Late 40s in the movies was like a little Renaissance in and of itself, with WWII firmly behind the planet money could go to the great storytellers to, you know, tell their stories. Including Italy, who’s great post war filmmaking starts in earnest with a film very high on this list.
Universal threw all their monsters into this Abbott and Costello vehicle. The two are funny enough in that old humor way about lampooning the monster flicks, mostly with pratfalls and zany antics.
Opening his “Cavalry” trilogy, you know John Ford is gonna bring the epic battles and cinematography. So he casts John Wayne and Henry Fonda, as big of stars as Ford’s vistas are to the eye. The movie also tackles themes of following stupid leaders, US/Native American relations, and moral ambiguity of conflict.
Moira Sheerer stars as a ballerina wearing the titular shoes who has to choose between a life of love or giving up her passion to dance. What makes this movie special is how it unleashes the south of France on everyone, with amazing shots of the majestic coastlines as well as beautifully choreographed dance numbers.
Humphrey Bogart is a disillusioned solider settling down in Key Largo hotel complex run by Lauren Bacall. Actually, Edward G. Robinson, forever a gangster, is running the hotel as his own personal fortress of crime, forcing Bogart to decide if he wants to help out or not. Claire Trevor, Robinson’s alcoholic girlfriend is actually the thing to see here, winning an Oscar for her performance.
Howard Hawks proves he can do a western as good as John Ford can. Even steals John Wayne to do his, in this case, as a man emotionally crippled by his ambition to the West and the consequences, he takes on Montgomery Clift (his first film) as a surrogate dad type. Hawks’s arc is terrific as we see the ascent of one character balanced by the downfall of another.
An Agatha Christie ish whodunit with an Alfred Hitchcock twist. Jimmy Stewart stars as a professor of Douglas Dick, a man who was engaged to Janet Walker only to turn up missing, presumed dead. Hitchcock pushes social norms in this movie with potent, darkly humorous dialogue, as well as impressive camerawork, as the movie looks like it’s shot in 1 long take.
Laurence Olivier is the king of Shakespeare movie adaptations. His take on the bard is as weird, creepy, and thrilling as the story itself. With great shots of cloud covered castles, terrifying ghosts, and Olivier playing Hamlet as the tormented soul he is.
One of John Huston’s masterpieces. Humphrey Bogart, Tim Holt, and Walter Houston set out to get treasure from the Sierra Madre mountains. But as the payout gets larger and larger, so do the eyeballs of the 3 men, who slowly start to realize bandits and maraduers aren’t the only things to worry about on a gold rush. Huston’s story masterfully balances the character development with some tense standoffs, capped off with a wonderfully biting and ironic ending.
Vittorio de Sica’s masterpiece is a little lethargic in spots, but it’s lost none of its simple power. Really. Simple: man gets his bike stolen and tries to get it back. However, with that simple set up is a deep well of melancholy and sorrow, plus cruel irony; as great a story about the plight of the working man that has ever been made.
