FAMILY TV & MOVIES
The Jazz Singer
(1927)
The Jazz Singer, a 1927 American musical film was
one of the first motion pictures with synchronized dialogue.
It's release started the decline of silent movies. Al Jolson
performs six songs in this movie based on a play by Samson
Raphaelson.
Mutiny on the Bounty , a 1935 film starring Clark Gable and Charles Laughton. It was directed by Frank Lloyd. It was on the biggest hits of its time.
Gone With The Wind
(1939)
Gone with the Wind
is a 1939 epic film adapted from
Margaret Mitchell's novel. The film stars Vivian Leigh, Clark Gable,
Olivia de Havilland, Leslie Howard, and Hattie McDaniel. It tells a
story of the American Civil War and Reconstruction era from a
Southern perspective.
The film received 10 Academy Awards and has made $400,176,459 since its release. When you adjust this amount according to inflation, it made approximately $2,984,000,000, which makes it the highest grossing film of all time.
Mr. Smith Goes to
Washington (1939)
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington , a 1939 American drama film starring Jean Arthur and James Stewart received 11 Academy Awards. It is about one man's effect on American politics. It was directed by Frank Capra.
Wuthering Heights (1939)
Wuthering Heights is a black and
white American film based on a novel by Emily Bronte.
This film was the winner of the 1939 New
York Film Critics Award for Best Film and also the winner of eight
Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Actor. Wuthering
Heights
was selected for preservation in the United States National Film
Registry as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically
significant".
The Philadelphia Story is
a 1940 American romantic comedy film starring Katherine Hepburn,
James Stewart, and Cary Grant. This film was Katherine Hepburn's
first big hit.
The Philadelphia Story won two Academy Awards. It was selected
for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.
Rebecca (1940)
Rebecca , one of my favorite movies, is
a 1940 thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock. It is an
adaptation of Daphne du Maurier's novel. It stars Laurence
Olivier and Joan Fontaine. The film won two Academy Awards
including Best Picture. Rebecca
was the opening film at the first
Berlin International Film Festival.
Citizen Kane, a 1941 American drama film, was directed by and starred Orson Welles. Citizen Kane, based on the American newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, is often considered the greatest film of all time. It topped the AFI's 100 Years 100 Movies list as well as the Sight and Sound poll of the 10 greatest movies.
The Maltese Falcon, is a 1941 film directed by John Huston and starring Humphrey Bogart as the private investigation, Sam Spade. The Maltese Falcon was named one of the greatest films of all time by Roger Elbert and Entertainment Weekly. This movie was selected to be included in the Library of Congress National Film Registry.
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Casablanca ,a 1942 American romantic film, starred Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman.
The film was set during World War II focusing on a man torn between love and country. In the movie Humphrey Bogart had to choose between his love for Ingrid Bergman or to help her husband continue the fight against the Nazis. Casablanca won three Academy Awards including Best Picture. It ranks near the top of the list of the greatest films of all time.
The Magnificent Ambersons (1942)
The Magnificent Ambersons, a 1942 American drama film written and directed by Orson Welles. Orson Welles lost control of this film with more than an hour of footage cut and the ending changed. Despite this, it is often regarded as among the best American films ever made. The Magnificent Ambersons was selected for preservation by the Library of Congress in The National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". The movie was included in the Sight and Sounds list in the top ten greatest films ever made.
To Be or Not to Be (1942)
To Be or Not to Be, a 1942 American comedy, was about a troupe of actors who use acting to fool the occupying Nazi troops. The movies stars Carole Lombard, Jack Benny, and Robert Stack. This movie was released two months after actress Carole Lombard died in an airplane crash.
Yankee Doodle Dandy is a
musical film about George Cohan. It starred James Cagney, Joan
Leslie, and Jeanne Cagney. This is a patriotic film
often watched on the Fourth of July.
Mildred Pierce is a drama starring Joan Crawford, Ann Blyth, Zachary Scott, and Jack Carson. This movies is about a long suffering mom and her ungrateful daughter. Joan Crawford won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her memorable performance.
It's a Wonderful Life , a Christmas favorite, was directed by Frank Capra. This movie did not win any Academy Awards during the year of its release but was later recognized by the American Film Institute as one of the 100 Best American Films Ever Made and placed on their list of one of the most inspirational American films of all time.
All About Eve , a famous Betty Davis movie, coining
the line,
"Fasten your seat belts. It's going to be a bumpy night". The
film also gives Marilyn Monroe her earliest important but brief
role. All About Eve won six
Academy Awards including Best Picture. All About Eve
was among the first 50 films selected for preservation in the United
States National Film Registry. This movie was in the AFI's 1998 list
of the 100 Best American Films.
The Asphalt Jungle, directed by John Huston, starred Sterling Hayden, Jean Hagen, sam Jaffe, Louis Calhern, and James Whitmore. and included a minor role for Marilyn Monroe. This movie was selected for preservation in the United States National Film registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
The African Queen was
directed by John Huston and starred Katharine Hepburn and Humphrey
Bogart who won the Academy Award for Best Actor. The
African Queen was selected for preservation in the United States
National Film Registry.
An American In Paris
(1951)
An American in Paris is a famous Gene Kelly dance movie with compositions by George Gershwin. Set in Paris, this movie is interspersed with many show stopping dance numbers choreographed by Gene Kelly. The ending includes "The American in Paris" ballet, a 16 minute dance featuring Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron set to Gershwin's An American in Paris.
A Place in the Sun tells the story of a struggling young man who is involved with two women. The movies stars Elizabeth Taylor, Montgomery Cliff, Shelley Winters, and Raymond Burr. Elizabeth Taylor was 19 when she starred in this movie. This film won six Academy Awards and was selected for preservation by the Library of Congress in the United States National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
Strangers on a Train (1951)
Strangers on a Train ,a thriller that produced and directed by Alfred Hitchcock, is number 32 on AFI's 100 Years 100 Thrills. The plot in this movie has been incorporated into many murder plots.
A Streetcar Named
Desire (1951)
Who can forget Marlon Brando screaming the name, "Stella"?
A Streetcar Named Desire starred
Marlon Brando, Vivien Leigh, Kim Hunter, and Karl Malden. The film
had many revisions to remove references to homosexuality as well as
other issues. A Streetcar Named Desire
won Best Actress for Vivian Leigh, Best Supporting Actor for Karl Malden, and Best Supporting Actress for Kim Hunter. Even though Marlon Brando's performance is remembered today, he did not win an Academy Award.
Singin' in the Rain is a
musical film starring Debbie Reynolds, Gene
Kelly, and Donald O"Connor. Gene Kelly also provided the
choreography. Who can forget Donald O'Connor dancing up the wall or
Gene Kelly singing and dancing in the rain with an umbrella. This
movie is frequently said to one of the best musicals ever made. It
topped the AFI's 100 Years of Musicals and was rated fifth in the
List of the Greatest American Films.
The Big Heat (1953)
The Big Heat is a film noir starring Gloria Grahame, Glenn Ford, and Lee Marvin. The film was written by a former crime reporter and is about a cop who fights against the crime syndicate.
From Here to Eternity
is about the troubles of soldiers stationed in Hawaii in the months
leading to Pearl Harbor. It starred Deborah Kerr, Donna Reed, Burt
Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Frank Sinatra, and Ernest Borgnine.
This movie won eight Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best
Director, Best Writing for an adapted screenplay, Best Supporting
Actor and Best Supporting Actress.
Roman Holiday (1953)
Roman Holiday starred Audrey Hepburn and Gregory
Peck. Audrey Hepburn won an Academy Award for Best Actress.
Shane (1953)
Shane is a Oscar winning American Western starring Alan Ladd, Jean Arthur, and Van Heflin.
Shane was listed #45 in AFI's 100 Years 100 Movies list and #3 on AFI's 10 Top 10 Westerns.
Rear Window is a thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock. It is about a photographer who is recuperating from a broken leg and spies on his neighbor only to suspect that his neighbor is a murderer. James Stewart , Grace Kelly, and Raymond Burr star in this movie considered to be by some Alfred Hitchcock's best movie. It is ranked #42 in AFI's 100 Years !00 Movies List.
It is also in the United States National Film Registry.
Judy Garland starred in A Star Is Born after not making a movie for four years. It was called her "comeback" movie. This movie ranked #43 on the AFI's 100 Years 100 Passions List and #7 on the List of Best Musicals. "The Man That Got Away" was ranked #11 on AFI's 100 Top Tunes in Films List.
Rebel Without a Cause was released a month after it's stars, James Dean's, fatal car accident. The movie is about the struggles of an emotionally confused teenage conflicting with the older generation. Rebel Without a Cause is a preserved film of the United States Library of Congress National Film Registry and is deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."
12 Angry Men is a story about a jury made up of twelve men who have to decide the guilt or innocence of a defendant. Most of the movie takes place in the jury room. 12 Angry Men is preserved in the United States National Film Registry.
Vertigo starred Kim Novak, Barbara Bel Geddes, and James Stewart, directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The story is about a detective with acrophobia who is hired to follow a peculiar woman. This classic Hitchcock movie is often ranked among the greatest films ever made.
Ben-Hur
is a classic American film starring
Charlton Heston. This movie won eleven Academy Awards including Best
Picture.
North By Northwest
(1959)
North by Northwest is another classic
thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Eva Marie Saint, Cary Grant,
and James Mason star in this movie. Many consider this film Alfred
Hitchcock's most stylist thriller.
Some Like It Hot
(1959)
Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon star in this comedy. The AFI listed Some Like It Hot as the greatest American comedy film of all time.
Psycho influenced a
whole generation of women to feel fear when in the shower in a house
alone. This thriller was directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starred
Janet Leigh and Anthony Perkins. Psycho is considered one of
Alfred Hitchcock's best films. Once you see this movie, you
never forget it.
The Hustler (1961)
The Hustler is about a small time pool hustler who wants to beat "Minnesota Fats." This movie stars Paul Newman, Jackie Gleason, Piper Laurie, and George C. Scott. A real pool shark later adopted the name, "Minnesota Fats" to gain a celebrity status from the movie.
Splendor in the Grass is about sexual
repression, love, heart break, and manic depression.
West Side Story
(1961)
West Side Story is a musical which is a modern rendition of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Natalie Wood, Rita Moreno, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn, George Chakiris and David Winters starred in the movie. This movie won ten Academy Awards including Best Picture giving it the distinction of being the musical that has won the most Academy Awards.
Lawrence of Arabia is based on the life of
T.E. Lawrence and depicts his experiences in Arabia during World War
I. This film starring Peter O'Toole is considered one of the
greatest and most influential films in the history of cinema.
The Manchurian
Candidate (1962)
The Manchurian Candidate is about the
American Cold War starring Janet Leigh, Angela Lansbury, Frank
Sinatra, and Laurence Harvey. he
Manchurian Candidate was released at the height of the Cuban
Missile Crisis.
To Kill a Mockingbird is an adaptation from a classic Harper Lee novel. Gregory Peck and Mary Badham starred in and Robert Duvall made his film debut in this movie. This movie is #25 on the AMI's List of the Greatest American Movies of all time. AFI named the character, Atticus Finch, as the greatest movie hero of the 20th century.
Dr. Strangelove satirizes the nuclear scare of the 1960s. It was directed and produced by Stanley Kubrick. Peter Sellers and George C. Scott starred in this movie. The United States Library of Congress deemed this film "culturally significant". It is listed as #3 on AFI's 100 Years 100 Laughs List.
My Fair Lady is a musical adapted from the Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw. The film starred Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison winning eight Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Director.
The Sound of Music
(1965)
The Sound of Music starred
Julie Andres and Christopher Plummer. The songs were written by
Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. The musical was adapted
from The Story of the Trapp Family Singers written by Maria
von Trapp. "Edelweiss", "My Favorite Things", "Climb Every
Mountain", "Do Re Mi", and "Sixteen Going on Seventeen" are popular
songs from the movie. The Sound of Music won five Academy Awards
including Best Picture. It is one of the most popular musicals ever
produced and was selected for preservation in the National Film
Registry deemed as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically
significant".
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton starred in Who's Afraid
of Virginia Woolf? Many consider
this one of Elizabeth Taylor's best movies winning her an Academy
Award for Best Actress. This movie won five Academy Awards including
Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress.
Bonnie And Clyde
(1967)
Bonnie and Clyde, a crime film starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway as Bonnie and Clyde, was a landmark film breaking many violent and sexual taboos of the 1960s. This movie received two Academy Awards and was one of the first 100 films selected for preservation by the National Film Registry.
Cool Hand Luke
(1967)
Paul Newman stars as Luke, a Florida inmate in a prison
camp who refuses to submit. The Library of Congress deemed
Cool Hand Luke to be "culturally,
historically, or aesthetically significant" and selected it for
preservation in the National Film Registry.
Dustin Hoffman plays the role of Benjamin
Braddock who is a recent university graduate with no ambition in
life. He is seduced by an older woman, Mrs. Robinson, played by Anne
Bancroft. He then falls in love with Mrs. Robinson's daughter,
Elaine, played by Katharine Ross. The Graduate
is preserved in the National Film Registry as
being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". It
is listed as the seventh greatest films of all time in AFI's 100
Years 100 Movies.
Romeo and Juliet is an adaptation of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. It stars Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting. This movie won Academy Awards for Best Cinematography and Best Costume Design.
2001: A Space Odyssey is an epic Science Fiction film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick. This movie is recognized by many critics as one of the greatest films ever made. The Sight and Sound poll ranked it among the top ten films of all time. It was also named the number one greatest film ever made by The Moving Arts Film Journal although only receiving one Academy Award for visual effects. It was selected for preservation by the National Film Registry and was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
This movie was a
Western starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford. The Library of
Congress selected this film for preservation and deemed it as being
"culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
Easy Rider is a counterculture, road movie
written and acted by Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper.It is a story
about two bikers who travel through the Southwest and South. It
explored issues of the 1960s such as the hippie movement, communal
life, and drug use. The film is in the Library of Congress National
Registry.
Midnight Cowboy
(1969)
Five Easy Pieces
(1970)
A Clockwork Orange
(1971)
The French
Connection (1971)
The Last Picture
Show (1971)
Cabaret
(1972)
The Godfather (1972)
American Graffiti
(1973)
Chinatown (1974)
The Conversation
(1974)
The Godfather Part
II (1974)
Jaws (1975)
Nashville (1975)
One Flew Over The
Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
Network (1976)
Taxi Driver (1976)
Annie Hall (1977)
Close Encounters of
the Third Kind (1977)
Star Wars (1977)
The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Raging Bull (1980)
Raiders of the Lost
Ark (1981)
Blade Runner (1982)
E.T. - The
Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Tootsie (1982)
The Terminator
(1984)
Blue Velvet (1986)
Platoon
(1986)
A Room With a View
(1986)
Unforgiven (1992)
Schindler's List
(1993)
The Shawshank
Redemption (1994)
