I love old movies, especially really old movies made during the Golden Age of Hollywood. There's something so glamorous about them. Maybe it's a combination of the incredible sets that were constructed in the studios, the beautiful costumes the actors wore, and the exaggerated but never silly acting style of the movies' stars. A lot of great old movies have come and gone since the beginning of Netflix's streaming service, but here are a few favorites that are available on Netflix as of May 2015...
- His Girl Friday (1940) is one of two movies in this list starring Cary Grant, one of the most charming leading men to ever grace the silver screen. As great in comedies as he was in dramas, Grant is especially good as a determined newspaper editor trying to win back his wife and star reporter Hildy, played by Rosalind Russell. Full of clever, fast-paced dialogue, His Girl Friday holds up seventy five years later as a reminder that the best comedies are usually the smart ones too.
- When I was in college I took a literature and film class that focused on the works of Alfred Hitchcock. I had seen one Hitchcock film when I was a teenager but I didn't take much notice. I don't know what was wrong with me because now Hitchcock is probably my favorite director ever. The Lady Vanishes (1938) is one of Hitchcock's earlier Hollywood films, but his distinct directing style is as evident in this film as it is in later films like North by Northwest. After meeting a kind elderly woman on a train, young socialite Iris (Margaret Lockwood) is stunned when the woman disappears and no one knows where she is. With the help of a musician (Michael Redgrave) Iris tries to find out the woman's whereabouts, discovering that her new friend is perhaps not who she said she was all along.
- Sunset Boulevard (1950), like The Lady Vanishes, has its fair share of suspense but unlike the latter film Sunset Boulevard is all drama. William Holden stars as struggling screenwriter Joe who meets an older actress Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson) ready to make her big screen comeback. As Desmond becomes more and more obsessed with him, Joe is torn between the comfort of living with Norma and the stress of being the object of her affection. Beautifully shot in black and white, Sunset Boulevard is a classic film noir that has stood the test of time and is as shocking now as it was when it premiered in 1950.
- Remember when Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks meet at the top of the Empire State Building in Sleepless in Seattle? That was a reference to the classic romantic film An Affair to Remember (1957), starring the elegant Deborah Kerr and the aforementioned Carey Grant. After meeting on a boat and falling in love, Nickie (Grant) and Terry (Kerr) promise to reunite at the top of the Empire State Building. Like all of the best love stories, the couple faces obstacles that threaten to ruin their relationship but inevitably discover they've never stopped loving each other. This one is a great date movie but beware--it may leave you shedding a few tears at the end.
- All About Eve (1950) is Bette Davis's crowning glory. She stars as faded movie star Margo who fears being overshadowed by younger, upcoming actress Eve. Like Sunset Boulevard, All About Eve shows the dark side of fame and show business, including the all-too-relevant issue of ageism against women in Hollywood. Davis's performance is so nuanced and delicate, she can simultaneously display disgust and pleasure in one single look. She's that good.
What are your favorite "old" movies? Let me know with your comments. :)
-Greer
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