War Year

Jesse Walker now brings us back to the year of 1943 in film.

The Perpetual Three-Dot Column (jessewalker.blogspot.com)

The world was on the brink then, but Hollywood kept making movies.  Often about the war.

Here's his top ten movies:

1. Shadow Of A Doubt

2. Meshes Of The Afternoon

3. Le Corbeau

4. Red Hot Riding Hood

5. Ossessione

6. The Ox-Bow Incident

7. I Walked With A Zombie

8. Five Graves To Cairo

9. Day Of Wrath

10. The Eternal Return

Even though Europe was engulfed in flames, Jesse has a fair number of picks from there.

Shadow Of A Doubt was Hitchcock's personal favorite. I don't think quite so highly of it, but I like it.

Meshes is a short. (I agree with Jesse that it looks like it could have been made last week, but that doesn't necessarily make it good.)

Le Corbeau is pretty good.

Red Hot Riding Hood is a (classic) Tex Avery short.

Ossessione is a well-done crime drama.  Maybe a bit too long.

The Ox-Bow Incident is an earnest message picture--not the greatest Hollywood genre. But it's well done for what it is, and at 75 minutes doesn't overstay its welcome.

I Walked With A Zombie is one of the best of the Val Lewton horror B-pictures.

Five Graves To Cairo may may not make the top five Billy Wilder list, but it's one of his most underappreciated titles.

Day Of Wrath is Dreyer being Dreyer (which is a good thing).

I haven't seen The Eternal Return.

Here are Jesse's honorable mentions:

11. Tortoise Wins By A Hare

12. Journey Into Fear

13. Lumiere D'Ete

14. Dumb-Hounded

15. Stormy Weather

16. The Seventh Victim

17. The Fallen Sparrow

18. Tin Pan Alley Cats

19. Falling Hare

20. Coal Black And De Sebben Dwarfs

It's hard to miss that 11, 14, 18, 19 and 20 are cartoon shorts.

I believe much of 12's reputation comes from the presence of Orson Welles, in front of (and some thing behind) the camera.  Haven't seen 13.  15 is a novelty for the time--a big studio all-black musical--and is worth it for all the tremendous talent. 16 is an unusual film for the time about a Satanic cult--only wish it were better (though it's quite something to see Hugh Beaumont as part of the fun--playing a character named Ward!--also, a big year for Tom Conway, isn't it?).  Haven't seen 17.

Other films that would have made my top ten:

Casablanca (I'm dumbfound it's not on the list) (see comments below on this bizarre mistake of mine)

The Sky's The Limit

Other films I liked:

Air Force, The Gang’s All Here, Heaven Can Wait, Higher And Higher, The Life And Death Of Colonel Blimp, The More The Merrier


Other films of note:

Best Foot Forward, Coney Island, Corvette K-225, The Count Of Monte Cristo, Crazy House, The Dancing Masters, The Desert Song, Destination Tokyo, Dixie, Dubarry Was A Lady, For Whom The Bell Tolls, Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man, Gildersleeves On Broadway, Gung Ho!, A Guy Named Joe, Hangmen Also Die!, Hit The Ice, The Human Comedy, I Dood It, Jane Eyre, Jitterbugs, Keeper Of The Flame, Kid Dynamite, Lady Of Burlesque, Madame Curie, Mission To Moscow, Mr. Lucky, My Friend Flicka, The North Star, The Outlaw, Passport To Suez, The Phantom Baron, Presenting Lily Mars, Riding High, Sahara, So Proudly We Hail!, Son Of Dracula, The Song Of Bernadette, Stage Door Canteen, Star Spangled Rhythm, Tender Comrade, Thank Your Lucky Stars, This Is The Army, This Land Is Mine, Thousands Cheer, Watch On The Rhine