MOFO Top 10: The 1940's

[rauldc14]

I figured we would start with the 1940's. Lots of good choices here.

The voting system is the same as the mofo top 100 was.

1. Movie (gets 10 points)
2 Movie (gets 9 points)
3. Movie (gets 8 points)
so on and so on

you can nominate 10 films and the points of everyones ballots will be tallied together to give us our top 10.

discussion of why you chose the films you did is highly encouraged, but it would be 100% necessary.

I figure a 1 week ballot period should be enough, so the 40's will conclude Friday January 20th.

[HitchFan97]

Can I just give Casablanca 10 points? There's no way I could do a 40s list, but I absolutely love that one.

[Thursday Next]

1. Brief Encounter (1946)
2. Rope (1948)
3. The Third Man (1949)
4. Rebecca (1940)
5. Citizen Kane (1941)
6. The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
7. The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)
8. Laura (1944)
9. A Matter of Life and Death (1946)
10. Black Narcissus (1947)

[wintertriangles]

1. Children of Paradise
2. Paisan
3. La Belle et La Bete
4. Late Spring
5. Great Dictator
6. The Red Shoes
7. Ivan the Terrible
8. Spellbound
9. Fantasia
10. Blithe Spirit

[rauldc14]

I've thought about my top 10, and here it is:

1. Casablanca
2. The Grapes of Wrath
3. Citizen Kane
4. The Best Years of Our Lives
5. It's a Wonderful Life
6. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
7. Notorious
8. Arsenic and Old Lace
9. Pinocchio
10. Rebecca

[MadMikeyD]

1. It's a Wonderful Life
2. Meet John Doe
3. Arsenic and Old Lace
4. Casablanca
5. Miracle on 34th Street
6. The Third Man
7. Sergeant York
8. The Philadelphia Story
9. Dumbo
10. The Mark of Zorro

[ash_is_the_gal]

i don't want to think about this too much or i'm going to start stressing out and i'll never submit a list, so here we go-

1. Mildred Pierce
2. The Letter
3. Rope
4. La Belle et La Bête
5. The Philadelphia Story
6. Now, Voyager
7. The Snake Pit
8. The Best Years of Our Lives
9. The Grapes of Wrath
10. Dumbo

only 2 Bette Davis films for this one. most of my favorites are from the 30's. :(

[Sexy Celebrity]

only 2 Bette Davis films for this one. most of my favorites are from the 30's. :(

This is what I'm wondering -- you can't do a Top 10 of each decade and not do the 1930's. Even I love the 1930's.

[rauldc14]

We will be touching them all. Just doing them in random order

[Tyler1]

Final list:



Top 10 of the 1940s


White Heat
Red River
The Maltese Falcon
The Third Man
Meshes Of The Afternoon
Late Spring
A Matter Of Life and Death
Rome, Open City
Notorious
Brief Encounter

[Tyler1]

discussion of why you chose the films you did is highly encouraged, but it would be 100% necessary.



So it's compulsory that we discuss.

[mark f]

To me, the most-significant film personality of the decade in front of the camera was Humphrey Bogart. I know that will says that The Maltese Falcon made him a commercial star, but actually it was High Sierra. I also realize that I'm somewhat saddened by the fact that some MoFos don't "get" Bogart just yet, but I hope they will. Bogie will undoubtedly be in three of my top films.

Walt Disney started out as the most-significant person behind the camera in the early '40s, but he got distracted by a labor strike and was sent down to South America, sort of like wunderkind Orson Welles, which took a creative toll. I will probably also list three of his films.

Ernst Lubitsch was a wonderful filmmaker from the 1910s-1940s. My fave of his films is from this decade, Heaven Can Wait, and that will make it. The Archers (Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger) were perhaps the most-creative force in the history of cinema, so you can be sure that some of their films will be there.

I enjoy non-English-language films from the '30s and '40s, but I won't have any in my top ten. I believe compared to the silent era and the 1950s onward that those two decades don't reflect the best they have to offer. I don't believe that Hollywood and British contributions from these decades should ever be underestimated.

Hopefully I'll list my movies soon. :cool:

[re93animator]

1. Kind Hearts & Coronets
2. White Heat
3. Arsenic & Old Lace
4. The Third Man
5. The Maltese Falcon
6. Casablanca
7. Nightmare Alley
8. Beauty and the Beast
9. The Naked City
10. Sullivan's Travels

[Brodinski]

Alright, I'll play ball.

1) Out of the Past (1947)
2) His Girl Friday (1940)
3) The Maltese Falcon (1941)
4) Casablanca (1942)
5) The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
6) I Walked With A Zombie (1943)
7) The Killers (1946)
8) The Ox-Bow Incident (1943)
9) House of Strangers (1949)
10) Body And Soul (1947)

[rauldc14]

Just a touch of discussion on my choices:

1. Casablanca- To me, this is the perfection of all classic movies. The acting, the directing, the storyline are all as close to perfection as one can get. The movie is so memorable and quotable and the movie doesn't age at all to this day.

2. The Grapes of Wrath- How can a story so depressing turn into such a great movie? Well it's just that. It grabs you with emotion and John Ford made a book that I didn't want to read in high school very entertaining. I look back now and Steinbeck's story is just plain genious.

3. Citizen Kane- Lots of credit to Welles here. I can see where some don't enjoy the movie, but to me the storyline is very intricate and it at least drew me in.

4. The Best Years of Our Lives- another film packed with emotion. In my opinion, the best post-WW2 movie that I have seen. And the cast for the movie seemed very well chosen. High props to Wyler for this one.

5. It's a Wonderful Life- I almost went higher with this one. I absolutely love what Capra did in this film, as he made it a rather fun movie to watch. And of course Jimmy Stewart was terrific.

6. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre- Upon first viewing, I wasn't a huge fan. I watched again and the film grew on me. Needless to say, the film is now in my movie collection. The acting is superb as Walter Huston steals the show in my book.

7. Notorious- Just solid Hitchcock. Bergman and Grant make a great pairing and a great directing job by Hitchcock of course. The storyline runs very smooth.

8. Arsenic and Old Lace- I think the movie, while it has it's flaws is still a big success. It is one of the better screwball comedies in classic movie history in my opinion.

9. Pinocchio- One of my favorite classic disney movies. Original storyline and great visuals made this another classic.

10. Rebecca- It was a toss up for the last spot, but I gave it to Rebecca. To be honest I'm not quite sure why. I would like to rewatch this film again at some point as it could turn into a "Treasure of the Sierra Madre" type of film for me.

[Brodinski]

I missed the part about writing a bit of an explanation about our choices. I'll just briefly explain my top pick.

1) Out of the Past (1947)

If I'd have to pick out one reason why this film tops my list, it would have to be the script. In spite of its many twist and turns, it's remarkably tight and without plotholes and contains some of the all-time greatest dialogue ever. The main characters are portrayed in hall-of-fame fashion by Robert Mitchum, who is oozing with cool, and Jane Greer, playing arguably the greatest femme fatale in film history. And a lot of credit must also go to Jacques Tourneur, whose expert use of shadows and darkness in Out of the Past is almost without equal.

2) His Girl Friday (1940)
3) The Maltese Falcon (1941)
4) Casablanca (1942)
5) The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
6) I Walked With A Zombie (1943)
7) The Killers (1946)
8) The Ox-Bow Incident (1943)
9) House of Strangers (1949)
10) Body And Soul (1947)

[rauldc14]

Out of the Past has been on my radar to watch for the longest time, but I just haven't gotten to it yet. All the clips I've seen of the film make it look like it is a fantastic film.

[Brodinski]

In my opinion, it's the greatest film noir of all time. And knowing just how deep the quality pool is in that genre, the logical conclusion would be that it's not just one of the best film noir ever, but one of the best films of all time. It's a towering achievement, it really is. Everything in that film is spot on. So if you've got 100 minutes to spare, they could hardly be better spent than by watching Out of the Past.

I think I nominated it for the last MoFo tournament as well.

[wintertriangles]

I'm seeing a lot of what I expected so far. Some Powell and Pressburger, but not enough considering this is basically their decade, another golden decade for Hitchcock and especially Disney, and the usual Bogart and Welles. I'm surprised I'm the only one so far with a David Lean film, and I'm also surprised but not shouldn't be that only two people chose from the Rossellini trilogy. No Double Indemnity yet either. Onto my reasons I suppose.

1. Children of Paradise

A knee-jerk reaction of rating 40s films would ignore so many great films that less people hear about that it seems fair to my taste and to the credibility of a competition to include films that exist without the air of a Hollywood number. Children of Paradise is still one of the most dream-like films around, and with so much attention payed to cinematography, fleshing out its 5 main characters, sets and extras, all WITHIN Nazi control of France, it would be sinful to leave it out. Francois Truffaut, despite his hate for this era of cinema, once said he would forgo his whole filmography if he could have made this film.

2. Paisan

The second film of Rossellini's war trilogy, he spliced his own documentary footage of the liberation of Italy with his own writing, of which I believe featured Fellini, that tried to understand how the people, Italian soldiers, and American soldiers felt and interacted with each other. War films never focus outside the fighting anymore because it isn't safe, but this film and trilogy had the pluck to show the war as most people saw it, languages checking at the door for when English, Italian, and German aren't good communication.

3. La Belle et La Bete

Cocteau easily outshines the Disney adaptation of the French story with his regal set design and costumes. And of course the movie magic and subtleties he's known for (the candle lights and the moving statue head) that actually add to the fantasticality of the film. Cocteau pulls all the right strings in making this a true rendition of such a tale and also making it both entertaining for kids and adults. Both this and Children of Paradise redefined fantastical filmmaking and still serve as influences (Amelie anyone?).

4. Late Spring

A bit of a culture shock to some for how it focuses on themes mainly Japanese people considered, not much is lost in translation in a film about a post-WWII family encountering a mix of tradition and Westernization but especially the psychology between the characteristics of men and women. Its simplicity makes it difficult to talk about however, but many believe than the humanistic aspects of Ozu's filmmaking should speak for themselves. In a time before Kurosawa, we still had Ozu and Mizoguchi.

5. Great Dictator

It's a bit arrogant of me to think I could add something about this film...or any of these. Damnit. Hokay, first Chaplin talkie, possibly the best satire of fascism ever, the silent filmmaker worked the new sound world in the same quality as he used to, and took advantage of it with the still relevant speech at the end. History and comedy are two things rarely blended unfortunately. I wonder why.

6. The Red Shoes

The dance scene.

7. Ivan the Terrible

Funny that I would have Chaplin and Eisenstein next to each other, it's said that Chaplin was all substance and Eisenstein was all style. It's easy to see where someone gets that but wholly unfair to both of them. Part 1 of Ivan was lauded by Stalin, Part 2 was banned until his death. Why? Possibly because Part 2 depicted Ivan collapsing from his own hatred and bitterness, which could easily be seen as commentary on Communist governments. The reason Eisenstein deserves this type of credit today is because he is part of a group of filmmakers who can tell stories without a full script of dialogue. Most films today wouldn't dare.

8. Spellbound

If you're into psychoanalysis this is the Hitchcock film for you. It was extremely hard picking between this, Notorious, and Rebecca but this being one of Hitchcock's films that wholly stands apart from his other extremely similar work should be highlighted for him stepping out of the box. Other than that it still has many of the same characteristics, just with an added visual flair.

9. Fantasia

Fantasia 2000's political correctness can suck it. Fantastia put animation to classical behemoths, the importance of that has spoken for itself ever since. Too bad kids don't listen to classical anymore, their loss.

10. Blithe Spirit

Almost for the same reasons I picked Spellbound, I like a lot of David Lean's stuff but this just had an extra bit of ocular candy.

[Tyler1]

2. Paisan

.

I havent seen this one yet, but you description makes it look interesting. Rossellini must be represented in this tournament. :yup:


4. Late Spring

A bit of a culture shock to some for how it focuses on themes mainly Japanese people considered, not much is lost in translation in a film about a post-WWII family encountering a mix of tradition and Westernization but especially the psychology between the characteristics of men and women. Its simplicity makes it difficult to talk about however, but many believe than the humanistic aspects of Ozu's filmmaking should speak for themselves. In a time before Kurosawa, we still had Ozu and Mizoguchi.


The ending is so subtle and beautiful. It's not about mourning about the good old days, it's about moving forward. Peeling off another chapter of human history. It's a shame many directors/critics ignored Ozu in the 40s and 50s. Ozu was only "discovered" by Western audiences later than kurosawa and mizoguchi... The Japanese New Wave directors, including Kurosawa, didnt really care about his stuff, claiming it was too "japanese". Now look at Ozu's influence... From Aki Kaurismaki to Hou Hsiao Hsien, Claire Denis to Kiarostami and Wim Wenders... So far only you and me have voted for this film :)

7. Ivan the Terrible


I never really cared much about this film. Or Eisenstein films in general. His films are too "loud" (as opposed to subtle) for me. For instance, In Ivan the terrible pt 1, i felt that there were too much close-up shots of the angry faces of the russian civilians when Ivan was announced heir to the throne. I mean, its so obvious that the people are uncertain about their new ruler, but why keep emphasizing that?



To Brodinski:


1) Out of the Past (1947)

If I'd have to pick out one reason why this film tops my list, it would have to be the script. In spite of its many twist and turns, it's remarkably tight and without plotholes and contains some of the all-time greatest dialogue ever. The main characters are portrayed in hall-of-fame fashion by Robert Mitchum, who is oozing with cool, and Jane Greer, playing arguably the greatest femme fatale in film history. And a lot of credit must also go to Jacques Tourneur, whose expert use of shadows and darkness in Out of the Past is almost without equal.




I like how much you love this film, and i respect your decision.;) But for me, I think the monotonous narration kind of ruined this film. It also took a good, sweet time before the plot kicks in. Nevertheless, it is very well shot. Although lacking in a "gripping" storyline.

[wintertriangles]

I mean, its so obvious that the people are uncertain about their new ruler, but why keep emphasizing that?I see that sort of redundancy in many films from the silent era, I guess I'm just used to it.

[rauldc14]

I have to agree that Bogart is a vital part of the 1940's as well. I would say that Capra is vital, but I think he's more vital to the 30's than the 40's.

[Tyler1]

I see that sort of redundancy in many films from the silent era, I guess I'm just used to it.


I always found Eisenstein to be the most redundant of them all. Like forcing the audience to feel in that way.

I wonder why nobody else has voted for White Heat and Red River? :shrug:

[wintertriangles]

I haven't seen them haha

[Tyler1]

:eek: The 2 greatest films of the 40s, at least in my honest opinion...

[wintertriangles]

I'll watch yours if you watch mine

[honeykid]

WT, I'd certainly recommend White Heat. I don't know if I could come up with 10 films from the 40's that I really loved, but White Heat would make whatever list I could come up with.

[Brodinski]

I always found Eisenstein to be the most redundant of them all. Like forcing the audience to feel in that way.

I wonder why nobody else has voted for White Heat and Red River? :shrug:

Red River is good, but the ending was painfully dissapointing to me. I expected something else entirely. I haven't watched White Heat yet.

[Golgot]

Of the classics I've seen, I'd say...

1. Casablanca

It just gels so well. One in a million for consistent tone. Everything works.

2. The Third Man

Post-war ferreting, noir lighting you could cut with a knife, shadows you could get lost in, a beautifully balanced turn from Welles to unbalance a world already in jumbled disarray, and playful music prised from bleeding fingers. Love it.

3. A Matter of Life and Death

Captures you from the first conversation, teetering on the cloud-banked steps of Heaven, and never loses its magic realism from there. Camera obscuras, cursive architecture in the skies, celestial law courts made from the salt of the earth. And all somehow staying on the right side of daft. What more could you want? :)

4. His Girl Friday

Just so biliously, beautifully wordy. Takes the tawdry and makes it fun. And then some.

5. The Maltese Falcon
6. The Lady from Shanghai
7. The Red Shoes
8.The Grapes of Wrath
9. Rope
10. The Great Dictator

[Tyler1]

Red River is good, but the ending was painfully dissapointing to me. I expected something else entirely.


Depends on what you were hoping for. I sided with John wayne's character, and "politics", whatever you call it.

[MadMikeyD]

I would say that Capra is vital, but I think he's more vital to the 30's than the 40's.

Agreed there. Outside of his WWII work, Capra only produced 4 films in the 1940s, and only 2 of those are strongly remembered today. He did 15 films in the 1930s, including a half dozen or so that are still fairly highly regarded. Even though his best remembered film came out in the 40s, the 30s were really his decade.

[rauldc14]

Although I think Hitchcock's primetime is the 1950's, I think there is a fairly big debate upon his 40's films. So many people have so many different ideas of what Hitchcock's best of the 40's actually is. Just an interesting sidenote.

[re93animator]

I wonder why nobody else has voted for White Heat and Red River? :shrug:
White Heat was my #2.:)

[Golgot]

I haven't seen White Heat yet :(

Or Red River. (Or Blue Breeze for that matter. Altho that's probably another type of movie)

[Harry Lime]

1. My Darling Clementine
2. To Be or Not to Be
3. Drunken Angel
4. The Bicycle Thief
5. Kind Hearts and Coronets
6. Citizen Kane
7. Ivan the Terrible
8. Double Indemnity
9. Pinocchio
10. Rome, Open City

Just getting some films some points here.

[wintertriangles]

You didn't put The Third Man in there Lime is there a typo?

I really want to see Kind Hearts and Coronets and To Be or Not To Be

[Harry Lime]

You didn't put The Third Man in there Lime is there a typo?
Like I said:

Just getting some films some points here.
The Third Man should have no trouble getting points from others, I assume. That isn't my top 10.

[Brodinski]

I went about it the same way. Picked 5 films I'd really put in my top 10 and then 5 other underwatched gems that are borderline, but deserve to be mentioned and watched by more people.

[rauldc14]

Either way, it is honestly quite surprising that Lime was the 1st to name The Bicycle Thief. I thought that would have been doing good about now. Me personally, I'm not a huge fan, but it is one of those films that you have to visually appreciate.

[rauldc14]

1. My Darling Clementine
2. To Be or Not to Be
3. Drunken Angel
4. The Bicycle Thief
5. Kind Hearts and Coronets
6. Citizen Kane
7. Ivan the Terrible
8. Double Indemnity
9. Pinocchio
10. Rome, Open City

Just getting some films some points here.

I haven't heard much about To Be or Not to Be or Drunken Angel. Those are more films that I will have to look at.

[HitchFan97]

Although I think Hitchcock's primetime is the 1950's, I think there is a fairly big debate upon his 40's films. So many people have so many different ideas of what Hitchcock's best of the 40's actually is. Just an interesting sidenote.

Notorious seems to be the critical consensus, and I have yet to see it :eek:

But I would give Rope my vote

[wintertriangles]

Critical consensuses aren't very representative at all

[Thursday Next]

Damn, I left Kind Hearts and Coronets off my list. For some reason I thought it was 1950 not 1949. Are we allowed to make changes?

[rauldc14]

I would like to say no changes since it makes it easier, but if you need to since I didn't clarify beforehand by all means. Just on the other ones we will have no changes

[ash_is_the_gal]

i've already downloaded, like, 4 films from this thread that i'm going to watch, but i already submitted a list. drats.

[Tyler1]

Forget about whats gonna win or whats not; its great that you're taking time to watch them. These threads are great because i get to check the movies on other peoples lists. I'm going to watch Paisan ASAP. IMO, we should run the threads for the other decades simultaneously. Lists are fun. I say the next decade be the 90s.

[wintertriangles]

Yeah lists are addicting. Despite serving no purpose to the things I need to complete. In fact it adds to it because of other peoples' lists.

[Thursday Next]

I would like to say no changes since it makes it easier, but if you need to since I didn't clarify beforehand by all means. Just on the other ones we will have no changes

I'll leave it as is, then. Just hope it gets some more votes from other people, as it is a brilliant film. Post at haste, repent at leisure ;)

[Thursday Next]

Forget about whats gonna win or whats not; its great that you're taking time to watch them.

What I liked about the knockout format of the tournament we had last summer was that you had to watch the films in order to vote in the ties, and I ended up watching a lot of films I might not otherwise have got round to watching.

[mark f]

Although this may be late, I believe it's not even fair to try to sum up a decade with only ten films.

[wintertriangles]

It's not fair to sum up a year with ten films but every magazine does that anyway.

[rauldc14]

it's not fair to list 100 best films of all time either but it's damn fun and tempting. I get what you are saying though lots and lots of great films

[mark f]

It's not fair to sum up a year with ten films but every magazine does that anyway.

Some years don't even deserve 10 films. You read magazines' Top 10 lists?

[wintertriangles]

Some years don't even deserve 10 films. You read magazines' Top 10 lists?God no, but in the whole world there are certainly more than 10 films a year worth mentioning.

[ash_is_the_gal]

I spent a whole block of my Sunday afternoon writing up my reasons for each of the 10 films I picked and i lost it right at the end. my face is like ~_~ right now. i'll have to rewrite it later this week. so discouraging for someone who can't write to begin with.

[Yoda]

I could move entries 3-7 around in almost any order, so this is just the order I'd put those in right now, but so it goes:

1. Citizen Kane
2. Casablanca
3. Arsenic and Old Lace
4. Bicycle Thieves
5. Rope
6. The Philadelphia Story
7. It's a Wonderful Life
8. Double Indemnity
9. His Girl Friday
10. Rebecca

[rauldc14]

It's a shame The Best Years of Our Lives doesn't get more publicity.

[rauldc14]

Officially we will end the ballots at 11:59 Friday Central US time. Have to cut it off somewhere.

EDIT: Nevermind as we are in no hurry. I haven't decided yet then on an extended deadline.

[mark f]

Hey Dusty, I appreciate all the work you're doing with this, but can we maybe open up more threads about more decades and have them run simultaneously? For that reason, I would hope that this thread stays up longer so that we can get more voters.

[rauldc14]

we could do that. I guess we could extend the time period too, because there really is no hurry at all on this being completed. I'll open up another decade tonight.

[mark f]

:thumbs up:

[linespalsy]

I'm for extending the time period too.

[Godoggo]

Me too. I want in on this. I think I could get my list in sometime this weekend.

[ash_is_the_gal]

(already submitted, but here are my reasons for my submissions):

Mildred Pierce

this has always been one of those films that's struck me as just a raw and honest portrayal of middle-class, 1940's American living. for example, the depiction of a marriage that breaks down because of disappointment and resentment rather than anything melodramatic (a simple "i just don't want this anymore and you don't either" and resigned goodbyes). within the first hour it captures something anxious about American life and marriages or relationships in general than what most movies had shown up to that time. also the film's bleak look at what a woman should expect going up and up in what was (and still is, i guess) "a man's world", ranked by men who want nothing more than to exploit them or even resent them for it.

The Letter

while this isn't my favorite Bette Davis movie, in my opinion it's her best performance by a long shot. hamming up the frame in every scene (and i mean that in a good way; there should be a picture of her as Margo Channing next to the word in the dictionary) she cleanly steals the show. her calm, calculated demeanor at the beginning pre-Letter/post-murder, her carefully aligned confession, her backtracking and bargaining as her fingers fly fast and crazed, knitting her web of lies all the way to the final scene - and what a scene it is! a feverishly sticky deadly atmosphere from the mysterious garden where a malefic full moon shines on Davis' inscrutable face to the seedy place in the Chinese quarter where they smoke opium and where Gale Sondergaard spins a web to match Bette's: in this memorable scene when she forces Davis to kneel down, she almost surpasses the star because she's absolutely terrifying.

Rope

i saw this film for the first time when i was pretty small, about 12, and it really had a HUGE impact on me for two reasons: 1, its use of filming in real time (a sheltered kid of the 90's, i'd never seen a movie have such long shots before and the extremity of the whole thing was actually quite humbling; i guess i was probably used to watching movies that were so edited they cut every 3 seconds or something, heh), and 2, even to my untrained eye i could see how well the setting was put to use with what little he had, like the subtle tint of the skyline backdrop and the neon lights to show the passing of time. its films like Rope that made me love films to begin with, because Hitchcock makes you want to look closer.

La Belle et La Bête

pretty much wintertriangles said it best already, but yeah, beautiful looking movie bro. i always loved the Disney version, too, but this one takes the cake for being out of this world beautiful. all the castle bits were slow, dramatic, and luminous. it was both creepy and heartwarming, much like the Beast himself. the chemistry between Beauty and her Beast is at first plagued with fear and pity, but then evolves into a deep respect, fondness, grief, and then finally, love. the love between the two is less sappy and more a deep connection that was established through compassion and loneliness.

The Philadelphia Story

sheesh, two James Stewart films on my list and neither is It's A Wonderful Life! :) ok, so i suppose this made my top ten because i'm a girl and therefore overly-sentimental and all that junk, but this is just one of those movies that is made of so much feel-good, my body turns to posies from the inside out (or insert the metaphor of your choice here). the best thing about this film is obviously the razor sharp dialogue and the way in which it's delivered by Stewart and Hepburn. just a funny portrayal at the idle rich and their not-so-idle tongues.

Now, Voyager

i've always been a sucker for ugly duckling stories, and this ranks up there as one of the best of them (there's another one that comes close to my top ten in the 90s but unfortunately due to my over-exposure of that particular decade, didn't make the cut). anyway, this particular story is one that should be seen by everyone because it does such a spectacular job of showing experiences dealing with the human heart, and the long and winding road (and actually circular - because once Charlotte finds herself, she helps someone else down the same path) one woman had to go down to get there.

Bette Davis has never looked so unabashedly dazzling as she does here, either.

The Snake Pit

before Jack Nicholson and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, there was Olivia De Haviland in The Snake Pit, another effort to disclose the bleak and terrifying world of mental illness and the inadequate institutions within which sufferers were interned. this movie is actually a screenplay based on a memoir of sorts, which might be where the credit of "so realistically horrifying" comes into play. it's been kind of awhile since i've seen this movie when me and my boyfriend watched it together, but when i think of The Snake Pit i think of the dance scene, where all the female wards of the institution have their social interaction with males, and a gorgeous rendition of 'Going Home' (Dvorak) is sang, and then one by one, everyone else sadly chimes in.

The Best Years of Our Lives

where other films in its era documented war matter-of-factually as just another facet, The Best Years of Our Lives deals with the aftermath of war. the opening scene with the three, chipper looking men in the airport and taxi may at first bring a euphoric sensation for the old days of cinema, but its content can be thrust on any screen today. the characters soon drown their sorrows in alcohol and self-pity symbolic of any other form of dealing with the aftermath of war. the cynical attitudes of the townspeople is even relevant; one man even questions the legitimacy of Homer's sacrifice. though overall it's a film typical in appearance, its contents are sinister and realistic, and were relevant then and even moreso today.

The Grapes of Wrath

easily one of my favorite book adaptations of all time, Steinbeck's portrayal of the harsh conditions that were faced by the migrant farmers during the Great Depression is colorfully brought to life in a very convincing way. the characters are displayed as real people, with shortcomings and passion - the fallen preacher whose sin destroyed his faith, a convicted felon who's really just another man wanting to do what he can for his family (god, i love Henry Fonda). also, here we have people on both sides reacting in a realistic way to their limited resources. the film does a damn good job of showing the mulch-faceted politics; it's not just as simple as "poor people bad, rich people good". the land owners did what they thought they had to do to protect their rights and property from an invasion of homeless and hungry people.

Dumbo

despite its position, this is "last but not least". :p in truth, i could have put many other films in this slot just as easily, but i felt my list needed a dash of color, and what better way to add it than with the cutest candy-colored film of the decade?

[rauldc14]

great write ups ash. I agree that I think The Best Years of Our Lives would have had an even stronger affect had it been watched in 1946. It still has a pretty big impact anyways.

as for The Grapes of Wrath, Ford really knew how to put an insanely long book into a great film.

[mark f]

1. Dumbo
2. Casablanca
3. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
4. The Maltese Falcon
5. A Matter of Life and Death
6. The Red Shoes
7. Heaven Can Wait
8. Pinocchio
9. Fantasia
10. Red River

My main problems seem to be where in the hell do I put National Velvet, The Man Who Came to Dinner and The Devil and Daniel Webster?

[linespalsy]

1. The Lady From Shanghai
2. The Red Shoes
3. Dumbo
4. The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
5. Fantasia
6. The Ghost and Mrs. Muir
7. A Canterbury Tale
8. Never Give a Sucker an Even Break
9. The Maltese Falcon
10. Stormy Weather

If I hadn't re-watched The Maltese Falcon recently I might have found room for a Preston Sturges film, His Girl Friday, The Grapes of Wrath, Citizen Kane or one of several others.

[Godoggo]

1. The Third Man
2. The Philedelphia Story
3. National Velvet
4. Double Indemnity
5. The Wolfman
6. The Big Sleep
7. Pinocchio
8. The Little Foxes
9. Our Town
10. The Yearling

[rauldc14]

Just watched Brief Encounter and.......well I just don't get the fuss. Is it because I'm not British? I just didn't think it was very good.

[rauldc14]

14 ballots thus far, hopefully more to come.

[ash_is_the_gal]

i think you should PM some people asking if they'll participate if they don't submit their lists soon. like active members and stuff. we want this to be as representative of Mofo as possible, right?

[rauldc14]

that would be the best scenario, yes. I don't want to come off as a pain but I will make sure that I can persuade some key members to participate. Except, honeykid, he's just too hard to comprimise with:D

[honeykid]

lol... I ruled myself out before the whole thing began.

[Aniko]

The 30’s and 40’s are my favorite decades for movies, so this is really a hard as choice for me. For today....

Casablanca (1942)
Now, Voyager (1942)
The Heiress (1949)
The Philadelphia Story (1940)
Laura (1944)
Gaslight (1944)
Meet Me in St. Louis (1945)
Key Largo (1948)[/i]
Mildred Pierce (1945)
It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)



I know these don't count...but....If I could add another ten, they would be...
Cabin in the Sky (1943), The Picture of Dorian Gray (1944), Pride and Prejudice (1940), The Little Foxes (1941),
A Letter to Three Wives (1949), Never Give a Sucker an Even Break (1941), The Lady from Shanghai (1947),
The Sea Hawk (1940), State of the Union (1948) and Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)...

...and if I could add another ten...:D