Stay off of MY Beach!

Once You Kiss a Stranger
(1969)

"Stay off of MY Beach!"

I finally have some really cool Carol Lynley news to report!!!

The Warner Archive's Made-On-Demand DVD-R program has released from their vaults, Carol's 1969 film, "Once You Kiss a Stranger."

"You really are insane!"

I just received my copy in the mail! The movie has vibrant colors and great clarity, and ... it's WIDESCREEN! I don't think it was restored because I did witness an occasional line and some dirt specks. Still, it is far better than the version I recorded off of TV. Also, the film runs 1 hour 45 minutes, so I saw a lot of new scenes I never saw before that were edited out for commercials.

For those of you who don't know, "Once You Kiss a Stranger" was a updated remake of Alfred Hitchcock's "Strangers on a Train"--but set in Malibu, CA with a female lead.

Carol is perfectly cast as a mentally unbalanced young woman who makes a strange bet with a professional golfer (played by Paul Burke): she will kill his golf rival if he will kill the psychiatrist who wants to have her committed. At first, Paul doesn't take her seriously--until his rival's body is found on the golf course with his head bashed in.

The movie may have gained a camp reputation, but it was not intended to be a comedy. It is a 1960s psychological thriller. Carol has a lot of great campy scenes in this movie. First, she destroys a little girl's beach ball with a harpoon, then she tries to throw the cat in the refrigerator as punishment for drinking her milk.
Another bizarre scene shows her casually eating a hamburger while examining the bloody golf club used in the killing.

Parts of the film are very dated, but that only adds to its kitschy-like quality. Like most old movies of its day, "Once You Kiss a Stranger" was shot like a sitcom with brightly-lit sets, (Check out the Brady Bunch-like kitchen with orange Formica countertop). But actually, Carol was really way ahead of her time for 1969. She owned a videotape machine AND had a purse equipped with a video recorder--perfect for capturing her sexual encounters and blackmailing somebody!!! I didn't get my first VCR recorder until 1983!

Most importantly, this is a fun movie to watch--thanks to Carol's performance. I highly recommend this film. Here's the link to Warner Archive: http://www.wbshop.com/Once-You-Kiss-A-Stranger/1000180220,default,pd.html?cgid=
It's currently $19.95, but do a search for Warner Archive coupon codes and you might get it cheaper.

Carol's advice for the day:
"If you want to kiss someone...NEVER ask! Just do it!!!