# Directors with 2 great full length movies in one year **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [August 21, 2022, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/directors-with-2-great-full-length-movies-in-one-year/970034 "2022-08-21T14:15:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2022, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/directors-with-2-great-full-length-movies-in-one-year/970034/21 "2022-08-21T21:44:39Z")
Agreed ---
**Author:** ![journeyman\_southpaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5e9695/32.png) [@journeyman\_southpaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/journeyman_southpaw)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2022, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/directors-with-2-great-full-length-movies-in-one-year/970034/22 "2022-08-21T21:52:23Z")
Rainer Werner Fassbinder might have Eastwood beat there. Fassbinder was a very prolific and acclaimed director who released two or more films in thirteen different years by my count, but his most highly ranked ones don’t seem to have fallen in the same year. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2022, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/directors-with-2-great-full-length-movies-in-one-year/970034/23 "2022-08-22T00:47:40Z")
Preston Sturges worked very quickly and had two great films in one year several times: 1940: _The Great McGinty_ and _Christmas in July_ 1941: _The Lady Eve_ and _Sullivan’s Travels_ 1944: _Hail the Conquering Hero_ and _The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek_. He also had _The Great Moment_ that year, but it was shot in 1942 and probably doesn’t fit the criteria of a great film. Howard Hawks directed both _Ball of Fire_ and _Sergeant York_ in 1941 John Ford: 1935: _The Informer_ and _The Whole Town’s Talking_ (also _Steamboat Round the Bend_, but that probably isn’t a great film). 1939: _Young Mr. Lincoln_, _Stagecoach_ and _Drums Along the Mohawk_ 1948: _Fort Apache_ and _3 Godfathers_ Alfred Hitchcock 1954: _Dial M for Murder_ and _Rear Window_ 1955: _To Catch a Thief_ and _The Trouble with Harry_ ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2022, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/directors-with-2-great-full-length-movies-in-one-year/970034/24 "2022-08-22T00:52:36Z")
Buster Keaton: 1924: _Sherlock, Jr._ and _The Navigator._ ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2022, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/directors-with-2-great-full-length-movies-in-one-year/970034/25 "2022-08-22T11:23:22Z")
> [@Dropo](#): > > Russ Meyer 1965: _Mudhoney_ & _Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!_ & _Motorpsycho!_ I love that you included this. Russ Meyer may not be to everyone’s taste, but he knew what he liked and he made it. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2022, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/directors-with-2-great-full-length-movies-in-one-year/970034/26 "2022-08-22T11:38:05Z")
Since quality, full length movies often take a year to produce, two in one year is quite an accomplishment when you think about it. ---
**Author:** ![Banksiaman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banksiaman/32/3334_2.png) [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2022, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/directors-with-2-great-full-length-movies-in-one-year/970034/27 "2022-08-22T12:16:02Z")
Akira Kurosawa 1957 - Throne of Blood, and The Lower Depths [which I’ve not seen but won some acting awards, and is in Japanese Top 100 lists] ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2022, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/directors-with-2-great-full-length-movies-in-one-year/970034/28 "2022-08-22T12:32:28Z")
Joss Whedon, 2012: Much Ado About Nothing & The Avengers. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2022, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/directors-with-2-great-full-length-movies-in-one-year/970034/29 "2022-08-22T19:08:43Z")
Neither were nominated nor won any major awards that I could tell, but Werner Herzog did direct two critically-acclaimed films in 1979: _Nosferatu the Vampyre_ and _Woyzeck_. Klaus Kinski starred in both. I wonder if production overlapped at all? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2022, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/directors-with-2-great-full-length-movies-in-one-year/970034/30 "2022-08-22T19:14:37Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Joss Whedon, 2012: Much Ado About Nothing & The Avengers. Much Ado was not that great, though. ---
**Author:** ![Didi44](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@Didi44](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Didi44)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2022, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/directors-with-2-great-full-length-movies-in-one-year/970034/31 "2022-08-23T04:24:45Z")
_Delete_ wrong thread ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2022, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/directors-with-2-great-full-length-movies-in-one-year/970034/32 "2022-08-23T12:59:18Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > **Alfred Hitchcock** 1954 **[Rear Window](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047396/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_20)** & **[Dial M for Murder](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046912/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_21)** Hitchcock also released **The Trouble with Harry** and **To Catch a Thief** in the same year, 1955. I think they both qualify as “great full length movies” . Spielberg had several years with more than one full-length feature releases that were well-received. Whether they were “great” is subjective 1997 – **The Lost World: Jurassic Park** and **Amistad** 2002 – **Minority Report** and **Catch Me If You Can** 2005 – **War of the Worlds** and **Munich** I’m not sure either of the entries for 2011 would count – **The Adventures of Tintin** and **War Horse** ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2022, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/directors-with-2-great-full-length-movies-in-one-year/970034/33 "2022-08-23T13:02:05Z")
Akira Kurosawa had four years where he released two full-length feature films, but I think in all those cases only one of the films went on to be considered memorable > **[List of works by Akira Kurosawa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_works_by_Akira_Kurosawa)** > > The following is a list of works, both in film and other media, for which the Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa made some documented creative contribution. This includes a complete list of films with which he was involved (including the films on which he worked as assistant director before becoming a full director), as well as his little-known contributions to theater, television and literature. > All the following are Japanese productions unless otherwise specified. > A documentary film about the... ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2022, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/directors-with-2-great-full-length-movies-in-one-year/970034/34 "2022-08-23T13:02:50Z")
I have to disagree with all 3 of your Spielberg additions. **The Lost World: Jurassic Park** & **Minority Report** were not great and **War of the Worlds** was actually a bad movie. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2022, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/directors-with-2-great-full-length-movies-in-one-year/970034/35 "2022-08-23T13:12:35Z")
> [@Dropo](#): > > Ishirô Honda 1963: _Matango, Fungus of Terror_ & _Atragon_ Honda had years in which he directed three, four, or even _five_ feature films, most of which I’ve never heard of. The ones I have are all science fiction or _kaiju_ movies. As Dropo said, _for some definitions of great_ He directed a non-fantastic film, _Farewell Rabaul_, the same year he directed _Gojira_. I know nothing about it. Of the years where he directed two that I have seen, I’ll add 1958 – **The H-Man** and **Varan the Unbelievable** 1962 – **Gorath (Gorasu)** and **King Kong vs. Godzilla** 1963 – **Matango** and **Atragon** (I used to have a sports jersey with “Matango” emblazoned on it. I had a fungus infection) 1964 – **Godzilla vs. the Thing** , **Dogora the Space Monster** and **Ghidrah the Three Headed Monster** 1965 – **Frankenstein Conquers the World** and **Invasion of the Astro-Monster** 1966 – **War of the Gargantuas** and **Ebirah, Horror of the Deep** 1967 – **King Kong Escapes** and **Son of Godzilla** What can I say? I had a misspent youth, watching and re-watching monster movies. ---
**Author:** ![iamatractorboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iamatractorboy/32/21261_2.png) [@iamatractorboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamatractorboy)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2022, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/directors-with-2-great-full-length-movies-in-one-year/970034/36 "2022-08-23T13:16:35Z")
Minoroty Report is a great film and CMIYC is also really good so that is a good shout. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2022, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/directors-with-2-great-full-length-movies-in-one-year/970034/37 "2022-08-23T13:20:22Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > > [@Ethilrist](#): > > > > Joss Whedon, 2012: Much Ado About Nothing & The Avengers. > > Much Ado was not that great, though. Coulda used a script doctor 😛 ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2022, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/directors-with-2-great-full-length-movies-in-one-year/970034/38 "2022-08-23T13:21:16Z")
John Huston had several years with two releases, but, again, it’s not clear to me that both were "great’ . One certainly qualifies 1948 – **Key Largo** and **The Treasure of the Sierra Madre** possibly 1972 does – I haven’t seen either film – **The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean** and **Fat City** I don’t think 1967 counts. The first big-screen version of **Casino Royale** is a mess ion anybody’s books, even paired with **Reflections in a Golden Eye** ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2022, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/directors-with-2-great-full-length-movies-in-one-year/970034/39 "2022-08-23T13:33:01Z")
Ingmar Bergman, 1957: **The Seventh Seal** and **Wild Strawberries** ---
**Author:** ![2\_More\_Bits](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/2_more_bits/32/4148_2.png) [@2\_More\_Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2_More_Bits)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2022, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/directors-with-2-great-full-length-movies-in-one-year/970034/40 "2022-08-24T18:14:07Z")
Robert Altman in 1970: MASH and Brewster McCloud [Apparently he also released two movies in 1979 and two in 1980. Were any great? Popeye was “interesting”) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/directors-with-2-great-full-length-movies-in-one-year/970034.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/directors-with-2-great-full-length-movies-in-one-year/970034.md?page=3)