Hi
What is the best or worst year is purely subjective and purely down to choice either personal or critical, you pays your money, or in this case you paid your money and you takes your choice.
!938 wasn't a bad year with
The Adventures of Robin Hood with Flynn
Boys Town with Spencer Tracy and Mickey Rooney
Bringing up Baby with Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn
In Old Chicago with Tyronne Power
In England
Pygmalion with Leslie Howard and Wendy Hiller
The Lady Vanishes directed by Hitchcock
The Citadel
& A Yank At Oxford with Robert Taylor
1937
Not such a brilliant year
with only
Disneys Snow White
The Prisoner of Zenda
Lost Horizon
A Star is Born
and a young English theatrical actor making his name in films Laurence Olivier in
Fire Over England.
When Looking at it during the 30s there were some memorable films produced on both sides of the Atlantic.
Regards
Arthur
The Top Movies of 1939
There are 30 replies in this Thread which has previously been viewed 11,228 times. The latest Post () was by WaynamoJim.
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Hi
Getting the next book out 1941 wasn't a bad year either with in no particular order
Flynn in They Died With Their Boots On
Citizen Kane with Joseph Cotton & orson Welles
The Maltese Falcon with Bogart
How Green Was My Valley (Ford)
Western Union Randolph Scott battling Barton McLaine
Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde with two Spencers Tracey's for the price of one.
Regards
Arthur -
Arthur, you bring up an interesting point, and one that may need a little analysis.
It would be hard to bring up 1939 and compare it to 2008. Right now, just getting out of 2008, we don't see the full content what the movies have done with history, since history hasn't been able to judge it fairly. As for 1939, we have 70 years to pick these movies apart, judge the players as legends, see the content of yesterday as the good old days and wishing to be a part of that time and most of all enjoying these movies time and time again. How many times have you seen The Wizard of Oz? I'd bet in most people's case at least a dozen times. How many movies has Clark Gable done since Gone With the Wind? Dozens, I imagine. Did Frank Capra rise to the occasion since Mr. Smith Goes to Washington? I think so. And did John Wayne make better movies since Stagecoach? Absolutely! Not that the movie was bad, but we loved him in other movies.
But I must say that 1939 was a stepping stone for the Golden age of movies. Granted that 1938, 1937 had great movies as well.
Cheers
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Thinking about 1939, and the period itself as well as the economic situation. The time was in the middle of the Great Depression, and most people could not afford to do anything, so movies was the only escape at the time. There were no TVs, no way to take a vacation for most people, and movies were a way for most to forget about their troubles. Today, we have video for all to see, TVs, we can take trips just about anytime, and the economy would allow for most of us to be entertained anytime.
Movies are not the same today. I don't think actors are really acting like they did then. Most movies are in one way or another more animated more than ever, mostly by computer generated figures. It doesn't require casts of thousands. The thousands are computer generated, and costs less with less difficulty. Let's face it, these features are probably added after the live shots are complete. The director and editors do their magic and make their picture what they want.
Back then, they had to possible re shoot a scene multiple times to make it work. I heard that the burning of Atlanta had to be re shot seven times before they were satisfied. Today, the burning of Atlanta wouldn't be shot until the live scenes were done and they went to a computer to add the flames to a city.
What ever happen to creativity? I get board with movies today, so I get out my DVD and watch Gone With The Wind to see the real thing.
Cheers -
Hi Mike
I'm not sure about the number of time they shot the burning of Atlanta I thought it was done in one shot. it was the first thing they did as they wanted to get rid of some old back lots. I also believe its where Vivian Leigh was introduced as the new Scarlett.
Regards
Arthur -
There is a great book about the films of 1939 - HOLLYWOOD'S GOLDEN YEAR: 1939, a 50TH ANNIVERARY CELEBRATION (1989) by Ted Sennett. ISBN 0-312-03361-3. Lots of great photos and film reviews.
Paul
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Nobody has seen Wuthering Heights? Thats a classics guys! check it out! Hound of the baskervilles was pretty good too!
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Hi Arthur! Wasn't CASABLANCA in 1941?
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Hi Arthur! Wasn't CASABLANCA in 1941?
Movie came out in 1942. The release date was actually out January 23, 1943 with limited release in New York City, on Novermber 26, 1942.
Cheers Hondo -
Another great movie from 1939 is "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" starring Charles Laughton. It was also Maureen O'Hara's American debut. She was nineteen years old and breathtakingly beautiful. It also featured Edmund O'Brien and Thomas Mitchell (who had a very busy year).
We deal in lead, friend.
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Another great movie from 1939 is "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" starring Charles Laughton. It was also Maureen O'Hara's American debut. She was nineteen years old and breathtakingly beautiful. It also featured Edmund O'Brien and Thomas Mitchell (who had a very busy year).
We deal in lead, friend.
I was watching The Hunchback Of Notre Dame the other day on TCM. After it was over, host Ben Mankiewicz mentioned the year Thomas Mitchell had. He was in four of the biggest movies of that year, Gone With The Wind, Stagecoach, Mr Smith Goes To Washington, and Hunchback. He won the best supporting actor Oscar for Stagecoach. He probably could've won for any of the four he was in.
