Top 10 of the Decade: The 1930's

[lazarus]

It begins.

Submit your lists below. No "bonus" entries, runners-up, lists of 15, etc. Restrain yourselves.

 

[Lancemc]

And just one film per director, yes?

 

[gump]

Working on this. It will be difficult to choose just one Renoir.

 

[lazarus]

1. The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (Lang, 1933)
2. City Lights (Chaplin, 1931)
3. The Rules of the Game (Renoir, 1939)
4. Bringing Up Baby (Hawks, 1938)
5. The 39 Steps (Hitchcock, 1935)
6. The Awful Truth (McCarey, 1937)
7. Trouble in Paradise (Lubitsch, 1932)
8. Wooden Crosses (Bernard, 1932)
9. L'Atalante (Vigo, 1934)
10. Holiday (Cukor, 1938)

 

[gump]

1. Grand Illusion (Jean Renoir, 1937)*
2. M (Fritz Lang, 1931)
3. City Lights (Charles Chaplin, 1931)
4. The Lady Vanishes (Alfred Hitchcock, 1938)
5. L'Atalante (Jean Vigo, 1934)
6. Vampyr (Dreyer, 1931)
7. The Wizard of Oz (Victor Fleming, 1939)
8. Stagecoach (John Ford, 1939)
9. A Nous La Liberté (René Clair, 1931)
10. A Night at the Opera (Sam Wood, 1935)

* The Rules of the Game may be the better film, but Grand Illusion is probably my all-time favorite.

I may be missing some Hawks, but His Girl Friday should make my 1940s list. I haven't seen enough of Capra to include his work in the list.

 

[lazarus]

I've seen a lot of Capra, but nothing was quite enough to get on my list.

I'm screening Vampyr for some friends next week so it's possible that second viewing will boost it on there, but we'll see.

You opinion about Rules of the Game/The Grand Illusion is basically how I feel about Raymond Bernard's Wooden Crosses/Les Miserables and Lang's Dr. Mabuse/M. The latters are likely the greater achievements but I was more affected personally by the former films.

 

[hardyharhar]

I'll try to do one of these later tonight. Is it true, one film per director?

 

[lazarus]

Yeah, will probably make it a little more interesting.

I'd probably have like four P&P films on my 40's list otherwise.

 

[bono_212]

The '30s might end up looking like a list I scraped together, unfortunately, but on the other hand, I really love the movies I'm thinking of putting on there.

EDIT: Never mind, I couldn't actually do it unless I filled up all the empty space with Marx Brothers movies lol.

 

[gump]

I've seen a lot of Capra, but nothing was quite enough to get on my list.

I'm screening Vampyr for some friends next week so it's possible that second viewing will boost it on there, but we'll see.

You opinion about Rules of the Game/The Grand Illusion is basically how I feel about Raymond Bernard's Wooden Crosses/Les Miserables and Lang's Dr. Mabuse/M. The latters are likely the greater achievements but I was more affected personally by the former films.

Capra is one of those reputable directors that never crosses my mind when I'm thinking of a movie to see. Someday...

I really like Vampyr but haven't seen it in ages - would love to read your review after you watch it again.

 

[LMP]

I can't compile a full Top 10 for this decade. What a disappointment.

 

[Lancemc]

My pre-60's cinema knowledge is still woefully inept. I'm sure I can still put together a top 10 for the 30s and 40s. Probably not very impressive lists though. 50s will be much better, but still not as good as I'd like I think.

 

[monkeyskin]

I still have my lists from last time. The 30s defintely haven't changed much for me, will have to look at the rest as they come round.

1. M (Lang, ’31)
2. The Rules of the Game (Renoir, 39)
3. City Lights (Chaplin, 31)
4. All Quiet on the Western Front (Milestone, ’30)
5. The 39 Steps (Hitchcock, ’35)
6. Bringing Up Baby (Hawks, ’38)
7. Duck Soup (McCarey, ’33)
8. It Happened One Night (Capra, ’34)
9. The Wizard of Oz (Fleming, ’39)
10. Destry Rides Again (Marshall, 39)

There's a few I'd like to check out from the two lists above, but I barely get time to watch films these days. Single episodes of HBO dramas have become my lifeblood.

Also, when we hit decades that lure more lists will they be ranked to get an overall Interference top ten again?

 

[lazarus]

I need to see Destry. All Quiet is great, but haven't seen it in ages. I highly recommend you check out Wooden Crosses from my list if you can get it in your neck of the woods. A very powerful, highly innovative war film that blew my mind with its sophistication and creativity.

Also, going back to Gump's list, I really need to see some René Clair.

 

[hardyharhar]

Skipping a few obvious choices, so I can get in a few personal faves. I find them worthy of seeing and have enjoyed for many years. Besides, doesn't look like we're gonna get too many lists here, so, the more titles the merrier.

C'mon Ashley, I think those Marx Bros. films had different directors for the most part. Make a list....

I think our previous lists were longer, right? Getting it down to 10 was tough.

Had to look up most of the directors:

March of the Wooden Soldiers (Rogers '34) Great childrens story w/ Laurel & Hardy
Drums Along the Mohawk (Ford '39) One of 3 greats from Ford in '39 alone
Frankenstein (Whale '31) Early childhood fave.
Top Hat (Sandrich '35) Astaire sings Dancing Cheek to Cheek to Ginger Rogers.
The Good Earth (Franklin '37) Well done story of destructive greed and redemption
Bright Eyes (Butler '34) No way Shirley wasn't getting in here. Could've picked 5 or 6
San Francisco (Van Dyke '36) Clark Gable. Jeannette MacDonald belts out a rousing San Francisco as the quake hits. Still gives me goose bumps.
The Smiling Lieutenant (Lubitsch '31) Pre-code comedy musical. Underrated Miriam Hopkins in see through negligee Chevalier,Claudette Colbert.
Tarzan and His Mate (Gibbons '34) Probably the best of the Weissmuller tarzan films
The Champ (Vidor '31) Wallace Beery, young Jackie Cooper tearjerker

 

[gump]

Also, going back to Gump's list, I really need to see some René Clair.

A Nous la Liberté is really good - it is definitely a counterpart to Metropolis and a huge influence on Modern Times.

Funny that I have two prison related films in my list.

 

[lazarus]

I've only seen Frankenstein, The Good Earth, and San Francisco out of those. That last one is a technical marvel. For Lubitsch, I haven't seen any of his earlier musical comedies, though I did see Mamoulian's Love Me Tonight, which apparently is very much like the master's work, and stars Lubitsch collaborators Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald.

Very underversed in Temple and Astaire, though I'm more of a Kelly fan when it comes to the big dancers.

 

[lazarus]

Funny that I have two prison related films in my list.

I wonder why...

Spoiler

I'm sure many of you knew that was coming, but it's been a while.

 

[gump]

I lol'd

 

[LiliBe]

1. Gone With The Wind ( Fleming, 39)
2. The Good Earth (Franklin , 37)
3. The Public Enemy (Wellman , 31)
4. The Private Lives of Elizabeth & Essex (Curtiz, 39)
5. Destry Rides Again (Marshall , 39)
6. Jezebel ( Wyler, 38)
7. Bring Up Baby (Hawks, 38)
8. King Kong (Cooper/Schoedsack , 33)
9. Frankenstein (Whale, 31)
10. Snow White & The 7 Dwarfs ( Hand, 37)

1939 was a great year in film!

 

[The Sad Punk]

1. M (Lang)
2. Angels With Dirty Faces (Curtiz)
3. Duck Soup (McCarey)
4. The Grand Illusion (Renoir)
5. Footlight Parade (Bacon)
6. Horse Feathers (McLeod)
7. The Public Enemy (Wellman)
8. Bringing Up Baby (Hawks)
9. The Man Who Knew Too Much (Hitchcock)
10. Lady Killer (del Ruth)

I'm sure I could have made a more refined list, but these are the films that give me the most joy - as such, there's probably too much Cagney.

 

[cobl04]

The Wizard of Oz is probably the only pre-60s or 70s film i've seen, but i could be wrong. i'm very surprised not to see Gone With the Wind on most lists however, as it does frequently come up in movie discussion!

 

[bono_212]

C'mon Ashley, I think those Marx Bros. films had different directors for the most part. Make a list....

As the Hardy commands . And you managed to have the only list in which I'd seen none of the films

1. Animal Crackers (Heerman, '30)
2. Duck Soup (McCarey '33)
3. Modern Times (Chaplin, '36)
4. The Lady Vanishes (Hitchcock, '38)
5. Bringing Up Baby (Hawks, 38)
6. A Day at the Races (Wood, '37)
7. The Adventures of Robin Hood (Curtiz/Keighley, '38)[Silly, silly movie, but I do love it a lot, especially just how vibrant it is]
8. Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs (Hand, '37)
9. Horse Feathers (McLeod, '32)
10. The Wizard of Oz (Fleming, '39)

I really fucking love me some Marx Brothers. And possibly have the biggest unpopular opinion about them of all in the fact that I love the movie Room Service, though I elected not to include that one, as I don't think I love it that much. Choosing between A Day at the Races and A Night at the Opera was hard, mainly because I've only seen the latter once, in spite of how beloved it is. I just can't quite remember how much I liked it, because I was sick as hell when I saw it. It was the last Marx Brothers movie (aside from the Casablanca one, which I never intend on seeing) I saw, still not sure how it took me so long to get around to that one.

That is one big-ass list of happy fun time movies up there, isn't it? Really, really need to see more films from this decade..., but, of all the films I have seen from the decade, I have great memories and a lot of love for the ones above.

A Nous la Liberté is really good - it is definitely a counterpart to Metropolis and a huge influence on Modern Times.

That's hot.

 

[cobl04]

A Day at the Races and A Night at the Opera

was this how Queen named their albums?

 

[bono_212]

was this how Queen named their albums?

Indeed.

 

[Lancemc]

1. The Rules of the Game (Renoir, 39)
2. Stagecoach (Ford, 39)
3. City Lights (Chaplin, 31)
4. Top Hat (Sandrich, 35)
5. Vampyr (Dreyer, 31)
6. The Awful Truth (McCarey, 37)
7. M (Lang, 31)
8. The 39 Steps (Hitchcock, 35)
9. 42nd Street (Bacon, 33)
10. The Wizard of Oz (Fleming, 39)

Not happy at all with this list, but whatever.

 

[hardyharhar]

Glad to see the lists roll in. Hopefully my screwball choices helped break the ice. I was gonna mention a few I didn't include, but thought it would break the bonus picks rule . Of course Oz & Kong would make my list, and Gone With the Wind, Chaplin deserve to also. And I thought if Sad Punk would pop in, Angels with Dirty Faces would get in .

And I understand the reluctance of young viewers to make a list, cuz how much time does one really have to delve into 70 - 80 year old movies. So I'm glad you latecomers chimed in. I had to watch these, cuz in the 60's there was only the choices given to us on the 7 or so channels we had. And alot of these are quite silly and hard to believe now. But the innocence is real for the most part, and the singing and dancing is hard to beat.

Shirley Temple mid '30's are her best. Though probably tough to watch now, since the stories are basically the same (Shirley is an orphan, or parents killed off early, new caregivers are actually better ), her sheer talent for a 6 year old is remarkable and natural.

And Fred Astaire's best are probably this decade, but I wouldn't put him above Kelly. Gene just came along a little later.

I've seen a lot from this decade, but I have missed a good chunk of the actual heavyweights that influenced what was to come, as Laz often reminds me. Foreign films for the most part. Those never made it to the Million Dollar Movie on channel 9 . But the classic and cheesy horror films were on aplenty

Now on to the 40's!

What Ford film this time

 

[lazarus]

I almost included Gone With The Wind, just so I could credit it to Selznick instead of Fleming. But it was close to making mine as well, for sure.

I really need to see 42nd Street.

Nice to see all the strong love for M, even if I personally prefer Lang's follow-up Mabuse film, which I find a little bit more sophisticated, if not as iconic. If you guys haven't seen it there's a great criterion edition. And in the UK there's a brand new Mabuse set which containt Testament as well as the original 4-hour silent epic Dr. Mabuse: The Gambler, and Lang's final film The 1,000 Eyes of Dr. Mabuse from 1960 which is really underrated and has a lot of elements that would later become associated with the James Bond series.

 

[Lancemc]

I've only seen M, unfortunately, but I've been meaning to check out that Mabuse Criterion for a while. Also waiting for the Metropolis restoration to make it near me for that one.

 

[purpleoscar]

1. Gone with the wind - Fleming
2. 39 Steps - Hitchcock
3. City Lights - Chaplin
4. The Adventures of Robin Hood - Curtiz
5. Mr. Smith goes to Washington – Capra
6. A night at the opera - Wood
7. The Four Feathers - Korda
8. Dodsworth – Wyler
9. Gunga Din - Stevens
10. The Testament of Dr. Mabuse – Lang