Here is the list of movies I saw from this year's nominations. After that is the award winners and my thoughts on who should have one.
All Quiet on the Western Front
This was so different from the other films I've watched on this journey. It was a film that had something to say. The plot was fairly standard, but it packed a punch. It explored some of the motives of why people went to war. It showed the bond and animosity towards fellow soldiers. It highlighted the terrible conditions of the trenches. It showcased the terrible spectacle of war and death. And through it all, it asked why. The conversation between the men discussing who started the war and why they were fighting in it was fantastic. I empathised with Paul about returning to the front instead of staying home. It is a long movie, and there was one point I got a bit tired and wondered when it would end, but it was worth pushing through. The acting wasn't brilliant by Lew Ayres, as cute as he is. My favourite actor here was Louis Wolheim as Kat. I read that he died shortly after this movie, which made me sad. The sound was pretty good. The trivia section on IMDB says that the director deliberately chose not to have a score. I guess with cinemas providing a musical score in-house, people were sick of music explaining mood now they had real sound. But from a modern viewpoint, I think a score in some places would have been nice. The cinematography was superb. So many innovative elements! My favourites were extreme close-ups, interesting filming angles, such as into a mirror, and having people and objects in the foreground (instead of it looking like filming a stage), and the filming up from inside a ditch. I also liked how at one point the boots were the focal point. The special effects were also great. I'm not sure how they did it all. It earned the Oscar for cinematography and Best Picture for me. I wish Louis Wolheim were nominated for the best actor, too.
8.4/10
Anna Christie
I got a bit bored with the story, to be honest. It took a long time for anything to happen. My biggest bugbear was Anna’s instant infatuation with Matt after he basically assaulted her. It makes me so mad. Nope – not my kind of story at all. I wanted the acting to be good. I especially wanted Garbo’s role to be powerful, but I felt it was the physical overacting of the silent film. The chemistry between Garbo and Bickford felt non-existent. However, I did like George F. Marion and Marie Dressler’s performances, even if they were a little bit over the top. I would have rated the movie even lower if it wasn't for them. There was nothing special about how the movie was filmed, and it didn’t have much to say. Did it deserve the Oscar Nom-Noms? - For best actress, no. Garbo performed better in Romance.
5.4/10
Bulldog Drummond
What an enjoyable film! I enjoyed the plot, which kept me interested the whole way through. The pace was good; they could have tidied a few sections up for time, but overall, very good. When I thought it was ending, it kept going, and that's not a bad thing. I was very impressed with Ronald Colman, and I think he was a fantastic actor and a bit of a heartthrob. I also liked the character of Algie; not realistic but overdone for comedic effect. I appreciated the mix of drama and comedy, which made it a delightful movie. There were a few "look at us - we have sound now" songs but no score. The songs didn't detract, so that was positive. The costumes and set design were great, and I was pleased with some great cinematography - a zoom-out, great lighting, and a good mix of close-ups.
Colman deserved the nomination.
7/10
Condemned
I loved this movie!! The plot was so good and kept me interested the whole time. There was one implausible scene, but I thought the pace and story were the best I've seen for a while. There were some very clever plot points. The acting from Ronald Colman is so good. He is so handsome! He is lovable and believable and a pleasure to watch. I wish Ann Harding did a better job, but she wasn't too painful. I also liked Louis Wolheim. There were some good cinematography elements with good lighting, and the jungle scenes were visually exciting. Overall, an enjoyable movie, one that I would watch again without hesitation. Did it deserve an Oscar Nom-Nom? Yes - Ronald Colman is outstanding!
8/10
Hallelujah
The acting was pretty good, but I felt like the story lacked oomph. I loved the religious aspect but maybe it was a little overplayed. Unfortunately, I felt it lacked good cinematography and setting. What I loved about this movie was the soundtrack. The singing was sensational and beautiful and timeless. Watch this movie for the soundtrack and some great performances from some underrated actors. If there was an Oscar for film score at the time, I think this should have won.
6.53/10
Hell's Angels
Wow! What a movie. I enjoyed the plot and pace of this movie; however, I missed a crucial plot point until near the end, which spoilt it a little for me - I didn't realise the Rutledges were brothers! I liked how Roy asked Helen for consent to kiss her (very modern and a good precept to follow), but then Helen didn't show that same consideration with Monte. I don't think Karl would have had that position in the Air Force in real life. It was interesting to see American understanding of German fanaticism pre-WWII. There were lots of things that they unknowingly foreshadowed about the war to come. There were some political stirrings that they wouldn't be able to show decades later in the Un-American activities' decade of the '50s. And some of it was a bit raunchy. All-in-all, the plot was a bit ahead of its time. What lets this movie down was the acting. There was not a single actor, besides, maybe the man who played the German colonel, that I thought did a great job. I wanted to like Jean Harlow, but I found her acting annoying and unconvincing. It's a shame because this would have been a complete knock-out with realistic acting and a decent score. What I loved in this movie was the beautiful cinematography. The fades and lighting are superb. There were times you could see they had used the silent footage (the movie was made as a silent film, then remade into a talkie), which I thought was interesting. I loved the use of colour. It made the party seem more opulent, and the blue colour of the night versus the red of Zepplin burning was fabulous. There were great shots of bombs dropping, close-ups of the bolt cutters, and other great effects. One of the best movies of this Academy Awards.
7.5/10.
King of Jazz
This was really cool. It has a real family viewing feel, and I think it would have been novel for the day. IMDB says it was a bit of a flop with audiences because so many musicals were coming out, and people were getting bored of them, but I think this one is special. There is no actual plot or acting, but the songs are great for the most part, and the cinematography and design are superb. It has terrific colour, inventive fades and camera angles, and innovative moviemaking. The sets and costumes are elite. A few skits and songs fall flat or seem amateurish, but there is enough impressive stuff to keep you wowed. Some of the dancing was impressive. And the best bit? BING!!! I'm such a Bing Crosby fan. I loved his songs. I wish he hadn't been convicted for drink driving and kept his song of the dawn because he would have nailed that, even though the singer who took it from him did a good job.
Did it deserve the Oscar Nom-Nom? Yes, and it earned its win too.
7.5/10
Raffles
This was a good, fun movie. I was interested in the plot, even if the pace was a little slow at times. The ending was great, and it was well done overall. The acting was superb by everyone too. Ronald Colman is excellent. He is the first star that I didn't know before this journey that I feel is underrated. He is Gable-esque but with a hint of Britishness that I just adore. This movie still holds its own today. There was one scene that must have been captured on the sped-up silent film stuff because it looked weird and out-of-kilter with the rest of the movie, but it was a good watch. If People magazine had a Sexist Man competition back then, my nomination would be for Ronald. Worth a watch.
7/10
Romance
This was ho-hum for me. The story was ok but not gripping. The acting was pretty good, but I had trouble with the sound quality, and it was hard to hear all the dialogue. There were a few moments of good cinematography, but the rest was filmed like a play. Nothing special here.
6.45/10.
Sarah and Son
This movie was a drag! The plot was so implausible, and there was nothing I could tell the film was trying to say, except maybe a bond between mother and child is unbreakable, but the way they did this was blah. I didn’t enjoy the acting, and I believed Ruth was from another country. But her accent was so thick that I couldn’t understand what she was saying. It seemed so unnecessary for her to have the accent! The sound, in general, was poor. There was nothing special about the design or cinematography elements. Honestly, I checked out of this movie early on, probably more so than any other film I’ve watched on this journey. The ending was laughable, and I wanted the movie to end about 15 minutes in. Was it worth an Oscar Nom-Nom? An emphatic no.
4.5/10.
Street of Chance
The acting of William Powell and Kay Francis was excellent. There were some good characters, but it almost felt like too many (sometimes I couldn't work out who people were and why they were in the story). The costumes were good. While the movie kept my interest, the story felt a bit lacklustre. The sound and editing weren't great either. But it was still a fun movie.
6.7/10.
The Big House
I loved Beery in this movie. I thought his character and acting was great. The cinematography was fantastic. What bothered me about this movie was the pace (I felt it was a bit too slow), and the whole sister romance thing. I read in the trivia of the movie that the original version had it as the goody-two-shoes' wife. That would have been much more interesting and realistic. I guess I also didn't like that they basically made it seem that ratting out the prisoner's escape plans was a bad thing. It just felt a bit disjointed for me but had some wonderful elements.
6.75/10
The Big Pond
I'm not a Chevalier fan, so I dreaded this one a little, but I ended up enjoying it.
The plot was quite good, and the pace was adequate. There is the cliché misunderstanding and a questionable ending, but there are some comedic moments, and it is generally fun. The acting all around was pretty good. Maurice and Claudette were very good. I was especially impressed with Claudette - I think she's terrific. The sound levels at the start were a bit dodgy and made it difficult to understand what was happening. I don't think Maurice's singing is all that good, but the talking of the song is even worse! I recognise the main song (that they play over and over again) from the Marx Bros. movie, where they use it as a comic gag. I prefer the happy-go-lucky song more. I wonder if the office is from the same set as The Trespasser, as it looks very familiar. Nothing special to note about cinematography or design. If Maurice got a nod for acting in this movie, Claudette should have had one too. They were as good as each other, and maybe Claudette was better.
6.5/10
The Devil's Holiday
This was very melodramatic, but I liked it. There was an issue with it being slow about halfway through but other than that, it was enjoyable and engaging. The dialogue was a bit clunky, and it was hard to hear at first. What I loved about this movie was Nancy Carroll's performance. She definitely deserved the Oscar nomination here.
6.85/10.
The Divorcee
I thought the plot was very thought-provoking and highlighted the double standard of the time when it came to infidelity. There was a slow patch three-quarters of the way through, but the ending was great, and as a whole, the movie felt relatively modern. Any film with bridge in it makes me happy as it’s one of my favourite hobbies. I would have had a lot of fun hanging out with this group at their guest house. My first impression of Norma Shearer is that I was underwhelmed, considering she got the Oscar for best actress for this movie. The constant giggling of the first half an hour was very annoying. By the movie's end, I could see the character progression through the acting, but her performance felt a bit flat to me. Moments of brilliance but moments of cringe too. According to trivia, Joan Crawford wanted the role; I think that would have been fascinating (and maybe a better fit?) I think Conrad Nagel did a great job, as did Robert Montgomery, and I think they were the stars of this movie acting-wise for me. I wasn’t overly taken with Chester Morris in this role. I prefer him as a gangster. The special effects of the fast driving scenes are almost comical today but might have been good for the time. I kept wondering if Norma had a “good side” because we kept just seeing the side of her face, usually her left side. In the trivia I read afterwards, it said Norma was cross-eyed, and I guess maybe that is why there were so many side shots. The sets and costumes in this movie were divine. My favourites were the wedding bouquet and dress and Jerry’s pants!
7.5/10
The Green Goddess
This was so painful. I watched the silent version, which might not be fair to George Arliss, but here are my thoughts. The plot is ok, but the pace is very slow. It is the acting that makes the movie so painful. It is terrible. The raj doesn't look even a hint Indian, and the character felt so inauthentic. I felt racially uncomfortable the whole way through. I got so bored watching this and couldn't wait for it to be over. The plane crash scene was laughable. The worst movie I've seen in a while.
4/10
The Love Parade
I was nervous about this movie as I'm not a Maurice Chevalier fan. I'm also not a Jeanette Macdonald fan either. I felt like I had seen the movie before, but it's just that it has many of the same actors as The Big Pond. The butler singing at the start was quite fun. There were some good comedic moments. I liked the lady's face after the gunshot scene. There were some very risqué moments. I take issue a little with the ending due to slightly feminist leanings, but it was pretty expected for the time. The acting was quite good. Jeanette's singing is fantastic, even though I can't understand the lyrics. I softened towards Maurice during the movie, and now I am a fan of his, but just not his singing. He looks like a good hugger. The sound was very innovative for its time. It's often touted as the first real musical. The cinematography was good, and the costumes were divine! A must-watch for fans of old musicals or those interested in their history.
7/10
The Trespasser
Another great movie. I am loving the movies nominated in this Oscar's year. The title is clever - linking to trespasses as another name for sin and trespassers as a mistress into a marriage boundary. The plot was interesting but, unfortunately, implausible at times. There were a few slowish sections, but overall, it was well done. The acting from the whole cast is probably the best I've seen in a while. Usually, there is at least one terrible actor somewhere, but this was pretty good. Gloria is a fantastic actress. So far, I have found a lot of actresses are still overacting in the main, but Gloria did a much more subtle job. Jackie was adorable. I wish I could have felt more for the male characters, but I thought they were a bit one-dimensional. I don't know why Gloria had to sing in the movie. She has a lovely voice, but I felt it unnecessary and was probably just to exploit the new technology. Gloria was magnificent.
6.5/10
The Vagabond King
This had some cool stuff, but I struggled through it. The plot was implausible but cute. However, the last quarter of the movie dragged out a little bit, and I wished it was over. There were some good actors, but the two main stars were quite hammy. They would have been picked on singing ability rather than acting, and they were great operatic singers. The music was good for the time. I like that this is the first talkie I've watched with a proper score, not just songs. The cinematography had some outstanding elements. There was Technicolor and a range of shots. The costumes were magnificent. If the plot had been handled better, this would have been rated much higher for me.Was it worth an Oscar Nom-Nom? Yes - it had some wonderfully innovative techniques for this time and genre.
6/10
Their Own Desire
The story was implausible but also heartwarming. I felt Norma and Robert over-acted a bit too much, but Lewis Stone was at his magnificent best as usual. The costumes were great and while the effects were a bit unrealistic, at least they tried. The movie kept me engaged throughout most of it and I liked the ending. Pretty obvious that the age difference between mother and daughter wasn't realistic. A good watch.
6.95/10
With Byrd at the South Pole
This was so interesting. There were no dull moments in this documentary. I was very engrossed in suave Byrd and his men in the Antarctic. I loved the penguins, seals, and huskies. It is incredible that they could live in those conditions and blizzards. The story of Spy was heart-wrenching. I could feel how scared I would be to live there, even temporarily! It was patriotically American, but there was a nod to nations that came before them. I was amazed they built the plane on site! I wonder how much of this (if any) was re-enacted. It looks very authentic. The score was great and suited the documentary well. The pictures of the Ross Barrier were terrific. Did it deserve an Oscar Nom-Nom? Yes and no. There was no documentary field then, but this would have won with bells on if there were. As for cinematography, I am amazed the camera worked in those conditions and impressed the camera operators stayed the course. However, there weren't any special camera effects - it was point-and-shoot - but it was well done.
7/10
Award Winners
The winner is listed first, and my choice is underlined.
Best Actor
George Arliss – Disraeli as Benjamin Disraeli and The Green Goddess as The Raja
Wallace Beery – The Big House as Butch
Maurice Chevalier – The Big Pond as Pierre Mirande and The Love Parade as The Count Alfred Renard
Ronald Colman – Bulldog Drummond as Hugh Drummond and Condemned as Michel
Lawrence Tibbett – The Rogue Song as Yegor Granted, I didn't get to see George's winning performance, but I saw him in the Green Goddess and was not impressed. I think Ronald did a fantastic job and at no point succumbed to the overacting style of the time. He was also good in multiple movies. Beery was also excellent. I think it was a bit stiff that Louis Wolheim wasn't nominated as he did a great job in multiple roles too, with my favourite being Kat.
Best Actress
Norma Shearer – The Divorcee as Jerry Martin
Nancy Carroll – The Devil's Holiday as Hallie Hobart
Ruth Chatterton – Sarah and Son as Sarah Storm
Greta Garbo – Anna Christie as Anna Christie and Romance as Rita Cavallini
Norma Shearer – Their Own Desire as Lucia 'Lally' Marlett
Gloria Swanson – The Trespasser as Marion Donnell
I liked Norma's performance but there were times it just seemed forced. I feel she should have won this award the year before so maybe this makes up for it. My favourite performance for this year though was Nancy Carroll and she just pips it for me. She was realistic and able to act in a melodrama without too much exaggeration. Gloria was also fantastic. I think Claudia Colbert should have been nominated too.
Best Picture
All Quiet on the Western Front – Carl Laemmle, for Universal Studios
The Big House – Irving Thalberg for Cosmopolitan
Disraeli – Jack L. Warner and Darryl F. Zanuck for Warner Bros.
The Divorcee – Robert Z. Leonard for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
The Love Parade – Ernst Lubitsch for Paramount Famous Lasky The Academy got it right here. No doubt. My second favourite movie was Condemed! which was a big step down from AQOTWF.
My top three movies for the year were 1) All Quiet on the Western Front, 2) Condemned!, and 3) Joint - The Divorcee, Hell's Angels, and King of Jazz.
Worst Picture
My least favourite picture for the year was The Green Goddess. What in the world was that movie!? Weird and not in a good way.
Best Director
Lewis Milestone – All Quiet on the Western Front
Clarence Brown – Anna Christie
Robert Z. Leonard – The Divorcee
King Vidor – Hallelujah
Ernst Lubitsch – The Love Parade
Clarence Brown – Romance
Goes without saying.
Best Writing
The Big House – Frances Marion
All Quiet on the Western Front – George Abbott, Maxwell Anderson, and Del Andrews, based on the novel by Erich Maria Remarque
Disraeli – Julien Josephson, based on the play by Louis N. Parker
The Divorcee – John Meehan, based on the novel Ex-Wife by Ursula Parrott
Street of Chance – Howard Estabrook, based on a story by Oliver H. P. Garrett
I didn't like the changes in the story from the original for The Big House. I think AQOTWF did a fantastic job of bringing the story from the book to the screen.
Best Sound Recording
The Big House – Douglas Shearer
The Case of Sergeant Grischa – John E. Tribby
The Love Parade – Franklin Hansen
Raffles – Oscar Lagerstrom
Song of the Flame – George Groves
Best Art Direction
King of Jazz – Herman Rosse
Bulldog Drummond – William Cameron Menzies
The Love Parade – Hans Dreier
Sally – Jack Okey
The Vagabond King – Hans Dreier
I agree with the Academy here.
Best Cinematography
With Byrd at the South Pole – Joseph T. Rucker and Willard Van der Veer
All Quiet on the Western Front – Arthur Edeson
Anna Christie – William Daniels
Hell's Angels – Tony Gaudio and Harry Perry
The Love Parade – Victor Milner
Very impressive work to film in such terrible conditions.
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