20 Great Years of Movies, Part 15: 1952

1. Ikiru (director: Akira Kurosawa): I think I mentioned at the outset that I'm game for sentimentality; at the same time, I can abide with cynical works as the many examples of film noir I've listed will testify. I suppose this film is a middle ground between the two - it has sentiment and cynicism living side-by-side. It has cynical figures who can't see the world beyond the tip of their nose and an aching sentimentality for life, for meaning, for sacrifice. I love this little film.
2. High Noon (director: Fred Zinnemann): One of the few westerns to rank high with me - it is considered one of the greatest as a sheriff looks for help in facing a band of killers -- but no one is willing to take a stand. Considering what was going on around this movie - the "Red Scare" - it's themes are all the more biting.
3. The Bad and the Beautiful (director: Vincente Minnelli): Another Hollywood insider-type film in the spirit of Sunset Blvd. This one concerns a filmmaker who became a legend but didn't mind stepping on his collaborators along the way. It's an interesting ensemble piece, although Kirk Douglas' leading role really takes the cake!
4. The Holly and the Ivy (director: George More O'Ferrall): As the son of a pastor I probably enjoy this far more than most - it's a British drama about a pastor's family gathering at the holidays as all their interpersonal drama comes out in a confrontation.
5. O. Henry's Full House (director: Jean Negulesco): An anthology which adapts many of O. Henry's best known stories such as "The Ransom of Red Chief" and "The Gift of the Magi." It's a neat little movie if you like O. Henry (I really do).
6. Ivanhoe (director: Richard Thorpe): A decent adaptation of Sir Walter Scott's novel; it's a fun adventurous movie, although I think it was later surpassed by the 1982 television version.
7. Limelight (director: Charles Chaplin): Chaplin's last great film, a drama in which he portrays a has-been who sees an opportunity to inspire a young woman and give her a chance at stardom. A very fine sentimental drama.
8. Singin' in the Rain (director: Gene Kelly): I'm not as into this movie as some and as a silent film buff I kind of resent how its version of silent film history has supplanted the much more interesting true history, but heck, I ain't made of stone -- this film is a ton of fun with great songs, great dancing and great jokes.
9. Beware, My Lovely (director: Harry Horner): Our favourite creep Robert Ryan plays a hired hand who is on the verge of a violent breakdown. It's adapted from an episode of the radio series Suspense ("To Find Help") which I like a lot more than this film, but this is an interesting gem worth reappraising.
10. Androcles and the Lion (director: Chester Erskine): An amusing adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's play about Christians being thrown to the lions, with Alan Young as the titular Androcles, who just happens to be the lion's BFF.