POORGOOD Very Good MASTERPIECE| The Hunchback of
Notre Dame (1939) An excellent adaptation with memorable performances from Charles Laughton in the title role, Maureen O' Hara and Thomas Mitchell. |
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| I
Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932) Haunting, dramatic, thrilling this movie is all these things of the crime films of the early 30s I think it is the one which has stood the test of time best. It contains probably Paul Muni's greatest performance and reveals the cruelty of the Chain Gang system, the degradation and hypocrisy of the authorities : brave stuff for 1932 and even braver in the midst of the Depression : no happy ending. |
93 min, Black & White Director Mervyn LeRoy Cast Includes Paul Muni Glenda Farrell Helen Vinson Preston Foster Edward Ellis Allen Jenkins Messageboard Discussion |
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| Intolerance
(1916) Interesting that Griffith started this movie with the intention of filming just the modern story as The Mother and the Law. It was the extraordinary success of The Birth of a Nation (1915) that encouraged him to make an even bigger epic. He was also impressed and inspired by the Italian epics of this period too particularly Cabiria (1914). The movie really does pick up towards the end when the cross-cutting between the various stories becomes more pronounced. One reviewer said "I was worried Belshazzar was going to be run over by an automobile". It could be argued the film's cry for an end to censorship and peace and goodwill is lost a little by the cross-cutting. To me it isn't as piercingly certain in its message as The Birth of a Nation (1915). Whatever I think about the thinness of the overall theme I don't deny that this is a great film. It was incredibly influential on the epic movie and the cutting techniques were ground-breaking. Technically as I've said this is an undoubted masterpiece. |
178 min,
Black & White Director D.W. Griffith Cast Includes Lillian Gish Robert Harron Mae Marsh Constance Talmadge Bessie Love Seena Owen Alfred Paget Eugene Pallette Links Photo Gallery Messageboard Discussion |
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| The Invisible Man (1933) Superbly atmospheric movie with clever special effects for the time. Claude Rains makes quite an impact in his first screen appearance even though he is only "seen" for a few seconds. |
71
min, Black & White
Director James Whale Cast Includes Claude Rains Gloria Stuart Una O'Connor William Harrigan E.E. Clive Dudley Digges Dwight Frye |
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| It Happened One
Night (1934) Wonderfully entertaining road comedy from Capra which put Columbia on the map by winning the five major Oscars of 1934. It could also be considered one of the first screwball comedies. |
105 min, Black & White
Director Frank Capra Cast Includes Clark Gable Claudette Colbert Walter Connolly Roscoe Karns Alan Hale Ward Bond |
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Written content of the Golden Age of Hollywood Website (except where indicated) copyright Derek McLellan, 2007.