Classic Movies for Advanced
This is what you need to be watching instead of new movies!
Now do you solemnly swear you’ve waded through these earlier cinematic shallows linked here below?
If you haven’t been a good student and read the earlier homework assignments, do so now, and then return back here. Because we’re going out on deep movie waters. We’re clothing ourselves in the finest velvet and taking that magnificent ocean steamer to adventure, drama and tragedy.
We’re going advanced, baby!
Next I’ll be introducing more obscure movie masterpieces. Movies that demand a bit more of you. (Even furrin’, I mean, foreign films. With subtitles!) That is, if you want to absorb the essence of these stories. And if you’re reading this — you do.
By now your movie-watching brain is able to watch a classic movie from beginning to end in one sitting. You can slow down your modern day brain enough to focus on one single thing for about two hours. You can allow your eyes to observe the fine details in the set decor and the well-tailored clothes. You can watch the facial expressions and think about the dialogue, while building an interpretation of the story in your mind. You are grateful for the pace of the movie, because you can see and understand even the fight scenes (as opposed to modern day fight scenes that generate migraines). You are able to do this while sitting still and not glancing at your cellphone or laptop. You disappear into the movie, and it’s glorious!
Buster Keaton completes mind-blowing stunts (that’s really him, not a stunt man!) while riding a locomotive during the American Civil War. A must see for all classic movie fans.
The stellar troika of Kay Francis, Miriam Hopkins and Herbert Marshall in a gorgeously romantic story about thieves and a perfume company owner. Directed by Ernst Lubitsch — a name you need to start remembering.
Greta Garbo plays the famous Swedish Queen in a really beautiful (and surprisingly modern) pre-code movie. The Garbo mystique really is a thing, she definitely has “it.”
Touching and wise movie about a married woman who desperately tries to cling on to youth, and her all too kind husband who lets her — until life takes a turn. One of my favorite movies endings of all times. Mary Astor is lovely in it.
Barbara Stanwyck performs acting magic in this role. It’s both heartwarming and difficult to watch this complicated family story unfold. Stanwyck transcends time in this role. No dry eyes at the end!
History is Made at Night (1937)
Jean Arthur and Charles Boyer — is that steamy enough for you? Well, it should be!
You Can’t Take It With You (1938)
Speaking of Jean Arthur, here she is again in an absolutely terrific ensemble cast movie. Quirky, fun, romantic, loud, and different! You’ll feel light and happy after watching this non-stop Oscar-winning comedic masterpiece.
The handsome and mysterious Charles Boyer — eh, Pepe Le Moko — hangs out in the Casbah and speaks lovely words of love to Hedy Lamarr. Lots of longing, mystery, romance, and more mystery. Charles Boyer knows how to pout and make it look sexy.
We need more Charley Boyer. Here he’s a (surprise surprise!) French playboy, and he falls in love with Irene Dunne. They’re a wonderful match, and even Maria Ouspenskaya is sweet and nice in this movie. The original, better than the remake.
When Marlene Dietrich shows up in a cowboy movie you plant yourself on the couch and watch. This is a delight, a romp, a gallop and a hoot! Lots of crazy fun scenes. Dietrich is gorgeous and about as natural as you’ve ever seen her.
Speaking of delight. Some say this was the only movie in which Clark Gable dances. I actually love the way he dances in this movie! I also love Norma Shearer’s over-the-top character complete with a Russian accent! Set in the beginning of WWII.
Mrs. Danvers will haunt you for the rest of your life. Just accept it. Poor Joan Fontaine is driven almost mad by the end. Gorgeous movie, and disturbing! A must see.
Another amazing troika. Irene Dunne, Cary Grant and Randolph Scott. Laugh-out-loud scenes, and outrageous story ideas that just tickle you! Don’t let the utter preposterousness of the storyline bother you, just go with it!
What is it with movies about people getting another chance at coming back to Earth after dying? And why do I love them so much? Oh, because Claude Rains plays an angel and Robert Montgomery is adorable and goofy and plays his saxophone with close to no skill. And James Gleason is delightfully funny as his coach.
Runaway criminal (is he really though?) Cary Grant hides in the attic and Jean Arthur and Ronald Colman putter around downstairs. Comedy button turned up to eleven and Jean Arthur wears one of the most fluffy angora sweaters ever seen in the history of cinema.
Another insanely clever Ernst Lubitsch movie. Carole Lombard, Jack Benny and an excellent ensemble of actors find ways to outsmart the Germans during WW2. One of the most hilarious roles in the movie is played by Sig Ruman.
Red Skelton and Lucille Ball and lots and lots and lots of colorful action, music and dance! A color splash that should fix any blues and depression you might encounter. Could you use a comedy remedy? Then cue it up for tonight. Thank me later.
My favorite Cary Grant movie. He’s more serious and mysterious in this one, and it suits him. Laraine Day is gorgeous and adorable, and everything is swept in a sort of misty romantic mood.
James Mason is scary and sexy and Ann Todd’s got amnesia and there’s a lot of dramatic drama. Serious brooding faces mixed with angst and beauty. And lots of picturesque piano playing.
No point hiding it; this is one of my favorite movies of all time. A Powell & Pressburger film with superb intensity and romance. Wendy Hiller, Roger Livesey and Pamela Brown pour out a fairy tale of a love story that digs deep. Set in Scotland amidst clouds and rain and wind. And perfectly lovely wolfhounds!
Well, what do you know! We’ve got another Ernst Lubitsch and Charles Boyer movie! He falls for Jennifer Jones who has a very special hobby, plumbing. Yes, as in fixing plumbing problems! And is this a movie deserving to be on this list? Yup! It’s unlike anything else you’ve seen and you will tell your friends about it too!
I was lucky enough to see a silver nitrate version of Black Narcissus at one of the TCM Movie Festivals and it was a feast for the eyes. Powell & Pressburger strike again. Set in the Himalayan mountains at a nunnery. Not everything is peaceful there, but everything is beautiful beyond description. You will be hypnotized by the colors and elegant scenes. You will fall in love with David Farrar as he rides in on a miniature pony in mini-shorts. We all do. We all do. Even Deborah Kerr.
The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947)
Mellow greetings yookie dookie! Hard to believe this movie was made in 1947, but it feels ahead of its time in some ways. Lots of laugh-out-loud moments that snowball and grow and spin out of control. Cary Grant goes all out, and Shirley Temple and Myrna Loy hang on for dear life and do it well!
As you have begun to notice, Powell & Pressburger made all the most beautiful films. This movie is a fever dream. A perfect ballet of splendid colors, scenes, outfits, and characters. Moira Shearer dances amidst beauty and Anton Walbrook plays the world’s most intense impresario. A must-watch life experience.
My favorite film noir. Lizabeth Scott is so tough she even frightens tough guy Dan Duryea. You just hop into the back seat and hold on! Things are about to get wild!
Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951)
Ava Gardner has never looked more beautiful! The entire movie is the definition of beauty and envy and fear — and love? James Mason pops up as a mysterious figure. But pay attention to the scene when Ava Gardner lies down on the cliff top overlooking the night ocean. Heck, pay attention to every little detail in this gem.
Ingmar Bergman on an introspective journey. I always feel it has strong vibes of Sweden as I imagine it was in the 1950s… Lots of silence and wandering in nature and contemplating life while feeling regret and longing. Complicated relationships, lush summer sceneries, and Swedish is spoken!
You like odd? Then watch a Jacques Tati movie. Watch them perhaps when you’re alone at home one Saturday or Sunday afternoon. Or with someone who’s equally odd. Make a cup of coffee and watch Mon Oncle. You will not forget it!
The “think method” has always been one of my favorite techniques! If you by chance haven’t seen this movie, remedy it today. Simply oozes Americana. This is one of the best musicals I’ve seen. Robert Preston is a life-force unlike anything else!
An Akira Kurosawa movie without a samurai. A kidnapping story with depth. Toshiro Mifune is exceptional, and the entire movie flows from high to low. A must see.
I’ve written about this movie before. It’s stunning and unsettling and brings forth things just at the border of perception. The most demanding movie in this list. For truly advanced viewers. It requires an immense amount of focus, yet barely any. Sit and take it in. Be present. Allow it to permeate you.
Paul Scofield and Robert Shaw hurl us to the times of Henry VIII. Shaw as the king is so intense you cannot tare your eyes off him. Paul Scofield’s Sir Thomas More is calmness himself. Superb dialogue throughout. Wendy Hiller is strong as always. And truly a message for all seasons.
Harold: You sure have a way with people.
Maude: Well, they’re my species!
The soundtrack, the Bay Area vistas, the humans — Ruth Gordon and Bud Cort — make this one of the most lovely, and strange, love stories ever told on screen. And the soundtrack by Cat Stevens is to die for.
Thank you for reading! I hope you found some new movie gems to watch.
Which of these movies do you plan to watch?
What movie recommendations do you have?
Please share in the comments.
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Currently watching: To Kill a Mockingbird. I saw it a long time ago, but only recently learned that Robert Duvall is in it. I think it's his first film (?)
Another one I've seen a couple of times is: Ball of Fire. A fun comedy/gangster romp that features a scene with Gene Krupa and his band. Drum boogie... yes!