Ceremony Year (1945)

Movies Came Out In (1944)

Winner:

Going My Way – Just watched recently, Bing Crosby plays a priest who takes on a new church in a rough neighborhood and helps out the local youth by starting a choir.  Some years later, Bing stars in “The Bells Of St. Mary’s” and it’s a remarkably similar plot.  Both movies are no doubt a showcase for some Bing Crosby tunes, as he has no problem belting out into song at the drop of a hat.  The plot is average, at best and the acting is nothing special.  I’m a little surprised this was a winner, I didn’t find it special at all.

Double Indemnity – I just watched this film and absolutely loved it.  It stars Fred MacMurray and it was super cool to see him in a role unlike the others I’m familiar with (Absent Minded Professor or Dad on My Three Sons).  The film is about an insurance representative (MacMurray) lets himself be talked into a murder/insurance fraud scheme that arouses the suspicion of an insurance investigator.  The way the story is told is great and suspenseful, I highly recommend this film.

Gaslight – I just watched this movie and it was pretty good.  I enjoyed learning how the phrase (used a lot these days in politics) “gaslighting” someone or the public came about.  Precent decent psychological thriller and really didn’t drone on endlessly.  I would recommend watching this movie.

Since You Went Away – Set during WW2, a housewife struggles to maintain the household with her 2 daughters and a pair of lodgers that move in for economic purposes.  This film is a bit on the long side (almost 3 hours) and I felt it could have easily been just 2 hours.  It drags quite a bit at times.  That being said, it’s a pretty good film and I like how it portrays life at the time (during the actual war) but in the cinema.

Wilson – Rented on Amazon Video because I couldn’t find it anywhere else. This film is a biography of President Woodrow Wilson, and it weighs in at almost 3 hours long.  It was way too long and didn’t need to be.  At times it was interesting, as certain details of his life I wasn’t aware of, but for a large portion of the film, it was incredibly boring.  If you’re writing a book report on Woodrow Wilson, this film would be a good primer.  One of the more interesting aspects of the film was that it was in color (not black & white) which was highly unusual given the time period.

Brian’s Winner:

Double Indemnity

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#1944

Ceremony Year (1945) – Movies Came Out In (1944)