ALTHOUGH continually skimming the edge of bland sitcom, Father Of The Bride (Pearl, 2.05pm) still packs a gentle punch. It's the kind of film that makes you want to pray for a typhoon, so you can spend the afternoon on the sofa, brain disengaged, watching the first of many walks La Liz was to take down the aisle.
Elizabeth Taylor was a teenager when she made this, in 1950, and looks positively radiant. She embodies an idealised version of the spirited but demure young bride. It's a film that would have been lacking without her, but she does not steal the show. That honour goes to Spencer Tracy, who was given every opportunity to showcase his comic drollery, right from the opening scene, when he delivers the post-nuptial monologue from an armchair, surrounded by the detritus of the reception; confetti, streamers and empty champagne glasses.
He looks as every father looks after a wedding - relieved, depressed, bemused and poor. Steve Martin's performance in the remake was derivative, evidence of the impact Tracy had.
The film's other strong point is its subtle stab at the American family circa 1950. It's hardly The Simpsons, but there are certain dysfunctional elements in the Tracy household. Taylor herself is one, at first embracing engagement with vigour, then calling off the wedding when she discovers doltish fiance Buckley Dunstan (Don Taylor - who later became a director), is planning a fishing trip for their honeymoon.
You will also enjoy Joan Bennett's portrayal of the mother. This was her first film for MGM. Vincente Minelli's direction is assured. The film inspired a sequel, Father's Little Dividend, and Martin's 1991 remake, in which father and daughter exchange high fives and play backyard basketball.
THE sequel to Dino De Laurentis' 1976 King Kong is King Kong Lives (Pearl, 9.30pm) and it's desperate stuff. The ape has a mate with everything he loves - she's statuesque, has hairy armpits and mossy teeth. The army tries to kill them, naturally, but not before a scene that owes a lot to the finale in Spartacus.
