Wolves, Devils And Stanwyck

I've always felt there was something special about the early years of talkies in Hollywood.  Let's say from 1931 (when they've not only adapted to sound but got the technical problems licked) to 1941. What happened in 1941?  The War.

I'm not saying movies fell off a cliff (though it certainly affected films overseas--don't look for too many foreign titles to make today's list), but the energy and attitude I love in so many 1930s films seems to go missing somewhere around 1942.

Which is a long-winded way of saying Jesse Walker has come up with his top ten film list of 1941:

(https://jessewalker.blogspot.com/2022/01/one-year-two-devils-ive-told-you-my.html)

1.  Citizen Kane

2.  The Maltese Falcon

3.  Never Give A Sucker An Even Break

4.  The Sea Wolf

5.  Meet John Doe

6.  Hellzapoppin'

7.  Schichlegruber: Doing The Lambeth Walk

8.  The Wolf Man

9.  Ball Of Fire

10.  The Lady Eve

Citizen Kane has become such a monument it's hard to talk about. But forget the innovation, it's still a fine, imaginative investigation into the fictional life of the title character.

I've never loved The Maltese Falcon. It's a well-done version of the story, but it's not, say, The Big Sleep.

It's quite impressive how W.C. Fields blossomed late in his career, and Never Give A Sucker An Even Break is Exhibit A.

The Sea Wolf is pretty well done.

Meet John Doe is the third in Capra's unofficial trilogy of regular guys against the system.  But this time he's bitten off more than he can chew.  Mr. Deeds is the best, because Capra keeps it small and charming.  Mr. Smith he pulls off pretty well.  But John Doe, after a good start, loses itself.  They shot a bunch of endings, probably because there was no way to pull it off.

I would love to have seen Hellzapoppin' in its original Broadway run, but the closest we can get (and it's not too close) is the movie version.  It's great in the anarchistic opening section, but not quite so strong when it settles down into something approaching a story.

7 is a short.

The Wolf Man showed Universal wasn't quite done with new monsters, and it holds up. (Good year for wolves.  How about The Sea Wolf Vs. The Wolf Man?)

The only trouble with Ball Of Fire and The Lady Eve is they're ranked too low. Both classics.  Quite a year for Barbara Stanwyck, with three films in the top ten.

Honorable mentions:

11.  Sullivan's Travels

12.  Suspicion

13.  Tortoise Beats Hare

14.  The Devil And Daniel Webster

15.  Hold Back The Dawn

16.  Among The Living

17.  Dumbo

18.  Ladies In Retirement

19.  The Devil And Miss Jones

 20.  The Iron Crown

11 should be top ten, though Jesse is right to put it below The Lady Eve.  12 is one of Hitchcock's more underrated films--I like the ending.  13 is a short.  14 is an oddity.  15 shows Brackett and Wilder could do drama about as well as comedy.

I think I've seen 16 and it's only okay.  17 is Disney still in a Golden Age and it's quite something.  18 I haven't seen.  19 is a fine comedy--maybe top ten. Haven't seen 20.

Here are some other films that might make my top ten or twenty:

Man Hunt

Road To Zanzibar

You'll Never Get Rich

Other films of interest:

All Through the Night, Andy Hardy's Private Secretary, Babes On Broadway, The Big Store, The Black Cat, The Bride Came C.O.D., Buck Privates, Charley's Aunt, Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, The Farmer's Wife, The Flame of New Orleans,  Flying Blind, French Without Tears, Here Comes Mr. Jordan, High Sierra, Hold That Ghost, How Green Was My Valley, I Wake Up Screaming, In the Navy, Kipps, Life Begins for Andy Hardy, The Little Foxes, Major Barbara, Manpower, Men Of Boys Town, Million Dollar Baby, Mr. & Mrs. Smith,  Mr. Bug Goes To Town, Mysterious Island, Penny Serenade, Playmates, Sergeant York, Shadow of the Thin Man, The Shanghai Gesture, Sun Valley Serenade, Swamp Water, That Hamilton Woman, That Uncertain Feeling, They Died With Their Boots On, Tobacco Road, Tom Dick and Harry, Two-Faced Woman, Western Union, When Ladies Meet, A Yank In The RAF, You're in the Army Now, Ziegfeld Girl