I'm going to be breaking this into two parts as there's quite a few films I want to talk about. The second part will focus on the golden year for films, 1939 and will also round off my mini series on the 1930's.
I always felt the films of the 1930's showcased a wide range of skills in different areas, for example the cinematography in films such as Gone With The Wind were absolutely outstanding, we had fantastic directors, both male and female but men were the predominant force in directing during the 1930's which is an absolute shame. The costumes in many of the films were amazing, Norma Shearer's gown in Marie Antoinette being a prime example, she could pull off a dress to perfection, but if there was a 'Queen Of The Dresses', I'd give the title to Jean Harlow. Every dress she wore in her adult life were gorgeous, I read silk was her favourite fabric and I can see why, the silk dresses she wore were stunning. The tuxedos seemed to be a big part of the 1930's too and there was only one man who defined the tuxedo (in my opinion) and that was Fred Astaire but I know he much preferred a more casual style!
Films that I would like to talk about and recommend to you are a completely wide range of genres. We'll start with Dracula (1931), a film that moved away from Carl Laemmle's 'beauty and the beast' form of horror and into a more realistic style, Bela Lugosi puts in a fantastic performance as Dracula, and the supporting cast were top dollar too, Helen Chandler, David Manners, Dwight Frye and Edward Van Sloan all turning in great performances.
Switching from horror to drama, I'd highly recommend Jezebel (1938), starring the fabulous Bette Davis, Henry Fonda and George Brent. It was an amazing watch from start to finish. Henry and George both looking handsome and Bette looking beautiful in her exquisite costumes too.
James Cagney is electrifying in The Public Enemy (1931) alongside the stunning Jean Harlow. James definitely had a knack of keeping you gripped and this film was one perfect example. Jean would go on to prove how fine an actress she was in films such as 'Libeled Lady', 'Red Dust', 'Red Headed Woman' and more right up until her final film 'Saratoga'. Sadly, she passed during the making of this film but her legacy lives on through her great films.
If I had to choose between the Three Stooges and the Marx Brothers in terms of their catalogue of films, I'd say it was a really close call but the Marx Brothers just edge it, Duck Soup and A Night At The Opera are absolute comedy classics, they are definitely films I would recommend. Finishing off on the comedy, Bringing Up Baby (1938) is a MUST WATCH. The chemistry between Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant was hilarious and wonderful to see, it's no wonder they worked together so often.
Next week I will continue to talk about films that I would recommend and talk about 1939, a year with many, many classics. I will also talk a bit about lesser known films which deserve recognition. I will then end the series with a general summary of the 1930's from my viewpoint. See you next week!
Scene from 'You Can't Take It With You'. Credit: Amazon/Google.
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