1940s List Discussion and Suggestions (Lists Project Vol. 3)

An ongoing project to survey the best films of individual decades, genres, and filmmakers.
Post Reply
Message
Author
User avatar
swo17
Bloodthirsty Butcher
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:25 am
Location: SLC, UT

Re: 1940s List Discussion and Suggestions

#626 Post by swo17 » Sat Feb 25, 2012 2:59 pm

Not that this is necessarily the answer, but don't forget that cartoons count.

User avatar
Forrest Taft
Joined: Thu Mar 15, 2007 8:34 pm
Location: Stavanger, Norway

Re: 1940s List Discussion and Suggestions

#627 Post by Forrest Taft » Sat Feb 25, 2012 3:22 pm

Some Tex Avery toons and John Ford war documentaries?

User avatar
knives
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:49 pm

Re: 1940s List Discussion and Suggestions

#628 Post by knives » Sat Feb 25, 2012 3:27 pm

I hope that means I'm not the only one voting for Clampett and Tashlin.

User avatar
tarpilot
Joined: Thu Jan 20, 2011 10:48 am

Re: 1940s List Discussion and Suggestions

#629 Post by tarpilot » Sat Feb 25, 2012 4:04 pm

Puss 'n Booty will be safely nestled somewhere in my top 30, at the very least

User avatar
knives
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:49 pm

Re: 1940s List Discussion and Suggestions

#630 Post by knives » Sat Feb 25, 2012 4:07 pm

Nasty Quacks is actually my Tashlin of choice and basically my favorite Daffy cartoon period. No one knew the character better if you ask me.

Titus
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2005 4:40 pm

Re: 1940s List Discussion and Suggestions

#631 Post by Titus » Sat Feb 25, 2012 4:13 pm

knives wrote:Nasty Quacks is actually my Tashlin of choice and basically my favorite Daffy cartoon period. No one knew the character better if you ask me.
The Great Piggybank Robbery and Draftee Daffy probably edge it out for me, but I adore this one as well. It snuck in at the end of my list.

User avatar
domino harvey
Dot Com Dom
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 2:42 pm

Re: 1940s List Discussion and Suggestions

#632 Post by domino harvey » Sat Feb 25, 2012 4:46 pm

There are just too many great films and only fifty slots. This was a bloody decade, but it will have nothing on the 50s, where my 41-50 could compete with my 1-10 in any other decade

User avatar
knives
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:49 pm

Re: 1940s List Discussion and Suggestions

#633 Post by knives » Sat Feb 25, 2012 4:49 pm

Fortunately I'm not there yet with the '50s, but I'm starting with nearly double what I did this decade. Already one a week.

User avatar
Siddon
Joined: Sun May 08, 2011 7:44 am

Re: 1940s List Discussion and Suggestions

#634 Post by Siddon » Sun Feb 26, 2012 6:05 pm

I found the 40's to be fairly easy, I was actually stretching to find worthy films in the 40-50 range. I love the 50's and I'm sure I won't have any trouble selecting my top 50. What I'm stressed out is the 1960's, 1960 alone I have about 20 films I would rank as top 50.

User avatar
knives
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:49 pm

Re: 1940s List Discussion and Suggestions

#635 Post by knives » Sun Feb 26, 2012 6:07 pm

Probably a good idea to remind people that lists are due by Oscars end. Let's hope this list at least comes up with a hundred films.

User avatar
matrixschmatrix
Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 11:26 pm

Re: 1940s List Discussion and Suggestions

#636 Post by matrixschmatrix » Sun Feb 26, 2012 6:10 pm

I watched probably twice as many movies for the 30s as I did for the 40s and I still had way, way more trouble hitting fifty movies for that project. This one, I struggled far more with cutting things.

Though looking at my list, I've got five each from Welles and the Archers, so that probably helped/didn't help.

User avatar
swo17
Bloodthirsty Butcher
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:25 am
Location: SLC, UT

Re: 1940s List Discussion and Suggestions

#637 Post by swo17 » Sun Feb 26, 2012 6:13 pm

knives wrote:Let's hope this list at least comes up with a hundred films.
There are presently 410 films that have received votes, and 220 that qualify with more than one vote. The current #100 has a score of 96.

User avatar
knives
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:49 pm

Re: 1940s List Discussion and Suggestions

#638 Post by knives » Sun Feb 26, 2012 6:18 pm

matrixschmatrix wrote: Though looking at my list, I've got five each from Welles and the Archers, so that probably helped/didn't help.
Are you including Welles as actor in that? I can really only think of four potentials with him as director in this decade.

User avatar
matrixschmatrix
Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 11:26 pm

Re: 1940s List Discussion and Suggestions

#639 Post by matrixschmatrix » Sun Feb 26, 2012 6:26 pm

Magnificent Ambersons, Kane, The Lady from Shanghai, Macbeth, and The Stranger, in that order.

User avatar
knives
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:49 pm

Re: 1940s List Discussion and Suggestions

#640 Post by knives » Sun Feb 26, 2012 6:29 pm

I'm surprised at that last one (my order would be Macbeth, The Magnificent Ambersons, Citizen Kane, The Lady from Shanghai, and in a very distant last place The Stranger). I found it to be very average work for hire type of deal.

User avatar
matrixschmatrix
Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 11:26 pm

Re: 1940s List Discussion and Suggestions

#641 Post by matrixschmatrix » Sun Feb 26, 2012 6:33 pm

It's not necessarily a movie that has Welles' typical strengths, but the performances are pretty great (Welles' own in particular) and it works well as a Huston-y noir. It's definitely a shame that Welles had to use Robinson instead of Moorehead, but I don't think it kills the movie, and it's not like Robinson is bad in it or anything.

User avatar
knives
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:49 pm

Re: 1940s List Discussion and Suggestions

#642 Post by knives » Sun Feb 26, 2012 6:44 pm

This is the first I've ever heard of Moorehead in relation to the movie. Her as an agent sounds at least more interesting than anything the film has at present to offer. Even ignoring the Welles factor and just taking it as one of the hundred or so Nazi movies from the period it doesn't offer anything new or interesting to stand out from the crowd.

User avatar
swo17
Bloodthirsty Butcher
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:25 am
Location: SLC, UT

Re: 1940s List Discussion and Suggestions

#643 Post by swo17 » Sun Feb 26, 2012 6:46 pm

At least five people beg to differ with you.

User avatar
knives
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:49 pm

Re: 1940s List Discussion and Suggestions

#644 Post by knives » Sun Feb 26, 2012 6:56 pm

I'd love to see one of them give it a rousing defense, but for me as of now it's nothing special.

Titus
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2005 4:40 pm

Re: 1940s List Discussion and Suggestions

#645 Post by Titus » Sun Feb 26, 2012 8:17 pm

Well, I'm not equipped to make a rousing defense of the film (not a convincing one, anyway), but I'll cop to being one of the members who voted for it. I think it's a lovely film, and it's fascinating to see Welles deliver a conventional studio genre film, a relatively impersonal gun-for-hire project. All of the heft of his endless formal talents and artistry and craftsmanship is channeled towards delivering a rather routine crime film. Unlike the other noirs Welles made, it's lifted into greatness (or very-goodness, or something) not because it transcends the pulpy material but because it embraces (or accepts) it. A simple story well-told. It's filled with wonderful, typically Wellesian sequences (the opening scenes, the long-take murder in the woods, the manically edited finale), and there are echoes of Ambersons in the depiction of the quiet daily life in the village (love the scenes with Billy House in the general store). And the performances are great. I love Robinson in sympathetic roles like this, or Double Indemnity, or Our Vines Have Tender Grapes. He brings a quiet authority to the Wilson character, effortlessly conveying how intelligent and methodical the character is. How he discovers the identity of Rankin is a pretty ridiculous plot contrivance, and yet Robinson's able to sell it somehow. I love Agnes Moorehead as much as the next guy, but I really can't imagine her in this role. And Welles is a lot of fun with his character, sinister and charismatic as always but keeping the histrionics to a minimum.

It ain't Citizen Kane, but it's still a pretty impressive film to me.

User avatar
matrixschmatrix
Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 11:26 pm

Re: 1940s List Discussion and Suggestions

#646 Post by matrixschmatrix » Sun Feb 26, 2012 8:56 pm

The 40s is a hell of a decade for nuanced Eddie Robinson performances, too- his turn here, the two he did for Lang (which are similar but Robinson plays them with subtle differences, playing smarter and more conscious of what's happening in The Woman in the Window and making the character dumber, more naive, and ultimately nastier in Scarlet Street), his update on his gangster character in Key Largo- I would be fascinated to see Moorehead in The Stranger, but I don't in any way want to diminish what an engaging and entertaining presence Robinson is.

User avatar
swo17
Bloodthirsty Butcher
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:25 am
Location: SLC, UT

Re: 1940s List Discussion and Suggestions

#647 Post by swo17 » Sun Feb 26, 2012 9:24 pm

Man, I keep watching brilliant last minute movies that are shaking the foundations of my list. For instance, here's a really fantastic short, Inspiration by Karel Zeman, very much worth 11 minutes of your time.

On a perhaps related note, if any of you that have already submitted a list would like to change anything about it, this is just a reminder that you are welcome to do so up until the deadline.

User avatar
knives
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:49 pm

Re: 1940s List Discussion and Suggestions

#648 Post by knives » Sun Feb 26, 2012 10:09 pm

I actually tried to breed discussion on Zeman earlier. He's a really great and underrated animator.

User avatar
swo17
Bloodthirsty Butcher
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:25 am
Location: SLC, UT

Re: 1940s List Discussion and Suggestions

#649 Post by swo17 » Sun Feb 26, 2012 10:53 pm

Fun factoids for the hour: One director currently has five films ranking within a 20 place window (three of these within five places of each other). Another director also has three films within a five place window. Both of these things are happening in the top 50.

Way more exciting than the Oscars...

User avatar
knives
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:49 pm

Re: 1940s List Discussion and Suggestions

#650 Post by knives » Sun Feb 26, 2012 10:55 pm

You mean you're lying?

Post Reply