Well, it was what it was. I saw 83 movies released in 1945, including shorts, documentaries and B movies that I reviewed here. Although there was a lot of dross, the following favorites were anything but.
It was kind of amazing to look back at all the good “new” movies I saw this year. It made me more grateful for this blog and the friends I have made because of it.
My viewing for 2014 covered the years 1939 to 1945. I also viewed 66 films noir during Noir Month in July and watched other films as part of my membership in the 1001 Films You Must See Before You Die Blog Club. I stopped counting films sometime during the year. My letterboxd account shows I’ll have around 200 movies between September 15 and the end of the year so I guess I saw something like 500, taking into account several movieless trips.
I’m not much for rankings since my memory plays tricks on me, but as of today here is the list, in reverse order, of my favorite ten of the films I saw for the first time in 2014.
1.Jammin’ the Blues (1944, directed by Gjon Mili) – I watched many films I rated 10 out of 10 stars in 2014, but this was the only one I was seeing for the first time. Those interested are in luck! It is only 10 minutes long and available on YouTube.
A list of my 50 top new-to-me favorites is available here.
I watched 80 films released in 1944, including some shorts, documentaries, and B movies reviewed only here. I did not revisit the multi-Academy Award nominated Since You Went Away. It was on “very long wait” status on Netflix throughout this exercise and the DVD is out of print. I’ve gotten part way through it twice before and don’t feel missing it on this round impacted on my ten favorites ranking.
At different points in my viewing I got to thinking 1944 was a fairly weak year. Now that I look back at it, I find that there were many standouts from the year. Here are my ten favorite feature fiction films. These are my favorites, which change from day to day, and not a list of the “best” or “greatest” films of the year.
One of the very best films I saw from 1944 was a short called Jammin the Blues. I don’t see how it possibly could have been any better. It’s 10 minutes long and easily found on YouTube. I only wish I could find a still that would do it justice.
I watched 84 films that were released in 1943, including some shorts, documentaries, and “B” movies that were not reviewed here. You can see the full list on IMDb here or at Letterboxd, with some short reviews not published on the blog, here. 1943 was the first year in a long time, maybe ever, that I was able to view all the nominees in the major categories (Picture, Director, four Acting categories, and 3 Writing categories).
After a long hiatus, I thought I’d bring back my Top Ten list. For purposes of this exercise, I have considered both Casablanca and In Which We Serve to be 1942 films.
Here are my favorite films of 1943 in reverse order.
One of the best things I did in 2013 was to start this blog which has brought me new on-line friends and an outlet for my love of cinema. It also spurred me on to watch 432 total movies during the year, almost surely a lifetime record. I joined the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die Club too and racked up 94 films from The Book. I’m still enthusiastic about my chronological journey through cinema, though possibly my favorite exercise was Noir Month. I’ll probably break away for another theme month sometime during 2014.
The very best films I watched during the year were old favorites. These are already on a lot of lists so I thought I would single out ten films I saw and loved for the first time in 2013. The list could certainly be much, much longer and is in no particular order.
1. Raw Deal (1948, directed by Anthony Mann) This was my “find” from Noir Month. An unsung little film with an unusual female narrator, this features some outstanding chiaroscuro cinematography from legendary film noir D.P. John Alton and a creepy villainous performance from Raymond Burr.
2. Les Misérables (1934, directed by Raymond Bernard) In my mind, this lavish and comprehensive two-parter is the best adaptation of the Victor Hugo classic. Harry Bauer makes a perfect Jean Valjean.
3. Design for Living (1933, directed by Ernst Lubitsch) This is not in The Book but I had been looking forward to seeing it for a long time and certainly was glad I saw it in 2013 while I had a lot of life left in me.
4. Japanese Girls at the Harbor (1933, directed by Hiroshi Shimizu) I will let this stand in also for the other two films – Mr. Thank You (1936) and The Masseurs and a Woman (1938) – that introduced me to the exquisite little gems by this formerly unexplored Japanese master in 2013.
5. Make Way for Tomorrow (1937, directed by Leo McCarey) – an absolute classic finally brought to me courtesy of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die and the Criterion Collection.
6. Captains Courageous (1937, directed by Victor Fleming) – so glad I finally caught up to this wonderful performance by Spencer Tracy this year!!
7. Of Human Bondage (1934, directed by John Cromwell) … and that I now know how and why Bette Davis became a star
8. Cat People (1942, directed by Jacques Tourneur) – Noir Month finally brought me this long-awaited collaboration by Tourneur and cinematographer Nicholas Musuraca
9. César (1936, directed by Marcel Pagnol) Although I didn’t know it, it would take me until 2013 before I really completed this fantastic trilogy.
10. The Wedding Night (1935, directed by King Vidor) This one stands in for all the films I had never heard of before researching films to watch for my chronological exercise that turned out to delight and inspire me.
I watched 65 films that were released in 1936. I had a hard time singling out just ten of these! The complete list of films I watched can be found here: http://www.imdb.com/list/eBl1zIKZCOA/
Honorable mentions to: The Crime of Monsieur Lange; The Charge of the Light Brigade; The Prisoner of Shark Island; Mr. Thank You; Osaka Elegy; Libeled Lady and Mayerling.
I watched 51 films that were released in 1935. A complete list can be found here: http://www.imdb.com/list/ZGW4DN5ryag/?publish=save. I enjoyed lots and lots of them, but these were my very favorites:
1. Top Hat(Mark Sandrich): This is officially my favorite Astaire/Rogers film, at least until I am watching the next one.
2. Ruggles of Red Gap (Leo McCarey): This seldom mentioned treasure is one of the reasons I keep watching these old movies! It has a perfect cast, a wonderful script, and is expertly directed by Leo McCarey.
3. The 39 Steps (Alfred Hitchcock): I prefer The Lady Vanishes among Hitchcock’s British films, but this ranks just behind it. It remains a witty and stylish suspense thriller.
4. An Inn in Tokyo (Yasujiro Ozu): This is Ozu’s last silent film and one of his best. It has been compared to The Bicycle Thieves in its focus on the effects of poverty on human dignity, but is much more wryly humorous than the Italian film.
5. Mutiny on the Bounty(Frank Lloyd): A highly enjoyable adventure with one of Charles Laughton’s very best performances.
7. Crime and Punishment (Josef von Sternberg): I’m so glad I was able to find this unsung gem containing one of Peter Lorre’s most complete characterizations.
8. The Good Fairy (William Wyler): Preston Sturges’ script and wonderful performances by Margaret Sullavan and Herbert Marshall make this romantic comedy special.
9. The Lives of a Bengal Lancer (Henry Hathaway): This rollicking adventure celebrates friendship, honor and loyalty under fire in British India.
10. The Wedding Night (King Vidor): This is a refreshingly different romance with one of Gary Cooper’s best performances.
Note: I was unable to get a copy of The Merry Widow (1934), directed by Ernst Lubitsch and starring Jeanette MacDonald and Maurice Chevalier for viewing this time around. I loved the film when I saw it several years ago and am fairly confident it would have placed in the top five if I had seen it.
1. It Happened One Night(Frank Capra):The Academy got it right when it made this film the first to win all five major awards. It has rarely been equalled and never bettered as a romantic comedy. (#86 of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die)
2. L’Atalante(Jean Vigo) – Vigo captures the intensity of young love in images and sound in this masterpiece. (#83 of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die)
3. The Thin Man (W. S. Van Dyke): The mystery is just an excuse to showcase the fantastic repartee of Myrna Loy and William Powell, the best screen couple of all time. (#87 of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die)
4. The Gay Divorcee(Mark Sandrich): Add snappy dialogue to the elegance of Astaire and Rogers and you have a timeless entertainment.
5. Les Misérables (Raymond Bernard): Harry Bauer’s unforgettable performance as Jean Valjean is the highlight of this sumptuous and comprehensive adaptation of the Victor Hugo novel.
6. A Story of Floating Weeds (Yasujiro Ozu): A look at what it means to be a father through the story of an actor who has always hidden his identity from his son.
7. Of Human Bondage (John Cromwell): This sad story of a cripple’s obsession with a manipulative tart made Bette Davis a star. Leslie Howard is no slouch in it either. I didn’t imagine that this film would make my Top 10 list after I viewed it but now see that it was exceptional, one of the very best of the year.
8. The Scarlet Pimpernel (Harold Young): Leslie Howard is fantastic as the foppish Sir Percy Blakeney and the daring Scarlet Pimpernel in this entertaining adventure.
9. Treasure Island (Victor Fleming): Fun adaptation of the Robert Louis Stevenson novel with some of the vilest pirates around and a good performance by Jackie Cooper as the young hero.
10. Imitation of Life(John Stahl): One of the first studio films to portray African-Americans as complex characters with emotional lives of their own, the performances of Louise Beavers and Fredi Washington are must-sees.
Honorable Mentions: La mujer del puerto and, as previously mentioned, The Merry Widow
My rankings of 1934 films on the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die list:
1. It Happened One Night
2. L’Atalante
3. The Thin Man
15. The Black Cat (after The Scarlet Empress)
37. It’s a Gift (after Manhattan Melodrama)
39. Judge Priest (after A Mother Should Be Loved)
I will review Triumph of the Will as part of my 1935 viewing.
I just completed watching 63 films that were released in 1933. A complete list, with reviews, can be found here: http://www.imdb.com/list/LPudKpTiH0A/ . It was tough to limit myself to just 10 favorites!
1. Gold Diggers of 1933 (Mervyn LeRoy) — This movie captured my heart the first time I heard Ginger Rogers singing “We’re in the Money” in Pig Latin and I’m still loopy for it decades later.
Clip – “We’re in the Money”
2. The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (Fritz Lang) — I love the atmosphere of dread Lang creates in this movie and the wonderful performance by Oscar Wernicke as the crass but clever inspector Lohmann.
Clip – Intro in the counterfeiting press
3. Zero for Conduct (Jean Vigo) — This highly inventive short film is full of youthful anarchic energy and surrealist touches.
Clip – Dormitory rebellion/pillow fight
4. King Kong (Marien C. Cooper) — The granddaddy of all special effects films and still pretty amazing.
Re-release trailer
5. Design for Living (Ernst Lubitsch) This sly comedy about a menage a trois could only have been made in pre-Code Hollywood. The Ben Hecht screenplay sparkles as bright as the acting and direction.
Criterion DVD – Three Reasons
6. 42nd Street (Lloyd Bacon) — Warner Bros. backstage musical bliss.
Clip – “I’m Young and Healthy”
7. Japanese Girls at the Harbor (Hiroshi Shimizu) — The absolutely poetic outdoor shots of Yokohama were a revelation in this, my introduction to director Shimizu.
8. Dinner at Eight (George Cukor) — All the actors, including both the Barrymore brothers, do themselves proud but my favorite parts feature Jean Harlow and Wallace Beery as a bickering couple.
Clip – Jean Harlow and Wallace Beery argue
9. Counsellor at Law (William Wyler) — Truly the best performance I have seen by John Barrymore and the wisecracks fly around the law office about as fast as in The Front Page.
10. The Invisible Man (James Whale) — Claude Rains makes an unforgettable US film debut as the title character with his resonant voice. James Whale again shows his deft hand at mixing wit with violence and doing justice to both
Trailer
Just missed the Top 10: The Mayor of Hell, Little Women, Woman of Tokyo, Lady for a Day, Morning Glory and Sons of the Desert.
List of Shame (movies I wish I had seen): Alice in Wonderland, Ecstasy, Libelei, The Story of Temple Drake, Madame Bovary, Tugboat Annie, etc.
This is one of my favorite movies of all time. I love the inventiveness and energy of this city symphony.
The city awakens
2. The Cocoanuts (Robert Florey and Joseph Santley)
The Marx Brothers made me laugh right out of the box! But where did they get those chorus girls for “The Monkey Doodle-Do”?
3. Pandora’s Box (G. W. Pabst)
Two words: Louise Brooks.
Clip
4. Piccadilly (E.A. DuPont)
Three words: Anna May Wong. Actually, this is a masterfully directed film as well with some standout choreography of large groups of people.
Gorgeous photography in pub/dance hall
5. Hallelujah! (King Vidor)
There is a sincerity in the portrayal of simple country folk that transcends any stereotyping in this all-black musical. And the singing, from spirituals to blues to Tin Pan Alley, can’t be beat.
Clip – Chick’s song and dance in the gambling joint
6. The Great Gabbo (James Cruze)
Erich von Stroheim is fantastic as an egocentric ventriloquist whose personality is slowly splitting between a persona who cannot relate to others and the kind and funny puppet who does his engaging with the world. The story is good enough to forgive the film’s ludicrous musical numbers.
Highlights
7. Asphalt (Joe May)
This late German silent was a complete delight to me, from its amusing beginning to its melodramatic end. I drank in the gorgeous expressionist lighting and super-stylish design.
Excerpt – seduction
8. Diary of a Lost Girl (G. W. Pabst)
Worth seeing just for the natural performance of the fabulous Louise Brooks as the lost girl.
Clips set to “Dear Diary” by Pink (I love this video!)
9. The Love Parade (Ernst Lubitsch)
These Pre-Code Lubitsch musicals are hard to beat when one is looking for a good time.
Clip – “My Love Parade”
10. Applause (Rouben Mamoulian)
The movie’s claim to fame is the fluidity with which Mamoulian uses the camera in this very early sound film. Helen Morgan is also simply fantastic as a worn-out burlesque star.
I’ve been a classic movie fan for many years. My original mission was to see as many movies as I could get my hands on for every year from 1929 to 1970. I have completed that mission.
I then carried on with my chronological journey and and stopped midway through 1978. You can find my reviews of 1934-1978 films and “Top 10” lists for the 1929-1936 and 1944-77 films I saw here. For the past several months I have circled back to view the pre-Code films that were never reviewed here.
I’m a retired Foreign Service Officer living in Indio, California. When I’m not watching movies, I’m probably traveling, watching birds, knitting, or reading.
Photographs and videos found in this blog, unless indicated, are not owned by me and are here only for the purpose of education and discussion. Media found here are not intended for any commercial purpose. Copyright infringement is not intended.
Written material belongs to me and is copyrighted by flickersintime.com
7. I Know Where I’m Going! (Directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger)
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