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Darrellh
Member
07-21-2004
| Wednesday, September 27, 2006 - 12:17 pm
Let's look back. Going to start way back so there is no fresh controversies. 1939--Considered the best year ever for great movies. Winner--Gone with the Wind Also Nominated--Dark Victory Goodbye, Mr.Chips Love Affair Mr. Smith Goes To Washington Ninotchka Of Mice and Men Stagecoach The Wizard of Oz Wuthering Heights WOW! What a year! I love about half of these. Each has their strengths and their flaws, but are great movies! I think they got it right, but Would not have been surprised if Wuthering Heights had won. The Wizard of Oz has benefitted by being shown on TV so many years as a special event. As kids, it was drilled into us. I love it, but it's a film that has grown in stature through time.
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Landi
Member
07-29-2002
| Wednesday, September 27, 2006 - 12:24 pm
but at the time The Wizard of Oz was not a moneymaker. ALL great movies. I love about half of them also (wouldn't be surprised if we have the same list). in any given year they would have won if they were not up against this kind of tough competition. You can't disagree with Gone with the Wind though. Always in the Top 10 of any top movie list.
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Darrellh
Member
07-21-2004
| Wednesday, September 27, 2006 - 12:31 pm
I agree. I did like how they handled the nominations, though. More than the 5 highest vote getters received nominations. It would be very hard to argue against GWTW. Whether you've read the book, or not, it is a masterpiece of film-making. As long as it is, it could have been twice as long if they'd have shown all of what the book had. They left out on (or two) of Scarlet's other children. If you watch the documentaries about the making of it, you'd think it would have been a total disaster. Oh, yes. Other movies eligible that year...Destry Rides Again, The Women, Only Angels Have Wings, Gunga Din, Beau Geste, The Hound Of The Baskervilles.
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Legalboxer
Member
11-17-2003
| Wednesday, September 27, 2006 - 1:09 pm
Only Angels Have Wings won first award for special effect s(for the birds flying into the airplane - and Cary Grant used "Whats Up" long before the commericals a few years ago
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Mameblanche
Member
08-24-2002
| Wednesday, September 27, 2006 - 4:32 pm
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington has a soft spot in my heart. I use his impassioned style of argument upon occasion. It always serves me well, cuz its unexpected. GRIN. And I like the remake of Love Affair... with Cary Grant. Can't think of the name of it. Wizard of Oz is iconic at this point, isn't it? And of course what could possibly have toppled Gone With the Wind? A classic. The only problem I have with it, is that its a monster of a film. It's long, and its involving and by the end of it, I always feel exhausted. I rarely sit through it all.
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Mameblanche
Member
08-24-2002
| Wednesday, September 27, 2006 - 4:43 pm
Oh, and I find Dark Victory an awesome film too.
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Mamie316
Member
07-08-2003
| Wednesday, September 27, 2006 - 6:09 pm
Mames, you are thinking of An Affair To Remember. I agree with GWTW winning. It was such a spectacular event of a movie. The scope of it alone was amazing. No matter how it followed the book or not, and I loved the book, I think it deserved to win. I love the other movies too. I think of the actors that performed in them and they were truly amazing in their roles. I agree about The Wizard of Oz. It's beloved and I watch it every time, but I don't see it as an Oscar film.
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Legalboxer
Member
11-17-2003
| Wednesday, September 27, 2006 - 9:49 pm
Just as background, whenever I bring up movies with people, I always obsess over 1939 - it WAS the best year ever for movies and so many could have won best picture in another year.... GWTW - I see why it won, I will always love it, it is never too long for me, it is am epic piece and had so many grand features at movie making for the time - plus I was named after India Wilkes Mr. Smith Goes to Washington - probably the movie I have seen the most out of all 1939 movies, lost count at the 30th time I saw it - it is a model of who I want to be and how I want to be - Jimmy Stewart's speech is just like Henry Ford's speech in Grapes of Wrath, you cant get more powerful than that - plus even with it being 1939, it still as real today as it was back then - I also am amazed at how different Claude Raines is in it versus Casablanca (another movie I have seen over 30 times and it took years for me to realize its the same actor) "Either I'm dead right, or I'm crazy! Care to take a vote on that?" Capra at his best! Wuthering Heights - Lawrence Oliver as Heathcliff the year before he plays Mr Darcy in Pride and Prejudice - need I say any more - I can not imagine a better film depicting that story than this one. Wizard of Oz should have won any other year it was a breakthrough movie in their production, combining black and white with color, and all the special effects why it didnt win for special effects I dont know
the only movie to have a bigger cinematic effect was GWTW, and since they were the same year, that is that. but everything about it was classic to me and deserved Oscar any other year. Love Affair - was always surprised at how good it was after falling in love with An Affair to Remember, plus all the references to it in Sleepless in Seattle may not have deserved best picture but was a wonderful movie that should be watched. Stagecoach a masterpiece of western cinema by John Ford definitely nominee worthy. Of Mice and Men another nominee worthy film Lon Chaney was marvelous as Lennie and Burgess Meredith as George. Goodbye Mr Chips and Dark Victory also were Oscar worthy films. Other films that year that I adore are Dodge City Errol Flynn as much as I am in love with him in Robin Hood, there is something about this movie that I just hang onto and watch multiple times on my VHS. I love the newer Tombstone/Wyatt Earp movies but something about this one makes it a bit better. Babes in Arms happy that Mickey Rooney got nominated for best actor. (still think Stewart or Olivier should have won over Robert donat) Young Mr Lincoln with Henry Fonda and John Ford directing cant go wrong with that pair! And those two did it again with Drums along the Mohawk Only Angels Have Wings WhatsUp Cary Grant just a pure wonderful movie. Gunga Din classic with Cary Grant and Douglas Fairbanks Jr Hunchback of Notre Dame best version ever made and has Maureen ohara in it Hound of the Baskerville best Sherlock movie ever made Basil should of gotten a nomination if not for the competition. Destry Rides Again Jimmy Stewart always delivers Adventures of Huckleberry Finn with Mickey Rooney Little Princess with Shirley Temple They Made Me a Criminal not as well known but Claude Rains can do no wrong in his movies. Should have gotten best supporting actor for mr smith
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Darrellh
Member
07-21-2004
| Thursday, September 28, 2006 - 6:35 am
Legal, excellent observations. This is what I hope this thread becomes...a place where people who like movies, can come and talk about them. Also, cool that you were named after India Wilkes. Why that character? I knew a lot of Scarletts growing up, and a couple of Melanies (that admitted they were named after THAT Melanie). On Topic: A lot of 1939's films hold up well through time. Only a few of them, or even just one or two performances, seem dated.
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Legalboxer
Member
11-17-2003
| Thursday, September 28, 2006 - 7:57 am
agree that almost all hold up in any time period - which ones do you think may be dated? (my dad saw GWTW when he was 12 and decided then on India)
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Darrellh
Member
07-21-2004
| Thursday, September 28, 2006 - 8:08 am
I think the reason some seem dated is because the style of acting was so different from what it is now. Merle Oberon is a very old school style actress. That being said, there was never a better version of that story. Any other year, that movie would have taken home a lot of awards. Most of the other movies are about other times GWTW, Destry, Hunchback )or worlds (Wizard of Oz), so take on a timeless quality.
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Mamie316
Member
07-08-2003
| Thursday, September 28, 2006 - 9:18 am
I saw GWTW when I was around 16. They had rereleased it to theaters and I went with my Mom. I cannot to this day watch it on the small screen. It's just too big for tv.
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Legalboxer
Member
11-17-2003
| Thursday, September 28, 2006 - 12:57 pm
George Reeves - who later played Superman - was one of the brothers in the opening scenes pf GWTW
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Mamie316
Member
07-08-2003
| Thursday, September 28, 2006 - 1:01 pm
A long time ago, I read Evelyn Keyes' autobiography. It was a good read. She played Scarlett's sister Suellen in the film.
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Legalboxer
Member
11-17-2003
| Thursday, September 28, 2006 - 2:55 pm
yes 1939 was the very best but lets jump back one year to 1938... Jimmy Stewart in another Frank Capra movie - one of the best - but it did have a few worthy competitors that year - also i wonder if its win hurt Mr Smith goes to washington the following year Best Picture Winner: You Can't Take It with You (1938) - Frank Capra Other Nominees: Adventures of Robin Hood, Alexander's Ragtime Band Boys Town Citadel, The Four Daughters Grande illusion, La Jezebel Pygmalion Test Pilot Best Actor in a Leading Role Winner: Boys Town (1938) - Spencer Tracy Other Nominees: Algiers (1938) - Charles Boyer (I) Angels with Dirty Faces (1938) - James Cagney Citadel, The (1938) - Robert Donat Pygmalion (1938) - Leslie Howard (I) Best Actress in a Leading Role Winner: Jezebel (1938) - Bette Davis Other Nominees: Marie Antoinette (1938) - Norma Shearer Pygmalion (1938) - Wendy Hiller Three Comrades (1938) - Margaret Sullavan White Banners (1938) - Fay Bainter Best Actor in a Supporting Role Winner: Kentucky (1938) - Walter Brennan Other Nominees: Algiers (1938) - Gene Lockhart Four Daughters (1938) - John Garfield (I) If I Were King (1938) - Basil Rathbone Marie Antoinette (1938) - Robert Morley (I) Best Actress in a Supporting Role Winner: Jezebel (1938) - Fay Bainter Other Nominees: Great Waltz, The (1938) - Miliza Korjus Merrily We Live (1938) - Billie Burke Of Human Hearts (1938) - Beulah Bondi You Can't Take It with You (1938) - Spring Byington
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Darrellh
Member
07-21-2004
| Friday, September 29, 2006 - 9:21 am
That was going to be my next year, Legal. Also a good year for movies. Jezebel and the Adventures of Robin Hood are two of my favorite movies from that year. I liked Marie Antoinette, but see it more as a movie done to put Norma Shearer in a movie, rather than a movie that happens to have a star in it.
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Legalboxer
Member
11-17-2003
| Friday, September 29, 2006 - 9:57 am
will always love the staircase scene in Robin Hood Boys Town is a classic too and glad that Spencer won for that role ... although .... Leslie Howard would have warranted the win just as much for Pygmalion. He was such a great actor (loved him in 1934's The Scarlet Pimpernel) and if not for all the other 1939 movies, i could have seen him nominated for best supporting actor for Ashley (yup i will always love Ashley) ... he died much too young in 1943 i think "You Cant Take It with you" was the first Stewart/Capra movie and it is funny to see Lionel Barrymore in a loving role in that one versus evil Mr Potter in Its A Wonderful Life... also Eddie Arnold and Jean Arthur were in it which must have worked out good since Jimmy, Eddie and Jean all were in "Mr Smith goes to washington" the following year again with Capra 
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Mamie316
Member
07-08-2003
| Friday, September 29, 2006 - 12:50 pm
You Can't Take It With You was such great fun! I love Capra films. Jezebel would have to be my favorite out of all the nominees. I haven't seen Boys Town in such a long time. These posts are making me crave some good old movies.
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Darrellh
Member
07-21-2004
| Monday, October 02, 2006 - 2:59 pm
I love Jezebel, too, Mamie. But for you it's more of a role model, isn't it? Let's jump years. 1954. The winner (Best Picture)--On The Waterfront Nominated--The Caine Mutiny The Country Girl Seven Brides For Seven Brothers Three Coins In A Fountain Films from that year, but not nominated-- A Star Is Born Carmen Jones Sabrina Magnificent Obsession Rear Window This is also the year of the controversy of Best Actress. Grace Kelly beat out Judy Garland in A Star Is Born, Dorothy Dandridge in Carmen Jones, Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina, and Jane Wyman in Magnificent Obsession. (Left out that year, Judy Holiday in It Should Happen To You. Grace Kelly did Rear Window that year. I think that that should have been her nominated film performance for this year.)
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Legalboxer
Member
11-17-2003
| Monday, October 02, 2006 - 3:10 pm
seven brides for seven brothers was terrific - with a very young russ tamblyn who later was Riff in west Side Story - great dance scenes caine mutiny was a classic as well with bogey and Lee Marvin, even fred macmurray was in it (hard to see him outside disney movies)
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Darrellh
Member
07-21-2004
| Monday, October 02, 2006 - 3:17 pm
Interestingly, Fred MacMurray usually played darker parts until his Disney stint. I'd have to re-watch Three Coins. I always thought of it as just a precursor for Where The Boys Are. I think that nomination could have been better spent on Rear Window, or A Star Is Born.
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Legalboxer
Member
11-17-2003
| Monday, October 02, 2006 - 3:25 pm
all hitchcock movies deserve nominations 
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Mamie316
Member
07-08-2003
| Monday, October 02, 2006 - 7:14 pm
I remember watching Magnificent Obsession with my Mom, every time it came on.
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Mameblanche
Member
08-24-2002
| Tuesday, October 03, 2006 - 1:31 am
I like all the Hepburn Tracey films... great banter.
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Ketchuplover
Member
08-30-2000
| Tuesday, October 03, 2006 - 1:00 pm
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
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