Click here to buy this book!
Everyone loves lists of best movies. This book not only lists what I consider the best 400 films ever made, but examines my selection in the light of other books on the subject, particularly "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die".
This book is more than just a list of great movies. In addition to my listing of the best 400, a number of those pictures are examined in detail: "The Third Man" for example, and "The Shepherd of the Hills". "The General", "Gilda", "Tales of Manhattan", "The Big Clock", "Anna Karenina", "Adventures of Sherlock Holmes", "China Seas", "Duck Soup", the entire "Thin Man" series, "The Citadel", "Cat People", "Cardinal Richelieu", "Are Parents People?", "I Found Stella Parrish", "Hips, Hips, Hooray", "I Remember Mama", "Three Godfathers". "Special Agent", "Spite Marriage", "The 13th Guest", "I Walk Alone", "Love on the Run", "Oil for the Lamps of China", "Odor in the Court", "Tower of London", "The Uninvited", "Another Fine Mess", "Hold That Co-Ed", "The Old Dark House", "Our Hospitality", "The Last of Mrs Cheyney", "Paris Interlude", "Parachute Jumper", "The Purchase Price", "The Trouble with Harry", "Lisbon", and "Rose of Washington Square".
There are of course lots more in the book itself. But not all old movies are golden oldies. You'll find one or two clunkers sprinkled through the above list and I examine many more in the book itself: films like "Two Guys from Milwaukee", "British Intelligence", and "Thunder over Texas", my nominee for worst western "B" movie of all time.
Excerpt
1. CITIZEN KANE (ORSON WELLES)
2. A PLACE IN THE SUN (GEORGE STEVENS) *
3. ROSE OF WASHINGTON SQUARE (GREGORY RATOFF)
4. THE LOVERS OF VERONA (ANDRE CAYATTE)
5. LOVE ME TONIGHT (ROUBEN MAMOULIAN) *
6. SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS (DAVID HAND)
7. THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY (ALBERT LEWIN)
8. MARIE WALEWSKA (CLARENCE BROWN)
9. ANNA KARENINA (CLARENCE BROWN)
10. TALES OF MANHATTAN (JULIEN DUVIVIER)
11. CASABLANCA (MICHAEL CURTIZ)
12. THE THIRD MAN (CAROL REED)
13. GO INTO YOUR DANCE (ARCHIE MAYO)
14. WAKE UP AND LIVE (SIDNEY LANFIELD)
15. STAGECOACH (JOHN FORD)
16. THE SCARLET EMPRESS (JOSEF VON STERNBERG)
17. SUNSET BOULEVARD (BILLY WILDER)
18. THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI (ORSON WELLES)
19. THE SHEPHERD OF THE HILLS (version exhibited in Australia only—not the mutilated version released in the USA) (HENRY HATHAWAY)
20. HENRY V (LAURENCE OLIVIER)
21. CHINA SEAS (TAY GARNETT)
22. CARRIE (version exhibited in Australia only—not the mutilated version released in the USA and currently available on DVD) (WILLIAM WYLER)
23. THE BIG CLOCK (JOHN FARROW)
24. STAR! (full-length version only) (ROBERT WISE)
25. KING KONG (ERNEST B. SCHOEDSACK)
26. I MARRIED A WITCH (RENE CLAIR)
27. DOUBLE INDEMNITY (BILLY WILDER)
28. THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD (MICHAEL CURTIZ and WILLIAM KEIGHLEY)
29. IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (FRANK CAPRA)
30. CITY LIGHTS (CHARLES CHAPLIN)
31. GRAND HOTEL (EDMUND GOULDING)
32. THE LETTER (WILLIAM WYLER) [Another weird omission]
33. LETTER FROM AN UNKNOWN WOMAN (MAX OPHULS)
34. REBECCA (ALFRED HITCHCOCK)
35. KINGS ROW (SAM WOOD)
36. LOST HORIZON (FRANK CAPRA)
37. BEES IN PARADISE (VAL GUEST)
38. MR SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON (FRANK CAPRA)
39. METROPOLIS (FRITZ LANG)
40. BULLDOG DRUMMOND (F. RICHARD JONES)
41. FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT (ALFRED HITCHCOCK)
42. SAN FRANCISCO (W.S. VAN DYKE)
43. HIGH NOON (FRED ZINNEMANN)
44. LAURA (OTTO PREMINGER)
45. LIVES OF A BENGAL LANCER (HENRY HATHAWAY)
46. THE INFORMER (JOHN FORD)
47. ALL ABOUT EVE (JOSEPH L. MANKIEWICZ)
48. THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS (ORSON WELLES)
49. MY FAIR LADY (GEORGE CUKOR)
50. THE MUSIC MAN (MORTON DA COSTA)
51. THE SOUND OF MUSIC (ROBERT WISE)
52. THE GENERAL (CLYDE BRUCKMAN)
53. THE MUMMY (KARL FREUND)
54. DETECTIVE STORY (WILLIAM WYLER)
55. PEPE LE MOKO (JULIEN DUVIVIER) *
56. BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (JEAN COCTEAU)
57. PASSPORT TO PIMLICO (HENRY CORNELIUS)
58. WHISKY GALORE (ALEXANDER MACKENDRICK)
59. THE GHOST TRAIN (Askey version) (WALTER FORDE)
60. HOW THE WEST WAS WON (Cinerama only) (mostly HENRY HATHAWAY)
61. HELLO, DOLLY! (GENE KELLY)
62. OLIVER! (CAROL REED)
63. 42nd STREET (LLOYD BACON and BUSBY BERKELEY)
64. FANNY (JOSHUA LOGAN)
65. THE NUN'S STORY (FRED ZINNEMANN)
66. GIGI (VINCENTE MINNELLI)
67. THE CAINE MUTINY (EDWARD DMYTRYK)
68. BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI (DAVID LEAN)
69. YANKEE DOODLE DANDY (MICHAEL CURTIZ)
70. MILDRED PIERCE (MICHAEL CURTIZ)
71. DIPLOMANIACS (WILLIAM A. SEITER)
72. THE BIG PARADE (KING VIDOR)
73. ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT (LEWIS MILESTONE)
74. STATE FAIR (HENRY KING)
75. JOURNEY INTO FEAR (both original and re-edited versions) (ORSON WELLES and NORMAN FOSTER)
76. IF I HAD A MILLION (various directors)
77. DUCK SOUP (LEO McCAREY)
78. THE MALTESE FALCON (JOHN HUSTON)
79. THE MARK OF ZORRO (ROUBEN MAMOULIAN)
80. CALAMITY JANE (DAVID BUTLER)
81. CALL NORTHSIDE 777 (HENRY HATHAWAY)
82. THE JUNGLE BOOK (ZOLTAN KORDA)
83. THE GOLDEN COACH (JEAN RENOIR)
84. THE MERRY WIDOW (ERNST LUBITSCH)
85. IN OLD CHICAGO (HENRY KING and BRUCE HUMBERSTONE)
86. OUT OF THE PAST (JACQUES TOURNEUR)
87. GOODBYE MR CHIPS (SAM WOOD)
88. THE 39 STEPS (ALFRED HITCHCOCK)
89. T-MEN (ANTHONY MANN)
90. HEAVEN CAN WAIT (ERNST LUBITSCH)
91. THE GHOST BREAKERS (GEORGE MARSHALL)
92. GREEN PASTURES (MARC CONNELLY and WILLIAM KEIGHLEY)
93. MADELEINE (DAVID LEAN)
94. ROMAN SCANDALS (FRANK TUTTLE and BUSBY BERKELEY)
95. THE LAVENDER HILL MOB (CHARLES CRICHTON)
96. MURDER, SHE SAID (GEORGE MARSHALL)
97. THE CAT AND THE CANARY (ELLIOTT NUGENT)
98. CHU CHIN CHOW (MARCEL VARNEL)
99. IT'S IN THE BAG (RICHARD WALLACE)
100. MY FAVORITE BRUNETTE (ELLIOTT NUGENT)
101. ODD MAN OUT (CAROL REED)
102. THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES (CHARLES BARTON)
102. PIMPERNEL SMITH (LESLIE HOWARD)
103. WAY OUT WEST (JAMES W. HORNE)
104. SON OF FRANKENSTEIN (ROWLAND V. LEE)
105. THE GHOST GOES WEST (RENE CLAIR)
106. DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE (VICTOR FLEMING)
107. TIGER IN THE SMOKE (ROY BAKER)
108. THE TUTTLES OF TAHITI (CHARLES VIDOR)
109. KEEPER OF THE FLAME (GEORGE CUKOR)
110. HOLIDAY INN (MARK SANDRICH)
111. HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES (SIDNEY LANFIELD)
112. MY LITTLE CHICKADEE (EDWARD CLINE)
113. MY WILD IRISH ROSE (DAVID BUTLER)
114. ROAD TO RIO (NORMAN Z. McLEOD)
115. BACK ROOM BOY (HERBERT MASON)
116. CAT PEOPLE (JACQUES TOURNEUR)
117. PEOPLE WILL TALK (JOSEPH L. MANKIEWICZ)
118. KNOCK ON WOOD (NORMAN PANAMA and MELVIN FRANK)
119. THE BAND WAGON (VINCENTE MINNELLI)
120. BROKEN LANCE (EDWARD DMYTRYK)
121. ONE HOUR WITH YOU (ERNST LUBITSCH)
122. THE RED SHOES (MICHAEL POWELL)
123. ASK A POLICEMAN (MARCEL VARNEL)
124. A TALE OF TWO CITIES (JACK CONWAY AND JACQUES TOURNEUR)
125. SINGIN' IN THE RAIN (STANLEY DONEN and GENE KELLY)
126. MONSIEUR HULOT'S HOLIDAY (JACQUES TATI)
127. THE COURT JESTER (NORMAN PANAMA and MELVIN FRANK)
128. STORY OF GILBERT AND SULLIVAN (SIDNEY GILLIAT)
129. DEAD OF NIGHT (BASIL DEARDEN)
130. OH, MR PORTER (MARCEL VARNEL)
131. SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS (PRESTON STURGES)
132. TO BE OR NOT TO BE (ERNST LUBITSCH)
133. LET GEORGE DO IT (MARCEL VARNEL)
134. LE CORBEAU (HENRI-GEORGES CLOUZOT)
135. THE RIVER (JEAN RENOIR)
136. WINCHESTER '73 (ANTHONY MANN)
137. CABINET OF DR CALIGARI (ROBERT WIENE)
138. MOSS ROSE (GREGORY RATOFF)
139. IT ALL CAME TRUE (LEWIS SEILER)
140. ON DANGEROUS GROUND (NICHOLAS RAY)
141. THE NARROW MARGIN (RICHARD FLEISCHER)
142. GOOD MORNING, BOYS (WILLIAM BEAUDINE)
143. HARVEY (HENRY KOSTER)
144. FANTASIA (various directors)
145. THE FOUR FEATHERS (ZOLTAN KORDA)
146. THE GENERAL DIED AT DAWN (LEWIS MILESTONE)
147. NINOTCHKA (ERNST LUBITSCH)
148. WONDER MAN (BRUCE HUMBERSTONE)
149. THE EMPEROR WALTZ (BILLY WILDER)
150. MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY (FRANK LLOYD) *
151. ARSENIC AND OLD LACE (FRANK CAPRA)
152. OF MICE AND MEN (LEWIS MILESTONE)
153. LUCREZIA BORGIA (CHRISTIAN-JAQUE)
154. THE RECKLESS MOMENT (MAX OPHULS)
155. THE KING OF KINGS (CECIL B. DE MILLE)
156. THE HORN BLOWS AT MIDNIGHT (RAOUL WALSH)
157. THE BANK DICK (EDWARD CLINE)
158. THE LIFE OF EMILE ZOLA (WILLIAM DIETERLE) *
159. ALL THE KING'S MEN (ROBERT ROSSEN)
160. THE SEA WOLF (MICHAEL CURTIZ)
161. FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD (JOHN SCHLESINGER)
162. THE STORY OF LOUIS PASTEUR (WILLIAM DIETERLE)
163. STALAG 17 (BILLY WILDER)
164. THE HEIRESS (WILLIAM WYLER)
165. JUAREZ (WILLIAM DIETERLE)
166. ME AND MARLBOROUGH (VICTOR SAVILLE)
167. THE KID FROM SPAIN (LEO McCAREY)
168. KID MILLIONS (ROY DEL RUTH)
169. BALL OF FIRE (HOWARD HAWKS)
170. HIS GIRL FRIDAY (HOWARD HAWKS)
171. POT LUCK (TOM WALLS)
172. OWD BOB (ROBERT STEVENSON)
173. THE GRAPES OF WRATH (JOHN FORD)
174. FALLING FOR YOU (JACK HULBERT and ROBERT STEVENSON)
175. BULLDOG JACK (WALTER FORDE)
176. I SEE A DARK STRANGER (FRANK LAUNDER)
177. KIPPS (CAROL REED)
178. HISTORY OF MR POLLY (ANTHONY PELISSIER)
179. LA SIGNORA DI TUTTI (MAX OPHULS)
180. IT'S LOVE AGAIN (VICTOR SAVILLE)
181. OLD BONES OF THE RIVER (MARCEL VARNEL)
182. STRANGE BOARDERS (HERBERT MASON)
183. THE COVERED WAGON (JAMES CRUZE)
184. THE HAPPIEST DAYS OF YOUR LIFE (FRANK LAUNDER)
185. CASQUE D'OR (JACQUES BECKER)
186. HELLO, FRISCO, HELLO (BRUCE HUMBERSTONE)
187. SABRINA (BILLY WILDER)
188. HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY (JOHN FORD)
189. MR PERRIN AND MR TRAILL (LAWRENCE HUNTINGTON)
190. THE CITADEL (KING VIDOR)
191. YOUNG MR LINCOLN (JOHN FORD)
192. GONE TO EARTH (MICHAEL POWELL)
193. A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN (ELIA KAZAN)
194. ARISE MY LOVE (MITCHELL LEISEN)
195. THE HURRICANE (JOHN FORD)
196. THE WESTERNER (WILLIAM WYLER)
197. THE THIEF OF BAGDAD (RAOUL WALSH)
198. THE THIEF OF BAGDAD (MICHAEL POWELL and others)
199. A LETTER TO THREE WIVES (JOSEPH L. MANKIEWICZ)
200. PANIC IN THE STREETS (ELIA KAZAN)
201. FATHER OF THE BRIDE (VINCENTE MINNELLI)
202. GOLD OF NAPLES (VITTORIO DE SICA)
203. HOUSE OF WAX (3-D version only) (ANDRE DE TOTH)
204. GREAT WALTZ (JULIEN DUVIVIER, VICTOR FLEMING, and JOSEF VON STERNBERG)
205. THE PALM BEACH STORY (PRESTON STURGES)
206. THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY (NORMAN Z. McLEOD)
207. DEAD END (WILLIAM WYLER)
208. PALMY DAYS (A. EDWARD SUTHERLAND)
209. BLACK NARCISSUS (MICHAEL POWELL) *
210. ODOR IN THE COURT (BEN HOLMES)
211. FOOTLIGHT PARADE (LLOYD BACON and BUSBY BERKELEY)
212. 40,000 HORSEMEN (CHARLES CHAUVEL)
213. ZIEGFELD FOLLIES (Limehouse sequence) (VINCENTE MINNELLI)
214. THE STRONG MAN (FRANK CAPRA)
215. THE CAMERAMAN (EDWARD SEDGWICK)
216. WAKE IN FRIGHT (TED KOTCHEFF)
217. GOLD DIGGERS OF 1933 (MERVYN LeROY and BUSBY BERKELEY)
218. SHANE (GEORGE STEVENS)
219. IF I WERE KING (FRANK LLOYD)
220. FLYING DOWN TO RIO (THORNTON FREELAND)
221. THE SECRET GARDEN (CLARENCE BROWN)
222. MEET ME IN SAINT LOUIS (VINCENTE MINNELLI)
223. DARK CORNER (HENRY HATHAWAY)
224. EVERY DAY'S A HOLIDAY (A. EDWARD SUTHERLAND)
225. HALF A SIXPENCE (GEORGE SIDNEY)
226. SHOW BOAT (JAMES WHALE)
227. 5,000 FINGERS OF DR T (ROY ROWLAND)
228. THE FOUNTAINHEAD (KING VIDOR)
229. THE IRON DUKE (VICTOR SAVILLE)
230. LITTLE DUTCH MILL (DAVE FLEISCHER)
231. HELLZAPOPPIN (HANK POTTER)
232. A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM (WILLIAM DIETERLE and MAX REINHARDT)
233. ADVENTURES OF MARK TWAIN (IRVING RAPPER)
234. LADY ON A TRAIN (CHARLES DAVID)
235. MONSIEUR BEAUCAIRE (GEORGE MARSHALL)
236. WOMAN IN THE WINDOW (FRITZ LANG)
237. STANDING ROOM ONLY (SIDNEY LANFIELD)
238. RIDING SHOTGUN (ANDRE DE TOTH)
239. A NIGHT TO REMEMBER (ROY BAKER)
240. BELOW ZERO (JAMES PARROTT)
241. LET'S MAKE LOVE (GEORGE CUKOR)
242. TRAPEZE (CAROL REED)
243. JUNGLE GIRL (WILLIAM WITNEY and JOHN ENGLISH)
244. COME ON, GEORGE! (ANTHONY KIMMINS)
245. BROKEN ARROW (DELMER DAVES)
246. FORBIDDEN (FRANK CAPRA)
247. I AM A FUGITIVE FROM A CHAIN GANG (MERVYN LeROY)
248. MY HEART IS CALLING (CARMINE GALLONE)
249. THE UNSUSPECTED (MICHAEL CURTIZ)
|
