Movies Came Out In (1939)
Winner:
Gone With the Wind – Never saw this until I was an adult (pretty recently too). I now understand quite a few pop culture references, it was long, but it didn’t bore me. Some plots lines were surprising, but overall I would consider just an average film.
Dark Victory – Just watched recently and thought this movie was pretty good. The plot is: A young socialite (Bette Davis) is diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor, and must decide whether or not she’ll meet her final days with dignity. The acting is pretty decent, and the plot is compelling enough to make it enjoyable to watch. The movie stars Humphrey Bogart is a really secondary role, which was new to me, and a super young Ronald Reagan for a little bit of on-screen time. Fun to see these actors in roles that I hadn’t seen them in before.
Goodbye, Mr. Chips – Just watched recently and rather enjoyed this movie. It wasn’t much more than a telling of a story of an English teacher at an all-boys institution, and his life experiences (from getting acclimated to teaching, falling in love, losing love, watching the sufferings of WW1, touching many boys’ lives, to finally meeting his own end). The acting was good and the plot held my interest. The school hall scenes reminded me a lot of Harry Potter.
Love Affair – A romance movie which has been remade several times since this original. A man, who’s to be married, falls for a woman (also engaged) on a passenger cruise ship. While not able to commit, they arrange to meet in 6 months at the top of the Empire State Building, if things are meant to be. The woman upon going to meet, gets injured by a bus, the two never meet up at ESB. They later coincidentally meet up and hash things out. All in all, it wasn’t a bad movie. It was not super engaging/entertaining but it wasn’t a hard movie to watch.
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington – I believe I knew the plot of this film from the Simpsons episode: Mr. Lisa Goes To Washington, as the episode is a complete parody of this film. I watched recently, and thought it was a pretty typical corny Jimmy Stewart film. It’s not a terrible film or anything, it’s just a bit dated and a little cheesy at times. But the corruption and graft in Washington has been around a long time and continues just as much today, so the film still has a bit of merit to it.
Ninotchka – This is a cute rom-com, starring Greta Garbo as a Russian envoy who falls in love with a Parisian while trying to negotiate the sale of some jewelry. This story is well written and has some humorous moments that made me laugh out loud. I would recommend watching this movie if you ever have the opportunity.
Of Mice and Men – I’ve read this Steinbeck novel a few times in my life (namely school assignments) and always thought it was a pretty good story. I thought this film adaption of the novel was spot on. Burgess Meredith (Mickey from Rocky and the Penguin in the original Batman TV series) plays George and it was fun to see him in a role other than Mickey/Penguin. The film is pretty true to the novel and is pretty enjoyable.
Stagecoach – A classic western, quintessential John Wayne. It’s corny and lame by today’s standards, but the action scenes with the stagecoach and Indians was pretty well done. I enjoyed it with the mindset of the period.
The Wizard of Oz – A classic. Saw when I was about 6 years old, and have watched it numerous times since. I think it really holds up well.
Wuthering Heights – Never saw the film or read the book, and always wondered what the story was about. The plot is a servant in the house of Wuthering Heights tells a traveller the unfortunate tale of lovers Cathy and Heathcliff. The story involves class hierarchies and love triangles. It’s not a bad film and if you’re curious, I think it’s entertaining enough to watch.
Brian’s Winner:
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Ceremony Year (1940) – Movies Came Out In (1939)