WUTHERING HEIGHTS
YEAR = 1939
GENRE= Drama, Romance
MPAA= NR
DIR. =William Wyler
STAR = Lawrence Olivier, Merle Oberon
ACADEMY AWARDS= Cinematography (Black and White)
Nominations= Picture, Director, Actor (Olivier), Supporting Actress ( Geraldine Fitzgerald), Screenplay, Art Direction, Original Score
AFI RANK = 73
WORTHY OF PLACEMENT= NO
GRADE = 5.5

"Wuthering Heights", an Emily Bronte novel , a universally assigned high school reading that kids love to hate, was brought to screen numerous times. This earliest adaptation is nothing more than a fairly typical studio romance, without any innovation to the genre or the medium. The film's capable director, was never considered an "auteur" of the Orson Welles rank, but he knew how to make hits, and had a recognizable style: long, deep focus takes which concentrated on all of the actors within a frame. Wyler's perfectionist technique is not particularly interesting, it can be argued, and neither is the movie. At least "Ben Hur" has the chariot race, and his Bette Davis films star power. This one is an "English Patient" of sorts, for the thirties: a blockbuster, pompous and boring to the less romantic crowd.

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WIZARD OF OZ
YEAR = 1939
GENRE= Family, Musical
LENGTH= 101m
MPAA= G
DIR. =Victor Fleming
STAR = Judy Garland
ACADEMY AWARDS= Orginal Score, Song
Nominations= Picture, Cinematography, Art Direction, Visual Effects
AFI RANK = 6
WORTHY OF PLACEMENT= YES
GRADE = 9

Quite possibly, an ideal "first film" to initiate a child to the magic world of cinema as a kind of "Oz". Colorful special effects, and a captivating storyline that frequently switches to rhyming and constantly engages in wordplay, will leave a permanent mark on those who see it at a young age. Most of the critics who worship "Wizard of Oz", have all grown up with it, and they seldom wonder how an adult, unexposed to the movie during childhood, would perceive the movie. Thoroughly amused and enchanted, the older audiences will not likely experience the wide-eyed wonder of their sons and daughters. Just the same, the picture is surrounded by an aura of true greatness which separates it from "E.T." and the like. Judy Garland, wrapped in painful figure-flattening garments to make her look prepubescent, sings her heart out, and an immense willpower to act out the physically challenging role is felt in her every movement. The three creatures who accompany her exceed in their tomfoolery, while the wicked witch's gloating evil has long entered the lore of global pop-culture. Recent speculations as to whether Pink Floyd recorded their music in deliberate synchrony with the film, further promote its amazing durability.

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STAGECOACH
YEAR = 1939
GENRE= Western
LENGTH= 96m
MPAA= NR
DIR. =John Ford
STAR = John Wayne, Claire Trevor, Tomas Mitchell, John Carradine
ACADEMY AWARDS= Music, Supporting Actor (Mitchell)
Nominations= Picture, Director, Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction
AFI RANK = 63
WORTHY OF PLACEMENT= YES
GRADE = 9.5

Monument Valley, now a fodder for advertising companies across the world, was first put on display in Ford's pioneering Western, whose other achievement was the introduction of Wayne as the type he would play until his death. Revolutionary in every sense of the word, the film not only added a new dimension of depth to the genre, it also postulated a formula for a specific kind of plot : a diverse group of splendidly etched-out characters, each with a different background, facing dangerous obstacles while in close quarters with each other. It's almost inconceivable, but even Riddley Scott's "Alien" has distinct roots here. American Indians are depicted as the enemy, but without overt racist caricature, they're merely an excuse to stage a high-speed shootout. The last ten minutes, Wayne's face-off with his old foes, filled with brooding tension, make for one of the director's finest moments.

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MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON
YEAR = 1939
GENRE= Drama
LENGTH= 130m
MPAA= NR
DIR. =Frank Capra
STAR = James Stewart, Jean Arthur, Claude Rains, Thomas Mitchell, Harry Carey
ACADEMY AWARDS= Original Screenplay
Nominations= Picture, Director, Actor (Stewart), Supporting Actor (Carrey, Rains), Editing,  Art Direction, Music, Sound
AFI RANK = 29
WORTHY OF PLACEMENT= PERHAPS
GRADE = 8

Politics and Capra's heroes don't mix: an explosive clash is always bound to happen. James Stewart, in a role that established his image as a "goshdarn" enthusiast who is deterred by his own blundering naivete, turns the US congress upside down in search of justice. Stewart's backcountry idealism is admirable only to a point, but he's a natural for the part. In the first half, our newly appointed senator routinely drops his jaw at the site of DC's monuments and fails to recognize any hints of affection by women or corruption by his fellow politicians, while in the second, much livelier half, he wages total war on the Capitol Hill's status quo. One of the director's feel-good fantasies of personal and social salvation that has become known as "Capra-corn", "Mr.Smith", despite its occasionally disagreeable conventions, clearly emerges as a work of masterful talent.

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GONE WITH THE WIND
YEAR = 1939
GENRE= Drama, Epic, Historical, Romance
LENGTH= 231m
MPAA= G
DIR. =George Cuckor, Victor Fleming
STAR =Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable, Olivia De Havilland, Lesley Howard,       
Hattie McDaniel, Thomas Mitchell
ACADEMY AWARDS= Picture, Director, Actress (Leigh), Supporting Actress (McDaniel), Cinematography (Color), Adapted Screenplay, Editing , Art Direction
Nominations= Actor (Gable), Supporting Actress (De Havilland), Original Score, Sound, Visual Effects
AFI RANK = 5
WORTHY OF PLACEMENT= YES
GRADE = 9.5

The nature and essence of Hollywood summed up in one motion picture, "Gone With the Wind" has done what no other of its type could ever do: impose a hypnotic sense of fascination and involvement. So vivid and lush, that its colors seem to burst out of the screen, the uber-epic treatment of Margaret Mitchells' historical best-seller is in all likelihood, the only studio romance that can be watched without ridicule from start to finish. Leigh as Scarlett O' Hara carries the film with her radiant, zesty fashion show of a performance, while Gable shares the scene stealing with his acidic tongue. The remaining cast are of much lesser importance (except Thomas Mitchell as Pa), although Hattie McDaniels, as the heroine's slave maid-in-waiting was the first black Oscar Winner, a minor triumph amidst the system's prevalent climate of racism. The movie's first half was directed by George Cuckor, and it shows, as most scenes with the sharpest dialogue accentuating the twisted interplay between the sexes are found there. Fleming's handling of the rest is more soap-operatic, but we hardly notice, with all of Vivien's costumes to keep track of.

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BRINGING UP BABY
YEAR = 1938
GENRE= Romantic Comedy
LENGTH= 101m
MPAA= NR
DIR. =Howard Hawks
STAR = Catherine Hepburn, Cary Grant
AFI RANK =97
WORTHY OF PLACEMENT= YES
GRADE = 9.5

The best of Code-regulated Screwball Comedies have always stayed away from the sex act itself, avoiding situations where it could be implied directly, instead of making decidedly innocent allusions that seem embarrassingly corny to the current generation. "Bringing Up Baby", the outright funniest of them all, steers clear of all that can compromise its jolly spirit ( taunting, around the bush suggestion), thus minimizing the datedness factor. Instead, it makes the most out of the permissible, amplifying it to the very limits of decency, for uproarious laughs. Hepburn is fabulously exuberant a rich brat who will not stop at anything until she conquers the man of her fancy (Grant), even if it takes public humiliation, grand theft auto, and a live leopard among other things.

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SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS
YEAR = 1937
GENRE= Family, Animated
LENGTH= 83m
MPAA= G
DIR. =David Hand
STAR =Adrianna Caselotti, Harry Stockwell (voices)
ACADEMY AWARDS= Honorary Award
Nominations= Original Score
AFI RANK = 49
WORTHY OF PLACEMENT= YES
GRADE = 8.5

Not always has Disney held the kind of imperial, omnipresent status it does today. There was a time when the concept of a feature-length animated musical provoked general ridicule, and could potentially result in financial loss. Making "Snow White" was a risky enterprise, but it was that cartoon, and not Mickey Mouse (who had serious rivals from MGM and Warner Bros.), that brought the studio world domination. The second biggest hit of the decade, this is another rare example of a public phenomenon that transcends the time and circumstances of its release. As with most family-oriented films, it will surely impress young children far more than their parents, but the glorious animation, which has not been equaled outside Disney even in the computer age, propels the story to unforeseen heights of craftsmanship and artistic fulfillment.

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MODERN TIMES
YEAR = 1936
GENRE= Comedy
LENGTH= 87m
MPAA= NR
DIR. = Charlie Chaplin
STAR = Charlie Chaplin, Paulette Goddard
AFI RANK = 81
WORTHY OF PLACEMENT= YES
GRADE = 10

Refusing to accept new conventions, Chaplin's stubborn fortification in silent past had produced a film that will never cease to be relevant, a timeless commentary on machines and their makers. After going bonkers on the assembly line, the ubiquitous Tramp character is thrown in jail for suspected communist activity. He finds imprisonment a better pastime than life outside, so once released, he seeks a speedy trip back. In his attempts to do so, Chaplin meets a girl of his dreams, (Paulette Goddard, an orphaned teenager living in the streets) and the two immediately start planning a fruitful coexistence in a crazy world. Goddard's energy and sex appeal was unlike any other of the Tramp's love interests (not to mention thirties' actresses in general). The director's real-life spouse, she was only one of his female costars to be part of a full-fledged comic team, not an incessant second fiddle. Aside from the trademark factory-floor madness, it's the couple's memorable partnership that sets "Modern Times" aside as a classic for the ages to come.

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MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY
YEAR = 1935
GENRE= Historical, Adventure
LENGTH= 132m
MPAA= NR
DIR. =Frank Lloyd
STAR = Clark Gable, Charles Laughton, Franchot Tone
ACADEMY AWARDS= Picture
Nominations= Director, Actor (Gable, Laughton,Tone), Screenplay, Editing, Original Score,
AFI RANK = 86
WORTHY OF PLACEMENT= PERHAPS
GRADE = 8.5

Widely imitated maritime adventure based on a historic incident, as a crew of a British 18th century Tahiti-bound ship rebelled against tyrannical captain Bligh (Laughton), led by a more humane and civilized officer Fletcher Christian (Gable). One of the very few films whose conflict between opposing forces is not completely one-dimensional. The villain's ordeal is traced with equal detail with the hero's and the ending is not offered as an all-resolving sail into the sunset on a silver platter. Island natives, prominently featured in the movie, are portrayed as benevolent and nonviolent in nature, a first for Hollywood. Interracial coupling is also depicted, but typically of the period, tanned whites play all of the Tahitians, especially the women, making the whole picture look substantially dated.

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IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT
YEAR = 1934
GENRE= Romantic Comedy
LENGTH= 105m
MPAA= NR
DIR. = Frank Capra
STAR = Clark Gable, Claudette Colbert
ACADEMY AWARDS= Picture, Director, Actor (Gable), Actress (Colbert), Adapted Screenplay
AFI RANK = 35
WORTHY OF PLACEMENT= YES
GRADE =8.5

Frank Capra's best comedy, due entirely to the chemistry between the two leads, and little emphasis on all-important American issues. It does slow down at the very end, but the majority of the scenes, especially with Gable in the spotlight, have the kind of well executed gags we most often find worked to perfection in Warner Brother Cartoons. A large part of Bugs Bunny's personality, in fact, has been generated from the decade's most profitable actor's callously carrot-munching turn as a resourceful, skeptical journalist (another part has sprung from Groucho Marx). Made just after new restrictions had taken full effect, the movie smuggles the fresh Pre-Code feel of greater liberties and racier jokes.

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KING KONG
YEAR = 1933
GENRE= Horror, Adventure
LENGTH= 100m
MPAA= NR
DIR. = Merian C. Cooper
STAR = Fay Wray
AFI RANK = 43
WORTHY OF PLACEMENT= YES
GRADE = 9

The most satisfying and action-packed monster movie ever. "King Kong"'s stop motion animation might not be up to par with the 90's digitally enhanced dinosaurs, but it packs more punches then 10 Jurassic Parks put together. Not slowing down once, it races on from one amazing setpiece to another, as the giant ape, a star onto himself, fights animals his own size, stomps and chews on his would-be captors, tries to undress his female "bride" (Fay Wray, shredding her lungs as the crazed "jungle pictures" producer's flapper ingenue, who, through a chain of circumstances,  becomes Kong's sacrificial offering ), and eventually demolishes subway trains, warplanes and scales the Empire State Building. Special effects have broken new frontiers in seventy years, but not one film has surpassed what Cooper has accomplished with his gargantuan, joyful havoc wreaking without a single pause or diversionary subplot. All focuses on Kong, in actuality an 18 inch puppet, who has the screen presence of a diva, exhibiting jealous rage, tenderness, vulnerability: in short, a genuine personality. And personality, as we all know, goes a long way. Unfortunately, some inexcusable racism directed toward a Chinese crew member who is used for comic relief, takes a point off the grade.

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DUCK SOUP
YEAR = 1933
GENRE= Comedy
LENGTH= 70m
MPAA= NR
DIR. = Leo McCarey
STAR = Marx Bros
AFI RANK = 85
WORTHY OF PLACEMENT= PERHAPS
GRADE =7.5

The Marx Brothers at their most consistent, an utterly mad, absurdist, deliberately chaotic anti-war farce, which switches from political satire (Groucho, a cocky dictator) to no-brainer gag setpieces (Chico and Harpo as nutty spies) which could play equally well out of context. One of their only films that isn't marred by long and pointless musical numbers (only two are featured here, both relevant and satiric). The jokes are hurled at us with the steady pace of a tennis machine, but some fly past our heads, or fall short of the target. "Duck Soup"'s intrinsic flaw, as all of the Brothers' movies', is its absence of focus. Cinematic anarchy can only be truly enjoyable when it's kept in check, unbeknownst to the viewer, by the forces behind the camera.

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FRANKENSTEIN
YEAR = 1931
GENRE= Horror
LENGTH= 70m
MPAA= NR
DIR. = James Whale
STAR = Boris Carloff
AFI RANK = 87
WORTHY OF PLACEMENT= PERHAPS
GRADE = 7.5

As suggested by a recent biography of director James Whale, his Mary Shelly adaptations emerged out of a deep-seated desire to somehow purge the outcast monster that he subconsciously perceived himself to be. The high-minded interpretation might not be convincing to some, but "Frankenstein'"s place in history as the first sound horror movie and the father of a whole genre is undisputed. Whale never intended his films to be taken with deadly seriousness: a unique blend of sometimes ominous humor interjects this movie and its sequel (of even greater acclaim, it should have been placed on the list instead). Every scene in which the mad scientist and monster appear has been subject to innumerable parodies, gimmicks for commercials and just about every conceivable reference in a creative medium, from gangsta rap albums to Sesame Street.

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CITY LIGHTS
YEAR = 1931
GENRE= Comedy
LENGTH= 87m
MPAA= NR
DIR. = Charlie Chaplin
STAR = Charlie Chaplin, Virginia Cherill
AFI RANK = 76
WORTHY OF PLACEMENT= YES
GRADE = 10

Supremely life-affirming in an inimitable fashion that only Chaplin could compose, "City Lights" is the best, most tasteful fusion of comedy and melodrama that cinema has ever known, and the apogee of Little Tramp, the director's persevering and dignified alter ego. Our eternal wanderer's drunken New Year's exploits are legendary stuff and should not be retold, they have to be seen and appreciated on their own. The jokes, most centering on the Tramp in search for money to cure a blind flower-girl he's in love with, are well balanced with the emotional substance, the quieter scenes always diluted with enough humor to prevent them from being weepy or manipulative.

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ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT
YEAR = 1930
GENRE= War
LENGTH= 131
MPAA= NR
DIR. = Lewis Milestone
STAR = Lew Ayers, Louis Wolheim
AFI RANK =54
ACADEMY AWARDS= Picture, Director
Nominations= Writing, Cinematography
WORTHY OF PLACEMENT= YES
GRADE = 10

To this day, a stunningly effective denouncement of war, banned in many European counties for two decades because of its morale-reducing content. Its consummately impartial demonstration of any armed conflict's sheer horror, stripped of any sense of glamour, heroism or adventure, along with "La Grande Illusion", stood as lone upholders of peace and sanity until Kubick's 1957 "Paths of Glory" joined their ranks. In between were the countless flag-waving propaganda films, a few with a touch of humanity, of the Second World War period. Virtually uncensored battles, the most brutal and death-filled before Spielberg's D-Day sequence, still have the ability to profoundly affect the psyche. The grandly symbolic, perversely lyrical , bleak in its hopelessness, final shot alone is worth a Best Picture award.

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