film

=**__Film Forum Recommendations__**=

Below is a list of recommended films in different decades from the early 1940s to the year 2000. That's __60 years of cinema history__! - you should be renting these from Blockbuster or watching out for them on TV. **What should go in the 'noughties?" (From 2000-2009) That's your generation - you are the experts!**


 * __Post To The Film Forum__**

Think about your favourite films. What films should be on this list? Post to our Film Forum with a film you think SHOULD be on this list from the last decade. Why not submit a mini-review like those below on our Film Forum?

media type="custom" key="6499717"

=__List of Classic Films From the 90s:__=

[|American Beauty (1999)]
I saw this film a few days after it came out in the summer of 1999 and fell in love with it. I was quite surprised when it made the final push for the Oscars and won. Most summer movies don't have that kind of lasting power. The story is a simple examination of the American Dream as it looks at a modern suburban family. The film touches on the materialistic ideas of the consumer society, as well as, drug use, adultry, homosexuality, murder, being yourself and living "your" dream. The entire cast is excellent (with Kevin Spacey winning an Oscar), but the dialogue makes this work on it's many levels, from humor, drama, and horror, without being too preachy.

[|Beauty and the Beast (1991)]
This movie is important on so many levels, but mainly for helping to save the art of animation. Looking back before the 90's, the animated movie was dieing a slow death. Disney, the only major company still in the busy of animation, hadn't had a major hit in 25 years or more. In fact, the company was thinking about selling off or closing down this department all together. Under Eisner's new leadership, Disney tried to kickstart the department one last time. The late 80's saw a minor success in "The Little Mermaid", but it wasn't until this film that animation was back on the map. The classic fairy tale, tells of a charming young woman who is trapped in a castle by a ferocious beast. With the help of her new friends, humanized household items, she learns to see beyond the exterior and fall in love. There was inspirations from the classic Jean Cocteau, French film from 1946, but much of the success should go to the musical score by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman (both Oscar winners) who also brought many story ideas to the film as well. The movie would become the first animated film to ever be nominated for a best picture Oscar, and would go on to spawn a TV series, video sequels and a Broadway musical. More importantly, it gave Disney and other studios the courage to start or continue animation. Disney would later give us "Aladdin" and "The Lion King". By 1999, 5 studio (including some in Japan) would have major releases of great animated films.

[|Braveheart (1995)]
When you watch this film, it's amazing to think that this is only Mel Gibson's second time as a director. This sweeping, epic film follows a 13th-century Scotsman as he builds a rebellion against the English King Edward I. The film grows in scale through a series of extremely violent and realistic battles. The movie may be a bit too long with its depressing ending, but it is a passionate, powerful and beautifully visual film to watch. The sequence of Mel Gibson, preparing his men for battle by shouting his emotional speech to the fighting warriors, dressed in their blue face paint, would cause even a chicken to run off into battle.

[|Dances with Wolves (1992)]
While it's a wonder that "Braveheart" was Mel Gibson's second directed film, it's even more astounishing that this film is Kevin Costner's first in the director's chair. An idealistic Civil War soldier asks to be stationed out in the west where he makes friends with a group of Sioux Indians. As he learns about their culture, he decides to leave his "normal" life and join the tribe. The film is eloquently told and beautifully filmed. The Buffalo stampede has an epic feel to it. It makes you wonder what the country was like when these animals roamed the range. The film would go on to win 7 Oscars and appear on AFI's (American Film Institute) top 100 movies of all time.

[|Fargo (1996)]
This is one of those movies that has grown on me. When I first saw it, I just didn't get what all the hype and critical praise was about. It is a murder, cops and robbers type of movie. But through the next year or two, as I began watching and renting similiar movies, I began to realize there isn't anything similiar about it. It truly is an orginal peice of storytelling in a genre that is very old. A genre that has little new added to it in decades, but this film is something different. The story centers around a somewhat timid car salesman who arranges for his wife to be kidnapped. His idea is to keep most of the ransom money, from her wealthy father, for himself. Things, of course, go drastically wrong. The story is funny, shocking, violent and intriguing. Francis McDormand won an Oscar for her wonderful portrayal of the female, pregnant, police officer.

[|Forrest Gump (1994)]
Another one of those films that I saw before the hype hit and I must admit I helped to spread the hype. The second time I saw it, I couldn't figure out what I was thinking. Third time, I loved it. I'm starting to wane again. I think it's one of those films you really have to be in the mood for and get caught up in the story. Tom Hanks plays Forrest Gump, a mentally challenged man who seems to get himself involved in just about every major social event of the late 50's, 60's and 70's. I must admit, the special effects (and there are many) are wonderfully done, as Gump is digitized into news reel footage of actual places and events. It starts losing it appeal as the story enters the 80's and becomes too fragmented, with Forrest going on a marathon around the country, happens to buy stock in Apple, and marries his girlfriend. But to know the 90's, you must see this film.

[|The Fugitive (1993)]
One of the few story that made the move from television to the big screen a pleasure to watch. This wonderful update of the 1960's TV series follows a doctor who is wrongly convicted of murdering his wife. Dr. Kibbel escapes during an amazing train crash and is pursued by a Federal Marshal, an Oscar performance by Tommy Lee Jones, as he tries to find the real killer. The stories cat and mouse chase and near misses reminds me of Hitchcock's great films of the wrong man accused. The brillant performances by both Jones and Harrison Ford are what makes this so fun to watch. The director doesn't make one of them a bad guy. Both are doing what they have to do as each tries to outsmart the other.

[|Goodfellas (1990)]
I don't think I would put this as high as some would (It has no place being on the AFI top 100 of all time), but it should hold a place on a top 20 of the decade. Martin Scorsese brings us a story of a young boy growing up in an Italian-American neighborhood dreaming of becoming part of the mob. It shows a harsh reality of the day to day life of a mobster with some intense violence. Oscar winner, Joe Pesci is excellent and the sequence of him going to be "appointed", I had to rewind and watch a few times. De Niro is great and Ray Liotta holds his own, even the secondary characters are perfectly cast. I think the film drags on a little too long, with the bust at the end being nothing special, but the direction and cinematography are wonderful.

[|Matrix (1999)]
A big surprise of a movie, which may have helped the film. Instead of being marketed and hyped to death before it opened, it teased you enough to want you to see it. The makers created their own mythology for the entire Matrix universe like few other Sci-fi films from the 90's did. The art direction was wonderful and the special effects were amazing. Even beating out "Star Wars: Phantom Menace" for the technical Oscars from 99'. The story centers around a computer hacker named Neo, who is tracked down by a myterious group of black clad strangers. They believe he may be the human's messiah from the virtual reality nightmare that we are really living in, and they go off to do battle with the machines running the world. The opening sequence was jaw-dropping and magical with Catherine Moss jumping, kicking and flying through the air. It became a wonderful bookend with "Terminator 2" for the 90's decade.

[|Pulp Fiction (1994)]
Quentin Tarantino's masterpeice. A film telling the interconnected and overlapping stories of a variety of lowlifes in a non-linear fashion. This non-linear story telling, although not new, would soon be know in Hollywood as Tarantinasque. It revitalized John Travolta's career, who played a hitman along with Samuel L. Jackson, whose philosopical debates were a highlight. In fact all the dialogue was quite special with the film becoming one of the most recited from the 90's. The film deals with many violent and criminal themes, and is certainly not for everyone, but was a landmark in film history.

[|Saving Private Ryan (1998)]
The first 20 minutes of Speilberg's film, showing the invasion of D-Day is one of the most realistic and horrific portrayals of war that has ever been filmed, and is an absolute masterpeice! If you saw it in the theater with THX sound, you would have swore bullets were flying all around you. The images, sound, editing, camera work, everything is perfect. The plot deals with a small group of soldiers who are sent behind enemy lines to bring back the only surviving brother of a family who has already lost 4 sons. Although, there are some interesting and moral issues raised, the middle of the film is a bit slow. Technically, the film is great and the color and tinting of the film makes it look like news reel fotage. But the first 20 mintue, along with "Schidler's List" should be mandatory viewing for all high school students!

[|Schindler's List (1993)]
Steven Speilberg's ultimate Masterpeice. The film follows the "true" story of Oscar Schindler, a war profiteer who initially prospers by sucking up to the Nazis, but eventually goes broke saving the lives of over 1000 Polish Jews in his factory. Filmed on location in Poland and shot almost entirely in black and white. Nothing could be changed to make this film better, everything is perfect. Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, and Ralph Fiennes all give outstanding performances. The cinematography is breathtaking and the music, by John Williams is sorrowful and haunting. It appeared on the AFI (American Film Intistute) Listed as the #9 movie of all time and it has been said that the holocaust will never be viewed in the same way.

[|Seven (1995)]
I still remember seeing this film for the first time and how it haunted me for days. This is one of those films that really plays with your mind. If you ask anyone about the murders I'm sure you'll get a different answer from each person. Like Hitchcock's "Pyscho" that never showed the knife cutting anything in the shower scene, "Seven" shows very little. But the film is so moody and haunting in all aspects; visually, sound, lighting and music, and shows just enough that your mind fills in the blanks, many times worse than what could be shown on screen. The story follows one new and one old, about to retire, dectective on the trail of a serial killer. The murderer stages gruesome killings inspired by the seven deadly sins. Like Hannibal Lector in "Silence of the Lambs", the killer is so intellegent and plans his moves so far ahead the he makes everyone do or find just what he wants you to find. Amazing performances by Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, and Kevin Spacey. Not for the faint of heart.

[|Shakespeare in Love (1998)]
This was another one of those films that I was lucky enough to see on the first week it opened before the hype hit. It became my favorite film from 98', but was somewhat surprised of it's best Oscar win. The movie is a historical and realistic "looking" film set in Shakespearean England. It follows the trails of William Shakespeare as he gets writers block and tries to find inspiration through women to write his new play "Ethel, the Pirates Daughter." It becomes an intellegent, romantic and humorous fiction that examine "what might have happened" to this young playwrite. The film also gives an interesting view of the woman's place in this society. Gyenthe Paltrow gives a wonderful performance of a noble woman who yearns to be a player on stage, but must follow the rules and orders of her family and culture. The scenes from "Romeo and Juilet" are a wonderful recreation of what theater must have been like back then. A very enjoyable film.

[|The Shawshank Redemption (1994)]
One of my personal favorites. This over 2 hour movie was actually inspired by a 15 page Stephen King short story. A straight-laced banker is accused of murdering his wife and her lover and sent to prison for life. The film follows his time in jail as he befriends a few fellow prisoners as well as the sadistic jail warden. The film pulls on many emotions and has a somewhat uplifting ending. The leads, played by Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, work so well together you can truly feel the friendship build over the decades that they are imprisoned. Although this film didn't do very well in it's initial film release, it began to get a huge following once it was available on video and is one of the highest ranked 90's movies on the Internet Movie Database.

[|Silence of the Lambs (1991)]
One of the only "horror" movies to ever win any kind of recognition, let alone sweep the Oscars (with the top 5 awards; Picture, Actor, Actress, Director & Screenplay). The story centers around a female FBI trainee who seeks the help of a extremely intelligent mad man, "Hannibal" Lector, to help catch a serial killer. Although some of the scenes are extremely hard to watch because of the violence and intensity, the brilliant acting is what makes this so watchable and haunting. This film, and possibly the movie "Seven" (1995), are in a class all by themselves in the horror/suspense genre.

[|Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)]
James Cameron directed this sequel to his 1984 film "Terminator". Although, it isn't necessary to have seen the first film, it helps set up one of the first surprises. A cyborg from the future is sent back to protect the soon to be savior of the world from another cyborg killer. Cameron continued to push the technology limits on this film. His use of computer images and morphing were state of the art at the time, and the surround sound was amazing. If you go into a store to purchase a surround sound system, this is still one of the movies they show. The scene showing a nuclear blast is one of the most horrific and haunting sequence in film.

[|Titanic: (1997)]
The epic story of the first and only voyage of the R.M.S. Titanic. The director, James Cameron, combined the fictious love story of Rose and Jack with amazing special effects and elaborate details. The audience gets a real feel for what it must have been like to be on the imfamous oceanliner both before and while it was sinking. Actual footage of the wreckage is used to bookend the film with a modern day story of salvagers looking for missing treasure. Although the filming and release date were delayed months and the budget skyrocketed to the largest ever, the movie would go on to become the highest grossing film of all time, taking in over $500 million worldwide. It would make a star out of Leo DiCaprio and bring an Oscar nomination to Gloria Stuart (a leading lady from the 1930's).

[|Toy Story (1995)]
Besides for being a great movie and producing a great sequel in 1999. This film will be known throughout film history as the first completely computerized, full length, animated film. The story follows a boy's favorite toy, a cowboy doll named Woody, who feels threaten by a new Birthday present, a spaceman named Buzz Lightyear, but Buzz doesn't realize he's a toy. They slowly becomes friends as they fight to save some toys from the evil next door neighbor. Like "Snow White and Seven Dwarves" (1937), the first full length animated film, it's amazing that the first of it's kind would be so good. There are a few reasons for this. One, the story is so thought out. If only live action films would have this much humor, feeling and poignance. Two, the film is littered with fun, likable characters. And Three, the Pixar studio created some incredible computer images. The body language and facial expressions from the two leads are amazing. The film would win a special Oscar for it's innovation.

[|Usual Suspects (1995)]
One of those great movies, that after I saw it for the first time I just had to watch it again. The story centers around five career criminals that get picked up for a line-up. While in jail, they decide to work together to pull off a job. The partnership works for awhile until a big time crime figure asks them to work for him. Who is this crime figure? Figuring that out it the beauty of the story. The last 15 minutes is so jaw dropping....so "No way!", as the plot resolves itself. All the casting and performances are perfect, but it's the story (that won the Oscar) that makes the movie special.

__Some More Classics__ __:__
These are those special moments from the movies that once you see them you will never forget them. The rest of the movie might not stay with you, but these shots or sequences are now emblazed in your psyche. It may be a special effect, or an actor or actress, or the cinematography, but these are the moments that movies were made for!

[|"Don't go downstairs!"] Is what you will be shouting at the end of "**THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT"** a masterful ghost film or a gimmick to create a multi-media event? It is both. The picture, shot on super 8 video and 16mm film displayed in a squared, documentary-like frame, is quirky, annoying, and spectacularly scary. The scenes at night quite frankly scared the hell out of me. The gimmick that THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT is created confusion and wonder over whether or not the footage shot was real life. Now, we all know the truth, but the French term 'cinema verite' is defined by this grisly film.

A guaranteed cult classic, BLAIR WITCH has "Heather, Mike, and Josh" heading off into the allegedly hexed woods of Maryland looking for the Blair Witch or whatever else may exist up in those hills. For most of the film, it is very unclear. The beginning excerpts ingeniously set up the three participants to believe they are a) experiencing the supernatural, b) being played like a fiddle by the suspicious townspeople or c) just completely out of their minds. Its up to the viewer to decide but my money is on option A.

[|The Only Way to Make A Clay Pot (1990):] Parick Swayze and Demi Moore start a huge interest in pottery, when clay and the Righteous Brothers are used as foreplay in **"Ghost".**

[|"Life sucks"] in this slacker comedy about a bunch of Generation X-ers searching for their place in the world while getting high, starring Winona Ryder and Ethan Hawke in Ben Stiller's directorial debut "**Reality Bites"**

[|The Charm of Small Town America (1991):] Michael J. Fox led a wonderful cast of secondary characters through "Doc Hollywood".

[|I Dream of Genie (1992)]Robin Williams hilarious blue genie from "**Aladdin".**

[|Sharon Stone Crosses her Legs (1992)]Yes, sex continues to sell movies! When Sharon Stone crosses her legs in an interrogation room from "**Basic Instinct**". We realize that she's only wearing a dress!

[|The Realization that We Can't Handle the Truth (1992)]Jack Nicholson and Tom Cruise screaming at each other in **"A Few Good Men".**

[|Daniel Day-Lewis and Madeleine Stowe running through the woods. (1992)]The beautifully sounding and filmed version of James Cooper's **"Last of the Mohicans".**

[|The First Sighting of Dinosaurs in "Jurassic Park" (1993):] One of those jaw dropping moments from the movies. When the jeep pulls up into a clearing in "**Jurassic Park"** and you see Sam Neill slowly stand up in awe, you wonder what's up. Then the camera cuts over to this enormous Dinosaur eating from the top of a tree. It was the most realistic Dinosaur we have ever seen and it was amazing. Only to be outdone by an T-Rex chasing Jeff Goldblum and us in a jeep.

[|I Can't Drive 55 (1994):] "**Speed"** brought us the cool speeding bus that kept our hearts pumping, of course Sandra Bullock helped too.

[|"Houston, We Have a Problem" (1995):] The haunting words from Tom Hanks inside Apollo 13, as the spacecraft begins to malfunction!

[|The White House is Blown-Up by Aliens (1996):] We were shown this image for the first time during the Super Bowl of 96' even though the film wasn't released until the Fourth of July. Although "**Independence Day"** was just an updated and great looking 'B' sci-fi movie from the 50's, this one image helped pack people into the theaters.

[|Tom Cruise as a Marionette (1996):] Although "**Mission Impossible"** was somewhat confusing, the sequence of Tom Cruise breaking into a vault suspended from a few wires made our hearts stop.

[|The Swing Set (1996):] The short lived but wonderful swing movement, helped out by a "money" cast, in "**Swingers"**.

[|What A Wonderful New Do (1998):] Mary's hair in **"There's Something About Mary".**

[|This Ain't No Ordinary Kitchen Knife (1998):] The swordfighting in **"The Mask of Zorro".** There hasn't been swordfights like that in decades.

[|The Final Lightsabre Duel in "The Phantom Menace" (1999)] Although thi didn't seem to carry the same wonder and magic from the first Star Wars trilogy, the stunts, editing and music from the final lightsabre duel were breathtaking.

===This is my own personal list of the top films of the 80's. It includes my own views, as well as views from e-mails, other critics and websites. I tried to include films from all the main genres; including, war, horror, sci-fi, romance, kid's, etc. As well as movies that were groundbreaking from a technology point of view or changed the industry in some way. I did not include foreign filmsl. The top films are placed in alphabetical order. Each are great in their own way and would be quite difficult to arrange in a 1-20 list. The movie titles are linked to the IMDB (Internet Movie Database) which contains extra information on each film, including the cast and crew. To get back to my site from this link, you will need to use the "back" button. By viewing these 20 films, I believe you will have a great feel for what the American film was all about in the 80's.===

[|Aliens (1986)]
James Cameron takes this sequel of Ridley Scott's orginal "Alien" (1979) to new levels of terror and suspense. Like the first film, it's hard to put this movie into a specific genre. It has a setting of outer space, so it gets the label of Sci-Fi, but it has more characteristics with horror and action films. Sigourney Weaver stars as Ripley, a "space" cargo worker, who is forced to journey back to a planet, with a group of space Marines, to investigate the loss of communication with a space colony. Ripley believes that the problem may stem from the same indestuctible creature that haunted her in the first film. Unfortunately for her, and the rest of the group, this creature has multipied tenfold and brought along its mother. The action, suspense, art direction and creature design makes this a heart pounding thrill ride, and even though the hero of this series is a female, she shines brighter than most of the male action stars that littered the 80's movie houses.

[|Amadeus (1984)]
In a very weak year for movies, this film was so far superior than anything else that it swept the Oscars. Taken from the brillant Broadway play of the same name, it tells the story of the young, outrageous, musical genius, Amadeus Mozart and the jealous, older, court composer, Salieri. Rumors abound that Salieri may have helped in the death of Mozart. Milos Forman gave great direction, along with amazing art production, and how can you go wrong with a soundtrack of Mozart!!!! The only problem I have with the film is Tom Hulce as Mozart. He gives a great performance, but every time I see him I think of "Animal House". Although, I love this film, I'm not sure it deserves being named on the AFI list of the top 100 films of all time, but it is there at number 53.

[|Back to the Future (1985)]
This movie has always just made me smile. It blends science fiction, fantasy and comedy. Michael J. Fox stars as a teenager from the 80's who accidently travels back to the 50's with a time machine invented by the crazy scientist, Doc. Brown, played wonderfully by Christopher Lloyd. He meets his parents as teenagers and must reunite them so as not to alter the future and his own existence. It contains high production values, great special effects and sound, but it's the screenplay and actors who make this one shine. Looking back on this movie now, I believe this is the quinessential 80's film. Since the film wanted to play up the differences and humor between the 2 eras, they had to emphasis the cultures even more. Because of this, the film becomes a time capsule of the 80's themselves, from the star, clothes, language, music (supplied by Huey Lewis and the News) and look. It spawned an amusement park ride and 2 sequels which were good, but never reached the simple, charming feel of this film.

[|Blade Runner (1982)]
One of the most influential science fiction films in it's style and setting. Ridley Scott combined bits from the 1920's classic "Metropolis" and Film Noir elements from the 50's to create a dark, overpopulated, polluted, technology driven city. The look was so realistic, that it didn't seem too far off and quite possible for the future. The story follows a bounty hunter on the trail of 4 androids who have come back to Earth to try and find their maker and have him fix the self-destruct program built into them. The film brings up many moral and religious issues. The director's cut of this film suggests even more interesting ideas, with the possiblity that the P.I. may be one of these androids himself. It's also quite interesting that the film lacks much dialogue (compared to most films of this time) and works like a silent film.

[|Blue Velvet (1986)]
Writer/director David Lynch sets this unusual tale of murder, torture and sex in small town America. Two innocent college students, played by Kyle MacLachlan and Laura Dern, discover a human ear in a field and it leads them on a trail to a sultry lounge singer played by Isabella Rossellini. He soon discovers that she is in a bizzare relationship with a psychopath played by Dennis Hopper. This manic has supposedly kidnapped her husband and son and is making her succumb to his sexual fantasies, which turn into S & M torture that she seems to enjoy. It's a distrubing film that never lets the viewer off easy.

[|Brazil (1985)]
This surrealist, black comedy tells of a future society that is drowning in its own bureaucracy. A preoccupied paper clerk, played by Jonthan Pryce, clings to his own ideals and dreams when he is thrown into a Orwellian nightmare due to a computer malfunction. Director Terry Gilliam, of Monty Python fame, applies English wit to his elborate vision. The art direction and production design is astonishing, especially the dream sequence of Pryce flying through the air with the love of his life. The film tends to be a bit too long, with the second half repeating many of the same issues. But there are many star cameos, by Robert DeNiro, Bob Hopkins and Ian Holm, and Katherine Helmond's surrealist appearance is pure fun. A creative sparkle to the cookie cutter films of the 80's.

[|The Breakfast Club (1985)]
This is the movie that I got talked into putting on this list. I must admit, I was never a big "Breakfast Club" fan, but I do acknowledge that this film is the meaning of life to many generation Xer's, and has become a huge generational, cultural icon. The story is the simple tale of an assorted group of high school misfits; the jock, geek, princess, etc., who grow to become friends while serving weekend detention. The movie was directed by John Hughes who made his living out of these teenage films. In fact, the 80's were filled with some of the best (and cheesiest) films from this genre. I included a special section on the [|80's "teen angst"] film on a seperate page. But be forewarned B.C. lovers, I don't know how long this film will remain on this list!

[|Bull Durham (1988)]
Some people consider this one of the best sport's movies ever made. It is humorous, sexy and takes a serious, personal look at many aspects of a baseball players life including streaks, both good and bad, superstitions, thoughts in the batters box, making it to the big leagues, and becoming too old for the sport you love to play. It follows "Crash" Davis (Kevin Costner), an older player, who is brought to the Durham Bulls to teach an up and coming pitcher (Tim Robbins) the skills he needs to make it in the majors. One of the groupies of the team (Susan Sarandon) believes this is her job as well, but she goes about it in a little different way! The film works nicely on many different levels.

[|Do the Right Thing(1989)]
This is still Spike Lee's best film to date. Lee, the most influential African American director working today made this stylistic and stirring movie almost completely by himself, writing, producing, directing and co-starring. It tells of the events in a Brooklyn neighborhood on one of the hottest days of the year. It's not just the heat that's boiling over, but racial tension between a group of blacks and Italians. An Italian pizza restaurant owner, that Lee is a delivery boy for, soon finds himself on one side of the neighborhood war. Spike Lee never takes sides as he delivers a powerful drama with a great cast of characters and images.

[|The Empire Strikes Back (1980)]
My personal favorite Star Wars picture (and many seem to agree)! For those of you not from this planet, this is George Lucas' space saga that takes from the early movie serials, western stories, the nazi empire and mythology to tell a tale of good vs. evil. All the main characters are back from the orginal movie Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Princess Leia, C3-PO and R2-D2 and Darth Vader. This film adds some of the best new characters into the mix: Yoda, the Jedi Master, Boba Fett, the ultimate bounty hunter, and Lando. It brings us to some of the most interesting settings: Hoth, the ice planet, Dagobah's swamp, an asteroid field and Bespin, the city in the clouds. And the film pushed visual effects to an all-time high. I think a lot of success should be given to Irvin Kersher, who directed this film and was able to have the right vision, style and feel for this picture, that really hasn't been seen in the series since. The lightsaber duel and final story twist are still the best in the series with the humor and romance just right.

[|E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)]
This film is the simple story of a little green alien being left behind on planet Earth and making friends with a 10-year-old boy as he tries to send a message back home for rescue. This was Speilberg's second "Science-Fiction" film after 1977's "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and he changed the way space aliens were viewed. Gone were the 40's - 60's aliens who were just coming to Earth to take it over or destroy it. Speilberg's aliens were friendly. They want to be our friends, but it is us who are hunting them. Just about every adult in this film is the bad guy with their faces hidden in the dark or with scary space suits. Only the children understand. The visual effects, specifically the creature design, are stellar. It's quite amazing the emotion Speilberg got from the animatronic E.T., the small actor Henry Thomas and a very young Drew Barrymore. Some people have stated that this is just a retelling of the Christ story; Coming to Earth, healing, death, resurrection and ascension to heaven. I see the similiarities, but that may be pushing it. It spawned an amusement park ride, but luckily no sequel. The film was the highest moneymaking film for about 10 years and truely a part of film mythology. It appears on AFI's list of top 100 films of all time at number 25.

[|Platoon (1986)]
I still remember seeing this film opening weekend in a 2000 seat, sold-out theater. When the movie ended there was not a sound from anyone. I'm not sure if it was from shock or as a small memorial to the hell that so many Americans had endured during the Vietnam War. Writer/director Oliver Stone brought his shattering account of the Vietnam War in this first of three films ("Born of the Fourth of July" and "Heaven and Earth" being the other two). The story views the war through the eyes of a young soldier who enlisted by choice. He finds himself in a platoon run by two sergeants on opposite sides of the sanity spectrum, played wonderfully by William Defoe and Tom Berenger. But it is the all too real, chaotic, battle footage, intensified by the quick editing and camera motion, that will shake all who see it.

[|The Princess Bride (1987)]
This is a movie that every aspect of the production was just right: story and script (taken from the William Goldman book) casting, directing by Rob Reiner, and art production. The movie begins with a grandfather arriving at his sick grandson's house to read him a book. The story tells of a farm boy who has fallen in love with a maiden named Buttercup, but must leave to find a fortune, so he can marry her. While gone, he's supposedly killed by the Dread Pirate Roberts. Five years pass and the evil Prince Humperdink wants to take Buttercup, as his bride. She becomes kidnapped by a trio of likable mercenaries only to be pursued by a mysterious man in black. The sick grandson occasionally interupts the movie to make comments only a small boy would make which just added to its fairy tale charm. The movie is filled with memorable characters and some of the most recitable dialogue of the 80's.

[|Radiers of the Lost Ark (1981)]
Not only is this the best adventure movie of the 80's, but could very well be the best of all time. Steven Speilberg, George Lucas and Harrison Ford helped to create one of the most memorable characters ever made solely for the movies, Indiana Jones. Jones is a part-time professor, part-time archaeologist, who travels the world during the early and mid 20th century looking for artifacts. Two U.S. government officials come to ask for his help after secret transmissions reveal that Hitler may have found the anicent city of Tanis; the buried city that may be the location of the lost ark of the covenant. This ark, from the Bible, is said to hold ultimate power for any army who controls it. Indy heads off, with bullwhip and fedora in tow, to try and locate the ark before the Nazis do and the action never stops. John Williams creates one of the Classic Musical Themes. The stuntwork and special effects were outstanding. The opening fifteen mintues work as a silent, short film in and of itself. It has nothing to do with the story as a whole, has very little dialogue, but is such a classic cinematic sequence it's hard to imagine the movie world without it. It sets up the feel; through art production, music, and action on what was to come. It went on to spawn 2(?) sequels, a TV show, books, a role-playing and video games, and amusement park rides. It rightfully appears on the AFI list of greatest movies at number 60.

[|Raging Bull (1980)]
Said by many to be the best film of the 80's, this is one of those films that at times is difficult to watch and at others mesmerizing to the eyes. Martin Scorsese develops a compelling drama about the boxer Jake LaMotta, from his early rise as a boxing champion, to his possible throwing of a match, being kicked out of the sport, his jealousy and abuse of his wife, being accused of sinful crimes and finally dabbling in Stand-up comedy. One of the starkest glimpses of the human soul put down on film, this is not a uplifting, feel-good movie. But while the story is grim, it is the acting and construction of the film that is masterful! Scorsese worked with black-and-white visuals and a variety of film speeds, edits and angles to create the feel of the mid-20th century boxing world. He shot each boxing match a little differently and it truely is a textbook for editing and cinematography. The acting is superb with rookies Joe Pesci and Cathy Moriarty nominated for Supporting Oscars, but it is Robert DeNiro giving an amazing performance, aging (and adding 50 pounds by the end of the film) before our eyes. One of the last scenes of him standing before the mirror reciting Brando's "Contender" speech from "On the Waterfront" is haunting.

[|Sex, Lies and Videotape (1989)]
This film's biggest impact was how it was made. All of the 80's movie industry was interested in making money. They did this by buying out the smaller movie companies and sticking with cookie-cutter blockbusters (especially through sequels) that made lots of money, but had very little substance. This film was made without a studio company and with a budget of about $3 million. Known as an independent film, it would soon make more money, percentage wise, than any other film to that date and it would begin the creative "Indie" films of the 90's. The story centers around a yuppie lawyer who is cheating on his beautiful wife with her carefree sister. One of his old school buddies shows up and begins interviewing people, especially the lawyer's wife, on videotape. The conversations become more intimate and so does their relationship questioning the lawyer's double standard. This was director Steven Soderbergh's first film and went on to win the Cannes Film Festival's top honor. It was the closest an American film would come to the Ingmar Bergman style.

[|The Terminator (1984)]
This film is part science fiction, part action/chase movie. In the future, the machine's have taken over the world and the humans are struggling to survive. An indistructible killing machine is sent back to the present to kill the woman who would give birth to the savior of the world. A rebel fighter also makes the journey back to try and save her. Made with a relative small budget, the movie contained many supenseful action sequences and wonderful animatronic, stop-motion special effects, as the bounty hunter's skin was slowly detroyed to reveal the machine underneath. This was only director James Cameron's second film and it would make a star out of Schwarzenegger as an action hero. He, along with Stalone and Willis, would create a string of action films that littered the 80's movie houses, each becoming progressively worse. The film would lead to a blockbuster sequel in the 90's and one of the best 3-D amusement park rides.

[|Tootsie (1982)]
Like the classic "Some Like It Hot", this film goes into crossdressing territory. Dustin Hoffman plays an unemployed actor who decides to dress in drag and tryout for a soap opera. "Dorothy" gets the role and slowly begins to fall in love with one of his female costars, played by Jessica Lange. The humor is supplied by the strange situations, usually accuring in a genderbending comedy, and from the supporting cast of Bill Murray and Teri Garr. The film doesn't play just for laughs, but gives a heartfelt look at relationships between the sexes. It enjoyed a brief reign as the most successful comedy of all time, and appears on the AFI lists of greatest and funniest films.

[|Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)]
It's hard to imagine this film ever being made, especially during the 80's when big business just wanted to make money. "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" was a film that combined live action and animation together so fluidly you actually believed real people could visit the fictious Toon Town. A good animated film (especially one combined with live action) hadn't been prohibitible or attempted in a good 15 years. Most company had closed or were thinking about closing their animation departments. When the Disney studio decided on this gamble, they soon found out the technology to create such a production would have a larger price tag and take an extra year or more to create. The next hurtle was Toon Town itself. Sure Disney could inhibit this town with just 'Disney" characters, but needing the extra backing went to other studios for money and the use of their signature animated characters. Amazingly, Warner Brothers agreed. This animated backlot, where all the animated people lived, could now hold both Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny, Daffy and Donald Duck, and hundreds of others. Disney was also able to create two wonderful new creations in Roger and Jessica Rabbit. (Both of which they could do more with, but don't seem to bother). Bob Hopkins, wonderfully acts as the P.I. who must journey into this animated world to solve a case. The movie went on to make tons of money, receive a special Oscar for it's technology breakthrough and along with "The Little Mermaid" (see below) help to fuel the second golden age of animation!

[|When Harry Met Sally... (1989)]
This is Rob Reiner's second film on the list. This wonderful romantic comedy harkens back to the golden days of Hollywood. Nora Ephron's script sparkles with humor, intelligence and a simple conversation style that relates to the way normal people might talk. This style would go on to effect other film and T.V. (Seinfeld) dialogue. The cast of Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan shine together as likable, quirky characters who develop a relationship over a 10 year period. It made a star out of Harry Connick, who arranged old music standards for the film. The scene of Sally in the resturant showing off a woman's acting abilities is timeless, with Reiner's own mother adding the classic line, "I'll have what she's having!"

These are those special moments from the movies that once you see them you will never forget them. The rest of the movie might not stay with you, but these shots or sequences are now emblazed in your psyche. It may be a special effect, or an actor or actress, or the cinematography, but these are the moments that movies were made for!

[|God's Mission (1980):]John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd would bring the famous duo, **"The Blues Brothers"**, to the screen.

[|"Heeeeeerrrrreeeee'sssss Johnny"(1980):]Jack Nicholson chopping through the door to meet his wife and son in "**The Shining."**

[|A Cinderella Story(1980):]Bill Murray chasing the gopher around in "**CaddyShack"**

[|"Do the 'truffle shuffle'!!!] - Classic adventure film "**The Goonies"** about kids searching rich stuff, encountering ridiculous gangsters and 'one-eyed Willy!"

[|The Sword of Power (1981)]"**Excalibur":** The best looking and sounding film of the King Arthur tale.

[|Now That's A Werewolf (1981):] The transformation of a man into a werewolf was so amazing in "**An American Werewolf in London**" that the Oscars came up with a new category, "Best Make-Up", which it won!

[|Gandhi Lives (1982)]Ben Kingsley is "**Gandhi"**

[|"They're Here" (1982):] Spielberg helps bring us one of the scariest Haunted Houses in **"Poltergeist".** Would help to form the new PG-13/12A rating.

[|The Birth of a Boy's Hormones (1982):]Pheobe Cates exists in the pool in "**Fast Times at Ridgemont High"**

[|The Things You'd Do For Some Gas (1982)]The futuristic setting, famous chase sequences and Mel Gibson in black leather make **"Road Warrior**" a classic.

[|Boldly Going (1982-1986):] The **"Star Trek"** crew make an enjoyable jump to the big screen in their second through fourth movies, bringing back the great villian Khan, killing off Spock and saving the whales! Still the best in the series.

[|Just Take Those Old Undies Off The Shelf (1983)]All you need are some undies, sunglasses and a dream. Tom Cruise slides across the floor in **"Risky Business".**

[|Don't Forget the Tissues (1983):] Shirley MacLaine and Debra Winger takes us on an emotional rollercoaster ride in "**Terms of Endearment".**

[|Baring a little Shoulder (1983):] Jennifer Beals tells the Cinderella story of an erotic dancing steel worker!?! Starts the fashion treads of leg warmer and big sweaters. Also gives many of us our first look at break dancing.

[|"He Slimed Me" (1984):] One of the funniest movies of the decade came from a group of **"Ghostbusters**" assigned to rid Manhattan of ghosts.

[|What A Ride (1984):] Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas sliding down a muddy slope in "**Romancing the Stone".**

[|You Should Really Cut Those Nails (1984):] Freddy Krueger arrives on **Elm Street** with the coolest weapons ever.

[|You'll Need A Bigger Swatter (1986):] Jeff Goldblum's creepy transformation into "**The Fly".**

[|"I Feel the Need, the Need for Speed" (1986):] Tom Cruise flies across the screen in **"Top Gun" -** personal favourite - "You can be my wingman, anytime!"

[|"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it!"(1986):] The mantra of Ferris Bueller in **"Ferris Bueeler's Day Off"....** on his day off.

[|Didn't I Date You Once (1987):] Glenn Close gives the psychotic other woman new meaning as she cooks up the pet rabbit in "**Fatal Attraction**". Every married man across the country was affected by the original bunny boiler!.

[|The Land of China (1987):] The beauty that was "**The Last Emperor"**

[|The Games We Play (1988):] The power play between John Malkovich and Glenn Close in "**Dangerous Liaisons**" - later remade for teenagers as "**Cruel Intentions"** with Buffy's Sarah Michelle Gellar and Ryan Phillipe in the late 90s..

[|A Child At Heart (1988):] Tom Hanks as a "**Big"** kid.

[|The Man with Nine Lives (1988):] Bruce Willis makes one of the best action films EVER in **"Die Hard".**

[|Drawing Under the Sea (1989):] The start of the second coming of Disney Animation with **"The Little Mermaid".**

[|Under the Sea, Part 2(1989):] James Cameron takes us under the ocean in **"The Abyss"** and created the first use of computer generated images. CGI would become common place by the end of the next decade.

[|A Piano Has Never Looked So Good (1989):] Michelle Pfeiffer, dressed in red, singing and sliding across a piano in **"The Fabulous Baker Boys".**

[|The Best Bat Joke (1989):] Tim Burton's vision and Jack Nicholson's over the top performance as the Joker in "**Batman".**

[|"If You Build It, They Will Come" (1989)] The haunting words coming from the cornfield that leads Kevin Costner to build a baseball diamond on his farm, in **"Field of Dreams**". This baseball field is still one of the biggest tourist attractions in Iowa.

===This is my own personal list of the top films of the 70's. It includes my own views, as well as views from e-mails, other critics and websites. I tried to include films from all the main genres; including, war, horror, sci-fi, romance, kid's, etc. As well as movies that were groundbreaking from a technology point of view or changed the industry in some way. I did not include foreign films. The top films are placed in alphabetical order. Each are great in their own way and would be quite difficult to arrange in a 1-20 list. The movie titles are linked to the IMDB (Internet Movie Database) which contains extra information on each film, including the cast and crew. To get back to my site from this link, you will need to use the "back" button. By viewing these 20 films, I believe you will have a great feel for what the American film was all about in the 70's.===

[|American Graffiti (1973)]
Before George Lucas became known as the man who created the Star Wars universe, he made another classic film, "American Graffiti". Francis Ford Coppola helped finance less than one million dollars, to this still somewhat unknown Lucas and his movie, which ended up being one of the top grossing films to this date. Based on Lucas's memories of his own teen years in Modesto, California, the film pays tribute to the innocent era of the early 60's. A time of driving around in cars with the top down, picking up girls, eating hamburgers at the drive-in, and listening to the radio. The soundtrack contains all the classics of the early rock era, and the cast would soon be all quite well known; Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfuss, Cindy Williams, Mackenzie Phillips, Suzanne Sommers, Wolfman Jack and Harrison Ford. Appears on AFI's Best Movies of all time list at 77.

[|Annie Hall (1977)]
This wonderful and humorous movie is based on the real life romance of the director and star, Woody Allen and the female lead Diane (nicknamed Annie) Keaton (real last name Hall). Woody Allen plays his basic neurotic, Jewish, New Yorker who is having relationship troubles, psychologically, religiously and culturally. The film follows his on-again, off-again relationship with Keaton, the all American midwest girl, told through flashbacks, monologues and short sequences. The film established Allen as a major director and Keaton started a fashion trend with her baggy pants, vest and hat. The movie is filled with classic lines and scenes, with my personal favorite being the couples first date, standing on a roof deck giving small talk, with subtitles below telling the audience what they are really thinking. Appears on AFI's Best Movies of all time list at 31.

[|Apocalypse Now (1979)]
Francis Ford Coppola's nightmarish look at the Vietnam war. Inspired by Joseph Conrad's book, "Heart of Darkness", the story follows Captain Willard (played by Martin Sheen) and his danger-filled journey to find a man named Kurtz. This mysterious man, played by Marlon Brando, is a highly decorated U.S. officer that the army believes has gone mad. He has hid himself deep in the jungle and is posing as an idol to a native Cambodian tribe. The photography by Vittorio Storaro is mesmerizing and contains a kaleidoscope of war horrors. The ending is a little too surreal, murky and confusing, but I guess that sums up the war as well. I must admit, I was never a huge fan of this film, but I understand its artistic merit. Robert Duvall's scene showing him leading a armored assault on a beach, with Wagner's music blaring in the background, is a haunting image of the thirst for war by some people. Appears on AFI's Best Movies of all time list at 28 (Much too high).

[|Cabaret (1972)]
One of the great things about making up these lists is the chance to revisit films I haven't seen in a long time and take another look. I put this movie on when I was writing this list and was happy to see Bob Fosse's classic musical again. It is very sad to think that this is possiblily the last great musical to come out of Hollywood. I'm not sure what happen to this genre, but it needs to be brought back!!! One of surprises about this film was the fact that it really took the musical into a new direction. The early musicals consisted of boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy wins girl. A little conflict began to appear in "Oklahoma", "South Pacific", and "West Side Story", but they were still somewhat tame. "Cabaret" blew that all away. The story begins in Germany around 1931. The Nazis have not taken complete control of the country yet, and the local Cabaret is filled with fun, laughter and bawdy entertainment. An American singer, working at the club, begins to fall in love with a very proper Englishman. As the relationship grows, we begin to see the country slowly falling apart around them. Only in the 70's, could a film begin to portray bisexuality, easy women, and the horrors of Nazism with such taste. The movie was a star vehicle for Liza Minnelli, but I think the true star was Joel Grey as the "host" of the KitKat Club. Bob Fosse directed the film like no musical seen before, too bad others didn't pick up the trend.

[|Chinatown (1974)]
This wonderful homage to the film noir of the 50's contains all the vintage elements. The film is set in Los Angeles during the 1930's. Jack Nicholson plays J.J. Gittes, a somewhat seedy private investigator who takes on a simple sounding case of infidelity. Faye Dunaway is the femme fatale who pulls Gittes into a complex mystery of false identities, investment schemes, controlling of the water supply and incest. Roman Polanski directs a moody picture from Robert Towne's wonderful script inspired by Chandler. Polanski also makes a cameo in the picture as a thug with a knife. The production design perfectly creates L.A. of the 30's and the tempo of the film accelerates as it pulls you deeper into the mystery. Appears on AFI's Best Movies of all time list at 19.

[|The Clockwork Orange (1971)]
This movie has haunted me for quite some time. I'm not sure how old I was when I first saw it, but I know it was quite young, too young to understand what was going on. My brother had brought it home on video and I watched in horror. Is this what the future had in story for me? I had nightmares for days. This film still scares me, mainly because of how much of it seems to be coming true. The story is set in the not to distant future and centers around Alex (played by Malcolm McDowell) and his gang of "Droogs" whose purpose in life is to cause "a bit of the old ultraviolence". They search for innocent people that they can beat-up, torture, rape and kill. After a burtal assault, made even more terrifying with the joyful song "Signin in the Rain" being sung, Alex is captured by police and is sent to a reprogramming center. He is released after being brainwashed to decriminalize him. The question is, does this truly work? Taken from the Anthony Burgess novel, Stanley Kubrick continued with his amazing run of unique, creative and visually stunning motion pictures. This is NOT for everyone's taste and was orginally released with an X rating because of the violence. Most videos contain the R version, which is still shocking. Appears on AFI's Best Movies of all time list at 46.

[|Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)]
Speilberg's second major release proved to the world that "Jaws" wasn't a one hit wonder for this young director, who also wrote the story for this film. And unlike most directors, Speilberg did not let the amazing special effects take away from the story. Richard Dreyfuss stars as one of many people who begin having strange dreams and sighting of UFO's. He begins to accept the truth that we are not alone, even though he is surrounded by a family of non-believers. This obsession eventual leads him to Devil's Tower mountian where the first contact with space beings occur. The story also threw a twist on many of the conceptions set up by sci-fi movies of the past fifty years. Gone were the Martians trying to take over the earth. In fact, most of the humans in the film are far more threatening than the childlike space aliens. Speilberg would continue this theme in the 80's with "ET". The last twenty mintues of the movie works like a silent film, with very little dialogue. The amazing visuals, sound (which won the film a special acheivement Oscar) and music by John Williams speak more than any words could say. I was luckily enough to catch this film on the big screen when it was first released. The arrival of the mothership was eye popping on the large scale. Appears on AFI's Best Movies of all time list at 64.

[|The Deer Hunter (1978)]
The first film to try and deal with the Vietnam War was groundbreaking. Blasted at first for being over 3 hours long and containing graphic voilence and racial stereotypes, the film ended up winning 5 Oscars including Best Picture. The story centers around 5 best friends from Pennsylvania who work together at the town steel plant in 1968. They hang out at the local bar drinking away their problems. One of the gang is getting married and it's the last time they will all be together since 3 of the guys are leaving in a few days for Vietnam. It cuts to them in a concentration camp as the men are made to play a terrifying game of Russian Roulette by their captors. The film shows events before during and after their war duty and depicts how this war effected everyone's lives. The cast was brillant, Robert DeNiro, Chistopher Walken, John Savage, John Cazale, Chuck Aspergen, and Meryl Streep. Wonderfully shows the friendships, heroics and horrors of man. Appears on AFI's Best Movies of all time list at 79.

[|The Exorcist (1973)]
One of the few Horror films to ever receive any form of critical recognition. Willim Peter Blatty adapted his own best selling book about a 12 year old girl who is possessed by the devil. Two men of the cloth, a young priest (Jason Miller) and an elderly father (Max von Sydow) are called upon to do battle and rid the girl of the evil spirit. Director William Friedkin used cold, dark shots highlighted by graphic visual effects, which would set the standard for the horror genre. The slow transformation of the young Linda Blair, as the possessed girl, into a hideous monster was made even more horrific because of certain graphic scenes the director or story placed her in, including the language used and sexual situation. It continues to freaks me out!

[|The French Connection (1971)]
This film centers around Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle, a New York City cop intent on breaking up an international drug ring. Gene Hackman was wonderful as Doyle and Roy Scheider played his partner. The depiction of street life and dialogue had an almost documentary feel to it, with many of the scenes shot on location. The scene that stands out is the chase. In fact, when people talk about chase sequences in motion pictures this is one of the first films people think about. Considered the best and or most famous chase sequences in the history of cinema People have tried to copy it, but never reach it's intensity and suspense. Popeye is on the tail of a suspect who hops aboard an elevated train. Hackman follows underneath in a car with very little regard to anyone or anything in his way. The chase ends with one of the classic images from the movies. It's been awhile since I've seen this film and I remember being a little disappointed in the ending, but the chase alone is worth a viewing. Appears on AFI's Best Movies of all time list at 70.

[|The Godfather (1972),][|The Godfather 2(1974)]
O.K. I admit, I cheated a little here. I realize that these are two seperate films, but even Coppola reedited these two movies together in chronological order and released it as "The Godfather Epic" in 1977. The story is taken from Mario Puzo's popular novel that follows the lives of the Corleones, an Italian family involved with the criminal Mafia. The first film tells of the final years of "the godfather", played by Marlon Brando, and his family who must begin to take over his father's criminal business. Al Pacino stars as the somewhat shy and timid, young son, who really wants nothing to do with the business, but eventual gets sucked into becoming the leader. The second film continues to follow Pacino as he turns the family crime business into a cold, sleek and mordern day organization. The second also goes back into time to show the orginal godfather, Brando's character now played by Robert DeNiro, as an ambitous, young immigrant in NYC and how he fell into the crime underworld. One element both films have is outstanding acting. You just can't find a better cast; besides for Brando, Pacino and DeNiro, they included James Caan, Robert Duvall, and Diane Keaton. Coppola also used amazing technical and storytelling skills to weave an epic tale over a two generational period of time. Considered an artistic masterpeice, and on AFI's list of all-time movies at 3 & 32.

[|Jaws (1975)]
The movie that put Steven Speilberg on the map. Adapted from the Peter Benchley novel and directed by Speilberg who was only 27 at the time. The story follows a giant, great white shark that is terrorizing a local resort beach during the height of the 4th of July tourist season. The town's sheriff, a shark expert and a local big sea fisherman, played wonderfully by Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss and Robert Shaw, set out to try and kill the "monster". Speilberg had major technical difficulities with the mechanical shark (named Bruce) when filming began, which meant the shark wasn't seen until the last quarter of the film. If anything, this only heighten the suspense. John Williams won a well deserved Oscar for the now classic musical score. The film was the first summer mega-hit and started the summer blackbuster trend. Appears on AFI's Best Movies of all time list at 48.

[|M*A*S*H (1970)]
I don't think this movie has held up very well over time. Partly because the inventive way Robert Altman directed this film has been copied many times over the last few decades, but mainly because the movie spawned a television series that ended up being better then the original source. But when M*A*S*H came out in it's first release it was something quite new. The story follows a medical unit during the Korean War. It graphically showed bloody, war surgery for the first time (tame by present standards), and the crazy antics of the medics who used humor to deal with the horrors of war. This was Altman's first major success which he would follow with other 70's hits "McCabe and Mrs. Miller" (71), and "Nashville" (75). One technique Altman would use throughout his film career was the freedom he would give his actors. Many of the scenes would have realistic dialogue because the actors were allowed to improvise their lines. Appears on AFI's Best Movies of all time list at 58, but it shouldn't have made the list at all.

[|Network (1976)]
Like "A Clockwork Orange", this motion picture was a premonition of the future, but unlike "Orange" the ideas of this film have come to pass. The story is centered around a network, mainly the news department, and a decline in ratings. A change is made in management and a young Faye Dunaway is brought in to improve the network. The old anchor of the news, played by Peter Finch, is asked to leave. He can't take this and explains on air, that he's going to kill himself. This soon becomes a big ratings draw and Dunaway decides to continue with Finch as he begins to rant and rave with his own opinions, including the classic line, "I'm as mad as hell and I'm not gonna take this anymore." Wiliam Holden plays the older News Director who begins to have an affair with Dunaway even though he doesn't like her handling of the network and turning the news into an entertainment event. The ending may have been a little farfetched in the 70's, but seems like everyday fair in today's world of television hype, when an assasination is staged by the network to bring in more ratings. The film had more acting nominations than any other at the time, with an Oscar going to Finch, though he had died a few months before the ceremony. Appears on AFI's Best Movies of all time list at 66.

[|One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)]
Believe it or not, I had never seen this film until I started making this list. After taking a quick glance through the films released in the 70's it was hard to pass up this movie. It was the first motion picture to win the top 5 Oscars (Picture, Actor, Actress, Director, & Screenplay) since "It Happened One Night" in 1934. It took quite some time for this story to make it to the screen. After starring in the play for a short time, Kirk Douglas had bought the rights for this story and asked an unknown, Milos Forman, to direct. Unfortunately, legal problems stopped production for 13 years and Kirk Douglas finally decided to forget about producing and passed the project on to his son, Michael Douglas. Michael got the ball rolling again, and unknown to him, asked the same Milos Forman, now quite successful, to direct. After putting together a wonderful cast of actors the film was finally in production. The story centers around Randall McMurphy, played by Jack Nicholson, who gets himself placed in a mental ward on purpose to get out of work duty in prison. While at the hospital, he begins to awaken a spirit in the other patients. Unfortunately, this new attitude is frowned upon by the authority, lead by the cold and insensitive head nurse Ratched. This rebellion finally ends with tragic circumstances. Told with heartfelt drama and humor the film is a triumph of the human spirit. Appears on AFI's Best Movies of all time list at 20.

[|Rocky (1976)]
Every decade usually has one movie that people talk me into putting on the list. Here is the 70's film. I've never been a huge fan of Rocky and couldn't believe it won the Oscar for Best Picture. One of the problems is to judge the film by the 4 sequels that followed, each one growing progessively worse. The orginal film was a low-budget sleeper, written and starring an unknown named Sylvester Stallone. Stallone played A lowlife boxer from Philadelphia, named Rockey Balboa. Carl Weather's playing the world champion, who decides it would be a good marketing gimmick if he fights Balboa for the title. Burgess Meredith is the guff, old trainer Mickey whose task it is to get Rocky in shape. The sequence of Balboa running through the streets of Philly and jumping up the museum stairs, with the title theme bazzling in the background is very inspiring. Of course, Rocky falls in love along the way with the shy, timid woman. The film ends with the typic Hollywood uplifting battle between champion and underdog. Appears on AFI's Best Movies of all time list at 78.

[|Saturday Night Fever (1977)]
It's hard to say that this movie is a great film. It isn't! But very few other motion pictures has effected the culture as much as this film did on it's initial release. When you review this list of films, it's amazing how much the music is a key element with almost all of them. It could be the memorable theme song, the classical music used, atmosphere music or classic songs from a particular era. This film created a new sound for a generation and it was called Disco. The soundtrack alone is still one of the best selling albums of all time. The story was inspired by a article in the New York Magazine titled, "Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night" dealing with kids from Brooklyn who lived for saturdays at the local disco club. John Travolta, a teen star from television became a cult sensation as Tony Manerno whose only meaning in life was found on the dance floor. Besides for starting the disco craze, the fashion of polyester leisure suits and black shirts could be seen for a few years.

[|Star Wars (1977)]
The movie that made George Lucas a legend. Taking elements from mythology, western serials, and the Nazi empire and combining them with amazing, art production and special effects to create a landmark film. The story is a simple tale of good vs. evil. A young, space farmer becomes involved in a war between a rebel force and the evil empire. His companions include a pair of robots, a princess, a mercenary and a hairy ape-like man, and a wise old sage. It's hard for me not to look at this film from a personal perspective. This movie had such a huge impact on how I viewed my childhood and how I view the cinema. This was the first "big person" movie I remember seeing. I was in second grade and my parents had taken my brother and I to the theater only to find it soldout. We purchased tickets for the next available show, which was about 4 hours later, an eternity for a 7 year old. When we finally sat down in the packed theater, the lights went low and then that short sentence appeared on the screen; "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..." This huge musical chord of trumphets blast in my ears, and the giant, yellow words "Star Wars" appears from nowhere. My mom had to read the opening prologue as it moved across the screen. When the words were gone, the camera panned across the outer space sky (the first time a camera had panned through space) and this gigantic spaceship slowly began to cover the screen. I was hooked!!! For the next 8 years, I played, read, drew and slept Star Wars. In college, I discovered Joseph Campbell, a professor of world religions and myths, and the man Lucas had talked to when developing his story, and I fell in love with the film again. It appears on AFI's list of best films at ? and truely is one of the reasons movies are made! Appears on AFI's Best Movies of all time list at 15.

[|Taxi Driver (1976)]
Three years after Scorsese's directoral debut with "Mean Street", he made this haunting tale of a psychotic cab driver working in New York City. Robert Deniro plays the title role of a Vietnam vet who has been alienated from most of society. He is a witness to the "enemies" of the city and tries to rescue a 12-year-old prostitute, played by a very young Jodie Foster. After being rejected by a beautiful woman (Cybil Shepherd), he snaps and prepares himself for battle, shaving his head and practicing his firearms before a mirror with the dialogue, "Are you talking to me?" The movie climaxes with an extremely violate rampage that was unseen to this point. Scorsese shot and pieced this film together like a master director and DeNiro continued to amaze with his acting talent. Not for everyone's taste, but riveting for those who will watch. Appears on AFI's Best Movies of all time list at 47.

[|Young Frankenstein (1974)]
An absolutely wonderful comedy from Mel Brooks. During this same year Brooks also brought us "Blazing Saddles", a satire on the western, but where that film's humor was crude, this was intelligent. Brooks choose to satire the old Universal Horror films, specifically "Frankenstein" and "The Bride of Frankenstein". The casting was perfect. Gene Wilder plays Frankenstein, a professor who finds the research notebooks of his great grandfather, the Dr. Frankenstein of the original films. With the help of his finance, Teri Garr and Igor played by Marty Feldman, he decides to continue the experiments. The result is similiar to the orginal, with the monster, played by Peter Boyle, not quite what he is suppose to be. The film is even more special if you've seen both of the orginals, but not necessary. The scenes with Gene Hackman, as the Blind Man and Madeline Kahn, as the Monster's Bride are perfect. Brooks shot the film in Black and White, and used many of the same sets, especially the laboratory, found at the Universal lot. Possiblely the best satire ever.

===This is my own personal list of the top films of the 60's. It includes my own views, as well as views from e-mails, other critics and websites. I tried to include films from all the main genres; including, war, horror, sci-fi, romance, kid's, etc. As well as movies that were groundbreaking from a technology point of view or changed the industry in some way. I did not include foreign films. The top films are placed in alphabetical order. Each are great in their own way and would be quite difficult to arrange in a 1-20 list. The movie titles are linked to the IMDB (Internet Movie Database) which contains extra information on each film, including the cast and crew. To get back to my site from this link, you will need to use the "back" button. By viewing these 20 films, I believe you will have a great feel for what the American film was all about in the 60's.===

[|The Apartment (1960)]
When I began making the 60's list, I came upon 2 great films starring Jack Lemmon and had to decide which to keep on my list. The first, "Days of Wine and Roses" (1962) is still one of the best Hollywood films to ever show the effects of Alcoholism and was an amazing serious acting role for Lemmon. The second is this film, "The Apartment". Jack Lemmon plays a vulnerable office worker trying to move up the ladder. His uncaring boss, played by Fred MacMurray, starts to help him along when Lemmon allows him to use his apartment for his extramarital affairs. Lemmon begins having problems when he starts falling for the young elevator operator (Shirley MacLaine in her first role) who's one of his bosses girlfriend. The movie has wonderful acting, but it's Billy Wilder who wrote and directed the film, that added the right touches of humor, drama and sadness. This film was one of the first film's to start testing the limits of the censory board. It helped that it used lots of humor to help make the issues of infidelity and attempted suicide seem less offensive. Writers and Directors would continue to push the boundaries and it's interesting to look at films near the end of the decade such as "The Graduate", "Who Afraid of Virginia Wolf", "The Wild Bunch" and "Midnight Cowboy", and how drastic things would change.

[|Bonnie and Clyde (1967)]
One of the themes recuring in films of the 60's was the depiction of the villian as a likable hero. Vietnam and Watergate had caused a disenchantment with the government, and anyone who rebelled with authority was seen as the good-guy by the younger generation. The characters of Bonnie and Clyde were seen as good looking, humorous and great fun to be around, even though they were theives. The audience came to root for the criminal and wish bad on the police or government. This can be seen in other films of the decade; Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Easy Rider, Psycho and the gangs in West Side Story. Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway played Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker, the two real-life, depression era, bank robbers. The film follows the couples meeting, forming a small band of criminals (Gene Hackman, Estelle Parsons, Gene Wilder), their success and ultimate demise. The brutal climax of the film was quite controvesial. The ambush and slow motion gunning down of the lead characters were shocking even by today's standards. The gunfire massacre, as their bodies convulsed and explodes with blood, was one of the most graphic depictions of death seen on the movie screen.

[|Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)]
This film has many similiarities with the pervious movie "Bonnie and Clyde". The story follows two bankrobbers who are likable, funny and good-looking, played by two of the hottest stars of the day, Robert Redford and Paul Newman. The title characters are based on the real life 1890's train and bank robbers who terrorized the west until they were chased down to Bolivia and supposedly killed. The movie leaves this last point up in the air (no pun intended) with the film ending on a freeze frame of Butch and Sundance jumping over a cliff to escape. George Roy Hill directed this film which is part Western and part Comedy, with the hint of a love story thrown in, supplied by Katherine Ross who's in love with one of the bandits. The pieces of this film just work well together, especially the screenplay and cinematography, which both won Oscars, and the chrisma of the two male stars who just shine on the screen together.

[|Doctor Zhivago (1965)]
This film has almost been bumped off a few times from this list, but as of now, it still remains. Mainly for it's appearance on other lists and because it is one of my mother's favorite films. A movie with epic proportions, it is your typical love story with a historical event as its backdrop. In this case it is a love triangle set during the Russian Revolution. Omar Sharif is a doctor/poet caught in the turmoil of the war and in love with two women, played by Julie Christie and Geraldine Chaplin. David Lean directed with his usual epic flair. Frederick Young won a deserved Oscar for cinematography. The whole picture is like eye candy with visuals of amazing beauty. Maurice Jarre also won an Oscar for the musical score, with the haunting "Lara's Theme" a classic melody from the cinema.

[|Dr. Strangelove or : How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)]
One of two Stanley Kubrick films that made my list. This wonderful black comedy deals with issues of the cold war and nuclear holocaust. A fanatical U.S. general takes over his own military base after he believes the "Commies" are stealing the body fluids of all Americans, and sets off a bombing strike on the Soviet Union. The U.S. government tries desperately to stop the attack before a nuclear war begins. Peter Sellers is brilliant playing three seperate roles, a straight British Officer trapped at the Army base, the apologetic President of the United States, and a mad German scientist, who's metal arm keeps flying up in the Nazi salute. The rest of the cast is just as good, including Sterling Hayden, George C. Scott, James Earl Jones and Slim Pickens, the Air Force Pilot who rides the bomb down yelping with his cowboy hat. One of the best comedies ever, but it's not a laugh out loud film. One way a writer can get laughs is by making jokes so close to the truth it becomes hard to tell if they are jokes or not. These aren't over the top hilarious one-liners, or grossout jokes, but the dark humor that sits with you for awhile and makes you ponder how bizarre life really is. Appears on both AFI's list of best films (#26) and funniest films.

[|Easy Rider (1969)]
If I had to choose one film that depicted the 60's era, I think this would be the movie. The characters, story, music, the way it was filmed and even how it was made all symbolize the 60's ideals of freedom. The story centers around two drug dealing bikers, played by Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper, who decide to bike from the west coast to Mardi Gras in New Orleans. They want to discover America and feel the freedom of riding their bikes. They make friends with a crazed lawyer, played by Jack Nicholson and a peaceful commune of free loving hippees. But they also learn they are not welcome in many places and this discrimination leads to a shocking conclusion. This movie was one of the first independent films to buck the Hollywood system, being made for only $? The film was also unique using popular music of the time and the cinematography was groundbreaking by using natural settings and people, filming on location across the Southern United States. It became the ultimate biker film that started a movie fad. It appears on AFI's list of best films at #88.

[|The Graduate (1967)]
This is one of those films that everything is just perfect. The right cast, script, director, soundtrack and era that it was released. Dustin Hoffman plays a grad student who's seduced by an older, married friend of the family, Mrs. Robinson, played by Anne Bancroft. Hoffman's innocence comes through with both the seduction and as he begins to fall in love with Robinson's daughter. The script was as much of a drama as it was a comedy and made a star out of Hoffman. Simon and Garfunkel wrote and performed the memorable soundtrack, and it became Mike Nichols best directed films. Although I believe this is a good film and quite important, I don't think it deserves the huge praise and high ranking on the AFI list at #7. I think this became an important and personal film to many people growing up in the 60's, the same way "Star Wars" was for those in the 70's, but it's impact on film is no more important then "Easy Rider", "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" or any movie on this list. A little overrated in my belief.

[|Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967)]
One of the most important issues that marked the 60's decade was the civil rights movement and this movie, far ahead of it's time, tried to tackle a small sample of this topic. When a young, white woman arrives home to introduce her new fiance to her parents, she has yet to inform them that he's black. The film follows the young couple revealing this important fact to both sets of parents and the dinner party that follows as all the characters try to deal with the issues of interracial marriage. There are two important facts that make this film work so well. The first is the screenplay. William Rose won the Oscar for the script that carefully dealt with the issue from all points of view and made each of the characters intelligent and likable. The second is the cast which garnered four Oscar nominations for acting (One win for best actress). This was the last film that teamed Katherine Hepburn with Spencer Tracy. The classic Hollywood duo was the perfect couple to bring the issues of interracial relationships to white America. Their daughter was played sweetly by Hepburn's real life neice, Katherine Houghton. Sidney Poitier played the suitor. His presence on the screen is one of power, pride and love for both his soon to be wife and his parents. Again, Potier was the perfect (and possible the only) actor that the 60's audiences would accept in this situation. His parents were played equally well by Cecil Kellaway and Beah Richards who kept their own on screen with Tracy and Hepburn. The film appears on the AFI list of best films at #99, but I don't think it belongs on the list. Too many films are missing from the list that are better than this movie.

[|A Hard Day's Night (1964)]
One of the growing trends of the 60's decade was the rise of rock-n-roll music in pop culture, and one of the biggest influences on the direction of this music and the 60's in general was "The Beatles". It continues to boggle my mind that the Beatles were only together for seven years, yet they changed their musical style, their look, recorded hundreds of songs and experimented with movies. "A Hard Day's Night" was to introduce American audiences to the fab four by showing a day in the life of the group. Director Richard Lester used the Beatles natural sense of humor and musical talent to string together slapstick jokes and puns with energetic concert performances. The natural charisma and humor that John, Paul, George, and Ringo brought to the screen made them even bigger stars than before. The group would experiment more with film, "Help" (65), Magical Mystery Tour, and Yellow Submarine (68), but it was this film that is frequently sited as the birthplace of the music videos.

[|Lawrence of Arabia (1962)]
This epic cinematic masterpeice follows T.E. Lawerence, a WWI British military officer dispatched to Arabia. He decides to stay in the area and become a dessert warrior, who begins to break through century-old rivalries between the Arabs and unite them against the Turks. Peter O'Toole was spectacular playing the bleach blond, Messiah-like lead dressed in flowing white robes. He was backed by a who's who of top actors; Omar Sharif, Claude Rains, Anthony Quinn and Alec Guinness. Besides from the acting, David Lean's direction and cinematographer, Frederick Young, were able to photograph the beauty of the desert, the huge crowd scenes and massive battle sequences. One of my cinematic dreams is to see this film on the big screen. I can only imagine what the beautiful, sweeping landscapes of the desert will look like flowing across a theater wall. This classic appears on AFI's list of best films at #5.

[|The Manchurian Candidate (1962)]
One of the first and best political thrillers. Laurence Harvey plays a Korean POW who returns home to a hero's welcome. Little do we know that his captors have brainwashed and reprogrammed him to assassinate a key political figure. Only Frank Sinatra, a fellow brainwashed soldier, suspects that things are not quite right, and races with the clock before the timebomb goes off. Angela Lansbury was wonderful as Harvey's mother (only 3 years older in real life). A sweet woman who is really in on the plot. John Frankenheimer directed an edge of your seat thriller with overtones of political satire and social commentary. The film also had many similarities to the Kennedy assassination which would happen a year later.

[|Mary Poppins (1964)]
The wonderful story of a family in need of some magic. A very proper British family needs to hire a new nanny and the mysterious Poppins floats to their aid. Mary, with the help of her chimney sweeping friend Bert (played joyfully by Dick Van Dyck), takes the two children on a magical journey through chalk paintings, Merry-Go-Round Horse races, and to the roofs of London. Mary Poppins ends up teaching the entire family lessons on money, love and the importance of family, before she heads on her way. The whole movie is filled with wonderful song and dance numbers impossible not to hum afterwards. The world inside the chalk paintings is one of the reasons movies are made. The technique of combining live action and animation was nothing new, in fact some of Disney's first films used this process (A series called "Alice in Wonderland"). But the Disney Studio created a magical realm with lovable creatures and vivid colors beyond what we've seen before. The dance with Bert and a group of penguins makes me smile every time. Julie Andrews took the role of Mary Poppins after the role of Eliza Doolittle, from "My Fair Lady" (a role she created on Broadway) went to Audrey Hepburn. It was a blessing for this movie, and in my view, a problem for the other. The Academy recognized this radiant new actress and gave Andrews the Oscar for Best Actress.

[|Midnight Cowboy (1969)]
It's hard to believe that only two years have passed since Dustin Hoffman appeared in "The Graduate". Viewing this film is like seeing an actor 10 years later. Hoffman plays Rizzo (the rat), a seedy street urchin who develops an unusal friendship with a Texan, played by Jon Voight. They try to live and hustle around the darker sections of New York City. The only "X" rated film to win or be nominated for the Best Picture Oscar (although the film would recieve an "R" by today's standard). The screenplay also won the Oscar and the actors, including Sylvia Miles, were all outstanding and each received nominations. Decades later, the film is still an engrossing, sociological drama that is a must see. Listed on the AFI list at #36.

[|Psycho (1960)]
An Absolute Masterpiece!! One of the most perfectly made motion pictures ever! I had a film professor at college that said she could teach an entire semester course on this one film and I believe her. Hitchcock has crafted this movie with so many little clues dealing with the story that you can almost feel him snickering behind the camera. The story begins with a young woman, Marion Crane stealing some insurance money to begin a new life with her boyfriend. After driving all night through a rainstorm, she ends up at the Bates Motel and rents a room. She meets the hotel manager, Norman, and they have a small conversation before she heads off to the shower. While in the shower she is brutal murdered. Norman discovers Marion's body and realizing his "mother" commited the crime, tries to do everything to cover up the murder. Marion's sister, boyfriend and a private detective soon arrive at the motel to solve her disappearance and the mystery behind the crime. Hitchcock did many unheard of tactics including killing off his star a third of the way through the picture, and restricting anyone from entering the theater once the picture started. These were partically marketing tools, but there was also meaning behind both. The film toys with the way an audience feels about each character. If a person missed the beginning of the film, their emotions to the players change. And by killing off the star, Hitchcock made the crime that much more shocking. The shower scene is a classic of cinema history; the editing, shrieking music, camera angles, etc. And all without ever seeing the knife cut the person. Something slasher films seem to forget! Appears on AFI's list of best films at #18 and as the #1 film on their Thiller List.

[|Rosemary's Baby (1968)]
I only recently saw this film, but was quite haunted by the acting. Roman Polanski directed this classic horror story of a woman who may be pregnant with Satan's baby. A young couple, played by Mia Farrow and John Cassavetes, move into a new apartment that may have been the home to a former witch. The husband, who's an actor, is having problems finding work. But after meeting the friendly, elderly couple next door, his luck begins to change. After a late night party, the young woman has a nightmare of an ancient ritual and a scary beast. She soon learns she's pregnant. Is this just a coincedence or is it something to trully be afraid of? Ruth Gordon won an Oscar playing the old lady from next door who could eerily remind you of someone you know. Polanski's storytelling and camera angles always kept you guessing on what was the truth, and the climax lets you question how much a mother would do for her son. Was the stepping stone to "The Exorcist" in the 70's.

[|The Sound of Music (1965)]
There are certain musicals adapted to the screen that don't do much for the play (ex. "Man of La Mancha"), or are not the definitive versions (Sorry, but I'm not a big fan of "My Fair Lady". The art production overshadows the rest of the picture). But this film is perfection. Everything about this movie is right, nothing needs to be changed. Not only does it beautifully give us the play, but it adds it's own identity with amazing cinematography, wonderful sets (that don't overpower) and a splendid cast. The story centers around a somewhat absent-minded nun who is assigned to be a governess to a family of 7 children. Their military father and the kids are soon won over by Marie as she brings love and music back into the household. But this new found happiness is soon shattered, when they must flee from the Nazi invasion of Austria. Robert Wise does just the right things with his direction and the Rogers and Hammerstein music is wonderful. They even added a few new songs for the film. Julie Andrews shines as Marie following in her role as Mary Poppins. Up there with "Wizard of Oz" as great family entertainment!

[|To Kill A Mockingbird (1962)]
Taken from the classic Harper Lee book of the same name, the story shows a glimpse of the racial problems of the Southern United States in the 1950's. Gregory Peck is one of the main reasons this film works so well. Peck, one of those All-American actors, plays Atticus Finch, an Alabama lawyer, who is asked to defend a black man accused of raping a young white woman. As the trail progresses, it becomes very clear that the handicapped black man couldn't have committed the crime and the woman's alcoholic father is probably to blame. But the all white jury points its finger at the black man with deadly consequences. The story is seen through the eyes of the lawyer's children, especally his daughter Scout. The three children had very little acting experience, but were quite exceptional. The film was also the screen debut of Robert Duvall, who played a completely silent role. The film was highly controversial when it opened, but both the book and this great adaption are now classics. Appears on AFI's list of best films at #34.

[|2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)]
One of the few films that is just hard to explain, but is considered one of the true cinematic masterpieces. Based on an Arthur C. Clarke story, Stanley Kubrick brought his own vision (as he always does) to direct this science fiction story that starts at the beginning of mankind. As an ape-man creates the first tools, a bone is thrown into the air and disolves into a rotating spaceship. Now in the future, the story tells of a strange monolith that has been discovered on the surface of the moon. This leads to a similiar object orbiting Jupiter. A probe is sent to investigate carrying three astronauts and one of the best villians in movie history, HAL the computer. Men begin to die and the mystery just becomes more confusing. The film ends in a psychedelic light show that was rather appropriate for the 60's. Kubrick used very little dialogue, letting his visuals tell the story. A good example of this was the wonderful way he showed HAL, seen only by a red light for an eye, reading the lips of the crewmembers who are planning on shutting down the computer. The film raises more questions than answers, but that's one of the wonderful concepts of the film. The use of classic music for the soundtrack would forever change our view of Richard Strauss and Johann Strauss. On AFI's list of best films at #22.

[|West Side Story (1961)]
Taken from the Broadway classic, the story is an adaption of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" set among New York City street gangs of the 1950's. Leonard Bernstein's score, changed little from the orginal, is wonderful. One of the top five musical scores of the 20th century. Another highlight is Jerome Robbins choreography which earned a deserved special award. I always had a little problem with the lead roles played by Natalie Wood and Richard Beymer. The corny accent Wood tries to pull off is always a distraction and no matter how good lip-synching was, you can tell she's not singing those songs. Beymer just doesn't fit the part of Tony for me. The other actors are right on the mark. Especially Rita Moreno and George Chakiris who both won Oscars in the best supporting actor category. You can tell they are having a blast together singing and dancing through, "America". Robert Wise directed this classic musical and would do it again in a few years with "Sound of Music". Appears on the AFI list of best movies at #41.

[|The Wild Bunch (1969)]
Sam Peckinpah directed this dramatic and violent tale set during the early 1900's about the dieing days of the cowboys and the Old West. It tells the tale of the "Wild Bunch", a group of aging outlaws who seem to have come to the end of the line because of their age and the changes in the West. The film opens with the bunch deciding to pull off one final bank heist, but during their attempt, they are ambushed and a huge battle takes place, the scale of which would be a normal climax for most films. The group is chased by the law until the film ends with another brutal battle with a Mexican warlord over a double-crossing arms deal. Taking a piece from "Bonnie and Clyde's" climatic, slow-motion massacre, Peckinpah used extremely graphic, slow-motion gun fighting to show the horrors that bullets can have on the human body. The continuous splatting of blood becomes a bizarre, aesthetic image and would set the standard for movie violence to follow. Nothing like this would ever be seen at the beginning of the decade. It also held the record for the most edits by any film up to this time. Considered one of the classics in the Western genre, it's a vastly different film from "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" which was released the same year. It won no awards, but appears on AFI's list of best films at #80.

===This is my own personal list of the top films of the late 50's. It includes my own views, as well as views from e-mails, other critics and websites. I tried to include films from all the main genres; including, war, horror, sci-fi, romance, kid's, etc. As well as movies that were groundbreaking from a technology point of view or changed the industry in some way. I did not include foreign films. The top films are placed in alphabetical order. Each are great in their own way and would be quite difficult to arrange in a 1-15 list. The movie titles are linked to the IMDB (Internet Movie Database) which contains extra information on each film, including the cast and crew. To get back to my site from this link, you will need to use the "back" button. By viewing these 15 films, I believe you will have a great feel for what the American film was all about in the late 50's.===

[|Bad Day At Black Rock (1955)]
This film seems to be a "western" story set during the mid 20th century. A strange, one armed man (played by Spencer Tracy) arrives by train in a sleepy, little western town. He immediately begins to encounter suspicion and secrecy from the townspeople when he begins asking questions about a Japanese farmer who has disappeared. We later find out that the residents of the town are hiding a racist murder for which they all feel guilty. The entire movie takes place over a mere 24 hours and John Sturges does a wonderful job of directing the few scenes of violence. Ernest Borgnine gives a great performances as a local heavy. The film was thought to analyze the American guilt of dropping the atomic bomb on Japan and the growing fears of the McCarthy era that were creeping across the country.

[|Ben-Hur (1959)]
The first of three Charlton Heston films appearing on this list. This vast $15 million epic set during the height of the Roman Empire, was a last ditch afford by MGM to make some money for the studio. The film was a remake of the 1929 classic film of the same name. The story tells of a young Jewish prince, Judah Ben Hur, whose childhood friendship with a Roman tribune named Messala turns into hated enemies when Messala destroys the Hur family for his own success. Ben Hur is reduced to manning a slave ship, but after rescueing a Roman admiral during a sea battle, begins a journey back to Jerusalem. He meets up with Messala during a climatic chariot race which became one of the best-known and exciting squences in movie history. Hur would go on to rescue his mother and sister who have now become lepers, only to be cured by Christ at the moment of the Crucifixtion. The movie would become a smash and win 11 Oscars and earn William Wyler his third Oscar as best director. Appears on AFI's best films list at #72.

[|The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)]
One of David Lean cinematic classics that swept the Oscars partly because of it's great acting and directing and partly because it had such little competition. Based on a novel by Pierre Boulle, the story is set during World War II, but is almost more of a pychological drama than a "war" story. A British platoon, lead by Alec Guinness, is captured by the Japanese in Burma and placed in a POW camp. Sessue Hayakawa plays the Japanese Officer who begins a power struggle with Guinness, who still believes in the "gentlemen's war" and playing by the book. The Japanese commander finally orders the British to build a strategic bridge which the British officer goes along with thinking it will boost moral in his men and become a symbol of a British victory if they create a better bridge than the Japanese ever could. An American soldier (William Holden) who had escaped from the camp is coaxed to return and blow up the bridge. Guinness is so proud of his finished bridge he doesn't want anything to happen to it, even if it helps the enemy. By the end of the movie your not quite sure who to root for. The outcome of the film is the complete opposite of the book. One of the classic scenes from the movie shows the British platoon entering the POW camp whistling the tune "The Colonel Bogie March".

[|Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)]
One of those simple "B" sci-fi/horror movies of the fifties that really outshines most films of the genre. The story centers around a doctor of a small town who can't quite explain the strange happenings to the residents of his community. People are waking up in the morning as emotionless shells of themselves. The doctor and his girlfriend start to believe that it is actually space aliens (space plants) who are stealing people's minds at night while they sleep. Together they begin a race against time to stop the sneak attack before they overtake the world. The movie didn't show half-rate special effects, laser guns or corny space aliens which most "B" sci-fi movies of the 50's were sporting. The only view of anything strange were the giant "space pods" which looked like big corn or coffee beans. The suspense was sustained by the fact that friends, family, plants and sleep were now our enemies. The film was believed to be an indictment against the McCarthy era blacklisting of Hollywood, disguised as a horror movie, but the writer and director say there was no such intention. It seems every 20 years, a new remake is made of this story each with their own certain paranoia.

[|Kiss Me Deadly (1955)]
I had a few other more known films originally on this list, but this movie finally won out. Filled with lesser known stars and probably director Robert Aldrich's best film to that date, it was hailed by French critics as a masterpeice and would go on to become a major influence on the French New Wave films of the 60's. Adapted from a Mickey Spillane novel, Ralph Meeker stars as Mike Hammer, an L.A. private eye who after giving a ride to a young woman (Cloris Leachman) finds out she was murdered. He begins giving protection to the dead woman's frightened roommate and soon finds himself after a case containing a nuclear bomb. Hammer really has no morals what-so-ever and is badly wrong in all he does. He tries to rule by muscle just like most of the brutes he runs into. But it's really the direction, shots and editing that caused such a stir. The obscure camera angles and rapid, jolting edits help to symbolize the crazed world that these characters live in. Considered far ahead of it time. There are a few video versions that contain an extra 82 seconds of additional footage which completely changes the finale.

[|The Night of the Hunter (1955)]
The one and only film directed by the great actor Charles Laughton is a haunting tale beautifully filmed for the screen. Robert Mitchum stars as a psychopathic preacher who is hunting down his two stepchildren that know the whereabouts of hidden money. Lillian Gish stars as the old woman who works to protect the children. Stanley Cortez's photography is one of the most amazing and artistic visions ever made on film. The classic black and white cinematography, is littered with expressionistic lighting which is a character in itself. One scene shows the grandmother rocking on a porch, a shotgun in her lap, and the preacher eeriely standing outside. The children walk in with a candle, filling the room with light, and Gish angrily tells them to blow it out. Seconds later it's dark again and the preacher has now disappeared. Another scene depicts the preacher in pursuit of the children, joyfully singing spirituals, and still a third has the preacher telling about love and hate, who's letters are both tatooed on his fingers. The final result is a horror story, fairytale and religious parable that is absolutely fascinating. Doesn't appear on AFI's list of best films, but should have!

[|North By Northwest (1959)]
Alfred Hitchcock returns once again to one of his favorite themes; that of the everyday man who, through a case of mistaken identity, is lead on a chase across country to prove his innocence. Cary Grant stars as Roger O. Thornhill, a New York advertising man who is mistaken for a secret agent. A group of foreign spies, lead by James Mason, try to dispose of Thornhill repeatedly, but he manages to avoid death. During one of his escapes, he meets up with a beautiful stranger, played by Eva Marie Saint, who later turns out to be a double agent. Later he meets a UN employee, who ends up murdered right before Thornhill's eyes. Now being pursued by the police, spies and agents, the film climaxs on the top of Mount Rushmore in one of the classic "cliffhangers" of all time. This is possiblly one of the most enjoyable Hitchcock films combining wonderful sequences of suspense, humor and romance. The long scene showing Grant pursued across the flat, barren, Indiana fields by a crop dusting plane, is one of the most brilliant sequences in film history. Cary Grant was the prefect actor to star as the somewhat confused and bubbling Thornhill. The only thing I can say bad about this picture is the scene of the Drunken Thornhill, driving the car down the mountian, I find it a little too silly or corny to fit in with the rest of the film. Besides from that, it is one of the all time classics. Appearing on AFI's list of best films at #40.

[|Paths of Glory (1957)]
One of those films that has just haunted me since the first time I saw it, but I guess Stanley Kubrick has a way of doing that. Kirk Douglas, in one of his best roles, plays a French commanding officer during World War I, who is ordered to send his men on a charge that he realizes is a suicide mission. After arguing with his superiors, he goes along with the orders. When the mission is a complete failure, his senior officers, played evilly by Adolphe Menjou and George Macready, orders Douglas to pick 3 of his men to be tried and executed for the cowardice of the company. The commander tries desperately and unsuccessfully to save his men. One of those anti-war movies that depicts the insanity of battle and the stupidity of the upper class when it comes to their "war games". Especially when you realize it is based on an actual event. Although the movie was nominated for absolutely nothing it is brillantly written, acted, directed and filmed.

[|Rebel Without a Cause (1955)]
The late fifties gave us the James Dean triptych of films before he was killed in a car accident. All three movies, including "East of Eden" (55) and "Giant" (56) are special in their own way, but I choose this film to represent Dean and the 50's era because it's story is still so relavent. The film centers around a teenager, played by Dean, who feels alienated by his parents and in high school after moving to a new town. He tries to fit in by meeting the daredevil challenges of his peers. He also begins to fall in love with Natalie Woods. A third teen, played by Sal Mineo joins the small group on one fateful night, when one of the teens will not live to see the morning. After World War II, a major breakdown began to form between parents and their children. Known as the "generation gap", it continues until today. This film became the prototype of all teenage exploitation movies made since, and Dean's red windbreaker became a symbol of rebellion for years to come. Appears on AFI's list of best films at #59.

[|The Searchers (1956)]
One of the best and most psychologically complex Westerns ever filmed. John Wayne plays one of his classic Cowboy roles who has such an intense hatred for Native Americans that it boils over on the screen. His niece was kidnapped as a child and the rest of his family killed by Indians. He decides to set off on a quest to find her no matter how long it takes. After many years, he finds her as a young woman (played by Natalie Wood) completely assimilated into the Indian way of life. John Ford just had a knack for directing classic Western film. His panoramic shots of the breathtaking vistas seem to overshadow the problems of one lonely man and makes them seem insignificant in the scheme of the world. One of the nationally registered films in the Library of Congress and appears on AFI's list of best films at #96.

[|Some Like It Hot (1959)]
One of the funniest movie ever made. Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis play musicians in 1929 Chicago. When they stop by a garage to pick up a car, they witness the Valentine Day massacre and narrowly escape. Knowing that gangsters will be looking everywhere for them, they disguise themselves as two women, Daphne and Josephine, and join an all girls band heading to Miami. On the train the meet Sugar Kane, played wonderfully by Marilyn Monroe, the lead singer of the band who is always falling for male saxophone players. They arrive at the beautiful "Dell Coranado Hotel" (which is actually locted in San Diego) and the farce that pursue is clever and hilarious. The female personas that Lemmon and Curtis make up are not dumb, silly men in women's clothing, but become smart, fun broads who take nothing from men and are loyal friends to other women. It's said that Billy Wilder shot this film in Black and White because the make-up on the men's faces was alittle too much. I've seen some of the color PR photos and I must agree with him! Marilyn Monroe shines in her role even though she had a very difficult time filming the picture. With problems in her marriage, Wilder was never sure if she would arrive on set, and if she did, if she would know her lines. It took 47 takes for her to remember, "It's me, Sugar". But what appears on screen is simply heaven, especially appearing in the Oscar winning wardrobe by Orry-Kelly. The musical numbers are all first rate including "Running Wild" and "I Want To Be Loved By You". Joe E. Brown, who plays a millionaire in love with one of the "girls" ends the film with one of the best closing lines in the history of the movies. Appears on AFI's list of best films at #14 and on AFI's list of best comedies at #1!

[|The Ten Commandments (1956)]
Cecil B. DeMille's remade his epic, silent classic on an even larger scale, with a bigger cast, more elborate special effects and now in vibrate color. The film tells the Biblical story, from the book of Exodus, of Moses. Starting in his infant days, when Pharoahs daughter found him in a small basket on the River Nile, growing up like a son to Pharoah, running away to become a farmer only to return and rescues the Isrealites from slavery (with the help of God). Charlton Heston played Moses in a noble way fitting for such a historical figure. Yul Brynner was also a force to behold as the Pharoah. Only the great Edward G. Robinson seems a bit out of place. DeMille would use state of the art special effects to show many of the miracles and plagues God sent upon Eygpt. Most noteable were the burning bush, that's on fire, but doesn't burn, and the parting of the Red Sea. A little crude by today's computer standards, the Red Sea sequence is one of the most famous in all of movie history, with Heston's long, grey, bearded face speaking as he reaches out with his giant staff. The water begins to bubble, than seperates, like waves crashing to opposite sides. The Isrealites flee through the opening to safety before the water crashes down onto the pursuing Eygptians. The film has become a staple for television viewing during Passover and Holy Week.

[|Touch of Evil (1958)]
This was Orson Welles first film in over a decade after being blacklisted in Hollywood for "Citizen Kane". Welles also wrote the script which was loosely based on Whit Masterson's novel "Badge of Evil", and added enough sex, drugs, murder, corruption and racism he possible could into the story. The film begins with an American bigwig being blown up with a car bomb after passing over the U.S. Mexican border. Hank Quinlan, a "respected" cigar-smoking detective, played by Welles, accuses a young Mexican of the murder. Charlton Heston, a Mexican detective, believes Quinlan planted evidence to convict the man. Welles tries to discredit Heston by telling authorities that he and his wife, played by Janet Leigh, are drug addicts. This leads to more crimes and investigations into everyones past. Janet Leigh has never looked sexier and Marlene Dietrich has a great cameo as the only person who understands the Welles character. As director, Welles was masterful with his use of shadows, camera movement and framing. The way Welles filmed himself overemphasised his growing weight problem making an almost grotesque character on the screen. The opening tracking sequence is legendary as the camera continues through close-ups and long shots, high-angle and low-angle without an edit or cut of the film. After receiving the final print from Welles, the Studio butchered the film taking out scenes and rearranging other. It was recently reconstructed in 1998, according to Welles notes. It never won any awards and doesn't appear on AFI's list of best film even though it's better than most that made the list! A true classic of the cinema.

[|12 Angry Men (1957)]
This is a rather simple film with a simple premise. A young Puerto Rican teenager is on trial for murdering his father and 11 members of the jury are quick to announce his guilt. One juror stands against the rush to judgment and begins to think out the crime carefully, slowly turning the tide. There are two elements that makes this film work so well, the first is the script. Reginald Rose adapted the script from his own television play that contained intense drama and great realistic dialogue that kept you on the edge of your seat even though most of the movie takes place in one small jury room (only 3 minutes are not set in the jury room). The second element is the acting. Henry Ford was heroic standing up to the other 11 men as he slowly thought out the crime and began changing the minds of the other jurors. The other actors, included Martin Balsam, Ed Begley, Edward Binns, Lee J. Cobb, John Fielder, Jack Klugman, E.G. Marshall, Joseph Sweeney, George Voskovec, Jack Warden, and Robert Webber, each brought something special to the screen. Most of these actors Reginald Rose brought with him from television, but took to the film screen, holding their own against one of the Hollywood greats in Fonda. The movie was remade for television again in the 90's with another great cast, but doesn't quite have the same spark.

[|Vertigo (1958)]
Although some people pick this as one of the best films ever made, Vertigo does not rank as high on my list. In fact there are five or six Hitchcock films I would put above this movie. But, as with anything Hitchcock does, it contains some amazing sequences and helped to push the ideas and boundries of the camera's eye ever farther. The film begins with a chase across the rooftops of San Francisco. Detective John "Scottie" Ferguson, played by Jimmy Stewart, slips and dangles from a gutter. When another cop tries to rescue him, the officer falls to his death and so begins Scottie's Vertigo. After months off the force, Scottie is contacted by an old school friend to follow his suicidal wife. He begins falling in love with her, but because of his vertigo can't stop her from jumping to her death. Later, he mets a woman with a striking resemblance to his old love. He becomes obsessed with the woman and begins making her over in the likeness of the dead woman. Only to have drastic consequences again. Put together though, the film is just a little too much for me. I can't quite explain it. I usually watch it every couple of years and I think to myself, this time I'll really love it, but there are parts of this film that always makes me nod off alittle. Maybe it's a little too psychological for me. Than suddenly I'm awaken again by a brillant scene. Maybe in another couple of years I'll really get it! Appears on AFI's list of best films at #61.

These are those special moments from the movies that once you see them you will never forget them. The rest of the movie might not stay with you, but these shots or sequences are now emblazed in your psyche. It may be a special effect, or an actor or actress, or the cinematography, but these are the moments that movies were made for!

[|Where Do I Meet Mr. Dean? (55):] James Dean makes his first appearance on the screen in "East of Eden".

[|Isn't It Romantic (55):] One of the most romantic scenes in film history was actually drawn. As two dogs eat spaggetti in Disney's "Lady and the Tramp".

[|There's Hope For All Of Us (55):] A homely man finds romance with a plain-looking woman in "Marty".

[|We Salute You (55):] "Mister Roberts" brings the right blend of comedy and drama to revive the honor of the military.

[|Deep In The Heart Of Texas (56):] A "Giant" epic brings us the last film of James Dean.

[|I'd Like To Meet The King (56):] Yul Brynner gives his signature role in Roger and Hammerstein's great version of "The King and I".

[|"Que Sera, Sera" (56):] Hitchcock's remake of his own film finds Jimmy Stewart as "The Man Who Knew Too Much".

[|Throwing the King In the Slammer (57):] The King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley makes one of his best films, "Jailhouse Rock". The title song's sequence would be one of the inspirations for the music video.

[|Me, Myself and I (57):] Joanne Woodward stars as a woman with 3 personalities in "The Three Faces of Eve".

[|The Boat Still Sinks In the End (58):] "A Night to Remember" is one of many classic films showing the sinking of the Titanic.

[|Will Someone Please Answer the Phone! (59):] Rock Hudson and Doris Day star in a lighthearted romantic comedy that takes place over the phone in "Pillow Talk".

[|Oh Give Me A Home... (59):] John Wayne is back in the west along with Dean Martin and Ricky Nelson down in "Rio Bravo".



===This is my own personal list of the top films of the early 50's. It includes my own views, as well as views from e-mails, other critics and websites. I tried to include films from all the main genres; including, war, horror, sci-fi, romance, kid's, etc. As well as movies that were groundbreaking from a technology point of view or changed the industry in some way. I did not include foreign films. The top films are placed in alphabetical order. Each are great in their own way and would be quite difficult to arrange in a 1-15 list. The movie titles are linked to the IMDB (Internet Movie Database) which contains extra information on each film, including the cast and crew. To get back to my site from this link, you will need to use the "back" button. By viewing these 15 films, I believe you will have a great feel for what the American film was all about in the early 50's.===

[|The African Queen (1951)]
If anything, this film paired two of the all-time legends of Hollywood, Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn. The story centers around Rose, a spinsterish missionary who becomes stranded at her East African Mission when the Germans attack during WWI. She is reluctantly picked up by Charlie, a boozing, tugboat captain and they flee downriver on the rickety boat named "African Queen". Their personalities immediately begin to clash, but the dangerous adventure begins to pulls them closer and closer. They encounter leeches, swarms of insects, water rapids, being fired upon and dead ends which all leaves to Rose and Charlie falling in love. They end up becoming one of the cinema's most touching and romantic couples. By the end of the film, they decide to try and blow up a German battleship. The film would go on to influence other movies, including the 80's "Romancing the Stone" as well as inspire Walt Disney to develop the Jungle Cruise ride for Disneyland. Appears on AFI's list of best films at #17.

[|All About Eve (1950)]
A true classic that helped restart the career of a Hollywood legend. Bette Davis, in one of her best roles, plays Margo Channing, an aging actress of the stage. Eve Harrington, a young "fan" played by Anne Baxter, comes to see Davis every night and finally gets to meet her idol one evening after the performance. The older actress is somewhat fond of the young woman and begins mentoring her. Little does she know that the woman has her own plans of replacing Davis. The films supporting cast is topnotch. Gary Merrill plays Margo's loyal husband. Hugh Marlowe is the playwright who succumbs to Eve's charm and George Sanders is Addison Dewitt, the theater critic who finally outsmarts the calculating young star. The film was also an early screen appearance for Marilyn Monroe. Containing some of the sharpest dialogue ever written for a film, including such classic lines as, "Fasten you seatbelts, it's gonna be a bumpy night!", it was nominated for 12 Academy Awards and winning 6 including Best Picture and screenplay. Both Davis and Baxter were nominated for Best Actress in a very strong year for women, including Gloria Swanson of "Sunset Boulevard" and the winner Judy Holliday of "Born Yesterday". Appears on AFI's list of best films at #16.

[|A Christmas Carol (1951)]
This has always been one of my favorite stories. I can't get through the Holidays without watching a few versions of Dickens classic tale. I have no idea how many interpretations exist right now. There seems to be 2 or 3 new variations every year, but this rendition is one of the most faithful to Dickens original. Most know the story of the old miser, Ebenezer Scrooge who is visited by his dead partner Jacob Marley and told to change his ways. To help Scrooge along the way, he is visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future in the hopes of making him a better person. One of the reasons this version seems to shine above others is the great performance of Alastair Sim in the title role. He shines on the screen and seems to truly transforms from the mean old penny pincher to a joyful and caring human being. The screenplay was by Noel Langley, who co-penned "The Wizard of Oz" and the style is evident. Other versions of note are "Scrooge", a 1970 British musical version, "Mickey's Christmas Carol", a Disney version, and a 1984 version starring George C. Scott.

[|The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)]
This is Robert Wise's science fiction classic, recently remade with Keanu Reeves. The story centers around a human-like alien, Klaatu, who travels 25 million miles to talk to the world leaders of Earth about peace. Since the cold war is in full swing, leaders refuse thinking it's the enemy and become hostile. Klaatu, leaves the robot, Gort, to guard his spaceship and goes into hiding by renting a room in a boardinghouse. He learns about humanity by visiting historical site around Washington D.C. and by befriending people from 3 generations, an old scientist, a widowed mother who runs the house, and her young son. Klaatu begins to realize that it's only the world leaders who seem to want war. He leaves Earth with a plea to change our ways or we will be destroyed. Edmund North wrote the very literate script, especially for a sci-fi film, adapting a story by Harry Bates. Bernard Herrmann, as always, provides a great musical score.

[|From Here to Eternity (1953)]
All the studios fought for the rights to this James Jones's novel, even though it was originally considered unfilmable. When this solid adaptation finally appeared in theaters, it became a huge hit and would go on to win 8 Oscars, including Best Picture and Director. The story is set in a U.S. army barracks on Hawaii in 1941, prior to Pearl Harbor. Montgomery Cliff plays a career soldier who resists pressure from a platoon officer who is forcing him to box in a tournament. He ends up falling in love with a prostitute, played by Donna Reed who won an Oscar. Frank Sinatra, another Oscar winner, clashes with tough guy, Ernest Borgnine with deadly consequences. And a sergeant, played by Burt Lancaster begins a torrid affair with his superior officer's wife, Deborah Kerr. All of the stories dealt with clashes of personalities, moral issues, power and authority and would anticipate the rebel figure that would dominate the rest of the 50's. The entire film was filled with great acting and strong direction. This was director Fred Zinnemann's follow-up to "High Noon" (see below) and he didn't miss a beat. The classic scene of Lancaster and Kerr kissing in the surf is one of the most romantic scenes ever filmed. It was considered too erotic for the time, but was uncut from the final print. Appears on the AFI list of best films at #52.

[|High Noon (1952)]
A classic Western and perhaps Gary Cooper's best role, in a career with many highlights. Cooper plays a frontier marshal who is about to be married to a lovely bride (Grace Kelly shining as only she can). The wedding day is interrupted when rumors about a convict, that the marshal had imprisoned, is free and coming after him. The townspeople, who the marshal has helped for years, desert him and he is left alone to face the outlaws. This wasn't the normal western with Indians and gun fights, but a character study. It shows one man, sticking to his morals and duty when everyone else has abandoned him. Fred Zinnemann's direction was perfect, with many of his shots becoming the new norm for the western. He also held the suspense of the film by shooting the film in real time and showing clocks throughout the picture to heighten the tension. The film is on the Library of Congress National Film Registry and appears of AFI's list of best film at #33.

[|On the Waterfront (1954)]
One of those classic Hollywood movies that seems to have developed a myth all of it's own. Marlon Brando stars as Terry Malloy, an ex-boxer who's now a simple dock worker. He begins pursuing and falling in love with Eva Maria Saint, (making her screen debut) a young woman whose brother has been killed by union thugs. Terry's brother, played by Rod Steiger, is a scheming gangster working for the corrupt union. When the criminal acts push Terry too far he decides to go on the stand of the crime commission and squeal on the union. His brother tries to talk him out of it and Brando gives the famous "I could have been a contender" speech. Wondering what his life might have been like if he hadn't given in to crime. Lee J. Cobb, the union leader, makes Terry pay for snitching with a brutal beating, but the martyred figure staggers back to work. The end is a little too much for me and Karl Malden is a little too preachy as the waterfront priest, but it can't overshadow the superior acting from the rest of the cast and the beautiful cinematography of this masterpiece. Much of the movie was filmed on location throughout New York City and it almost becomes a character all its own. Leonard Bernstein composed his first movie score and won an Oscar nomination. The film would go on to win 8 Oscars including Picture, Director (Elia Kazan), Actor (Brando), Supporting Actress (Saint), Story, Art Direction, Editing and Cinematography. Registered as a national treasure with the Library of Congress and appearing on AFI's List of best films at #8.

[|The Quiet Man (1952)]
When making these lists, the first 80% is always easy. It's picking the last few that's the hard part. What to leave on and what to put down on the bottom list. This film was one of four movies vying for the final 2 spots. I was really choosing between this and "Roman Holiday". Both are great romances, contain legendary stars and the location of each is a secondary character. You can really interchange each on this list, but I finally choose "The Quiet Man". The director John Ford and star John Wayne had teamed with each other many times before, all for Westerns, but this film was a huge change for both. Set in County Galway, Ireland, the birthplace of the director's parents, it tells of an American boxer (John Wayne) disillusioned with himself after he accidentally kills an opponent in the ring. He moves back to Ireland, the place of his birth and falls in love with the free-spirited, red-haired Mary Kate Danaher (Maureen O'Hara). It becomes somewhat of an Irish "Taming of the Shrew". They finally get married, but Kate's brother is against the whole marriage and this leads to one of the longest fight sequences in film. The stars and supporting actors are all wonderful. The movie is one of the most beautifully filmed with lush colors everywhere. (In fact if anyone has a good color photograph of the film that I can borrow, I would appreciate it!) It won an Oscar for it's cinematography and Ford, the director.

[|Rear Window (1954)]
One of my favorite Alfred Hitchcock films (which is saying a lot because I love them all). It stars two of mine and Hitchcock's favorite actors in Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly. Stewart plays L.B. Jefferies, a world class photographer who is stuck in his room due to a supposed, work related, broken leg. With nothing else to do, he begins to observe (spy on) his neighbors across his apartment courtyard through his telephoto camera lens. His girlfriend, played by Kelly in one of the most radiating roles ever filmed, is a fashion model who's trying everything to get a commitment from Jefferies. Through his daily observations, he begins to suspect that one of his neighbors (Raymond Burr) may have murdered his wife. He convinces both Kelly and his nurse (played wonderfully by Thelma Ritter) and together they begin to collect clues to the mystery. When the killer realizes he's being watched, he comes after Jefferies who has no where to escape while being stuck in his wheelchair. Hitchcock filled this film with great suspense like only he could. It became somewhat of an experimental film being shot from just the interior of Jeffries apartment (except for one exterior shot), but it never becomes boring. Even the soundtrack was different with all the music coming from the neighbor's radios or the piano player living next door. The film has been analyzed for it's voyeuristic themes similar to that of the movie going audience, which is rather interesting, but can be enjoyed without thinking about it that hard. Appears on the AFI list of best films at #42.

[|Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954)]
The story of this film is kind of silly, but I guess so is the plot for most musicals. A woodsman (Howard Keel) and woman (Jane Powell) fall in love and get married. His six brothers become jealous and go off to kidnap six women of their own, bringing them back to their cabin on top of a hill. A huge snowstorm hits causing the boyfriends and fathers to have to wait for spring to help rescue them. Of course, over the winter the six women fall in love with the brothers which leads to a huge wedding. Stanley Donen directs and integrates the music, amazing dances and story perfectly together, each helping to tell the story.

[|Shane (1953)]
One of the best Westerns ever made. Alan Ladd stars as Shane, the drifting stranger who comes upon a young, farming family that is being hassled by cattle ranchers. The cattle Barons want the land, but Shane, who happens to be a gunslinger, helps the family fight them off. In doing so, he becomes a father figure to the young son (Brandon de Wilde) and a love object to the wife (Jean Arthur in her last film). By the end of the movie, Shane rides off into the sunset, alone, as the boy screams out his name in the distance. Jack Palance is at his best as the creepy, evil, hired killer, especially as he grins and slowly puts on his black leather gloves right before his is to kill someone. The plot seems very familiar, maybe because the lone stranger was copied so often from here on out, especially in the Clint Eastwood westerns, but it is handled with dignity by director George Stevens. The breathtaking scenery helped Loyal Griggs win the Oscar for cinematography. If you wanted to understand the American Western as mythology, this may be the best film to view. Listed on AFI's list of best films at #69.

[|Singin In the Rain (1952)]
This film contains some very corny songs including, "You Were Meant For Me" and "Calendar Girl" as well as the simple plot of boy meets girl, boy loses girl and boy wins girl back. But with that out of the way, this truly is one of the top ten films of all time, it is that PREFECT! It may be the best musical, one of the funniest comedies, and a great movie that takes a look at how early films were made and the transition from silent films to talkies. The film begins at a Hollywood movie opening. The silent screen stars of the opening, Don Lockwood and Lina Lamont, (played wonderfully by Gene Kelly and Jean Hagan) tell the gossip columnist how they started in the biz. The flashback scenes show Lockwood and his long time friend, Cosmo Brown (Donald O'Connor), starting in vaudeville and their slow rise through the ranks to that of stuntman and musician. At the after hours party, the head of the studio tells the guests about the crazy new invention of talking movies, which he believes will never sell. Of course we know this isn't the case, and the studio begins switching over to talkies. Lockwood and Lamont try to change with the times, but Lina has a voice that sounds like nails on a chalkboard. Don's new girlfriend, Kathy Shelden (played by Debbie Reynolds in her first role) dubs in the voice for Lina without her knowing. This causes a big commotion until the end when everything turns out just right. The film is filled with wonderful song and dance numbers including, "Moses", "Good Morning", "Broadway Rhythm" and the title song "Singin In the Rain". The last being the best and most joyous musical sequence on film. As Kelly literally sings and splashes around in the rain. Another classic sequence has O'Connor singing and flipping around walls in "Make' Em Laugh". All the characters, from leads to supporting roles are perfectly cast. The only thing I would change about the film is the song "Calendar Girl". It just seems like a filler song, sung by a non-character, with no plot purpose what-so-ever. This film is one of my all time favorites, is registered with the Library of Congress as a national treasure, and appears on the AFI list of best films at #10.

[|A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)]
The only really successful screen adaptation of a Tennessee Williams play mainly because of the brilliant acting by absolutely everyone. A fragile young woman, Blanche Dubois, arrives in New Orleans to stay with her younger sister, Stella and her abusive husband Stanley Kowalski. Blanche is hanging on the brink of insanity, but instead of helping, Stanley takes advantage of her weak state and ends up destroying her instead. Vivian Leigh, playing Blanche, Kim Hunter, playing Stella and Karl Malden as a suitor of Blanche all won Oscars, but it was Marlon Brando portrayal of Stanley that was most memorable. Appears on the AFI list of best films at #45.

[|Sunset Boulevard (1950)]
You know this movie is gonna be cool when you realize that the voiceover for the film is being given by the dead guy floating in the pool. The man dead is Joe Gillis (William Holden) a screenwriter, who begins to tell how he fell to his demise. Having no money, and fleeing from finance men, Joe mistakenly pulls into the mansion of Norma Desmond, a once great silent movie star. Hoping to make some money, he agrees to rewrite a script that Desmond believes will be her comeback film. Norma's butler, Max, who we later find out is her husband, moves all Joe's belongings into the mansion. They begin having a strange love affair as they each use each other for their own benefits. When Norma ruins a relationship Joe is having with a young woman, he threatens to move out and she in returns pulls out a gun. The film is littered with glimpses of old time Hollywood, the gothic horror films, elegant romances and film-noir. But it's really Gloria Swanson, played Norma, that makes this film special. An actual silent screen star, she gives one of the best sound era roles in film history. The movie contains many classic scenes and lines including "I am big, it's the pictures that got small." and the great closing scene of Norma walking down the staircase, telling Cecil B DeMille that she's ready for her close-up. Appears on AFI's list of best films at #12.

[|The Thing (From Another World) (1951)]
This was the last film I placed on my list. It was between this film and Hitchcock's "Stranger on a Train". "Stranger" is the better made of the two films and contains great suspense, but I have quite a few Hitchcock films throughout my lists and decided to give someone else a chance. Based on John W. Campbell's story "Who Goes There?". A frozen alien is accidentally thawed out at an army radar station in the Arctic and the entire crew must now fight for their lives while being trapped at the station. This is one of those classic films that relies on the unseen rather than the seen for its suspense and scares. An audience's mind will always play more tricks and create more frightful situations than can be shown with a camera. Howard Hawks, who produced the film is credited with helping create the tight direction and pacing throughout the movie. The entire cast, of no real stars, all do a fine job, and the eerie score by Dimitri Tiomkin contributes to the suspense. The film was remade by John Carpenter in 1982 using gruesome special effects, and was the inspiration for the "Alien" franchise as well as many horror and sci-fi movies.

[|An American In Paris (1951)]
I put this film as an honorable mention because I believe there are a few too many flaws in the movie to have it appear on the "best of list" and quite frankly it bores me in parts, but the film contains such a wonderful and joyous 18 minutes, that is should be recognized. Gene Kelly, rightly received an honorary Oscar for his wonderful dancing and choreography of George Gershwin's "An American In Paris". The vibrate, colorful and exciting 18 minute ballet that ends this film is one of the best dance sequences ever filmed. Appears on the AFI list of best films at #68.

These are those special moments from the movies that once you see them you will never forget them. The rest of the movie might not stay with you, but these shots or sequences are now emblazed in your psyche. It may be a special effect, or an actor or actress, or the cinematography, but these are the moments that movies were made for!

[|Riding In A Pumpkin (50):] Disney draws another classic animated film with "Cinderella."

[|Marrying Off Your Daughter (50):] Spencer Tracy is the perfect "Father of the Bride" as he watches his baby girl (Elizabeth Taylor) get married.

[|The Happiness of a Six Foot Rabbit (50):] Jimmy Stewart tells of his invisible rabbit named "Harvey."

[|Indiana Jones Would Be Proud (50):] Stewart Granger and Deborah Kerr help search for "King Solomon's Mines."

[|Looking For Your Own Killer (50):] Edmund O'Brien, slowly dieing from radiation poisoning searches for his killer in "D.O.A."

[|Beauty and Romance In Slow Motion (51):] The amazing beauty of Elizabeth Taylor in her slow motion kiss with Montgomery Clift in "A Place In the Sun."

[|A News Tabloid On Film (52):] Kirk Douglas exposes Hollywood as an over ambitious moviemaker in "The Bad and the Beautiful."

[|Dying To Be A Model (53):] Vincent Price gives his wonderful portrayal of evil in "A House of Wax."

[|What A Wonderful Vacation (53):] Audrey Hepburn shines as a princess in disguise with Gregory Peck in a "Roman Holiday."

[|The Aliens Strike Again (53):] The classic H.G. Wells story, "War of the Worlds" gets adapted to the screen with wonderful special effects.

[|A Big Film For A Big Subject (53):] The first film made in the new widescreen cinemascope told of "The Robe" of Christ.

[|"Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend" (53):] Marilyn Manroe sang one of her classic songs in "How to Marry A Millionaire."

[|The Look Of Leather (53):] Marlon Brando riding a motorcycle and decked out in black leather in "The Wild Ones."

[|An Ugly Duckling? Yeah Right! (54):] An ugly duckling, played by Audrey Hepburn leaves for Paris and comes back as the beauty that she is, stealing the hearts of Humphrey Bogart and William Holden in "Sabrina."

[|The Giant Squid Fights Back (54):] The enchanted adventure of Disney's "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea."

[|When You Really Need A Roach Motel (54):] The scary and fun, giant "B" movie ants from "Them".

[|All Hail the Fish Man (54):] The "Creature From the Black Lagoon" is still one of the best looking monsters ever created for the silver screen.


 * || ====

===This is my own personal list of the top films of the late 45's. It includes my own views, as well as views from e-mails, other critics and websites. I tried to include films from all the main genres; including, war, horror, sci-fi, romance, kid's, etc. As well as movies that were groundbreaking from a technology point of view or changed the industry in some way. I did not include foreign films. The top films are placed in alphabetical order. Each are great in their own way and would be quite difficult to arrange in a 1-15 list. The movie titles are linked to the IMDB (Internet Movie Database) which contains extra information on each film, including the cast and crew. To get back to my site from this link, you will need to use the "back" button. By viewing these 15 films, I believe you will have a great feel for what the American film was all about in the late 45's.===

[|Adam's Rib (1949)]
By 1945, the time when this list begins, WWII was finally coming to an end and the entire world had changed. Hollywood was also tackling much heavier issues and the darker genre of Film Noir was very popular. Ideas of alcoholism, greed, murder, adultery, suicide, psychotic and mental illness are seen throughout the films on the rest of this list. So I wanted to begin with a comedy, and what better team for this list, or any list of top films, but the duo of Hepburn and Tracy. This was the sixth time Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy teamed together on the silver screen and it was one of their best. They play married lawyers who are on opposite sides of a case. Judy Holliday co-stars as the wife on trail for shooting (but not killing) her roving husband Tom Ewell. David Wayne plays a songwriter who's in love with Hepburn. The song he writes "Farewell, Amanda" was really written by Cole Porter. The film was wonderfully written by a married couple, Garson Kanin and Ruth Gordon, who were able to portray the battle of the sexes in the work place and at home with wit and style. George Cukor directs with his usual classic style of Hollywood comedies. The film is somewhat dated and must be appreciated for the time period it was made. The idea of "sexual equality" for a 1949 film was quite ahead of it's time.

[|The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)]
Winner of seven Academy Awards, this classic gives one of the best portrayals of the effects society has on returning veterans. The story follows three GIs returning home after WWII and the difficulties they encounter in adapting back into "normal" culture. Fredric March plays a banker, married to Myrna Loy, whom the war was, just a brief interlude from his life. Their daughter (Theresa Wright) has fallen in love with an ex-pilot (Dana Andrews) whose highpoint in life has been the war. Harold Russell, a real WWII amputee (losing both of his hands), gave the standout performance as a soldier struggling with his new handicap. It was Russell's screen debut and he would receive both an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, as well as a Special Oscar for his positive portrayal of people with disabilities. The film was released just a year after the end of the war and had a real effect on the American public. William Wyler directed one of his best films in a career of great films. It doesn't become overly sentimental, but is sympathetic to its characters. The story, although specific to WWII, still holds up today in its portrayal of soldiers and the troubles in readjusting to home life, love lives and careers. Appears on AFI's list of best films of all time at #37.

[|The Big Sleep (1946)]
One of the most confusing storylines doesn't stop this film from becoming a classic. Taken from Raymond Chandler's first novel, and adapted by William Faulkner, Leigh Brackett, Jules Furthman and director Howard Hawks, it was said that both Chandler and Hawks weren't even sure who committed all the murders throughout the film. Humphrey Bogart was the perfect choice to play Chandler's, always-on-guard detective, Phillip Marlowe. Marlowe is hired by wealthy Charles Waldron who is trying to stop the person that's blackmailing him over the gambling debts of one of his daughters (Martha Vickers). Bogart's new wife, Lauren Bacall plays Waldron's other playful, but spoiled daughter. Elisha Cook Jr. gives a great performance as a secondary character. The story is filled with the underworld scum of society; liars, murders, nymphomaniacs, drug dealers and pornographers, although much of this is only hinted at because of the tight Production Code enforced throughout the 1940's. The censors supposedly rewrote the final scene of the film, but Hawks refused to go back and change any of the previous scenes, which only helps with the confusion. But don't let the complex plot scary you away. The film is littered with some of the sharpest, wittiest and sexiest dialogue ever written for a detective movie, as well as several great action sequences.

[|Brief Encounter (1946)]
This film was on and off my list quite a few times and is finally the last film I'm writing for this list. This was the second film David Lean released in 1946 and both appear on my list (See "Great Expectations" below). Many consider this to be one of the most romantic films ever made even though it centers around two people committing adultery. A chance encounter at a train station between a middle-aged housewife (Celia Johnson) and a married doctor (Trevor Howard) leads to a storybook love affair, that although sweet and innocent, is doomed from the beginning. The story is adapted by Noel Coward from his own one act play "Still Life". The film is scored beautifully with Rachmaninoff's "Second Piano Concerto."

[|Great Expectations (1946)]
This spot on my list was saved for a literary classic that was brought to the screen with amazing artistry and skill. The director left little absent from the story while they created they own wonderful imagery and vision. Two films fit this spot, Laurence Olivier's adaptation of Shakespeare's "Hamlet" (1948) and this film. The reason this film is here is completely a personal one. I have always loved this story, but you can easily interchange these selections and still be watching a superb film. It's hard to imagine that someone can take such a huge and detailed novel such as Dickens "Great Expectations" and make it into a two hour movie without losing major plotlines and elements of the story, but this is a brilliant and faithful adaptation of the tale. The novel centers around a young, orphan boy named Pip who helps out a mysterious escaped convict that he meets in the moors around his relatives house. Years later, a large sum of money is donated to Pip to help out in his education and boost his standings in society. Pip believes that his benefactor is an eccentric old woman named Miss Havisham (played hauntingly by Martita Hunt). Miss Havisham lives in a mansion littered with the remains of her wedding day that never happened. She also takes care of a young girl, Estelle (Jean Simmons as the young girl, Valerie Hobson as the older Estelle) who shares Miss Havisham's contempt for men. Pip falls instantly in love and his feelings never waver no matter how mean Estelle is to him. David Lean directs a masterful film that is filled with memorable scenes. It's one of those films that you can turn off the sound and still enjoy the visuals, winning Oscars for cinematography and set design. It also marked the screen debut of Alec Guinness playing Pip's roommate. David Lean had a huge few years releasing "Brief Encounters" also in 1946 (see above) and another Dickens classic "Oliver Twist" in 1948. "Great Expectations" has had many film adaptations, including a recent modern retelling in the 90's, but none are as memorable as this classic.

[|It's A Wonderful Life (1946)]
One of my personal all time favorites. This present day, Christmas classic, was somewhat of a bust when it was first released. The story is taken from a short tale originally written by Philip van Doren for the inside of a Christmas card. It follows the life of one George Bailey, (played by Jimmy Stewart in one of his best roles, in a career of great roles.) It begins with George as a young boy where we see him help save his brother after falling through the ice. The film follows George through his life and we see that he's put many of his own dreams on hold while he runs the his father's building and loan business. Through flashbacks, we are also introduced to all the secondary characters that make up the small town of Bedford Falls; including Bert and Ernie, the cop and taxi driver (Yes, this is where Jim Henson got the names for his Sesame Street characters), Mary, the young girl who will eventually marry George, (played beautifully by Donna Reed), and the evil Mr. Potter, (Lionel Barrymore) the richest man in town. The story leads to the "present day" on Christmas Eve, when George finds out he may go to jail because his Uncle Billy has misplaced $8000, which Potter has really stolen. George decides it may be better for his family and the world if he just kills himself and he wishes he'd never been born. Through the prayers of his family and the townspeople an angel, named Clarence Oddbody (Henry Travers), is sent down to help Bailey. Through a nightmarish sequence, Clarence gives George an opportunity to view how dismal his family and the entire town would have been like if he had never been born. The film ends with the townspeople coming to his financial rescue, and George learning how important friends are in life. The moral suggests that every person has a profound effect on the rest of the world, especially the people closest to you. Frank Capra directed in his usual idealistic style, combining both humor and intense drama to tell his story. Many people were upset that the villain of the story was never punished for his wrongdoings and the movie wasn't well received on its initial release. The film gathered a new following through rebroadcasts on television and became a present holiday classic. Appears on AFI's list of best films of all time at #11.

[|The Lost Weekend (1945)]
A cinematic milestone when it was first released, this powerful film was the first to portray the devastating effects that alcoholism can have on a person's life. Ray Millard gives an Oscar winning performance as a writer who slips farther down into the decay of New York City, as his drinking problem causes him to make a fool of himself in public, pawn his typewriter, hide bottles in secret places and begin to steal. He goes on a weekend drinking binge that almost costs him his loyal girlfriend, wonderfully played by Jane Wyman, and his life. Billy Wilder's terrific handling of a sensitive topic earned him a scriptwriting Oscar shared with Charles Brackett and the Best Director Oscar. Cinematographer John F. Seitz does a great job of shooting both the bright and seedy side of NYC. Miklos Rozsa's music, played on a theremin, adds to the hallucinations and the off balance nature of an Alcoholic.

[|My Darling Clementine (1946)]
The title of this film is a little deceiving. Yes, it sounds like a Western, but more like a romance set in the west. This is actually one of the many film versions of Wyatt Earp, "Doc" Holliday and the gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Henry Fonda plays Marshal Earp as a brave and moral man trying to clean up the town of Tombstone as he courted the pretty Clementine (Cathy Downs). This was unlike the real Earp who was never a marshal and was believed to be less then moral. Victor Mature was "Doc" Holliday and Walter Brennan was the evil Old man Clanton who both added spice to goodie-goodie Fonda. Although the film is a clash between Earp and his gang versus the "evil" Clantons in which 9 people are eventual killed, this film has been called lovely, nostalgic, sentimental and poignant. John Ford directs and Joe MacDonald photographs this beautiful film that seems to find more poetic statement in the simple things such as walking a woman down the street, taking her dancing, or just sitting on a chair with your foot up against a street post. Even a scene showing Earp walking towards the O.K. Corral, is beautifully shot with Monument Valley in the background. It was said that the real Earp would turn up on set during the filming of John Ford's early silent films, many times sitting around with the actors and director talking about "the olden days". It's hard to say how much of this film is authentic, but with the close attention to detail and beautiful camera work it feels like it is. If you like this film, I recommend the 1990's film "Tombstone" as another look at the events of the O.K. Corral.

[|Notorious (1946)]
I know I've showered praise on Hitchcock before, but this is my favorite Alfred Hitchcock film. It stars three of my favorite actors; Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman and Claude Rains. Bergman plays a depressed, heavy-drinking young American woman who's father was convicted of being a Nazi and traitor, and commits suicide in jail. She is loyal to America and is recruited by an FBI agent (Cary Grant) to be planted in South America among a group of Nazis. The young woman and FBI agent begin a love affair which is soon ended when further information about the assignment says she must become involved with Claude Rains, even if it leads to marriage. Grant gives Bergman the cold shoulder and just sticks to the work of spying on the Nazis. When Rains learns he is being betrayed by his new wife, he begins slowly killing her by putting poison in her tea. Grant must now brake into the home, rescue Bergman and offers up his love to her. The film lacks the humor found in most other Hitchcock pictures, but contains many of his classic sequences, including the infamous High angle, long shot that slowly pans into an extreme close-up of a key in Bergman's hand, the suspenseful sequence of Grant and Bergman searching through the wine cellar for clues as we see the wine quickly being used up at the party above, and the kiss between the two lovers that was said to be the longest kiss in screen history, but was really a series of shorter kisses. The MacGuffin of the film was uranium hidden in wine bottle. Little did Hitchcock and the screenwriter Ben Hecht realize that they had guessed correctly on the key ingredient in the atomic bomb that was being built. The U.S. government had Hitchcock followed for six months thinking he might be a spy himself. The film ends up becoming a strange romance where the villain is depicted as the more romantic and caring lover, while the "hero" is more of the jerk. A recurring theme in the film is the idea of drinking as a danger, from the alcoholic escape from depression, to the uranium hidden in wine bottles and the final poisoning in the tea. "Notorious" is Hitchcock at his best, crafting a masterpiece whose story bookends itself perfectly.

[|Out of the Past (1947)]
The mid 1940's was the zenith of the movie style known as Film Noir. I could have easily filled this list with an additional five films from this genre, but that wouldn't have given you an overview of the films from this time period. I choose "Out of the Past" not only because it is a great film, but it contains all the elements that film noir seems to represent; chance events, large sums of money, murder, hero's that seem to be lacking in morals, dressed in a trench coat, a hat, and with a cigarette hanging from his mouth, a beautiful, lying and cheating femme fatale, betrayals, frame-ups and fall guys. Robert Mitchum is a New York private eye who's hired by a crime boss (Kirk Douglas) to track down his girlfriend (Jane Greer) after she shot him and fled to South America with a load of his money. Mitchum finds her. She tells him she never took the money and they begin to have an affair. Together, they flee to San Francisco, where Mitchum's former partner catches him. While they are fighting, Greer jumps in a car and drives back to the old boyfriend. Realizing she was lying the whole time, Mitchum moves to a different area, assumes a new identity and becomes engaged to another woman. Of course this isn't the end of the film, but I've given too much away already. Most of the film takes place at night helping to symbolize the darkness and mystery of the characters. Nick Musuraca did an amazing job as the cinematographer, using single-source lighting to create eerie shadows over faces and entire sets. Jacques Tourneur directed and Geoffrey Homes (a.k.a. Daniel Mainwaring) wrote the script, both adding much to the style and mood of the film. Robert Mitchum was wonderful, playing a role that was oriiginally intended for Bogart. A weak remake was made in 1984 titled "Against All Odds."

[|Red River (1948)]
Great stories have a way of crossing over boundaries and genres and still effecting the audience; case in point, the many interpretations of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" or the fact that "Star Wars" is a Western set in space. "Red River" is really a westernized retelling of the literary and film classic "Mutiny on the Bounty". Scripted by Borden Chase and Charles Schnee from Chase's own "The Chisholm Trail". It begins in 1851, when two cowboys, played by John Wayne and Walter Brennan, head south leaving behind a wagon train filled with their friends and Wayne's love interest (Colleen Gray). The wagon train is ambushed by Indians and Gray is killed. Heartbroken by her death, Wayne throws himself into becoming successful at business and raising an orphan boy he's found. Fourteen years have now passed, and Wayne has amassed a huge herd of cattle that he needs to drive 1000 miles, over dangerous and rugged terrain or he'll go broke. So he, his old friend Walter Brennan, his now older son (played by Montgomery Cliff) and a band of hired hands set off on the journey. Along the trip, the men suffer from lack of water and food, the long hot days, Indians, and a stampede, and the morale of the group begins to decline. But Wayne pushes on becoming a tyrant (similar to the Bligh character) threatening whippings and hangings. The son (playing the Christian character) leads a mutiny and takes the herd on an alternate route. Wayne tries to hunt down the son and kill him, but is stopped by his son's new love interest (a miscast Joanne Dru) who Cliff has meet along the trail. This was Howard Hawks first, of many wonderful Westerns and shows an amazing authenticity. Russell Harlan filmed the beautiful black and white photography that gave a barren and oppressive feel to the western landscape. The idea of a cattle drive in a Western movie seems a little cliche, but this is the film that made that theme a stereotype.

[|The Red Shoes (1948)]
Taken from the Hans Christian Anderson tale of the same name, this is the first successful and possibly the best ballet movie ever made. A gifted young ballet dancer, (played by Moira Shearer in her first role) is torn between her career represented by her dance teacher (Anton Walbrook) and love represented by a composer (Marius Goring). The highlight of the movie is the 14-minute "Red Shoes Ballet" telling the Hans Christian Anderson tale as well as the dancers' own dilemma. Similar to the extended dance sequence in Gene Kelly's "An American in Paris", the artistry of the dancing, choreography, art production, costumes and technicolor are breathtaking. The movie is a cross between the typical backstage musical and highbrow art. It nicely blends fantasy with reality and contains the strong conflict of career versus marriage which many people, especially females, face. Won the Oscar for both Score and Art Production. Should have won for cinematography, but wasn't even nominated. The film was said to have inspired generations of young girls to begin dancing.

[|The Third Man (1949)]
Graham Greene adapted this masterful thriller from his own novel and brought to the screen one of the classic film characters, Harry Lime. Joseph Cotton plays Holly Martins, an American who travels to Vienna shortly after WWII in search of his old friend Harry. He arrives and hears his friend is dead, only to later discover he's alive and involved in an illegal smuggling ring. Lime is played by Orson Welles, whose presence on the screen is so charismatic and overpowering it's hard to believe he only appears for a few minutes. All of his scene are classics. When we first see Welles, it's nighttime and he emerges from the darkness of a doorway only to give an evil little smirke and dissolves away again. Later Harry meets Martins up on the Giant Ferry Wheel and gives the infamous "Swiss Clock" speech, which Welles supposedly improvised, on the spot. The climax of the film is a classic chase sequence through the catacombs and sewer system underneath Vienna. Carol Reed directed using bizarre camera angles and a high contrast of lights and darks, while Anton Karas wrote the zither music which haunts the film. Appears on AFI's best film list at #57.

[|The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)]
Humphrey Bogart gives one of the best performances of his career as the loser Fred C. Dobbs. He's a resident of a flophouse in Tampico, Mexico looking for handouts. He soon befriends Curtin, played by Tim Holt and an old prospector, Howard, played by Walter Huston in an Oscar winning performance. Dobbs decides to give up his lottery winnings when Howard tells he knows where to find gold in the hills of the Sierra Madre. On the journey, the three have their first encounter with the evil Mexican Bandit, Gold Hat, played by Alfonso Bedoya as one of the ultimate Hollywood villains. They escape and together find what they are looking for, Gold, and lots of it, but soon paranoia, and human nature begins to take over and it becomes difficult to trust anyone. Gold Hat returns and gives one of the classic cinematic lines, "We don't need no stinkin badges!" John Huston won Oscars for both directing and his screenplay adapted from a B. Traven novel. This is one of the best studies in greed ever filmed and appears on AFI's list of best films ever at #30.

[|White Heat (1949)]
James Cagney had been away from the gangster films, the roles that made him famous, for over ten years. He returned in 1949 to play Cody, a violent criminal who had a strange obsession with his mother. This film was one of the major turning points from the gangster genre of the 30's to the themes of psychiatry that was becoming the hot topic of the 40's. This wasn't the criminal who was unemployed and broke from the great depression of the 30's. This was the crazed, psychotic killer. Margaret Wycherly, gave an outstanding performance as Cagney's amoral Ma. They say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, and Ma was as crazy as her son. Ma was the only person who Cody would trust. In fact their relationship borders on fixation. Even to the point where Cody sits on his mother's lap. If it weren't for Cody's wife Verna, played by Virginia Mayo, you'd wonder what was really going on. When Verna betrays Cody to one of his gang members, it's Cagney's fiery performance and haunting look in his eyes that helps rank this as one of his best performance. The climax of the film is one of the classics of cinema, with Cody trapped on the top of a burning refinery, screaming "Made it, Ma, Top of the World", before a huge explosion leads to his end. When the movie was released it was considered excessively violent, but is quite tame by today's standards.

These are those special moments from the movies that once you see them you will never forget them. The rest of the movie might not stay with you, but these shots or sequences are now emblazed in your psyche. It may be a special effect, or an actor or actress, or the cinematography, but these are the moments that movies were made for!

[|Bing Goes the Bells Again (45):] Bing Crosby reprises his role of Father O'Malley in "Bells of St. Mary's."

[|Ships Ahoy, Mousey! (45):] In one of the first uses of animation combined with live action, Gene Kelly dances it up with Jerry the mouse in "Anchors Aweigh."

[|Never Go Hitchhiking (45):] Tom Neal is a hitchhiker who takes a "Detour" into this classic film noir.

[|Working Your Way Up the Ladder (45):] Joan Crawford gives one of her best performances in the classic Film Noir "Mildred Pierce."

[|You've Never Looked So Lovely (45):] Oscar Wilde's classic gothic story "The Picture of Dorian Gray" tells of a young man who stays forever youthful as his picture grows more grotesque.

[|Casting A Spell (45):] The combination of Surrealist painter, Salvador Dali with Alfred Hitchcock is completely "Spellbound."

[|"Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Da" (46):] The uplifting song from Disney's "Song of the South."

[|Will Someone Please Answer the Door (46):] Sexiness comes a calling in the classic Film Noir "The Postman Always Rings Twice."

[|Don't Answer the Door (46):] Burt Lancaster in the classic Film Noir "The Killer."

[|"Put the Blame On Mame, Boys" (46):] Rita Hayworth shines like few others on the screen as "Gilda."

[|A Change of Face (47):] Bogart is unjustly accused of killing his wife and has plastic surgery to change his appearance. He soon meets Lauren Bacall down a "Dark Passage."

[|Walking In Someone Else's Shoes (47):] Gregory Peck pretends to be Jewish to uncover the anti-Semitism in his business and social circles of a "Gentleman's Agreement."

[|There Really Is A Santa Claus (47):] Edmund Gwenn shines as Kris Kringle in the Holiday classic "Miracle on 34th Street".

[|"To Be Or Not..." (48):] Laurence Olivier brings one of the best adaptions of Shakespeare's "Hamlet" to the screen. Could easily appear on the above list!

[|Could I Have Some More Please? (48):] David Lean films a wonderful adaptation of Dickens "Oliver Twist".

[|I Think I'm Going Crazy (48):] "The Snake Pit" was one of the first films to deal realistically with mental problems.

[|A Husband and Wife Battle It Out (48):] Rita Hayworth and husband, Orson Welles meet "The Lady From Shanghai".

[|Do I Know You? (48):] A man tries to pick up the woman who's already bore him a son in "Letters From an Unknown Woman."

[|Poor Humpty Dumpty (49):] "All the King's Men" gives a detailed account of corruption in modern day politics.

[|King Kong Has A Little Baby (49):] Stop motion animation gives us "Mighty Joe Young."

[|Is It War Time? (49):] Gregory Peck shows the importance of leadership in the WWII film "Twelve O'clock High." ||  ||   ||