"The HTF 100 Great Films of the 1930's Challenge" (1 Viewer)

[Grant B]

Even though I have the Thin Man box set, Me and my dog Asta will watch them when they come on

I wish they would show more of the Marx brothers, they only show the ones that are on DVD and LD!

 

[Patrick McCart]

AMC is listed where it should say TCM.

I've seen a lot of the movies on the list, but will pursue some that I haven't since they're reccomened. I'm interested in The Grand Illusion on DVD...

 

[Rob Willey]

OK, I'm in.

I've seen 74 and need to see 26.

Rob

 

[Brian Lawrence]

AMC is listed where it should say TCM.

Do you mean the listing for Bringing Up Baby?
That is indeed on AMC, So I posted it in blue and made sure to specify that it was on AMC rather than TCM.
While AMC pretty much sucks now I had hoped to find a few more classics. But their website schedule is outdated and it seems that in the next 2 weeks "Bringing Up Baby" is the only film from this challenge that they will be showing.
My standard listings are for TCM, but I will also try to keep you all informed should some of these movies pop up on AMC, Fox Movie Channel, and perhaps even Sundance or IFC if they ever run some of the foreign films on the list. I will always make sure to list those times in a blue or red font, so one does not set their VCR or PVR to record TCM at that time.

 

[Mark Zimmer]

Hm, I had thought that I was pretty up on 30's films but I've only seen 42 of these. Unfortunately, so few of the others are on DVD that this is not a very appealing challenge to try to make up the other 58; even if I caught all the ones I'm missing on TCM that only gets me to 68. I blame Warner for sitting on most of these. Good luck finding a copy of Olympia; even with Riefenstahl getting some good press on her recent 100th birthday she's still pretty much reviled. I saw Olympia I in film class, and despair of ever seeing Olympia II.

Nice list though. I'm having a hard time thinking of any pictures that ought to be on it and take the place of ones that are there so I'd call it a job well done.

 

[Lew Crippen]

Good luck finding a copy of Olympia

I've only seen excerpts (albeit substantial), so I put them both on my not-seen list. One would think that enough time had passed. After all, its not that hard to watch Birth of a Nation, which for me as a citizen of the U.S., is a lot more difficult to view without prejudice.

 

[Scott_MacD]

Brian : Okay, I'm in. It looks like I've got my work cut out for me. At least by comparison to most other people in this thread.
But I'll have fun trying. Gone With the Wind was wonderful. Next up, King Kong or The 39 Steps. (now to scour eBay for a cheap laser copy.)
Edit : It'll give me an excellent reason to finally buy a TiVo. And since OAR of 30's films is nearly Television AR, I won't be breaking my rules of home movie watching.

 

[Evan Case]

The complete Olympia has aired on TCM a few times (artistic nudity and the occasional Nazi glorification intact, as well). Don't know when it will air again. Not until 2003 at the earliest, it appears.
Evan

 

[Lew Crippen]

Caught Holiday last night via time-shift of TCM. At least that won’t be necessary for Top Hat. My wife left for the bedroom TV, mentioning, “I know how this one ends.”

 

[Lew Crippen]

Watched Top Hat on TCM the other night. I’d forgotten how funny some of the lines are. And though I’ve never thought that much of Ginger as an actor, what presence.

 

[Brian Lawrence]

I finally got to see a couple of the THIN MAN films. Both Thin Man & After the Thin Man where pretty good. I actually liked "After the Thin Man" a little bit more. I guess I would rank them a 7 and an 8 (out of ten).
Not on the list, but I also watched The Gay Divorcee for the first time, and enjoyed it a lot I guess I need to see some more Fred & Ginger flicks as the 2 I have seen so far have both been very good.

 

[Lew Crippen]

Not on the list, but I also watched The Gay Divorcee for the first time, and enjoyed it a lot I guess I need to see some more Fred & Ginger flicks as the 2 I have seen so far have both been very good.

As someone said, Ginger did everything that Fred did, but backwards and in high heels.

 

[Brian Lawrence]

A heads up. I missed a listing for Boys' Town. It will be airing on TCM This Monday at 1:00pm. Above schedules have been updated.

 

[Lew Crippen]

Re-watched my Criterion The 39 Steps over the weekend.

Good luck finding a copy of Olympia; even with Riefenstahl getting some good press on her recent 100th birthday she's still pretty much reviled. I saw Olympia I in film class, and despair of ever seeing Olympia II.

Both are available on VHS. I checked at my local rental place and they had both. The notes indicate that they are both “Janus Films”, so I suppose that twe could hope for a definitive Criterion edition.

I have requested of Jon Mulvaney that Criterion consider adding these films to their schedule.

 

[Eric Peterson]

Over the weekend, I watched the following:
Grand Hotel - I really enjoyed this movie, althought I'm still not a big Garbo fan. I couldn't help but see comparisons to much later films like "Short Cuts" & "Magnolia". The movie was about the inhabitants of the Grand Hotel and their interractions with each other. Each character had their own seperate story, but also related to one or more other stories going on in the hotel.
Overall I'd say :star: :star: :star: 1/2
Holiday - I went into this movie expecting a comedy along the lines of the other Grant/Hepburn comedies, but what I found was much more a dramedy than a comedy. In fact there wasn't much comedy at all. I found the first half of the movie to be quite slow, but it more than made up for it in the second half. I could really relate with Grant's character
:star: :star: :star:
Next Up - The Good Earth, Boy's Town
32 Down and 68 to go!!

 

[Rob Willey]

In fact there wasn't much comedy at all.

I think what's unusual about the comedy in Holiday is that the supporting cast has most of the good lines. Lew Ayres, E.E. Horton and Jean Dixon generate most of the laughs for me. That said, I'll also add that this is one of my all-time favorites.

Rob

 

[Eric Peterson]

Rob,
I agree completely with your thought that most of the comedic lines in "Holiday" are by the supporting cast. I probably went into the movie with the wrong expectations. I'll give it another run sometime. "The Philadelphia Story" didn't strike me after the first viewing either.
I finished two more last night.
The Good Earth - I remember reading the book in High School and really liking it, but didn't remember too much about it except for the basic plotline. I found this movie to be quite enjoyable and a fairly accurate literary translation - at least compared to what I remember. Some of the effect shots were amazing and the white actors playing chinese were also quite convincing.
:star: :star: :star: 1/2
Boy's Town - I saw this movie many times as a child, but hadn't seen the entire thing for 10-15 years, so I thought that it needed a review. My childhood memories served correctly in that this is a truly great movie. The performances are great and who can forget the great scene with Whitey holding Pee Wee in his arms. I'll leave out further details for those who haven't seen it.
:star: :star: :star: :star:
Next Up - "The Women", "Charge of the Light Brigade"

 

[Lew Crippen]

I re-watched The Lady Vanishes as well as The 39 Steps. A lot of fun to see a couple of Hitchcock’s back-to-back.

Based on what Eric said, I’ll have to set aside my dislike (from many years back) of Boy’s Town when I see it again. My tastes may well have developed enough that I will be able to see what others have seen in this movie.

 

[Lew Crippen]

Rented a copy of Olympia from my local store. Very fine indeed. I’d only seen excerpts before. Sadly it was poor VHS, especially the beginning. I expect that it was not this particular copy, but the state of the film from which the VHS had been made.

 

[Evan Case]

Watched The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Is there any doubt that Charles Laughton in one of the greatest actors of all-time?
I've seen 74 now. (I'm still not sure if that means I have 28 to see or 26, though.)
Evan