"The HTF 100 Great Films of the 1930's Challenge" - Page 4

I rented The Island of Lost Souls, a reasonably good adaptation of an H.G. Wells novel.

I think I need to join this challenge since this is one area that I need to improve my film watching.

I have seen 32 of the films but with films I need to re-see I should start my countdown number at 75.

Of the 25 I've seen, I will probably watch many of them during the challenge also. Case in point: I came across a tape from TCM of the first three Thin Man's this weekend. I watched the first one again, I can't get enough of the dialogue, and watched After the Thin Man for the first time. Very enjoyable, almost as good as the first.


30s Top hundred: 75. Last film: After the Thin Man

Watched The Invisible Man

I broke out my copy of

M and watched it again. It has been some time since I saw this movie and it still retains its power. My personal Fritz Lang favorite.

Gunga Din

Nothing Sacred

69 to go.

Holiday
This is the best movie I have watched so far in this challenge. Hepburn and Grant make a great combination.

68 to go.

Ahhh the World Series is now over Giants lost! But the bright side is I'll now have more time for this challenge.

Do you have to open graves to find girls to fall in love with?

I rented

The Mummy this weekend.

It was fun seeing an old friend again. And I’d forgotten how much more effective it was in an early scene to have a man
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)

Eternal punishment to anyone who opens this casket, in the name of The Gods. What a terrible curse!

Well, let’s see what’s inside.

I completed my

Dracula

requirement, watching the English version recently. I’d never seen the Spanish version before, and after having seen it first, the cop-out ending of the English one, now bothers me more than ever.

This post is completely OT, but this thread seemed to be my best chance of getting an answer from someone who might be able to identify this old movie.

My mom wants to find a movie she saw when she was a kid, so it's probably mid-1940s, possibly later. The story line involved an old man who was a classical composer who never was able to get anything published or performed. His son or son-in-law took his compositions and turned them into ragtime and tin pan alley songs and made a big pile of money, but was disowned by the old man. In the end, the son arranged for a performance of the old man's music, straight and the two were reconciled, cue the violins.

Anyone have any idea what this is? She doesn't recollect the title or actors, though she knows that it was populated with character actors that she'd seen in other things, so it was probably a release from one of the major studios.

Thanks for any help or suggestions anyone can give. I've tried this as an independent thread a couple times but never received any responses.

I watched

Gunga Din

for the first time in a very long time. Now I remember why its been a long time between viewings. This is just one of those movies that does not do it for me at all: overacting and a poor script just detract from any fun that you might have watching the three sergeants have some fun.

I think I read a comment by George Kaplan in this thread to the effect that he narrowed his viewing down to about 40, due to his dislike of some of the production values during this period. While I don’t know if I can go that far, after seeing this one again, I share the sentiment.

My ratings for 25 of the 30s movies. I’m actually a bit surprised as to how high they are, but that may be due to the thought and effort that was put into this list. Rated on a four point scale. In this rating two stars is worth seeing. The only negative rating is one star. {edited to change to four star rating system}

The 39 Steps
The Adventures of Robin Hood
All Quiet on the Western Front
Boys Town
Bride of Frankenstein
A Day at the Races
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Dracula (Español)
Dracula (English)
Duck Soup
Frankenstein
The Good Earth
Gunga Din
Holiday
Horse Feathers
The Invisible Man
Island of Lost Souls
King Kong
The Lady Vanishes
M
Monkey Business
The Mummy
A Night at the Opera
Olympia 1
Olympia 2
Stagecoach
Top Hat

Banned in Georgia

I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang

I watched this via a TCM time-shift. I’m probably a bit more impressed with this movie now than when I saw it for the first time. An indictment on the hard labor detention system of depression era. Very powerful.

There are only two ways to get out of here: work out or die out.

Imitation of Life:

I can see where delving into the racial topics was daring for 1934, yet at the same time the film is awash in racial stereotypes that are not just offensive today, but seem like they would have been offensive to a good deal of people back then.

Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)

But putting aside the racial issues, the film is, at heart, the type of melodrama that I really dislike.

This film easily fails to make my top 40 of the 1930s.

The Grand Hotel. Always the same. People come, people go, nothing ever happens

Grand Hotel

I watched this via TCM recently. While I enjoyed the film and spent some time wondering how some of the plot got past the Hays’ office, in the end, the direction is a bit pedestrian. MGM trots out a cast of stars. They are presented. Some of the sets are pretty good. OK, but nothing special.

I want to be alone. I just want to be alone

A dry martini you always shake to waltz time

Even with a martini in my hand I, along with Nora was five behind Nick at the start of

The Thin Man,

which I watched via a TCM time-shift. I have not seen all of these, and TCM has another coming up this month, which will be great fun. I read somewhere that this was filmed in 19 days, and parts might seem like it, but the byplay between Powell and Myrna Loy is well worth the time.

A Midsummer Night's Dream.

This is a beautiful film, wonderfully photographed with excellent special effects.

Unfortunately, that's all I really have positive to say about the film. I found the acting of both Mickey Rooney and James Cagney to be very irritating and over the top.

However, I'm not sure that's their fault.

Frankly, I think it may be the material.

I've read a number of Shakespeare's plays, and they're beautifully written. As literature I think they're great. I've never seen any as plays, so I can't speak to that. But as films, the straightforward filmings I've seen just don't work for me. I do like some variations on Shakespeare (such as West Side Story), but I think his plays just don't directly translate well to film.

Shakespeare - great playwright, but not much of a screenwriter.

The film does not crack my top 40.

Grand Illusion - I have mixed feelings on this movie, and feel that I should probably watch it again at some point. My main objection was with the subtitles. I have no problem with subtitles, but these were excessively long and fast paced. I found myself repeatedly pausing and rewinding the movie in order to finish reading them. This is the main reason that I think I need to watch this film again at some point, so I can pay better attention to the acting.

Lost Horizon - I found this to be quite interesting and definitely not what I was expecting from a Capra movie. I would definitely like to see a fully restored version of this with all of the missing scenes. Unfortunately this may never come to pass. The story was a bit thin, but the acting by the great cast more than made up for it.

The Thin Man - This was one of the best films that I've watched on this countdown. I agree completely with some of the other reviews that I've read in that "The plot doesn't really matter". The interraction between Powell and Loy was absolutely priceless. I can't wait to see the sequels.

I also reviewed "Animal Crackers" & "Horse Feathers" and laughed my arse off. Speaking of "Horse Feathers", does anybody know the history of this film. There were numerous jarring cuts and I'm curious whether there are missing scenes that were edited by the censors for later screenings or whether this is just from damaged film elements. This reason that I ask this is, the location of some of these cuts are quite suspect. Also, the length of the movie is considerably shorter than the other Marx movies from this same period, by about 20 minutes.

Brian,

I had already counted the Marx Bros. movies in my intial count. I should have been more clear.

Thanks

Nick: What will you have. It’s on the house.
1st thug:: Even the drinks?
Nick: Including the drinks
1st thug: I’ll have champagne
Nick: And you?
2nd thug: I’ll have champagne, too
Nick: And you?
3rd thug: I’ll have scotch
Nick: (raised eyebrow)
3rd thug: With a champagne chaser
Nora: That’s what I’ll have—scotch with a champagne chaser



Having recovered from trying to keep up with Nick and Nora’ Christmas cheer, I got a bottle of scotch and sat down to watch

After the Thin Man,
which amazingly I had never seen before. A lot of fun, but even less of a plot than the first. It also appeared as though there was a lot of filler to try to get the film to 90+ minutes. Still the chemistry between Powell and Loy is great and the repartee sizzling, as always.



Come on, let’s get something to eat—I’m thirsty

Slap [by Barbara]

All right, if it makes you feel any better


I watched

Red Dust

thanks to a TCM time-shift. My problem with this film just gets bigger every time I see it. It is just so hard for me to get past the misogynistic attitude of Denny and Vantine’s easy acceptance of being treated like dirt, that it tends to spoil my enjoyment of the film quite a bit.

Still the acting is very fine, and no doubt the writing accurately reflects a film reality. And I’d accept this much more easily, if the film were current, or a non-Hollywood, low-budget production.

On balance, I do think this a good moive.


[Barbara shoots Denny]

All right, if it makes you feel any better

Watched Another Thin Man. Enjoyed it quite a lot. Even less of a cohesive plot than the second but just as much fun watching Nick and Nora's interplay together.


30s Top hunderd: 74 Last Film: Another Thin Man

Saw two more in the past few weeks, bringing me down to 21.

Imitation of Life : The melodrama inherent in this story didn't really put me off as much as it could've because I felt it was generally done with appropriate conviction.

I completely agree with George that Delilah's decision to stay on as basically Bea's foot massager once she likewise was earning millions was both baffling and somewhat disturbing to me. Perhaps if we'd seen a relatively equal reciprocation in their relationship, it might have been alright. But there are no scenes of Bea relegated to her section of the house while Delilah's hosts lavish parties for all of her rich and famous friends (indeed, there's no hint save the ending that Delilah even had any friends who weren't immediately attached to Bea's household). The Douglas Sirk version circumvents this by eliminating the pancake subplot and thus the means of financial independence for the Delilah character (Annie in the later version).

Delilah's self-deprecation is a bit unnerving too, such as when Bea comments on how smart Delilah's daughter is: "Yessum, we's don't get dumb 'til later" (or some such nonsense similar to that).

There's one example of racism thrown at this film that I don't agree with, and that's Bea's supposed "stealing" of Delilah's recipe. I don't agree. Bea never claims she invented it, she never cuts Delilah out of the profits or turns her back on her, and she was the one who fronted the cash (after begging and scraping for it), marketed the product, and initially took Delilah and her daughter in in the first place. I viewed the initial relationship as a symbiotic one between two great friends. Bea then offered Delilah a grand life of her own, but it was Delilah (aka: the writer(s))who bafflingly refused.

On the plus side, the film does feature what is now one of my very favorite scenes in movie history: Elmer Smith's (Ned Sparks) introduction and subsequent revelation of his million-dollar idea to ( Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show) ) I loved Claudette Colbert's work in this scene, as she goes from amusement and confusion about this strange man to jaw-dropping realization that she's about to become very, very rich. A classic moment.

Overall, I'd say I liked the film, but with some hefty reservations.

The Women was superb. Not a man in sight but hilariously, I don't think there's a single non-throwaway line that isn't directly related to the male gender.

It's all one big catfight (verbal and physical) centered around how husbands are no-good cheaters and the women with whom they cheat are even worse. It's executed to perfection by some of the finest actresses ever, including Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, Rosalind Russell, Mary Boland, Joan Fontaine, and Paulette Godard. A pre-His Girl Friday Russell in particular cements her place in my mind as one of the funniest women I've ever seen and proves a master at wordplay, insult humor, physical humor, playing dumb, self-deprecation, and general bitchiness--and she looks gorgeous while doing so.

Only Norma Shearer seems to play it straight, but that's ok. The petty hilarities of the other women are magnified against her "decent and good" foil.

Joan Crawford, herself hamming up her usual "Bitch" characterization to delirious heights, gets the line that sums it all up: Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)

A whole-hearted must-see. Far better than I was even expecting (and given the cast and director--George Cukor--I was expecting a lot). It seems refreshingly modern for a film bordering on 64 years old.

Evan

Watched Little Women. Didn't like it as it's the kind of melodrama that turns me off. But what surprised me was Katherine Hepburn. She's one of my favorite actresses, but she was pretty bad in this. She seemed to be better as the older Jo, but as the young one, through most of the film, I really thought her acting was surprisingly bad.

Do you want to be alone?

No

A question asked of Greta Garbo in

Ninotchka,

a very funny film, partially written by Billy Wilder. This romance was much better than I expected, as I thought that it would all be predictable nonsense. Instead very witty dialogue, a lot of things which got past the censors of the day and some political statements hidden under the comedy and romance. Recommended.


Never complain, never explain, a comment since attributed to Henry Ford II upon the occasion of his getting caught out in the early hours with a young blonde, not his wife.

So many great 1930's films.....so few on this top 100 list:

Add:
EASY LIVING
MIDNIGHT
NIGHT AFTER NIGHT
I'M NO ANGEL
BLONDE VENUS
SHANGHAI EXPRESS
IF I HAD A MILLION
MILLION DOLLAR LEGS
THE BIG BROADCAST OF 1932
GOLDDIGGERS OF 1933
GOLDDIGGERS OF 1935
THREE CORNER MOON

...and that's just a start.

George,

Most of Katherine Hepburn's early performances seem a little over the top until she came into her own. I think that applies to Little Women, A Bill of Divorcement, and others.

Barry,

I agree that there are a lot of great 30's titles that didn't make the challenge. I could list dozens, but as one who didn't participate in the original tournaments, I have no room to complain.

Rob