They Came to Cordura - 1959

I had to watch this movie because it was one of Coops last (Gary Cooper) films and also features Rita Hayworth- who of course looks like she is 72 but is only 40 when she made the movie. Seriously Rita get off the smokes and bottle, you used to be so pretty. Anyway what a joke of a movie. 1 star.

High Society - 1956

If you are in the mood for a fun loving, easy to follow, big star musical- this is a pic for you. I swear there is a song about every 6 minutes of the film! Frank Sinatra teams up with Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly in this remake of the Philadelphia Story - set to music. Throw in Louis Armstrong and his band and you've got yourself an iconic movie with big stars of the time! This ended up being Kelly's last movie as she became a princess and never made another movie. She looked anorexic in this movie but did an okay job. 3 stars.

City Lights

This was Charlie Chaplins last silient movie and one of his best known roles.  This movie was very romantic, and.....OK I watched this a while back, and started to post on it but never finished it.  I loved this movie, and feel that it is well worth the watch for any movie buff.  Understandably, you do not like silient films but this one was so beautifully made it might be worth your time.  I actually teared up a couple of times in this one.  I will bump a movie from my list to add this one to it.

Wait, I forgot to tell you the story...The Tramp finds a flower girl who is blind and falls in love with her.  She believes that he is a millionare because he buys her flowers.  The truth of the matter is that the Tramp is friends with a drunk millionare who gives the Tramp, his "friend" a car and whatever money he needs.  In return he gives the money to the blind flower girl so that she can get an eye surgery which will allow her to see.  To make a story short, she gets her vision back and sees him for the first time.  This scene is one of the most heartbreaking and heartwarming scenes in the history of movies, and is a must see for everyone.  I loved this movie!!!

This movie is only about 90 minutes long and is well worth the watch.

It Happened One Night (1934)

Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert star in this movie about a news report and a runaway heiress who happen to run into each other on there way in separate directions.  He is looking for the next big story while she is running away to be with her true love.  Gable sees this as an opportunity because everyone in the nation is looking for her to bring her back to her family.  He decides to help her hide, as long as he could have the exclusive story of how she made it back to her lover.  Along the way they fall for each other, ala I Love Lucy kind of slapstick.  In the end everything works in their favor.  I enjoyed this movie because of the chemistry between these two actors, but will only give it a 3 star rating because the humor doesn't translate too well in our time.
So much of this show has been portrayed in other movies and television shows; I love seeing the connection between movies in pop culture!!!

Cheers

I realize that this is not a movie, but I wanted to brag that I have just completed watching all of the seasons (eleven).  I had not seen any of these episodes before in my life, but saw that it was in the subculture of movies and t.v. shows of today.  I have loved every episode, but now I can focus more of my energies on movies again!!!!!!!!

Seven Thieves - 1960

I agree with the reviews that this movie is more of a prequel to the Oceans Eleven movie with Brad Pitt than the original Oceans Eleven (with the brat pack- sinatra, dean martin, etc.) was a prequel to the Brad Pitt Oceans Eleven! I was suprised how much the Brad Pitt movie stole from this movie. I love Edward G. Robinson so I had to see this movie and I really enjoyed it. A classic B&W heist caper movie. 3.5 stars. Trailer- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmDxdhDZLqA

From Here to Eternity - 1953

This movie was nominated for 12 Oscars and took home 8. I repeat 8 Oscars. I just had to see what the big fuss was. For starters they sparred no expense on getting some big names from that time period- Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Donna Reed, Deborah Kerr, Frank Sinatra, Ernest Borgnine, and Jack Warden are all actors you have seen in other films. Lancaster is good in every film I have seen him in. The attack of Pearl Harbor doesn't happen until the last 5 minutes of the movie- and really that is not what the movie is even about- just an afterthought. The movie is about real people's lives- Private Maggio played by Sinatra, Private Prewitt played by Clift and Sgt. Warden played by Lancaster. Those are the 3 main stories of the film- we learn about those individuals and how they struggle with everyday life. Of course it is a romance movie as well, and I fell the director did a good job balancing that with the real theme of those three people's daily lives. 3 stars for me. That may be a stretch but I did like the uniqueness of this movie- it was different than others from the 1950's. If it came out today it would be rated PG.

The Pride and the Passion - 1957

This has to be the worst war movie I have ever seen - 0 stars. The director and stars all thought it would be this great money making epic. All the reviews on NF were correct- what a joke. Cary Grant plays a English Navy General in search of a 5 ton cannon that the spanish used during their war with the French. The French had just deafeated the spanish and the spanish hit the cannon. Sophia Loren plays the girlfriend of Spanish peasant and a leader played by Frank Sinatra. Sinatra has the worst spanish accent ever seen on the big screen. Sinatra is facinated with moving the Cannon to another city to fight the French. The entire movie is about the Cannon and watching it move across Spain. I am not sure who found Sophia Loren and asked her to be in movies- she can't act. Maybe it is because her waist is 8 inches and bust 48 inches. Her nose looks like it got stuck in some needle nose pliers. What a stupid movie. I tried to find a trailer for you but couldn't.

Les Miserables (2012)

I do not believe that I have ever gone into a movie with such a lack of enthusiasm, yet anticipation of its outcome.  I had been told that this is a well acted show, and that is what makes it different from the stage productions, so I was prepared for horrible singing.  Frankly, I was not disappointed in that fact, the singing was awful except for a few shining moments.  First, Ann Hathaway was amazing as Fauntine, and was well deserving of the Oscar that she got for that role.  I actually cried during her "I Dreamed A Dream" performance.  The young lady who performed the role of Eponine was an amazing singer, but then again she is in the London production of the show.  Mauriace had a trained voice, and that is where the good singing ends.

Those who could act, could not sing, and those who could sing could not act!!  About half way through the movie I made the comparison of this show to that of reading Shakespeare.  You read it and understand it, but until you see it acted out you don;t really appreciate it.  I have seen the stage production multiple times, and I have read the book twice, but it wasn't until I saw this movie that I truly appreciated what it all meant. 

This is not a great movie, but is worth a watch if you enjoy the story.

Red River - 1949

My second Howard Hanks famous western in a row. This one also stars John Wayne along with Montgomery Clift. 3 stars for me.

Rio Bravo - 1959

I have been on a John Wayne kick lately. Wayne plays Sheriff Chance- a man with virtually no help and who is up against the richest man around. Money of course can buy hired guns to come and overtake the lonely sheriff. Chance has a crippled deputy named Stumpy (played by Walter Brennan who was a three time Oscar Winner) to help guard the jail. Chance also makes friends with Colorado Ryan- played by none other than Ricky Nelson. Nelson was a famouse teenage heart throb singer in the 60's and is the father of the band "Nelson" made up of two of his sons - and you might remember that band because they were famous in the early 90's. Chance falls in love with Feathers- a wanted card shark who is drifting through town. This was my first time watching an Angie Dickinson movie- boy was she incredibly good looking. Not sure why I haven't heard of her before this movie. The plot was great but the movie dragged on for me. The highlight was watching Ricky Nelson sing two great songs towards the end of hte movie, and of course all the shoot outs- 3 stars for me.