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Post by Prince Hal on Dec 8, 2021 12:36:29 GMT -5
On to 1931... This was an absolute blockbuster year for cinema, and as others have previously demonstrated, picking just ONE film would be an injustice to the dozens of great movies released that year.
Late to the 1931 party, a year with several worthy candidates, including Dracula, still as creepy as it ever was; M, the chilling mix of naturalism and Expressionism that may well have served as the model for the Joe Chill ret-con of Batman's origin; Little Caesar (with its gay subtext increasingly obvious as the years go by), and the deliciously cynical The Front Page.
However, I'm going with the incomparable James Cagney's ur-gangster movie, The Public Enemy, which I first saw when I was about 11 years old and which has lingered in my conscious and sub-conscious minds for all the years since, especially that stunning final scene. The mix of anger, frustration, feral instinct, violence, canniness, self-loathing, and corruption that Cagney brings to Tom Powers anticipates every gangster from his own Cody Jarrett in White Heat to Michael Corleone to Tony Soprano. William Wellman's direction and the look of the movie itself are just as raw as Cagney's acting; this isn't prettified or sophisticated, just a punch to the gut. Hell, they even used real bullets to shoot at Cagney. And the plaintive sound of his mother's voice keening "Tommy" only adds to the bleakness and hopelessness of it all.
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Post by Prince Hal on Dec 8, 2021 13:41:00 GMT -5
Turning to 1932, of the ones I've seen from that year -- 20,000 Years in Sing Sing, directed by one of my all-time favorite directors, the protean Michael Curtiz; Freaks, as compelling as it is disturbing; Grand Hotel, the noteworthy granddaddy of "all-star" movies; The Most Dangerous Game with a maniacal Leslie Banks, the alluring Fay Wray, and the stalwart Joel McCrea; Taxi, another great little Cagney movie in which he speaks Yiddish like a moyel:
The Music Box holds a special place in my heart because my kids all loved it when they were little, and still do, but I think I'll give the nod to the frighteningly realistic I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang, another classic I saw first on TV when I was kid, and was an eye-opener and a counter-balance to all the post-Code anodyne historical pictures I also watched all the time. Muni is damn good and the sense of overhanging doom is palpable throughout. And as in Public Enemy, the final scene is unforgettable.
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Dec 12, 2021 16:39:23 GMT -5
Moving on to 1933. This year comes down to a battle royale between three classic films. King Kong, Duck Soup and The Invisible Man. King Kong - Really what needs to be said about this, the Grandfather of all giant monster movies. This is one of the most influential and most copied films ever. And yet almost 90 years later it's still a great film, a rousing adventure, and while the special effects have certainly aged, they're still special (and in some ways haven't aged any worse than a lot of 15 year old CGI). The score is beyond reproach and the ending is an absolute classic. This is still a film you can sit down with a youngster and watch and make them a lifelong fan of movies and giant monsters. Duck Soup - Despite mixed reviews at the time, this is now generally regarded as the Marx Brothers' greatest film. It's not my favorite (we've been over that) but it's still an absolute masterpiece. Interestingly a lot of the criticism was of the films "outdated" look at politics. The critics were later proven lamentably wrong. The Mirror scene, while not original to the film, is a stone-cold comedy classic and this was the one that would be riffed...forever. This really is one of the great comedies of all time. The Invisible Man - I have a little bit of a bias toward this one as it's the first Universal horror film I "found" on my own. Frankenstein and Dracula always seemed to be everywhere, but I came across this one in late grade-school when I started staying up and watching old movies on Friday and Saturday nights on a little black & white TV. I think that the effects hold up well and that Rains is really as good as it gets in acting in these films. This was a big hit both financially and critically in 1933 and its influence is pervasive. It's just another great Universal horror movie. Ultimately, though I love all three, I think I have to pick King Kong. It's just a great film that is fun to watch and so incredibly influential both in general and in how I came to watch movies. A few also-rans... Sons of the Desert - Probably Laurel & Hardy's best feature. In another year it would have gotten more consideration. But I also tend to prefer their shorts. For example Busy Bodies, also from 1933 is just a fabulously funny little movie. Three Little Pigs - This was a bit of a turning point for Disney's cartoon shorts. The song "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf" became huge. And it's really a lovely little film. 1933 in film as an assist. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2021 17:15:15 GMT -5
My hands down favorite for 1933 is Flying Down to Rio which was the first pairing of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. They did not even have top billing, but the magic was there right from the start.
The movie is totally silly from a "plot" standpoint, but in addition to the Astaire/Rogers magic, a couple of other things stand out for me. The music...the immortal "Carioca" number in particular. Also...the absolute absurdity of the final "dance number" with all the showgirls strapped atop the airplanes. Plus it was just before Hayes code enforcement, and they did slide in a few cheeky (and clever) jokes that would not fly (pun intended) had it been made the year after.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2021 17:21:56 GMT -5
Duck Soup - Despite mixed reviews at the time, this is now generally regarded as the Marx Brothers' greatest film. It's not my favorite (we've been over that) but it's still an absolute masterpiece. Interestingly a lot of the criticism was of the films "outdated" look at politics. The critics were later proven lamentably wrong. The Mirror scene, while not original to the film, is a stone-cold comedy classic and this was the one that would be riffed...forever. This really is one of the great comedies of all time. I fully agree with this. The whole Paramount era is such magic to me when it comes to the Marx Brothers even though I appreciate later material. Duck Soup is not my favorite either even though I likewise consider it an absolute classic. I would probably pick Monkey Business as my personal favorite, but again, love all of them from this time. |
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Dec 12, 2021 17:30:05 GMT -5
My hands down favorite for 1933 is Flying Down to Rio which was the first pairing of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. They did not even have top billing, but the magic was there right from the start. The movie is totally silly from a "plot" standpoint, but in addition to the Astaire/Rogers magic, a couple of other things stand out for me. The music...the immortal "Carioca" number in particular. Also...the absolute absurdity of the final "dance number" with all the showgirls strapped atop the airplanes. Plus it was just before Hayes code enforcement, and they did slide in a few cheeky (and clever) jokes that would not fly (pun intended) had it been made the year after. This is what makes life interesting. The appeal of Astaire and Rogers completely escapes me. But then I just generally really dislike musicals. So keep playing along because there's every chance I make it to 2022 without ever mentioning a musical. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2021 17:41:08 GMT -5
My hands down favorite for 1933 is Flying Down to Rio which was the first pairing of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. They did not even have top billing, but the magic was there right from the start. The movie is totally silly from a "plot" standpoint, but in addition to the Astaire/Rogers magic, a couple of other things stand out for me. The music...the immortal "Carioca" number in particular. Also...the absolute absurdity of the final "dance number" with all the showgirls strapped atop the airplanes. Plus it was just before Hayes code enforcement, and they did slide in a few cheeky (and clever) jokes that would not fly (pun intended) had it been made the year after. This is what makes life interesting. The appeal of Astaire and Rogers completely escapes me. But then I just generally really dislike musicals. So keep playing along because there's every chance I make it to 2022 without ever mentioning a musical. All good, variety is the spice of life! On the flip side, I'm not much into horror films unless they are the Abbott and Costello ones  But back on what we both seem to like, what's your favorite Marx Bros movie? Edit: Just had to read slightly back in the thread, Horse Feathers...nice choice! |
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Dec 12, 2021 17:47:40 GMT -5
This is what makes life interesting. The appeal of Astaire and Rogers completely escapes me. But then I just generally really dislike musicals. So keep playing along because there's every chance I make it to 2022 without ever mentioning a musical. All good, variety is the spice of life! On the flip side, I'm not much into horror films unless they are the Abbott and Costello ones But back on what we both seem to like, what's your favorite Marx Bros movie? If you back up a year (and a page) you will discover that it is Horse Feathers. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2021 18:16:40 GMT -5
All good, variety is the spice of life! On the flip side, I'm not much into horror films unless they are the Abbott and Costello ones But back on what we both seem to like, what's your favorite Marx Bros movie? If you back up a year (and a page) you will discover that it is Horse Feathers. Yep, caught it shortly after I posted and edited my original, thanks though! It's a good movie too. |
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Post by Hoosier X on Dec 12, 2021 18:48:20 GMT -5
I love Flying Down to Rio, but it’s the third best musical of 1933! (Unless you count Duck Soup. Then Flying Down to Rio is fourth!)
The other two are Forty-Second Street and Footlight Parade.
Jimmy Cagney made a lot of great movies. My favorite is Footlight Parade.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2021 19:16:56 GMT -5
I love Flying Down to Rio, but it’s the third best musical of 1933! (Unless you count Duck Soup. Then Flying Down to Rio is fourth!) The other two are Forty-Second Street and Footlight Parade. Jimmy Cagney made a lot of great movies. My favorite is Footlight Parade. Despite having picked it as my favorite, I can't disagree, it's a very silly film! But just to give a preview how "deep" my tastes run...it is very likely I will be picking an Andy Hardy film every single year between 1937-1942 (I mean, sure, films like Citizen Kane and Casablanca are OK and all...) |
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Post by Hoosier X on Dec 12, 2021 19:26:59 GMT -5
I love Flying Down to Rio, but it’s the third best musical of 1933! (Unless you count Duck Soup. Then Flying Down to Rio is fourth!) The other two are Forty-Second Street and Footlight Parade. Jimmy Cagney made a lot of great movies. My favorite is Footlight Parade. Despite having picked it as my favorite, I can't disagree, it's a very silly film! But just to give a preview how "deep" my tastes run...it is very likely I will be picking an Andy Hardy film every single year between 1937-1942 (I mean, sure, films like Citizen Kane and Casablanca are OK and all...) I do love Andy Hardy’s Double Life. But it’s not going to be my favorite movie for that year! I just saw Ann Rutherford in A Christmas Carol. Love her so much!! |
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Post by Mister Spaceman on Dec 12, 2021 19:33:36 GMT -5
All of the aforementioned films are terrific but King Kong towers over all of them.  |
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Post by Hoosier X on Dec 12, 2021 21:53:13 GMT -5
1933 is my favorite year in movies!
And my favorite film from 1933 ...
It’s a tie!
King Kong and Duck Soup!
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Post by commond on Dec 13, 2021 8:16:11 GMT -5
1930 -- L'Âge d'Or (Luis Buñuel)
1931 -- City Lights (Charlie Chaplin)
1932 -- Trouble in Paradise (Ernst Lubitsch)
1933 -- Duck Soup (Leo McCarey)
1932 was tough because I also love Boudu Saved from Drowning, Vampyr, Freaks, and I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang. Scarface is excellent as well. I also adore Rene Clair's À nous la liberté from 1931. I remember Horse Feathers being the funniest Marx Brothers film. I can't forget The Public Enemy, either. So many great films from the 30s.
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