Top Ten Golden Oldies on the top 1000 films of all time

 There is no agreement as to when exactly the Golden Age of Hollywood started and ended. Some sources say it began in 1915 with the release of the horrifically racist In the Birth of a Nation and stretched well into the 1960's.

However, I will be sticking with the general consensus that the Golden Age of Hollywood occurred between 1930 and 1960 - dominated by the five big studios of MGM, Warner Bros, RKO, 20th Century Fox and Paramount, as well as the "little three" studios of Universal, Columbia and United Artists.

This is a list of what I think are the top ten films from the Golden Age of Hollywood that also features on the top 1000 films of all time. This list of Golden Oldies is in no particular order except for chronology.

It happened One Night (1934) Columbia Pictures

Coming in at 132 on the top 1000 films of all time is Frank Capra's romantic-comedy: 'It happened One Night.' Starring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert, it was the first only three films to win the five big Oscars: Best film, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. Only One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and The Silence of the Lambs have only repeated this feat.

But it is easy to see why 'It Happened One Night' was so heavily awarded. Yes, it is cheesy and predictable in the way that many of the older films often were, but it still has an undeniable charm.

It was very much a sleeper hit with Gable and Colbert giving great performances which turned this film into a real classic.

The Great Dictator (1940) United Artists

How do you talk about the Golden Age of Hollywood and not mention the legendary Charlie Chaplin? Although he is best known for his silent films, Chaplin gives one of the best speeches in film history.

In many ways, this black comedy was Chaplin's first foray into the world of sound cinema. It was a great satire of the horrors that were occurring in World War Two Europe. Coming in at number 52 on the top 1000 films of all time, if there is a Charlie Chaplin film you're going to watch then it should be this one.

Casablanca (1942) Warner Brothers

Speaking of World-War-Two, let's talk about this brilliant romantic-drama. It focusses on the cynical Rick Spader (Humphrey Bogart) who is slowly drawn into helping the Czech resistance movement as they combat the Nazis.

Casablanca went onto win the Best film Oscar. It has a list of endlessly quotable lines, as well as the archetypal, reluctant hero played by Humphrey Bogart. Also starring Ingrid Bergman and Claude Rains, it's no wonder that Casablanca ranks at number 29 on the top 1000 films of all time. Now, here's looking at you, kid.

It's a Wonderful Life (1946) RKO pictures

Elf? Muppet Christmas Carol? Home Alone? Die Hard? The best Christmas film is It's a Wonderful Life. You heard it here first. Frank Capra's supernatural drama focusses on George Bailey (James Stewart,) a suicidally-depressed man who's taken on a magical journey where he is shown how bad life would have been if he had never been born.

No other film since has really keyed into the power that Christmas has to bring people together. Although RKO released this film to a lukewarm reception, it's gone onto become the 23rd best film on the top 1000 films of all time. There are some who might dismiss it as cheesy, overly-sentimental rubbish, but that's Christmas for you.

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) Warner Bros 

We've returned to Old Bogey with John Huston's Western. Humphrey Bogart, Tim Holt and Walter Brennan star as three prospectors looking for a mythical lost treasure in Mexico. All three lead actors give terrific performances, and the cinematography is astounding.

This intense, gripping film foregoes the usual tropes of a Western, in favour of an in-depth precautionary tale about the dangers of greed. I'm not the only one who thinks so as it comes in at 94 on the top 1000 films of all time.

Strangers on a Train (1951) Warner Bros

Alfred Hitchcock had to feature on this list, but the question was which film? The Birds features too late to qualify. Psycho, North by Northwest and Vertigo are all too obvious while the 39 Steps and the Lady Vanishes are all a bit ridiculous. Instead, I opted for the under-rated Strangers on a Train.

This film noir clocks in at 210 on the top 1000 films of all time. While some film noir *cough cough* the Big Sleep, it doesn't stumble over itself trying to be as smart as possible. Instead it presents a tense story revolving around a chance encounter of two strangers on a train. One stranger, Bruno (Robert Walker) is a psychopath who suggests murdering Guy's (Farley Granger) estranged wife if Guy murders Bruno's father. Cue a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse.

Yes, it is unlikely, as is much of Hitchcock's films, but comparatively-speaking, it is one of his most straight-forward films.

On the Waterfront (1954) Columbia Pictures

I could have been a contender. I could have been somebody.

These lines won Marlon Brando his first Best Acting Oscar. And he won this by starring as Terry Malloy, a New Jersey dock-worker turned hero in Elia Kazan's crime-drama that comes in at 118 on the top 1000 films of all time.

On the Waterfront tells a powerful story about the importance of standing up for what's right. It won a further seven Oscars including Best Supporting Actress for Eva Marie Saint.

On the Waterfront is a film that will live long in your memory long after the curtain has been drawn.

Rebel without a Cause (1955) Warner Bros

Legendary James Dean only starred in three films before his untimely death - one of them was the amazing Rebel without a Cause, which features at 458 on the top 1000 films of all time.

Receiving a posthumous Oscar nomination, he stars as Jim Stark - a lost, young man living in 1950's LA. There are some who might dismiss this film as whiny and edgy, but it perfectly encapsulates the alienation of a post WW2 generation, as well as every other successive generation questioning their place in the world.

It also stars Natalie Wood, another actor who died far too young.

12 Angry Men (April 1957) United Artists

12 Angry Men is 8th on the top 1000 films of all time - that is the highest placed of any film from the Golden Age of Hollywood.

Courtroom dramas aren't for everyone. Some can find them dull and lacking in action, but Sydney Lumet struck gold with his poignant story of twelve jurors deciding if a young man is guilty of murder or not. It has a brilliant cast led by Henry Fonda.

12 Angry Men is a claustrophobic, suffocating affair that presents many moral quandaries which it leaves up to the viewer to solve.

Paths of Glory (December 1957) United Artists

Forget The Killing, Barry Lyndon or the Shining. This is one of Kubrick's best films, second to only Full Metal Jacket. It is even better than 2001: a Space Odyssey. I said what I said.

Kirk Douglass plays Colonel Dax fighting to save three of his men from being unfairly shot for cowardice. It is a brilliant moral-drama that explores the horrors of war. At times, it is explosive, at others it is understated, but it is always entertaining. It also highlights the devastating effects of PTSD - a condition that was poorly understood at the time.

Featuring at 56 on the top 1000 films of all time, I would argue that it should be a few places higher Not only is it one of the top ten Golden Oldies, but one of the best films I've seen.

As always, this was a hard list to put together and there were many films that did not make the cut. Did I miss out any? Let me know in the comments below.

Bringing up Baby review

 Number 214 on the top 1000 films of all time is Howard Hawks' 1938 screwball comedy 'Bringing up Baby.'

David Huxley (Cary Grant) is a palaeontologist who is aiming to get a million dollar donation for his museum from wealthy benefactor Elizabeth Ransom (May Robson.) He is also shortly due to be married. However, he then meets the scatter-brained heiress Susan Vance (Katherine Hepburn.) Shenanigans and hi-jinks ensue.

Bringing Up Baby was a box-office bomb upon release. It was so bad that it virtually killed off Hepburn's career before she later rebounded. Nonetheless, critics received it for its absurdist humour and bizarre situations. However, I thought it was all a bit ridiculous and not in a good way either. While it started well, it slowly descending into incredulity, as things become more and more outlandish. The "baby" in the title refers to a leopard that was a gift for Elizabeth. Baby escapes and Huxley and Vance have to track it down. Naturally another leopard has escaped from the nearby circus.

Before Susan's dog steals and buries an important bone that Huxley needs to complete his brontosaurus skeleton. They then have to dig holes all over Susan's garden to find the bones. When Huxley and Vance's antics land them in jail, Huxley realises his cell door has been left unlocked, which he soon points out to the police who promptly lock him up again. It's all a bit silly really. And not very funny either.

The same can't be said for Cary Grant. He put his background in Vaudeville to good use, as he shows off his great physical comedy skills. His jumping in the air declaring that he was feeling gay was complete improvisation.

However, I wasn't as convinced by Katherine Hepburn. It was difficult to believe this was the same actress who had won a record four acting Oscars. But she didn't fared so well in the comedy department. Reportedly, she majorly struggled because she was trying too hard to be funny. It didn't help that Vance was a frustrating character. She wasn't a character that matched up with Hepburn's famous strong feminist character. I think she was miscast.

If anything, the air-headed, man-obsessed, scatter-brained Susan Vance would have been a better fit for the other famous Hepburn - Audrey. Susan Vance was not unlike Holly Golightly. Having said that, her imitation of a gangster at the film's conclusion was very well done.

Cary Grant was a comedic talent and Katherine Hepburn was a great actress in her own right, but I don't think this film did either of them justice. 

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf review

 Number 194 on the top 1000 films of all time is the drama, based on the play of the same name, 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'

George (Richard Burton) and Martha (Elizabeth Taylor) are two squabbling, middle-aged academics stuck in a loveless, hateful marriage. After returning home from a late-night soiree, they are joined by two of their juniors Nick (George Segal) and Honey (Sandy Dennis.) But as the alcohol begins to pour, lies become unravelled and secrets are revealed.

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? I am, George. I am. No, I'm not just quoting the film's famous ending lines, but I'm referring to my own time spent in academia. At university, I studied both To The Lighthouse and Mrs Dalloway. And that's enough Virginia Woolf to last a lifetime. In some ways, this film is reminiscent of a Woolf book - low on spectacle and high on subtext.

As previously mentioned, this film is based on a play and it's easy to imagine it on the stage - there are two or three sets and only four principle parts. The action doesn't happen on-screen, but rather in the actor's dialogue. Rather than being a high-octane thriller, this is a toned-down character study. And with simple character studies, you need the best actors available. In this case, we have Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. Can you believe that in all these years this is the first Dick and Liz film that I've seen?

But both these actors did the roles justice. They're both more than bitter, old academics. While there is a lot of yelling, they say far more in their silences. Both characters are hiding a big secret which becomes apparent in the film's final act. The tension is palpable throughout the film - with the junior academics as uncomfortable as any audience is sure to be. Burton gave a particularly captivating performance especially his monologue where he recounts a story of his childhood where a boy he knew accidentally killed his father in a car crash - heavily implied to be about George himself.

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf isn't the easiest film to follow. It is deeply uncomfortable and demands all your attention, but its subtle script and lead performances truly earn it a place on this list.

His Girl Friday review

 Number 260 on the top 1000 films of all time is Howard Hawks' 1940 screwball comedy 'His Girl Friday.'

Walter Burns (Cary Grant) is a newspaper editor who is about to lose his top journalist and ex-wife Hildy Johnson (Rosalind Russell) to another man. To win her back, he convinces her to cover one more story with him - the case of murderer Earl Williams (John Qualen.)

Something interesting happened when I explained this film to my girlfriend. She didn't know what I meant by a screwball comedy. And that's when I realised that like film-noir, screwball comedies are a film genre that has been left behind in the Golden Age of Hollywood. I was trying to think of modern-day examples of screwball comedies and I couldn't. And I think that's because they don't make comedies quite like these anymore.

Modern-day comedy, for the most part, have an over-reliance on crude double entendre or crass, over-the-top physical comedy. Of course there are exceptions, but that is generally the rule. They lack all the subtlety and nuance of screwball films like The Apartment, Some Like it Hot or even His Girl Friday. His Girl Friday balances farcical situations and understated physical comedy well. So that Hily and Walter can gain a scoop in the story, they hide Williams in a rolltop desk which leads to a bunch of great gags. One of the best is to emphasise how the desk is empty Walter bangs on it. Unfortunately, Williams bangs back and is discovered.

You could argue that Walter isn't the most likeable of protagonists. He very much manipulates his wife into staying with him and mystifyingly his ploys work - by the film's end, Walter and Hildy reconcile and agree to remarry. But then again this is a screwball comedy - effectively a reworked love story and a love story always needs to have a happy ending.