1939 was the greatest year in the history of film. Period.
No other year has produced as many high quality films. AFI’s Top 100 Movies of
the Last 100 Years included 5 movies from 1939 in it’s top 100 list that was
tabulated in 1997: Gone With The Wind
(#6), The Wizard of Oz (#10), Mr. Smith Goes To Washington (#26), Stagecoach (#63), and Wuthering Heights (#73). AMC has a similar list of movies which
included all of the previous five and added Ninotchka, a charming movie
starring Greta Garbo, to their list.
A few things to consider about film in 1939:
-Victor Fleming directed two of the top 10 movies of all
time, Gone With The Wind and The Wizard of Oz, and did it in the
same year.
-Thomas Mitchell who took home the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, performed in
three of the movies that were nominated for Best Film: Gone With The Wind, Stagecoach,
and Mr. Smith Goes To Washington.
-Hattie McDaniel won Best Supporting Actress for her unforgettable
role in Gone With The Wind, making
her the first African-American nominee and winner of an Academy Award. Due to the
racial prejudice that existed at the time, she had to sit in the back during
the ceremony, away from her co-stars.
Each of the movies listed above should be on your Watch Now
list if you haven’t seen them, but if I could recommend one other movie to
watch from 1939 that is often overlooked it would be the French film, The Rules of the
Game. It opened to harsh criticism in
1939 and the original negative was destroyed during WWII. Director Jean Renoir
was able to restore the film later, and in many circles it is considered one of
the top 10 films of all time. It's a story about love, duty, and social class, and is well worth your time.
Happy Viewing!!!!!
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