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Post by berkley on Jun 23, 2022 20:30:17 GMT -5
1953... Another 1953 film that I want to give a special shout out to is The Big Heat, which is a wonderfully dramatic crime noir starring Glenn Ford. Prior to watching this film, I only knew Ford as Pa Kent in Superman The Movie, but he turns in a really great performance here as police Sgt Dave Bannion. He's joined by Lee Marvin and Gloria Grahame as the violent mobster Vince Stone and Stone's mistreated moll respectively, along with Jocelyn Brando (sister of Marlon) who plays Bannion's tragically ill-fated wife. The film was directed by the great Fritz Lang, and his moody visuals perfectly compliment the film's tight scripting and razor sharp dialogue. Overall, The Big Heat is a surprisingly violent film for its era, but it's also a grippingly tense and highly enjoyable revenge thriller.
Glenn Ford was excellent in Gilda, though playing a character I found more unsympathetic than I think audiences of the 1940s would have done, when I re-watched it a few weeks back. I think he also did one of the best first-person narration voice-overs I can remember hearing in any movie - it's something that's very hard to get exactly right, to my ears, and he possibly came closer than anyone else I can think of at the moment. William Holden's was good in Sunset Blvd, too.
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Jun 24, 2022 7:36:22 GMT -5
Today's Catch-Up Top 10's
1942-11 of them
Bambi
Casablanca
Cat People
Man Who Came To Dinner
Now Voyager
Pride Of The Yankees
Saboteur
This Gun For Hire
To Be Or Not To Be
Woman Of The Year
Yankee Doodle Dandy
1943
Edge Of Darkness
Five Graves To Cairo
Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man
Guy Named Joe
Heaven Can Wait
I Walked With A Zombie
More The Merrier
Ox-Bow Incident
Sahara
Shadow Of A Doubt
1944
Arsenic And Old Lace
Double Indemnity
Gaslight
Laura
Lifeboat
Meet Me In St. Louis
Miracle Of Morgan Creek
Murder My Sweet
Seventh Cross
To Have And Have Not
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Jun 25, 2022 19:47:25 GMT -5
More Catch-ups. I just did 2 older years in another forum and 1 step forward with 1945
1931-Nothing here that you folks have not already mentioned
City Lights
Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde
Dracula
Frankenstein
Front Page
Little Caesar
M
Monkey Business
Platinum Blonde
Public Enemy
1932
Freaks
Grand Hotel
Horse Feathers
I Am A Fugitive From A Chain Gang
Island Of Lost Souls
Most Dangerous Game
Mummy
Red Dust
Scarface
Tarzan The Ape Man
1945
And Then There Were None
Brief Encounter
Children Of Paradise
Detour
Leave Her To Heaven
Lost Weekend
Mildred Pierce
Scarlet Street
Spellbound
Tree Grows In Brooklyn
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Jun 27, 2022 1:34:28 GMT -5
Getting closer with the catch-up. My yearly top 10's, at least by my opinion currently
1946
Best Years Of Our Lives
Big Sleep
Blue Dahlia
Gilda
It's A Wonderful Life
Lady In The Lake
My Darling Clementine
Notorious
Postman Always Rings Twice
Stairway To Heaven
1947
African Queen
Bachelor And The Bobby-Soxer
Brute Force
Crossfire
Dark Passage
Gentleman's Agreement
Miracle On 34th Street
Monsieur Verdoux
Nightmare Alley
Out Of The Past
1948
Abbott And Costello Meet Frankenstein
Fort Apache
Fountainhead
Key Largo
Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House
Naked City
Rope
Sorry Wrong Number
State Of The Union
Three Godfathers
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Jun 28, 2022 2:04:11 GMT -5
Another step closer to the rest of the pack. My 1930 list. I only own 14 in physical or disc form. So here's a top 5
1930
All Quiet On The Western Front
Animal Crackers
Big Trail
Hell's Angels
Madam Satan
1949
Act Of Violence
Adam's Rib
All The King's Men
Criss Cross
Gun Crazy
Kind Hearts & Coronets
Set-Up
She Wore A Yellow Ribbon
Third Man
White Heat
1950
All About Eve
Asphalt Jungle
Cinderella
D.O.A.
Furies
Harvey
In A Lonely Place
Night And The City
Rashomen
Sunset Blvd
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Jun 29, 2022 4:16:19 GMT -5
The final catch up. Ready to play with the big boys
1951
Ace In The Hole
Day The Earth Stood Still
Detective Story
Lavender Hill Mob
Man In The White Suit
Strangers On A Train
Streetcar Named Desire
Thing From Another World
Treasure Of The Sierra Madre
When Worlds Collide
1952
Bad And The Beautiful
Forbidden Games
Greatest Show On Earth
High Noon
Ikiru
Limelight
Narrow Margin
Pat And Mike
Quiet Man
Singing In The Rain
1953- let's make it 11
Big Heat
From Here To Eternity
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Invaders From Mars
Island In The Sky
Naked Spur
Shane
Stalag 17
Wages Of Fear
War Of The Worlds
Wild One
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Post by Farrar on Jun 29, 2022 22:21:32 GMT -5
Getting closer with the catch-up. My yearly top 10's, at least by my opinion currently 1947 African QueenBachelor And The Bobby-Soxer Brute Force Crossfire Dark Passage Gentleman's Agreement Miracle On 34th Street Monsieur Verdoux Nightmare Alley Out Of The Past African Queen was released in 1951--Bogie's Allnut earned him the Best Actor Oscar over Brando's Stanley Kowalski. Maybe for 1947 you meant another Bogie/Huston flick, The Treasure of The Sierra Madre, which you have listed under 1951? Treasure was released in the US in early1948, so it's not too far off from 1947. |
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Jun 30, 2022 2:12:51 GMT -5
Getting closer with the catch-up. My yearly top 10's, at least by my opinion currently 1947 African QueenAfrican Queen was released in 1951--Bogie's Allnut earned him the Best Actor Oscar over Brando's Stanley Kowalski. Maybe for 1947 you meant another Bogie/Huston flick, The Treasure of The Sierra Madre, which you have listed under 1951? Treasure was released in the US in early1948, so it's not too far off from 1947. Forgive me Leonard Maltin, for I have sinned  |
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Post by Farrar on Jun 30, 2022 9:39:37 GMT -5
^^^ My son, you are forgiven. Just don't let it happen again!  And actually this thread has inspired me to think about my own favorites, which then makes me think about where I first saw them. Now it's easy to see these movies but back in the day I saw many of these films in the repertory cinemas that used to be around. Festivals spotlighting Brando or MGM musicals or Buñuel films--my film education started at those wonderful--and for the most part, long-gone--cinemas. |
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Post by Prince Hal on Jun 30, 2022 10:09:21 GMT -5
1953Shane Iconic Western that hits all the right notes. Yes, the final scenes can seem sappy today, but that's because they've been parodied and taken out of context. Watch Brandon De Wilde. His voice never catches; not one tear drops from his eye; he is every bit the unsentimental, realist type of character with whom director George Stevens fills this movie. Btw, if Jack Palance as Jack Wilson isn't the physical model for Hipshot in the old "Rick O'Shay" strip, I'll eat my Stetson. From Here to Eternity Tough at times to see Montgomery Clift as a boxer, but the acting up and down is top-notch and Zinneman captures the feel of pre-war Hawaii perfectly. And Zinneman's December 7th outdoes anything Michael Bay put on screen all those years later when all the pretty boys were under attack. War of the Worlds Scary and suspenseful, though the preachy ending I cna live without. Stalag 17 Bitter and cynical. One of the best POW movies ever. Maybe the best. Hondo John Wayne summons the macho when he needs to, but otherwise is quite the modern male. The 3-D effects scenes are painfully obvious, but the movie holds up despite those. Titanic Far more human drama and less melodrama than the overstuffed Cameron video game. A good companion to A Night to Remember. House of Wax Good 'n' scary. The Wild One Waitress: "What are you rebelling against?" Brando: "Whattaya got?" Julius Caesar Solid stuff. Clear and easy to understand and it's fun to see the mix of classic and contemporary actors at work. The Band Wagon A great backstage musical, as is Kiss Me, Kate, if you like this sort of thing. The Naked Spur Anthony Mann and James Stewart get even gritttier, with the always wonderful Robert Ryan as the nemesis. And a young Janet Leigh is just as tough as the two grizzled vets. Dangerous Crossing A woman's husband disappears into thin air on their honeymoon cruise. Interesting noir, and a locked-room mystery in one. Sleeper Picks: Angel Face Nasty noir with the very innocent-seeming Jean Simmmons in full femme fatale mode and Robert Mitchum her chump. The ending will definitely stay with you. Otto Preminger reminds us that he directed Laura. Malta Story A stiff upper lip take on the embattled island's service in World War Two. A mix of military documentary and the story of everyday life under siege with the always underpalying Alec Guiness as a reconnaisance pilot forced into combat. Trouble Along the Way A comedy with John wayne as a shady coach trying to save a small school by beefing up the football program overnight. Donna Reed is the social worker who has to keep her eye on his precocious daughter; he tries to charm her; it doesn't quite work. Slight, but has some good moments. Charles Coburn steals his share of scenes as the priest who suborns of Wayne's schemes; Reed and Wayne make a great pair of antagonists, but the star is Sherry Jackson (pre-Star Trek), as the tough-as-nails daughter. (She runs the show and calls her father "Steve.") The protean Michael Curtiz directs.  
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Jun 30, 2022 11:10:26 GMT -5
Moving onward, ever onward to 1954. I'll just start by saying that the top end of 1954 is really great. It's maybe not as deep (for me) as some other years, but the quality is definitely there. Rear Window - If this isn't Hitchcock's masterpiece it's very close. Hitchcock takes Cornell Woolrich's noir short story and builds an incredibly claustrophobic tale of a wheelchair-bound photographer whose voyeurism propels him into a potential murder. Jimmy Stewart is excellent as Jeff, as is Grace Kelly as his socialite girlfriend Lisa. The claustrophobic sets add to the voyeuristic nature of the the film and ramp up the feelings of dread. Just a first rate thriller. The Seven Samurai - Another film you can argue is the directors masterpiece. Akira Kurosawa's film about seven samurai who protect a village from a bandit group is one of the most remade, homaged and parodied films ever. Kurosawa gives us not just one of the greatest action films of all time, but one of the greatest films of all time. Simply a triumph. On the Waterfront - I'm not usually a straight drama guy. I tend to like my films a little genre-y. This is one of those exceptions. Largely based on Marlon Brando's performance as Terry Malloy. Brando is just a revelation, giving a masterclass performance that, by and large, made his reputation for the rest of his life. That said, the acting is very good across the board, with Eva Marie Saint and Karl Malden giving great performances. I'll cop to having mixed feelings about ever supporting Elia Kazan after he squealed to HUAC, but his is just an amazing film. Sabrina - In a lot of ways this movie shouldn't work. Bogie doesn't scream light romance or comedy. And he's about a billion years too old for Audrey Hepburn (and yes, I know about Lauren Bacall). And really, Sabrina falling for Linus over David is...questionable. But Billy Wilder, Bogie, Hepburn and William Holden pull it all off with aplomb. Just a lovely romantic comedy of the sort they don't seem to make any more (and I really hate saying stuff like that). The Caine Mutiny - Bogie had a great year in '54 giving an extremely strong performance as Lieutenant Commander Queeg, a blustering, paranoid, but somehow sympathetic martinet captain of a minesweeper. Jose Ferrar, Van Johnson and Fred McMurray (who again gets to play a villain) are great in support. Not a perfect movie, but a very fun watch. It's also notable for bringing Edward Dmytryk fully back from being black-listed and for an appearance by Lee Marvin in both an acting role and as an unofficial technical advisor. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea - I have a lot of good memories of this film. My Dad was a closet SF fan. He didn't read SF, but he really liked The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits and, he did love, the works of Jules Verne. So I watched this movie with him every time that it came on TV when I was a kid. And it's just a rousing adventure film with a great cast headed by Kirk Douglas, James Mason and Peter Lorre. And I very underrated acting job by a giant octopus. Creature From the Black Lagoon - I LOVE me some Gill-Man. I recognize that, by and large, this is 50s SF b-movie schlock. But I don't care. The Creature is one of THE great movie monsters and this film just defines movie fun. So...my favorite. While I recognize it's not the best, my favorite, for a combination of nostalgia and fun, is 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. A fun movie with great memories and one that was formative to my personal development with SF. As always there are films I know that I liked, but it's been a very long time since I've seen. Hitchcock has a great year when you add in Dial M For Murder. I also haven't seen the original Godzilla in eons. Speaking of SF B-movie schlock, I'd like to see Them! again. I also need to re-watch The Far Country (Mann & Stewart), Vera Cruz (Gary Cooper and Burt Lancaster), and Riot in Cell Block 11. 1954 in film for those as need an assist. |
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Post by badwolf on Jun 30, 2022 14:15:21 GMT -5
War of the Worlds and Roman Holiday were my favorites from 1953.
Rear Window is my favorite from 1954, with Sabrina, Godzilla and Dial M for Murder just slightly behind.
The original Godzilla is not as schlocky as you might think. It's actually quite serious and dark, despite the primitive look of the monster and effects. It's only the follow-ups that started to get goofier and comic at times.
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Jun 30, 2022 14:37:01 GMT -5
War of the Worlds and Roman Holiday were my favorites from 1953. Rear Window is my favorite from 1954, with Sabrina, Godzilla and Dial M for Murder just slightly behind. The original Godzilla is not as schlocky as you might think. It's actually quite serious and dark, despite the primitive look of the monster and effects. It's only the follow-ups that started to get goofier and comic at times. The schlock was a call-back to Creature From the Black Lagoon, not to Godzilla. I have only the vaguest memories of the original Godzilla. |
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Post by commond on Jun 30, 2022 19:12:14 GMT -5
My absolute favorite film from 1954 is Johnny Guitar. I adore Cukor's A Star is Born as well, and Douglas Sirk has a good one with Magnificent Obsession. Them! is a brilliant film. I'm also a fan of Anthony Mann's The Far Country, Robert Aldrich's Vera Cruz, and Fritz Lang's Human Desire. Sansho the Bailiff is arguably Kenji Mizoguchi's masterpiece. La Strada is likewise a masterpiece, and belongs on the short list for best films of the 50s. Senso is a gorgeous Visconti film. Touchez pas au grisbi is an excellent Becker crime thriller. There's also the first Musashi Miyamoto film by Hiroshi Inagaki, and one of the most popular Japanese films of the era within Japan itself, Keisuke Kinoshita's Twenty-Four Eyes. A couple of films I haven't seen are Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, aside from whatever I might have caught on TV at times, and Otto Preminger's Carmen Jones.
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Jun 30, 2022 19:59:21 GMT -5
My Top Ten For 1954
20,000 Leagues Under The Sea
Barefoot Contessa
Caine Mutiny
Dial M For Murder
It Should Happen To You
On The Waterfront
Rear Window
Sansho The Bailiff
Seven Samurai
Them
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