10 Great Old Movies for Tough Times
by Muzz Zennick
Nixed the vacation? Dining at home? Pop some corn, check out these classics, and take heart.
1) You Can’t Take It with You
1938
Director: Frank Capra
Screenwriter: Robert Riskin
Starring: Jean Arthur, Lionel Barrymore, James Stewart, Edward Arnold, Ann Miller
A class struggle romance between Jean Arthur and James Stewart provides the simple framework for Lionel Barrymore’s magnificent riffs on uprightness.
2) Sullivan’s Travels
1941
Writer/Director: Preston Sturges
Starring: Joel McCrea, Veronica Lake
As a man learns about life while traveling hobo style, Preston Sturges offers a layered account of artistic integrity as America reels out of the Depression and into World War II .
3) Meet John Doe
1941
Director: Frank Capra
Writer: Robert Riskin
Starring: Barbara Stanwyck, Gary Cooper
A laid-off reporter writes a letter to her newspaper from a fictitious person that gets her rehired and starts a political movement. A timely tale for the holiday season: pawns versus kings, class dignity and degradation, ambition within the Fourth Estate, intrigue versus simplicity; this one is ripe for a remake!
4) City Lights
1931
Writer/Director: Charlie Chaplin
Starring: Charlie Chaplin, Virginia Cherrill
Dubbed ‘A Romance Comedy in Pantomime,’ a vagabond falls in love with a blind flower girl. Watch the tramp’s eyes in the final scene; the light provides a compelling reminder of what is truly important in this fragile life.
5) The Great Dictator
1940
Writer/Director: Charlie Chaplin
Before the end of World War II, Chaplin made this historic comic satire of Nazi Germany. If you’ve never seen it, flix your net; if you’ve seen it a dozen times, see it again.
6) To Be or Not to Be
1942
Director/Producer: Ernst Lubitsch
Screenwriter: Edwin Justus Mayer
Starring: Carole Lombard, Jack Benny, Robert Stack
Carole Lombard was an audience beacon through the ‘30s in legendary comedies like My Man Godfrey and the hilarious hoax-driven Nothing Sacred. In this final role, her greatest humanity is illuminated; she plays a part of a Polish comedy troupe who endeavors to keep a spy from delivering information to the Germans.
7) Christmas in July
1940
Writer/Director: Preston Sturges
Starring: Dick Powell, Ellen Drew
Christmas in July is Sturges’ lesser known tale of truth and consequences. Continuing to ring true today is the famous line, “If you can’t sleep at night, it isn’t the coffee – it’s the bunk!”
8) Dinner at Eight
1933
Director: George Cukor
Producer: David O. Selznick
Writer: Frances Marion (wrote from 1912 until 1979!)
Starring: Marie Dressler, John Barrymore, Lionel Barrymore, Billie Burke, Jean Harlow
Dinner at Eight is a surprisingly serious, yet comedic and an oh-so-relevant take on greed and gain, loss and love. This complex film and its stars continue to shine seventy-five years later.
9) Baby Face
1933
Director: Alfred E. Green
Writer: Gene Markey/Kathryn Scola
Starring: Barbara Stanwyck, George Brent
Barbara Stanwyck starred in so many films that it’s not easy to identify the one that illustrates Hollywood’s penchant for portraying broads who’d do anything to get by: Baby Face is that film.
10) Little Women
1933
Director: George Cukor
Screenwriter: Sarah Y. Mason, Victor Heerman
Starring: Katharine Hepburn, Joan Bennett, Edna May Oliver
A Civil War coming of age film, the underrated character actress Edna May Oliver nails the wealthy, crotchety aunt whose power trips regarding capital, decisions, and opinions greatly influence the fortunes of three of the four sisters.
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I read Little Women many times as a young girl. There’s also a more recent version of the film starring Winona Ryder, Claire Daines, and several other well-known stars. It’s a wonderful story.
Thanks for the list, Jaden! I’ve never seen any of them. When I saw that Katharine Hepburn was in LITTLE WOMEN, I was thinking that she might be the sister of Audrey Hephburn, but nope….not the same last name (h taken out). Friday night, I was Audrey’s first film, ROMAN HOLIDAY, which also stars Gregory Peck. It was very good!
Melissa — I haven’t read or seen any of the Little Women works — will have to check ‘em out.
SizzlyP — We can thank Muzz for this movie list.
I think I have only seen the two Chaplin movies on this list.
There are three film versions of Little Women — the afore-mentioned 1933 version, 1949 with June Allyson and Elizabeth Taylor, and the one from the 1990s that Melissa mentioned that also stars Susan Sarandon as Marmie. Worth seeing the different takes on the story, though maybe not back to back!
Oops! I read everything but the by-line. Thanks Muzz!
“You Can’t Take It With You” is already on my Netflix, and I think I’ve seen either “City Lights” or “The Great Dictator” but I’ll add them both, as well as the rest of this list. I’m not so sure about “Little Women” …not a big fan of Civil War pieces (I don’t know why, bad memories of history class perhaps) and something bothers me about Katharine Hepburn (can’t figure that out either). I do love Audrey though… Regardless, I’ll add “Little Women” and perhaps I’ll be surprised like I have several other times I underestimated a film.