[Search for users] [Overall Top Noters] [List of all Conferences] [Download this site]

Conference bookie::movies

Title:Movie Reviews and Discussion
Notice:Please do DIR/TITLE before starting a new topic on a movie!
Moderator:VAXCPU::michaudo.dec.com::tamara::eppes
Created:Thu Jan 28 1993
Last Modified:Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1249
Total number of notes:16012

1067.0. "Classic movies" by CADSYS::KELLEY (Obfuscator/Elucidator) Mon Apr 22 1996 14:48

Thought I'd start a topic on good older movies ...

I've been to the video store so many times
lately that I haven't been able to find
much good for new movies. So I've gone 
to my local library to rent older movies.

One that I borrowed and liked quite a bit
was "Splendour in the Grass" with Natalie Wood 
and Warren Beatty. It's a coming of age movie set
in pre-Depression Kansas depicting the difficulties teens
faced communicating with their parents and other adults.

The movie has (for the time -- 1961) frank discussion
of teen sexualty and mental illness. The director, Elia
Kazan, also directed On the Waterfront, another great
one with Brando.

Anyone have any other older favorites?

Justin
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
1067.1LOVE THESEPCBUOA::CHENARDTue Apr 23 1996 12:199
    Movies that I will watch no matter how many times they are on
    tv:
    
    Father Goose (Cary Grant, Leslie Caron)
    An Affair to Remember (Cary Grant)
    King Solomon's Mine (Stewart Granger)
    Lily (Leslie Caron)
    & pretty much most musicals
    
1067.2feel good moviesFABSIX::TR_TAYLORWed Apr 24 1996 03:159
        2 of my ALL time fave's don't know if u would call
    them "classics" but they are a bit older...

    Rock a bye Baby ---- Jerry Lewis

    Yours Mine and Ours ---- Henry Fonda & Lucy Ball

    Love these 2 !!!!!!!!!!

1067.3my $.02ASDG::MCNAMARAstrange visitor......Wed Apr 24 1996 08:4925
    ...Ok, this sounds like a good note...here's a few of mac' favs:
    
    *War of the Worlds" (director, George Pal)...just love this one, never
    gets old on you...love the direction-style of Pal, lots of
    extras mulling around, i.e. when the first "asteroid" lands and is
    discovered by the locals.....
    
    
    
    *"Of Mice and Men" (stars Burgess Meridith & Lon Chaney, Jr.)....
    makes me cry every time I see those last few minutes....one of the
    Great Films of all Time, of course IMHO....
    
    
    
    *"Requiem for a Heavyweight" (Director/Writer Rod Serling)...another
    classic, stars Anthony Quinn in the role of his career as a down & out
    prizefighter that never loses his will to carry on, despite it all....
    also stars Mickey Rooney & Jackie Gleason as his trainer & manager,
    respectfully....a classic fer sure!   
    
    
    C-ya!
    
    mac
1067.4SUFRNG::WSA038::SATTERFIELDClose enough for jazz.Wed Apr 24 1996 14:3958

This is a pretty wide topic and it depends on how you define "classic". Do you
do it by era, quality, popularity, or some combination? The majority of what I
would consider classic films date from the golden era of the '30's and '40's
with some extension into the '50's. Of course there have been films after that
and there are still films being produced that deserve consideration as classics.
But due to several factors (the studio system, stars, directors, society in
general) most of the films that deserve to be called classics came from that
era.

Here is a very small sampling of what I'd consider classics off the top of my
head:

Wuthering Heights ('39)
The Best Years of Our Lives
Gone With the Wind
Vertigo
Rear Window
Rebecca
Almost any other film directed by Hitchcock
Seven Samurai
Roshomon
Hidden Fortress
Almost any other film directed by Kurosawa
The Searchers
Stagecoach
How Green Was My Valley
Almost any other film directed by Ford
Cat People
I Walked With a Zombie
Singin' in the Rain
Swing Time
Top Hat
And all the other Astaire/Rogers films
Show Boat (the Universal and MGM versions)
The Pirate
The Band Wagon
Easter Parade
Shane
High Noon
Silverado
Red River
Rio Bravo
Out of the Past
The Maltese Falcon
Double Indemnity
Casablanca
The Adventures of Robin Hood
Inherit the Wind
Fury
It's a Wonderful Life
Only Angels Have Wings

I'm getting tired of typing, there are thousands that easily qualify.


Randy
1067.5black & whiteLUDWIG::CARROLLThu Apr 25 1996 10:248
    
     anything with james cagney, errol flynn, maureen o'harra and
    olivia dehaveland(hope i spelled that right)
    
    actually, anything black & white with a good plot, storyline........
    
    
         bill
1067.6NQOS01::s_coghill.dyo.dec.com::S_CoghillLuke 14:28Thu Apr 25 1996 11:4311
African Queen
Double Indemnity
South Pacific
The Mummy's Curse
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
The Cruel Sea
Sunset Boulevard
Lawrence of Arabia
Sparticus
The Ten Commandments

1067.7Old Al had some clinkersCADSYS::KELLEYPaging Jim NasiumFri Apr 26 1996 10:3220
re. -.4

*Almost any other film directed by Hitchcock

I rented a Hitchcock film by accident the other
day and didn't care for it. It was called
"Rope" with Jimmy Stewart. The whole movie seemed
so talky and preachy and not too suspenseful. It played
like an off-Broadway play. Sort of reminded me of "Sleuth,"
though that was a much better movie.


I don't know. I don't think his
movies age well. I used to really like "The Birds" but its
lost its appeal for me. The acting is really wooden most of the
time, especially Tippi Hedren.

I couldn't figure out
where Hitch made his cameo in Rope. I don't think he did?!
Maybe someone has seen this movie and knows about it.
1067.8One of Hitch's directorial/technical masterpiecesSSDEVO::LAMBERTAre we not SSMEN? We are SSDEVO!Fri Apr 26 1996 11:5710
   re: .-1

   Don't know about Hitch's cameo in "Rope", but one of the "things" about
   this movie is that it was filmed in one continuous take, with no splicing
   after the fact.  Even the film reel changes occur when people leave rooms,
   etc, at "fade to black" times.  It was a real technical achievement at
   the time, and is still admired by film technology buffs.

   -- Sam

1067.9Technologically impressive but enjoyable to watch?CADSYS::KELLEYPaging Jim NasiumFri Apr 26 1996 12:177
re: .-1

I didn't realize it was filmed this
way. Interesting. But this doesn't change
my opinion about the story.

--Justin
1067.10Hitchcock cameosGOOEY::GRASSSteve Grass, ZKO3-2/W17, 381-2151Fri Apr 26 1996 14:4179
Amazing what one can find on the web using Alta Vista:


It is well known that Hitchcock had cameo appearances in many of his
films but how many of them are there? Where are they? Which films
are they in? and what purpose (if any) do they serve? All these questions
and more will (hopefully) be answered by the time this page is complete.
For the moment, however, you will simply have to put up with this: 

(PS. They are in no particular order at the moment as I haven't had the
time to order them chronologically.) 

Rope 
     Crossing the road at the end of the opening credits. 

North by Northwest 
     Attempting to get on a bus 

Psycho 
     Seen through the window of Marions office as she enters it for the
     first time... 

To Catch a Thief 
     Sitting on the bus next to Cary Grant as he escapes the police near
     the start of the film. 

The Birds 
     Walking out of the pet shop with two dogs as 'Tippi' Hedren
     enters at the start of the film. 

The Lady Vanishes 
     In the crowd as the hero and heroine arrive back in London near
     the end of the film. 

Marnie 
     Coming out of a hotel room door as `Tippi' Hedren walks down
     the corridoor at the start of the film. 

Strangers on a train 
     Getting off the train carrying a double bass at the start of the film.

Lifeboat 
     A "before and after" picture in a newspaper advert for slimming
     pills being read by one of the cast. 

The Wrong Man 
     The voice-over during the opening credits. 

Vertigo 
     Walking right to left in front of Gavin Elster's shipyard. (Click
     here to link to the page.) 

Rear Window 
     Tuning the song writer's piano (or is he winding the clock? I
     forget...) 

Dial M for Murder 
     On the left hand side of the reunion photo. 

Notorious 
     (Still Checking...) 

Spellbound 
     Coming out of the elevator of the Empire Hotel carrying a violin. 

Shadow of a Doubt 
     On the train to Santa Rosa, playing cards and doing rather well! 

Suspicion 
     Mailing a letter at the village post office. 

Foreign Correspondent 
     Early on walking past Jonny Jones' hotel reading a newspaper. 

Sabotage 

The Thirty Nine Steps 
     Tossing some litter as Richard and Anabella run from the music
     hall. 
1067.11SSDEVO::LAMBERTAre we not SSMEN? We are SSDEVO!Sat Apr 27 1996 02:089
   Re: .9

   Oh, I didn't mean to imply that that made it a good movie, just pointing
   out a detail.  As a flick, it's a dud.  :-)

   Re: .10  Hi Steve.  Nice to see you're still around, too!

   -- Sam

1067.12NQOS01::s_coghill.dyo.dec.com::S_CoghillLuke 14:28Sat Apr 27 1996 13:004
His cameos in his later movies tended to happen early in
the films.  Alfred found that people were looking for his
cameo instead of paying attention to the movie, so he
decided to get the cameo out of the way quickly.
1067.13I wish I wish I wish I were a fishFABSIX::TR_TAYLORSun Apr 28 1996 04:476
    
        The incredible Mr. Limpet

    I love that song...."Be careful what u wish for wishes can come
                         true..Make sure that the wish that you wish
                         is one whats right for u......"
1067.14SNAX::NOONANsing the soul's bluesWed May 01 1996 03:236
    I love The Incredible Mr. Limpet!
    
    Also, A New Leaf, starring Elaine May and Walter Matthau.
    
    
    E
1067.15don knott's.STRATA::CARROLLFri May 03 1996 20:305
    mr. limpet, excellent movie. don knott's is the ball's.
    
    the ghost and mr. chicken.........
    
    bill
1067.16Atta boy Luther....FABSIX::TR_TAYLORSun May 05 1996 03:365
    The Ghost and Mr Chicken........
    
    I can hear that organ now.........
    
    
1067.17Blockbuster has itNQOS01::s_coghill.dyo.dec.com::S_CoghillLuke 14:28Mon May 06 1996 10:153
Blockbuster in my area just put "The Ghost an Mr. Chicken" on the
shelves this week.  It's been rented already.  Can't wait
to see it again.
1067.18KERNEL::PLANTCA song..played on a solo saxaphone..Tue May 07 1996 08:1311
    
    
    I loved that movie too!
    
    I remember Heckling Harry Connick jr at a concert. I sat 4 rows from
    the stage right in front of him and used the old
    
    "Atta Boy Harry!" line on him and he repeated it to the audience!! :))
    
    Chris
    :)
1067.19SNAX::NOONANsing the soul's bluesWed May 15 1996 03:465
    Got reminded of this one tonight.....
    
    "Hobson's Choice".
    
    E
1067.20hun lets buy a trailerFABSIX::TR_TAYLORSun Sep 22 1996 03:517
1067.2110 favorite classicsHOTLNE::SHIELDSThu Nov 28 1996 02:3716
1067.22It's a Wonderful LifeDECC::SULLIVANJeff SullivanMon Dec 02 1996 18:447
1067.23REGENT::POWERSTue Dec 03 1996 09:3413
1067.24Exclusive to somebodyVLNVAX::DESOURDISTue Dec 03 1996 10:469
1067.25BUSY::SLABAn imagine burning in her mind ...Tue Dec 03 1996 10:474
1067.26CopyrightQUARRY::reevesJon Reeves, UNIX compiler groupTue Dec 03 1996 11:0211
1067.23TOHOPE::WSA038::SATTERFIELDClose enough for jazz.Mon Dec 30 1996 15:4820
1067.24SNAX::NOONANsing the soul's bluesThu Jan 02 1997 01:1716
1067.2510 takesVAXCPU::michaudThe Trouble with HarryThu Jan 02 1997 11:396
1067.26The Snake PitCADSYS::KELLEYLinoleume BlownaparteFri Feb 28 1997 13:3517
Saw this one the other night.

Stars Olivia DeHaviland as a woman
who suffers a nervous breakdown and 
gets committed to a mental institution.

Filmed in the late 1940s, the film
was fairly graphic for its time with
depictions of electro-shock therapy
and use of drugs to jar patients' memories.

Some of the scenes of the violent mental
wards are still fairly riveting.

All in all worth renting.

/JK