Production Company(ies)
Paramount Pictures,
 
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Cafe Rocca, Via della Rotonda 25, Pantheon, Rome, Lazio, Italy
 
MPAA / Certificate
Passed
 
Year of Release
1953
 

 
Genre(s)
Comedy/Romance
 
Keyword(s)
starring Audrey Hepburn, Gregory Peck, Eddie Albert, Tullio Carminati, Hartley Power, Laura Solari, directed by William Wyler, written by Dalton Trumbo, Ian McLellan Hunter, John Dighton, comedy, romance, box office success, budget, reviewed by Milton Luban, Peter Bradshaw, David Jenkins, James Berardinelli, Variety Staff, Dave Kehr, David Nusair, Matt Brunson, Frank J Avella, Allison Rose, Mike Massie, Clyde Gilmour, Audrey Hepburn’s American debut, European princess, American reporter, exclusive interview, romantic comedy, Rome, Italy, postwar Europe, William Wyler as producer, Paramount Pictures as distributor, Mono sound mix, 97% Tomatometer, 93% audience score
 

Cast & Crew

Gregory Peck

Audrey Hepburn

Eddie Albert

Tullio Carminati

Hartley Power

Joe Bradley

Princess Ann

Irving Radovich

Gen. Provno

Mr. Hennessy

Gregory Peck – Joe Bradley
Audrey Hepburn – Princess Ann
Eddie Albert – Irving Radovich
Tullio Carminati – Gen. Provno
Hartley Power – Mr. Hennessy
Laura Solari – Secretary

 

William Wyler

Dalton Trumbo

William Wyler

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
William Wyler
 
Writer(s)
Dalton Trumbo, Ian McLellan Hunter, John Dighton
 
Producer(s)
William Wyler

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Won 3 Oscars
11 wins & 17 nominations total
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
 

Top Reviews

Milton Luban

Peter Bradshaw

David Jenkins

James Berardinelli

Variety Staff

Hollywood Reporter

Guardian

Little White Lies

ReelViews

Variety

ROMAN HOLIDAY
  All Critics (60) | Top Critics (15) | Fresh (58) | Rotten (2)
  With Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn turning in superb performances, Roman Holiday is 118 minutes of sheer entertainment.
 
  August 30, 2019
 
  Milton Luban
  Hollywood Reporter
  TOP CRITIC
  A lovely film.
 
  July 18, 2013 | Rating: 5/5
 
  Peter Bradshaw
  Guardian
  TOP CRITIC
  Hepburn represents all western cinema, finally allowed out to play on the cobbled streets of postwar Europe.
 
  July 18, 2013 | Rating: 3/5
 
  David Jenkins
  Little White Lies
  TOP CRITIC
  For lovers of romantic comedies through the ages, Roman Holiday remains a favorite.
 
  April 1, 2008 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
  James Berardinelli
  ReelViews
  TOP CRITIC
  [Wyler] times the chuckles with a never-flagging pace, puts heart into the laughs, endows the footage with some boff bits of business and points up some tender, poignant scenes in using the smart script and the cast to the utmost advantage.
 
  August 13, 2007
 
  Variety Staff
  Variety
  TOP CRITIC
  Wyler lays out all the elements with care and precision, but the romantic comedy never comes together — it’s charm by computer.
 
  August 13, 2007
 
  Dave Kehr
  Chicago Reader
  TOP CRITIC
  …a somewhat overlong and exceedingly deliberate endeavor that undeniably grows more and more absorbing as it unfolds…
 
  February 15, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
  David Nusair
  Reel Film Reviews
  An utterly disarming romantic comedy. The “Mouth of Truth” scene is a genuine classic, but the film is packed with equally delightful interludes.
 
  September 19, 2020 | Rating: 4/4
 
  Matt Brunson
  Film Frenzy
  Hepburn is a marvel, mixing deep pathos with a restless yearning. She also proves to be a gifted comic. I cannot praise her performance effusively enough.
 
  September 15, 2020 | Rating: A+
 
  Frank J. Avella
  Edge Media Network
  The marrying of a classic movie with the most up to date technology makes this release a must-have.
 
  September 15, 2020 | Rating: 5/5
 
  Allison Rose
  FlickDirect
  None of the events are terribly thrilling or romantic, and the unhurried casualness with which they’re all approached borders on boring.
 
  August 23, 2020 | Rating: 5/10
 
  Mike Massie
  Gone With The Twins
  William Wyler, an expert at heavy drama, here proves equally adroit in handling a gay romantic comedy.
 
  November 14, 2019
 
  Clyde Gilmour
  Maclean’s Magazine…

 

Plot
Joe Bradley is a reporter for the American News Service in Rome, a job he doesn’t much like as he would rather work for what he considers a real news agency back in the States. He is on the verge of getting fired when he, sleeping in and getting caught in a lie by his boss Hennessy, misses an interview with HRH Princess Ann, who is on a goodwill tour of Europe, Rome only her latest stop. However, he thinks he may have stumbled upon a huge scoop. Princess Ann has officially called off all her Rome engagements due to illness. In reality, he recognizes the photograph of her as being the young well but simply dressed drunk woman he rescued off the street last night (as he didn’t want to turn her into the police for being a vagrant), and who is still in his small studio apartment sleeping off her hangover. What Joe doesn’t know is that she is really sleeping off the effects of a sedative given to her by her doctor to calm her down after an anxiety attack, that anxiety because she hates her regimented life where she has no freedom and must always do and say the politically correct things, not what is truly on her mind or in her heart. In wanting just a little freedom, she seized upon a chance opportunity to escape from the royal palace where she was staying, albeit with no money in her pockets. Joe believes he can get an exclusive interview with her without she even knowing that he’s a reporter or that he’s interviewing her. As Joe accompanies “Anya Smith” – her name as she tells him in trying to hide her true identity – around Rome on her incognito day of freedom somewhat unaware that the secret service is searching for her, along for the ride is Joe’s photographer friend, Irving Radovich, who Joe has tasked with clandestinely taking photographs of her, those photos to accompany the story. As the day progresses, Joe and Ann slowly start to fall for each other. Their feelings for each other affect what both decide to do, Ann with regard to her royal duties, Joe with regard to the story, and both with regard to if there is a future for them together.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
No goofy or funny or odd comments were found on Fresh Kernels about the film Roman Holiday.
 

 
William-Wyler.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Columbia Pictures,
 
Distributor
Columbia Pictures
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Northern California, California, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Approved
 
Year of Release
1949
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama
 
Keyword(s)
starring Broderick Crawford, Joanne Dru, Mercedes McCambridge, John Ireland, John Derek, Shepperd Strudwick, directed by Robert Rossen, written by Robert Rossen, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Marjory Adams, Helen Bower, Mae Tinee, Mildred Martin, P.S Harrison, Elsa Branden, Frank Morriss, starring in Mildred Pierce, The Organizer, The Cranes Are Flying, Ballad of a Soldier, Great Expectations, producer Robert Rossen, MPAA rating, corrupt southern governor, power, human soul, Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Columbia Pictures
 

Cast & Crew

Broderick Crawford

Joanne Dru

Mercedes McCambridge

John Ireland

John Derek

Willie Stark

Anne Stanton

Sadie Burke

Jack Burden

Tom Stark

Broderick Crawford – Willie Stark
Joanne Dru – Anne Stanton
Mercedes McCambridge – Sadie Burke
John Ireland – Jack Burden
John Derek – Tom Stark
Shepperd Strudwick – Adam Stanton

 

Robert Rossen

Robert Rossen

Robert Rossen

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Robert Rossen
 
Writer(s)
Robert Rossen
 
Producer(s)
Robert Rossen

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
NA
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Marjory Adams

Helen Bower

Mae Tinee

Mildred Martin

Milton Shulman

Boston Globe

Detroit Free Press

Chicago Tribune

Philadelphia Inquirer

London Evening Standard

ALL THE KING’S MEN
  All Critics (71) | Top Critics (25) | Fresh (69) | Rotten (2)
  Here is a picture that took courage to make. It stands up in entertainment value, but it is primarily a vital, powerful and terrifying picture of what dirty politics can do to both individual and state.
 
  November 30, 2021
 
  Marjory Adams
  Boston Globe
  TOP CRITIC
  Crawford ought to have an Oscar for his performance as Willie Stark. He charges like a bull and charms like a serpent.
 
  November 30, 2021
 
  Helen Bower
  Detroit Free Press
  TOP CRITIC
  A thinly disguised sketch of one of our late politicians, the film has sweep and force and acid truth, and a wonderful performance by Broderick Crawford in the best role he’s had since Of Mice and Men.
 
  November 30, 2021
 
  Mae Tinee
  Chicago Tribune
  TOP CRITIC
  Crawford is the ideal choice for the part of Willie. Almost uncannily, he succeeds in getting beneath the superficial aspects of the character, making him neither wholly evil nor too sympathetic, but a tragic contradiction.
 
  November 24, 2021
 
  Mildred Martin
  Philadelphia Inquirer
  TOP CRITIC
  It brilliantly tackles a contemporary and important American problem. But I am afraid that it never follows through its subject-matter… Having bitten into a hot potato, All the King’s Men has not had the courage to swallow it.
 
  November 24, 2021
 
  Milton Shulman
  London Evening Standard
  TOP CRITIC
  Casting, from Crawford down to walk-ons, is exceptional. The people look like people and, surprisingly, they talk like people. So much so that Columbia has on its hands a sobering film, one that will make politicians squirm, voters ashamed.
 
  November 23, 2021
 
  Elston Brooks
  Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com
  TOP CRITIC
  Stretching the definition of “noir” a bit, it’s a barbed indictment of deep political corruption in the Deep South.
 
  March 28, 2022
 
  Dennis Harvey
  48 Hills
  Written, produced and directed by Robert Rossen, the picture is filled with surging vitality, tough-eyed comment and shrewd observations about the seamier aspects of practical politics.
 
  November 30, 2021
 
  Louis Sheaffer
  Brooklyn Daily Eagle
  The film features a number of fine, sensitive performances, outstanding of which is the one turned in by Broderick Crawford, as the power-happy Governor whose career is ended by assassination.
 
  November 30, 2021
 
  P.S. Harrison
  Harrison’s Reports
  [Broderick Crawford] rises to full stature as an actor, reaching such a terrific height that one must wonder if he can match it in his next pictures.
 
  November 30, 2021
 
  Lillian Blackstone
  Tampa Bay Times
  This powerful political drama gives Broderick Crawford his juiciest role to date.
 
  November 30, 2021 | Rating: 2/3
 
  Elsa Branden
  Photoplay
  All the King’s Men takes a blow torch to the corrosion which can cover the political scene in the United States and it burns deeply into your consciousness as well. Its approach is as vigorous and contemporary as a newsreel.
 
  November 30, 2021
 
  Frank Morriss
  Winnipeg Free Press…

 

Plot
Jack Burden is a newspaper reporter who first hears of Willie Stark when his editor sends him to Kanoma County to cover the man. What’s special about this nobody running for county treasurer? He’s supposedly an honest man. Burden discovers this to be true when he sees Stark delivering a speech and having his son pass out handbills, while the local politicians do their best to intimidate him. Willie Stark is honest and brave. He’s also a know-nothing hick whose schoolteacher wife has given him what little education he has. Stark loses the race for treasurer, but later makes his way through law school, becoming an idealistic attorney who fights for what is good. Someone in the governor’s employ remembers Stark when the governor needs a patsy to run against him and split the vote of his rival. The fat cats underestimate Stark; but Jack Burden, Stark’s biggest supporter, overestimates the man’s idealism. To get where he wants to go, Willie Stark is willing to crack a few eggs – which include his tough-talking assistant, Sadie Burke; Jack’s poised and elegant fiancée, Anne Stanton; and even Jack Burden himself.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Broderick Crawford’s performance as Willie Stark is described as “spellbinding” by Fresh Kernels.
 

 
Robert-Rossen.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)

 
Distributor
NA
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)

 
MPAA / Certificate
TV-G
 
Year of Release
1949
 

 
Genre(s)
War
 
Keyword(s)
starring James Edwards, Steve Brodie, Jeff Corey, Lloyd Bridges, Frank Lovejoy, Douglas Dick, directed by Mark Robson, written by Carl Foreman, produced by Stanley Kramer, war, discrimination, soldier’s life, psychoanalysis, nervous breakdown, racism, World War II, emotional wounds, critic reviews, Tomatometer, audience score, box office performance, budget, MPAA rating, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Detroit Free Press, TIME Magazine, Times (UK), The Age (Australia), Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com, Motion Picture Daily, Ottawa Citizen, Pittsburgh Courier, New York Age, Baltimore Sun
 

Cast & Crew

Douglas Dick

Steve Brodie

Jeff Corey

Lloyd Bridges

Frank Lovejoy

Major Robinson

T.J. Everett

Doctor

Finch

Sergeant Mingo

Douglas Dick – Major Robinson
Steve Brodie – T.J. Everett
Jeff Corey – Doctor
Lloyd Bridges – Finch
Frank Lovejoy – Sergeant Mingo
James Edwards – Private Peter Moss

 

Mark Robson

NA

NA

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Mark Robson
 
Writer(s)
NA
 
Producer(s)
NA

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
NA
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Helen Bower

Bob Murphy

TIME Staff

Times (UK) Staff

Erle Cox (The Chiel)

Detroit Free Press

Minneapolis Star Tribune

TIME Magazine

Times (UK)

The Age (Australia)

HOME OF THE BRAVE
  All Critics (40) | Top Critics (16) | Fresh (39) | Rotten (1)
  Edwards is a sensitive actor and a strong, stalwart man. But the character of Mingo as played by Lovejoy has depths and silences and understanding that will make it memorable.
 
  November 17, 2020
 
  Helen Bower
  Detroit Free Press
  TOP CRITIC
  It’s comparatively seldom that one gets to hang the adjective “great” on a motion picture without feeling like a press agent, but here’s a case where it belongs.
 
  November 17, 2020
 
  Bob Murphy
  Minneapolis Star Tribune
  TOP CRITIC
  For all its faults, the film has novelty, emotional wallop and the excitement that comes from wrestling with a real problem, rather than fencing with a cooked-up plot.
 
  November 17, 2020
 
  TIME Staff
  TIME Magazine
  TOP CRITIC
  Hollywood has recently shown itself aware of the dangers of racial discrimination and persecution, and Home of the Brave is the most absorbing and honest film it has yet made on a difficult theme.
 
  November 17, 2020
 
  Times (UK) Staff
  Times (UK)
  TOP CRITIC
  James Edwards, who plays Pete Moss in the film, does a really first class lob.
 
  November 17, 2020
 
  Erle Cox (The Chiel)
  The Age (Australia)
  TOP CRITIC
  A picture like Home of the Brave… restores a movie-goer’s faith in Hollywood.
 
  November 17, 2020
 
  Eleanor Wilson
  Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com
  TOP CRITIC
  Although the picture underlines a social problem, it primarily has been fashioned for entertainment and as such is a first-class job that mounts to moments of raw power and excitement.
 
  May 11, 2021
 
  Mandel Herbstman
  Motion Picture Daily
  The makers of Home of the Brave have succeeded in probing into the minds and souls of a small group of representative American soldiers to find a telling story of the bitter fruit reaped by those who are the victims of race prejudice.
 
  May 11, 2021
 
  Frank E. Hanratty
  Ottawa Citizen
  In Home of the Brave a formula has been achieved that combines entertainment value with sound racial approaches.
 
  December 1, 2020
 
  Marjorie McKenzie
  Pittsburgh Courier
  Taking a stand that has never before been recorded in the history of Hollywood [is] Brave, and a brave film it is.
 
  December 1, 2020
 
  Billy Rowe
  Pittsburgh Courier
  It’s the picture America has long needed.
 
  December 1, 2020
 
  Bill Chase
  New York Age
  In addition to its special theme, the photoplay is one of the best studies of soldiers under fire ever made.
 
  November 17, 2020
 
  Donald Kirkley
  Baltimore Sun…

 

Plot
When Russell Greene loses his job, he decides to go on the road with his family. So he gathers his wife, Claire, his son, Josh, his daughter, Dinah, his mother, Hattie, and his nephew, Nathaniel and hits the road. With only an old Suburban, a trailer, and a dream, Russell and his family are now traveling across the country in search of adventure and helping many people along the way.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
James Edwards, who plays the lead role of paralyzed veteran Peter Moss, was the first African-American actor to receive a contract with a major Hollywood studio (20th Century Fox).
 

 
Mark-Robson.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
The Samuel Goldwyn Company,
 
Distributor
RKO Radio Pictures
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Ontario International Airport – 2900 E. Airport Drive, Ontario, California, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Approved
 
Year of Release
1947
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama
 
Keyword(s)
starring Dana Andrews, Fredric March, Myrna Loy, Teresa Wright, Virginia Mayo, Harold Russell, directed by William Wyler, written by MacKinlay Kantor, Robert E Sherwood, drama, World War II veterans, aftermath of war, American experience, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Marjory Adams, Mae Tinee, Philip Hope-Wallace, Herman G Weinberg, Times (UK) Staff, Helen Bower, André Bazin, Brian Eggert, Howard Pearson, Matt Neal, Virginia Wright, Nancy Philips, MPAA rating, Samuel Goldwyn, RKO Radio Pictures, Mono sound mix, Flat (1.37:1) aspect ratio, Al Stephenson, Milly Stephenson, Fred Derry, Peggy Stephenson, Marie Derry, Homer Parrish, critic reviews, audience reviews, deep focus, mise-en-scène, Gregg Toland, post-WWII, psychological trauma, obstacles, veteran soldiers, different backgrounds, returning from war, visual compositions
 

Cast & Crew

Fredric March

Al Stephenson

Myrna Loy

Milly Stephenson

Dana Andrews

Al Stephenson

Milly Stephenson

Fred Derry

Peggy Stephenson

Marie Derry

Fredric March – Al Stephenson
Myrna Loy – Milly Stephenson
Dana Andrews – Fred Derry
Teresa Wright – Peggy Stephenson
Virginia Mayo – Marie Derry
Harold Russell – Homer Parrish

 

William Wyler

MacKinlay Kantor

Samuel Goldwyn

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
William Wyler
 
Writer(s)
MacKinlay Kantor, Robert E. Sherwood
 
Producer(s)
Samuel Goldwyn

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Won 8 Oscars
21 wins & 4 nominations total
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Best Picture Winners, Oscar Winners
 

Top Reviews

Marjory Adams

Mae Tinee

Philip Hope-Wallace

Herman G. Weinberg

Times (UK) Staff

Boston Globe

Chicago Tribune

Guardian

Sight & Sound

Times (UK)

THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES
  All Critics (93) | Top Critics (28) | Fresh (91) | Rotten (2)
  The Best Years Of Our Lives is an eloquent tribute to returned veterans [and] a magnificent, brilliant contribution to motion pictures as an art.
 
  April 14, 2021
 
  Marjory Adams
  Boston Globe
  TOP CRITIC
  Every member of the cast Is so much like some one you know, every one so natural and likable, as real and pathetic as any human being close to your heart, but Fredric March, Dana Andrews, and Harold Russell give faultless performances.
 
  April 14, 2021
 
  Mae Tinee
  Chicago Tribune
  TOP CRITIC
  The playing is magnificent — especially that of Fredric March.
 
  April 14, 2021
 
  Philip Hope-Wallace
  Guardian
  TOP CRITIC
  It has everything it should have — a literate and often sharp and honest script by Robert E. Sherwood, supple direction by William Wyler, and is ingratiatingly played by at least one actor — Frederic March.
 
  April 14, 2021
 
  Herman G. Weinberg
  Sight & Sound
  TOP CRITIC
  This long American film is a gallant and sincere attempt to examine the difficulties of ex-service men in returning to civil life.
 
  April 14, 2021
 
  Times (UK) Staff
  Times (UK)
  TOP CRITIC
  The film, throughout, presents the American scene with homely, familiar touches.
 
  April 13, 2021
 
  Helen Bower
  Detroit Free Press
  TOP CRITIC
  Nonetheless, these reservations are not intended to diminish the eminent merits of The Best Years of Our Lives, in which the mastery of one of the world’s greatest directors is ever on display.
 
  February 25, 2022
 
  André Bazin
  L’Écran Français
  The Best Years of Our Lives remains so singularly honest in its description of veterans that Wyler’s treatment cannot help but supply an editorial on the social landscape of postwar America.
 
  February 12, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
 
  Brian Eggert
  Deep Focus Review
  Splendid producing, acting, directing of a realistic, down-to-earth plot such as this results then in a living portrayal of what peoples actually are experiencing today.
 
  August 16, 2021
 
  Howard Pearson
  Deseret News (Salt Lake City)
  Very much of its time in some ways, but what makes it memorable is how ahead of its time it was in the ways that really mattered.
 
  July 25, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
  Matt Neal
  ABC Radio (Australia)
  The Best Years of Our Lives is the most rewarding picture in a long, long time.
 
  July 13, 2021
 
  Virginia Wright
  Illustrated Daily News (Los Angeles)
  The Best Years of Our Lives is a fine example of what Hollywood Is capable of doing once they set their minds to it.
 
  April 14, 2021
 
  Nancy Philips
  Austin American-Statesman…

 

Plot
The story concentrates on the social re-adjustment of three World War II servicemen, each from a different station of society. Al Stephenson returns to an influential banking position, but finds it hard to reconcile his loyalties to ex-servicemen with new commercial realities. Fred Derry is an ordinary working man who finds it difficult to hold down a job or pick up the threads of his marriage. Having had both hands burnt off during the war, Homer Parrish is unsure that his fiancée’s feelings are still those of love and not those of pity. Each of the veterans faces a crisis upon his arrival, and each crisis is a microcosm of the experiences of many American warriors who found an alien world awaiting them when they came marching home.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Harold Russell, who played Homer Parrish, was a real-life veteran who lost both of his hands in a training accident during World War II. He was awarded two Academy Awards for his performance in the film, one for Best Supporting Actor and an honorary award for “bringing hope and courage to his fellow veterans.”
 

 
William-Wyler.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Liberty Films,
 
Distributor
RKO Radio Pictures
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
RKO Encino Ranch – Balboa Boulevard & Burbank Boulevard, Encino, Los Angeles, California, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG for thematic elements, smoking and some violence
 
Year of Release
1946
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama
 
Keyword(s)

Cast & Crew

James Stewart

Donna Reed

Lionel Barrymore

Thomas Mitchell

Henry Travers

George Bailey

Mary Hatch Bailey

Mr. Henry F. Potter

William “Uncle Billy” Bailey

Clarence Oddbody

CAST & CREW

James Stewart – George Bailey

Donna Reed – Mary Hatch Bailey

Lionel Barrymore – Mr. Henry F. Potter

Thomas Mitchell – William “Uncle Billy” Bailey

Henry Travers – Clarence Oddbody

Beulah Bondi – Mrs. Bailey

 

Frank Capra

Frances Goodrich

Frank Capra

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Frank Capra
 
Writer(s)
Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett, Frank Capra, Philip Van Doren Stern, Jo Swerling
 
Producer(s)
Frank Capra

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 5 Oscars
6 wins & 6 nominations total
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
 

Top Reviews

Chris Stuckmann

Karen Krizanovich

Kate Cameron

Jack D. Grant

Marc Lee

ChrisStuckmann.com

Little White Lies

New York Daily News

Hollywood Reporter

Daily Telegraph (UK)

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE
  All Critics (89) | Top Critics (23) | Fresh (84) | Rotten (5)
  A movie people will have a good time watching with their families for enduring decades.
 
  January 4, 2019 | Rating: A+
 
  Chris Stuckmann
  ChrisStuckmann.com
  TOP CRITIC
  There’s sex and death here, elation and depression, hope and despair.
 
  December 14, 2018 | Rating: 5/5
 
  Karen Krizanovich
  Little White Lies
  TOP CRITIC
  While it isn’t the best picture to come out of Hollywood this year, nor is it Capra’s masterpiece, it tells a good story and its conclusion has a heart-warming effect on the audience.
 
  December 19, 2016 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
  Kate Cameron
  New York Daily News
  TOP CRITIC
  It’s a Wonderful Life is a wonderful title for a motion picture about which practically everyone who sees it will agree that it’s wonderful entertainment.
 
  December 7, 2014
 
  Jack D. Grant
  Hollywood Reporter
  TOP CRITIC
  The inspirational, thoroughly festive ending is guaranteed to bring tears to the eyes.
 
  December 24, 2013
 
  Marc Lee
  Daily Telegraph (UK)
  TOP CRITIC
  The most well-loved of all Christmas movies.
 
  December 4, 2013 | Rating: 4/4
 
  Michael Wilmington
  Chicago Tribune
  TOP CRITIC
  Jimmy Stewart’s performance is the reason we keep coming back decade after decade.
 
  December 26, 2021 | Rating: A
 
  Kent Garrison
  Mad About Movies Podcast
  Capra remained true to classical Hollywood narrative, conceived and directed here, it is true, with almost hallucinatory skill. The scenes of tenderness are capable of penetrating the armor of even the most skeptical critical mind.
 
  December 8, 2021
 
  André Bazin
  L’Écran Français
  It is watched over and over by many. A Christmas tradition since 1946.
 
  November 28, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
  Carey-Ann Pawsey
  Orca Sound
  There are a number of fantastic performances in the film, led by Jimmy Stewart. Stewart captures the many faces and phases of George Bailey…
 
  March 24, 2021
 
  Sarah Brinks
  Battleship Pretension
  “One of the most influential films in the history of Hollywood was a box office failure, not winning a single one of the five Oscars for which it was nominated”. [Full review in Spanish]
 
  December 31, 2020 | Rating: 4/4
 
  Ernesto Diezmartinez
  Letras Libres
  Forget the Christmas connection: This all-timer can be watched any time of the year.
 
  December 17, 2020 | Rating: 4/4
 
  Matt Brunson
  Film Frenzy…

 

Plot
George Bailey has spent his entire life giving of himself to the people of Bedford Falls. He has always longed to travel but never had the opportunity in order to prevent rich skinflint Mr. Potter from taking over the entire town. All that prevents him from doing so is George’s modest building and loan company, which was founded by his generous father. But on Christmas Eve, George’s Uncle Billy loses the business’s $8,000 while intending to deposit it in the bank. Potter finds the misplaced money and hides it from Billy. When the bank examiner discovers the shortage later that night, George realizes that he will be held responsible and sent to jail and the company will collapse, finally allowing Potter to take over the town. Thinking of his wife, their young children, and others he loves will be better off with him dead, he contemplates suicide. But the prayers of his loved ones result in a gentle angel named Clarence coming to earth to help George, with the promise of earning his wings. He shows George what things would have been like if he had never been born.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
NA
 

 
Frank-Capra.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Excelsa Film
 
Distributor
Criterion Collection, Reel Media International [us], Video Yesteryear, Kino Video, Image Entertainment Inc.
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)
Via Casilina, Rome, Lazio, Italy
 
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
 
Year of Release
1945
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama
 
Keyword(s)
starring Aldo Fabrizi, Anna Magnani, Marcello Pagliero, Maria Michi, Harry Feist, Francesco Grandjacquet, directed by Roberto Rossellini, written by Sergio Amidei, Alberto Consiglio, Federico Fellini, genre: Drama, box office performance: N/A, budget: N/A, reviewed by Kevin Maher, Kate Muir, Richard Brody, Kenneth Turan, Michael Phillips, Oleg Ivanov, Matt Brunson, Asher Luberto, Michael J Casey, Sean Axmaker, Virginia Graham, Paul Brenner, MPAA rating: N/A, produced by Ferrucio DeMartino, Roberto Rossellini
 

Cast & Crew

Aldo Fabrizi

Anna Magnani

Marcello Pagliero

Maria Michi

Harry Feist

Don Pietro Pellegrini

Pina

Luigi Ferrari

Marina Mari

Major Bergmann

Aldo Fabrizi – Don Pietro Pellegrini
Anna Magnani – Pina
Marcello Pagliero – Luigi Ferrari
Maria Michi – Marina Mari
Harry Feist – Major Bergmann
Francesco Grandjacquet – Francesco

 

Roberto Rossellini

Sergio Amidei

Ferrucio DeMartino

Roberto Rossellini

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Roberto Rossellini
 
Writer(s)
Sergio Amidei, Alberto Consiglio, Sergio Amidei, Federico Fellini, Roberto Rossellini
 
Producer(s)
Ferrucio DeMartino, Roberto Rossellini

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
NA
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Kevin Maher

Kate Muir

Richard Brody

Kenneth Turan

Michael Phillips

Times (UK)

New Yorker

Los Angeles Times

Chicago Tribune

Slant Magazine

OPEN CITY
  All Critics (47) | Top Critics (21) | Fresh (47)
  One of the toughest, bleakest, war films ever made, this Roberto Rossellini classic simply couldn’t be any other way.
 
  January 28, 2022 | Rating: 5/5
 
  Kevin Maher
  Times (UK)
  TOP CRITIC
  The neo-realist film’s genius lies in a slow undertow, inexorably dragging the audience from laughter to tears.
 
  January 2, 2018
 
  Kate Muir
  Times (UK)
  TOP CRITIC
  Handheld cameras tremble with the urgency of open wounds and violent emotion in Roberto Rossellini’s 1945 drama of the Italian resistance to the capital’s occupation by Nazi Germany.
 
  October 26, 2016
 
  Richard Brody
  New Yorker
  TOP CRITIC
  A world cinema landmark, but that dusty, respectful word does not do justice to a film that has not lost its power to surprise and even shock.
 
  February 19, 2015
 
  Kenneth Turan
  Los Angeles Times
  TOP CRITIC
  Today it doesn’t feel like a documentary at all. It’s a street opera, caught on camera during wartime, a story performed by a mixed cast of amazing professionals and earnest non-professionals.
 
  October 31, 2014 | Rating: 4/4
 
  Michael Phillips
  Chicago Tribune
  TOP CRITIC
  Roberto Rossellini’s film owes part of its emotional power to its mixture of politico-religious symbolism and quotidian humor.
 
  September 8, 2014 | Rating: 4/4
 
  Oleg Ivanov
  Slant Magazine
  TOP CRITIC
  One emotionally powerful scene follows another.
 
  November 3, 2021 | Rating: 4/4
 
  Matt Brunson
  Film Frenzy
  Rossellini forever changed the way we look at movies. By shooting just six months after World War II, he was able to film Italy’s recovery through actual bombed out buildings, using a mix of professional and non-professional actors for authentic results.
 
  April 5, 2020
 
  Asher Luberto
  L.A. Weekly
  Changing the face of cinema.
 
  August 19, 2019
 
  Michael J. Casey
  Boulder Weekly
  he started working… before Rome fell to the Allies and shot his drama of partisans fighting the Germans and the Italian Fascists in the streets of the liberated city, amidst the poverty and devastation and uncertainty of the future.
 
  August 4, 2017
 
  Sean Axmaker
  Stream on Demand
  Written in desperate circumstances during the occupation and filmed soon after the liberation, it has all too skilfully trapped in the camera lens the atmosphere as well as a picture of those hideous times.
 
  December 14, 2015
 
  Virginia Graham
  The Spectator
  Seventy years after its initial release, it still hits like a sledgehammer to the soul.
 
  September 11, 2014 | Rating: 5/5
 
  Paul Brenner
  Film Racket…

 

Plot
The location: Nazi occupied-Rome. As Rome is classified an open city, most Romans can wander the streets without fear of the city being bombed or them being killed in the process. But life for Romans is still difficult with the Nazi occupation as there is a curfew, basic foods are rationed, and the Nazis are still searching for those working for the resistance and will go to any length to quash those in the resistance and anyone providing them with assistance. War-worn widowed mother Pina is about to get married to her next-door neighbor Francesco. Despite Pina being pregnant and Francesco being an atheist, they’ll be married by Catholic priest Don Pietro Pelligrini. The day before the wedding, Francesco’s friend Giorgio Manfredi, whom Pina has never met, comes looking for Francesco as he, working for the resistance, needs a place to hide out. For his latest mission, Giorgio also requests the assistance of Don Pietro, who is more than willing as he sees such work as being in the name of God. Don Pietro’s position also provides him with access to where others cannot go. Giorgio’s girlfriend, cabaret performer Marina, doesn’t even know where Giorgio is in hiding. Both Pina and Marina take measures to improve their lives under this difficult situation, which might have tragic consequences.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
The cast of Open City includes a mix of professional and non-professional actors for an authentic portrayal of wartime Italy.
 

 
Roberto-Rossellini.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Twentieth Century Fox,
 
Distributor
NA
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
 
Filming Location(s)
Stage 9, 20th Century Fox Studios – 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Passed
 
Year of Release
1944
 

 
Genre(s)
Mystery & thriller
 
Keyword(s)
starring Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews, Clifton Webb, Vincent Price, Judith Anderson, Dorothy Adams, directed by Otto Preminger, written by Jay Dratler, Samuel Hoffenstein, Elizabeth Reinhardt, mystery, thriller, film noir, box office success, budget, reviewed by Peter Bradshaw, Matthew Thrift, Dave Calhoun, Keith Uhlich, Michael Atkinson, Brian Eggert, Josh Larsen, Mike Massie, MPAA rating, obsession, murder mystery, psychological complexity, seductive style, expressionism, street realism, David Raksin’s score, snappy dialogue, dry wit, subversive, detective character, levels of obsession, tragic insight, haunting theme music, black-and-white cinematography
 

Cast & Crew

Gene Tierney

Dana Andrews

Clifton Webb

Vincent Price

Judith Anderson

Laura Hunt

Det. Lt. Mark McPherson

Waldo Lydecker

Shelby Carpenter

Ann Treadwell

Gene Tierney – Laura Hunt
Dana Andrews – Det. Lt. Mark McPherson
Clifton Webb – Waldo Lydecker
Vincent Price – Shelby Carpenter
Judith Anderson – Ann Treadwell
Dorothy Adams – Bessie Clary

 

Otto Preminger

Jay Dratler

Otto Preminger

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Otto Preminger
 
Writer(s)
Jay Dratler, Samuel Hoffenstein, Elizabeth Reinhardt
 
Producer(s)
Otto Preminger

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
NA
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Peter Bradshaw

Matthew Thrift

Dave Calhoun

Keith Uhlich

Dave Kehr

Guardian

Little White Lies

Time Out

Chicago Reader

Village Voice

LAURA
  All Critics (66) | Top Critics (15) | Fresh (66)
  Laura is still every bit as gripping in 2012.
 
  February 23, 2012 | Rating: 5/5
 
  Peter Bradshaw
  Guardian
  TOP CRITIC
  Not only one of Preminger’s greatest, but one of the great noirs.
 
  February 23, 2012 | Rating: 5/5
 
  Matthew Thrift
  Little White Lies
  TOP CRITIC
  February 23, 2012 | Rating: 4/5
 
  Dave Calhoun
  Time Out
  TOP CRITIC
  Few movies make you feel dirtier, and so perversely grateful for the pleasure.
 
  December 20, 2011 | Rating: 5/5
 
  Keith Uhlich
  Time Out
  TOP CRITIC
  Less a crime film than a study in levels of obsession, Laura is one of those classic works that leave their subject matter behind and live on the strength of their seductive style.
 
  October 23, 2007
 
  Dave Kehr
  Chicago Reader
  TOP CRITIC
  A hypnotic and deathlessly interpretable experience.
 
  October 23, 2007
 
  Michael Atkinson
  Village Voice
  TOP CRITIC
  Onscreen, Tierney plays an icon who entrances everyone around her, but the performer’s life off-camera lends the role tragic insight that makes the film unforgettable.
 
  February 12, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
 
  Brian Eggert
  Deep Focus Review
  …piles up the intrigue and obsession.
 
  March 14, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
  Josh Larsen
  LarsenOnFilm
  Rounded off with haunting theme music and sharp black-and-white cinematography (which took home an Oscar), this is a positively top-notch film noir.
 
  August 13, 2020 | Rating: 9/10
 
  Mike Massie
  Gone With The Twins
  Murder, as we say, has not looked so attractive in several seasons.
 
  June 17, 2020
 
  Jay Carmody
  Washington Star
  A masterly mix of expressionism and street realism, this ranks among the undisputed masterpieces of German silent cinema.
 
  June 16, 2020 | Rating: 5/5
 
  Tony Sloman
  Radio Times
  What remains of Laura is not only the ability of the scriptwriters and director to keep the mystery of the film noir but the originality of the dramatic structure and the attempt to delve into the psychological characteristics. [Full Review in Spanish]
 
  August 28, 2019
 
  Diego Galán
  El Pais (Spain)…

 

Plot
Detective Lieutenant Mark McPherson (Dana Andrews) investigates the killing of Laura Hunt (Gene Tierney), found dead on her apartment floor before the movie starts. McPherson builds a mental picture of the dead girl from the suspects he interviews. He is helped by the striking painting of the late lamented Laura hanging on her apartment wall. But who would have wanted to kill a girl with whom every man she met seemed to fall in love? To make matters worse, McPherson finds himself falling under her spell too. Then one night, halfway through his investigations, something seriously bizarre happens to make him re-think the whole case.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Clifton Webb’s performance as the arrogant and witty Waldo Lydecker is a standout in Laura.
 

 
Otto-Preminger.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Warner Bros.,
 
Distributor
Warner Bros. Pictures
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Passed
 
Year of Release
1941
 

 
Genre(s)
Crime/Drama
 
Keyword(s)
starring Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Peter Lorre, Gladys George, Barton MacLane, Sydney Greenstreet, directed by John Huston, written by Dashiell Hammett, Crime, Drama, Warner Bros Pictures, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Peter Bradshaw, Kevin Maher, Frank P Gill, THR Staff, Otis Ferguson, Nell Minow, M.V Moorhead, P.S Harrison, David Walsh, Matt Neal, Mike Massie, Clyde Gilmour, MPAA rating, The Maltese Falcon, Sam Spade, Brigid O’Shaughnessy, Joel Cairo, Iva Archer, Det Lt Dundy, Kasper Gutman, labyrinthine, influential, showcase, noir, suspenseful, brilliant cast, Humphrey Bogart at his finest, valuable statuette, dangerous web of crime and intrigue, bejeweled Maltese falcon, English, Mono, 1941, John Huston, Dashiell Hammett
 

Cast & Crew

Humphrey Bogart

Mary Astor

Peter Lorre

Gladys George

Barton MacLane

Sam Spade

Brigid O’Shaughnessy

Joel Cairo

Iva Archer

Det. Lt. Dundy

Humphrey Bogart – Sam Spade
Mary Astor – Brigid O’Shaughnessy
Peter Lorre – Joel Cairo
Gladys George – Iva Archer
Barton MacLane – Det. Lt. Dundy
Sydney Greenstreet – Kasper Gutman

 

John Huston

Dashiell Hammett

NA

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
John Huston
 
Writer(s)
Dashiell Hammett, John Huston
 
Producer(s)
NA

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 3 Oscars
5 wins & 3 nominations total
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
 

Top Reviews

Peter Bradshaw

Kevin Maher

Frank P. Gill

THR Staff

Otis Ferguson

Guardian

Times (UK)

Detroit Free Press

Hollywood Reporter

The New Republic

THE MALTESE FALCON
  All Critics (64) | Top Critics (16) | Fresh (64)
  The strange, dreamlike tension of the film escalates with each new confrontation, each new tailing, each new beating…
 
  September 17, 2021 | Rating: 5/5
 
  Peter Bradshaw
  Guardian
  TOP CRITIC
  Yes, they’re all after a priceless statuette of a bird, but the pleasure is in the journey.
 
  September 17, 2021 | Rating: 5/5
 
  Kevin Maher
  Times (UK)
  TOP CRITIC
  Messrs. Alfred Hitchcock and Fritz Lang, filmdom’s ace thriller directors, had better look to their laurels, for they are facing dangerous competition in John Huston.
 
  June 23, 2021
 
  Frank P. Gill
  Detroit Free Press
  TOP CRITIC
  On a number of accounts it is distinguished celluloid entertainment, but it is of great interest to the trade because it reveals, in startling terms, the unheralded talent of topflight scenarist, John Huston.
 
  October 3, 2018
 
  THR Staff
  Hollywood Reporter
  TOP CRITIC
  The Maltese Falcon is the first crime melodrama with finish, speed and bang to come along in what seems ages.
 
  August 29, 2012
 
  Otis Ferguson
  The New Republic
  TOP CRITIC
  Excellent but too mature for the littlest kids.
 
  December 28, 2010 | Rating: 5/5
 
  Nell Minow
  Common Sense Media
  TOP CRITIC
  The film maintains its tension and wit throughout; on its own terms it’s close to perfect.
 
  October 19, 2021
 
  M.V. Moorhead
  Less Hat, Moorhead
  Those who did not see the [1931 version] should be held in tense suspense, for the plot developments, although complicated, are fascinating, and the action is thrilling.
 
  June 23, 2021
 
  P.S. Harrison
  Harrison’s Reports
  The Maltese Falcon does not and should not have a happy ending because … the corrupt, criminal and even guilt-ridden facts of American existence still prevail.
 
  February 10, 2021
 
  David Walsh
  World Socialist Web Site
  But more often than not, the fast-talkin’ double-talkin’ sings in the mouths of its cast, and Bogart’s performance is a star-maker.
 
  December 10, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
 
  Matt Neal
  ABC Radio (Australia)
  It’s a nonstop verbal joust between each of the severe, slippery characters, all of whom wear unyielding masks to conceal intentions.
 
  August 13, 2020 | Rating: 10/10
 
  Mike Massie
  Gone With The Twins
  This still rates as one of the very best crime-and-mystery jobs Hollywood has ever offered.
 
  October 24, 2019
 
  Clyde Gilmour
  Maclean’s Magazine…

 

Plot
Spade and Archer is the name of a San Francisco detective agency. That’s for Sam Spade and Miles Archer. The two men are partners, but Sam doesn’t like Miles much. A knockout, who goes by the name of Miss Wonderly, walks into their office; and by that night everything’s changed. Miles is dead. And so is a man named Floyd Thursby. It seems Miss Wonderly is surrounded by dangerous men. There’s Joel Cairo, who uses gardenia-scented calling cards. There’s Kasper Gutman, with his enormous girth and feigned civility. Her only hope of protection comes from Sam, who is suspected by the police of one or the other murder. More murders are yet to come, and it will all be because of these dangerous men
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Peter Lorre’s performance as Joel Cairo in The Maltese Falcon is often cited as one of the highlights of the film.
 

 
John-Huston.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Selznick International Pictures,,
 
Distributor
United Artists
 
Release Type
Streaming, Streaming (Netflix), Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
 
Filming Location(s)
Big Sur, California, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Approved
 
Year of Release
1940
 

 
Genre(s)
Mystery & thriller
 
Keyword(s)
starring Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine, Judith Anderson, George Sanders, Nigel Bruce, Reginald Denny, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, written by Daphne Du Maurier, Philip MacDonald, Michael Hogan, Robert E Sherwood, Joan Harrison, Barbara Keon, mystery, thriller, Gothic, suspense, haunting atmosphere, box office success, budget, reviewed by Katherine Howard, Ian Coster, Otis Ferguson, Mildred Martin, Mae Tinee, Colvin McPherson, Francois Truffaut, L.B Powell, T.C Kemp, David Reddish, Chase Burns, released in 1940, produced by David O Selznick, MPAA rating, United Artists, Mono sound mix, Flat aspect ratio
 

Cast & Crew

Laurence Olivier

George Fortescu Maximillian ‘Maxim’ de Winter

Joan Fontaine

Judith Anderson

George Sanders

George Fortescu Maximillian ‘Maxim’ de Winter

The Second Mrs. de Winter

Mrs. Danvers

Jack Favell

Major Giles Lacy

Laurence Olivier – George Fortescu Maximillian ‘Maxim’ de Winter
Joan Fontaine – The Second Mrs. de Winter
Judith Anderson – Mrs. Danvers
George Sanders – Jack Favell
Nigel Bruce – Major Giles Lacy
Reginald Denny – Frank Crawley

 

Alfred Hitchcock

Daphne Du Maurier

David O. Selznick

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Alfred Hitchcock
 
Writer(s)
Daphne Du Maurier, Philip MacDonald, Michael Hogan, Robert E. Sherwood, Joan Harrison, Barbara Keon
 
Producer(s)
David O. Selznick

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Won 2 Oscars
7 wins & 10 nominations total
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Katherine Howard

Ian Coster

Otis Ferguson

Mildred Martin

Mae Tinee

Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com

London Evening Standard

The New Republic

Philadelphia Inquirer

Chicago Tribune

REBECCA
  All Critics (102) | Top Critics (27) | Fresh (101) | Rotten (1)
  Don’t go to Rebecca thinking you will see some sort of horror or freak movie. It is not a Frankenstein, but an intensely dramatic piece with all the suspense and emotional appeal you could cram into one movie.
 
  March 24, 2022
 
  Katherine Howard
  Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com
  TOP CRITIC
  Hitch concentrates on telling the story. He tells it beautifully, but without the filmic asides for which he is celebrated.
 
  March 24, 2022
 
  Ian Coster
  London Evening Standard
  TOP CRITIC
  They could have made the last half first, and then saved the first half for a bit of Guy Fawkes bonfire. Unfortunately they didn’t; so the whole thing runs off in fireproof projection booths for two hours and a quarter and the audience burns instead.
 
  April 12, 2021
 
  Otis Ferguson
  The New Republic
  TOP CRITIC
  [Hitchcock] has succeeded brilliantly In his initial Hollywood venture. In his Individual fashion, he has re-told in his own creepy, colorful way Miss du Maurier’s forbidding, fascinating story of life and death, malignancy and murder.
 
  April 12, 2021
 
  Mildred Martin
  Philadelphia Inquirer
  TOP CRITIC
  I didn’t think they could do it! Capture the suspense, the horror, the beauty, and the strange eeriness of Rebecca, the book. But they have! The screen version is subtle, electrifying — and almost as fascinating as the novel.
 
  April 12, 2021
 
  Mae Tinee
  Chicago Tribune
  TOP CRITIC
  Fog, shipwreck, an insane man wandering the beach, water-soaked corpses, inquests, forbidden chambers and finally a destroying fire in a big English country house — all these flesh-curling delights are to be found in Rebecca.
 
  April 12, 2021
 
  Colvin McPherson
  St. Louis Post-Dispatch
  TOP CRITIC
  Rebecca has to be seen. Above all, it has to be seen a second time.
 
  May 9, 2022
 
  Francois Truffaut
  Arts (France)
  There is not a moment… when the camera is not used with cunning confidence… Add to that the usual brilliance of Laurence Olivier and the fact that Joan Fontaine attains a new high level in her career, and you know why this is a first-rate picture.
 
  March 24, 2022
 
  L.B. Powell
  Birmingham Mail
  Alfred Hitchcock has made a first-class job of the production. He decorates the manor of Mandeley with his customary touch of mystery and imagination.
 
  March 24, 2022
 
  T.C. Kemp
  Birmingham Post
  Viewed 80 years on, Rebecca still ranks as one of Hitchcocks best movies, and one of the great suspense thrillers. Give it a watch, fall in love with its twisted story, and judge its treatment of its gay lead for yourself.
 
  March 20, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
 
  David Reddish
  Queerty
  Hitchcock’s film is long, dark, and important…
 
  December 9, 2021
 
  Chase Burns
  The Stranger (Seattle, WA)
  Rebecca was Alfred Hitchcock’s first Hollywood movie after a stellar run in his native England — to say that it proved to be a potent calling card would be putting it mildly.
 
  October 11, 2021 | Rating: 4/4
 
  Matt Brunson
  Film Frenzy…

 

Plot
A shy lady’s companion, staying in Monte Carlo with her stuffy employer, meets the wealthy Maxim de Winter (Sir Laurence Olivier). She and Max fall in love, marry, and return to Manderley, his large country estate in Cornwall. Max is still troubled by the death of his first wife, Rebecca, in a boating accident the year before. The second Mrs. de Winter (Joan Fontaine) clashes with the housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers (Dame Judith Anderson), and discovers that Rebecca still has a strange hold on everyone at Manderley.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
The cast of Rebecca includes Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine, Judith Anderson, George Sanders, Nigel Bruce, and Reginald Denny.
 

 
Alfred-Hitchcock.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Cosmopolitan Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer,
 
Distributor
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios – 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
TV-PG
 
Year of Release
1934
 

 
Genre(s)
Comedy/Drama
 
Keyword(s)
starring William Powell, Myrna Loy, Maureen O’Sullivan, Nat Pendleton, Minna Gombell, Porter Hall, directed by W S Van Dyke II, written by Dashiell Hammett, Albert Hackett, Frances Goodrich, comedy, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Jess Mccabe, Times (UK) Staff, Paul Rotha, THR Staff, Don Druker, David Parkinson, Brian Eggert, Brian Shaer, Mike Massie, Matt Brunson, Helen Brown Norden, Ann Ross, Hunt Stromberg, produced by Hunt Stromberg, MPAA rating, private detective, mystery, sparkling repartee, involving mystery, endlessly charming romp, whip-smart, hilarious Nora, exciting adventure, genuine comedy, cleverly managed, well satisfied, well-fed look, popular comedies, true masterpiece, unparalleled mixture of laughs and suspense, cinematic compatibility, clicks on all cylinders, bright and sophisticated dialogue, light touch, gaiety, intelligent respect for the original spirit and tempo, highly entertained
 

Cast & Crew

William Powell

Myrna Loy

Maureen O’Sullivan

Nat Pendleton

Minna Gombell

Nick Charles

Nora Charles

Dorothy Wynant

Lt. John Guild

Mimi Jorgenson

William Powell – Nick Charles
Myrna Loy – Nora Charles
Maureen O’Sullivan – Dorothy Wynant
Nat Pendleton – Lt. John Guild
Minna Gombell – Mimi Jorgenson
Porter Hall – MacCauley

 

W. S. Van Dyke II

Dashiell Hammett

Hunt Stromberg

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
W. S. Van Dyke II
 
Writer(s)
Dashiell Hammett, Albert Hackett, Frances Goodrich
 
Producer(s)
Hunt Stromberg

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 4 Oscars
3 wins & 4 nominations total
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Jess Mccabe

Times (UK) Staff

Paul Rotha

THR Staff

Don Druker

Bitch Media

Times (UK)

Sight & Sound

Hollywood Reporter

Chicago Reader

THE THIN MAN
  All Critics (44) | Top Critics (11) | Fresh (43) | Rotten (1)
  It’s hard not to love the whip-smart, hilarious Nora.
 
  January 8, 2021
 
  Jess Mccabe
  Bitch Media
  TOP CRITIC
  This film has the unusual merit of combining exciting adventure and genuine comedy. The two are so cleverly managed that the one never gets in the way of the other.
 
  November 3, 2020
 
  Times (UK) Staff
  Times (UK)
  TOP CRITIC
  [An] exceptionally good movie…
 
  November 3, 2020
 
  Paul Rotha
  Sight & Sound
  TOP CRITIC
  Don’t spare the enthusiasm on this one because if the book had thousands of readers, this picture will have millions of customers – well satisfied and with that well-fed look.
 
  May 29, 2018
 
  THR Staff
  Hollywood Reporter
  TOP CRITIC
  One of the most popular comedies ever made.
 
  February 10, 2012
 
  Don Druker
  Chicago Reader
  TOP CRITIC
  Tense and slick, this early thriller remains a true masterpiece.
 
  February 10, 2012 | Rating: 5/5
 
  David Parkinson
  Empire Magazine
  TOP CRITIC
  The Thin Man remains an unparalleled mixture of laughs and suspense that many have imitated but none have equaled.
 
  February 14, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
 
  Brian Eggert
  Deep Focus Review
  The Thin Man zips along, barely taking a minute to breathe.
 
  May 11, 2021 | Rating: 10/10
 
  Brian Shaer
  Film Threat
  Powell and Loy were one of the greatest screen couples, their cinematic compatibility epitomized here with this second collaboration.
 
  July 30, 2020 | Rating: 10/10
 
  Mike Massie
  Gone With The Twins
  This classic clicks on all cylinders.
 
  August 10, 2019 | Rating: 4/4
 
  Matt Brunson
  Film Frenzy
  [Hammett’s] book has been adapted to the screen with an intelligent respect for the original spirit and tempo. The dialogue is bright and sophisticated; and Miss Loy and William Powell carry the thing off with a light touch and a great deal of gaiety.
 
  June 1, 2019
 
  Helen Brown Norden
  Vanity Fair
  The Thin Man is just about as good a mystery story as anyone could ask for. That is to say, it keeps you happily amused all the time it is keeping you anxiously waiting.
 
  April 1, 2019
 
  Ann Ross
  Maclean’s Magazine…

 

Plot
After a four year absence, one time detective Nick Charles returns to New York with his new wife Nora and their dog, Asta. Nick re-connects with many of his old cronies, several of whom are eccentric characters, to say the least. He’s also approached by Dorothy Wynant whose inventor father Clyde Wynant is suspected of murdering her father’s mistress (his former secretary ).. Her father had left on a planned trip some months before and she has had no contact with him. Nick isn’t all that keen on resuming his former profession but egged-on by wife Nora, who thinks this all very exciting, he agrees to help out. He solves the case, announcing the identity of the killer at a dinner party for all of the suspects.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
The chemistry between William Powell and Myrna Loy is described as “extraordinary” and their banter and quirky behavior takes over the movie.
 

 
W.-S.-Van-Dyke-II.jpg