Movies Came Out In (1931)
Winner:
Cimarron – I had previously “accidentally” watched the 1960 version of this film, thinking it was the version I was supposed to be watching for my Oscar quest. So, when I watched this film, I was privy to the plot/scenarios. To be honest, I enjoyed the 1960 remake more than the original. The plot is basically about a homesteader that moves from claim to claim in the new frontier, never really settling down, his wife/family are reluctant, and he’s a newspaper editor by trade. If you desire to see this film, I would recommend the 1960 version over the original.
The Front Page – Just watched recently and was not a fan. The plot centers around a bunch of newspaper reporters (who are the “fake news” reporters of their kind) and a man about to be hanged across the street. One reporter (who’s trying to get out of the business) meets up with the escaped convict, hides him, and tries to “cash-in” on the story. It’s supposed to be a screwball comedy, but honestly, it didn’t garner many laughs from me. I would not recommend watching this film.
Skippy – This was another movie which was very difficult to find a decent copy of, but eventually I did (TCM archives). This movie was essentially Dennis the Menace and The Little Rascals combined, as a pre-teen boy from a well-to-do family helps a boy from the poor side of town with his impounded dog. To be honest, this movie stunk. It really didn’t have any laugh out loud funny parts, and the plot was just so mundane. This type of film should never be an Oscar nominee.
Trader Horn – Watched recently on TCM. This film stinks. It’s about a real-life trader named Alfred “Trader” Horn, and some crazy adventures while on safari in Africa, but all the adventures are fiction. Most of the film was sped up to make it seem like things were moving fast, but in reality it looks just awful. The sound was terrible. The plot(s) were terrible. The acting was just pathetic. There’s so much racism in the film, it’s cringe-worthy. Reading about the film on Wikipedia was pretty interesting in terms of how hard it was to film (a few deaths, many sicknesses, mistreatment of animals, etc…). Would not recommend watching this film.
East Lynne – Plot: The refined Lady Isabel Carlisle, after leaving her family and enduring nearly a decade of hardships, learns that her son has fallen ill. Despite being nearly blinded as the result of an explosion, she returns home to see her son again.
This movie seems impossible to get/view anywhere. I cannot find it and thus have been unable to watch it. #MissingMovie
Brian’s Winner:
From what I’ve seen: Cimarron
#BrianWatchesOscarMovies
#1931
Ceremony Year (1932) – Movies Came Out In (1931)