1940 - Rebecca: "Please promise me never to wear black satin or pearls...or to be 36 years old"

1940 Best Picture Winner

Premiered March 27, 1940 in LA

Budget: $1.28 million

Gross: N/A

We watched this movie and we received a very pleasant surprise! Alfred Hitchcock introduced Americans to a kind of film that kept you on the edge of your seat. This movie had many twists and turns and the ending shocked us both. If you changed the production values and kept everything else, this could have been a movie that was made in 2012. Hitchcock was a talent that was decades ahead of his time. This movie is truly a hidden gem.

Joel
Favorite: I liked the fact that it was not a stuffy, dull portrayal of life of life in the past. It was a just a movie that was designed to entertain, not make a political statement.
Least Favorite: After watching a movie in color, it was tough to go back to black and white.

Callie
Favorite: I enjoyed the suspense and thrill throughout the movie. I loved how Alfred Hitchcock used small gestures from his characters to create an eerie scene.
Least Favorite: The product seemed to go down a little bit. There were times when they were driving when the scene around them seemed to speed up and slow down without the appearance of the driver changing scene.

1920s and 1930s Wrap-up

We've gone from Wings to Gone with the Wind. Silent movies to sound. Black and white to color. Stagnant camera shots to fluid, sweeping wide shots of grand scenery.

We have suffered through some hard ones: The Broadway Melody, Cimarron and Cavalcade to find some real gems: All Quiet on the Western Front and It Happened One Night.

We are excited to move into the 40s!

1939 - Gone With the Wind: "With enough courage, you can do without a reputation"

1939 Best Picture Winner

Premiered December 15, 1939 in Atlanta.

Budget:  $3.85 million

Gross:  $400 million

If  you asked the average person to name the first Oscar winning best picture that came to mind, I would suspect that 3 movies would rise to the top: Casablanca, Titanic and Gone With The Wind. Unfortunately, I don't think this movie should have even won best picture. I would have awarded that honor to Wizard of Oz. There are many positives and negatives to the film which will be discussed below.

Joel

Favorite: I liked the fact that this movie moved the art form of film making forward: The color, the use of shadow, the big sets; film making seemed to progress 10 years with 1938 and 1939.

Least Favorite: I did not like the story. None of the characters had any redeeming qualities about them, only Melanie did but even she decided to ignore the facts and only see good in others. I especially disliked Scarlett, a spoiled brat who was a highly annoying character.

Callie

Favorite: I really enjoyed the soundtrack and the fact that the music moved the story forward. It was the first movie to have an identifiable soundtrack.

Least Favorite:  It felt like a soap opera. It never really ended and it was hard to find a protagonist. Melanie was the closest thing to a protagonist but you are confused because you don't know if you should praise her for her character or slap her for her ignorance.



1938 - You Can't Take It With You: "Nobody writes to me anymore. They're all dead!"

1938 Best Picture Winner

Premiered on September 1, 1938 in New York

Budget:  $1,644,736

Gross: N/A

 

This movie was a nice film with lots of humor and a nice message that wealth doesn't make a person happy. The script and actors were very funny. A little quirky at times, but funny nonetheless. We were also introduced to a young Jimmy Stewart who was very funny himself. 

Joel

Favorite: Lionel Barrymore's character, Grandpa. At the beginning, the character appeared eccentric but in the end he proved to be very wise.

Least Favorite: There was nothing about this film that furthered the film industry or the comedy genre. It was an entertaining movie but it will not be one that will stick with me.

Callie

Favorite: The quirky characters drew me into the story. It was very character driven.

Least Favorite: It had a play feel to it. Frank Capra did not utilize camera shots very well.

1937 - The Life of Emile Zola: "May my name perish if Dreyfus be not innocent"

1937 Best Picture Winner

Premiered on September 13, 1937 in Los Angeles

Budget: $700,000

Gross: N/A



Recently, I watched the coverage of the New Orleans Saints "Bountygate" situation on ESPN. As I watched the coverage while on the treadmill in the gym, I thought about this movie. This movie is the first film with a strong political message. It has a very strong message about the need for a free press. Emile Zola stood up for truth by writing about the corruption in the world. We often criticize the media in our country but a free press is essential to a free society.

The movie does not have great acting or special effects. The movie started slowly but it got a lot more interesting after the first hour. I wanted to stand and cheer at the end.

Joel

Favorite: The scene where Zola is on trial is my favorite scene of any Oscar winner we've seen so far. It was very intriguing and unique.

Least Favorite: The movie was like a stage play. There were very few wide shots to set the stage for a new scene. The movie makers did not do anything that had not been done before.

Callie
Favorite: I liked the depth of the movie and the emphasis on truth.
Least Favorite: It was challenging to follow the characters at the beginning.