Great Films of the Golden Age Part 6: Columbia

Of the major film studios in the "Golden Age" of cinema, Columbia was one of the least powerful. Unlike most of the other studios, they did not own a large chain of theatres, which was common practice until the late 40s (and the end of that system was a major contributor to the end of the "Golden Age"). Columbia was altogether more modest and had to get most of their star power from the other studios. It's rather remarkable that Columbia survived, thrived and is with us today.

Of course, in the 1930s Columbia had one major advantage: they had director Frank Capra, who brought them box office and Academy Award gold in 1934 with It Happened One Night and made some of his best-remembered pictures with them.

My ten favorite Golden Age Columbia films in chronological order are:

• It Happened One Night (1934)
• Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936)
• Lost Horizon (1937)
• You Can't Take it With You (1938)
• Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
• Only Angels Have Wings (1939)
• His Girl Friday (1940)
• Penny Serenade (1941)
• Dead Reckoning (1947)
• Lady From Shanghai (1947)

7 are romance/comedy with 1 fantasy and 2 film noirs. Half of them were directed by Frank Capra while another 3 star Cary Grant.