In which we discuss our favorite movies released on or before 31 December 1949.
If you want to list and discuss 2 such movies–or 3 or 4 or 5–knock yourself out. 12 in one post is probably excessive, but I don’t really care.
If you categorically dislike movies from that era, it mystifies me that you would even open this thread. I can only assume you’re motivated by masochism or sadism.
And now to the topic. The first two pre-1950 movies that come to mind as my favorites are Tarzan & His Mate and The Bishop’s Wife. The former, despite its implicit racism and sexism, is still one of the best action movies ever made, because it cares much more about Tarzan & Jane’s emotional states than anything else. (Also because this Jane is far from a wimp. Captured by natives and condemned to death by lion pride, her reaction is to start killing her some lions.) BW is simply fun. Watching the subtly angelic Cary Grant screw around with the stuffily episcopal David Niven is hilarious–but the moment when Grant’s character realizes that, in trying to teach the bishop to value his wife more, he has accidentally fallen in love with her himself, is more so.
Treasure of the Sierra Madre, 1948. Bogie, John Huston, Walter Huston, and great gang of Mexican actors. A story of greed, treachery and karma. A great movie that I will always watch if I see it coming up.
I can watch John Huston’s The Maltese Falcon (1941) over and over. Perfect casting, although why Sam Spade would fall for Bridget when Effie is right there mystifies me. It is clear in the book, where Bridget is 19 and a stunning redhead, but while I like Mary Astor in other movies I don’t think she was the best casting choice for a femme fatale. This movie made me a life-long fan of Peter Lorre, who I thought effortlessly walked off with every scene he was in.
1944’s Arsenic and Old Lace is probably my number two favorite. Again, nearly perfect casting except Priscilla Lane who just can’t keep up with the rest of them. A fun, fun film that for years was my Christmas Eve movie.
Notorius (1946) is probably the best of my top three, and easily my favorite Hitchcock. Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman have amazing chemistry, and Claude Rains can do no wrong. Tense, beautifully acted, complex characters, everything I love in a Hitchcock film.
My Man Godfrey (1936), a classic screwball comedy. Arguably William Powell’s best, although most people probably go with The Thin Man. Some great supporting characters, Molly the maid, the Father, the Sister. It is heresy but I always found Carole Lombard (Powell’s ex-wife IRL) performance on the screechy side but despite that, just a great, great, fun movie. Godfrey: Prosperity is just around the corner. Mike Flaherty: Yeah, it’s been there a long time. I wish I knew which corner.
It’s next to impossible for me to pick one. In addition to some already mentioned, I’ll go with Bringing Up Baby, the greatest of all screwball comedies.
Three’s also City Lights.
For a noncomedy, I’ll go with The Public Enemy. Cagney is electric.
I prefer Duck Soup to the MGM Marx movies already mentioned - not that they aren’t great.
How can we leave out King Kong?
For my out there choice I’ll pick Hellzapoppin’. I saw it on TV as a kid, and when I finally got a tape I watched it for the first time alone in case it was a disappointment. It wasn’t. In fact, I had other people watch just the great opening sequence, in hell, and they all were so enrapt by it they stayed for the whole thing.
A great film in so many ways - supremely well-acted, teaches you about teaching, memories, life, decisions and their effects . . . just an all round terrific movie. If you’ve never seen it, do so. Now.
ETA: Of course, and it should go without saying, The WIzard of Ozmust also be on any such list - after all, how many movies are loved and enjoyed by five generations?
I’ll add my “+1” to the nominations for Casablanca and the Marx Brothers’ movies. The 1930s may have been the greatest decade for film.
I’ll add The Wizard of Oz (1939).
I was going to suggest All About Eve, which is practically Sorkin-esque in its witty banter, but checking IMDB I see it came out in 1950. Missed it by that much.
I’m going to nominate To Have and Have Not (1944), sometimes referred to as “Casablanca Light” by critics. H. Bogart as a fishing boat captain who gets tangled up with the Resistance in Vichy Martinique early in the war; L. Bacall as a stranded small-time grifter who would “walk home, if it wasn’t for all that water”. You can practically see the sparks jumping back and forth between them. Some of the most suggestive cigarette smoking in film history. Sparkling Howard Hawks direction and dialogue.
“Was you ever bit by a dead bee?”
“I’m hard to get, Steve. All you have to do is ask me.”
Bacall finds Bogie with an unconscious woman in his arms
On the other hand, you have The Third Man. It feels like a more modern film but it was released in late 1949 so it just made the qualifications for this thread.