East of Eden (1955)

October 2, 1955

[10]

James Dean received the first posthumous acting nomination from the Academy Awards for his performance as the troubled Cal in East of Eden, his first major film role. (He would die tragically just a few months after the film was released.) It’s a riveting performance, one of the most vulnerable and moving I’ve ever seen. The film, directed with style and elegance by Elia Kazan, is based on the last quarter of John Steinbeck’s sprawling novel. Steinbeck believed the power of storytelling was in its ability to remind us of our own humanity, and when I learned that, it helped me understand why I’ve loved this movie for so long.

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954)

July 24, 1954

[9]

It could just be my hillbilly roots, but I get a kick out of this corny but highly entertaining romp from the director of Singin’ in the Rain. A kind-hearted woman (Jane Powell) impulsively marries a mountain man (the booming Howard Keel) but gets more than she bargained for when he introduces his six brothers in the squalor of their remote farm house. Powell is the heart of the movie. Making the best of it, she tries to civilize Keel’s six lonely brothers to improve their chances of finding their own brides.

The African Queen (1951)

July 12, 1951

[9]

Charm can take a movie a long, long way. With Katharine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart in their only film together, The African Queen goes the distance. She’s Rosie, the prudish widow of a missionary, and he’s Charlie, the rough-around-the-edges steamboat captain. Director John Huston puts them in a small boat together and lets the sparks fly. We need only a simple plot to drive this movie forward — Charlie and Rosie are determined to sink a German gunship that blocks the mouth of the river, so they make their own torpedoes and head straight into danger. The story gives ample room for the characters to quarrel and, yes, fall in love.

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)

July 24, 1948

[9]

Three desperate men scrape together everything they can muster to go prospecting for gold and discover not just riches, but the destructive greed that comes with them. This is one of John Huston’s finest works, a male bonding adventure that doubles as a dark morality tale. Humphrey Bogart is terrific in the leading role, especially when his character begins turning into the monster of the piece. Outside of film noir, you rarely see protagonists like Bogart’s go evil without the film losing favor with the audience. Maybe we still feel a little sympathy for him because we see his dark potential in ourselves?

Mrs. Miniver (1942)

May 21, 1942

[10] William Wyler's portrait of an English family weathering the darkest hours of World War II is a moving drama about hope and persistence. There's a quiet strength and noble resolve about the characters in this movie that I find…

The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941)

September 20, 1941

[10]

William Dieterle’s adaptation of Stephen Vincent Benet’s The Devil and Daniel Webster is a winning combination of rustic Americana and dark fantasy. A cautionary tale of greed and power, the narrative centers around the character of Jabez Stone (James Craig), a down-on-his-luck farmer who is barely able to support his family in 1840s New Hampshire. When the nefarious Mr. Scratch (Walter Houston) appears during a moment of weakness, Jabez agrees to sell his soul in exchange for seven years of good luck. Much to the dismay of his wife (Ann Shirley), mother (Jane Darwell), and beloved politician Daniel Webster (Edward Arnold), Jabez slips into a downward spiral as a result of his newfound wealth and power. When his seven years are up, Jabez learns the error of his ways and wants to make amends. To escape his contract with the Devil, Jabez puts his fate in the hands of the almost mythic Daniel Webster, who represents him in a climactic barn room trial against Mr. Scratch and a jury of the damned.

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

September 18, 1939

[10] Those ruby slippers have lost no luster in the 80-plus years since the original release of The Wizard of Oz, a film that pretty much defines 'timeless classic'. In the L. Frank Baum story, a spoiled farm girl named…

Stagecoach (1939)

July 15, 1939

[9]

John Ford’s masterpiece is still a thoroughly entertaining ride. A handful of disparate personalities, including John Wayne as the notorious Ringo Kid, take their chances traveling through Apache territory. Along the way, friends and enemies are made, a baby is born, a seemingly doomed romance blooms, and not everyone makes it to their destination alive.

Boys Town (1938)

May 21, 1938

[8] Spencer Tracy won his second (consecutive) Academy Award for his portrayal of Father Flanagan, a man who firmly believed "there are no bad boys." In the movie and in real life, Flanagan built an educational refuge for homeless and…