stThe 30's are an odd decade for me. Movies had sound and were longer, but there was still that comedy aspect, or should I say, true entertainment still present. Mixed in with the great Marx Brothers was the end of the silent films with Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. Epic films were being made and true film, as we know it was coming into it's own. As anyone who has read these list knows, I don't conform to the norm. I didn't love All Quiet on the Western Front, I am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang, the original Robin Hood or Hitchcock's The 39 Steps. You won't find Bride of Frankenstein, the original Scarface or the original King Kong. All decent films, but none make me want to run out and see them again. Like The 40's I only had one 5-star movie on my list, but had a bunch of 4-star movies. I'd need to cut three to form my top ten list.
I just want to add that despite numerous times being on TV and numerous time renting it and returning it to Netflix, I have a huge confession. I, one of the biggest movies buffs you'll ever know, someone who mocks others for not seeing certain classics, has never seen....gulp....Gone with the Wind! I just know I'm going to hate it. The hype, the setting, the overacting in the scenes I've seen. It's movie history heresy, but I don't know if I really want to see it. I know the story. Why see it? I'll probably tie myself to a chair one night and cave in, but not soon. Just for some added info, the three movies that missed the cut for this decade were Frankenstein, Snow White and reluctantly, the Marx Brother's Duck Soup.
10. Horse Feathers - Marx Bros. hilarity when Groucho takes over a college and mistakes his brothers Harpo and Chico for ringers. The movie centers around a big rivalry football game. All the spoke and physical humor you would expect from the Marx Bros.
9. Night at the Opera - Marx Bros again. The boys almost ruin an opera, but end up bringing the two leads to stardom. Don't miss the crowded stateroom scene. One of their best ever. Although my favorite is the Harpo mirror scene which has been copied hundreds of times,
8. It Happened One Night - Claudette Colbert plays an eloping socialite who falls for a recently fired newsman who plans to write about her to save his career. They end up falling in love. Viewed as the best romantic comedy of it's time. Directed by the brilliant Frank Capra.
7. Bringing Up Baby - Katherine Hepburn stars opposite Cary Grant in this zany flick about a scientist and a paleontologist. Trouble starts when her dog, a dinosaur bone and her pet leopard go missing. Howard Hawks directs. One of the best and in my opinion better than It Happened One Night.
6. M - Fritz Lang's first film with dialogue. It's also recognized as the first film ever about a serial killer. Peter Lorre stars as the pedophile/killer. He manages to shed the police, but when the police start blaming the German underworld, they take matters into their own hands. The movie was supposedly used as a propaganda film to show the horrors of sexual deviancy. What's so incredible about this movie is how they portray the killer as a misunderstood character. He doesn't want to attack little children and then kill but needs to. What bothers me, even as the viewer, is the knowledge of the characters crimes and the fact you feel empathy towards him.
5. Monkey Business - The third Marx Bros. movie in the top 10 (4th in top 11). This is their best. The boys get on an ocean liner and almost immediately all hell breaks loose. Definitely the funniest of their career. What defined their films was the short run time, but the number of laughs they could pack into such little time.
4. Little Women - Louisa May Alcott's novel shows up for the second straight decade. George Cukor's adaptation starring Joan Bennett, Katherine Hepburn, Frances Dee and Jean Parker as the daughters. See the 1940-1949 blog for a mini-synopsis.
3. Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck's brilliant novel comes to life with George and Lennie being played by Burgess Meredith and Lon Chaney. As they travel across the country looking for enough money to have a simple existence and care for some rabbits, they find the perfect situation. The simple minded Lennie does things that effect both their future and maybe their lives. Co-starring Charles Bickford and Betty Field.
2. The Wizard of Oz - there's not a person alive who hasn't seen this and loved it. Starring Judy Garland, this film takes a mystical tour in the land of Oz. There are witches, munchkins and flying monkeys. Look close and someone even hangs themself in the background. A great tale about perseverance and overcoming one's shortcomings.
1. Le Grande Illusion - This incredibly powerful Jean Renoir film is about two French soldiers who must overcome their difference in order to plan an escape from a German prison camp during WWI. Erich Von Stroheim is sensational as the German officer who bonds with one of his prisoners. Thought to be one of the first prison break movies. The acting, cinematography and the overall feel of the movie is incredible. One of the finest movies ever made.
I just want to add that despite numerous times being on TV and numerous time renting it and returning it to Netflix, I have a huge confession. I, one of the biggest movies buffs you'll ever know, someone who mocks others for not seeing certain classics, has never seen....gulp....Gone with the Wind! I just know I'm going to hate it. The hype, the setting, the overacting in the scenes I've seen. It's movie history heresy, but I don't know if I really want to see it. I know the story. Why see it? I'll probably tie myself to a chair one night and cave in, but not soon. Just for some added info, the three movies that missed the cut for this decade were Frankenstein, Snow White and reluctantly, the Marx Brother's Duck Soup.
10. Horse Feathers - Marx Bros. hilarity when Groucho takes over a college and mistakes his brothers Harpo and Chico for ringers. The movie centers around a big rivalry football game. All the spoke and physical humor you would expect from the Marx Bros.
9. Night at the Opera - Marx Bros again. The boys almost ruin an opera, but end up bringing the two leads to stardom. Don't miss the crowded stateroom scene. One of their best ever. Although my favorite is the Harpo mirror scene which has been copied hundreds of times,
8. It Happened One Night - Claudette Colbert plays an eloping socialite who falls for a recently fired newsman who plans to write about her to save his career. They end up falling in love. Viewed as the best romantic comedy of it's time. Directed by the brilliant Frank Capra.
7. Bringing Up Baby - Katherine Hepburn stars opposite Cary Grant in this zany flick about a scientist and a paleontologist. Trouble starts when her dog, a dinosaur bone and her pet leopard go missing. Howard Hawks directs. One of the best and in my opinion better than It Happened One Night.
6. M - Fritz Lang's first film with dialogue. It's also recognized as the first film ever about a serial killer. Peter Lorre stars as the pedophile/killer. He manages to shed the police, but when the police start blaming the German underworld, they take matters into their own hands. The movie was supposedly used as a propaganda film to show the horrors of sexual deviancy. What's so incredible about this movie is how they portray the killer as a misunderstood character. He doesn't want to attack little children and then kill but needs to. What bothers me, even as the viewer, is the knowledge of the characters crimes and the fact you feel empathy towards him.
5. Monkey Business - The third Marx Bros. movie in the top 10 (4th in top 11). This is their best. The boys get on an ocean liner and almost immediately all hell breaks loose. Definitely the funniest of their career. What defined their films was the short run time, but the number of laughs they could pack into such little time.
4. Little Women - Louisa May Alcott's novel shows up for the second straight decade. George Cukor's adaptation starring Joan Bennett, Katherine Hepburn, Frances Dee and Jean Parker as the daughters. See the 1940-1949 blog for a mini-synopsis.
3. Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck's brilliant novel comes to life with George and Lennie being played by Burgess Meredith and Lon Chaney. As they travel across the country looking for enough money to have a simple existence and care for some rabbits, they find the perfect situation. The simple minded Lennie does things that effect both their future and maybe their lives. Co-starring Charles Bickford and Betty Field.
2. The Wizard of Oz - there's not a person alive who hasn't seen this and loved it. Starring Judy Garland, this film takes a mystical tour in the land of Oz. There are witches, munchkins and flying monkeys. Look close and someone even hangs themself in the background. A great tale about perseverance and overcoming one's shortcomings.
1. Le Grande Illusion - This incredibly powerful Jean Renoir film is about two French soldiers who must overcome their difference in order to plan an escape from a German prison camp during WWI. Erich Von Stroheim is sensational as the German officer who bonds with one of his prisoners. Thought to be one of the first prison break movies. The acting, cinematography and the overall feel of the movie is incredible. One of the finest movies ever made.
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