Al's Top Rated Films: 1940–1949
IN PROGRESS: These are my favorite movies from the 1940s that I have seen so far. I haven't seen a ton since I'm an 80s baby, but I will continue to add them to the list as I watch them.
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- DirectorMichael CurtizStarsHumphrey BogartIngrid BergmanPaul HenreidA 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.Superb drama from Michael Curtiz that follows an exiled American cafe and nightclub owner named Rick Blaine in Casablanca, Morocco, in the early stages of World War II in 1941. He's known to help refugees escape the country by obtaining and distributing exit visas for money, despite being regularly hounded by local authorities. One day an old flame of his named Ilsa shows up with her new husband who's a resistance leader from Czechoslovakia, and are needing immediate transport out of the Nazi occupied country. Even though Rick is resentful about how she left him in the past, their love is reignited as he does everything he can to help them escape. This was my first Humphrey Bogart role I've seen, and I immediately loved his sharp and cynical character. He gave a superb lead performance throughout. The gorgeous Ingrid Bergman also put on an excellent multi-layered performance. Paul Henreid, Claude Rains, Conrad Veidt, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, Dooley Wilson, Madeleine Lebeau, Joy Page, John Qualen, Leonid Kinskey, and S.Z. Sakall all had excellent supporting roles. Many of which have been hailed as some of the memorable of their careers.
- DirectorJohn HustonStarsHumphrey BogartWalter HustonTim HoltTwo down-on-their-luck Americans searching for work in 1920s Mexico convince an old prospector to help them mine for gold in the Sierra Madre Mountains.Superb gold mining western from John Huston about the greed, desperation, and distrust a fortune can bring. The story follows two poor and determined Americans looking for work in 1920s Mexico when they meet an old man who knows everything about prospecting for gold, and the dangers it can have on a man's psyche. Despite those warnings, the three men decide to team up and mine for gold in the Sierra Madre Mountains. Through determination and hard work, they are successful, but hijackers and the eventual distrust they have of each other turns deadly. Humphrey Bogart delivers one of his all-time greatest performance as the hopeful and ambitious Fred C. Dobbs, who ultimately falls into the paranoid ramblings of a maniacal madman. Walter Huston also delivers an excellent and complex performance as the quick-witted old wise gold-mining expert, Howard. Tim Holt also delivered a third and final gripping performance to round out a fantastic lead cast. Barton MacLane and Alfonso Bedoya also had very nice supporting roles. Great story all around with a fantastic ending.
- DirectorHoward HawksStarsHumphrey BogartLauren BacallWalter BrennanDuring World War II, American expatriate Harry Morgan helps transport a French Resistance leader and his beautiful wife to Martinique while romancing a sensuous lounge singer.Excellent comedy drama/film-noir from Howard Hawks based on Ernest Hemingway's classic novel. The story is set in the summer of 1940, and follows an American expatriate named Harry that's living on the island of Martinique (France) with his booze-swilling partner, Eddie; where they take tourists out fishing for income. When a regular customer of theirs is murdered and owes them a large sum of money, they go against their better judgement of avoiding the ugly conflicts of World War II, and decide to help a free French leader and fugitive escape from the Nazis for a nice sum of money. Meanwhile, Harry strikes up a steamy relationship with a gorgeous lounge singer and resistance sympathizer named Marie 'Slim' Browning. The film is often referred to as Casablanca Part 2 given so many similarities. In many ways, I like it even more. Humphrey Bogart is in top form, delivering one of his finest lead performances. The sultry Lauren Bacall matched Bogart's attitude perfectly. Their chemistry was obviously perfect, since they were married a little over a year later. Walter Brennan, Dolores Moran, Sheldon Leonard, Hoagy Carmichael, Walter Szurovy, Marcel Dalio, Walter Sande, and Dan Seymour all had great supporting roles.
- DirectorJohn HustonStarsHumphrey BogartEdward G. RobinsonLauren BacallA man visits his war buddy's family hotel and finds a gangster running things. As a hurricane approaches, the two end up confronting each other.Excellent crime drama from John Huston that follows a man named Frank McCloud who's traveling to Key Largo (Florida) to visit the family of a good friend he served with in World War II. The hotel they are located at is closed for the season, but also filled with a suspicious group of customers. They soon find the hotel overrun by gangsters headed up by mobster Johnny Rocco as they wait out a monstrous hurricane. As tensions build, their ship and captain abandons them when the whether gets too rough, and they force Frank to transport them in a smaller boat as they try to make their way to Cuba. Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall are superb together once again. Edward G. Robinson was the real winner of this film with his superb performance as gangster, Johnny Rocco. Lionel Barrymore, Claire Trevor, Thomas Gomez, Harry Lewis, John Rodney, Dan Seymour, and Monte Blue all had excellent supporting roles. Great story and acting all around, with a most excellent ending.
- DirectorFrank CapraStarsJames StewartDonna ReedLionel BarrymoreAn 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.Incredible fantasy-filled drama from Frank Capra for the whole family. Excellent story about an angel sent from heaven, who follows a man named George Bailey. George works hard to keep his small building and loan company afloat, in addition to family obligations, and worries about the rich and evil Mr. Potter taking over business in town. One day George's Uncle Billy misplaces his business income of $8,000, and the sinister Mr. Potter hides it from him. George is responsible for the money, and he later contemplates suicide after falling into a deep depression. Luckily, the prayers of his friends and family comes true; and a guardian angel named Clarence Odbody appears to show George what life would be like without him, which eventually gives hime grand hope and inspiration to move forward with life with an entirely different outlook. This story is so much heavier than just a Christmas movie, and it excels in every way. The characters and acting are superb throughout, and the story takes so many interesting and unique turns. Easily one of James Stewart's finest lead performances. Lionel Barrymore was superb as the evil Mr. Potter. Donna Reed, Thomas Mitchell, Henry Travers, Beulah Bondi, Frank Faylen, Ward Bond, Gloria Grahame, H.B. Warner, Todd Karns, Samuel S. Hinds, and so many others had excellent supporting roles.
- DirectorFrank BorzageStarsMargaret SullavanJames StewartRobert YoungThe Roth family leads a quiet life in a small village in the German Alps during the early 1930s. After the Nazis come to power, the family is divided and Martin Breitner, a family friend, is caught up in the turmoil.Superb anti-Nazi and anti-fascism drama that takes place on January 30, 1933, when Adolf Hitler became Chancellor of Germany. It's a story about how the intolerant and hateful Nazi ideals tear apart a family and group of close friends when their political views do not align. After the Nazis imprisoned and killed the father of the family for authoring dangerous scientific ideals, his daughter Freya and family friend Martin (who are madly in love) embark on the treacherous journey on skis through a secret mountain pass to find their way to freedom in Austria. Meanwhile, sons of the family that's been torn apart are heading up the search for their sister (Freya) and former best friend (Martin), which finds them struggling to understand why they joined the Nazis in the first place. The message and delivery of this film is still extremely powerful in 2023, and I imagine it it caused quite a stir in 1940 when it was released. From what I read, when Hitler saw this movie he banned all MGM films from Nazi occupied Europe. James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan both delivered fantastic lead performances. Frank Morgan, Robert Young, Irene Rich, Robert Stack, Bonita Granville, William T. Orr, Maria Ouspenskaya, Gene Reynolds, and Ward Bond also had excellent supporting roles.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsCary GrantIngrid BergmanClaude RainsThe daughter of a convicted German spy is asked by American agents to gather information on a ring of German scientists in South America. How far will she have to go to ingratiate herself with them?Superb drama romance/film-noir from Alfred Hitchcock, and among his very best films. Great story set in 1946 South America, and follows the daughter (Alicia) of a Nazi spy who was just convicted of treason, as she turns to alcohol and men to forget the pain. That's how she meets an American government agent named Devlin, who asks her to gather information against a group of Nazi scientists operating out of Rio de Janeiro. An unexpected romance blossoms between the two, which complicates how far she must go to collect the information. So many twists and turns in this fantastic drama. Cary Grant and the gorgeous Ingrid Bergman share the steamiest chemistry I've seen in any Alfred Hitchcock film. They both deliver a couple of their best lead performances. Claude Rains, Louis Calhern, Leopoldine Konstantin, and others had great roles among an excellent supporting cast.
- DirectorBilly WilderStarsFred MacMurrayBarbara StanwyckEdward G. RobinsonA Los Angeles insurance representative lets an alluring housewife seduce him into a scheme of insurance fraud and murder that arouses the suspicion of his colleague, an insurance investigator.Excellent crime drama/film-noir from Billy Wilder set in 1938 Los Angeles, and follows an insurance representative who's convinced to commit fraud and murder when an attractive and deceptive housewife suggests killing her husband to collect the proceeds of an accident insurance policy she wants him to open. When her husband is found dead, the police deem it an accidental death like she had hoped, but the insurance analyst Barton Keyes suspects she maliciously devised a plan to kill her husband, and investigates the case. Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck both deliver their very best lead performances. They were excellent together. Edward G. Robinson also delivers one of his greatest supporting roles as Barton Keyes. Porter Hall, Jean Heather, Tom Powers, Richard Gaines, Fortunio Bonanova, and Byron Barr all had excellent supporting roles.
- DirectorRaoul WalshStarsJames CagneyVirginia MayoEdmond O'BrienA psychopathic criminal with a mother complex makes a daring break from prison and leads his old gang in a chemical plant payroll heist.Top-notch crime drama from Raoul Walsh that follows a violent and deranged criminal with a mother complex (Cody) who escapes from prison and gets his old gang back together. The first thing they do is rob a train and kill 4 men. Authorities end up closing in on Cody, and he ends up confessing to a lesser crime which lands him in prison for 3 years, but gives him an alibi on the train robbery and murders. During his time in prison, the police plant an undercover agent in his cell, which leads to them both becoming friends and breaking out of prison when Cody's mother dies. After hooking back up with his gang, they plan a dangerous payroll heist at a chemical plant with the authorities knowing all the details thanks to their man on the inside. This was my first time seeing James Cagney on film. He was awesome. Definitely not your typical leading man, and I ended up loving his quick, snappy and unapologetic character that much more. Virginia Mayo, Edmond O'Brien, Margaret Wycherly, Steve Cochran, John Archer, and Wally Cassell all had great roles among a solid supporting cast.
- DirectorFritz LangStarsEdward G. RobinsonJoan BennettDan DuryeaA man in mid-life crisis befriends a young woman, though her fiancé persuades her to con him out of the fortune they mistakenly assume he possesses.Top-notch crime drama/film-noir from Fritz Lang that follows a simple middle-aged man who's desperate for the companionship and love of a gorgeous woman named Kitty he randomly befriends. What appears to be the start of a lovely romance turns sinister when she and her fiancé con him out of all the money he has after mistaking the money he keeps giving her isn't his, and that he's actually been stealing it to impress her and keep their relationship rolling. When he finds out he's been betrayed, the consequences become desperate and vicious. Edward G. Robinson arguably delivers his finest and most complex lead performance of all time. It's nice to see his dramatic range without playing the gangster card. Joan Bennett, Dan Duryea, Margaret Lindsay, Rosalind Ivan, and Charles Kemper also put on excellent performances among a great supporting cast.
- DirectorHoward HawksStarsHumphrey BogartLauren BacallJohn RidgelyPrivate detective Philip Marlowe is hired by a wealthy family. Before the complex case is over, he's seen murder, blackmail and what might be love.Fantastic crime/mystery/film-noir from Howard Hawks, and another classic collaboration in Bogie & Bacall's golden era. Great story that follows a private detective named Philip Marlowe who's hired by a wealthy general to stop his daughter Carmen from being blackmailed over gambling debts. However, the other general's daughter, Vivian, informs him there is much more going, as blackmail, murder, gambling, and organized crime gets our of control. Philip and Vivian work together to setup a trap for the real crook, while simultaneously falling in love. Humphrey Bogart delivered one of his very best lead performances, along with the sultry Lauren Bacall. Their chemistry is at an all-time high. Martha Vickers, John Ridgely, Dorothy Malone, Regis Toomey, Charles Waldron, Bob Steele, Elisha Cook Jr., Louis Jean Heydt, and Peggy Knudsen all had great supporting roles.
- DirectorMichael CurtizStarsJoan CrawfordJack CarsonZachary ScottA hard-working mother inches towards disaster as she divorces her husband and starts a successful restaurant business to support her spoiled daughter.Outstanding crime drama/film-noir from Michael Curtiz that follows an honest and hard-working mother named Mildred Pierce who divorces her out-of-work husband over money problems, and decides to raise her two daughters on her own, while simultaneously building a successful restaurant business. Her extremely spoiled daughter Veda constantly degrades and demeans Mildred's success, arguing the restaurant business cheapens their social status. Completely unsatisfied with her mother's way of life, she makes extremely selfish choices to move her way up the social ladder. After her and Mildred have a blow-out, Veda says she'll only come back to live with her if Mildred marries a wealthy business man named Monte and gives up a third of her business to him, so that Veda can live the upper-class rich she always wanted; and she agrees. But when something starts going on between Veda and Monte, and Monte leaves Mildred bankrupt after stealing her business, things take a mysterious and deadly turn for the worst. Joan Crawford delivers her absolute best lead performance of all time. She was fantastic throughout. The same could be said for Ann Blyth, Zachary Scott, and Jack Carson. Bruce Bennett, Moroni Olsen, Jo Ann Marlowe, Lee Patrick, and Veda Ann Borg also had great supporting roles.
- DirectorJohn FordStarsHenry FondaJane DarwellJohn CarradineAn 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.Excellent drama from John Ford that follows an Oklahoma family during the Great Depression of the 1930s and the devastating decade of the midwestern Dust Bowl that drives the family off their farm after being struck with poverty and hopelessness. Led by their oldest son Tom, the family decides to head to California in hopes of a better life as they find many other families from the same walk of life; who are all experiencing being homeless during one America's most depressing time periods. Henry Fonda delivers one of his best and most iconic lead performances. Jane Darwell, John Carradine, Russell Simpson, Dorris Bowdon, Charley Grapewin, O.Z. Whitehead, John Qualen, Frank Darien, Eddie Quillan, Darryl Hickman, Frank Sully, Shirley Mills, and many others had excellent supporting roles.
- DirectorJohn HustonStarsHumphrey BogartMary AstorGladys GeorgeSan Francisco private detective Sam Spade takes on a case that involves him with three eccentric criminals, a gorgeous liar and their quest for a priceless statuette, with the stakes rising after his partner is murdered.Superb film-noir crime mystery from John Houston that follows San Francisco private detective Sam Spade who takes on a case with danger surrounding a gorgeous woman named Miss Wonderly (aka Brigid O'Shaughnessy). He accepts payment to keep her safe from a man named Floyd Thursby, who winds up murdered along with Sam's partner that night. With Sam now suspected of one of the murders, and two other dangerous men on their tales; they battle a web of danger as they all desperately work to obtain an extremely valuable statuette of a bird called The Maltese Falcon. Humphrey Bogart delivered one of his all-time best lead performances. Mary Astor's excellent lead role fit perfectly alongside of Bogie's character. Peter Lorre, Sydney Greenstreet, Ward Bond, Barton MacLane, Gladys George, Lee Patrick, Jerome Cowan, and Elisha Cook Jr. all had very nice roles among the supporting cast.
- DirectorErnst LubitschStarsMargaret SullavanJames StewartFrank MorganTwo employees at a gift shop can barely stand each other, without realizing that they are falling in love through the post as each other's anonymous pen pal.Superb comedy drama from Ernst Lubitsch that follows two co-workers in a gift shop located in Budapest, Hungary, just as the Christmas season is ramping up. Alfred has been working there for 9 years and is the top salesman in the company, and Klara was just hired on to cover the busy holiday season. They really don't get along from the start, and irritate each other as they want to do things their own way. But what they don't know is that they are each other's secret pen pals, and they've been exchanging letters back and fourth for a while now. Great comedy and drama takes place as the mystery unfolds. James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan both deliver fantastic lead performances. Frank Morgan, Joseph Schildkraut, Felix Bressart, Sara Haden, William Tracy, and others had great supporting roles. A holiday favorite.
- DirectorErnst LubitschStarsCarole LombardJack BennyRobert StackDuring the German occupation of Poland, an acting troupe becomes embroiled in a Polish soldier's efforts to track down a German spy.Hilarious and unique war comedy from Ernst Lubitsch that follows an acting ensemble that becomes involved in a Polish soldier's attempt to find a German spy during the Nazi occupation of Poland circa 1939. They cleverly and hilariously use their impersonation skills to prevent the Nazis from obtaining a list of secret identities of Polish resistance fighters. I loved this film for the message and the comedy. So many twists, turns and humorous moments, while also contains the drama and suspense to carry the story. Carole Lombard and Jack Benny delivered superb lead performances. Robert Stack, Felix Bressart, Tom Dugan, Charles Halton, Stanley Ridges, Sig Ruman, George Lynn, Lionel Atwill, Henry Victor, Maude Eburne, and others had great supporting roles.
- DirectorFrank CapraStarsCary GrantPriscilla LaneRaymond MasseyA Brooklyn writer of books on the futility of marriage risks his reputation after he decides to tie the knot. Things get even more complicated when he learns on his wedding day that his beloved maiden aunts are habitual murderers.Hilarious crime comedy/thriller from Frank Capra about a newly married man named Mortimer who visits his old and loving aunts before heading off on his honeymoon; when he discovers a dead body in the window seat. Come to find out, his aunts have an obsession with murdering lonely old men who come to rent a room in their house, by serving them arsenic laced with elderberry wine, then burying them in the cellar. When Mortimer uncovers the mystery, he comically tries to help his aunts while trying to understand the dreadful situation, and without scaring off his new wife in the process. Like many Frank Capra pictures, he has such a knack for creating so many memorable and fantastic characters. Cary Grant, Priscilla Lane, Raymond Massey, Peter Lorre, Josephine Hull, and Jean Adair all had excellent lead performances. Jack Carson, Edward Everett Horton, James Gleason, John Alexander, and Garry Owen all had great supporting roles among a perfect cast.
- DirectorOtto PremingerRouben MamoulianStarsGene TierneyDana AndrewsClifton WebbA police detective falls in love with the woman whose murder he is investigating.Fantastic film-noir mystery from Otto Preminger that follows a police detective who's investigating the murder of a young advertising executive named Laura Hunt. He interviews several suspects who are all either in love with her, or have strong feelings for her. Many are caught in lies while telling their stories, which presents possible motives for killing her. After a couple days of investigation, Laura mysteriously reappears, and they learn the dead body they found before was a different woman, which then lands Laura on the murder suspect list as several plot-twisting events occur after. Top notch story and acting for the genre. Dana Andrews, Gene Tierney, Clifton Webb, and Vincent Price all had excellent lead performances. Judith Anderson and Dorothy Adams also had great parts among the supporting cast.
- DirectorRaoul WalshStarsIda LupinoHumphrey BogartAlan CurtisAfter being released from prison, notorious thief Roy Earle is hired by his old boss to help a group of inexperienced criminals plan and carry out the robbery of a California resort.Excellent crime drama/adventure from Raoul Walsh and John Huston that follows gangster and career criminal "Mad Dog" Roy Earle after being released from prison. He ends up hooking up with and old associate to help a take down a jewel heist in a resort town in California's Sierra Nevada with a former taxi dancer named Marie. Such an underrated film with great a great story and some great humor throughout. This film really put Humphrey Bogart on the map with his superb performance as a a sympathetic gangster. It stands as my favorite early role from Bogie. The enormously huge "The Maltese Falcon" would be released just 8 months later, which really launched him to superstardom. Ida Lupino also had an excellent lead performance, with Arthur Kennedy, Joan Leslie, Alan Curtis, Henry Hull, Barton MacLane, Henry Travers, Jerome Cowan, Cornel Wilde, and many others had excellent supporting roles throughout.
- DirectorWilliam WylerStarsMyrna LoyDana AndrewsFredric MarchThree World War II veterans, two of them traumatized or disabled, return home to the American midwest to discover that they and their families have been irreparably changed.Excellent drama from William Wyler that follows three World War II veterans after they return home from service in 1945. Upon their return, they find that their families and jobs have drastically changed along with their own traumatized personalities inflicted by the war, with one of them really struggling to move on after having his hands burned off in battle. It's a complex battle of emotions and reintegrating themselves into normal life again. It's no surprised this movie won 7 of the 8 Oscars it was nominated for. Not only is the cast superb; but the story, directing, editing, and soundtrack were all excellent throughout. Fredric March (Oscar winner), Myrna Loy, Dana Andrews, Teresa Wright, Virginia Mayo, and Harold Russell (Oscar winner) all delivered superb lead performances. Cathy O'Donnell, Hoagy Carmichael, and Ray Collins also had great roles among a fantastic supporting cast.
- DirectorBilly WilderStarsRay MillandJane WymanPhillip TerryThe desperate life of a chronic alcoholic is followed through a four-day drinking bout.Excellent drama/film-noir from Billy Wilder that follows an aspiring writer and neurotic alcoholic who hasn't had a drink for 10 days, and seems to be over the worst of the withdrawal symptoms. He's supposed to go on a weekend trip with his brother when he finds $10 meant to pay the maid, and subsequently lies to his brother to get out of the trip, and spends that $10 at the liquor store and his favorite bar, as he embarks on a 4-day drinking binge. Controversial and sobering subject matter with great a great story and great acting. Ray Milland delivered his greatest Oscar-winning lead performance. Definitely an underrated actor from the golden era. Jane Wyman, Phillip Terry, and Howard Da Silva all had great supporting roles. This film definitely earned all 4 Oscars it received.
- DirectorWilliam A. WellmanStarsHenry FondaDana AndrewsMary Beth HughesWhen a posse captures three men suspected of killing a local farmer, they become strongly divided over whether or not to lynch the men.Excellent drama-filled western set in 1885 Nevada, and follows a posse of angry townspeople who hastily deal with three men who are suspected of killing a local farmer. Most of them feel there is sufficient evidence that they killed the farmer, and they want to hang the man to bring immediate justice. A handful of others aren't convinced, and urges the angry lynch mob to be patient and wait for the sherif to take them into custody, so that justice will be served legally. Tensions rise to a boiling point as rash decisions are made. Henry Fonda, Dana Andrews, and Mary Beth Hughes all delivered excellent lead performances. Anthony Quinn, Harry Morgan, William Eythe, Jane Darwell, Matt Briggs, Harry Davenport, Frank Conroy, Marc Lawrence, and others had excellent roles among a superb cast.
- DirectorZoltan KordaStarsHumphrey BogartBruce BennettJ. Carrol NaishAfter the fall of Tobruk in 1942, during the Allied retreat in the Libyan desert, an American tank picks-up a motley group of survivors but they face advancing Germans and a lack of water.Excellent action-packed World War II drama set in 1942 in the Libyan desert following a major battle, and follows an American tank crew that's ordered to retreat to the blazing Sahara desert, where they pick up an assorted group of British and French Allied soldiers, along with an Italian and a German POW. They struggle hard to find water which they desperately need to survive. When they find a water well and the Nazis (who are also desperate for water) pinpoint their location, they decide to face them head on in battle when they try to take control of the well they discovered. Humphrey Bogart delivered one of greatest early performances as Sergeant Joe Gunn. Dan Duryea, Bruce Bennett, J. Carrol Naish, Rex Ingram, Richard Aherne, Kurt Kreuger, and Lloyd Bridges all had nice roles among a great supporting cast.
- DirectorWilliam WylerStarsBette DavisHerbert MarshallTeresa WrightThe ruthless, moneyed Hubbard clan lives in, and poisons, their part of the Deep South at the turn of the twentieth century.Superb drama from William Wyler that follows the cold-hearted and wealthy Hubbard family set at the turn of the century in 1900, in the southern town of Linnet. They are an infamously hated family, as they exploit and manipulate the poor and the black folks in their business as they tarnish and disgrace their area of the south. It's a tale of money, greed, power, and the destruction of a family...with a bit of a love story thrown in for good measure. Bette Davis' played her sinister character perfectly, and delivered one of her best lead performances. Teresa Wright was also fantastic as her daughter Alexandra, who also delivered on her finest roles. Herbert Marshall, Richard Carlson, Dan Duryea, Charles Dingle, Patricia Collinge, Carl Benton Reid, Jessica Grayson, John Marriott, Russell Hicks, and others had excellent supporting roles.
- DirectorByron HaskinStarsLizabeth ScottDon DeForeDan DuryeaThrough a fluke circumstance, a ruthless woman stumbles across a suitcase filled with $60,000, and is determined to hold onto it even if it means murder.Thrilling and underrated slice of film-noir about a cold-blooded woman who gets $60,000 dropped in her vehicle as mistakenly delivered blackmail money. Her husband urges her to turn it over the police, but she's not willing to give up what would be a luxury and wealth. Soon after, a shady and dangerous man tracks her down, claiming the money is his. And she's determined to use all of her wit to keep the cash over the sleaziest and deadliest of circumstances. Lizabeth Scott plays one of the most greedy and heartless female leads I've seen yet in the genre, and Dan Duryea matched her with a ruthless and sleazy performance he's known for. They were both fantastic. Arthur Kennedy, Kristine Miller, Don DeFore, and Barry Kelley also all have excellent supporting roles. Beautifully written and shot gem.
- DirectorGeorge CukorStarsSpencer TracyKatharine HepburnJudy HollidayDomestic and professional tensions mount when a husband and wife work as opposing lawyers in a case involving a woman who shot her husband.Hilarious comedy drama from George Cukor that follows a happily married couple who ends up battling each other in the courtroom (and elsewhere) after they both take opposing sides of a case involving a woman who was arrested for attempting to murder her callous husband. While the man argues the evidence is an open and shut case, his wife argues women are discriminated against in court, among arguing other sympathetic angles. And it ends up creating many hilarious squabbles between the couple along the way. Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn share strong and sharp-witted personalities who are simply perfect together. Both of their lead performances were superb. Judy Holliday, Tom Ewell, David Wayne, Jean Hagen, Hope Emerson, Eve March, and others also had excellent supporting roles.
- DirectorGeorge SeatonStarsEdmund GwennMaureen O'HaraJohn PayneAfter a divorced New York mother hires a nice old man to play Santa Claus at Macy's, she is startled by his claim to be the genuine article. When his sanity is questioned, a lawyer defends him in court by arguing that he's not mistaken.Excellent family comedy drama from George Seaton that follows a divorced New York mother and special events director for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, when she's alerted by a scruffy old man that their actor playing Santa Clause is drunk. With no other options in sight, she persuades the old man to take the man's place and play Santa. He ends up being a huge hit, and is recruited to play Santa in the main Macy's store. But when the man claims to be Santa Clause in real life, grown-ups are startled and frightened of his claims, while the impressional 6-year old Susan is a true believer. When his sanity is questioned, he ends up in court arguing his case. This is sure to be a be a Christmas favorite for years to come. Edmund Gwenn plays just about the best Santa Clause I can think of. An iconic performance throughout. Maureen O'Hara and John Payne had superb lead roles as well. Natalie Wood, Gene Lockhart, and Porter Hall had very nice roles among a great supporting cast.
- DirectorHenry KosterStarsCary GrantLoretta YoungDavid NivenA debonair angel comes to Earth to help an Episcopalian bishop and his wife in their quest to raise money for the new church.Fantastic family comedy drama from Henry Koster that follows a suave and charming Angel sent from heaven to guide an Episcopalian bishop and his wife to raise money for a new church when their plans to source the money from a wealthy widow compromises their principals. This is bound to be a new Christmas favorite for me. Great uplifting story with beautiful cinematography throughout. Cary Grant delivered one of his all-time best lead performances as Dudley. Loretta Young and David Niven were also excellent among the starring cast. Monty Woolley, Gladys Cooper, Elsa Lanchester, Sara Haden, James Gleason, and many others also had great supporting roles.
- DirectorSam WoodStarsGary CooperTeresa WrightBabe RuthThe story of the life and career of famed baseball player Lou Gehrig.Superb and fascinating biopic about one of the greatest baseball players that ever lived—Lou Gehrig. Excellent story and drama surrounding the New York Yankees 1930s legacy, and follows Gehrig's time as he played in 2130 consecutive games and hit 493 home runs, before passing at age 37 to ALS—which was aptly named "Lou Gehrig's disease" since he was the first widely known figure to get it. Gary Cooper arguably gave his all-time best performance. The same could be said for Teresa Wright's excellent role as his wife, Eleanor Gehrig. Walter Brennan arguably delivers his best performance as sportswriter Sam Blake. Dan Duryea, Babe Ruth, Elsa Janssen, and Ludwig Stössel also had very nice supporting roles.
- DirectorIrving ReisStarsEdward G. RobinsonBurt LancasterMady ChristiansDuring WW2, industrialist Joe Keller commits a crime and frames his business partner Herbert Deever but years later his sin comes back to haunt him when Joe's son plans to marry Deever's daughter.Underrated film-noir drama that follows a determined industrialist named Joe who framed his business partner (Herbert) after they discover the airplane parts they are manufacturing are defective, which would result in crashes and deaths of American soldiers during World War II. Joe goes free while Herbert goes to prison for their crimes. Years later Joes past comes to haunt him when his son wishes to marry Herbert's daughter, which stirs up old demons that Joe and his family is forced to face. Edward G. Robinson and Burt Lancaster are two of my favorite actors, and they both put on superb performances with very complex and layered characters. A couple of their finest roles. Mady Christians, Louisa Horton, Howard Duff, and Frank Conroy all had great supporting roles.
- DirectorIrving RapperStarsBette DavisPaul HenreidClaude RainsA frumpy spinster blossoms under therapy and becomes an elegant, independent woman.Fantastic drama about an extremely controlling mother that has driven her dejected daughter Charlotte to a nervous breakdown. With the help of her psychiatrist, she is convinced to undergo therapy at a sanitarium so she can learn to live an independent and happy life. When she gets out, she's a new woman with a glowing personality, and soon has an affair with a married man on a cruise, which creates more strength independence. When she returns home, she immediately has an argument with her mother over her new found life, which leads to a heart attack and her mother's death. Charlotte is once agin sent into a whirlwind of emotions as she works to fully blossom into her true self. Bette Davis gives another ambitious and extraordinary performance. Claude Rains, Paul Henreid, Gladys Cooper, Ilka Chase, Bonita Granville, John Loder, and Mary Wickes all had great roles among the supporting cast.
- DirectorVittorio De SicaStarsLamberto MaggioraniEnzo StaiolaLianella CarellIn post-war Italy, a working-class man's bicycle is stolen, endangering his efforts to find work. He and his son set out to find it.Excellent drama set after World War II in an economically depressed Italy. It follows a working class family who is financially struggling to survive. A job opportunity comes up, but requires a bicycle for transportation. So they go to the pawn shop to swap their bed sheets of the bike they had previously pawned so the father can work. But when his bike is stolen, he and his son desperately search the streets of Rome to find it before he loses his job. The stress of discouraging hopelessness soon finds the man making last-ditch efforts to fix their bleak situation. This is the first film I've seen from the Italian naturalistic movement. I really like how they keep it low budget and use real people to tell the story about real life issues. Superb film about the need to survive at any cost. Lamberto Maggiorani, Enzo Staiola, and Lianella Carell had excellent performances among a solid supporting cast.
- DirectorFrank CapraStarsSpencer TracyKatharine HepburnVan JohnsonAn industrialist is urged to run for President, but this requires uncomfortable compromises on both political and marital levels.Excellent comedy drama from Frank Capra that follows a wealthy business woman (Kay) who plans to make her lover and dark horse candidate Grant the next Republican President of the United States. He's reunited with his estranged wife (Mary) even though she's aware of his affair with Kay. The campaign is a struggle on the political side with everyone trying to manipulate his actions, which leads him to speak his own mind; especially when he finds he has betrayed the ideals he and his wife have always believed in. Superb quick-paced political drama with a lot of laughs. I can't think of a much better comedy/drama duo than Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn—and they prove it once again. Angela Lansbury, Adolphe Menjou, and Van Johnson also had very nice roles among a great supporting cast.
- DirectorRobert SiodmakStarsBurt LancasterAva GardnerEdmond O'BrienHit men kill an unresisting victim, and investigator Reardon uncovers his past involvement with beautiful, deadly Kitty Collins.Excellent slice of film-noir adapted from the classic Ernest Hemingway story that follows an ex-prize boxer who waits in his hotel room for two hit-men to kill him after getting mixed up with mobsters and a mysterious and deceitful woman. After they kill him, an insurance company investigator discovers he had a policy open, and discovers an intricate plot of crime linked to the woman. Burt Lancaster and Ava Gardner are top-billed and deliver great performances, but it's Edmond O'Brien who gets the most screen time, and really holds the story together. He was excellent as he usually is. Albert Dekker, Sam Levene, Virginia Christine, Vince Barnett, Jack Lambert, and the rest of the superb supporting cast of interesting characters really made the film shine.
- DirectorHenry KingStarsGregory PeckHugh MarloweGary MerrillA tough-as-nails general (Gregory Peck as General Savage) takes over a B-17 bomber unit suffering from low morale and whips them into fighting shape.Excellent war drama from Henry King set in 1942 during World War II, and follows the tenacious U.S. Air Force Brigadier General Frank Savage who's tasked to take over command of the B-17 bomber unit after higher-ups suspect the previous commander was being too soft on the pilots and gunners, which resulted in low morale and costly mistakes. Savage's approach is to push these men to their absolute limits in order to achieve results and win the war. However, as time rolls on, Savage ends up falling into the same trap as the last commander, and can't help but feel empathy and responsibility for his crew that he eventually comes to care deeply about. Great story with a lot of complex layers about the ruthless horrors of war. Gregory Peck delivers one of his greatest lead performances. Dean Jagger also delivered an excellent Oscar-winning starring role. Gary Merrill, Millard Mitchell, Hugh Marlowe, Paul Stewart, Robert Patten, Robert Arthur, and many others had great supporting roles.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsTallulah BankheadJohn HodiakWalter SlezakSeveral survivors of a torpedoed merchant ship in World War II find themselves in the same lifeboat with one of the crew members of the U-boat that sank their ship.Excellent and unique war drama that follows several survivors from a variety of different backgrounds on a small lifeboat after an American merchant ship was torpedoed by a German U-boat—resulting in the sinking of both crafts. Tensions are high from the get-go, but they soar when they end up saving a man who turns out to be a German from the sunken U-boat who claims he can't speak English, and appears peaceful. Heavy debates go on about how trustworthy he could possibly be, when it's revealed he was the U-boat's captain, speaks perfect English, and actually presents a great threat. Hitchcock brilliantly toys with the audience into feeling sympathy for the German Nazi the picture moves on. The entire film takes place on the lifeboat, and there isn't a dull moment involved. Controversial story, and a great film. Tallulah Bankhead, William Bendix, Walter Slezak, Mary Anderson, John Hodiak, Henry Hull, Heather Angel, Hume Cronyn, and Canada Lee all had great performances.
- DirectorHoward HawksStarsCary GrantRosalind RussellRalph BellamyA newspaper editor uses every trick in the book to keep his ace reporter ex-wife from remarrying.Hilarious comedy drama from Howard Hawks that follows a savvy newspaper editor (Walter) who does everything he can to stop his ex-wife and ace reporter (Hildy) from remarrying, after telling him she's quitting and leaving the follow day for her wedding. Walter cleverly delays her leaving by supplying her with a big news story that she desperately wants to pursue, and simultaneously tries sabotages her loving thoughts for her new fiancé, in an ingenious attempt to win her back. The fast, snappy, and witty dialogue between Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell was absolutely perfect. It may be some of the most dialogue I've seen in any film. They both delivered fantastic lead performances. Ralph Bellamy, Gene Lockhart, Porter Hall, Ernest Truex, Cliff Edwards, Clarence Kolb, Roscoe Karns, Regis Toomey, and many others had excellent supporting roles.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsLaurence OlivierJoan FontaineGeorge SandersA self-conscious woman juggles adjusting to her new role as an aristocrat's wife and avoiding being intimidated by his first wife's spectral presence.Excellent film-noir drama/mystery from Alfred Hitchcock that follows a rich widower (Maxim) on vacation in Monte Carlo when he meets a beautiful young woman who works as a lady's companion to a wealthy and unpleasant woman. They immediately hit it off and fall in love, which leads to them getting married, then traveling back to their Maxim's family estate and home to live their life together. She immediately feels inferior and self-conscious dealing with the luxurious house full of servants she isn't used to; especially the strong and menacing housekeeper Mrs. Danvers, who still loves the man's late previous wife (Rebecca), which leads to more drama after a mysterious discovery is made. This is my first times seeing Joan Fontaine in a lead role, and she was really magnificent. Her innocent, uneasy, excitable, and often times awkward character was perfect for the role. She had some impeccable interaction with Laurence Olivier, who was also excellent. Judith Anderson, George Sanders, Gladys Cooper, Nigel Bruce, Reginald Denny, C. Aubrey Smith, and Florence Bates also had very nice roles among a great supporting cast.
- DirectorJohn FordStarsJohn WaynePedro ArmendárizHarry Carey Jr.Three outlaws on the run risk their freedom and their lives to return a newborn to civilization.Fantastic western from John Ford that follows 3 bandits named Robert Hightower, William Kearney and Pedro Roca Fuerte, who are on their way to an Arizona town called Welcome to rob a bank. After they have done so, the determined town sheriff Perley "Buck" Sweet wisely works to track them down by setting up his deputies at water tanks around the area, since he knows they have run out of water. But when the men meet an abandoned pregnant woman who's about to have a baby, they immediately make it their mission to do what they can to help her. Just after the woman has a baby boy, she asks each of the men to save the boy's life and be his godfather just before she passes away. The men accept and risk their lives and well-being to keep their promise to protect their godson and keep their promise to a brave and dying mother. Fantastic story and one of my favorite films from John Ford. John Wayne delivers one of his greatest lead performances. Pedro Armendáriz and Harry Carey Jr. also had great starring roles. Ward Bond, Mae Marsh, Mildred Natwick, Jane Darwell, Guy Kibbee, and others also had great supporting roles.
- DirectorDelmer DavesStarsHumphrey BogartLauren BacallBruce BennettA man convicted of murdering his wife escapes from prison and works with a woman to try to prove his innocence.Excellent film-noir/thriller that follows a convicted murderer who escapes from prison in an attempt to prove his innocence. Immediately after escaping, he is helped by a beautiful woman who wants to help him since she knows about his story, and is convinced he is innocent of his crimes. Very uniquely shot since Humphrey Bogart is either the first-person shot, in the dark, or covered with bandages for the first hour of the film. It's all done very well, and story is great. Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall give superb lead performances as usual, and Lauren gets some of her most screen time in this film. Bruce Bennett, Agnes Moorehead, Tom D'Andrea, Clifton Young, Rory Mallinson, Houseley Stevenson, and Douglas Kennedy also have great supporting roles.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsJoel McCreaLaraine DayHerbert MarshallOn the eve of World War II, a young American reporter tries to expose enemy agents in London.Excellent thriller from Alfred Hitchcock that follows a young New York newspaper man who's working to get the scoop on a secret treaty agreed between two European countries by the famous diplomat, Mr. Van Meer, when a group of Nazi spies adds twists and turns to the story. I'm not very familiar with Joel McCrea, but he delivered an excellent lead performance and held everything together perfectly. Laraine Day, George Sanders, Albert Bassermann, Herbert Marshall, Robert Benchley, Eduardo Ciannelli, Harry Davenport, Edmund Gwenn, Martin Kosleck, Charles Wagenheim, Barbara Pepper, and others had great roles among a fantastic supporting cast.
- DirectorMark RobsonStarsKirk DouglasArthur KennedyMarilyn MaxwellBoxer Midge Kelly rises to fame...mainly by stepping on other people.Great film-noir sports drama from Mark Robson that follows an extremely poor man who gets trained to be a professional boxer. As he rises to the very top, he becomes obsessed with the fame and admiration he's never gotten in his early life—treating women like objects, dumping his loyal manager for more money and stardom, and turning his back on his devoted brother. The film won an Oscar for best film-editing, which is very nicely done for 1949. Kirk Douglas delivered one of his best lead Oscar-nominated performances. Arthur Kennedy also delivered his best, with very nice supporting roles from Ruth Roman, Paul Stewart, Marilyn Maxwell, Lola Albright, and others.
- DirectorCurtis BernhardtStarsHumphrey BogartAlexis SmithSydney GreenstreetAn engineer trapped in an unhappy marriage murders his wife in the hope of marrying her younger sister.Excellent film-noir crime drama/mystery from Curtis Bernhardt that follows a seemingly happy married couple named Richard and Kathryn Mason. But behind closed doors, they are anything but happy. Kathryn accuses Richard of being in love with her younger sister Evelyn, and Richard doesn't deny it, as he is truly infatuated with her. Knowing Kathryn would not step aside and grant him a divorce, Richard feels trapped, and he finally reaches his breaking point. He elaborately plans out and executes the perfect murder and coverup for his wife disappearance and puts on a convincing front to all of their friends, as he attempts to start a relationship with Evelyn. However, Richard starts to receive letters and well-placed clues that would prove Kathryn is actually alive and seemingly stalking him, which drives Richard nearly mad as the mystery builds to a shocking conclusion. Excellent story all around and one of Humphrey Bogart's most underrated lead performances. He was fantastic throughout. Sydney Greenstreet and Alexis Smith also had great starring roles. Rose Hobart, Charles Drake, Grant Mitchell, and others also had great supporting roles.
- DirectorGeorge CukorStarsCary GrantKatharine HepburnJames StewartWhen 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.Excellent romantic comedy from George Cukor that follows a wealthy woman (Tracy) who divorced her first husband Dexter after they impulsively got married 2 years earlier, and is now preparing to getting married to a businessman and aspiring politician named George Kittredge. But the day before her wedding, Dexter arrives with old friends Mike and Liz. Along the way, Tracy finds she's attracted to Mike, while Dexter is still hoping to win her back. Through a night of drunkenness and self-discovery, Tracy learns some important things about herself and her life. Katharine Hepburn (Oscar-nominee), James Stewart (Oscar-winner), and Cary Grant all have superb roles, and they all have great chemistry working through the laughs and drama brilliantly. Ruth Hussey, John Howard, Roland Young, John Halliday, Mary Nash, Virginia Weidler, and Henry Daniell were also very good among the solid supporting cast.
- DirectorLewis MilestoneStarsBarbara StanwyckVan HeflinLizabeth ScottA man is reunited with his childhood friend and her husband who believes he knows the truth about the death of her rich aunt years earlier.Excellent film-noir drama from Lewis Milestone that follows a young girl who murders her nasty and controlling aunt—then lies about it—which results in sending an innocent man to the gallows. 18 years later an old friend shows up who was presumably present at the time of the murder, and their guilt eventually drives them to desperation and madness. Great story and powerful ending. Barbara Stanwyck, Van Heflin, Kirk Douglas, and Lizabeth Scott all deliver very complex and superb lead performances. Judith Anderson, Roman Bohnen, Janis Wilson, Frank Orth, and Mickey Kuhn all had great roles among a solid supporting cast.
- DirectorHenry HathawayStarsJames StewartRichard ConteLee J. CobbChicago reporter P.J. McNeal re-opens a decade-old murder case.Excellent film-noir drama from Henry Hathaway set in 1932 Chicago when crime was running rampart during Prohibition. A policeman is shot and killed in a speakeasy that a Polish woman named Wanda Skutnik runs. She ends up positively identifying two men as the murderers in court, and the two men are sent up for 99 years in prison with zero evidence or motive against them. Frank Wiecek is one of these unlucky men, and 11 years later his mother saves up enough money to post an ad in the newspaper offering $5,000 for anyone who can provide information about the identity of the killers of the policeman 11 years earlier. That revitalizes the story thanks to a skeptical expert New York Times reporter named P.J. McNeal, who takes special interest in the investigation. James Stewart delivered a fantastic lead performance. Richard Conte, Lee J. Cobb, Helen Walker, Betty Garde, Kasia Orzazewski, Joanne De Bergh, Howard Smith, Moroni Olsen, and others also had great supporting roles.
- DirectorRichard ThorpeStarsWilliam PowellMyrna LoyLucile WatsonNick and Nora head to Nick's hometown of Sycamore Springs to spend some time with his parents. His father, a prominent local physician, was always a bit disappointed with Nick's choice of profession in particular and his lifestyle in general. With Nick's arrival however the towns folk, including several of the local criminal element, are convinced that he must be there on a case despite his protestations that he's just there for rest and relaxation. When someone is shot dead on his doorstep however, Nick finds himself working on a case whether he wants to or not.Another excellent comedy crime/mystery in the the 'Thin Man' film saga. This is the 5th installment, and it's just as great as I hoped it would be. This time we follow Nick and Nora to Nick's hometown of Sycamore Springs to visit his parents and take a vacation. While the town is seemingly quiet and crime free, Nick's reputation as an all-star detective soon flushes out the wrongdoers in town, and leaves Nick and Nora to solve yet another murder case. William Powell and Myrna Loy both deliver excellent lead performances, and have great chemistry together as always. Lucile Watson, Harry Davenport, Gloria DeHaven, Anne Revere, Helen Vinson, Donald Meek, Edward Brophy, Lloyd Corrigan, and others also had great supporting roles.
- DirectorVincent ShermanStarsBette DavisMiriam HopkinsGig YoungOld friends Kit Marlowe and Millie Drake adopt contrasting lifestyles: Kit is a single, critically acclaimed author while married Millie writes popular pulp novels.Excellent drama from Vincent Sherman that follows a 20-year relationship between two lifelong friends. Kit is a highly respected and critically acclaimed author and playwright who hasn't reached financial success yet; while Millie writes popular and trashy pulp novels that sell like hotcakes. Millie is successful, but has always been envious and jealous of Kit's career path. They end up experiencing key events in their lives as jealousy and envy lurk in the shadows. Bette Davis delivers on of her very best lead performances. The same could be said about Miriam Hopkins great starring role. Gig Young, John Loder, Dolores Moran, Phillip Reed, Roscoe Karns, Anne Revere, and Esther Dale all had great supporting roles.
- DirectorJacques TourneurStarsRobert MitchumJane GreerKirk DouglasA private eye escapes his past to run a gas station in a small town, but his past catches up with him. Now he must return to the big city world of danger, corruption, double crosses, and duplicitous dames.Excellent film-noir crime drama that follows a former private investigator that runs a small-town gas station when he's confronted with a feared former client and gambler Whit Sterling from his mysterious past. He eventually gets mixed up in a new job the man wants him to complete to settle their affairs, until he finds he's being framed for murder. Robert Mitchum's cool and collected character fits the role perfectly. He delivered one of his best lead performances. Jane Greer, Kirk Douglas, Rhonda Fleming, Virginia Huston, Paul Valentine, Richard Webb, Steve Brodie, Ken Niles, and Dickie Moore also had very nice supporting roles.
- DirectorLloyd BaconStarsEdward G. RobinsonJane WymanBroderick CrawfordThree ex-cons buy a luggage shop to tunnel into the bank vault next door. But despite all they can do, the shop prospers...Hilarious gangster film parody from Lloyd Bacon that follows 3 ex-cons that buy a luggage shop to so they can dig a tunnel into the bank vault next door. All they want is some peace so they can dig this ridiculous tunnel, but paying customers hilariously keep coming in a disrupting them from reaching their goal. Great story and concept all around, with a very funny ending. Edward G. Robinson delivered one of his finest roles, as he proves to play a comedic just as great as his serious and dramatic roles. Jane Wyman, Broderick Crawford, Edward Brophy, Jack Carson, Anthony Quinn, John Qualen, Barbara Jo Allen, Grant Mitchell, and others all had great parts among an excellent supporting cast.
- DirectorVincent ShermanStarsHumphrey BogartConrad VeidtKaren VerneRunyonesque Broadway gamblers turn patriotic when they stumble onto a cell of Nazi saboteurs.Excellent action-packed crime comedy from Vincent Sherman that follows a high-profile Broadway gambler named 'Gloves' Donahue and his like-minded friends that encounter a gang of Nazi spies who may have been involved in killing their friend and baker of their favorite cheesecake, along with much bigger plans of blowing up a battleship in New York harbor. This is one of Humphrey Bogart's finest and lesser-known lead performances. Very entertaining and underrated amongst his catalog. Kaaren Verne, Frank McHugh, Conrad Veidt, Peter Lorre, William Demarest, Jackie Gleason, Jane Darwell, Judith Anderson, Barton MacLane, and others also had nice roles among a great supporting cast.
- DirectorMichael CurtizStarsEdward G. RobinsonIda LupinoJohn GarfieldAfter being fished out of the sea by a sailer, three fugitives find themselves prisoners of the ship's brutal skipper who refuses to put them ashore and they hatch an escape plan during a crew mutiny.Excellent drama adventure from Michael Curtiz based on Jack London's classic novel. Great story about a writer and 2 fugitives who are fished out of the sea and held captive by a ruthless and cold-hearted skipper who treats his crew poorly and defies their trust until it reaches the point of mutiny. Edward G. Robinson delivers a complex performance filled with angst and paranoia. He was excellent throughout. Alexander Knox, John Garfield, and Ida Lupino also had great lead roles. Barry Fitzgerald, Gene Lockhart, Francis McDonald, Howard Da Silva, Stanley Ridges, and Frank Lackteen all had great supporting roles.
- DirectorWilliam WylerStarsBette DavisHerbert MarshallJames StephensonThe wife of a rubber plantation administrator shoots a man to death and claims it was self-defense, but a letter written in her own hand may prove her undoing.Great film-noir crime/drama from William Wyler about the wife of a rubber plantation owner that shoots a kills a man in self-defense. Nobody doubts her story, as she is very convincing. But doubts and twists finally arise after a mysterious letter she wrote that night turns up. Bette Davis delivered an excellent Oscar-nominated lead performance as she usually does. Herbert Marshall, James Stephenson, Frieda Inescort, Gale Sondergaard, Bruce Lester, Cecil Kellaway, and others also had nice roles among a great supporting cast. Great concentrated story that received 7 Oscar nominations.
- DirectorOrson WellesStarsOrson WellesEdward G. RobinsonLoretta YoungAn investigator from the War Crimes Commission travels to Connecticut to find an infamous Nazi.Excellent and unique film-noir crime/drama from Orson Welles about an investigator from the War Crimes Commission that travels to Connecticut to track down Franz Kindler—a mastermind of the Holocaust who has successfully erased his identity as a notorious Nazi leader and is now posing as a professor in a small Connecticut town. Great story with some nice plot-twists throughout. Orson Welles delivers an excellent lead performance. Edward G. Robinson and Loretta Young were also in top form. Konstantin Shayne, Richard Long, Philip Merivale, Byron Keith, Billy House, and Martha Wentworth all delivered excellent supporting roles.
- DirectorByron HaskinStarsBurt LancasterLizabeth ScottKirk DouglasFrankie Madison leaves prison expecting a share from his ex-partner. But Prohibition bootlegging didn't prepare Frankie for Big Business.Excellent film-noir crime drama about a man (Frankie) who just got done serving a 14 year prison sentence, and heads back home expecting half his share in the bootlegging business and nightclub he and his partner (Noll) started before he was sent up the river. But Noll doesn't see things that way, and deviously cuts him out of the business, while Frankie and Noll's now ex-girlfriend and lounge singer Kay come up with a dangerous plan to take Noll down. Burt Lancaster, Lizabeth Scott, Kirk Douglas, and Wendell Corey all delivered some of their finest performances for the era. They all had great chemistry. Kristine Miller, George Rigaud, Marc Lawrence, Mike Mazurki, and Mickey Knox all had very nice supporting roles.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsIngrid BergmanGregory PeckMichael ChekhovA psychiatrist protects the identity of an amnesia patient accused of murder while attempting to recover his memory.Excellent film-noir mystery from Alfred Hitchcock that follows a young and gorgeous psychiatrist who enters into a romantic relationship with a famous psychiatrist named Dr. Edwardes, who was just appointed head of the mental asylum she works at. After some time, he shows mysterious signs of amnesia and paranoia, and confesses that the real Dr. Edwardes is dead and fears he may have killed him, and looks for her help in recovering his memory and prove his innocence. Ingrid Bergman and Gregory Peck both delivered excellent lead performances. Michael Chekhov, Leo G. Carroll, Rhonda Fleming, John Emery, and Norman Lloyd all had nice supporting roles.
- DirectorCurtis BernhardtStarsJoan CrawfordVan HeflinRaymond MasseyAfter being found wandering the streets of Los Angeles, a severely catatonic woman tells a doctor the complex story of how she wound up there.Excellent film-noir crime drama that follows a distressed and catatonic woman walking the streets of Los Angeles approaching strange men and calling them "David", before being brought to the psychiatric ward of a hospital where she begins to tell the story of how she got to be in her current state. A year earlier, she worked as a nurse and got twisted up in a casual affair with a civil engineer named David across the way. Her emotional state becomes unstable when she falls in love with him, and she isn't loved back. She tries to manipulate him into loving her, but ultimately fails and becomes diagnosed with schizophrenia, which sheds light on her mysterious story. Joan Crawford gives one of her finest mind-bending performances as she slowly loses her mind throughout the story. Van Heflin and Raymond Massey, Geraldine Brooks, and Stanley Ridges all had very nice supporting roles.
- DirectorW.S. Van DykeStarsWilliam PowellMyrna LoyBarry NelsonA jockey has been shot dead at the race track. Famous detective Nick Charles and his wife Nora happen to be on the scene and Lt. Abrahams asks for Nick's expert help.Another excellent comedy crime/mystery in the the 'Thin Man' film saga. This is the 4th installment, and it's another quality addition to the collection. This time we follow Nick and Nora as they head to the local race track for some entertainment, and they get more than they bargained for when one of the jockeys is shot and killed. Lieutenant Abrams is working the case, and asks his old friend Nick for help solving the case. This was a great film overall, but not quite as good as the first 3 in the saga. William Powell and Myrna Loy both delivered excellent performances once again. Sam Levene, Barry Nelson, Donna Reed, Henry O'Neill, Richard Hall, Stella Adler, Loring Smith, and others had great supporting roles.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsCary GrantJoan FontaineCedric HardwickeA shy young heiress marries a charming gentleman, and soon begins to suspect he is planning to murder her.Excellent film-noir mystery from Alfred Hitchcock that follows an innocent young woman who falls in love and marries an attractive and enchanting man. After they return from their honeymoon, she learns he's a broke gambler who lies and borrows money from friends to live a high-class lifestyle. The lies soon have her paranoid about other activities and motivations he may be hiding, and suspects he may plan to murder her after she suspects he killed his business partner. The comical Cary Grant and wholesome Joan Fontaine were great together in this film. They both delivered excellent lead performances. It's no wonder why Fontaine won the Oscar for best leading role. Auriol Lee, Cedric Hardwicke, Nigel Bruce, May Whitty, and Isabel Jeans also had very nice supporting roles.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsJames StewartJohn DallFarley GrangerTwo men attempt to prove they committed the perfect crime by hosting a dinner party after strangling their former classmate to death.Excellent crime drama/mystery from Alfred Hitchcock that starts with two sadistic and conceited young men strangling and murdering their "inferior" former classmate in their New York City apartment. Afterward they get the idea that they want to get away with the perfect murder, as they hide the body in an old chest, which they also use as a buffet table for the party they are hosting that night. It seems that they will successfully get away with the perfect murder until a man named Rupert shows up to the party, and suspects they are up to no good. All shot in one apartment with very little editing, and great dialogue throughout. John Dall, Farley Granger, and James Stewart all delivered excellent lead performances. Edith Evanson, Douglas Dick, Joan Chandler, Cedric Hardwicke, and Constance Collier all have very nice roles among the supporting cast.
- DirectorHoward HawksArthur RossonStarsJohn WayneMontgomery CliftJoanne DruDunson leads a cattle drive, the culmination of over 14 years of work, to its destination in Missouri. But his tyrannical behavior along the way causes a mutiny, led by his adopted son.Excellent western drama from Howard Hawks set in 1851, and follows a treacherous and deadly 1,000 mile cattle drive from Texas to Missouri, and the many obstacles they encounter along the way. Tom Dunston is leading the drive, and his stubborn and tyrannical behavior pushed on his adopted son and other crew members leads to a revolt. John Wayne and Montgomery Clift were equally excellent, and made a great duo. Great story with a very nice ending. Walter Brennan, Joanne Dru, Chief Yowlachie, Noah Beery Jr., John Ireland, Paul Fix, Hank Worden, Mickey Kuhn, Harry Carey, Coleen Gray, and others also had great supporting roles.
- DirectorClarence BrownStarsMickey RooneyElizabeth TaylorDonald CrispA jaded former jockey helps a young girl prepare a wild but gifted horse for England's Grand National Sweepstakes.Excellent sports drama from Clarence Brown set in the 1920s Sussex (England) that follows a young drifter and former horse racing jockey named Mi Taylor who's on his way to see the Brown family in hopes of finding some stability after finding the mother's name in his father's notebook who recently passed away. On his way, he meets the very excitable 12-year-old Velvet Brown, who is so deeply in love with horses that it consumes all of her thoughts and dreams. The family offers Mi a job working on their sheep farm, and soon after Velvet luckily wins a boisterous and wild horse in an auction for $1 that she named "The Pie". After figuring out The Pie has all the tools to win England's greatest racing event—the Grand National Steeplechase—Mi and Velvet train The Pie to be a winner while the family puts up the last of their money for the entry fees. Great uplifting story all around. Mickey Rooney and Mickey Rooney both delivered excellent lead performances. Donald Crisp, Anne Revere (Oscar-winner), Angela Lansbury, Jackie 'Butch' Jenkins, Juanita Quigley, and others also had great supporting roles.
- DirectorFred ZinnemannStarsSpencer TracySigne HassoHume CronynIn 1936, seven prisoners escape from a concentration camp. The Nazis put up seven crosses for demonstrative executions. This story about one of the fugitives, who relies on own courage and compassion of people to avoid the seventh cross.Excellent war drama from Fred Zinnemann set in Nazi Germany 1936. World War II has not yet begun, but the Nazis have already started purging Jews and other "rebels" in Germany, and many are sent to the Westhofen concentration camp. One day, 7 men escape from the camp, and as the Gestapo locates and returns each prisoner, they are killed and hung on one of 7 crosses they setup as a fear tactic to other prisoners looking to escape. One of these men is George Heisler, and it tells his intense story of survival facing seemingly inescapable circumstances. Spencer Tracy delivered an excellent lead performance as he usually does. Hume Cronyn, Jessica Tandy, Signe Hasso, Agnes Moorehead, Herbert Rudley, Felix Bressart, and many others had great supporting roles.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsPriscilla LaneRobert CummingsOtto KrugerA young man accused of sabotage goes on the run to prove his innocence.Excellent and underrated World War II era thriller in Alfred Hitchock's catalog. The story follows a Los Angeles aircraft worker who witnesses a Nazi firebombing the factory, and finds himself being accused of sabotage. He sets out to find the man he suspects is the real saboteur in New York City. Meanwhile, he's forced to kidnap a model named Patricia who soon becomes one of his allies in his quest to clear his name. I loved this story throughout, and definitely feel it's one of Alfred Hitchock's more overlooked films. The epic Statue of Liberty ending sequence is fantastic. Priscilla Lane and Robert Cummings both deliver excellent lead performances, and share nice chemistry. Norman Lloyd, Otto Kruger, Alan Baxter, Alma Kruger, Vaughan Glaser, Clem Bevans, Murray Alper, and others also had great supporting roles.
- DirectorJohn FarrowStarsRay MillandMaureen O'SullivanCharles LaughtonA magazine tycoon commits a murder and pins it on an innocent man, who then tries to solve the murder himself.Excellent film-noir crime drama from John Farrow that follows a powerful and wealthy magazine publisher who commits murder, then tries to pin it on a man with an unknown identity, until it's revealed a close associate he puts in charge of the investigation has close ties with the victim, and attempts to foil the plot. The underrated Ray Milland and Charles Laughton both had excellent lead performances. Maureen O'Sullivan, George Macready, Rita Johnson, Elsa Lanchester, Harold Vermilyea, Dan Tobin, Harry Morgan, Richard Webb, Elaine Riley, Lloyd Corrigan, Frank Orth, and others had very nice roles among the supporting cast.
- DirectorAnatole LitvakJean NegulescoStarsJames CagneyAnn SheridanArthur KennedyDanny is a content truck driver, but his girl Peggy shows potential as a dancer and hopes he too can show ambition. Danny acquiesces and pursues boxing to please her, but the two begin to spend more time working than time together.James Cagney takes on another ambitious roll in this boxing/music/dance inspired drama that follows a young couple who have different ambitions in their early years. Peggy is a gifted dancer who desperately wants to pursue a dancing. And Danny is a truck driver turned boxer who desperately wants to marry Peggy, but a boxing career is the only way he can seem to impress her. But everything changes when Danny is blinded by rosin dust purposely placed on the boxing gloves of his opponent during a fight. James Cagney and Ann Sheridan delivered excellent lead performances. Arthur Kennedy, Frank McHugh, Donald Crisp, Frank Craven, Anthony Quinn, George Tobias, Elia Kazan, Lee Patrick, and many others were also great among the supporting cast.
- DirectorJohn FordStarsJohn WayneJoanne DruJohn AgarCaptain Nathan Brittles, on the eve of retirement, takes out a last patrol to stop an impending massive Indian attack. Encumbered by women who must be evacuated, Brittles finds his mission imperiled.Excellent western from John Ford set in 1876 during the relentless war between the United States Cavalry and the American Indians. After Custer and the 7th Cavalry are wiped out by the Indians at the Battle of the Little Big Horn, an aging Army Captain named Nathan Brittles is tasked to lead a patrol to stop an forthcoming Cheyenne and Arapaho attack, and find some way to prevent a deadly war. Meanwhile, he's required to take along a beautiful woman named Olivia Dandridge, who is the niece to the commanding officer's wife; which only complicates matters. John Ford delivers another great western, with beautiful cinematography, production design, and color (evidenced by the film's Oscar win). John Wayne delivered an excellent and more layered lead performance than he has in a lot of previous films, and he even claims it to be one of his favorite performances. Joanne Dru, John Agar, Ben Johnson, Harry Carey Jr., and Victor McLaglen also had great starring roles. Mildred Natwick, George O'Brien, Arthur Shields, Michael Dugan, Chief John Big Tree, and others also had very nice supporting roles.
- DirectorRaoul WalshStarsGeorge RaftHumphrey BogartAnn SheridanWhen one of two truck-driving brothers loses an arm, they both join a transport company where the other is falsely charged as an accessory in the murder of the owner.Very nice crime/drama from Raoul Walsh that follows two brothers struggling to make a living as truck drivers who transport fruit from farms to markets in Los Angeles. They regularly work long hours to make ends meet, and one night an accident occurs after one of them falls asleep behind the wheel, which results in the other losing an arm, then afterwards gets caught up in a murder wrap. George Raft an excellent lead performances. Ida Lupino's crazed and obsessive character was excellent, as well as the sweet and innocent Ann Sheridan. Humphrey Bogart had a smaller part for starring role, but he was also nice. Gale Page, Alan Hale, and Roscoe Karns also had nice supporting roles.
- DirectorAndré De TothStarsDick PowellLizabeth ScottJane WyattMarried insurance adjuster John Forbes falls for femme fatale Mona Stevens while her boyfriend is in jail and all suffer serious consequences as a result.Excellent film-noir thriller from André De Toth that follows a Los Angeles insurance adjuster named John Forbes. He's living the American dream—a wife, a son, a career, and a nice car and house. However, h'e stuck in a rut and goes through somewhat of a midlife crisis. After getting tip from a detective named MacDonald that a woman named Mona Stevens received gifts from her boyfriend who embezzled funds from Forbes' insurance company, he goes to collect the items, but is immediately attracted to her beauty and personality, and has an affair with her. Things heat up when a love triangle between the ruthless detective MacDonald who's obsessed with Mona and continues to stalk her, and her boyfriend who's about to be released from prison, turns deadly. Great story and acting all around. Dick Powell and Lizabeth Scott delivered great lead performances, but it was Raymond Burr who had the best role. Jane Wyatt also delivered a great starring role among a very nice supporting cast.
- DirectorLloyd BaconByron HaskinRaoul WalshStarsHumphrey BogartRaymond MasseyAlan HaleAn American tanker is sunk by a German U-boat, and the survivors spend 11 days at sea on a raft. Their next assignment - bound for Murmansk through the sub-stalked N. Atlantic.Excellent Merchant Marine/Navy World War II drama/thriller that follows a group of U.S. Merchant Marines who's oil tanker is sunk by a German U-boat, and the survivors spend 11 days at sea on a raft, which leads to their most treacherous assignment aboard the SS Seawitch—lead the ship from Halifax to Murmansk before the German's are able to destroy them. As the title suggests, there's some very nice action captured throughout the picture. Humphrey Bogart and Raymond Massey both had excellent lead roles. Alan Hale, Sam Levene, Dane Clark, Julie Bishop, Peter Whitney, and Dick Hogan all had very nice roles among a great supporting cast.
- DirectorJohn HustonVincent ShermanStarsHumphrey BogartMary AstorSydney GreenstreetIn December 1941, ex-army captain Rick Leland boards a Japanese ship heading to Asia via the Panama Canal where his Japanese hosts show interest in the American defense plans for the canal zone.Excellent action-packed World War II drama from John Huston and Vincent Sherman set in December 1941, and follows a former U.S. Army Captain who's bitter about his home country after being court-martialed and kicked out of the Army. When he boards a Japanese ship heading to Asia via the Panama Canal, we find he has other motivations when he starts tracking the moves of an enemy spy. Perhaps the most underrated lead performance I've seen from Humphrey Bogart yet. Not his best, but definitely an excellent WB role before he really broke out. Mary Astor, Sydney Greenstreet, Charles Halton, and Victor Sen Yung all had nice roles.
- DirectorFritz LangStarsEdward G. RobinsonJoan BennettRaymond MasseyWhen a conservative middle aged professor engages in a relationship with a femme fatale, he's plunged into a nightmarish world of blackmail and murder.Very nice crime/drama from Fritz Lang about a middle aged professor who engages in a dangerous relationship with an alluring temptress who's portrait appears in a store-front window of an art gallery. After meeting her on the street while admiring her portrait, the two end up in her apartment for drinks and conversation when her boyfriend barges in and suspects the two of having affair. Her boyfriend is subsequently killed in the scuffle, which puts the professor on a crazed path of murder and blackmail. Edward G. Robinson and Joan Bennett were great together. Raymond Massey, Dan Duryea, Edmund Breon, and Arthur Loft all had nice supporting roles, among others. I really enjoyed the surprise ending. I must say the colorizing of this black-and-white picture was distracting, though. I would seek out the B&W version if you can. Still a great film.
- DirectorGeorge StevensStarsSpencer TracyKatharine HepburnFay BainterRival reporters Sam and Tess fall in love and get married, only to find their relationship strained when Sam comes to resent Tess' hectic lifestyle.Excellent comedy drama from George Stevens, and the first of 9 films to feature the superb chemistry between Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. Great story that follows a very active New York City newspaper reporter and progressive feminist named Tess. She works with a sports writer named Sam who is much more traditional and conservative. Despite a rocky star, they fall in love and get married. But when Tess is elected as "Woman of the Year" their relationship takes a toll as their competitive sides hilariously come out. Tracy and Hepburn both delivered excellent lead performances, and had great chemistry. Fay Bainter, Reginald Owen, Minor Watson, Roscoe Karns, William Bendix, Dan Tobin, and others also had great supporting roles.
- DirectorWilliam DieterleStarsEdward G. RobinsonRuth GordonOtto KrugerTrue story of the doctor who considered it was not immoral to search for a drug that would cure syphillis.Fascinating biopic set in 1908 Germany, and tells the story about world-renowned German scientist and Nobel Prize winner Dr. Paul Ehrlich. Great story from John Huston and others that follows his studies and how he treated diseases like Diphtheria and Syphilis with chemicals, which he referred to as "Magic Bullets". It was very controversial treatment for the time, and he ends up having to defend the morality of his work in court. Edward G. Robinson delivered an excellent multi-layered performance as he usually does. Otto Kruger, Ruth Gordon, and Donald Crisp also had nice roles among the supporting cast.
- DirectorJean NegulescoStarsJoan CrawfordJohn GarfieldOscar LevantA classical musician from the slums is sidetracked by his love for a wealthy, neurotic socialite.Very nice classical music inspired drama about a gifted violinist from a working-class New York City neighborhood who meets a wealthy, influential, and beautiful woman who helps him earn fame and critical acclaim. When they fall in love, she falls into a dark whirlwind of loneliness, depression, and self-doubt. Excellent score of music throughout the entire film. Joan Crawford and John Garfield both deliver excellent and complex lead performances. Oscar Levant (who also played all his own music) was excellent, and provided great comedy relief. The rest of the supporting cast was great all around.
- DirectorMichael CurtizStarsWilliam PowellIrene DunneElizabeth TaylorA straitlaced turn-of-the-century father presides over a family of boys and the mother who really rules the roost.Excellent family comedy from Michael Curtiz set in 1883 New York City, and follows a wealthy, uptight, very strict, and stubborn father and Wall Street broker who's very set in his ways. He comically battles with his family as his sons are growing up, dating girls, and coming into their own. And debates escalate when they find out he has never been baptized. William Powell delivers one of his finest and funniest lead performances. Irene Dunne was also superb. Elizabeth Taylor, Edmund Gwenn, Jimmy Lydon, Martin Milner, Zasu Pitts, and others also had very nice roles among an excellent supporting cast.
- DirectorMervyn LeRoyStarsJune AllysonPeter LawfordMargaret O'BrienThe four daughters of a New England family fight for happiness during and after the Civil War.Excellent family drama from Mervyn LeRoy set in the small town of Concord, Massachusetts, in the 1860s during the Civil War. The story follows the March sisters who were once part of a rich family, but are now poor due to their father's previously poor business decisions, who's currently fighting the war for the Union Army. Marmee is the mother of the family, and guides each of the sisters as they mature in life. The oldest of the sisters is Jo, who's a tomboy, aspiring writer, and struggles with romance and relationships. Amy is the stuck-up diva of the group, who is always looking to up her social status. Meg is a prim and proper girl who would like to date and marry a rich man. Beth is the quiet and shy music making piano player of the family, who battles with sickness. Great story all around. June Allyson, Elizabeth Taylor, Janet Leigh, Margaret O'Brien, and Peter Lawford all delivered excellent lead performances. Mary Astor, Lucile Watson, Rossano Brazzi, C. Aubrey Smith, Elizabeth Patterson, and others also had great supporting roles.
- DirectorFred M. WilcoxStarsRoddy McDowallDonald CrispMay WhittyAfter her destitute family is forced to sell her, a collie named Lassie escapes from her new owner and begins the long trek from Scotland to her Yorkshire home.Excellent adventure for the whole family that follows a loyal and loving collie named Lassie who has a sixth sense when the time is about to hit 4 o'clock so she can meet her best friend and young owner Joe Carraclough when he gets out of school. However, the story is set in the 1930s during the Great Depression, and his parents unfortunately have to sell Lassie to feed their own mouths, which is devastating for poor Joe. However, everyday at 4 o'clock, she escapes from her new owners' kennels, and makes her way to see Joe at school. However, when they move her 300 miles away to their other home in Scotland, Lassie must make the daring, dangerous, and adventurous trek to get back to her Yorkshire home, while meeting and touching several other lives along the way. This is a fantastic dog film, and one of the best I've seen. Roddy McDowall, Donald Crisp, and Elsa Lanchester had great starring performances. May Whitty, Nigel Bruce, Edmund Gwenn, Elizabeth Taylor, and others also had great supporting roles.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsTeresa WrightJoseph CottenMacdonald CareyA teenage girl, overjoyed when her favorite uncle comes to visit the family in their quiet California town, slowly begins to suspect that he is in fact the "Merry Widow" killer sought by the authorities.Very nice film-noir thriller, which is often cited as being Alfred Hitchcock's favorite film in his own body of work. The story follows a teenage girl who's ecstatic to find out her wealthy and sophisticated uncle is coming to their small California hometown for a visit. But there is something mysterious about his behavior surrounding a news story about a man who marries and murders rich widows. While the film was very well done, it doesn't quite rate as highly for myself as far as Hitchock thrillers go. Joseph Cotten and Teresa Wright both deliver great lead performances. Macdonald Carey, Henry Travers, Patricia Collinge, and Wallace Ford all had nice supporting roles.
- DirectorNorman FergusonT. HeeWilfred JacksonStarsDickie JonesChristian RubMel BlancA living puppet, with the help of a cricket as his conscience, must prove himself worthy to become a real boy.Classic animated comedy adventure, and one of Disney's very best. The story follows and inventor named Geppetto who creates a wooden marionette puppet named Pinocchio, and wishes for him to become a real boy. That night, his dreams are answered by a spiritual fairy who transforms Pinocchio into a real boy, and assigns Jiminy Cricket to act as his "conscience" and keep him out of trouble; which proves to be an impossible task as Pinocchio's naive curiosity makes him a target for all sorts of mayhem. The animation/scenery and some of the risky dialogue all add to the fun. Excellent story, directions, and voice acting all around.
- DirectorMichael CurtizStarsHumphrey BogartClaude RainsMichèle MorganFive patriotic convicts are helped to escape imprisonment in Devil's Island so they can fight for occupied Free French forces against the Nazis.Great war drama/adventure from Michael Curtiz set in 1942, and follows 5 ocean-stranded Devil's Island prison escapees who are rescued and helped to escape imprisonment if they join the fight against the Nazis in France during World War II. Interesting and effective use of many flashbacks throughout the film. Great story and characters throughout. An underrated gem. Humphrey Bogart and Claude Rains delivered excellent lead performances. Philip Dorn, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, Helmut Dantine, Victor Francen, and Michèle Morgan all had very nice supporting roles.
- DirectorJohn CromwellStarsHumphrey BogartLizabeth ScottMorris CarnovskyA soldier runs away rather than receive the Medal of Honor, so his buddy gets permission to investigate, and love and death soon follow.Great film-noir crime drama about a pair of soldiers and best friends that are ordered to report to Washington DC, when one of them goes AWOL for an unknown reason, then winds up dead a couple of days later. The man learns his friend has been murdered, and sets out to investigate the mysterious relationship he had with his girlfriend, and also the mysterious characters surrounding her; before reluctantly falling in love with her himself. Humphrey Bogart delivered a great performance as usual, as did Lizabeth Scott. Morris Carnovsky, Charles Cane, William Prince, and Marvin Miller had very nice roles among a solid supporting cast.
- DirectorOrson WellesStarsOrson WellesJoseph CottenDorothy ComingoreFollowing the death of publishing tycoon Charles Foster Kane, reporters scramble to uncover the meaning of his final utterance: 'Rosebud.'Fascinating and epic mystery from Orson Welles that obsesses over the word "Rosebud"—the final dying word from publishing mogul Charles Foster Kane. This film moves extremely fast and delivers a ton of information to absorb. It's very unique, ambitious, and demands attentiveness. While it wasn't my favorite of the 40s, it was brilliantly shot and written, and I suspect a second viewing (or more) would reveal many more layers that I missed on the first viewing. Joseph Cotten, Dorothy Comingore, Everett Sloane, Agnes Moorehead, Ruth Warrick, Ray Collins, Erskine Sanford, William Alland, and many others had nice performances.
- DirectorJohn FordStarsJohn WayneHenry FondaShirley TempleAt Fort Apache, an honorable and veteran war captain finds conflict when his regime is placed under the command of a young, glory hungry lieutenant colonel with no respect for the local Indian tribe.John Ford's Calvary Trilogy Part 1 is a very nice western all around. The story follows an arrogant, demanding, and intense demoted Civil War general who reports for duty as commander of the U.S. cavalry outpost known as Fort Apache. His ideas conflict heavily with the sensible captain, who disagrees how they should handle dealing with the local Apache tribe, and the commanders disregard for them. John Wayne plays a straighter, less typical character than usual. Henry Fonda stole the show with his unbudgingly serious performance. Shirley Temple and Ward Bond also had nice roles, while John Agar was not one of the better roles. A bit too long and slow, but a fine film overall.
- DirectorMichael CurtizStarsJames CagneyJoan LeslieWalter HustonThe life of the renowned musical composer, playwright, actor, dancer, and singer George M. Cohan.Excellent biopic/musical from Michael Curtiz about the renowned musical composer, playwright, actor, dancer, and singer George M. Cohan. It maps out his early childhood years performing vaudeville acts with his parents and sister to producing/appearing in over 3 dozen musicals by 1904, to receiving the Congressional Gold Medal for his contributions to World War I morale in 1940. James Cagney's performance was phenomenal—the acting, singing, and dancing was phenomenal. I would rate this film higher if I were more of a fan of musicals. Joan Leslie, Walter Huston, Richard Whorf, Irene Manning, Rosemary DeCamp, Jeanne Cagney, S.Z. Sakall, and others also had great supporting roles.
- DirectorLloyd BaconStarsEdward G. RobinsonHumphrey BogartAnn SothernWhen retired racket boss John Sarto tries to reclaim his place and former friends try to kill him, he finds solace in a monastery and reinvents himself as a pious monk.Very nice crime comedy/drama following mob boss John Sarto, who quits the racket and travels the world to find class and sophistication. When he fails and blows his bank-roll, he returns to lead his mob once again. When they double-cross him and try to kill him, he seeks refuge at a Floracian monastery and finds peace in their way of life, but must break into his life of crime once more to settle the score with his ex-friend and new mob leader, Jack Burns. Edward G. Robinson, Ann Sothern, and Humphrey Bogart all had very nice lead performances. Donald Crisp, Ralph Bellamy, Allen Jenkins, and others had great supporting roles.
- DirectorFred M. WilcoxStarsElizabeth TaylorFrank MorganTom DrakeAcademy Award-winner Elizabeth Taylor stars in this touching family drama about a young girl who rehabilitates an Army's shell-shocked collie.Great drama adventure from Fred M. Wilcox that follows a curious collie who gets separated from his pack just after being born, and makes friends and lives with other animals in the wilderness. One day after accidentally shot and almost killed by hunters, a young dog lover named Kathie Merrick takes him in, nurses him back to health, adopts him and names him Bill (not Lassie, oddly). They become inseparable as Kathie trains him to be a sheep herder. But not long after, Bill ends up lost again, and fighting as a K9 in the army, which gives him severe PTSD, and makes him wild and untrusting. Through a miraculous journey, he makes his way back to Kathie where he has a chance to be rehabilitated by his best friend. Elizabeth Taylor and Frank Morgan both delivered excellent lead performances. Tom Drake, Selena Royle, Harry Davenport, Catherine McLeod, and others also had great supporting roles.