1946

Anna and the King of Siam (1946)
The Beast with Five Fingers (1946)
Beauty and the Beast (1946)
Bedlam (1946)
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
The Big Sleep (1946)
Blithe Spirit (1946)
The Blue Dahlia (1946)
Blue Skies (1946)
Brief Encounter (1946)
Caesar and Cleopatra (1946)
Canyon Passage (1946)
Centennial Summer (1946)
The Chase (1946)
Children of Paradise (1946)
Cloak and Dagger (1946)
Cluny Brown (1946)
The Dark Corner (1946)
The Dark Mirror (1946)
Dead of Night (1946)
Deception (1946)
The Dolly Sisters (1946)
Dragonwyck (1946)
Duel in the Sun (1946)
Gilda (1946)
The Green Years (1946)
The Harvey Girls (1946)
Henry V (1946)
House of Horrors (1946)
Humoresque (1946)
It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
The Jolson Story (1946)
The Killers (1946)
Kitty (1946)
Lady in the Lake (1946)
Little Giant (1946)
The Time of Their Lives (1946)
Love Laughs at Andy Hardy (1946)
Make Mine Music (1946)
My Darling Clementine (1946)
My Pal Trigger (1946)
Night and Day (1946)
A Night in Casablanca (1946)
Notorious (1946)
Open City (1946)
O.S.S. (1946)
The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)
The Razor’s Edge (1946)
Road to Utopia (1946)
Saratoga Trunk (1946)
Sentimental Journey (1946)
The Seventh Veil (1946)
She-Wolf of London (1946)
Sister Kenny (1946)
The Spiral Staircase (1946)
Stairway to Heaven (1946)
A Stolen Life (1946)
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946)
The Stranger (1946)
Terror by Night (1946)
13 Rue Madeleine (1946)
Three Strangers (1946)
Till the End of Time (1946)
To Each His Own (1946)
Tomorrow is Forever (1946)
Two Years before the Mast (1946)
Vacation from Marriage (1946)
Without Reservations (1946)
The Yearling (1946)
Ziegfeld Follies (1946)

(September 2005 - May 2006) Lots of good stuff here. I'd recommend watching The Best Years of Our Lives, The Big Sleep, and Notorious. It's a Wonderful Life is one of my favorite movies EVER and is probably the only movie I can think of that can make me cry my eyes out every time. Watch that immediately. The real treasure of this year is Children of Paradise. It's a French movie about the theatre and various relationships in and around it. I was amazed by this movie and it's also one of my all-time faves.

Top Ten -- The Best Years of Our Lives, The Big Sleep, Brief Encounter, Children of Paradise, It's a Wonderful Life, My Darling Clementine, Notorious, Open City, The Spiral Staircase, The Time of Their Lives

1945

Abbott and Costello in Hollywood (1945)
Adventure (1945)
Anchors Aweigh (1945)
And Then There Were None (1945)
Back to Bataan (1945)
The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945)
Blood on the Sun (1945)
The Body Snatcher (1945)
Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
The Clock (1945)
The Corn is Green (1945)
Dillinger (1945)
Here Come the Co-Eds (1945)
The Naughty Nineties (1945)
The Horn Blows at Midnight (1945)
House of Dracula (1945)
The House on 92nd Street (1945)
The Keys to the Kingdom (1945)
Leave Her to Heaven (1945)
The Lost Weekend (1945)
Love Letters (1945)
Mildred Pierce (1945)
Music for Millions (1945)
National Velvet (1945)
Objective, Burma (1945)
Our Vines Have Tender Grapes (1945)
The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945)
Pride of the Marines (1945)
Salty O’Rourke (1945)
San Antonio (1945)
A Song to Remember (1945)
The Southerner (1945)
Spellbound (1945)
State Fair (1945)
The Story of G.I. Joe (1945)
They Were Expendable (1945)
The Three Caballeros (1945)
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945)
The Valley of Decision (1945)
A Walk in the Sun (1945)
Weekend at the Waldorf (1945)
Without Love (1945)
Scarlet Street (1945)
The Woman in the Window (1945)
Wonder Man (1945)
Yolanda and the Thief (1945)

(June - September 2005) An ok mix. I think The Lost Weekend is my pick for the best of these. I also really enjoyed Leave Her to Heaven, Mildred Pierce The Picture of Dorian Gray, and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. I remember watching all of these movies during the summer before I moved to State College. Good times.

Top Ten -- And Then There Were None, Leave Her to Heaven, The Lost Weekend, Mildred Pierce, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Spellbound, State Fair, The Three Caballeros, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, A Walk in the Sun

1944

Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (1944)
Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
The Canterville Ghost (1944)
Casanova Brown (1944)
The Climax (1944)
Cover Girl (1944)
Double Indemnity (1944)
Dragon Seed (1944)
The Fighting Seabees (1944)
The Fighting Sullivans (1944)
Gaslight (1944)
Going My Way (1944)
A Guy Named Joe (1944)
Hail the Conquering Hero (1944)
Hollywood Canteen (1944)
House of Frankenstein (1944)
In Society (1944)
The Invisible Man’s Revenge (1944)
It Happened Tomorrow (1944)
Jane Eyre (1944)
Kismet (1944)
Laura (1944)
Lifeboat (1944)
Lost in a Harem (1944)
The Mask of Dimitrios (1944)
Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek (1944)
The Mummy’s Ghost (1944)
The Mummy’s Curse (1944)
Mr. Skeffington (1944)
Mrs. Parkington (1944)
Murder, My Sweet (1944)
None but the Lonely Heart (1944)
None Shall Escape (1944)
Passage to Marseille (1944)
Phantom Lady (1944)
The Seventh Cross (1944)
Since You Went Away (1944)
Step Lively (1944)
The Thin Man Goes Home (1944)
Thirty Seconds over Tokyo (1944)
To Have and Have Not (1944)
Two Girls and a Sailor (1944)
The Uninvited (1944)
Weird Woman (1944)
The Whistler (1944)
The White Cliffs of Dover (1944)
Wilson (1944)
Wing and a Prayer (1944)

Also Seen - Cry of the Werewolf (1944), The Lodger (1944) B-

(March - June 2005) I wish I could decorate Meet Me in St. Louis with hearts. It's such a great movie! Other faves are Going My Way, Double Indemnity, Laura, Lifeboat, and To Have and Have Not. By the mid-forties, film noir became very popular A good number of them came out this year.

Top Ten -- Arsenic and Old Lace, Cover Girl, Double Indemnity, Going My Way, Laura, Lifeboat, Meet Me in St. Louis, The Seventh Cross, Since You Went Away, To Have and Have Not

1943

Action in the North Atlantic (1943)
Air Force (1943)
Bataan (1943)
Cabin in the Sky (1943)
Captive Wild Woman (1943)
DuBarry Was a Lady (1943)
Casablanca (1943)
Destination Tokyo (1943)
For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943)
Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman (1943)
Guadalcanal Diary (1943)
Heaven Can Wait (1943)
Hello, Frisco, Hello (1943)
The Human Comedy (1943)
In Which We Serve (1943)
It Ain’t Hay (1943)
Hit the Ice (1943)
I Walked with a Zombie (1943)
Lassie Come Home (1943)
Madame Curie (1943)
The Mad Ghoul (1943)
The More the Merrier (1943)
The Outlaw (1943)
The Ox-Bow Incident (1943)
The Phantom of the Opera (1943)
Princess O’Rourke (1943)
Sahara (1943)
Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
The Song of Bernadette (1943)
Son of Dracula (1943)
So Proudly We Hail (1943)
Stormy Weather (1943)
Thank Your Lucky Stars (1943)
They Got Me Covered (1943)
This is the Army (1943)
Watch on the Rhine (1943)

(December 2004 - March 2005) Casablanca is perfect and needs to be seen at least once by everyone. For Whom the Bell Tolls and The Ox-Bow Incident are also great.

Also Seen - The Constant Nymph (1943), The North Star (1943)

Top Ten -- Cabin in the Sky, Casablanca, Destination Tokyo, For Whom the Bell Tolls, Lassie Come Home, The Outlaw, The Ox-Bow Incident, The Phantom of the Opera, Shadow of a Doubt, The Song of Bernadette

1942

Across the Pacific (1942)
All Through the Night (1942)
Andy Hardy’s Double Life (1942)
Arabian Nights (1942)
Bambi (1942)
The Black Swan (1942)
Cat People (1942)
For Me and My Gal (1942)
49th Parallel (1942)
Gentleman Jim (1942)
The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942)
The Glass Key (1942)
Holday Inn (1942)
I Married a Witch (1942)
In This Our Life (1942)
Invisible Agent (1942)
Johnny Eager (1942)
The Jungle Book (1942)
Woman of the Year (1942)
Keeper of the Flame (1942)
Kings Row (1942)
Larceny Inc. (1942)
The Magnificent Ambersons (1942)
The Major and the Minor (1942)
Mrs. Miniver (1942)
The Mummy’s Tomb (1942)
My Favorite Blonde (1942)
Night Monster (1942)
Now, Voyager (1942)
Orchestra Wives (1942)
The Palm Beach Story (1942)
Ride ‘Em Cowboy (1942)
Rio Rita (1942)
Pardon My Sarong (1942)
Who Done It? (1942)
The Pied Piper (1942)
The Pride of the Yankees (1942)
Wake Island (1942)
Random Harvest (1942)
Reap the Wild Wind (1942)
Road to Morocco (1942)
Roxie Hart (1942)
Saboteur (1942)
The Talk of the Town (1942)
This Gun for Hire (1942)
To Be or Not to Be (1942)
Tortilla Flat (1942)
Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)

(August - December 2004) Yankee Doodle Dandy is my favorite of the year, followed closely by Mrs. Miniver. Both were inspired greatly by the patriotism that was sweeping the nation in 1942. I also enjoyed The Pride of the Yankees, Saboteur, and To Be or Not to Be.

Also Seen -- Tennessee Johnson (1942)

Top Ten -- Bambi, 49th Parallel, Johnny Eager, Mrs. Miniver, Now, Voyager, The Pride of the Yankees, Saboteur, To Be or Not to Be, Who Done It?, Yankee Doodle Dandy

1941

Andy Hardy’s Private Secretary (1941)
Back Street (1941)
Ball of Fire (1941)
The Big Store (1941)
The Black Cat (1941)
Blood and Sand (1941)
Blossoms in the Dust (1941)
The Bride Came C.O.D. (1941)
Buck Privates (1941)
Caught in the Draft (1941)
Citizen Kane (1941) A+
The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941)
The Devil and Miss Jones (1941)
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941)
Dumbo (1941) A-
The Great Lie (1941)
Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941)
High Sierra (1941)
Hold Back the Dawn (1941)
In the Navy (1941)
Hold That Ghost (1941) A-
How Green Was My Valley (1941) A-
The Invisible Woman (1941)
Kathleen (1941)
Keep ‘Em Flying (1941)
The Lady Eve (1941)
The Little Foxes (1941)
Louisiana Purchase (1941)
The Maltese Falcon (1941) A+
Man Made Monster (1941)
The Man Who Came to Dinner (1941)
Meet John Doe (1941)
The Monster and the Girl (1941)
Mr. and Mrs. Smith (1941)
Never Give a Sucker an Even Break (1941)
One Foot in Heaven (1941)
Penny Serenade (1941)
Road to Zanzibar (1941)
Sergeant York (1941)
Shadow of the Thin Man (1941)
Sullivan’s Travels (1941)
Suspicion (1941)
They Died with Their Boots on (1941)
The Wolf Man (1941) A-

(June - August 2004) Even with Citizen Kane in this list, I have to say that The Maltese Falcon is the best movie here. Kane is fantastic though. How Green Was My Valley managed to win best picture and I'd say it was pretty deserving. I also enjoyed High Sierra (Bogart) and Dumbo because I'm a sucker. Hold That Ghost is probably my favorite Abbott and Costello - they made four movies this year! War was raging in Europe and hit America this year. The effects on movies would really start to show in the next few years.

Top Ten -- Ball of Fire, Citizen Kane, Dumbo, Here Comes Mr. Jordan, High Sierra, Hold That Ghost, How Green Was My Valley, The Maltese Falcon, Sergeant York, The Wolf Man

Also Seen -- The Sea Wolf (1941) B

1940

Abe Lincoln of Illinois (1940)
All This, and Heaven Too (1940)
Andy Hardy Meets Debutante (1940)
The Bank Dick (1940)
Black Friday (1940)
Boom Town (1940)
Brother Orchid (1940)
Christmas in July (1940)
Down Argentine Way (1940)
Dr. Cyclops (1940)
Fantasia (1940)
Foreign Correspondent (1940)
The Ghost Breakers (1940)
Go West (1940)
The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
The Great Dictator (1940)
The Great McGinty (1940)
His Girl Friday (1940)
The Invisible Man Returns (1940)
Kitty Foyle (1940)
Knute Rockne, All American (1940)
The Letter (1940)
The Long Voyage Home (1940)
The Mark of Zorro (1940)
The Mummy’s Hand (1940)
My Favorite Wife (1940)
My Little Chickadee (1940)
Northwest Passage (1940)
One Night in the Tropics (1940)
Our Town (1940)
The Philadelphia Story (1940)
Pinocchio (1940)
Pride and Prejudice (1940)
Rebecca (1940)
The Return of Frank James (1940)
Road to Singapore (1940)
Santa Fe Trail (1940)
The Sea Hawk (1940)
Seven Sinners (1940)
The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
They Drive By Night (1940)
The Thief of Bagdad (1940)
Torrid Zone (1940)
Waterloo Bridge (1940)
The Westerner (1940)

(June 2004) I remember it being a huge deal when I got into the 40s. The list of movies started to grow to about 50 movies a year and I started to see more popular titles and the beginnings of early franchises. WWII was right around the corner. Rebecca is my choice for best movie. Great Hitchcock thriller. Other faves are The Great Dictator (Chaplin), Pride and Prejudice (Olivier), and The Letter (Bette Davis).

Top Ten -- Fantasia, The Ghost Breakers, The Grapes of Wrath, The Great Dictator, His Girl Friday, The Letter, The Philadelphia Story, Pinocchio, Pride and Prejudice, Rebecca

Also Seen - Primrose Path (1940) B-

1939

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1939)
The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939)
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939)
Andy Hardy Gets Spring Fever (1939)
Another Thin Man (1939) B-
At the Circus (1939) C+
Babes in Arms (1939) B-
Beau Geste (1939) B+
The Cat and the Canary (1939)
Dark Victory (1939) B
Destry Rides Again (1939) C+
Drums Along the Mohawk (1939)
Each Dawn I Die (1939)
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939)
The Flying Deuces (1939)
The Four Feathers (1939)
Gone with the Wind (1939) A+
Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939) C+
Gulliver's Travels (1939)
Gunga Din (1939) B-
Honolulu (1939)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939) C+
Intermezzo (1939)
It's a Wonderful World (1939)
Jamaica Inn (1939) C-
Jesse James (1939)
Juarez (1939)
Love Affair (1939) B-
The Man in the Iron Mask (1939)
Mexican Spitfire (1939)
Midnight (1939)
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) A-
Ninotchka (1939) C+
Of Mice and Men (1939) B+
The Old Maid (1939)
Only Angels Have Wings (1939) A-
The Roaring Twenties (1939) B-
Son of Frankenstein (1939)
Stagecoach (1939) A-
Tower of London (1939)
Union Pacific (1939)
The Wizard of Oz (1939) A+
The Women (1939) B+
Wuthering Heights (1939) B+
Young Mr. Lincoln (1939) B-

(December 2003 - June 2004) And the lists get looonger from here on out. 1939 is fondly known as 'Hollywood's Golden Year' because of the breadth of classics that were produced. My personal faves are Gone With the Wind and The Wizard of Oz. See. them. now. Additionally, I'd suggest viewing Beau Geste, The Cat and the Canary, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Of Mice and Men, Only Angels Have Wings, Stagecoach, The Women, and Wuthering Heights.

Top Ten -- Beau Geste, The Cat and the Canary, Gone With the Wind, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Of Mice and Men, Only Angels Have Wings, Stagecoach, The Wizard of Oz, The Women, Wuthering Heights

Also Seen - The Rules of the Game B-

1938

The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) B
Alexander's Ragtime Band (1938) C+
Angels with Dirty Faces (1938) B
The Big Broadcast of 1938 (1938) C
Blondie (1938) C+
Boys Town (1938) B-
Bringing Up Baby (1938) B
A Christmas Carol (1938) A-
The Citadel (1938) B-
The Dawn Patrol (1938) B-
Four Daughters (1938) B-
Grand Illusion (1938) A
Holiday (1938) B-
Jezebel (1938) C+
Kentucky (1938) C+
The Lady Vanishes (1938) B
Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938) B-
Marie-Antoinette (1938) B-
Of Human Hearts (1938) C+
Pygmalion (1938) B-
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1938) C+
Room Service (1938) C+
Suez (1938) C
Test Pilot (1938) C+

(August - December 2003) Grand Illusion was incredible and definitely made me fall in love with French cinema. Everything else is fondly remembered. Bringing Up Baby, A Christmas Carol, and The Lady Vanishes are fun.

Top Ten -- The Adventures of Robin Hood, Angels with Dirty Faces, Bringing Up Baby, A Christmas Carol, The Citadel, Four Daughters, Grand Illusion, La Bête Humaine, The Lady Vanishes, Pygmalion

Also Seen - Algiers B-, La Bête Humaine B+, Merrily We Live (1938) B, You Can't Take it With You C+

1937

The Awful Truth (1937) A-
Camille (1937) B-
Captains Courageous (1937) B-
A Day at the Races (1937) B
Dead End (1937) B
The Good Earth (1937) B+
In Old Chicago (1937) C+
Lost Horizon (1937) B
Night Must Fall (1937) B-
Nothing Sacred (1937) B
100 Men and a Girl (1937) C+
The Prisoner of Zenda (1937) A-
Shall We Dance? (1937) C+
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) A
Stage Door (1937) B-
A Star is Born (1937) B-
Stella Dallas (1937) C+
They Won't Forget (1937) B-
Topper (1937) B-

(August 2003) Best movie of the year goes to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs just because I love those Disney movies. I also really enjoyed The Prisoner of Zenda and The Awful Truth. All in all a pretty good year.

Top Ten -- The Awful Truth, Camille, A Day at the Races, Dead End, The Good Earth, Lost Horizon, Night Must Fall, The Prisoner of Zenda, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Topper

Also Seen - Conquest, The Life of Emile Zola C+, Make Way for Tomorrow A-, Young and Innocent B

1936

After the Thin Man (1936) B
Anthony Adverse (1936) B-
The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936) B
Come and Get It (1936) B-
Dimples (1936) C+
Dodsworth (1936) B-
Libeled Lady (1936) B
Modern Times (1936) A
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936) B-
My Man Godfrey (1936) A
The Petrified Forest (1936) B-
Romeo and Juliet (1936) B-
San Francisco (1936) B-
The Story of Louis Pasteur (1936) B-
Swing Time (1936) B-
A Tale of Two Cities (1936) C+
Theodora Goes Wild (1936) B-
Three Smart Girls (1936) C+
Wife vs. Secretary (1936) B

(July - August 2003) My Man Godfrey is definitely my fave of the year. Modern Times is also a classic to the max. Wife vs. Secretary is good. Otherwise, no real fireworks. It is interesting to note that I was watching these movies during the summer before I started college.

Top Ten -- After the Thin Man, Fury, Libeled Lady, Modern Times, My Man Godfrey, The Petrified Forest, Sabotage, Show Boat, These Three, Wife vs. Secretary 

Also Seen - Fury B+, Gold Diggers of 1937,  The Great Ziegfeld B-, Sabotage B, Secret Agent B-, Show Boat B+,  These Three (1936) A- Reefer Madness (1936)

1935

Alice Adams (1935) C+
Anna Karenina (1935) B-
Becky Sharp (1935) C+
The Bride of Frankenstein (1935) A-
Broadway Melody of 1936 (1935) C+
Captain Blood (1935) B-
Dangerous (1935) C+
David Copperfield (1935) B
The Informer (1935) B
Les Miserables (1935) B
The Lives of a Bengal Lancer (1935) B+
Mark of the Vampire (1935) B
A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1935) B
Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) B+
Naughty Marietta (1935) C+
A Night at the Opera (1935) A
The Raven (1935) B
Roberta (1935) C+
Ruggles of Red Gap (1935) B-
Top Hat (1935) B
Werewolf of London (1935) B

(June 2003) A Night at the Opera is great Marx Brothers. The Bride of Frankenstein, The Lives of a Bengal Lancer, and Mutiny on the Bounty are also good times. Becky Sharp was the first total color movie.

Top 10 -- The Bride of Frankenstein, David Copperfield, The Informer, The Lives of a Bengal Lancer, Mark of the Vampire, Mutiny on the Bounty, A Night at the Opera, The Raven, The 39 Steps, Werewolf of London

Also Seen - The 39 Steps B+

1934

The Barretts of Wimpole Street (1934) B-
The Black Cat (1934) B+
Bright Eyes (1934) B-
Charlie Chan in London (1934) C+
Cleopatra (1934) B-
The Count of Monte Cristo (1934) B
Death Takes a Holiday (1934) C+
Flirtation Walk (1934) C+
Flying Down to Rio (1934) B-
The Gay Divorcee (1934) B
Imitation of Life (1934) B-
It Happened One Night (1934) A+
It's a Gift (1934) C+
Manhattan Melodrama (1934) B-
March of the Wooden Soldiers (1934) B
Of Human Bondage (1934) C+
One Night of Love (1934) D+
The Thin Man (1934) A-
Viva Villa! (1934) C+

(February - June 2003) It Happened One Night and The Thin Man are both fantastic.

Top 5 -- The Black Cat, The Gay Divorcee, It Happened One Night, March of the Wooden Soldiers, The Thin Man

Also Seen - Hollywood Party (1934), The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) B-, Twentieth Century (1934) B+

1933

Dinner at Eight (1933) B+
Duck Soup (1933) A+
Footlight Parade (1933) B+
42nd Street (1933) B
Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933) B-
The Invisible Man (1933) B
Island of Lost Souls (1933) C+
The Kennel Murder Case (1933) C+
King Kong (1933) A+
Lady for a Day (1933) B
Little Women (1933) B-
Morning Glory (1933) C+
Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933) B
The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933) B
Queen Christina (1933) B
She Done Him Wrong (1933) C
Smilin’ Through (1933) C
Sons of the Desert (1933) B-

(January - February 2003) Duck Soup rules! The Marx Brothers were great and this movie is gold. King Kong is also incredible. Dinner at Eight and Footlight Parade are also sweet.

Top 5 -- Dinner at Eight, Duck Soup, Footlight Parade, The Invisible Man, King Kong

Also Seen - Berkeley Square (1933), Cavalcade (1933) B-

1932

The Cabin in the Cotton (1932) B-
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1932) A-
A Farewell to Arms (1932) B-
Freaks (1932) A
Grand Hotel (1932) A+
Horse Feathers (1932) B
I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932) B+
Mata Hari (1932) B
The Mummy (1932) B
Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932) C
The Old Dark House (1932) B
One Hour with You (1932) C+
Rasputin and the Empress (1932) B
Red Dust (1932) B
Scarface (1932) B-
Shanghai Express (1932) B-
Tarzan the Ape Man (1932) B-
Trouble in Paradise (1932) B-

(August 2002 - January 2003) I loved Freaks, but I'd probably say Grand Hotel, with Greta Garbo, is my fave of the year. Both are so intriguing. I wish I'd watched more Garbo movies.

Top 5 -- Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Freaks, Grand Hotel, I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang, One Way Passage
 
Also Seen - Boudu Saved from Drowning (1932) B+, Doctor X (1932) B-, Emma (1932) B, The Most Dangerous Game (1932) B, One Way Passage (1932) B+, White Zombie (1932) B-

1931

Arrowsmith (1931) B-
The Champ (1931) B-
City Lights (1931) A+
Dracula (1931) A+
Five Star Final (1931) B+
Frankenstein (1931) A+
The Front Page (1931) B-
M (1931) A+
The Miracle Woman (1931) B-
Monkey Business (1931) B-
The Public Enemy (1931) B
The Sin of Madelon Claudet (1931) B-
Skippy (1931) B-
Trader Horn (1931) C+

(July - August 2002) City Lights is definitely my favorite Charlie Chaplin movie. Dracula and Frankenstein are fun. I enjoyed Five Star Final a lot (it's about morals and ethics in the newspaper business). M is a masterpiece that I didn't appreciate in 2002, but a 2017 revisit blew me away.

Also Seen - Cimarron B-, A Free Soul B-, The Guardsman B+

Night Nurse My Top 5 films of the year -- City Lights, M, Frankenstein, Dracula, Five Star Final

1930

The 1930s weren't as rushed for me as the first 30 years of the 20th century. The number of movies per year began to increase. Silent films were pretty much a thing of the past at this point. The Academy Awards were in its third year and history books have given exposure to so many of the nominees. In July 2002, I chose to watch the following nine titles...

Animal Crackers (1930) B-
Anna Christie (1930) B-
The Big House (1930) B
The Big Trail (1930) C
The Blue Angel (1930) B+
The Divorcee (1930) C+
Little Caesar (1930) B+
Min and Bill (1930) B-
Morocco (1930) B-

The Academy's choice for Best Picture that year was All Quiet on the Western Front. I had just seen it a year earlier during my attempt to watch every Best Picture winner. Unfortunately, I haven't seen it since, but I am anxious to revisit. While trying to see as many early Hitchcock's as possible, I had recently seen Murder and chose not to watch it again so soon.

My favorite of the year is the German film The Blue Angel starring Emil Jannings and Marlene Dietrich. It's heartbreaking and the music is so wonderful. Marlene Dietrich also appeared in Morocco that year and got her only Oscar nomination. She was luminous. Another foreign beauty, Greta Garbo, appeared in her first talking film, Anna Christie. It's interesting to imagine how a German and a Swede became two of the greatest stars of the 30s.

Some other great movie stars made early breakthroughs this year, including John Wayne in the western The Big Trail, which is notable as the first movie to be shown in a letterbox format. Wayne wouldn't reach prominence until later in the decade, but Edward G. Robinson became a legendary tough guy thanks to the success of Little Caesar. Marie Dressler became an unlikely household name with her Oscar-winning role in Min and Bill.

My Top 5 films of the year - All Quiet on the Western Front, Anna Christie, The Big House, The Blue Angel, Little Caesar

Also Seen -
All Quiet on the Western Front B+
Murder B-