Top Ten Films of...

[TopBilled]

I am going to post my list for 1951 momentarily...I don't know weather it is acceptable, but I have a three-way tie for number 10.  So my top ten is actually a top-12 this time.

[TopBilled]

Robert Walker wanted to trade murders with Farley Granger; Claudette Colbert said a few prayers for Ann Blyth; Ray Milland's house burned down; a prowler lurked outside Evelyn Keyes' home; Audie Murphy went to hell and back in the Civil War; and the men in white came for Vivien Leigh.

***

 

My list:

1. I’D CLIMB THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN* (biographical drama)
2. THE BROWNING VERSION* (British drama)
3. THE RIVER (French-Indian literary adaptation)
4. A PLACE IN THE SUN (crime drama)
5. A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE (drama)
6. STRANGERS ON A TRAIN (psychological crime thriller)
7. THE RED BADGE OF COURAGE (literary adaptation)
8. THE LAVENDER HILL MOB (British crime comedy)
9. ACE IN THE HOLE (noir)
10. THUNDER ON THE HILL (mystery drama), STORM WARNING (noir thriller) and CLOUDBURST (British noir)

Honorable Mentions:

THE AFRICAN QUEEN (literary adaptation)
ANGELS IN THE OUTFIELD (sports comedy)
BEDTIME FOR BONZO (comedy)
A CHRISTMAS CAROL (British literary adaptation)
THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (science fiction)
DECISION BEFORE DAWN (literary adaptation)
THE DESERT FOX (biographical war film)
HE RAN ALL THE WAY (crime drama)
HERE COMES THE GROOM (musical romantic comedy)
KIND LADY (crime drama)
LAUGHTER IN PARADISE (British comedy)
THE MAN WITH A CLOAK (biographical suspense drama)
NIGHT INTO MORNING (social message drama)
ON MOONLIGHT BAY (literary adaptation)
PANDORA AND THE FLYING DUTCHMAN (British romance drama)
PAYMENT ON DEMAND (melodrama)
PEOPLE WILL TALK (romantic comedy drama)
THE PROWLER (noir)
THE RACKET (gangster noir)
RAWHIDE (western)
RED MOUNTAIN (western)
THE STEEL HELMET (war film)
THE TALES OF HOFFMAN (British art film—ballet musical)
WESTWARD THE WOMEN (feminist western)
 

Notable Performers: Michael Redgrave; Vivien Leigh; Robert Walker; Ethel Barrymore; and of course, Bonzo.

*On my Top-20 classics of all time.

[Bogie56]

In the spirit of trying to encourage everyone to post, let's save the know-it-all trash talking of other people's choices for other threads, shall we.

 

“When you talk, you are repeating what you already know. When if you listen, you may learn something new.” - Dalai Lama

[Swithin]

In the spirit of trying to encourage everyone to post, let's save the know-it-all trash talking of other people's choices for other threads, shall we.

 

“When you talk, you are repeating what you already know. When if you listen, you may learn something new.” - Dalai Lama

 

In his infinite wisdom, the OP has given us a comprehensive mission with this thread, which includes these words:

 

"Please feel free to share your own, and any comments, suggestions and complaints about each other's choices are expected and encouraged."

 

I don't consider "complaints" about each other's choices (not that there have been many) to be "trash talking;" rather, they are part of intelligent discourse.  There have been no problems. Let's remember -- the film Pollyanna was not made until 1960! 

[Bogie56]

"God was wrong" 

 

- James Mason in Bigger Than Life (1956)

 

 

 

[Swithin]

"This I know: the spirit of Man can not be stopped"

 

-- James Mason in Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959)

 

[LawrenceA]

Here are my "not-seens" from your lists so far:

 

Bogie: OUTCAST OF THE ISLANDS I've never heard of, THE MAGIC BOX I tried to tape off of TCM a while back but it failed, I've heard of THE BROWNING VERSION and CRY THE BELOVED COUNTRY but seen neither (I've seen the remakes of each from the 1990's), THE 13TH LETTER sounds fun, and DER VERLORENE I haven't seen but I read the bio of the same name on Peter Lorre, so I know about it.

 

Speedracer: I'LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS and THE LEMON DROP KID.

 

kingrat: WESTWARD THE WOMEN, the M remake, HE RAN ALL THE WAY, SHOW BOAT, and THE MODEL AND THE MARRIAGE BROKER.

 

SansFin: ANOTHER MAN'S POISON, RHUBARB, THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, and THE MAN WITH A CLOAK.

 

TheGayDivorcee: I've seen all of yours, but they're good choices!

 

Swithin: THE ENFORCER is one of the few Bogart's I haven't gotten to yet. I also haven't seen MISS JULIE. THE MAN IN THE WHITE SUIT was nearly on my list as well.

 

TopBilled: I don't know I'D CLIMB THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN, THUNDER ON THE HILL, CLOUDBURST, LAUGHTER IN PARADISE, or RED MOUNTAIN.

[LawrenceA]

 

[TopBilled]

TopBilled: I don't know I'D CLIMB THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN, THUNDER ON THE HILL, CLOUDBURST, LAUGHTER IN PARADISE, or RED MOUNTAIN.

CLOUDBURST is a great drama, where Robert Preston plays an American in London whose wife is tragically killed in a hit-and-run accident. He is unable to go on with his life until he avenges her death. Of course, since this is a noir, it pulls him deeper into crime himself as he aims to mete out 'justice' to his wife's killer. It's highly atmospheric, and Preston is exceptional. I love the way he takes a normal well-adjusted man at the beginning and turns him into an obsessed loner. 

 

I'D CLIMB THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN is a Technicolor biopic from Fox, starring Susan Hayward and William Lundigan. It's based on the life of a newly ordained minister who travels with his bride to a rural part of Georgia. As expected, they face all kinds of hardships and their faith is tested. The film is very poignantly scripted and played. Hayward doesn't chew the scenery like we see her do in other films, and Lundigan is perfectly cast as the mild-mannered minister. Gene Lockhart does well with a supporting role, too. It's all expertly done, and when the couple leaves at the end to go on to their next church, it has all come full circle. The reason it ranks #1 for me is a scene that takes place inside the church about mid-way through the story. All the men spontaneously remarry their wives, when Lundigan encourages them to reaffirm what the women mean to them. It's one of the best scenes I've ever seen played...it feels like we are actually witnessing a renewal of vows.

 

THUNDER ON THE HILL has one of Claudette Colbert's best late-career performances as a nun trying to help a convicted (but innocent) murderess, played by Ann Blyth. The story deftly combines spiritualism and mystery, and the supporting cast includes pros like Gladys Cooper and Connie Gilchrist. Douglas Sirk is the director, and I think it's one of his most overlooked films from the 1950s.

 

LAUGHTER IN PARADISE is an excuse to see Alistair Sim in another tour-de-force role after having played Scrooge a year earlier. And RED MOUNTAIN is a Hal Wallis production at Paramount that sends Lizabeth Scott out west, with Alan Ladd and John Ireland. Gorgeous on-location cinematography and an action-driven script make it a winner. 

[kingrat]

Thelma Ritter fans need to seek out THE MODEL AND THE MARRIAGE BROKER, because for once she has the star role, even if Jeanne Crain gets top billing. The part calls for more emotional range than her usual characters, and she delivers.

 

THE BROWNING VERSION was on an earlier edition of this top ten list, and Michael Redgrave's performance as an unpopular teacher and henpecked husband makes this a must-see. One of my favorite play-to-movie adaptations.

 

HE RAN ALL THE WAY is a solid crime film. Garfield is, as usual, outstanding, and a young and relatively slim Shelley Winters is surprisingly subtle as the young woman attracted to him. Yes, I just used the words "Shelley Winters" and "subtle" in the same sentence! Definitely my favorite Shelley Winters performance.

 

SHOW BOAT has a glorious musical score. Both the 30s version and the 50s version have their strengths and weaknesses.

[Swithin]

THE BROWNING VERSION was on an earlier edition of this top ten list, and Michael Redgrave's performance as an unpopular teacher and henpecked husband makes this a must-see. One of my favorite play-to-movie adaptations.

 

I like The Browning Version very much -- it's on my list. I just find that wife such a flat, stereotyped character. Sort of like the evil nun in Black Narcissus. A 1950 film which I did not include is The Astonished Heart, based on one of Noel Coward's short plays (from Tonight at 8:30, the same series that gave us Brief Encounter). The Astonished Heart gives us a much more rounded picture of the bored English woman than The Browning Version does (and features, in addition to Coward, Celia Johnson and Margaret Leighton). 

[TopBilled]

Thelma Ritter fans need to seek out THE MODEL AND THE MARRIAGE BROKER, because for once she has the star role, even if Jeanne Crain gets top billing. The part calls for more emotional range than her usual characters, and she delivers.

 

THE BROWNING VERSION was on an earlier edition of this top ten list, and Michael Redgrave's performance as an unpopular teacher and henpecked husband makes this a must-see. One of my favorite play-to-movie adaptations.

 

HE RAN ALL THE WAY is a solid crime film. Garfield is, as usual, outstanding, and a young and relatively slim Shelley Winters is surprisingly subtle as the young woman attracted to him. Yes, I just used the words "Shelley Winters" and "subtle" in the same sentence! Definitely my favorite Shelley Winters performance.

 

SHOW BOAT has a glorious musical score. Both the 30s version and the 50s version have their strengths and weaknesses.

There is a late 20s version of SHOW BOAT, though I am not sure if a surviving copy exists. 

 

I was going to write about THE MODEL AND THE MARRIAGE BROKER. We should keep in mind it is not called THE MARRIAGE BROKER AND THE MODEL-- meaning Fox intended it from conception to execution to be a starring vehicle for Crain, not Ritter. But Ritter really owns the story with her excellent performance. I think another stand-out is Michael O'Shea who has a thankless role as Ritter's business partner. He takes what is basically an underdeveloped character and infuses it with dimension that makes the final plot points (for Ritter's character) hit home. I am still not sure how much the screenwriters of the film borrowed from Thornton Wilder's play 'The Merchant of Yonkers' which Wilder later revamped as 'The Matchmaker.' My personal feeling of it is that they stole the main idea but added enough original elements to make it fresher than what could otherwise be expected. 

 

THE BROWNING VERSION surpasses GOODBYE, MR. CHIPS in every way imaginable-- at least that is my take on it. It's a more adult handling of the same subject matter. Asquith was never better, Rattigan was never better, and neither was Redgrave. 

[Bogie56]

TopBilled can critique our choices, including the script of ALL ABOUT EVE, just as we can question his sanity for choosing BEDTIME FOR BONZO.

 

sure

[SansFin]

I am sorry to say that I was not aware that appearance of sanity was requirement for participating in this thread.

 

Perhaps I should recuse myself.

[LawrenceA]

It was a bad joke. Let's drop it already.

[TopBilled]

I've been hoping JLewis would come by and share more of his/her picks for best short films. I am rather unknowledgeable about shorts, and I feel like I should have a few of them on some of my lists.

[film lover 293]

1951: No real surprises.

 

1.) A Streetcar Named Desire

 

2.) People Will Talk--Joseph Mankiewiscz's cannon blast at The House of UnAmerican Activities Committee.  Cary Grant and Jeanne Crain deserve credit for taking on roles dangerous to their careers (Grants' character openly blasts the HUAC like committee in the film, and so does Crains').

 

3.) The African Queen

 

4.) An American In Paris

 

5.) "M"

 

6.) "A Place In The Sun"

 

7.) "Rawhide"--20th Century Fox western with Susan Hayward & Tyrone Power--better than its' reputation.

 

8.) "Strangers on a Train"

 

9.) "Storm Warning"--Not well enough known anti can't say because AutoCensor stars it out  drama with Doris Day (her performance in this role reputedly convinced Alfred Hitchcock to cast her in the remake of "The Man Who Knew Too Much" (1956)), Ginger Rogers, and Ronald Reagan (Reagan had a banner year).

 

10.) "Royal Wedding"--The number where Fred Astaire dances on the walls and ceiling, and Jane Powell debut as a musical comedienne wipe out other faults.

[LawrenceA]

I haven't seen ROYAL WEDDING. RAWHIDE I have scheduled to record some time next week on the Encore Western channel

[TopBilled]

1951: No real surprises.

 

1.) A Streetcar Named Desire

 

2.) People Will Talk--Joseph Mankiewiscz's cannon blast at The House of UnAmerican Activities Committee.  Cary Grant and Jeanne Crain deserve credit for taking on roles dangerous to their careers (Grants' character openly blasts the HUAC like committee in the film, and so does Crains').

 

3.) The African Queen

 

4.) An American In Paris

 

5.) "M"

 

6.) "A Place In The Sun"

 

7.) "Rawhide"--20th Century Fox western with Susan Hayward & Tyrone Power--better than its' reputation.

 

8.) "Strangers on a Train"

 

9.) "Storm Warning"--Not well enough known anti Ku Klux Klan drama with Doris Day (her performance in this role reputedly convinced Alfred Hitchcock to cast her in the remake of "The Man Who Knew Too Much" (1956)), Ginger Rogers, and Ronald Reagan (Reagan had a banner year).

 

10.) "Royal Wedding"--The number where Fred Astaire dances on the walls and ceiling, and Jane Powell debut as a musical comedienne wipe out other faults.

I almost included ROYAL WEDDING as an honorable mention. I need to re-watch it. I did have RAWHIDE and STORM WARNING on my list.

 

(spoiler ahead)

The scene where the little girl is wandering around outside in RAWHIDE, while Susan Hayward tries to get to her before the gunmen do-- gives me goosebumps. Very suspenseful and well-played. I almost wish Fox had done a sequel with Power and Hayward's characters married and the girl older. 

[TopBilled]

I just finalised my list for 1952. I am having a lot of fun writing those little teasers at the beginning. I found a great picture of Joan Crawford to use this time.

[kingrat]

I like The Browning Version very much -- it's on my list. I just find that wife such a flat, stereotyped character. Sort of like the evil nun in Black Narcissus. A 1950 film which I did not include is The Astonished Heart, based on one of Noel Coward's short plays (from Tonight at 8:30, the same series that gave us Brief Encounter). The Astonished Heart gives us a much more rounded picture of the bored English woman than The Browning Version does (and features, in addition to Coward, Celia Johnson and Margaret Leighton). 

Swithin, to go off topic just a bit, there are several Rattigan plays or scripts where a big scene toward the end involves someone telling off a domineering female. Think SEPARATE TABLES, THE WAY TO THE STARS, THE BROWNING VERSION, FRENCH WITHOUT TEARS. This must be autobiographical, perhaps his mother. I'll echo your wish that Rattigan had given the wife just a touch of sympathy.

 

To get back on topic quickly, I'm glad that THE BROWNING VERSION has some fans. Rattigan was very out of fashion during the Angry Young Men era, but now people seem to appreciate his work again.

 

And filmlover, I'm glad you mentioned RAWHIDE, another unsung film. I suppose it's another variation of THE PETRIFIED FOREST, but well done.

[Swithin]

Swithin, to go off topic just a bit, there are several Rattigan plays or scripts where a big scene toward the end involves someone telling off a domineering female. Think SEPARATE TABLES, THE WAY TO THE STARS, THE BROWNING VERSION, FRENCH WITHOUT TEARS. This must be autobiographical, perhaps his mother. I'll echo your wish that Rattigan had given the wife just a touch of sympathy.

kingrat, to get into rather dangerous territory for a moment, I might point out that a lot has been written about Rattigan's homosexuality and that a few of the women in his plays may actually be characters he would have preferred to have written as male, in gay relationships.  The Deep Blue Sea is at the top of that list. An obscure Rattigan play I saw a couple of years ago -- Variations on a Theme -- is another. I won't go into that further, but you can find quite a lot about it on the Internet. There is an excellent BBC biography of Rattigan (The Rattigan Enigma), narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch (whom I saw in Rattigan's After the Dance), which you can find on YouTube.

[LawrenceA]

Here's the 1001 Movies to See Before You Die entries for 1951:

 

 

ACE IN THE HOLE

THE AFRICAN QUEEN

AN AMERICAN IN PARIS

THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL

DIARY OF A COUNTRY PRIEST

THE LAVENDER HILL MOB

PANDORA AND THE FLYING DUTCHMAN

A PLACE IN THE SUN

STRANGERS ON A TRAIN

A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE

[kingrat]

1001 Movies isn't usually that much on target. Every one of those films is well worth seeing. That's a reasonable critical consensus, even if we can all think of others.

[LawrenceA]

1001 Movies isn't usually that much on target. Every one of those films is well worth seeing. That's a reasonable critical consensus, even if we can all think of others.

Yeah, I don't agree with all of the chosen films in the book, naturally. I use it as a starting point to broaden my movie exposure, and its a hobby with an end goal. I keep listing them so people can see what they agree on, and what they haven't seen. I'm not sure if anyone really cares one way or the other, though.