1937 Line-ups.

Check out The Adventures of Robin Hood and Welles's long thought lost Too Much Johnson (which can be easily found on YouTube for your convenience).

Was thinking of checking out Robin Hood. Swash-buckling adventures like that are rarely my cup of tea, but seeing as it's one of the first Technicolor films, I figured I should check it out. And Michael Curtiz rarely disappoints.

I had no idea Citizen Kane wasn't his debut! So much for one of the best directorial debuts ever... Ha. I may actually check it out, I love me some Orson Welles. Had no idea it existed.

Oh yes, Guitry is one hell of a writer-director. Just judging from two films, of course, but his style is so blatantly clear and it's so much fun. Like a film lover's delight, even though he had apparently been an avid enthusiast of theater instead. Pearls of the Crown sounds like it'd suit your tastes much better than Story of a Cheat. And yes, all three of those performances were absolute knock-outs. Amazing how much Schildkraut accomplishes with such a small amount of screen-time or dialogue. I thought Muni was excellent in Chain Gang and Scarface, so I was weary of him in a role like this, but he absolutely killed it.

Thanks for the recs again. Angels with Dirty Faces is such a great movie, so it'd take a really strong film to knock it down. How do you feel about Olympia (and do you consider it one film then or two films)? I watched a lengthy clip in that same course where I watched a clip of Triumph of the Will and the techniques were incredible.

Also what's your opinion on Jean Renoir? As you might have noticed, I'm pretty iffy on him, but he thoroughly impressed me with La Grande Illusion. Does he stay on that path for his next couple of movies or no?

stephen

Well that's good to hear about the propaganda. I figured there'd be less of it considering how influential it was for sports documentaries or televised Olympics.

Shame. I know there are a lot of fans of Rules of the Game, but I'm being very weary. I think I'll give that and La Bete Humaine a go (if only because I just watched a film about Emile Zola), but can't imagine I'll want to watch more than that unless they blow me away.

I'm a little surprised you found this year so incredibly weak, though I would also personally say that it's probably not the strongest.

Bringing Up Baby is amazing. I was thoroughly knocked out of my socks. It's the best screwball that is not Lubitsch. I consider Olympia as one film. IIRC it's split simply for length reasons, there's little real difference between the 2 parts (which doesn't mean one couldn't find one or the other part a little better). I personally think it's much better than Triumph of the Will, it goes technically beyond what Riefenstahl did in Triumph in a lot of ways (there are a few sequenses in there that I'm absolutely in love with) and it's a really strange feeling to just watch sports, it feels in many ways like watching Olympia on TV today but also at the same time like an artistic statement (which it is). The propaganda has been toned down by Riefenstahl after the original release, there actually isn't all that much clear propaganda in there anymore. What is a little hard to distinctify is the "Körperkult" (a group or society in general putting a lot of emphasis on the physical body and physical activity) as it was an important part of fascist ideology (in Germany and Italy alike) but also at the same time something that was evidently very much something that was integral to Riefenstahl (and it was way before the nazis already) so you can't really judge this in merely one way. Personally I did not really get too many propaganda vibes from the "Körperkult" anymore but rather just Riefenstahl's enourmus passion for it, though the propaganda is very much a historical reality. The narration is subtly biased towards Germany though.

I must say I never really heard anything much about Sacha Guitry. I know the name but that's it. It's nice you liked the Renoir though, if he stays like that is hard to say but I do think his following 2 films are a little more in the vein of Illusion than his earlier films. La Bete Humaine I personally found didn't feel all that much like Renoir because it's a strangely concrete drama without Renoir's unique world around it, still a good film though and maybe more to your liking. Rules of the Game is a bit of an aglomeration of everything Renoir had done up to that point. It is quirky black comedy in the vein of Bodou but also at the same time desperately serious and very well told (more like Illusion). It is frequently said to be one of the best films of all time, I think that's fair enough and I would also personally say it is probably Renoir's best (though I very much have a soft spot for A Day in the Country). Rules of the Game was very controversial when first released and a big flop, shortly after release it was also banned.

I would very much love to see Make Way for Tomorrow (which I'll presumably watch soon) and Pépé le Moko, Snow White is a childhood favorite, I watched it strangely often when I was a child, it's probably along with The Land Before Time my most watched film before turning 9 or 10 and the film is among the narrative films the epitomy of why I love classic Disney, I think it's their best besides Fantasia. The Awful Truth is a good screwball comedy but still a step from the greats.

I agree that Hitchcock's is somewhat bland. As opposed to a few of his earlier works, it's a well enough constructed film but it very much falls short of its potential, I constantly felt that Hitchcock could have done much more with this. Many aspects of the film just feel cut short, it feels rather like the framework of a film but the flesh is missing. In turn you're in for a treat with The Lady Vanishes though, probably his 2nd best up until that point and persumably in his top 5 until the 50's I would say.

I agree a little less about the Lubitsch. Angel is bland in some ways but I still think it's a very clever film from a narrative standpoint and showcases Lubitsch's technical mastery. I feel a little simiarl about this as I feel about Heaven Can Wait, it feels like it lacks comedy but at the same time it's also actually supposed to be a more serious film.

As for 1938 you should not miss: Alexander Newsky (imo Eisenstein's best film but maybe I'm biased because of my interest in history), Bringing up Baby, The Lady Vanishes & Olympia

Also worth checking out: The Adventures of Robin Hood (the film feels and looks like candy which is both praise and critcism, it's also the same way I feel about The Wizard of Oz), Pygmalion (excellent comedy of manners, very sophisticated for the 30's I would say), Port of Shadows (the mood did not live up to my expectations but still a good crime drama) & La Bete Humaine.

As for 2 films I did not watch: Billy Wilder co-wrote The Lubitsch offering of the year, Bluebeard's Eight Wife (I don't know if I ever saw Gary Cooper in a comedy though, he seems very stiff) and You Can't Take it With you is said to be one of Capra's best (and Capra is great), I'm a little surprised you skipped Lost Horizon for 1937 actually.

tobias

I think it was just far too middle of the road of a year. At least 1935 had some great highs to go with its many lows, but this year I can't say there truly were any except for the top two (possibly three).

Very excited for Bringing Up Baby. Cary Grant is one of my favorite actors, and I think Hepburn is my favorite actress from this decade next to Miriam Hopkins. I wasn't as big on It Happened One Night like most, but I think screwball comedies have certainly found their stride since then. Plus I think Howard Hawks has impressed me enough so far.

Glad to hear the propaganda isn't as obvious in this one. I have a feeling I'll really love it. With Triumph, if not for its content, I think it might have been one of the best documentaries I've seen. So if Olympia is anything like it, and the content is less vile, then I think it might take that spot. I had never heard of "Körperkult" so I appreciate you teaching me a little bit more about that! I'm not a big history buff, but I love learning about it, so some back story is always appreciated here.

Oh, Guitry is fantastic. I have a feeling I'd like his other couple of movies made during this decade as well (Quadrille from this year, 1938, and Desire from last year). They just sound so different from everything else being made this decade and that's including Renoir and Clair. I absolutely recommend checking out his work. At least start with Story of a Cheat and see how you feel about his style. That film was the first to use voice-over apparently, and you wonder how anyone could have done without before when he uses it so well. To give you an idea, I'd say Jean-Pierre Jeunet was hugely influenced by Guitry, so if you're a fan of his (like I am), you'll love Guitry even more.

Well, I'll be wary in regards to Renoir, but I always keep an open mind and low expectations - as I did with Illusion (and obviously that worked out well). I almost want to check out Rules of the Game if only out of sheer curiosity. Hearing so many good things about it and not having a clue how that style could go with that kind of story just sounds interesting to me.

Agreed on Disney, I think the risks they took to show actual scary, horrifying images in a children's movie and yet as a kid you keep wanting to go back and watch it again is so vital to childhood. It's a reason why I feel most things Disney these days are really lacking. Thankfully Pixar is picking up that slack. I think trying to keep children away from movies because there are creepy images sounds like a good idea on paper for a parent, but also as a kid you instill those things in you so you're better prepared for the world and have a clearer idea of good vs. bad. Maybe I'll be a bad parent, who knows. And regardless, that's not what we're talking about here haha. I think you'll be a bigger fan of Pepe than I was. It was okay, but I always feel like some of these shouldn't sit on their classics pedestal when stuff like Guitry or Clair's work becomes nearly forgotten. Make Way is quite beautiful, though. The first half kind of drags, but once you get to the second half you understand why. The nearness of the couple makes you understand why their separation was so saddening (no spoilers there). Would love to watch it again.

Agreed on Young and Innocent. I mean, I wouldn't mind watching it again because I love Hitchcock, but it's just kind of average by his standards. Then again, I think Hitchcock was always kind of a blockbuster director, and if he was making work these days, he'd probably be like Christopher Nolan in terms of popularity. I've always heard many great things about The Lady Vanishes, so I'm excited. I own all his movies available from Criterion, so that's one of them. Glad to finally be able to watch it.

I actually enjoyed Angel a lot upon viewing it, but a day later, I could hardly recall it. I think Dietrich and Marshall were great, the former giving her best performance thus far I think, but it just felt like a short story spread out over a feature-length movie. Still great work on Lubtisch's part. Just kind of know he's capable of more, like Hitchcock.

I think I just didn't know much about Lost Horizon so that's why I skipped it, and the running time turned me off as I was trying to get the year over with But I'm sure I'll come back around to it.

All those films you mention are actually on my watch-list. The first four are my essentials to check out, along with Capra's You Can't Take It With You. I'm sure I'll also be seeing Robin Hood if only because it feels essential, and I've been dying to see another Anthony Asquith movie since falling in love with his Cottage on Dartmoor in 1929, so I'll probably be checking out Pygmalion as well.

Also Gary Cooper is my win in 1933 because of his hilarious performance in Design for Living, and he also has some pretty good comedic chops in Mr. Deeds as well. He's stiff, but that's what makes him so funny. He uses it to his advantage. Seeming stoic when he's not. He seems reminiscent of a deadpan comedian like Paul Rudd. So I was actually hoping to see Bluebeard simply for him to reunite with Lubitsch, but Wilder having co-written the script is a big reason as well.

Thanks for the usual feedback![/quote]

Carefree is lesser Fed/Ginger, but its still fun, and they have some really effortless numbers. And Ginger is a lot of fun in Vivacious Lady. She gets to be the lead and shows off her comic snap.

Ah, Design for Living! I'm an Idiot... I knew there must have been something. Obviously he is very good there so I'll shove my doubts aside. Wilder also co-wrote Ninotchka which is my favorite Lubitsch while we're at it.

I would personally very much recommend not to skip Rules of the Game. It might not be something that will ouright floor you but I find that it really sticks with you after watching and it's probably the best film I can think of to sum up the 30's.

Guitry does sound like someone I have to check out. The Pearls of the Crown sounds incredibly fun just going by the story and Guitry sounds somewhat fallen out of time which is something I find incredibly fascinating, sort of in a cinematic tradition that somewhat vanished over time (like Clair & L'Herbier, possibly Duvivier aswell). I don't know if there is anything to this but in general I need to watch more early french cinema. I've only really explored Renoir so far and then a few others here and there. I find that this fallen out of time aspect definitely applies to quite a few german films of the era though which is something I've explored a bit more.