#29: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

Emily says:

I've been looking forward to this one for a long time! Those of you who know me know that I love a good political movie - especially one that involves a "regular joe" going off to DC to teach them something (Dave, anyone?)

 Jimmy Stewart's Jefferson Smith is extremely likeable and you can't help but root for him. A filibuster ends in the "good guy" prevailing over the corruption of the senate - I only wish we had those dramatic moments in the senate in real life more often.

I especially enjoyed the development of the relationship between Jeff Smith and his secretary Clarissa, who ultimately ends up helping him learn the ins and outs of the senate that help him exonerate himself.  I'd watch this one again, for sure.

Paul says:

#43: King Kong (1933)

Emily says:

I expected this film to be as hoaky as all of the spoofs of it over the years, and as terrible as the recent remake, but I actually enjoyed it much more than anticipated.  The special effects were pretty terrible, until you remember that it was made in 1933.  The scenes in which King Kong is climbing on the sides of the skyscraper are particularly badly done, but I enjoyed them so much.  The scene on top of the Empire State Building was especially iconic and fun to see in its original form.

Paul says:

#49: Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

Emily says:
So... this one falls into the "Emily kept passing it up for other films because it was a kids' movie" category.  Seriously, Snow White is kind of creepy though... the whole evil queen/stepmother bit, and the dwarfs...

Some scenes took me right back to childhood though - especially the "Whistle while you work" part.

Even so, looking back at this movie, you can understand how it managed to cost Disney almost $1.5 million back in 1937 (which was a small fortune back then).  It took them 3 years to make the movie - and I think that it's withstood the test of time - at least for kids.

Paul says:

#54: All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)

Emily says:

I had low expectations for this movie because I read the book in High School and I remember it going on and on for ages and not enjoying it whatsoever. The movie is a big improvement on the book though (or maybe if I read the book now I'd feel differently). I don't remember the book being so anti-war, but the movie does a great job showing the war-mongering of society through the schoolteacher's character. The training of the enlisted classmates and their deployment shows how the civilian mentality and the soldier mentality are totally different from one another, and how war really changes those who take part in it.

 I particularly enjoyed how the filmmakers showed the passage of time in the boots passed from one dead soldier to another, the brutality of trench warfare, and the tragic ending with the butterfly. This is a movie that reminded me of how quickly we can get swept up into nationalism and militarism as humans, and even though it was made after the First World War, it is applicable today as the US fights 2 wars abroad, and I am saddened to know that the brutality of war will continue into our futures.

#63: Stagecoach (1939)

Starring: Claire Trevor, John Wayne
Director: John Ford
IMDB

Emily says:

I enjoyed this more than the other John Wayne film we've watched so far on the list. The characters were easy to relate to, and as they try to escape Geronimo and are stuck together, its enjoyable to see how they develop beyond their initial stereotypes. There are some decent action scenes and by and large it was a pretty good film.

Paul says:

#73: Wuthering Heights (1939)

Starring: Merle Oberon, Laurence Olivier, David Niven, Geraldine Fitzgerald
Director: William Wyler
IMDB

Emily says:

I was really surprised to find out that Paul didn't read Wuthering Heights in high school. I did, and I sort of enjoyed it, but the creepiest parts of the book sadly didn't make it into the movie (like Heathcliff's crazy coffin so that his body could co-mingle with Cathy's after death).

Okay, about the movie though - it wasn't a faithful adaptation of the novel, but I think they took some good stuff out that helped to make the plot more coherent. It had some of the classic overacting and drama of a romantic-period film, but it was pretty good (and much quicker than reading the book in 10th grade).

Paul says:

#76: City Lights (1931)

Starring: Charlie Chaplin, Virgina Cherrill
Director: Charlie Chaplin
IMDB

Emily says:

I enjoyed Chaplin's drunken debauchery with the millionaire in this film, and the sweet love story between the tramp and the blind girl. I'm just tired of Chaplin films though - maybe "Modern Times" wore me out, and I know that Chaplin was an important figure in silent film - and that this movie was made when silent film was in decline - but I just wasn't thrilled by this one. Good to watch for its place in film history, but I most likely won't watch it again.

Paul says:

#81: Modern Times (1936)

Starring: Charlie Chaplin, Paulette Goddard
Director: Charlie Chaplin
IMDB

Emily says:

Paul says:

#85: Duck Soup (1933)

Starring: Groucho, Harpo, Chico, and Zeppo Marx
Director: Leo McCarey
IMDB

Emily says:

This movie was terrible. No substance. I'd never actually seen more than a clip from a Marx Brothers film before, so at least I have had that cultural experience, but seriously, if they couldn't find a better Marx Bros film to put on the list, I'm not even sure if it deserved being included in the list.

Paul says:

Unfortunately, this was exactly what I expected it to be. Cheap jokes and slapstick. We can't even give it credit for political satire. None of it is even that deep. Fortunately it was pretty short, so we didn't have to put up with a full 2 hours. Seriously, my biggest takeaway here is that Hawkeye Pierce from the MASH TV show does a good Groucho Marx. I can't even identify the rest of them. The Marx brothers are dumb, the supporting cast is dumber, I'm done talking about this movie.

Rating: 5/10

#87: Frankenstein (1931)

Starring: Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, John Boles, Boris Karloff
Director: James Whale
IMDB

Emily says:

Paul says:

It's interesting to see this movie after having seen it parodied so much in popular culture. (that's the case with many of these films really) Now I just want to go back and watch Young Frankenstein again, seems fitting, no? This movie definitely deserves it's place on the list though, as a true classic and trailblazer in film. It does manage to get you to sympathize with the Dr. Frankenstein and his monster, in spite of their obvious respective shortcomings. Also, apparently German girls can't swim in 2 feet of water. Who knew? Admittedly, part of me does wonder what the scientific purpose of all the sparking Jacob's Ladders in the background is. Can the monster only be resurrected in an ozone-saturated environment? Who knows?

#97: Bringing Up Baby (1938)

Starring: Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant
Director: Howard Hawks
IMDB

Emily says:
After watching Katherine Hepburn as a mother in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner it was fun to see her here as a much younger actress. She's unbelievably beautiful and hilarious in this film - and Cary Grant's straight man is fun to watch alongside her silly, playful character.

I have to admit, this one doesn't have a ton of substance, but the silly antics of the characters as they try to capture the missing leopard are much fun to watch - a fine example of a comedy.

The scene at the very end with the collapsing dinosaur is a personal favorite - Grant's love for Hepburn in spite of her antics is a heart warming ending to a hilarious film.

Paul says:

Sure, the movie's funny, but I don't think that I even like any of the characters by the end Cary Grant is kinda dumb and Hepburn is horribly inconsiderate. Maybe it was good in its time, and it's pretty entertaining fluff, but it's nothing more. If it were played exactly the same with no-name actors it wouldn't even come close to this list, and that's kinda a shame.

Rating: 7/10