The Moon-Spinners

Infobox_Film
name = The Moon-Spinners


caption = Original theatrical poster
writer = Novel:
Mary Steward
Screenplay:
Michael Dyne
starring = Hayley Mills
Eli Wallach
Joan Greenwood
director = James Neilson
producer = Walt Disney
distributor = Buena Vista Distribution
released = flagicon|USA 2 July, 1964
runtime = 118 min.
language = English
imdb_id = 00058371

"The Moon-Spinners" (1964) is a Walt Disney Productions feature film starring Hayley Mills in a story about a jewel theft on the island of Crete. The film was based upon a suspense novel by Mary Stewart and was directed by James Neilson. "The Moon-Spinners" was Mills' fifth of six films for Disney, and featured Pola Negri's last big-screen appearance.

Plot and cast

A young English woman named Nikki Ferris (Hayley Mills), living in Athens, takes a trip with her aunt (Joan Greenwood) to the Greek island of Crete. She meets a wounded stranger (Peter McEnery) and the plot takes off, involving her in the theft a rich woman's (Pola Negri) jewels while being threatened by a Greek gentleman (Eli Wallach) and his sister (Irene Papas).

Production notes

The lead character is somewhat younger than in the novel. Travelling alone in the book, she is accompanied by her aunt in the film. The film is somewhat dark, similar to other Disney live-action features made in the '50s and '60s for more mainstream audiences such as "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" and "Treasure Island". It was Walt Disney's penultimate live-action film that he was credited as producer while alive. Disney convinced actress Pola Negri, who had been retired for two decades, to return to the screen for this, her final film.