1950 - All About Eve: "Everyone has a heart, except some people"

1950 Best Picture Winner

Premiered October 13, 1950

Budget: N/A

Gross: N/A

 

This is one movie where we'd like to be able to give half popcorn bags because this movie would have gotten 2 and a half bags. The movie was a nod to showbiz and those who made it work. It also showed the skeletons that those in the limelight had. It is ironic that the last three films (Hamlet, All The King's Men and this one) show people at their worst. Watching this movie makes you feel as if no one in the entertainment industry had any character at all.

 

On the upside, I thought the writers of the Office must have watched this movie because the script was witty, funny and smart. The acting was also excellent. Bette Davis knocked it out of the park as Margo Channing.

 

Joel

Favorite: I loved the humor. It wasn't a comedy but it made me laugh out loud several times.

Least Favorite: I wanted Eve to be a rags to riches character but she turned out to be evil.

 

Callie

Favorite: The storyline was very modern. It could easily be done today.

Least Favorite: The actress who played Eve was a bad actress. That character could have been cast better.







1940s Wrap Up

The 1930s ended with such promise in filmmaking. The 40s began with a bang (with Rebecca) and went down hill from there. Casablanca was one of the great films of the last 100 years but most of the other films failed to deliver.

These Oscar winning movie showed a change in society. The soldiers were coming home from the War and it became evident that society did not cling to the same morals as it once did. Movies like The Lost Weekend winked at prostitution and The Best Year's Of Our Lives portrayed alcoholism, infidelity and divorce in a favorable light.

Another change is the fact that women begin to be the heroes in many of the movies. I believe that the ceremonial torch was passed during Mrs Miniver when he captured an enemy solider in her kitchen. Hollywood showed the world that women were worthy of being the main characters rather than just being a pretty face to bring a change of pace, as was the case in Cimarron.

Overall, the 40s showed the social change going on in America but did not give us an improvement in movie making. We're hoping that the 50s bring an improvement in film.

1949 - All The King's Men: "They say he's an honest man"

1949 Best Picture Winner

Premiered November 8, 1949 in New York

Budget: N/A

Gross: N/A

 

This movie was a solid film. (Of course, after watching Hamlet, watching paint dry would have looked interesting). All kidding aside, this was a good movie. The story moved along nicely and the plot took us by surprise. I thought that the film would be a rags to riches story but the movie did not turn out that way at all. The movie closed in a surprising fashion and totally caught me off guard. I also got a chuckle out of watching the movie in light of the election. Overall, this is a film that you should watch at some point in your life.

 

Joel

Favorite: I liked the fast pace of the movie. The scenes were tight and did not drag on.

Least Favorite: I wanted to root for Willie but found out that I couldn't.

 

Callie

Favorite: It was very entertaining.

Least Favorite: The story was depressing. There were no honorable characters. It lacked a character with redeemable qualities.



1948 - Hamlet: "Get thee to a nunnery"

1948 Best Picture Winner

Premiered September 29, 1948

Budget: N/A

Gross: N/A

 

The story is timeless...The actor is an all time great...This equation adds up to...a really awful movie! I'm serious. The worst movie since Cavalcade. Now, it isn't Shakespeare's fault. It isn't even Lawrence Olivier's fault (although he directed it too so I guess he is partly to blame). The stanging, acting and camera shots were done as if they just filmed a production done on a stage. The production values brought nothing new to the art form and the actors "over acted" like they were in front of a live audience. It was a terrible way to spend a couple of hours.

 

Joel

Favorite: I actually liked the "ghost" scenes. That was the only time when the film makers actually showed some creatvity.

Least Favorite: The movie is slow. Mel Gibson was "Hamlet" in the same story and is was not slow and boring at all so I know that it is not the story.

 

Callie

Favorite: I liked the story.

Least Favorite: Bad acting, bad sets, it all seemed "hokey".