In the spring of 1965, Bobby Vinton was given the opportunity to sing the theme song for one of two film biographies of actress Jean Harlow, both of them titled Harlow. (His was the better-known one, directed by Gordon Douglas and starring Carroll Baker, though neither movie was successful.) Released as a single, the tune, with music by Neal Hefti and lyrics by Livingston and Evans, was only a minor chart entry, but Epic records nevertheless went ahead with a Vinton album of movie themes. The selections are drawn from films of the late '50s and early '60s, many of them standards. Some are better known as instrumental compositions one rarely hears the lyrics to, "Theme From 'A Summer Place,'" for example. Vinton's youthful, reedy tenor is suited to some of the material, but not all of it. His "Goldfinger" seems particularly inadequate, especially when contrasted with Shirley Bassey's dramatic hit version. But he is better on such songs as "Moon River" and "Dear Heart," Henry Mancini melodies that are closer to his familiar ballad style. Clearly, the album was an attempt to stretch Vinton's appeal, but in that it failed, not even reaching the charts. ~ William Ruhlmann