A cynical expatriate American cafe owner struggles to decide whether or not to help his former lover and her fugitive husband escape the Nazis in French Morocco. I’m going to be honest: I have tried to start this article four times now. All because I have no idea what I want to say about the film Casablanca. It’s a film that I own. It’s a film … Continue reading 3. Casablanca (1942)
The manipulative daughter of a Georgia plantation owner conducts a turbulent romance with a roguish profiteer during the American Civil War and Reconstruction periods. Weird to me that that’s a synopsis for this film. I feel like the film is about more than that. However, with it’s blatant glorification of the south during slavery, Gone with the Wind is a mighty hard pill to swallow. There … Continue reading 6. Gone with the Wind (1939)
Young Dorothy Gale and her dog are swept away by a tornado from their Kansas farm to the magical Land of Oz, and embark on a quest with three new friends to see the Wizard, who can return her to her home and fulfill the others’ wishes. The Wizard of Oz has been one of my comfort films for a very long time. The fact that … Continue reading 10. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
An angel is sent from Heaven to help a desperately frustrated businessman by showing him what life would have been like if he had never existed. I thought it was very poetic that my watch day for It’s a Wonderful Life just happened to land on Christmas eve, the night that my father and I would always have a viewing of this film. For those that … Continue reading 20. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946 )
An insurance representative lets himself be talked by a seductive housewife into a murder/insurance fraud scheme that arouses the suspicion of an insurance investigator. To me, Double Indemnity is the quintessential film noir. Although, this film was made before that term had ever even been used. It has everything that a film noir should have: narration, a femme fatale, an air of mystery, dramatic lighting, fast dialogue, … Continue reading 29. Double Indemnity (1944)
Where, oh, where do I begin? Mommie Dearest is a biographical drama based on the memoir of the same name written by Christina Crawford about her mother, the famed screen legend, Joan Crawford, and the troubling relationship that the mother and daughter pair had. The film was directed by Frank Perry, a man who definitely did not have enough experience with actors to helm this … Continue reading Notoriously Bad Films: Mommie Dearest (1981)
Two Americans searching for work in Mexico convince an old prospector to help them mine for gold in the Sierra Madre Mountains. Written and directed by John Huston, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre stars Humphrey Bogart, Walter Huston, and Tim Holt as three men looking to strike gold in Mexico. But, the film easily becomes about the corrupting influence of greed. Bogart plays Fred C. … Continue reading 38. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
A spoiled heiress running away from her family is helped by a man who is actually a reporter in need of a story. Out of 100 films on the AFI list, only 8 of them are pre-code films. And, out of those 8 films, only one of them is a romantic comedy that greatly alludes to sex throughout the film: It Happened One Night. Honestly, … Continue reading 46. It Happened One Night (1934)
“A performer and gambler travels to New York City to raise the $25,000 he needs to marry his fiancée, only to become entangled with a beautiful aspiring dancer.” Remember that time Fred Astaire performed a dance number while in Blackface and it made me deeply uncomfortable? Because I sure do. This film, this musical, is pretty much your standard musical for the time period … Continue reading 90. Swing Time (1936)
