The Golden Era of Hollywood Part I (1939-1948)
Everybody has a favourite decade of the movie industry.
From the silent movies of the 20's, The deeply dark film noir classics of the 40's or even the 'brat pack' high school teen films of the 1980's.
What is your favourite era? Here's mine and the reasons behind it.
As a child growing up in the late 70s and early 80s I had a routine that every Sunday I would visit my great gran and gramp.
Actually routine depicts this as some kind of chore but it's what has created my passion for old movies.
The Sunday would usually start with me arriving at my nans for around 10.
30 in the morning whilst my gran was cooking the dinner.
The Sunday lunch was nearly always regimentally served at noon and after this we would all settle down to watch the Sunday matinee film.
My great nan had a great memory for the stars of these old films, who was married to whom and reeling off other films the actor/actress had starred in (even into her late 70s ).
These days planted the seeds that got me hooked on old movies, posters and the period of what I call the golden era of Hollywood, 1939-1948.
So here are four must-see films from this era, classics in all sense of the word.
Citizen Kane (1941).
Classed by many as the greatest motion picture ever made, Citizen Kane doesn't disappoint.
The plot is deceptively simple, a group of journalists try and discover the hidden meaning behind a publishing tycoons last word.
In many ways Citizen Kane opened up a whole new way of shooting a movie, the director was 25 year old Orson Welles who also starred as tycoon Charles Foster Kane.
What Welles achieved in his directorial debut is nothing short of astounding.
Little things he did like put cameras in the floorboards to get different shots were simplistic but genial.
A true cinema masterpiece.
Gaslight (1944).
Many film critics put this film in the 'Mystery drama' category, I would also class this as a psychological drama.
Skilfully directed by legendary director George Cukor, the film stars Ingrid Bergman who as a girl discovered her Aunts body murdered in her home.
Fast forward ten years and she and her new husband move back into the house.
Charles Boyer plays the husband, for those not familiar with Boyer he played mainly the good guy in movies, here he takes on a much different role and he's chillingly effective, slowly convincing Bergman that she's going insane to hide a dark secret.
Bergman won a deserved Oscar for her role, portraying a woman who questions her own sanity.
Wuthering Heights (1939) Taken from Emily Brontes classic novel about doomed lovers Heathcliffe and Kathy, Wuthering Heights shows all of lifes traits, love, passion, jealousy, anger, sorrow.
The film is cleverly narrated by a servant telling the story to a traveller who has stopped off at Wuthering Heights for the night.
Heathcliffe is played by Sir Laurence Olivier, who as a 10 year old orphan is taken into a posh household where he meets Kathy(Merle Oberon).
They grow up together on the moors and talk about a life together.
Kathy is torn between her love for Heathcliffe and the high life but once her father dies her brother then takes charge of the household and banishes Heathcliffe to the stables where he is forced to do servants chores.
He runs away and comes back and eloquent man hoping to take the arm of Kathy, only to find she is now involved with another man.
Wuthering Heights is THE definitive doomed love story, beautiful shot and in places a dark film.
The Maltese Falcon (1941).
Humphrey Bogart stars as private detective Sam Spade and after a lady by the name of Miss Wanderly walks into his office, his partner Miles Archer is soon killed.
After investigating the case Spade soon realises that being connected to Miss Wanderly is a dangerous game as he discovers another dead man.
Bogart is the definitive 'cool' image, the way he acts on screen, his mannerisms how can any man not want to be him? Backed up by a great supporting cast which includes Mary Astor and Peter Lorre, The Maltese Falcon is a brilliant film-noir, will keep you hooked until the very end and then you'll want more.
If you haven't seen any of these movies then go to your nearest store, hire or buy them, you will not be disappointed and you will discover how movies should be made and how those stars of yesteryear have that charisma, class and elegance that are sadly lacking in today's offerings
From the silent movies of the 20's, The deeply dark film noir classics of the 40's or even the 'brat pack' high school teen films of the 1980's.
What is your favourite era? Here's mine and the reasons behind it.
As a child growing up in the late 70s and early 80s I had a routine that every Sunday I would visit my great gran and gramp.
Actually routine depicts this as some kind of chore but it's what has created my passion for old movies.
The Sunday would usually start with me arriving at my nans for around 10.
30 in the morning whilst my gran was cooking the dinner.
The Sunday lunch was nearly always regimentally served at noon and after this we would all settle down to watch the Sunday matinee film.
My great nan had a great memory for the stars of these old films, who was married to whom and reeling off other films the actor/actress had starred in (even into her late 70s ).
These days planted the seeds that got me hooked on old movies, posters and the period of what I call the golden era of Hollywood, 1939-1948.
So here are four must-see films from this era, classics in all sense of the word.
Citizen Kane (1941).
Classed by many as the greatest motion picture ever made, Citizen Kane doesn't disappoint.
The plot is deceptively simple, a group of journalists try and discover the hidden meaning behind a publishing tycoons last word.
In many ways Citizen Kane opened up a whole new way of shooting a movie, the director was 25 year old Orson Welles who also starred as tycoon Charles Foster Kane.
What Welles achieved in his directorial debut is nothing short of astounding.
Little things he did like put cameras in the floorboards to get different shots were simplistic but genial.
A true cinema masterpiece.
Gaslight (1944).
Many film critics put this film in the 'Mystery drama' category, I would also class this as a psychological drama.
Skilfully directed by legendary director George Cukor, the film stars Ingrid Bergman who as a girl discovered her Aunts body murdered in her home.
Fast forward ten years and she and her new husband move back into the house.
Charles Boyer plays the husband, for those not familiar with Boyer he played mainly the good guy in movies, here he takes on a much different role and he's chillingly effective, slowly convincing Bergman that she's going insane to hide a dark secret.
Bergman won a deserved Oscar for her role, portraying a woman who questions her own sanity.
Wuthering Heights (1939) Taken from Emily Brontes classic novel about doomed lovers Heathcliffe and Kathy, Wuthering Heights shows all of lifes traits, love, passion, jealousy, anger, sorrow.
The film is cleverly narrated by a servant telling the story to a traveller who has stopped off at Wuthering Heights for the night.
Heathcliffe is played by Sir Laurence Olivier, who as a 10 year old orphan is taken into a posh household where he meets Kathy(Merle Oberon).
They grow up together on the moors and talk about a life together.
Kathy is torn between her love for Heathcliffe and the high life but once her father dies her brother then takes charge of the household and banishes Heathcliffe to the stables where he is forced to do servants chores.
He runs away and comes back and eloquent man hoping to take the arm of Kathy, only to find she is now involved with another man.
Wuthering Heights is THE definitive doomed love story, beautiful shot and in places a dark film.
The Maltese Falcon (1941).
Humphrey Bogart stars as private detective Sam Spade and after a lady by the name of Miss Wanderly walks into his office, his partner Miles Archer is soon killed.
After investigating the case Spade soon realises that being connected to Miss Wanderly is a dangerous game as he discovers another dead man.
Bogart is the definitive 'cool' image, the way he acts on screen, his mannerisms how can any man not want to be him? Backed up by a great supporting cast which includes Mary Astor and Peter Lorre, The Maltese Falcon is a brilliant film-noir, will keep you hooked until the very end and then you'll want more.
If you haven't seen any of these movies then go to your nearest store, hire or buy them, you will not be disappointed and you will discover how movies should be made and how those stars of yesteryear have that charisma, class and elegance that are sadly lacking in today's offerings
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