Movies: The Parent Trap

If you're only familiar with the remake starring Lindsay Lohan, now might be the time to dig up a copy of the 1961 version 0f "The Parent Trap," a charming kid's comedy starring Hayley Mills and directed by David Swift. While the plot of the two movies is nearly identical (separated-at-birth identical twins conspire to get their parents back together), the actual execution of the 1998 film is markedly different.

Back in 1961, the reprocessed split-screen shots were an interesting novelty. While time hasn't been kind to some of the effects, they were good enough to convince audiences back in the day that Hayley Mills must have had an identical twin in real life. Combine this with a guileless performance from the young actress, and you have a movie memorable enough to be remade nearly 40 years later.

The 1961 version, like many Disney films back in the old days, included some memorable songs, such as the so-corny-it's-catchy "Let's Get Together":



Rating: 7/10