All Quiet on the Western Front (1929/1930)

From what I can find, All Quiet on the Western Front was the first movie based on a book to win Best Picture. It was the only the third film to win the coveted award so that speaks pretty highly for films that come from books. Not all of them are great but sometimes they really hit the nail on the head.

The movie was the second war film to win Best Picture. War films usually do well with awards. It probably is because war is something that everyone has dealt with in some way.

This particular film follows young, German soldiers during World War I. The beginning of the film shows their teacher being "patriotic" by getting high school aged boys to enlist in the military. This patriotic teacher of course would not himself join to fight but it was perfectly acceptable to brainwash young minds.

*Spoiler Alert* I had seen clips of the scene where the man reaches out his hand then draws it back quickly, at least that is what I thought when the clip was out of context. After viewing the film, I realized he was reaching for a butterfly and was not jumping back as a reflex. In fact, he had been killed trying to get the butterfly that reminded him of days gone by with his sister. What a terrible, tragic ending. Overall, this was a great movie. War movies usually are good and this one may be one of the best. For being made in the early days of cinema, I was really impressed.

Cimarron (1930/1931)

Cimarron  was the first western to win the Best Picture Award back at the awards for the films from 1930/1931.

I am not a fan of westerns and unfortunately, this movie is no exception for me. Even though I love American history, I have never been excited by the western expansion. The pioneer women were tough because they had to be. The Native Americans were horribly mistreated. My love of American history is in the eastern states, mainly those along the Atlantic coast or very near there.

I preferred the movie when it showed the last part and the city had become a thriving area. The husband was annoying and unreliable. Men like this find their wives divorcing them now. Thankfully, I have crossed this movie off or the list "to see" and will never watch it again.

The Grand Hotel (1931/1932)

It is amazing the difference between the 1929 Best Picture winner and the jump in quality for the 1932 Best Picture winner. The Grand Hotel was really quite enjoyable. The transitions between scenes were much better than the film that won just 3 years before.

My favorite part of the entire film was the Baron's dog. My dog is part dachshund and I have an affinity for the breed. At the end, when they basically shove the dog out the door, I was so upset. Mistreating a German dog in the 1930s was not a smart move.

I was confused that Joan Crawford was in this movie and she was not Faye Dunaway. It would have been great if she started beating that pervert for whom she was working with a wire hanger. And the movie has two Barrymores!

Million Dollar Baby (2004)

Boxing seems to be a sport that movies about it do very well at the Oscars. Rocky won the Best Picture award, as did Million Dollar Baby. Robert DeNiro won Best Actor for Raging Bull. Christian Bale won for his participation in The Fighter. Hilary Swank also took home her second acting award for her lead role in this film. Morgan Freeman also got a supporting acting award for the film too.

I knew the ending of the movie before I saw it. I am not sure if that tainted my opinion of it or not. It was an okay film but I was not blown away by it. Eastwood had a better Best Picture winner with Unforgiven in 1992.

Marty (1955)

A simple, enjoyable, 90-minute film that won Best Picture - that is the best way to describe Marty. In an hour and a half, I managed to really like the characters. That is not something I can say for some 3+ hour films.

The title character comes from an Italian-American family. His Italian mother wants nothing more than for her last unmarried child to get married. That is until her sister warns her that if her remaining single child marries, she will have no one to obsess over anymore. It really reminded me of my Italian-American mother. No offense, mom.

I also noticed that this film won Best Picture in 1955. That is the same year Marty McFly went Back to the Future. I would like to think that is part of the reason his parents named him Marty.

On the Waterfront (1954)

I am curious as to how many Best Picture winners feature dealings with organized crime. How many of those films feature Marlon Brando? Okay, I can only think of two off the top of my head. At least in On the Waterfront , Brando is attempting to be on the good side of things.

Karl Malden is an actor I have liked in everything I have seen him appear. Eva Marie Saint was also very non-1950s actress but I mean that as a compliment. She was acting and not being some drama queen diva.

Brando and Saint won Oscars for their work in this film. While accepting her award, Saint was very far along in her pregnancy. She actually gave birth to her son 2 days after receiving her award.

I liked the movie but I would not say it was one of the best films I have seen. It has received high ratings and is ranked high on IMDb.com as one of the Top 250 movies, as voted by viewers. Brando also delivers a very popular line in the film. Mr. Brando, I would venture to say that in the world of movies, you were most definitely a contender.

You Can't Take it With You (1938)

You Can't Take it with You has a very early scene that shows Wall Street in the late 1930s. Nearly 75 years later, I walked that very street in New York City. It looks exactly the same. Sure the cars, clothes, and other things have changed but it was mesmerizing to see where I walked recently be there in black and white film.

The movie was cute and had a very simple story. I would venture to guess that the reason this movie took home the Best Picture award was the cast involved in making it. They seemed to genuinely love making the film and working together.

So far, this is the earliest Jimmy Stewart movie I have seen. He was 6'3 and towered over his costars. Jean Arthur would have been in her late 30s when she made this film. She looked wonderful! Maybe the women who resort to Botox in their late 30s need to find out what her secret was. Drew Barrymore's great uncle, Lionel, was also in the film. He just looks like a man you would know in your own life.