The Yellow Canary (1963) User Reviews (10)

Dig that jazzy score

[jjnxn-1 · 7/10 · 18 November 2015]

Competent but not extraordinary thriller is interesting for several elements.

First it gives Pat Boone a chance to play a slightly less savory character than his candy coated image usually allowed. I'm not much of a fan of the actor but he does a good job as the initially self involved singer who is a neglectful husband and father but basically decent man who gets an unexpected wake-up call when his infant son is kidnapped. The script also presents a few instances for him to sing without disturbing the flow of the story.

Barbara Eden, quite the knockout, was still a couple of years away from I Dream of Jeannie and working her way up the leading lady chain. Her role doesn't offer much opportunity outside frantic anguish but she handles the requirements well. Also on hand, though given little to do, is Jack Klugman as the police inspector on the case adding another solid portrayal to the film.

As for the general story while it has several plot holes that stretch believability it is overall an enjoyably put together nail-biter. A real benefit comes from the effective and evocative musical score provided by Kenyon Hopkins. It adds a great deal of tension and snap to scenes that could have otherwise been flat.

Not a long lost classic but an under-known worthwhile entertainment. Hard to find but if you happen upon it take the time to give it a chance.

...a very good movie.

[xanadumichael · 8/10 · 22 July 2006]

Though it has been well over 40 years since I saw "The Yellow Canary," my recollection is that it was a very good movie. What I specifically remember is a stand out performance by Pat Boone. So much so, I did not remember Barbara Eden's part in it. Boone spent most of his movie career in singing roles (e.g, State Fair) and/or more-or-less simplistic teen movies (e.g., "April Love," "Bernadine"). In this film, however, he provided a more than passable effort as a serious actor. It seems unfortunate he did not pursue more such roles, though he may have suffered from management that stifled his potential, much like happened to Elvis and Colonel Tom Parker's control of his career. It would be interesting to see the film today, and find out if the years have enhanced my memory or if, in fact, it's as good as I remember.

Childhood Memories

[wsjo69 · 8/10 · 9 August 2005]

I saw this movie when I was just 13 years old, and it scared me to death. I remember that the movie theater had trouble opening the curtain all the way at the beginning of the movie, which only made the whole experience even more bizarre, and it was one of the opening scenes that really freaked me out. I can still see it in my mind today, some 40 years later. From what I remember, I would compare it to "Cape Fear" and "Wait Until Dark" for comparable chills. I suspect that it would play pretty innocently these days, but I would love to see it again just to see how much of what I remember was really there. Anybody have any leads on where to find this, contact me at [e-mail].

Despite sharp dialogue and performances, an ineffective suspense-melodrama...

[moonspinner55 · 5/10 · 22 January 2010]

Pat Boone plays a popular male crooner (with the silly, generic name of Andy Paxton) who is callous to his estranged wife and indifferent to their baby boy, but who jumps into action once the infant is kidnapped for a ransom of 200 G's. Whether he's resisting police lieutenant Jack Klugman's help or comforting stressed spouse Barbara Eden, real-life vocalist Boone turns in a surprisingly strong performance; he handles the s.o.b. stuff at the beginning quite well, and his on-stage numbers are flawlessly rendered. Klugman and Eden are also solid, which is a good thing because the midsection of this melodrama is definitely not. Rod Serling, adapting Whit Masterson's novel "Evil Come, Evil Go", writes some crisp, crackling dialogue--but the trouble is, there's too much of it. Serling forgets that a heated crime scenario such as this has to flow with a little action. Things get bogged down once Boone suspects one of his entourage of the kidnapping, doing his own detective work in-between bouts of the bottle. When the tense climax finally arrives and one is filled with questions pertaining to motive...Serling suddenly clams up! The finale is satisfying only on the most basic of levels, with point and purpose left strangely unresolved. ** from ****

A good Mystery.

[Great-4 · 10/10 · 12 October 1999]

"The Yellow Canary", movie is the story of a singer who's baby is kidnapped. The best acting in the film is from Barbara Eden in one of her best dramatic roles of Lissa Paxton, the wife of the singer and mother of the baby son who's kidnapped. The reaction when she comes home and finds her baby son kidnapped is one of the best scenes in the film. A good mystery and story from Rod Serling.

Kidnapping Bobby

[jotix100 · 5/10 · 21 January 2011]

Despite the five favorable commentaries submitted to this forum, "The Yellow Canary", the 1963 film that showed up on cable recently, it is not a good film. Evidently, it is a piece of nostalgia to those viewers that rated it so highly.

It is surprising that someone of the stature of Rod Serling could produce such paper thin premise as the one used in the narrative. It is too obvious who the kidnapper is from the start, so it comes as a no-brainer how this person could fool Andy Paxton, the man at the center of the story, as well as the police that are called to help solve the case.

The film shows a bland Pat Boone trying a dramatic role. Mr. Boone was a singer that had his popularity in the late 1950s, and early 1960s. As an actor, he was wise not to leave his daytime job. The direction of Buzz Kulik, a man that worked extensively on television, does not do anything out of the ordinary to stage the film in a different fashion that might have made a better movie. Barbara Eden's Lissa does not make much sense either. Steve Forrest is about the one that fares best. Others in supporting roles include the great Jesse White, Jack Klugman, and Harold Gould.

The best thing is the crisp black and white photography by Floyd Crosby of the Los Angeles of that era. The jazzy musical score is by Kenyon Hopkins.

I would like to buy a copy of this film.

[britishsteamwave · 10/10 · 2 August 2005]

I agree 100% with Jonboy1 from Texas. Pat Boone gives a very credible performance as the smooth nightclub singer, Andy Paxton. He teams again with Barbara Eden (together first in "All Hands on Deck - 1961?) who plays his wife, and is the "yellow canary" who like the proverbial worm, turns. Jack Klugman, always a welcome presence on screen appears as the probing Lieutenant Bonner. 1950s film luminary, Jeff Corey also makes an appearance. I cannot understand why this film has been canned when many less deserving films appear on DVD. Another of Pat's efforts "Never Put It In Writing" is similarly discarded while the nonsensical "The Horror of it All" is available. Strange! If anyone knows where I can buy a copy, I would be obliged.

Rod Serling must have had a balloon payment due on his mortgage

[mls4182 · 4/10 · 29 November 2021]

I watched this only because I had heard Rod Serling wrote it. Well, you'd never know it just from watching. Judging from his other work, he must have rushed this out for a payday. It would barely pass as a bad 1970s TV movie.

Pat Boone and Barbara Eden were attractive and charismatic performers adept at comedy but they were not dramatic actors and in this it really shows.

Good lost film.

[johnboy1 · 26 July 2001]

It's a shame that this film gets trashed all the time by critics, when it's really a fine Rod Serling movie. Boone, Eden, and Forrest give nice performances in this little mystery. I sure wish that I could find a copy of it on VHS, but I don't think it's ever been released on video. Maybe someday.

I have looked for this for 50 years!

[Bowserb46 · 10/10 · 22 September 2023]

I was a fan of Kenyon Hopkins, who wrote the music. Came across the soundtrack album at an Army post exchange on a mono LP and bought it. I've been curious ever since about the movie. Big stars Pat Boone, Jack Klugman, Barbara Eden, big name screenwriter, a favorite composer. Someone saw fit to produce a music soundtrack album and press LP records for sale. My rating is based purely on the music soundtrack.

Where is this movie? I've searched the usual places, but all I've found so far have been well known scammers. We now have probably 50 streaming movie/tv services. You'd think someone would find this and run it!

Hey Amazon, how about it. If not for Prime, how about for FeeVee? There might be a whole new generation waiting to discover Pat Boone!