to be credited . The screenplay originally called for only a few trick photography shots of Hayley Mills in scenes with herself; the bulk of the film was to be shot using a body double. When Walt Disney saw how seamless the processed shots were , he ordered the script reconfigured to include more of the special effect . Mauren O'Hara and Brian Keith are magnificent as parents in similar roles later starred by Natasha Richardson and Dennis Quaid . Joanna Barnes as the unpleasant fiancée is very well , in the remake she played the bride's (incarnated by Elaine Hendrix) mother . The movie will appeal to family comedy enthusiasts . Rating : Amusing and enjoyable . Well worth seeing .