Movie #12: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Or really, she's still my favorite :)

Title: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Directed by: William Cottrell and David Hand, et al

Starring: Adriana Caselotti

Year: 1937

Number on the AFI List: 34

This is the first movie on the list I've already seen! I've always loved Snow White. I watched it over and over again as a child. I absolutely love the Dwarfs. They are the funniest side kicks, and yet so sympathetic and charming. There are so many funny moments in this movie-the turtle who can never keep up and is always five minutes too late, the little bird who can't sing, everything Dopey does (in particular, inhaling the soap and getting soap hiccups)...the list can go on and on. Beyond the humor, I find Snow White herself to be a great example of love and forgiveness even when life is uncertain. She is a bit naive, but she only wants what is best for those around her and has a heart of gold. The queen is terrifying-her collection of skulls and skeletons, books of witchcraft, crow sidekicks, and the most obvious, her obsessions with Snow White death...she is quite the crazy one! I will say, though, her peacock throne is LEGIT. 

This movie has beautiful animation for a time where technology wasn't too advanced and everything was drawn by hand. The beauty of perspective technique and the scene changes astound me. One of the coolest moments of animation is when the queen turns into the old hag: 

 

Overall, this movie is spectacular all around- story telling, comedy, animation...it will always be my favorite.

Favorite moment: SO hard to choose! Probably the dancing scene. I always would fast forward to it as a child:

Will I watch it again: Absolutely! 

Movie #11: Swing Time! Or really, tap/ballroom dance needs to be a thing again.

Title: Swing Time

Directed by: George Stevens

Starring: Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers

Number on the AFI List: 90

Year: 1936

Is it just me, or was the plot of this movie similar like It Happened One Night? I'm sensing a formula here, Hollywood. But it worked, so I can't complain! Lucky (Astaire) and Penny (Rogers) were  phenomenal dancers and wonderfully awkward romantic leads.  Pop (Victor Moore) and Mabel (Helen Broderick) were hysterical sidekicks. And of course, "The Way You Look Tonight" is arguably the most romantic song of all time! However, among the good moments of this film, there were a few racist moments...Bojangles was a fantastic dance number, but uncomfortable to watch while Astaire was in blackface. 

Favorite Moment: "...do you like my dress?" (Fast forward to 1:30!):

Will I Watch it again: I won't rush to, but sure! 

MOVIE NUMBER TEN!!!!: Modern Times. Or really, SMILE!

Title: Modern Times

Directed By: Charlie Chaplin

Starring: Charlie Chaplin, Paulette Goddard

Number on the AFI List: 78 (WHO'S JUDGING THIS ANYWAY?!)

Year: 1936

STOP. BEFORE YOU READ, PLAY THIS SONG AND LISTEN TO IT WHILE YOU READ.

Smile. Written by Charlie Chaplin (for Modern Times). Vocals by Nat King Cole. 

Once again, Charlie Chaplin has left me speechless. This movie is challenging, thought provoking, humbling, and heartbreaking. How appropriate that the title theme is Smile. Smile when life is hard, smile when you've lost your job for the fourth time, smile when your home is nonexistent. Sometimes all you need is your loved one by your side on the long road to who knows where. What a powerful message this must've been to the depression-ridden USA of the 1930s. Not only does this film challenge (albeit over-exaggerated) the atrocities experienced by city laborers at the time, it humanizes those struggling with joblessness and starvation. I must say, I didn't laugh for the first 30 minutes even though there were funny moments. The struggle of the Factory Worker (Charlie Chaplin) was sickening-especially the moment where he is asked to be the guinea pig for a human feeding machine. I'm sure it was supposed to be funny, but I couldn't get past the hopelessness of the situation. I FINALLY laughed during the lunch scene in jail where the Factory Worker accidentally consumes cocaine time and time again. The faces! THE FACES! I died. 

And who can forget the skating scene in the department store? I was on the edge of my seat, so nervous he was going to fall. 

This is the last Charlie Chaplin film on the AFI list, and I must say I'm sad that I don't have another Chaplin film to look forward to (at least for now-I will be watching all of them after I'm done with this list!). 

Charlie, thank you for your inventiveness, your risk-taking, your boldness, your humor, and your kindness to share your talents with the world. I'm sure like most artists you were hard on yourself, wanting everything to be perfect and not settling for anything less than best. I hope that you found moments to truly smile and be satisfied with your work, proud that it touched so many lives and helped people during times of hardship and sadness. 

That's what we artists do, right?  

"You'll find that life is still worthwhile if you just smile."

Favorite moment: Cocaine scene. Those eyebrows!

Will I watch it again: Absolutely. No question. 

I would post the YouTube link on here, but the only good one has the very few dialogue lines in French, so I would recommend you pick this up from your local library. 

MY ORDER OF THE TOP 100 MOVIES OF ALL TIME THUS FAR (based on tastes alone, not cinematic quality):

1. City Lights

2. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans

3. Modern Times

4. A Night at the Opera

5. The Gold Rush

6. It Happened One Night

7. King Kong

8. The General

9. Intolerance

10. Duck Soup

Movie #9: A Night at the Opera. Or really, the Marx brothers redeemed themselves!

Title: A Night at the Opera
Director: Sam Wood
Starring: The Marx Brothers
Number on the AFI List: 85
Year: 1935

At first I wasn't looking forward to another Marx Brothers' film, but this movie made me a Marx Bros believer. Not only did I laugh a lot, I also enjoyed the plot line of the brothers trying to get the lesser known tenor, Ricardo, to star in the opera in New York (because really, every actor can relate to that frustration). The pun's had me dying:

Groucho: "It's all right, that's in every contract. That's what they call a sanity clause."
Chico: "You can't fool me! There ain't no Sanity Claus!"

Harpo's antics weren't so obnoxiously overdone like in Duck Soup, and Chico was great as the dim-witted Italian manager of Ricardo. There are many unforgettable comedic moments in this film, including cramming everyone into Groucho's cabin:

and Harpo and Chico helping conduct the opera:

However, beyond comedic antics this movie had great sentimental moments between Ricardo (Allan Jones) and Rosa (Kitty Carlisle). My favorite scene of the movie has to be when the boat is about to set sail and the two lovers sing "Alone" to one another. This of course is hilariously interrupted by the entrance of the Marx Brothers, which is even funnier because it comes at the middle of a serious moment:

Will I watch it again: Yes!

Movie #8: It Happened One Night. Or really, HELLO CLARK GABLE!

Title: It Happened One Night

Director: Frank Capra

Starring: Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert

Number on the AFI List: 46

Year: 1934

Believe it or not, there is a similarity between King Kong and It Happened One Night: both lifted their respective studios out of poverty! This movie is charming and endearing. It was surprising to me that neither Clark Gable nor Claudette Colbert were excited about doing this film; in fact, Colbert reportedly told a friend "it was the worst film I've ever made." However, the movie swept the Oscars in all major categories- Best Film, Actor, Actress, Director, and Screenplay, so they must have done something right! And they did. The characters in this movie have great arcs from beginning to end; it was fun to watch how each character's pride slowly got chipped away until love and acceptance were found at the end, including the father's! I loved the allusion to the walls of Jericho representing the wall put up between Gable and Colbert, literally by a blanket in the middle of the room. This made for a wonderful payoff at the end with her drunk father declaring "let 'em topple!"

I do have to say, I don't QUITE get why this movie is titled "It Happened One Night." What is the IT? Which night was it? There were multiple nights in the movie. But that's neither here nor there. 

Favorite moment: 

Will I watch it again: Oh, yeah! 

Movie #7: Duck Soup. Or really, don't be a fickle politician!

Title: Duck Soup

Director: Leo McCarey 

Starring: The Marx Brothers

Number on the AFI List: 60

Year: 1933 

To be brutally honest, I didn't like this movie. Maybe it's because I've watched a few Charlie Chaplin films now, so the Marx Brother's comedy seemed forced. Maybe its because the movie literally had no soundtrack, unlike the silent films I've watched (even though there were a few random musical numbers). Maybe its because I could tell Groucho's "mustache" was painted on his face. Whatever the real reason, something about this movie just didn't keep me entertained, but I did enjoy the puns. Puns are my favorite. I was also questioning the entire time who the fourth Marx brother was-Zeppo Marx. He apparently played the role of Bob Roland. Who was Bob Roland? That's how much this movie was lost on me. Maybe I need to watch it again. I enjoyed the little details they threw in; for example, at the end during the war, Groucho literally changed costumes to every major general in war history. That was clever. I also enjoyed the "mirror" scene:

However, most of the time I was just annoyed. Especially at Pinky. STOP CUTTING THINGS, PINKY! 

Favorite scene: The Mirror scene.

Will I watch it again: Eh.