Well as these "top ten" list come to an end, now we are getting to the good stuff. The films that really matter. The films that have inspired future directors for decades, including the ones around today!
Of course every film fan can debate on when they think the best decade for cinema was. For some they may say the 1970s while still others might feel the 1960s. I wouldn't be surprised if some younger movie fans thought we are now experiencing the greatest decade. But for me, 1930s were Hollywood's golden age. This is my favorite time period for movies. I love Hollywood movies from the 1920s-1940s, but, there is a special place in my heart for the 1930s.
I can't recall when I saw my first movie. I just remember always watching them. It must have been before I was old enough to go to school. The earliest movie I can remember seeing was the Laurel & Hardy comedy, "Way Out West" (1937), which I have reviewed on here.
At that young age it was my grandmother who introduced me to movies. She loved, LOVED American films from the 1930s and 40s. I would sit with her as she told me about all the movie stars; Clark Gable, Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers, Humphrey Bogart, Betty Grable, Alice Faye, Kay Francis and Cary Grant, among others. So, even though I wasn't born in those times when these stars were still making movies, I grew up watching them. Their movies were part of my childhood. That is why the 1930s is my favorite decade. That is why I'm sometimes sentimental about the era and why, if given the choice, I'd rather watch classic movies than anything else.
It was during this time, with the Great Depression, that people turned to the movies for escape. It has been said that movie attendance has never been as high as it was then when you compare it today's figures. In other words, more people saw movies then not today. But what else were they going to do? Personal computers weren't around back then. You had movies, radio and books. And, lets face it, movies were the most exciting option.
Back then Hollywood was truly a dream factory. It had to be. People wanted to forget their problems. They wanted to be entertained. Movies always had to have a happy ending. The beginning of the Hays Production Code kicked in, in 1932. Limiting artistic vision but strangely enough, even with those restrictions, somehow movies then seem smart then the ones today. It was as if they had to be twice as sharp to get their point across.
The great filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich once said it was 1929 that was Hollywood's greatest year, not 1939. His reasons was that as silent films were coming to an end, they were finally starting to get it right and sound movies were too new to screw up. The rules were still being made. It is a nice idea, only I'm taking it a year further. By 1930 there silent films were done for. Yes Chaplin made "City Lights" (1931) and "Modern Times" (1936) but even those films had sound effects and a musical score. And in "Modern Times" characters do speak, just not Chaplin. But I agree with Bogdanovich's general idea. The sound picture was still being developed so it was difficult for someone to say they were doing it wrong.
On this list you are going to see a lot of comedies. Much more than I normally put on these list. There will also be more American films. And because I love the decade so much, there will be more than 10 films, the list will go to 12 plus a runner's up list and even with all that I've still left off great titles. But what can I do? It is impossible for a list to mention all the great films in a decade. At the very least the list will serve as a launching pad for some viewers and give them a place to begin. Hopefully the list will introduce you to films you haven't seen before.
Here now is my list for the best films of the 1930s.
1. GONE WITH THE WIND (1939, Dir. Victor Fleming; U.S.) - The greatest of the Hollywood epics of the 1930s and perhaps one of the all time greats. How could I not name this as the best? This is what the 1930s were all about. Lavish over-blown productions, larger than life stories. Anything to forget your troubles. And what about the acting? Have Viven Leigh and Clark Gable ever given better performances? They were made to play these characters. You don't need me to tell you, but, these are two of the most iconic roles in American film. And they aren't the only ones which stand out. Leslie Howard and Olivia de Havilland are excellent in supporting roles. The film earned 13 Oscar nominations winning a total of 8, including "Best Picture", "Best Director", "Best Actress" (Leigh) and "Best Screenplay" plus a special technical Oscar. I've written before about this movie and all I can say is every bit of praise that has ever been written about this movie is true. It is one of my all time favorite films.
2. WUTHERING HEIGHTS (1939, Dir. William Wyler; U.S.) - If a movie like "Gone With the Wind" didn't exist in 1939, I honestly think this film would have won many, many more awards (and yes I'm including "The Wizard of Oz" (1939). Emily Bronte's novel, to me, as always been the second greatest love story since "Romeo & Juliet" and this 1939 adaptation is often regarded as the best screen version. And you won't hear me say a bad word about it. It is an emotional, heart warming classic that like "Gone with the Wind" just gets better with each additional viewing. Merle Oberon and Laurence Olivier play the lovers with David Niven as the man that stands between them. The film was nominated for 8 Oscars and won 1 for Cinematography. But it won the NY Film Critics award for "Best Picture". They say 1939 was the golden year for Hollywood, this and "Gone with the Wind" were two of the greatest films made during the year.
3. (TIE) MODERN TIMES/ CITY LIGHTS (1936, Dir. Charlie Chaplin; U.S./ 1931, Dir. Charlie Chaplin; U.S.) - Two of Chaplin's greatest films. There was no way I could include one and not the other. For me Chaplin was the greatest comedy filmmaker, the greatest thing to happen to the movies since the invention of the camera. I place his important even higher than that of Griffith. These two films are prime examples of why I feel Chaplin was superior to his rivals. A lot of viewers are sometimes put off by his use of pathos. That's funny. That's is exactly why I enjoy his movies. His films went beyond getting laughs. They offered a message. For as many times as he could make you laugh he could also bring a tear. His ending for "City Lights" is often discussed and is considered one of the greatest movie endings in history. But it is his ending in "Modern Times" that gets to me. Both offer hope in a cruel world.
4. GRAND HOTEL (1932, Dir. Edmund Goulding; U.S.) - "Grand Hotel" is one of my all time favorite movies. I remember the first time I saw it how struck I was by how advance it was. The film was ahead of its time. This is a movie which puts good people in bad situations in an attempt to see what is really in man's heart. It also has an all-star cast of some of the greatest actors of the era. Greta Garbo, John & Lionel Barrymore, Joan Crawford and Wallace Berry. It won the "Best Picture" Oscar and I even included it in my "Masterpiece Film Series" before.
5. (TIE) DUCK SOUP/ HORSE FEATHERS (1933, Dir. Leo McCarey; U.S./ 1932, Dir. Norman Z. McLeod; U.S.) - I told you to expect more comedies on this list. Had to include the Marx Brothers. I have recently written about "Horse Feathers", it was my latest entry into my "Masterpiece Film Series" but "Duck Soup" is just as off-the-wall. More people will probably tell you that it is the finest film the Brothers ever did. The mirror routine in stand out as is every line Groucho has. If you like your comedy to make absolutely no sense (in the best possible way) these are the films for you.
6. TOP HAT (1935, Dir. Mark Sandrich; U.S.) - One of my all time favorite films. A lot of people will say "Swing Time" (1936) was Fred and Ginger's best film but "Top Hat" is my favorite. The Irving Berlin score is much more memorable and gave Fred and Ginger there most famous dance routine as they dance to "Cheek to Cheek". The film was one of the highest grossing of the year and is said to have been the film which really cemented the team. It went on to earn 4 Oscar nominations including "Best Picture" and "Best Song" (Cheek to Cheek).
7. (TIE) PORT OF SHADOWS / DAYBREAK (1938, Dir. Marcel Carne; France)/ (1939, Dir. Marcel Carne; France) - Two of master filmmaker Carne's best films. I slightly prefer his "Port of Shadows" as I considered it one of the greatest films ever made. But his "Daybreak" has moments just as powerful. I've written about Carne a few times on here. I even including one of his films in my "Masterpiece Film Series" and placed his "Children of Paradise" (1946) one of the great films of the 1940s. Carne was truly a master filmmaker. If you haven't seen one of his films yet you are wasting your time. Watch them. Enjoy them. Witness a master at work. These films are deeply political, especially "Daybreak" made as Europe was on the brink of war. The films serve as a social conscience of the times.
8. THE AWFUL TRUTH (1937, Dir. Leo McCarey; U.S.) - Not only my favorite screwball comedy but one of my favorite movies. Director McCarey is actually the most represented director on this list, this is his second entry. "The Awful Truth" stars Cary Grant and Irene Dunne as a bickering couple which gets a divorce. They both think the other has had an affair. Maybe they did, maybe they didn't. Maybe only one did. We'll never know "the awful truth". The film was nominated for 6 Oscars and won 1 for "Best Director". Very few comedies have been as inspirational to me.
9. TROUBLE IN PARADISE (1932, Dir. Ernst Lubitsch; U.S.) - While I love Lubitsch's early musicals, "Trouble in Paradise" is my favorite of his films. A sparkling, charming romantic comedy about jewel thieves. There are so many great lines in the film and the actors have such a carefree charm to them. This is a great example of what people called "the Lubitsch touch". Miriam Hopkins, Herbert Marshall, Kay Francis and Edward Everett Horton stars in this comedy delight.
10. (TIE) MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON/ MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN (1939, Dir. Frank Capra; U.S.) / (1936, Dir. Frank Capra; U.S.) - When people think of Frank Capra (and I'm making a very big assumption people still think about him) they usually think of sentimental films where the little guy over comes all the odds. His films are seen as very American. They are based on old-fashion values. With the exception of "It's A Wonderful Life" (1946), I can't think of two better films which show off Capra's traits. Both of these movies are among Capra's greatest efforts. Yes they are sentimental but they don't feel cheap. Gary Cooper (in "Mr. Deeds") and Jimmy Steward ("Mr. Smith") represent the everyman. They stand up for the little guy. Whatever made Adam Sandler think he had to right to remake "Mr. Deeds" is beyond me. They don't make 'em like this anymore. The wonderful Jean Arthur co-stars in both. "Mr. Deeds" was nominated for 5 Oscars and won 1 for "Best Director". "Mr. Smith" was nominated for 11 Oscars and won 1 for "Best Story". I should also mention Claude Rains co-stars in "Mr. Smith" and as is usually the case gives a great performance.
11. FURY (1936, Dir. Fritz Lang; U.S.) - "Fury" was Fritz Lang's first film in America. It is one very powerful film and might be my favorite of Lang's films. It is surely one of the greatest films I have ever seen. Spencer Tracey stars as a man wrongfully imprisoned. A lynch job comes after him and he is assumed dead. What happens next is a very dark story about what is in man's soul and revenge. The film only received 1 Oscar nomination for "Best Story". This is one of the best examples of why the Academy is worthless. Do you know Lang never received a "Best Director" nomination throughout his entire career? To this very day he has also never been given an honorary award. What does that tell you?
12. ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT (1930, Dir. Lewis Milestone; U.S.) - Maybe the best of the early war films. Definitely more realistic than "Wings" (1928), the first "Best Picture" Oscar winner. Here is a film which shows us why war is Hell. The film also plays as a documentary. It won the "Best Picture" Oscar and was nominated for 3 other awards. It also won the "Best Director" Oscar as well. One of these days I should include it in my "Masterpiece Film Series".
RUNNER'S UP!
1. RULES OF THE GAME (1939, Dir. Jean Renoir; France)
2. BRINGING UP BABY (1938, Dir. Howard Hawks; U.S.)
3. MY MAN GODFREY (1936, Dir. Gregory La Cava; U.S.)
4. THE LOWER DEPTHS (1936, Dir. Jean Renoir; France)
5. THE GREAT ZIEGFELD (1936, Dir. Robert Z. Leonard; U.S.)
6. M (1931, Dir. Fritz Lang; Germany)
7. (TIE) WAY OUT WEST/ THE DEVIL'S BROTHER (1937, Dir. James W. Horne; U.S.) / (1933, Dir. Hal Roach, Charley Rogers; U.S.)
8. 42nd Street (1933, Dir. Lloyd Bacon; U.S.)
9. The Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933, Dir. Mervyn LeRoy; U.S.)
10. The Thin Man (1934, Dir. W.S. Van Dyke; U.S.)
11. Dinner At Eight (1933, Dir. George Cukor; U.S.)
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