An Oklahoma family driven off their farm by the poverty and hopelessness of the Dust Bowl joins the westward migration to California, suffering the misfortunes of the homeless in the Great Depression. Don’t you hate it when a movie made in the 1940s is still relevant 81 years later? The Grapes of Wrath starred Henry Fonda, Jane Darwell and Russell Simpson as members of the Joad … Continue reading 23. The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
When a rich woman’s ex-husband and a tabloid-type reporter turn up just before her planned remarriage, she begins to learn the truth about herself. I love a good black and white, 20th century romantic comedy. I especially love it when that black and white, 20th century romantic comedy stars Jimmy Stewart. Lucky for me, The Philadelphia Story is exactly that. Directed by George Cukor, The … Continue reading 44. The Philadelphia Story (1940)
Does everybody remember Disney’s animated Pinocchio? No? Allow me to refresh your memory: We have a woodworker named Geppetto, who seems to be lonely, despite his weirdly human pet cat and fish. One night, he wished he had a child. And then, the Blue Fairy (not to be mistaken for the Green Fairy) kind of, sort of grants him that wish. She turns the wooden … Continue reading Revisiting Disney: Pinocchio (1940)
