1940: Movies Sorted By Tier
Submitted by jim on Tue, 01/11/2005 - 12:49
Tags:
Loved
The Philadelphia Story
... I really enjoyed seeing Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant, and Jimmy Stewart all together. Grant and Stewart in particular have some great scenes together (like the verbal sparring they do when Stewart is drinking and Grant is not). Some of the Taming of the Shrew elements grated on my modern day sensibilities, but rarely and forgiveably. The women are strong, the men are charming, the the script is excellent. And they tell me George Cukor was no slouch as a director either. Can't argue with that so far!Really Liked
Fantasia
His Girl Friday
... A fabulous script, delivered with rapid-fire precision and flair. This is a good one to just pop in and marvel at what you can do with mere dialog and charisma. Grant and Russell are very good, as you'd expect, but I never really felt the chemistry between them. Of course, she spends much of the movie rebuffing him, so that's probably by design, but I just couldn't help feeling, as often happens to me with these old screwball comedies, that the ending just wraps itself up abruptly, somewhat discordantly, and in mere accordance with the way it was preordained. Some of this feeling in this case probably happened because Ralph Bellamy seems a decent fellow and totally gets the shaft. Still, how could they resist each other? I mean, just *look* at 'em, fer Pete's sake!My Favorite Wife
... I was hooked from the get-go. I think even Cary Grant was trying to stifle laughter during the opening scene with the judge, played straight yet hilariously by Granville Bates, whoever he is. Everything from the beginning to when Grant first spies his wife as the elevator doors are closing is just perfect. The rest feels like a slight letdown after such a wonderful first act, but is still highly enjoyable. And that scene with the roman rings - side-splitting!Rebecca
The Shop Around the Corner
... Ostensibly a premake of You've Got Mail, but really not all that similar, thank goodness. Hooray for Jimmy Stewart, and my, 1940 was a pretty darn good year for movies.Glad I Saw
Pinocchio
... Not really one of my favorite Disneys, but it's got Jiminy in it, by Jiminy!Guilty Pleasures
- None Yet
Could Have Missed
- None Yet
Should Have Missed
- None Yet
El Sucko Grande
- None Yet
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