benbess
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1939 has long been held up an an amazing year for Hollywood, and it's difficult to argue with that. After all, 1939 saw the release of not only The Wizard of Oz and Gone With the Wind, but also Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Dark Victory, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Goodbye Mr. Chips, Ninotchka, Stagecoach, Wuthering Heights, The Rains Came, etc., etc. 1939 has been called by Turner Classic Movies "Hollywood's Greatest Year." It's certainly a great year, but is it the greatest?
What I'm trying to say is that there are several years that have impressive lists of movies for that particular year. Take the next year, 1940, for instance. In 1940 two Disney classics were released that are still considered among the greatest Disney movies ever made—Pinocchio and Fantasia. Other movies from 1940 include two by Hitchcock, Rebecca and Foreign Correspondent. In addition, 1940 saw the release of The Philadelphia Story, The Great Dictator, Boom Town, The Grapes of Wrath, His Girl Friday, Kitty Foyle, The Letter, Knute Rockne, The Mark of Zorro, The Shop Around the Corner, Strike Up the Band, Waterloo Bridge, the Westerner, etc.
To me, anyway, the list from 1940 seems similar to 1939 in terms of my personal favorites.
But, you might be thinking, maybe it's that era? Could be. But let's take 1979, 40 years after Hollywood's "greatest year." In 1979 we saw: Alien, All that Jazz, And Justice or All, Apocalypse Now, Being There, The Black Stallion, Breaking Away, The Champ, The Frisco Kid, Going in Style, The Great Santini, The In-Laws, Kramer vs. Kramer, Manhattan, Norma Rae, The Onion Field, The Rose, Time After time, Wanda Nevada, etc. That's a pretty good list of movies too imho.
So, my question is not really: is 1939 the greatest? It is a great year, but I think there are other years that seem, if not equally great, then pretty close. But what are those other "great years"? As you can see, I think 1940 and 1979 would deserve to be on the list, but what other years would you nominate as "great years"? Please give evidence in the form of a list of at least 5 movies from that year to back up your claim....
Finally, since this is a blu-ray thread, what movies are missing on blu-ray from "your favorite year"?
What I'm trying to say is that there are several years that have impressive lists of movies for that particular year. Take the next year, 1940, for instance. In 1940 two Disney classics were released that are still considered among the greatest Disney movies ever made—Pinocchio and Fantasia. Other movies from 1940 include two by Hitchcock, Rebecca and Foreign Correspondent. In addition, 1940 saw the release of The Philadelphia Story, The Great Dictator, Boom Town, The Grapes of Wrath, His Girl Friday, Kitty Foyle, The Letter, Knute Rockne, The Mark of Zorro, The Shop Around the Corner, Strike Up the Band, Waterloo Bridge, the Westerner, etc.
To me, anyway, the list from 1940 seems similar to 1939 in terms of my personal favorites.
But, you might be thinking, maybe it's that era? Could be. But let's take 1979, 40 years after Hollywood's "greatest year." In 1979 we saw: Alien, All that Jazz, And Justice or All, Apocalypse Now, Being There, The Black Stallion, Breaking Away, The Champ, The Frisco Kid, Going in Style, The Great Santini, The In-Laws, Kramer vs. Kramer, Manhattan, Norma Rae, The Onion Field, The Rose, Time After time, Wanda Nevada, etc. That's a pretty good list of movies too imho.
So, my question is not really: is 1939 the greatest? It is a great year, but I think there are other years that seem, if not equally great, then pretty close. But what are those other "great years"? As you can see, I think 1940 and 1979 would deserve to be on the list, but what other years would you nominate as "great years"? Please give evidence in the form of a list of at least 5 movies from that year to back up your claim....
Finally, since this is a blu-ray thread, what movies are missing on blu-ray from "your favorite year"?
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