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Forum Overview
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Peter Molyneux's The Movies
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by Brody Wilder 03/29/2026, 8:20pm PDT |
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WINNER: Casablanca
Michael Curtiz has a reputation for directing movies that could've been directed by anybody. As Warners' number one guy, the Hungarian-born workaholic helmed over 100 films, ranging from historical epics to musical comedies. While you can always tell a Hawks or a Ford picture, the chameleonic Curtiz seemingly made decisions solely in service to the words on the page. Well, that and staying on time and budget. Perhaps most identified with the series of swashbucklers he did for star Errol Flynn (Captain Blood, The Sea Hawk, The Adventures of Robin Hood, etc.), his very best movies were all noirish or noir-adjacent dramas - Angels with Dirty Faces, Mildred Pierce, and today's subject, Casablanca.
Hardly expected to become a blockbuster, this wartime cash-in nevertheless enjoyed the benefit of Curtiz's impeccable attention to detail in every facet. Lighting, cinematography, and especially music all ably support some of the greatest actors of their generation in delivering one of the most well-crafted scripts of all time. Newly-promoted romantic lead Humphrey Bogart (hey, there was a war on - men were in short supply) and towering Swedish discovery Ingrid Bergman (who looks a little like Dave Foley in drag, and could probably slam dunk) headline a bill including The Maltese Falcon's Sydney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre, dueling Eurotrash Paul Henreid and Conrad Veidt, and the Invisible Man himself, Claude Rains (who gets all the best lines). If you haven't seen this one by now, you really need to get on that.
Whatever Works: The Major and the Minor
Shifting gears, let's look at a few comedies - World War II wasn't all doom and gloom! My favourite light entertainment of the year has to Billy Wilder's directorial debut, The Major and the Minor. Streetwise masseuse Ginger Rogers, pretending to be twelve years old for a reduced train fare, inconveniently meets and falls for dashing army man Ray Milland. When their train is indefinitely delayed, his too-trusting fiance invites her to stay with them at the military academy where he teaches. Will this pathological adult woman in pigtails and bobby socks be able to fend off the onslaught of underage boys long enough to break up their happy home? Wholesome family fun.
Roll Tide: The Palm Beach Story
Comedies of re-marriage were popular around this time, mostly because they were the only ethical way to depict a courtship between two people who'd already slept together. In this one, Joel McCrea and Claudette Colbert play Tom and Gerry, a struggling married couple whose names are a pretty good indicator of the kind of madcap antics we're in for. Free-spirited/gold-digging Colbert ditches controlling/broke-ass McCrae and books it to Florida; he pursues, and they both end up romantically entangled with a wealthy brother and sister while themselves pretending to be brother and sister for some reason. Ends with a cop-out twist worthy of the goofiest Simpsons episode (I laughed).
His Name's Not Durwood: I Married a Witch
Veronica Lake burst onto the scene in 1941's Sullivan's Travels, immediately captivating audiences with her asymmetrical peek-a-boo hairstyle (think Jessica Rabbit). An icon of '40s glamour, the pint-sized starlet (she was only 4'11") smouldered up the screen while burning every bridge behind her. In 1951 she disappeared from the public eye, only to be rediscovered in 1962 by a tabloid reporter, waiting tables in an alcoholic haze. Headstrong as ever, Lake never cashed the pity cheque sent to her by former beau Marlon Brando, preferring instead to have it framed as a memento of her time in the spotlight. As for the film itself? If you've seen 1958's Bell, Book and Candle - or any given episode of the TV series Bewitched - you know what you're in for. But it's still fun to see where it all began.
Putting Out Fire (with Gasoline): Cat People
As the US entered the war, church and state had bigger things to worry about than cracking down on fictional monsters, allowing adult-oriented horror movies to once again rear their ugly head. The best of these was noir heavyweight Jacques Tourneur's Cat People, a psychological thriller about a woman who fears what may happen if she ever experiences sexual pleasure. Perhaps less ambiguous than originally intended - the studio insisted we get our money's worth in the creature department - it's nevertheless a masterwork of expressionist filmmaking. Contains, if not the first jump scare in cinematic history, then certainly the most influential. (Next year's I Walked with a Zombie and The Seventh Victim are also good.) |
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The Best Movie of Every Year by Brody Wilder 03/14/2026, 8:42pm PDT 
The Best Movie of 1930 by Brody Wilder 03/14/2026, 8:46pm PDT
Best thread in ages NT by Gaige Grosskreutz 03/15/2026, 1:05pm PDT
Do you have a job/family NT by Mysterio 03/15/2026, 3:16am PDT
God forbid. NT by Brody Wilder 03/15/2026, 8:56am PDT
Is this Tom Chick? NT by mysterio 2 03/17/2026, 11:37pm PDT
He might honestly be the last person to read and post here. NT by Kenji Carter 03/18/2026, 8:05am PDT
The Best Movie of 1931 by Brody Wilder 03/15/2026, 3:53pm PDT
Holy cow, Caltrops is back! by Mischief Maker 03/15/2026, 4:46pm PDT
Are your motivss pure, Maker of MischIEF? NT by Tomorrow People 03/16/2026, 9:39pm PDT
Re: The Best Movie of 1931 by E. L. Koba 03/19/2026, 5:15pm PDT
Set your expectations for "early talkie" and you should have a good time. by Brody Wilder 03/19/2026, 6:25pm PDT
Dubbing is actually pretty crucial, when you think about it. by Brody Wilder 03/19/2026, 7:21pm PDT
The Best Movie of 1932 by Brody Wilder 03/16/2026, 6:15pm PDT
Keep 'em coming! NT by MM 03/16/2026, 6:34pm PDT
That's SIR Ian McKellan to you, smart guy. NT by caltrops analyzer 03/17/2026, 6:54am PDT
I gave Sir Ian's knighthood to Charles Laughton, who never got one. by I felt like he deserved it. 03/17/2026, 4:46pm PDT
The Best Movie of 1933 by Brody Wilder 03/17/2026, 4:45pm PDT
Thanks for doing these. by Ice Cream Jonsey 03/17/2026, 8:48pm PDT
Thanks for reading! NT by Brody Wilder 03/17/2026, 8:56pm PDT
The Best Movie of 1934 by Brody Wilder 03/18/2026, 1:06pm PDT
The Best Movie of 1935 by Brody Wilder 03/19/2026, 5:43pm PDT
Hitchcock by Gaige Grosskreutz 03/19/2026, 8:28pm PDT
I like Hitchcock. by Brody Wilder 03/19/2026, 9:22pm PDT
The Best Movie of 1936 by Brody Wilder 03/20/2026, 7:35pm PDT
The Best Movie of 1937 by Brody Wilder 03/21/2026, 7:30pm PDT
We need more movies with electric chairs in them. by Gaige Grosskreutz 03/22/2026, 9:50am PDT
The Best Movie of 1938 by Brody Wilder 03/22/2026, 7:33pm PDT
The Best Movie of 1939 by Brody Wilder 03/23/2026, 4:59pm PDT
I have nothing to contribute, but I love these. NT by Hangman 03/25/2026, 12:58pm PDT
Fukk yes NT by Gary 03/25/2026, 10:02pm PDT
Re: Fukk yes by PICKLES 03/26/2026, 5:47pm PDT
#Beep# NT by Hero detector 03/26/2026, 7:07pm PDT
The Best Movie of 1940 by Brody Wilder 03/26/2026, 7:25pm PDT
YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!! by HES BACK YOU LITTLE SHIITS! 03/26/2026, 8:47pm PDT
The Best Movie of 1941 by Brody Wilder 03/27/2026, 8:02pm PDT
I love Hammett. An actual real-life PI turned author, his writing rings true. by Mischief Maker 03/27/2026, 10:48pm PDT
The Best Movie of 1942 by Brody Wilder 03/29/2026, 8:20pm PDT
I was half-expecting you to be edgy and not pick Casablanca. NT by Mischief Maker 03/29/2026, 9:35pm PDT
I admit, I considered doing Arabian Nights with Maria Montez and Sabu. by Brody Wilder 03/29/2026, 9:57pm PDT
Wizard of Oz is still good, right? 1939? NT by Gaige Grosskreutz 03/30/2026, 8:39am PDT
Probably, but it's not my cup of tea. by Brody Wilder 03/30/2026, 4:43pm PDT
I didn't realize these weren't Oscar Best Picture winners until just now by laudablepuss 03/31/2026, 11:43am PDT
The Academy has rarely selected films of cultural, historical, or aesthetic impo by Brody Wilder 03/31/2026, 5:25pm PDT
How the hell did "Arthur" wind up being oscar-bait? by Mischief Drunkard 03/31/2026, 5:43pm PDT
Vince Gilligan said the comedic engine of Pluribus is a descendant of Bewitched. by Fullofkittens 03/30/2026, 7:26am PDT
Re: Vince Gilligan said the comedic engine of Pluribus is a descendant by Gaige Grosskreutz 03/30/2026, 8:40am PDT
Ooooh. So Bogart was 43 in Casablanca, not 37 as the script says. I'd chalked it NT by up to the smoking & booze -MM 03/31/2026, 8:53pm PDT
This was supposed to be a reply to the 1944 list. Whoops! NT by MM 03/31/2026, 8:54pm PDT
The Best Movie of 1943 by Brody Wilder 03/30/2026, 9:22pm PDT
I'm cumming!!! NT by 8======D ~ ~ ~ 03/31/2026, 4:48am PDT
The Best Movie of 1944 by Brody Wilder 03/31/2026, 8:20pm PDT
Double Indemnity is the first of these I have seen, and a top 10/15 movie for me by Ice Cream Jonsey 03/31/2026, 9:18pm PDT
Loving these! NT by The entire world 04/01/2026, 5:48am PDT
Justifies ICJ not pulling the plug on this place in 2011. NT by Keister M. Feister 04/01/2026, 7:33am PDT
The Best Movie of 1945 by Brody Wilder 04/01/2026, 7:47pm PDT
Waaaaaaaait a minute! by Mischief Maker 04/01/2026, 9:23pm PDT
Lots of people like that movie! I could be anyone. by Brody Wilder 04/02/2026, 2:49am PDT
The Best Movie of 1946 by Brody Wilder 04/05/2026, 8:36pm PDT
Brody, what makes for good film noir - to you? NT by Ice Cream Jonsey 04/05/2026, 9:33pm PDT
First of all, it has to hate women as much as I do. by Brody Wilder 04/05/2026, 10:46pm PDT
I'm still working on your question. Thank you for asking it. NT by Ice Cream Jonsey 04/08/2026, 9:42pm PDT
The Best Movie of 1947 by Brody Wilder 04/08/2026, 3:24am PDT
Re: The Best Movie of 1947 by matt mysterio 04/29/2026, 9:18pm PDT
The Best Movie of 1948 by Brody Wilder 04/11/2026, 11:08pm PDT
You bastards ran him off! NT by we can't have nice things 04/27/2026, 11:24am PDT
What are you talking about? The list is over. Movies ended in 1948. NT by Mischief Maker 04/27/2026, 11:46am PDT
I really hope he continues. NT by Gaige Grosskreutz 04/27/2026, 1:29pm PDT
The Best Movie of 1949 by Brody Wilder 04/28/2026, 5:19am PDT
Fuck yes NT by Ice Cream Jonsey 04/28/2026, 6:49am PDT
The Third Man was the only noir I rooted for the villain by broad strokes 04/30/2026, 12:36pm PDT
Maybe you're not prejudiced enough? The gypsy music subconsciously informs the NT by audience they are being swindled. 05/01/2026, 8:19am PDT
I'm prejudiced enough! I am! Continue! NT by Mysterio GAMER 05/19/2026, 3:08pm PDT
PLEASE CONTINUE NT by Mysterio GAMER 05/19/2026, 1:29pm PDT
Love Bump NT by Lonnie 05/31/2026, 4:50am PDT
Aw man by Lonnie 06/09/2026, 11:54pm PDT
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