The Gay Divorcee (1934) Director: Mark Sandrich The Gay Divorcee is a delightfully nostalgic film. It was the second of ten pairings for Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in movies. It was based on a musical of the same name. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. The film takes place on … Continue reading The Gay Divorcee
cinema
The Scarlet Empress
The Scarlet Empress (1934) Director: Josef von Sternberg Josef von Sternberg once said of his film: "It is a relentless excursion into style." The Scarlet Empress is a cinematic delight. The film is filled with striking imagery, expressionist lighting, and it is topped off with excellent acting from the great Marlene Dietrich, von Sternberg's actress … Continue reading The Scarlet Empress
Dr. Mabuse The Gambler
Dr. Mabuse The Gambler (1922) Director: Fritz Lang Clocking in at over 4 and 1/2 hours, this silent film is masterfully produced. Dr. Mabuse was directed by the famous German director, Fritz Lang - who also directed such masterpieces as M and Metropolis. In German, the film was titled Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler (note the word "spieler" can mean … Continue reading Dr. Mabuse The Gambler
Zemlaya (Earth)
Zemlaya (Earth) (1930) Director: Alexander Dovzhenko Zemlaya is silent Soviet propaganda film, and is Dozhenko's best known film in the West. It is part three of his Ukraine trilogy (he only personally directed seven films during his lifetime, before focusing on novels, instead). The story loosely follows a family of farmers in Ukraine, during the … Continue reading Zemlaya (Earth)
The Iron Horse
The Iron Horse (1924) Director: John Ford An early western epic, Ford's The Iron Horse was a massive production. At two and a half hours of running time, it is an extended silent film, even though much of the film was unplanned. It was filmed during a cold winter in the Nevada desert. Ford later said it … Continue reading The Iron Horse
The 39 Steps
The 39 Steps (1935) Director: Alfred Hitchcock The films tells the story of an everyman, Richard Hannay, who watches a performance of a wondrous "memory man" who can recall any fact asked by the audience during a performance in London. Suddenly, chaos ensues and gunshots are fired, and Mr. Hannay finds himself helping a seemingly … Continue reading The 39 Steps
It Happened One Night
It Happened One Night (1934) Director: Frank Capra A wealthy heiress, Ellie Andrews (Claudette Colbert), tries to elope with a pilot, despite her father's misgivings. She runs away and travels on a bus to New York where she meets Pete Warne (Clark Gable), a fired newspaper writer. They go on a many traveling adventures together, … Continue reading It Happened One Night
Orphans of the Storm
Orphans of the Storm (1921) Director: D.W. Griffith Orphans of the Storm is a decent film, though not Griffith's best by any stretch of the imagination. It is the last film to feature of the famous Gish sisters, Lillian and Dorothy. Based on a French story adopted for the American stage, it tells the story of … Continue reading Orphans of the Storm
The Big Country
9/12/2016 The Big Country (1958) Director: William Wyler The Big Country is a great film, and one of the few films to feature Charlton Heston in a supporting role, rather than as the protagonist. It has an all-star cast of Heston, Gregory Peck, Jean Simons, Carroll Baker, and Burl Ives (who won an Academy Award … Continue reading The Big Country
Go West
9/11/2016 Go West (1925) Director: Buster Keaton Go West is a delightful film filled with Keaton's classic gags. It is clearly a precursor to The General with his notable fascination with trains and the old west. Much of the film was shot in Arizona in extremely hot weather and it was not one Buster Keaton's favorite films, though … Continue reading Go West
