Wait Till Next Year
The 1930s is my favorite decade for film, so I eagerly awaited Jesse Walker's latest, his top ten from 1938 (scroll down a bit).
Most of his choices I can't fault. In fact, pretty much every one I agree with, though I don't put short cartoons on my film lists. You Can't Take It With You doesn't really compare to Capra's better work (even though it won the Oscar that year), and I don't think it improves on the original play, but it's still a lot of fun.
I was wondering if one Cary Grant film (Bringing Up Baby) would keep the other one out (Holiday) but Jesse is never afraid of giving out double awards.
Here are a few other films I like to varying degrees, though I don't think any of them I'd put over the features on Jesse's list:
Angels With Dirty Faces, Jezebel, The Citadel, Bluebeard's Eighth Wife (Lubitsch's unsuccessful stab at screwball, but still worth watching), Room Service (as a curiosity--the seven earlier Marx Brothers films are all about 100 times better, but it's preferable to the films made after), Three Comrades, The Shopworn Angel, Alexander Nevsky, Carefree (even a so-so entry in the Astaire/Rogers series is magical), Alexander's Ragtime Band, Algiers, If I Were King, Boys Town, The Big Broadcast Of 1938, Test Pilot and two from Laurel And Hardy (who were better in shorts), Block-Heads and Swiss Miss.
posted by LAGuy @ 12:15 AM
3 Comments:
I enjoyed Angels with Dirty Faces, Bluebeard's Eight Wife (very underrated, that one), Room Service, Alexander Nevsky, Carefree, and (if it's the Laurel & Hardy picture I'm thinking of) Block-Heads, but I wouldn't rate any of them high enough to make it onto a top ten list. Haven't seen any of the others you mention.
As for You Can't Take It With You: You know, it might not be an Enduring Masterpiece like It's a Wonderful Life, but I laughed all the way through it. That's gotta count for something.
Oh, wait. I've seen Three Comrades. Didn't care for it at all.
Swiss Miss has one of the best Laurel and Hardy scenes ever where they try to cross the rickety bridge with a piano while a gorilla is coming the other way.
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