Category Archives: Academy Award winners

: The Great Ziegfeld : I can find it difficult sometimes to appreciate magnificence in black and white films but I didn’t have that problem with this gem. The musical numbers were fantastic! Showmanship like I’ve never seen before, magnificent costumes and glorious sets. When Betsie and I watched the 1928/29 winner “The Broadway Melody”ContinueContinue reading “1936: The Great Ziegfeld and My Man Godfrey and Modern Times”

: Mutiny on the Bounty : Mutiny on the Bounty is a story that fascinates me (as well as many others given its popularity and staying power). I’m not much into navy stories, either historical or modern-day, except for this one. I thought the movie was great and Clark Gable, my personal hunk of burningContinueContinue reading “1935: Mutiny on the Bounty and The 39 Steps”

: It Happened One Night : There seems to be general agreement about this one. Among everyone but me. Filmsite.org had no other suggestions for this year (almost unheard of), Rotten Tomatoes finds it 98 % fresh, and the pic swept the academy awards: best picture, director, screenplay, actor and actress. This feat was notContinueContinue reading “1934: It Happened One Night “

: Cavalcade : Cavalcade isn’t available on Netflix, wasn’t even reviwed by filmsite.org and didn’t fare well at Rotten Tomatoes. It was apparently the story of a privileged British family and their household. From reviews I saw I guess I didn’t miss much.  : King Kong : As iconic as it became, King Kong receivedContinueContinue reading “1932-33: Cavalcade and King Kong”

: Grand Hotel : Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, and Lionel Barrymore play characters in this very boring movie that takes place over the course of a single day in a Berlin hotel. The reviews literally call it a hotel where nothing happens. And let me tell you, the plot is slow and despite everyone tellingContinueContinue reading “1931-32: Grand Hotel and Scarface”

: Cimarron : Cimarron, based on Edna Ferber’s book, is a strange combination of a badly dated film with overt racism that scratches badly at modern sentiments with epic storytelling that isn’t all bad in places. It’s the story of the Yancey and Sabra Cravat family and their (fictional) role in the “settling” of Oklahoma.ContinueContinue reading “1930-31: Cimarron and City Lights”