Movin' with Nancy

Nancy Sinatra's TV special (originally aired on the night of Dec. 11, 1967) has arrived on DVD in immaculate condition. It has built up such a mystique over the years that most people probably expect GENIUS. Well, there's a touch of genius in it. It's campy, most of all, and could benefit from better pacing, but if you love Nancy Sinatra you'll love "Movin' With Nancy". To review it is to review her. She wears a variety of wigs and outfits, incredible eye make-up, she shakes her groove thang with Sammy Davis, Jr., cuddles up with father Frank (who is delightfully loose, warm and paternal), and trades stiff quips with so-droll-he's-drifting-off Dean Martin. My favorite part of the show is Nancy singing "This Town" to a host of mannequins. I enjoyed "Younger Than Springtime" and the tribute to Ol Blue Eyes. The RC Cola commercials from 1967 are included as well, and are wonderful (Nancy in the white "cell" is breathtaking--striking poses like Mariah Carey's big sister). But the show just doesn't MOVE! There's no urgency in her singing, no passion in the staging of the songs, odd and/or awkward touches and cut-aways, variety-show choreography. The songs play well on CD, but coupled with the visual, you ache for more excitement in both. It's a mixed-bag. Nancy-fanatics will just rate it a '10' and end the argument.

I bought this dvd for my dad as he is a devoted Dean Martin fan. Dean Martin sings one or two songs on this show. But what really surprised me was the stunning performance of Nancy Sinatra. This dvd really has some great songs. Everything is filmed in that typical 60's style with a bit of psychedelic atmosphere. Great to watch and a must buy for Nancy fans.

Long before MTV started, Nancy Sinatra walked right ahead of the pack with a wonderful TV Special containing videos of her hit songs with imaginitive scenery and precise staging. This special will soon be re-released I am told and would be a welcome addition to video collectors world wide. Top rating to a talented performer!!

This is a vignette into "mainstream" 60's pop culture --- mid 60's really. It's a gem for what it is, even though it's contrived throughout and Nancy is obviously feigning emotion in many of the scenes. But it captures a part of 60's culture that is fading away these days. Mike Myers incorporated snapshots of this time into his Austin Powers films, but this is the real thing as it was --- unadulterated by later re-interpretation. There is an overarching sense of white-gloved grace combined with restraint and yet also fun --- which is hard to describe until you see this and can understand the feeling. That was the mid 60's. It was a time with the culture of the 50's still lingering, yet current times were changing significantly. It's definitely worth seeing to be able to experience the feeling of that period.

Now that this DVD is unavailable (unless you're a collector and want to pay $$$), you should keep any copies you can find for a reasonable price.

Short of taking "King Kong" and renaming it "The Understated Tale of a Tiny Primate Who Was Shy Around Women and Was Scared of Heights", this 1967 televisual feast may be the greatest misnomer on entertainment history.

Whatever Nancy Sinatra can be said to be doing in the course of one hour, 'Moving' of any description is not amongst her feats. Throughout she remains icy cool - her trademark persona - with that petulant little pout occasionally breaking into a half hearted smile. She remains rigidly still while dozens of dancers churn furiously around her in a most unsuccessful simulation of activity. On the whole, she has the wooden personality of a stewardess on a bargain airline and makes Nicole Kidman look like Bette Midler.

Which is not to deny the voice, which, even entrapped in these late sixties pastiches, is something to behold. The woman could sing. Even when wandering through the deep and meaningful set pieces - a whole lot of store dummies posing in evening gear on a wintry night leaving Nancy all alone for instance - cannot rob that voice of its power.

But the camp element is what really makes "Movin' With Nancy", not the least a clearly disinterested Dean Martin popping up as Nan's "Fairy God-Uncle." The producers were no doubt congratulating themselves on their monumental restraint in not giving the role to Paul Lynde or Rock Hudson. "I just sang a sad song and now I'm depressed" whines Nancy to Dino, who obviously couldn't care less. Still he duets with her, a happy little ditty which apparently does the trick and cheers her up, though you'd never know it from the facial expression.

Then we have Nancy as a supermodel doing great work for Sammy Davis Jr. She is the most rigid model in history, with all the animation of Marlene Dietrich in one of her comeback tours. She moves her shoulders from side to side and wears a big hat, which sends Sammy into paroxysms.

You may be tempted to dismiss "Movin' With Nancy" after a few minutes as dated camp, but stick with it. Certainly don't miss the grand finale when she jumps into a balloon, flies away and pretty much tells us that she's sick of the sight of us.