1933

1933 brings one of my favorite movies of all time in DUCK SOUP and one of the great comedies of all time. It's nuts, perfect, and as Woody affirms in HANNAH AND HER SISTERS, worth living for! I'm really curious to see Brandon's list of this year, so I can found out what I've missed. I've started but haven't finished THE TESTAMENT OF DR. MABUSE. I'm sure it will get a place at some point. Here are some movies I like from the year:

1. Duck Soup (McCarey)
2. King Kong (Cooper, Schoedsack)
3. Footlight Parade (Bacon)
4. The Invisible Man (Whale)
5. Zero de conduite (Vigo)
6. 42nd Street (Bacon)
7. Hallelujah, I’m a Bum (Milestone)
8. Sons of the Desert (Seiter)
9. Dinner at Eight (Cukor)
10. The Private Life of Henry VIII (Korda)

HM: She Done Him Wrong (Sherman)

The original KING KONG is awesome and still the best version. One of the most impressive films of of the decade. Wish I had seen it on the big screen with you John. FOOTLIGHT PARADE is one of the finest examples of the back-stage musical. The last twenty minutes are pure spectacle. I won't deny that Berkeley was quite the showman. But most of the film is the entertaining set-up to the performance, and this is what really dazzles. Cagney owns every frame he's in, as always, and Joan Blondell is right up there with him. Wickedly clever script. I really loved the film, which took me by surprise. THE INVISIBLE MAN has some wonderful technological ingenuity–and a great vocal performance by Claude Rains. One of my favorite horror films of the decade. ZERO DE CONDUITE has some pretty neat tricks up its sleeve. It's actually a pretty great little absurdist comedy–the lighthearted version of IF... 42nd STREET is basically the same movie as FOOTLIGHT PARADE and about as enjoyable. But it doesn't have Cagney so it loses out in the rankings. HALLELUJAH, I'M A BUM is a great Summer People song, and the film isn't too shabby either. It's actually pretty touching. SONS OF THE DESERT is actually my first Laurel and Hardy film. I thought it was a lot of fun. DINNER AT EIGHT I've already mentioned before. THE PRIVATE LIFE OF HENRY VIII is one of the more lavish productions at the time. Mostly noteworthy for an incredible performance by Charles Laughton. The man is the film.