(First-time poster, long-time lurker!)
What are the best movies from the nineteen thirties? Comedy, drama, mystery, shorts, anything. I’m trying to broaden my knowledge of pre-WWII films, and I know this place is filled with movie geniuses galore.
I’m not the person to answer having just started my DVD collection, but A) this is an interesting question, I’ll be looking forward to reading the answers. B) There’s a poster ( Eve ) who’s the SDMB Old Movie Goddess. If she catches this and posts, listen to what she says! She knows her stuff!
Fenris
I’m on the edge of my seat!
Some of the greatest American films from the 30s (Man’s Castle, Love Me Tonight, Footlight Parade, even King Kong!) aren’t available on DVD. Some great ones that are:
Bride of Frankenstein, the best of the Universal horror films, though the Dracula DVD is excellent.
Only Angels Have Wings, relatively unknown adventure film about mail pilots in South America. Very exciting with a great cast, including Cary Grant and Jean Arthur. The miraculous Howard Hawks directed.
The Wizard of Oz, somewhat ubiquitous selection but for good reason, and its gotten an excellent DVD treatment.
The Scarlet Empress from Josef von Sternberg and with Marlene Dietrich. Not just a historical romance, it’s a fantasia of style and over-the-top emotion. Has to be seen to be believed.
M. Before they went to Hollywood in the 40s, Fritz Lang and Peter Lorre collaborated on this pedophile serial-killer thriller from Germany that still packs a whallop.
W.C. Fields collection. A lot of great 30s comedy is still unavailable on DVD (the Marx Bros., Ernst Lubitsch), but Criterion has a very good 6-film collection of shorts from the master.
How’s that for starters?
Thanks, Fenris, dear—but I don’t have a BVD, or DVD, or whatever that new gizmo is; so I don’t know how useful my suggestions would be.
And I’m sure that Fenris meant that you are the Goddess of Old Movies, not that you are the Old Goddess of Movies.
<i>My Man Godfrey</i>
<i>It Happened One Night</i>
<i>All Quiet on the Western Front</i>
<i>The 39 Steps</i>
<i>Sabotage</i>
<i>Stagecoach</i> (See John Wayne become a star)
<i>His Girl Friday</i> (pushing your time frame a bit, 1940)
<i>The Philadelphia Story</i> (also pushing your time frame, 1940)
The Criterion editions of:
“The Lady Vanishes” Probably the best of Hitchcock’s early movies, next to “The 39 Steps,” mentioned above.
“Alexander Nevsky” Tremendously important Eisenstein film. See it for the soundtrack alone.
“The Grand Illusion” One of the single greatest war films ever made. Or, rather, antiwar films.
I’ll just chime in with Frankenstein, although Bride of Frankenstein is definitely better. The commentaries on both of these are great in my opinion. It’s interesting what was cut in the Fifties with these classics re-release.
Also, ditto on It Happened One Night and The Philadelphia Story. I was surprised by The Philadelphia Story… very interesting. BTW, you may find many of these at your library, if you want to preview them before buying.
Another BTW, Kaspar Hauser is a great handle.
She Done Him Wrong w/ Mae West is a good option, IMHO.
It Happened One Night is pretty good.
Well, OK—I don’t how much use this will be, as I don’t know which of these are on DVD. And this is a totally subjective list of some of the 1930s films I like . . .
Comedies
The Women (all-star extravaganza)
Million Dollar Legs and/or Three Cornered Moon (little known, but hilarious!)
It Happened One Night (Gable & Colbert)
Any Marx Brothers film from Paramount (not their MGM stuff)
Bombshell (Jean Harlow)
I’m No Angel (Mae West)
Musicals
Best Busby Berkeley musicals: Gold Diggers of 1933, 42nd Street, Footlight Parade
One Hour with You and/or Love Me Tonight (Chevalier & MacDonald)
Any pre-1938 Astaire/Rogers film
The Wizard of Oz
Gangster
Little Caesar
Public Enemy
I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang
Scarface
Horror
Frankenstein and/or Bride of Frankenstein
Dracula
Freaks
Island of Lost Souls
Dramas
Dinner at Eight and/or Grand Hotel (all-stars)
Gone with the Wind
One Way Passage (great weepie)
Marie Antoinette (MGM historical blockbuster)
Thanks a lot, everybody!