[.ca] Billie

semi ok:
This is good as something to waste a Saturday afternoon. Patti Duke plays an athlete. She listens to "the beat" which guides her in running. Since she's the top runner, the boys in the school are in shame. It's like a sitcom and all was okay till the end. It's not a good message.

The Girl With the Beat:
This is the story of a 15-year-old girl who can outrun all the boys on the track team because she uses "the Beat," the rhythm of rock music in her head to help her run faster. She's invited to be on the boys' track team, to the consternation of the school principal and her father (reliable character actors Richard Deacon and Jim Backus)-especially embarrassing her father, who's running for mayor on what today would be thought of as a "male chauvinist ticket." Dad changes his tune when Billie becomes a track star, but his mayoral opponent has another family secret up his sleeve. Of course at the end Billie takes the 60s way out and decides she'd rather be a girl than a track star, which infuriates many people, but the film was actually very daring for 1965 with its "everyone should do what they like" theme: no one actually ever coerces Billie to leave the team, not her envious team-mates, or her father, or the boy who wants to be her boyfriend-it's Billie's decision to stop running, not anyone else's. This is just a nice pleasant rainy Saturday afternoon film with some great character actors, including Jane Greer, who plays Billie's mom who takes her husband with a grain of salt, the aforementioned Jim Backus, who wishes his little girl had been a boy (this leads to a very heart-rending scene where Dad refers to Billie as "son"), Susan Seaforth before she did DAYS OF OUR LIVES, a pre-THAT GIRL Ted Bessell and pre-BEWITCHED Dick Sargent, and Patty Duke as Billie, who actually comes off very natural as a tomboyish girl who feels out of place with everyone. (Her dyed blond hair is a fright, though; how did two brown-haired parents manage to have a blonde daughter anyway?) And of course lots of cool 60s dance scenes and clothes. One point taken off for the DVD, which uses widescreen for the titles and pan and scan for the rest. It's good quality DVD, but the framing ruins several scenes. Someone must have had the original widescreen print somewhere; why not just transfer that?

Entertaining and reliable:
This is a very sweet film, and a musical as much as a story. There are a lot of good songs (and dance)and the cast consists mainly of reliable supporting actors and actresses for the times. The story is perhaps daring for 1965, which is the right of a girl to compete not only in sports, but on a male team. But, since it was done in 1965, punches were pulled. The copy is crisp (you can see Patty Duke's smallpox scar) but her hair color seems to change quite a bit, and was a bit distracting. This is a fine family film and fans of Patty Duke, especially of her early years, will want this for their collection. Those who remember her from her TV show will be very happy this film is on DVD. The ending is a bit of a downer, considering the stand taken earlier in the film, but then one has to consider when the film was made. Few of the actors looked really like athletes, and Patty Duke seemed physically unlikely for the role, but then this was likely a small town high school and the coach was also an English teacher, unlike the specializations today. This DVD is a pleasant way to spend some time, but not strong enough to require devoting a special time to watch.

Duke Sings Again in BILLIE:
This is a great family movie which stars Patty Duke as track star BILLIE. Billie, it seems, suffers from gender indentity disorder but she doesn't let it get her down. She still finds time to sing "Lonely In-Between", "A Girl is a Girl" and "Funny Little Butterflies", one of Duke's 45rpm hit singles at the time. All in all, a video worth seeing and another must-have for Duke fans.

BILLIE NOW ON DVD:
It's nice to see this wonderful flick on DVD. Starring Academy Award winner PATTY DUKE as Billie Carol, a young gal who scores on the Track Team but feels like a "Lonely Little In Between" in her private life. Ted Bessell plays her young brother in Law, and the wonderful Jim Backus plays her dad. Duke sings three songs in the film - "Funny Little Butterflies" "A Girl is a Girl" and the aforementioned "Lonely Little In Between". Her performance, including her dance routines, are totally enjoyable. She literally sparkles on the screen and it is easy to see how Patty Duke made the transition from child star to teen star to more mature roles. If you are looking for a DVDthe whole family can watch and enjoy,BILLIE would be an excellent choice.A MUST for Duke fans!