LouHomey From my favorite movies..

Freaktana A Major Disappointment

TaryBiggBall It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

Curt Watching it is like watching the spectacle of a class clown at their best: you laugh at their jokes, instigate their defiance, and "ooooh" when they get in trouble.

Irie212 "Billie" was released when I was 15, and I only dimly remembered it, but because I admire Patty Duke's talents, and especially because I have in adulthood come to really appreciate Jane Greer's, I watched it again recently. It was all vaguely familiar, especially the horrible musical score, which came back to me like a bad headache. But there was no way, and I mean no freaking' way, that I could remember my 1965 reaction to "Billie," the story of a teen-aged tomboy. All I remember is Patty Duke, track and field, and bad music. Is "tomboy" even used any more? In the nearly half-century since "Billie" was made, Americans have been exposed to masculine girls from Cher in "Silkwood" to Ellen Morgan (a.k.a. DeGeneres) to Patty Bouvier. UPDATE, MAY 2017: Since I wrote that sentence, those choices seem almost quaint and old- fashioned. That's how far we've come from the days of a 'love that date not speak its name.'"Billie" could never, ever be made again in Hollywood. Any modern teen-angst movie about a tomboy would inevitably, in 2010, raise questions of homosexuality. Not that Billie is a Lesbian. Gee, gosh, and golly, no. There isn't even a suggestion of it. However-- and accuse me of profiling, if you will, because I am-- my gaydar was spinning like Brian Boitano the moment Duke sprinted onto the track field, looking for all the world like a pint-size peroxide Pete Rose.It's a formulaic movie, of course, and therefore pretty lousy, though Greer, Duke, Billy DeWolfe and Jim Backus all perform admirably. It's also a family movie, almost ridiculously so. In the end, not only does Billie end up with a boyfriend, but her mother and her sister both end up pregnant. Meanwhile, I couldn't help but wonder what teen-aged girls at the time-- future Lesbians such as Christine Kehoe and Janis Ian and Suze Orman -- thought when boyish Billie passionately admits "I wish I was a boy," only to have her father reply frankly, "So do I." It was a moving moment when Billie was just a tomboy to 15-year-old me; now that I view her as possibly a latent Lesbian, it was quite a powerful moment.

movingpicturegal Bit of fluff about teenage Billie Carol (Patty Duke), tomboy (if in any doubt of that, the short-cropped boyish haircut tells you that fact) who joins the boys track team at her high school and faces the mild wrath of her father (Jim Backus) who is running for mayor (Billie wishes she were a boy - and so does dad - uh oh). Billie "hears the beat" when she runs and even helps the other boys on the team (none of whom can run as fast as spirited little Billie) learn the beat in a fun dance number. New boy in school, Mike, wants to become a track star so recruits Billie as his "teacher" - but can't keep his eyes off her when she dances. And meanwhile issues about "women's rights" are loosely brought into the film as Billie gets upset 'cause the boys treat her "like a girl and not an equal". A subplot involves big sister Jeannie who returns from college with a secret she only reveals to sis Billie.This film is pretty light fare, nostalgic fun that reminded me so much of the 60s teenage films I liked as a kid - it's also a semi-musical with one good dance number, plus a few sort of catchy, a few not so catchy songs thrown in. As a fan of Patty Duke (one of my favorite old TV shows since childhood is the rarely seen "Patty Duke Show") it was great to see her in this fun, teenage role - she's very energetic, likable and cute in this (even though forced into appearing on screen in this rather ugly powder blue short set as well as a pretty hideous powder blue dress, amongst other things - and what's with that bleached blonde hairdo?!). 60s TV is also well-represented as this film is jam-packed with numerous familiar stars and character actors from popular 60s sitcoms - Bewitched, That Girl, Gilligan's Island, Leave it to Beaver - all represented here. Even well-loved character actor Charles Lane appears briefly in a few scenes as the track coach, and there's even a big "Shaggy Dog" in this. Nothing great- but enjoyable, light fun.

Isaac5855 I remember my parents taking me to see BILLIE at the local drive-in when I was a kid. Patty Duke, pre-Valley of the Dolls, played this tomboyish teenage girl who could outrun all the boys in her school thanks to something in her head that she called "the beat", but boys don't like to go out with girls who run faster than they do, so Billie is pretty much alone until she compromises her feminist ideals, sings a corny song about becoming a woman, and purposely loses a race so that she can have the boy of her dreams, who I believe was played by Warren Berlinger. I think Jim Backus played her father, who was running for Mayor on a "Women belong in the home" platform while his daughter was out running track with the boys. This movie was kind of corny, but Patty played the role energetically and I liked her blonde, Mia Farrow haircut.

Sunshine7 Roll back the clocks for this one! A very fine movie for it's nostalgia. I enjoyed seeing what teenagers were like back in the 1960's. This is a movie/musical rolled into one. It stars, Patty Duke who plays the character "Billie", a tomboy who causes a problem with her school when she is put on the all "boys" track team by the impressed school coach. You have to remember that this movie was released in 1965 when women's rights were not as prevalent as today.If you have never heard Patty Duke sing, then you just have to see this movie... She sings as beautiful as a songbird! Bobby Diamond, who played on the TV series, "Fury" (1955-1960), is also in this movie and sang to my enjoyment as well! Although not intended to be funny, some parts of this movie were very comical and had me in stitches! I enjoyed watching the way the people danced back then. It looked like they were having a great time!In conclusion I'd like to say, that "Billie" is a very fine movie for it's time period. If only there was more of it. The ending left me with wanting more...more...more!