LawrenceA Posted January 5, 2016 Author Share Posted January 5, 2016 1952 - 72 films seen 1. IKIRU 2. UMBERTO D. 3. HIGH NOON 4. FIVE FINGERS 5. THE QUIET MAN 6. SINGIN' IN THE RAIN 7. MOULIN ROUGE 8. VIVA ZAPATA! 9. DON'T BOTHER TO KNOCK 10. THE NARROW MARGIN Runner-ups: RANCHO NOTORIOUS, FORBIDDEN GAMES, BEND OF THE RIVER, SUDDEN FEAR, and THE BAD & THE BEAUTIFUL. Larry's Choice: INVASION U.S.A. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingrat Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 I have three special favorites from 1952. Singin’ in the Rain is one of the most joyous films ever made, whereas the two foreign films, Forbidden Games and Umberto D., have among the most emotionally devastating endings committed to celluloid. Ikiru and The Life of Oharu also have places of honor among the foreign films, Le Plaisir is a pleasure, and Fellini’s early comedy The White Sheik provides a little comic relief.Hollywood favorites run the gamut of genres, although you know it’s the fifties when three of my top twelve are westerns. Confession: sometime I need to man up and watch The Quiet Man from beginning to end. Stage Irish charm is not my thing.Top Ten for 1952:1. SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN – So many joyous moments. A credible Paradiso is even harder to make than a credible Purgatorio or Inferno.2. THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL – Vincente Minnelli’s best non-musical film, gorgeously directed. Excellent cast, good script, first-rate cinematography and sets?3. HIGH NOON – Might be a position higher if not for Dimitri Tiomkin’s overscoring. The images and dialogue are strong enough to speak for themselves.4. VIVA ZAPATA! – One of Elia Kazan’s best films, with shout-outs to John Steinbeck’s superb screenplay and Joseph MacDonald’s cinematography. Steinbeck and Kazan understand the politics of revolution all too well. Joseph Wiseman is chilling as the man who loves Humanity in the abstract, and will kill any number of human beings to prove it. That Brando guy is pretty good, too.5. THE LONG MEMORY – English audiences of the time didn’t want to see that nice John Mills play a man bent on revenge against those who unjustly put him in prison for twelve years. We may have a different opinion. First-rate British noir, with location shooting in the Kentish marshes.6. THE BIG SKY – My favorite among Howard Hawks’ dramas. Major bromance between Kirk Douglas and Dewey Martin; this is as close as the fifties can get to Brokeback Mountain. As usual, Hawks draws back from the full emotional potential of his material (Red River is the major exception), but the romantic glow of his ballad-like approach is also appealing.7. THE LUSTY MEN – Susan Hayward and Arthur Kennedy are somewhat miscast in this rodeo film, too old for the characters they play, and Hayward suggests Brooklyn rather than an itinerant farm worker, but they act well, as does Robert Mitchum in the lead role, and Mitchum and Hayward have good chemistry together. Nicholas Ray provides plenty of atmosphere, beginning with the early scene where Mitchum visits his old home. One of my favorite Nicholas Ray films.8. ANGEL FACE – Jean Simmons looks so sweet she couldn’t possibly be a femme fatale. Or could she? Robert Mitchum has great chemistry with her, too. Herbert Marshall and Barbara O’Neil are effectively cast as the father Jean loves and the rich stepmother she, um, doesn’t.9. THE NARROW MARGIN – A classic film noir, brief, exciting, with Marie Windsor showing the kind of attitude we love in noir dames.10. FIVE FINGERS – I haven’t seen this movie in years, but remember liking this ironic tale of a German spy (James Mason) very much. This tenth spot might well have gone to BEND OF THE RIVER, another of Anthony Mann’s fine westerns, although the climactic James Stewart-as-Rambo scene is a bit much.10A. “The Last Leaf” from O. HENRY’S FULL HOUSE – I’m not sure whether to include one-fifth of a film in the top ten. Five directors each interpret an O. Henry story, and the results are variable, with Howard Hawks turning in a surprisingly poor version of “The Ransom of Red Chief.” Jean Negulesco’s “The Last Leaf” is another matter. Negulesco uses expressionist lighting and camera set-ups for this tale of a young woman (Anne Baxter) who wants to die because she’s been abandoned by the man she had an affair with. Fortunately, she has a determined sister (Jean Peters), and the painter upstairs (Gregory Ratoff) turns out to be more of a friend than she ever imagined. What could have been sentimental is deeply moving. Peters and Ratoff were never better. One of Negulesco’s best.Honorable mention: Bend of the River; The Marrying Kind; Come Back, Little Sheba; My Cousin Rachel; The Man in the White Suit; Kansas City Confidential; The Importance of Being Earnest; Phone Call from a StrangerBest Actor: Gene Kelly, Singin’ in the RainBest Actress: Shirley Booth, Come Back, Little ShebaBest Supporting Actor: David Wayne, “The Cop and the Anthem” from O. Henry’s Full House or Donald O’Connor (Singin’ in the Rain) or Joseph Wiseman (Viva Zapata!)Best Supporting Actress: Jean Peters, “The Last Leaf” from O. Henry’s Full House or one of these amazing dames: Edith Evans (The Importance of Being Earnest) or Marie Windsor (The Narrow Margin) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedracer5 Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 1952 1. Singin' in the Rain. I love this movie. In my top 10 of favorite films of all time. Gene Kelly was a treasure and kudos to Debbie Reynolds for rising to the occasion to dance alongside Kelly and Donald O'Connor. 2. Against All Flags 3. The Bad and the Beautiful 4. The Crimson Pirate 5. Scaramouche 6. The Snows of Killimanjaro 7. We're Not Married 8. The I Don't Care Girl 9. The Steel Trap 10. Rancho Notorious 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bogie56 Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 For 1952 - 85 films seen 1. The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice 2. The Quiet Man 3. High Noon 4. Singin' In the Rain 5. Umberto D. 6. Casque d'Or 7. The Narrow Margin 8. Ikiru 9. Moulin Rouge 10. Pat and Mike Here are just some from my runner up list: Limelight, The White Sheik, Forbidden Games, Breaking the Sound Barrier and Carrie. Bogie's curios: The Overcoat. My current choices for performances for 1952 are: Best Actor John Wayne, The Quiet Man Best Actress Shirley Booth, Come Back, Little Sheba Best Supporting Actor Victor McLaglen, The Quiet Man Best Supporting Actress Colette Marchand, Moulin Rouge Juvenile Georges Poujouly and Brigitte Fossey, Forbidden Games 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SansFin Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 My favorite Hollywood movies of 1952: The Bad and the Beautiful Beware, My Lovely Five Fingers The Importance Of Being Earnest Pat and Mike The Pickwick Papers The Quiet Man Singin' In The Rain Thief of Damascus Foreign movies of 1952: The Inspector-General Flavor of Green Tea Over Rice The Life of Oharu Ikiru 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lavenderblue19 Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 1952 Singin' In the Rain Pat and Mike Scaramouche The Bad and The Beautiful Sudden Fear On Dangerous Ground High Noon The Quiet Man Carrie Hans Christian Anderson 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swithin Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 1952 Favorites High Noon The clear voice of the blacklisted screenwriter Carl Foreman shines through. The Holly and the Ivy One of the best Christmas movies. The Importance of Being Earnest Almost mythic, handbag and all. This film has made Edith Evans' portrayal of Lady Bracknell the standard by which all other actresses are judged. On stage, I've seen Wendy Hiller, Barbara Leigh-Hunt, and Maggie Smith in the role, and they are all judged by Evans' definitive performance. The Life of Oharu Of the three best known Japanese directors, Mizoguchi is my favorite. Oharu is one of his best films. Pat and Mike Maybe not the best Tracy/Hepburn but what's there is cherce. The Pickwick Papers Very precious but really enjoyable, with several great British actresses, including Hermione Baddeley, Hermione Gingold, Joyce Grenfell, Hattie Jacques, and Athene Seyler. The Quiet Man Green and pleasant film, with all of Ford's hallmarks. Umberto D Perhaps the best Italian Neo-Realism ever. The White Sheik The first and my favorite Fellini film. Pure magic. Plus: Attention must be paid to Arthur Lucan, who made his last of 14 films as Old Mother Riley -- Old Mother Riley Meets the Vampire -- in 1952. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopBilled Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 I was surprised to see a few people include BEND OF THE RIVER in their lists for 1952. In my view, while a solid western action picture, it doesn't quite seem up to the other Mann-Stewart collaborations. But the supporting cast is exceptional. I was glad someone mentioned CARRIE. It's on my list. TCM played it several years ago and has yet to rebroadcast it. It's one of Wyler's best, least seen works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopBilled Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 Larry's Choice: INVASION U.S.A. Are you going to tell us more about this title? Or let us find out for ourselves? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopBilled Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 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. My problem with books like these is that if they update them, then they have to drop some titles (which means the original 1001 films were not all films that had to be seen before someone died LOL)...or they have to change it to 2001 titles to see before you die. To me, I would have to say 10,0001 titles to see before I die, but I know that I would inevitably find a 10,002nd title to recommend. It has to be a fluid, on-going discussion. Also, if we're looking at 100 titles every year (including Hollywood and foreign releases), then 20 years from now, we have to sort through another 2000 films and a percentage of those would have to be seen before people die, or else why make them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
film lover 293 Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 1952: 1.) "Singin' In The Rain" 2.) "The Quiet Man" 3.) " Pat and Mike" 4.) "Ivanhoe" 5.) "High Noon" 6.) "Son of Paleface"--Bob Hope & Jane Russell teamed again, & they're even funnier than in the first film (The Paleface, 1948). Plus they get to sing the Oscar winning "Buttons and Bows" again. One of Hopes' last Really funny films; Russell was underrated as a comedienne, IMHO. 7.) "With a Song in My Heart"--soaper with songs, but enormously effective. 8.) "Five Fingers"--A very effective James Mason movie. 9.) "The Narrow Margin" 10.) Tie--"The Crimson Pirate" (great put-on of pirate dramas--Burt Lancaster does all his own stunts--Wonderful fun; and "We're Not Married!" (multiple story comedy that's better than I remembered it-are multiple copies of WNM on YT. Guilty Pleasure--Macao. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopBilled Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 1952: 7.) "With a Song in My Heart"--soaper with songs, but enormously effective. Hayward's a bit over the top in most of her films, and she's certainly over the top in this one-- but it's still a good film thanks to the music (which Jane Froman sings--Hayward is lip-syncing). And the polished Fox production values help. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
film lover 293 Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 LawrenceA--replying to your post about "10.000 Films To See Before You Die"; Yes, I care. It lets people with more than a passing interest in film know which films to see in genre(s) they have next -to-no-clue about ; using Myself as example, that would be foreign films, excepting Alfred Hitchcock's British films; and SansFin--that's why I want your foreign film picks. I'd never have thought of "The Inspector General" as anything but a 1949 Danny Kaye film if I hadn't seen your pick in an earlier post. And, I, for one appreciate All help in sorting through Must See foreign film and can wait till later foreign film. I hope this post makes sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingrat Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 I'm glad to see the love for two great performances: it's hard to believe Oscar Wilde didn't create the role of Lady Bracknell in THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST for Edith Evans, and there are not many performances by children in the history of the movies to equal little Brigitte Fossey in FORBIDDEN GAMES. As an adult actress (Truffaut's THE MAN WHO LOVED WOMEN) she's more than adequate, but not really special. As a child, however, she was extraordinary. Swithin, some of us envy your opportunity to see so many greats on the stage! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopBilled Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 Joan Crawford was afraid of Jack Palance; John Wayne & Maureen O'Hara found love in Ireland; Yolande Donlan had her first taste of schneese in Lampidorra; Gary Cooper had an appointment at 12; and Julie Harris wanted to stop a wedding. *** My list:1. EUROPA ’51 (Italian neorealist spiritual drama) 2. THE QUIET MAN (romantic comedy drama)3. SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN (musical comedy)4. SUDDEN FEAR (noir melodrama)5. THE SNOWS OF KILIMANJARO (literary adaptation)6. COME BACK, LITTLE SHEBA (drama)7. LIMELIGHT (comedy drama)8. CASQUE D’OR (French crime drama)9. KANSAS CITY CONFIDENTIAL (noir)10. UMBERTO D. (Italian neorealist drama) and SCARAMOUCHE (swashbuckler)Honorable Mentions: THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL (show biz drama)CARRIE (literary adaptation)CLASH BY NIGHT (drama)DIPLOMATIC COURIER (spy drama)FACE TO FACE (anthology)5 FINGERS (spy drama)HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN (biographical musical)THE HAPPY TIME (literary adaptation)HIGH NOON (western)I CONFESS (psychological thriller)THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST (British romantic comedy)IVANHOE (literary adaptation)THE MEMBER OF THE WEDDING (coming of age drama)MONKEY BUSINESS (screwball comedy)MY COUSIN RACHEL (literary adaptation)MY SON JOHN (social message spy drama)THE NARROW MARGIN (noir)PAT AND MIKE (sports comedy)PENNY PRINCESS (British comedy)THE PRISONER OF ZENDA (literary adaptation)LE PLAISIR (French anthology)RANCHO NOTORIOUS (western)SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR (social message drama)VIVA ZAPATA! (biographical drama)WE’RE NOT MARRIED! (anthology)WITH A SONG IN MY HEART (biographical musical) Notable Performers: Ingrid Bergman; Gene Kelly; Jean Hagen; Stewart Granger; and Shirley Booth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawrenceA Posted January 5, 2016 Author Share Posted January 5, 2016 Here are the 1001 Movies to See Before You Die entries for 1952: ANGEL FACE THE BAD & THE BEAUTIFUL THE BIG SKY EUROPA '51 FORBIDDEN GAMES HIGH NOON IKIRU THE QUIET MAN SINGIN' IN THE RAIN UMBERTO D. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopBilled Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 Here are the 1001 Movies to See Before You Die entries for 1952: ANGEL FACE THE BAD & THE BEAUTIFUL THE BIG SKY EUROPA '51 FORBIDDEN GAMES HIGH NOON IKIRU THE QUIET MAN SINGIN' IN THE RAIN UMBERTO D. Is that the ANGEL FACE starring Jean Simmons? I have it on my list for 1953, and a quick check on wiki indicates it was not released until February '53. I see on the IMDb it has a December '52 release date. But on the TCM database, it also says '53. http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/2422/Angel-Face/original-print-info.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bogie56 Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 Here are the 1001 Movies to See Before You Die entries for 1952: ANGEL FACE THE BAD & THE BEAUTIFUL THE BIG SKY EUROPA '51 FORBIDDEN GAMES HIGH NOON IKIRU THE QUIET MAN SINGIN' IN THE RAIN UMBERTO D. No Glen or Glenda? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swithin Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 No Glen or Glenda? Not that it matters that much -- but i think Glen or Glenda is 1953. I was going to skip 1953, but now that you've reminded me that there were good films that year, perhaps I will compile a 1953 list (when the time comes). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bogie56 Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 Not that it matters that much -- but i think Glen or Glenda is 1953. I was going to skip 1953, but now that you've reminded me that there were good films that year, perhaps I will compile a 1953 list (when the time comes). Thanks, I had been going by Ephram Katz' date which is often the production date. i will await anxiously for 1953. 1953 ... hmmm ... Tokyo Story? ... Glen or Glenda? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawrenceA Posted January 5, 2016 Author Share Posted January 5, 2016 1) The "1001 Movies" list that I use is actually 1169 titles. I have compiled all the films from the various editions, up to and including films from 2014. 2) I list the films with the year listed in the book. Whether or not that's the correct year, I don't know. I think the books are published in the UK originally, so they may use different release years. If there's a problem, take it up with editor Steven Jay Schneider and/or Barron's publishing. 3) GLEN OR GLENDA? is timeless, of all times and of none, residing both within and outside of our conventional concepts of time and space. Gaze in wonder and..."Pull the strings! Pull the strings!" 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawrenceA Posted January 5, 2016 Author Share Posted January 5, 2016 1953 will be the first year with a tie for "Larry's Choice", and as much as I love GLEN OR GLENDA? (and I really do), it isn't one of them. If that doesn't whet your appetite, I don't know what can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopBilled Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 1953 will be the first year with a tie for "Larry's Choice", and as much as I love GLEN OR GLENDA? (and I really do), it isn't one of them. If that doesn't whet your appetite, I don't know what can. Do you want to go ahead and start 1953, or are we waiting for others to post their '52 selections..? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bogie56 Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 I think I've seen most of the 1952 films from people's lists with the exception of: The Pickwick Papers Flavor of Green Tea Over Rice The I Don't Care Girl The Steel Trap The Thief of Damascus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawrenceA Posted January 5, 2016 Author Share Posted January 5, 2016 I haven't seen: AGAINST ALL FLAGS BREAKING THE SOUND BARRIER CARRIE CASQUE D'OR DIPLOMATIC COURIER FACE TO FACE FLAVOR OF GREEN TEA OVER RICE HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSON THE HAPPY TIME THE HOLLY AND THE IVY THE I DON'T CARE GIRL THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST THE INSPECTOR-GENERAL LE PLAISIR THE LIFE OF OHARU THE LONG MEMORY MY SON JOHN THE OVERCOAT PENNY PRINCESS PHONE CALL FROM A STRANGER THE PICKWICK PAPERS SCARAMOUCHE SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR SON OF PALEFACE THE STEEL TRAP THIEF OF DAMASCUS THE TRAGEDY OF OTHELLO... THE WHITE SHEIK so...I got some catching up to do. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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