Thursday, January 20, 2011

Pre 1970's :: Movies We Love :: Part 2



Following yesterday's list is a collection of movies that are largely "American," if you will. "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" revolves around a young man chosen to fill a vacant senate chair because certain corrupted political parties believe he will be easy to control. This movie was not popular upon its release and was deemed unpatriotic. The other three movies revolve around WWII, or the aftermath. "The Guns of Navarone" and "The Great Escape" are both great man flicks! Just ask my husband.


Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) :: patriotic drama starring Jimmy Stewart ::  Frank Capra is the master of feel-good films, and this one certainly doesn't disappoint. As in "It's a Wonderful Life," there are threads of tension that run throughout the movie, and Jimmy Stewart gets to showcase his perfected man tears.


The Guns of Navarone (1961) :: war caper starring David Niven, Gregory Peck & Anthony Quinn :: Gregory Peck may be dreamy, but he plays a no-nonsense British army captain sent on an impossible mission with a ragtag group of men assembled specifically for the task of destroying two strategically placed guns tucked away in a cave on the Mediterranean island of Navarone.


The Great Escape (1963) :: war movie starring James Garner & Steve McQueen :: This movie is based on the real-life story of a mass escape attempt made in one of Germany's WWII prisoner of war camps.

Notorious (1946) :: Hitchcock romantic thriller starring Cary Grant & Ingrid Bergman :: With the death of her disgraced father, Ingrid Bergman's character is recruited to infiltrate a post-WWII spy ring in Brazil. Agitation, suspense, and an intense ending make this a classic Hitchcock film.

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