When we think of the word adventure we tend to think of places we would like to go and see. We think of the movies we have seen and want to be apart of. We also think of the people we would like to be during this adventure. It's usually our next big outing or our next trip. Many of us would love to go and see the whole world. We would love to see France, Spain and Japan. We would love to spend days or maybe weeks in these places and soak up ever single minute of the experience. That is not the case when it come to Phineas Fogg who bet his fellow club members that he could be make it Around the World in 80 Days. Which just so happens to be the name of the Best Picture winner at the 29th Academy Awards in 1956.
Phineas Fogg is a very peculiar British gentleman. He has all of his day planned out down to every minute of every day. He even has the same menu week after week year after year. He spend most of his time thinking about the things that most people don't. Like when the local bank was recently robbed he sat and thought about how the robbery happened and who was most likely the person behind the robbery. When his fellow club members start to tell him that it's impossible for him know all of that they start saying how impossible it was. It was just as impossible as a man going around the world in 100 days. When Fogg tells them not only was is possible but it could be done in 80 days he bets his whole fortune on it. Soon Phineas is off to an adventure of a lifetime have to maneuver through different modes of transportation, and through many different crazy scenarios in order to make it back home in time to win the bet.
This film is a marvel to behold. Not only is was this film highly acclaimed when it was released but it also has almost all of Hollywood make a cameo performance. Everyone from Peter Lorre to George Raft and Red Skelton to Frank Sinatra all made a small surprise for audience everywhere. I must say that it did pay off! Not only did the film beat out Allied Artists Friendly Persuasion, Warner Brothers' Giant, 20th Century Fox's The King and I, and Paramount's The Ten Commandments for Best Picture it was nominated for seven other awards as well. In the end it took home the grand prize and four other Oscars as well.
I would have to say that this is one of the best Best Picture films that I have seen. I mean when I comes right down too it it's such a fun movie to watch. There really is never a dull moment and it's a great film for the whole family to enjoy. This film is so funny, and entertaining that you don't care that it's a long film. The one thing that I have to say is that the actor who places Passepartout is the real star of the film. We follow him and all of his crazy side adventures through the film that you start to wonder what in the world is he going to get himself into next! You are also screaming to cheer them on by the end of the film! It's a film that put you on a roller coaster of emotions that you can't wait to get on again!
Thursday, August 24, 2017
Best Picture of 1955: Marty
Movies love to sell the idea of love. Most of the time when they are selling this idea it's happening during a crisis, or a moment of difficulty, or even "when you least expect it". Sometimes it's real and sometimes it's just an idea that the characters create in their heads. Not very often does Hollywood make a love story a simple and charming love story. If it is a simple and charming love story it is usually not the center of the movie it's a side plot to one. That is not the case when it comes to the Best Picture Winner of 1955 Marty.
Marty is a 34 year old Butcher who lives a normal life in New York. He has many brothers and sister that are all married and starting families of their own. His kid brother very recently got married and now everyone is telling him that "you should be ashamed of yourself for not being married". Marty would very much like to get married but has not had any luck with girls. When his best friend convinces him to go out to the Stardust Ballroom that Saturday a chance encounter changes Marty's luck. Clara, a 29 year old teacher, was convinced to come out on a blind date by one of her best friends. The double date seems to be going well until they get to the Stardust Ballroom. Clara's date runs into a girl that he has a thing for right outside the doors. That is when he decides to ditch Clara. The four of them go in and Clara's date come up to Marty and tells him he will pay him five bucks if he would take Clara home so he can go catch up with the other girl. Marty says no because he is an honorable man and would never help that boy ditch his date. So, Marty watches as the man find another person to bribe and takes him over to the table. Clara tells them she would rather go home alone rather than have someone different take her there. That is when Marty decides to the honorable thing and asks her to dance. Marty and Clara hit it off real well and Marty takes her home and tells her he will call her tomorrow and make plans to see her again. However, after they part ways people start talking to Marty about how much of a "dog" she is and he should not call her again. It's up to Marty to now listen to everyone around him or choose to listen to what his heart says.
Over the years this film has charmed thousands of people and it has influence many other works as well. This film was made reference two the likes of Hey, Arnold, Rocko's Modern Life, and was the center of attention in the movie Quiz Show. Because of how charming this film was United Artist took home top prize of the 1955 Oscar's by beating out 20th Century Fox's Love is a Many Splendored Thing, Warner Brothers' Mister Roberts, Columbia's Picnic, and Paramount's The Rose Tattoo. It was also selected for preservation by the Nation Film Institute in 1994 and was also listed as number 64 on their 100 years... 100 Passions movie list in 2002.
I would have to say that this film is 100% lovable! This was not at all what I expected from this movie. It was never over the top, or over complicated it was just a story. Like I said earlier most of the time when Hollywood is making a movie about love there is always a "problem" that keeps the couple separated, or prevent them from meeting. If the movie is not about the love story in itself they make it a sub-plot to keep things interesting. This film was truly about a normal guy looking for a normal girl to fall in love with. The story was really about a normal man living a normal life and wanting to share that life with someone. The "complications" that he went through to get the girl were normal stuff that everyone goes through. He is taking care of his family, or his friends do not like that got a girl. It was never the girl was kidnapped, or the parents disapproved. It was a clean cut story about how normal people got the chance to fall in love and I thank Hollywood for a great love story that was presented to us today!
Marty is a 34 year old Butcher who lives a normal life in New York. He has many brothers and sister that are all married and starting families of their own. His kid brother very recently got married and now everyone is telling him that "you should be ashamed of yourself for not being married". Marty would very much like to get married but has not had any luck with girls. When his best friend convinces him to go out to the Stardust Ballroom that Saturday a chance encounter changes Marty's luck. Clara, a 29 year old teacher, was convinced to come out on a blind date by one of her best friends. The double date seems to be going well until they get to the Stardust Ballroom. Clara's date runs into a girl that he has a thing for right outside the doors. That is when he decides to ditch Clara. The four of them go in and Clara's date come up to Marty and tells him he will pay him five bucks if he would take Clara home so he can go catch up with the other girl. Marty says no because he is an honorable man and would never help that boy ditch his date. So, Marty watches as the man find another person to bribe and takes him over to the table. Clara tells them she would rather go home alone rather than have someone different take her there. That is when Marty decides to the honorable thing and asks her to dance. Marty and Clara hit it off real well and Marty takes her home and tells her he will call her tomorrow and make plans to see her again. However, after they part ways people start talking to Marty about how much of a "dog" she is and he should not call her again. It's up to Marty to now listen to everyone around him or choose to listen to what his heart says.
Over the years this film has charmed thousands of people and it has influence many other works as well. This film was made reference two the likes of Hey, Arnold, Rocko's Modern Life, and was the center of attention in the movie Quiz Show. Because of how charming this film was United Artist took home top prize of the 1955 Oscar's by beating out 20th Century Fox's Love is a Many Splendored Thing, Warner Brothers' Mister Roberts, Columbia's Picnic, and Paramount's The Rose Tattoo. It was also selected for preservation by the Nation Film Institute in 1994 and was also listed as number 64 on their 100 years... 100 Passions movie list in 2002.
I would have to say that this film is 100% lovable! This was not at all what I expected from this movie. It was never over the top, or over complicated it was just a story. Like I said earlier most of the time when Hollywood is making a movie about love there is always a "problem" that keeps the couple separated, or prevent them from meeting. If the movie is not about the love story in itself they make it a sub-plot to keep things interesting. This film was truly about a normal guy looking for a normal girl to fall in love with. The story was really about a normal man living a normal life and wanting to share that life with someone. The "complications" that he went through to get the girl were normal stuff that everyone goes through. He is taking care of his family, or his friends do not like that got a girl. It was never the girl was kidnapped, or the parents disapproved. It was a clean cut story about how normal people got the chance to fall in love and I thank Hollywood for a great love story that was presented to us today!
Monday, August 21, 2017
Best Picture of 1954: On the Waterfront
When is come to the big screen there are hundreds of class films and hundred of classic movie stars. However, there are very few of these classic stars that are still heard of and talked about in this day and age. Marlon Brando is one of these very few stars that is till relevant in today's culture. He is best known for playing a big role in The Godfather. That film is on this list but I have not quit gotten there yet. While that is his best known role today does not mean that The Godfather is the only performance worth watching. He is one of those actors that you have to watch him in everything you can and watch the character he plays come to life. That is exactly what he does in the 1954 Best Picture Winner On the Waterfront.
In a time when the mob is breathing down everyone's neck, whether you know it you no, very few dare even to stand up to them. They run everything from the stocks and banks to the drugstore on the corner. One place that is feeling the heat closer than most is Hoboken, New Jersey. One of the best places to get a job is right there on the waterfront loading and unloading the cargo ships that come in. Because the mob is out to make a buck they start to corrupt the mangers of the docks and they let the mob choose who get to work that day and who doesn't. This goes on for months and people start to get really mad that they can't just rely on the docks to provide anymore they also have to rely on the mob. When people start to rat them out the rats starts to die. That is when the fear seeps in and no one will talk anymore. That is until a real good guy by the name of Joey dies at the hands of the mob and his sister, Edie, does not rest until she figures out the truth in her brothers death. In trying to figure out what happened that night she meets a man by the name of Terry. With the connections with the mob, and the fact they are not great connections, Edie and Terry start to tear down the walls of fear against the mob in their neighborhood.
This film was one of the biggest films to come in out 1954. Columbia had a huge hit on their hand when they found that On the Waterfront was nominated to twelve Academy Awards. The film would end up taking home eight awards that night beating out Columbia's own The Caine Mutiny, Paramount's The Country Girl, MGM's Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and 20th Century Fox's Three Coins in the Fountain. In addition this film was also selected by the National Film Registry for preservation in 1989.
This is one of those films that when you start to get interested in classic films you start to really hear about it. So, when I saw that it won for Best Picture I was really happy that I would get to see what all of the fuss was about. I have to say I was a little disappointed. I think the biggest problem that I had with the film was the character Edie. Now, I am not sure if this film was supposed to show her as a overly dramatic childish character but that is how it ended up being. I really could not stand her. I know that Edie's brother dies and she is supposed to be sad but she stays in this whiny, pointless character in the film that you can mad at because she can not make up her mind. I mean, I get it, most of the time when you have a love interested that comes from "the wrong side of the tracks" the girl goes back and forth between what she wants to do and what is considered right. However, most film have this girl go through those emotions several times through the length of the film not several times in the length of two minutes. I was really bored of her and with Bando being with her 30 seconds after seeing their "love story" start. I really didn't get much into the film until Brando and his character's older brother started to really interact with each other. By the end of the film I really wish they focused a little bit more on the brothers and got rid of Edie's character all together. What makes me mad out of all of this is the fact that Eva Marie Saint, who plays Edie, won for best supporting actress in this role. I didn't think it was even worth a nomination for to be truthful. I have to say by the end of the film it really showed Brando's acting chomps and the he is capable of holding up a film all on his own. I would really watch the film again to study him in the film and totally forget about Saint.
In a time when the mob is breathing down everyone's neck, whether you know it you no, very few dare even to stand up to them. They run everything from the stocks and banks to the drugstore on the corner. One place that is feeling the heat closer than most is Hoboken, New Jersey. One of the best places to get a job is right there on the waterfront loading and unloading the cargo ships that come in. Because the mob is out to make a buck they start to corrupt the mangers of the docks and they let the mob choose who get to work that day and who doesn't. This goes on for months and people start to get really mad that they can't just rely on the docks to provide anymore they also have to rely on the mob. When people start to rat them out the rats starts to die. That is when the fear seeps in and no one will talk anymore. That is until a real good guy by the name of Joey dies at the hands of the mob and his sister, Edie, does not rest until she figures out the truth in her brothers death. In trying to figure out what happened that night she meets a man by the name of Terry. With the connections with the mob, and the fact they are not great connections, Edie and Terry start to tear down the walls of fear against the mob in their neighborhood.
This film was one of the biggest films to come in out 1954. Columbia had a huge hit on their hand when they found that On the Waterfront was nominated to twelve Academy Awards. The film would end up taking home eight awards that night beating out Columbia's own The Caine Mutiny, Paramount's The Country Girl, MGM's Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and 20th Century Fox's Three Coins in the Fountain. In addition this film was also selected by the National Film Registry for preservation in 1989.
This is one of those films that when you start to get interested in classic films you start to really hear about it. So, when I saw that it won for Best Picture I was really happy that I would get to see what all of the fuss was about. I have to say I was a little disappointed. I think the biggest problem that I had with the film was the character Edie. Now, I am not sure if this film was supposed to show her as a overly dramatic childish character but that is how it ended up being. I really could not stand her. I know that Edie's brother dies and she is supposed to be sad but she stays in this whiny, pointless character in the film that you can mad at because she can not make up her mind. I mean, I get it, most of the time when you have a love interested that comes from "the wrong side of the tracks" the girl goes back and forth between what she wants to do and what is considered right. However, most film have this girl go through those emotions several times through the length of the film not several times in the length of two minutes. I was really bored of her and with Bando being with her 30 seconds after seeing their "love story" start. I really didn't get much into the film until Brando and his character's older brother started to really interact with each other. By the end of the film I really wish they focused a little bit more on the brothers and got rid of Edie's character all together. What makes me mad out of all of this is the fact that Eva Marie Saint, who plays Edie, won for best supporting actress in this role. I didn't think it was even worth a nomination for to be truthful. I have to say by the end of the film it really showed Brando's acting chomps and the he is capable of holding up a film all on his own. I would really watch the film again to study him in the film and totally forget about Saint.
Sunday, August 13, 2017
Best Picture of 1953: Front Here to Eternity
December 7, 1941 "A day the will life in infamy". December 7, 1941 was the day that the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. What happened to the month leading up to the fateful day in American History? The Best Picture winner of 1953, From Here to Eternity, tells a story of a few young men finding trying to figure out what they want out of life, and the military, in the few months before history changes forever.
Robert E. Lee Prewitt is a bugler who transferred into a rifle unit in Hawaii in mid 1941. He runs into an old friend of his Angelo Maggio on his way to check in with Captain Holmes. Maggio tells him that the Captain is a stickler he finally goes in to meet him. When he finds out that the Captain only got him transferred to his unit because he heard that Prewitt is great boxer. When Prewitt refuses to box, due to an accident he had early in the year, the Captain makes it his mission to make his life miserable in the army until he boxes for the unit. While the Captain is making a point to make Prewitt's life a wreck he doesn't realize what a wreck her personal life has gotten. His wife, who has slowly started to fall out of life with him, starts secretly seeing First Sergeant Warden, who is the Captain right hand man. All the stories come in an exploding conclusion at the same time the bombs are dropped on Peal Harbor.
From Here to Eternity was nominated for 13 Academy Awards that year. It won eight. Besides Best Picture the most notable award that the picture received would have to be the Best Supporting Actor Award which went to the one and only Frank Sinatra. Sinatra had not done many films by this point in his career, and some of the one that he did do did not turn out as well as he had hoped. Around the time when this film started his singing career was on the rocks, and was about to fade out into obscurity. However, he read the book From Here to Eternity, and he really connected to the character Maggio and from then on started his own campaign for him to get that part in the film. The way he started was he wrote letters to the book's author saying he would be the perfect Maggio, and even signed the letters as Maggio instead of Frank Sinatra. Eventually, the campaign worked and he won the role, and ultimately the award. This film did have competition for Best Picture that year. Columbia did a great job taking From Here to Eternity and beating out Paramount's Roman Holiday and Shane; MGM's Julius Caesar; and 20th Century Fox's The Robe. Not only did this film win the award but it has went down in history as a classic film. So much so that in 2002 From Here to Eternity was selected for preservation by the National Film Registry.
I originally got into this film because of Frank Sinatra. I am a huge Sinatra fan and a film that he won an Academy Award in is a film that I just had to see, and had to own. This, however, was a film that I did not enjoy very much when I first watched it. I really thought it was a long and boring film and really had no need to want to watch it ever again. Thankfully it grew on me and I found a new appreciation for it at time went on. I knew that this is one of the best performances that I would see Frank Sinatra in and I kept giving it a chance every once in a while. I am glad that I did. This film is so much more rewarding every time it's viewed because you find out new things about what happened that day, and you find yourself seeing how life is like through each character as time goes on because you grow and know more. This film is one of those films that you can't just watch it and know everything there is to know about it right then. You have to come back to it and love it again with new eyes. A film is shot and permanently set into place never to be changed again but when watching a great film you can never watch the same film twice because it keep begging you to
Robert E. Lee Prewitt is a bugler who transferred into a rifle unit in Hawaii in mid 1941. He runs into an old friend of his Angelo Maggio on his way to check in with Captain Holmes. Maggio tells him that the Captain is a stickler he finally goes in to meet him. When he finds out that the Captain only got him transferred to his unit because he heard that Prewitt is great boxer. When Prewitt refuses to box, due to an accident he had early in the year, the Captain makes it his mission to make his life miserable in the army until he boxes for the unit. While the Captain is making a point to make Prewitt's life a wreck he doesn't realize what a wreck her personal life has gotten. His wife, who has slowly started to fall out of life with him, starts secretly seeing First Sergeant Warden, who is the Captain right hand man. All the stories come in an exploding conclusion at the same time the bombs are dropped on Peal Harbor.
From Here to Eternity was nominated for 13 Academy Awards that year. It won eight. Besides Best Picture the most notable award that the picture received would have to be the Best Supporting Actor Award which went to the one and only Frank Sinatra. Sinatra had not done many films by this point in his career, and some of the one that he did do did not turn out as well as he had hoped. Around the time when this film started his singing career was on the rocks, and was about to fade out into obscurity. However, he read the book From Here to Eternity, and he really connected to the character Maggio and from then on started his own campaign for him to get that part in the film. The way he started was he wrote letters to the book's author saying he would be the perfect Maggio, and even signed the letters as Maggio instead of Frank Sinatra. Eventually, the campaign worked and he won the role, and ultimately the award. This film did have competition for Best Picture that year. Columbia did a great job taking From Here to Eternity and beating out Paramount's Roman Holiday and Shane; MGM's Julius Caesar; and 20th Century Fox's The Robe. Not only did this film win the award but it has went down in history as a classic film. So much so that in 2002 From Here to Eternity was selected for preservation by the National Film Registry.
I originally got into this film because of Frank Sinatra. I am a huge Sinatra fan and a film that he won an Academy Award in is a film that I just had to see, and had to own. This, however, was a film that I did not enjoy very much when I first watched it. I really thought it was a long and boring film and really had no need to want to watch it ever again. Thankfully it grew on me and I found a new appreciation for it at time went on. I knew that this is one of the best performances that I would see Frank Sinatra in and I kept giving it a chance every once in a while. I am glad that I did. This film is so much more rewarding every time it's viewed because you find out new things about what happened that day, and you find yourself seeing how life is like through each character as time goes on because you grow and know more. This film is one of those films that you can't just watch it and know everything there is to know about it right then. You have to come back to it and love it again with new eyes. A film is shot and permanently set into place never to be changed again but when watching a great film you can never watch the same film twice because it keep begging you to
Wednesday, August 2, 2017
Best Picture of 1952: The Greatest Show on Earth
"Man kills the thing he loves. A coward with a kiss and a brave man with a sword". That has got to be one of my favorite movie quotes of all time. It comes from the incomparable Jimmy Stewart who plays Buttons the clown in the 25th Annual Academy Awards Best Picture winner The Greatest Show on Earth. This is a story that brings the circus to life in a way that no other movie has dared to even try.
This movie follows the story of Brad Braden, the circus manager, and he fight to keep the Big Top going. With the threat of the backers to pull the circus out of all of the little towns to play only the big cities, Brad proves that he as something up his sleeve. He tells the backers that he has gotten the greatest trapeze artist known to man to play in the center ring, The Great Sabastian. The backers are surprised he was able to get such as act and when asked how he did it he said that he would only play if they played the whole season. The backers reluctantly agree to the full season as long as they stay in the don't start to loose money on the road. Brad's problems do not go away after he wins the battle of the season. He now has to tell his girl, another trapeze artist named Holly, that she will not longer be in the center ring because Sabastian is a bigger name than she is. With that being said Holly then starts to challenge Sabastian for the crowd's attention in the air, and without a net. Brad is trying to put fires out not only in the air but on the ground as well! Not only does he have to worry about his girl but he has another girl, named Angel, is after him, a hustler that is stealing money on the midway, and a mysterious clown that never takes off his make up all come out o the woodworks.
This film not only had one of the biggest box office draws of 1952 it also had the real Barnum & Bailey's Circus in the film as well. They played all of the extra parts and helped to get the acts on screen together. The cast learned how to do their acts and did them in the show. So, the question is after all of the wonderful and lively things they have done to make the movie a success how does anybody consider this film to be on of the 10 ten worst movies to ever win an Oscar? I mean I can see people being mad that this film was nominated for Best Picture when other great films weren't even nominated that year, such as Singin' in the Rain. I mean you have a great cast that stars Charlton Heston, Betty Hutton, Cornel Wilde, and James Stewart it would be hard for this film to be considered the worst at anything.
All of that history aside, I will have to say that this is one of my favorite movies that has won the award. It's funny and glamorous, it's a mystery that keeps you guessing, and a splendor to watch, and it has one of the best casts every to be brought together in a film. Jimmy Stewart does an amazing job playing a clown and I never thought I would say that in my whole life. Every single character is lovable and every single act makes you feel like you are at the circus and not like watching a movie at all. This film does an amazing job at the details of how a circus family acts, and keeps the show going! This movie has so much more heart that a majority of the other best pictures I have seen this far and does not need to be considered on of the worst by any stretch of the imagination.
This movie follows the story of Brad Braden, the circus manager, and he fight to keep the Big Top going. With the threat of the backers to pull the circus out of all of the little towns to play only the big cities, Brad proves that he as something up his sleeve. He tells the backers that he has gotten the greatest trapeze artist known to man to play in the center ring, The Great Sabastian. The backers are surprised he was able to get such as act and when asked how he did it he said that he would only play if they played the whole season. The backers reluctantly agree to the full season as long as they stay in the don't start to loose money on the road. Brad's problems do not go away after he wins the battle of the season. He now has to tell his girl, another trapeze artist named Holly, that she will not longer be in the center ring because Sabastian is a bigger name than she is. With that being said Holly then starts to challenge Sabastian for the crowd's attention in the air, and without a net. Brad is trying to put fires out not only in the air but on the ground as well! Not only does he have to worry about his girl but he has another girl, named Angel, is after him, a hustler that is stealing money on the midway, and a mysterious clown that never takes off his make up all come out o the woodworks.
This film not only had one of the biggest box office draws of 1952 it also had the real Barnum & Bailey's Circus in the film as well. They played all of the extra parts and helped to get the acts on screen together. The cast learned how to do their acts and did them in the show. So, the question is after all of the wonderful and lively things they have done to make the movie a success how does anybody consider this film to be on of the 10 ten worst movies to ever win an Oscar? I mean I can see people being mad that this film was nominated for Best Picture when other great films weren't even nominated that year, such as Singin' in the Rain. I mean you have a great cast that stars Charlton Heston, Betty Hutton, Cornel Wilde, and James Stewart it would be hard for this film to be considered the worst at anything.
All of that history aside, I will have to say that this is one of my favorite movies that has won the award. It's funny and glamorous, it's a mystery that keeps you guessing, and a splendor to watch, and it has one of the best casts every to be brought together in a film. Jimmy Stewart does an amazing job playing a clown and I never thought I would say that in my whole life. Every single character is lovable and every single act makes you feel like you are at the circus and not like watching a movie at all. This film does an amazing job at the details of how a circus family acts, and keeps the show going! This movie has so much more heart that a majority of the other best pictures I have seen this far and does not need to be considered on of the worst by any stretch of the imagination.
Tuesday, August 1, 2017
Best Picture of 1951: An American in Paris
"Who can ask for anything more"? That is the question that I am asking when it comes to this movie. Reason I am asking? This movie has everything that you can ever ask for in a film! The Music, the scenery, the acting, Gene Kelly's thighs..... I digress..... The winner of the 24th Academy Awards is none other than that masterpiece known as An American in Paris.
The story follows the WWII veteran Jerry Mulligan who fell in love with the city of Paris during his station there. Once the war was over he decided to stay and pursue the life as an artist. Despite being basically broke, Jerry is very happy with his life. He has great friends, a good place to live, and he loves to entertain the kids in his neighborhood by teaching them English and giving the bubble gum. It is not until a wealthy society woman falls in love with his work, and him, does he start to see some success in his career. Not only does this woman, Milo Roberts, introduce him his new success but to the girl he truly falls in love with, Lise Bourvier. As proven in every movie ever, nothing can be easy. Lise is seeing a famous singer named Henri Baurel, who befriends Jerry shortly before Jerry and Lise meet. Soon, as movies goes, a love triangle is formed and we are whisked away to a hysterically wonderful, and colorful world that is Paris and the American that decides to call it home.
Not only was this film a joy to watch it is a joy to learn about. No, this film does not hold any crazy nomination records, nor is it one of the first films people think about when you thing "Best Picture", but man does this movie sure have heart! Not only is this one of the handful of musicals to win the Best Picture Award but was the second picture in Oscar's history to be a film shot in color. The first, or course being Gone with the Wind. This film received six wins out of eight nominations at the Academy Awards, and Kelly was given an honorary award for his "Versatility as an actor, singer, director, and dancer. The film landed on number 68 on AFI's 100 Years of Movies list in 1998, and number 9 on AFI's Greatest Musical List in 2006. As top honor's An American in Paris was selected for preservation by the National Film Registry in 1993.
This is one of those films that I forget just how great it is every time I watch it. I have seen it several times but, for whatever reason, it's not one of the first movies that I think of when I think of Gene Kelly. I think in the context of which I am experiencing this movie this time around I will not soon forget this film again. I think this will have to be viewed much more often then once in a while. For those who have never seen the film, you will never be disappointed.
Best Picture of 1950: All About Eve
"Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night". It was a bumpy night... When Margo Channing plans or something there is nothing anyone can do or say to stop her. She is very tired of everything being All About Eve. Everything really was All About Eve at the 23rd Academy Awards. The film proved there that it was one of the greatest movies of all time that night because of the great story it had to tell.
Broadway star Margo Channing was at the height of her career and played every role she had gotten to perfection. She loved being admired just as much as she loved being envied. So, when Even Harrington comes into her life with a mix of both love and envy, that was borderline obsession, Margo just wanted to help her out. Eve was young and beautiful and wanted ever to mush to be just like Margo. She did everything that she could be help out in Margo's life and quickly became her assistant. As the months rolled by Eve's true intentions start to show as she tries to take over Margo's professional life but her personal life as well.
Like I said before the 1950 Oscars were really All About Eve. This film was nominated with an astonishing 14 nominations and beat out the previous record set by Gone with the Wind which at 13 nominations. That is a feat so large that the record has been tied twice since then, by Titanic and La La Land, but has never been set past that. This film is also the only film in history that had four female acting nominations. Bette Davis and Anne Baxter was both nominated for Best Actress and Celeste Holm and Thelma Ritter were both nominated for Best Supporting Actress. The film ended up taking home six awards in total. In addition to it's record breaking success, All About Eve was selected for the first 50 films for preservation in 1990 by they National Film Registry. It also had held the number 16 spot on AFI's best 100 American Films in 1998.
This really is one of the best movies I have ever seen. This is one of those films that you find something new and interesting every single time that you watch it. Every single time that I have seen this film I find Bette Davis's performance get better and better. I can not say 100% that this was the best performance that she has ever had, because she has so many fabulous ones in her career, but I can say that this does have to be one of the best the she has ever done. This film was a great treat in jewel in a run of ok movies. It will be one of the movies that will continue to shine even brighter the more I watch it.
Broadway star Margo Channing was at the height of her career and played every role she had gotten to perfection. She loved being admired just as much as she loved being envied. So, when Even Harrington comes into her life with a mix of both love and envy, that was borderline obsession, Margo just wanted to help her out. Eve was young and beautiful and wanted ever to mush to be just like Margo. She did everything that she could be help out in Margo's life and quickly became her assistant. As the months rolled by Eve's true intentions start to show as she tries to take over Margo's professional life but her personal life as well.
Like I said before the 1950 Oscars were really All About Eve. This film was nominated with an astonishing 14 nominations and beat out the previous record set by Gone with the Wind which at 13 nominations. That is a feat so large that the record has been tied twice since then, by Titanic and La La Land, but has never been set past that. This film is also the only film in history that had four female acting nominations. Bette Davis and Anne Baxter was both nominated for Best Actress and Celeste Holm and Thelma Ritter were both nominated for Best Supporting Actress. The film ended up taking home six awards in total. In addition to it's record breaking success, All About Eve was selected for the first 50 films for preservation in 1990 by they National Film Registry. It also had held the number 16 spot on AFI's best 100 American Films in 1998.
This really is one of the best movies I have ever seen. This is one of those films that you find something new and interesting every single time that you watch it. Every single time that I have seen this film I find Bette Davis's performance get better and better. I can not say 100% that this was the best performance that she has ever had, because she has so many fabulous ones in her career, but I can say that this does have to be one of the best the she has ever done. This film was a great treat in jewel in a run of ok movies. It will be one of the movies that will continue to shine even brighter the more I watch it.
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