See below for a brief review of each movie. Click here to see the awards and who I thought should have won each category.
A Free Soul
I enjoyed the story, and it kept my interest the whole way through. Some of the costumes were beautiful. The downside for me was Norma's performance, and the way Ace's character seemingly turned. The ending was a bit wishy washy. Barrymore's performance was worth the Oscar nomination - the end courtroom scene was magnificent.
6.98/10.
Cimarron
Okay. I enjoyed the plot. Personally, I like generational saga-type stories, so this one appealed to me. The only thing I didn't buy was Sabra's dedication to a guy who kept abandoning the family. I get keeping his name on the newspaper, but I didn't particularly appreciate that such a strong woman was a doormat to her husband. I liked that the good guy was also the bad guy. The end of Isaiah almost made me cry. The biggest disappointment in this movie for me was Dix's acting. It was so bad and hammy! He looked and acted like he couldn't move on from silent film. If they had a brilliant actor in that role, the movie would have been soooo much better! George E. Stone was brilliant, as always. He's becoming a favourite of mine! My favourite part was the land grab at the start. That was impressive, and I felt scared. Very crazy! I think the win for art direction is valid, and nominations for writing, director, and cinematography are warranted. But I disagree with the win of Best Picture, and I very much disagree with the best actor nomination for Dix!
7/10.
East Lynne
This had a real Rebecca feel to it. I enjoyed the plot; it was a bit melodramatic at times, but I think that is a good genre. I didn't guess the ending, which is always a plus. It was unrealistic but entertaining and well portrayed. The acting was quite good, and I think Ann Harding was spectacular. Overall, there was quality with the cast. The music was good and was used well to portray emotional conflict and plot points. The cinematography, set design, and costumes were quite good, but unfortunately, due to the film being perished, it was hard to see much in great detail.
6.8/10
Holiday
What a delightful movie. This is one that I feel I could watch over and over again. I liked the plot and found Robert Ames' character charming, and I like his worldview. I liked Ann Harding's character from the get-go. The story was pretty predictable but didn't end quite how I expected it. I was very impressed by the writing in this film. The dialogue is quick, witty, and feels natural. Very entertaining. The acting was also superb. I couldn't fault anyone. Ann is the stand-out, but Mary Astor was great too. I enjoyed Robert Ames's performance, and huge kudos to Edward Everett Horton, who I thought was sublime. If there was a supporting actor category of the time, Horton should have been nominated. I loved the set design and costumes. Chef's kiss.
7.2/10
Just Imagine
This is one of the most trippy movies I have ever seen! There were some interesting ideas that seem cliche now - flying transport and video calls. But I like their imaginative social concepts, like names being numbers and needing a court order to marry. But why they didn't change hairstyles and clothes had me beat. Mars was also really weird! The songs were lovely, and I liked the old-fashioned girl or boy song. The dance in the Mars idol worship bit was weird as the black costumes kind of looked like pubic hair, which was off-putting. Design-wise, I am a bit disappointed as they could have had so much fun, but instead, it was just deco. There were some interesting costume ideas, but there could have been more. Overall, it was a weird movie.
6.2/10
Laughter
A delightful movie. I liked the story; there were some amusing moments and some tragic ones. My favourite scene was the bear rugs! There was great character development because I began hating the composer, Paul, but I liked him by the end. I thought Nancy Carroll, Glen Anders, and a pre-Wizard Frank Morgan were good in this movie. My favourite actor in this movie was Frederic March. I thought he did a great job, and I thought he was actually playing the piano at one point. The music was great.
7.4/10
Little Caesar
I wasn't prepared to like this movie after watching The Public Enemy and loving it. But I enjoyed this movie quite a lot. The plot was fantastic. I liked the character of Rico, and there was a lot of character development and twists and turns. The acting was pretty good. Yes, I get irritated by Robinson's voice, but it's iconic and synonymous with gangsters now, so I put up with it. His acting was good, and I was also impressed with George E. Stone, who plays Otero. I've seen him in other movies without really registering he's in them, but I noticed him in this movie. Dougles Fairbanks Jr is also easy on the eye! There were some exciting cinematography choices with moving cameras and some interesting close-ups. It is one of the best movies for me regarding cinematography for the year.
7.6/10
Min and Bill
I think the movie was cute with a great twist. The writing/dialogue is really good and funny. I'm very impressed with the director as the interactions and conversations seem very real. It was heartwarming but also shocking. A memorable film. For a comedy, it sure got dark! I love Marie Dressler. There is just something about her. Wallace is cute too. The girl is good but feels too old for the role. Did Marie almost call Bella by her real name Marjorie in the fight scene? The special effects were terrible by today's standards. The set designs were beautiful and intricate. The costumes were good at portraying rough times really well, with safety pins and holes. What with the hat in the school admittance scene though? Wowsers! I want the bull perfume dispenser in my home, stat. This should have been nominated over Trader Horn for Best Picture!
7.8/10
Morocco
Wow! The cinematography was so beautiful in this film. The acting was brilliant. The costumes and sets were gorgeous. The only negative to this movie is that there were some slow points of the film but overall, this is an amazing movie. I was haunted by the last scenes. I knew the ending was coming but the way they did it took my breath away. The gun scenes were so tense. The first quarter and last quarter of this movie were sublime; if the other half through the middle had the same punch, this would have been my favourite movie of the year. So, it's my second favourite by a gnat. This one will stick with me. Loved it.
8.1/10.
Skippy
I loved the first 10 minutes but then I got bored. It was an ok movie but didn't grab me. The ending made me sad. Learning about Jackie's treatment offscreen made this all the more pitiful. But his acting was well worth the nomination.
6.3/10.
Smart Money
This was a pretty run of the mill gangster movie, but it had more heart in it than others. I got a bit confused with the female leads as to who was who, but it was a good story. My favourite things were James Cagney (one of my faves), the ending, and pretty solid acting. At times, it was a bit predictable or over the top but still an enjoyable watch.
6.8/10.
Svengali
I got a bit bored in this one. I didn't love the plot. I liked how it portrayed mind control and how much of a narcissist this character was, but I didn't feel connected enough to any of the characters to feel anything for them. The acting wasn't great. Marian Marsh was ok. Barrymore was pretty good, but the make-up let him down. There was no connection between Marsh and Barrymore, and this could be because she was still a teenager while he was almost 50. I get that it is a tale of a man taking advantage of a young girl, but something about it fell flat. The songs are not to my taste. I liked the use of contact lenses to make Barrymore's eyes look freaky, and the costumes were pretty good. There were some good design choices, and the cinematography had some lovely moments. But overall, I didn't enjoy this movie very much.
6/10.
Tabu: A Story of the South Seas
After watching Trader Horn recently, Tabu was a much better version of showing other cultures. The plot was exciting but a little slow. The ending was beautifully captured and poignant. The actors were good, and I felt like I was watching real life. Being silent helped in this case. My biggest bugbear of the movie was that the music was not from the culture portrayed. Very disappointing! The places looked lovely, and I liked the little piggy.
6/10.
The Criminal Code
A very enjoyable plot that kept me guessing. I think it was super unrealistic for the warden to be cool with his daughter being in love with a criminal, but it's not a significant issue. I felt like the movie had something to say about prison conditions. The acting was pretty good. All of them had some great moments. I don't like it when characters talk so fast I can't understand them. I wish they would slow down. I'm not sure everyone just yelling "yeah" conveyed a true sense of rebellion. The cinematography was pretty good and had some superimposing and shadows that worked well. The costumes were good. Overall, an enjoyable movie.
6.9/10
The Dawn Patrol
I enjoyed the story of this movie, and the ending was great. I have seen this movie before but not this version; I saw the 1938 version. I didn't like the acting unfortunately and it was slow to get to the point, but I loved the singing bit and when the captain says goodbye to Scotto. But the plot was fantastic and that is why it gets the score it does.
6.98/10.
The Doorway to Hell
This is a severely underrated movie. I loved the plot, and the dialogue is some of the best I've watched in this journey so far. The cinematography was pretty good and there were some very clever directorial choices. Cagney was amazing and there were times I genuinely gasped. The only downside for me is that I felt Lew Ayres was miscast in this movie. He did a good job, but they could have cast that role better. In my top five movies for the year.
7.75/10.
The Front Page
I found this movie so difficult to understand. Some of it was the sound quality, and the rest was the manically fast way the actors spoke. I couldn't understand about three-quarters of what was being said, so I struggled to string the plot together. This spoiled the whole movie for me. I worked out what was happening but couldn't get into the characters because it seemed all plot and no character development. Head and no heart. You can tell it was a movie made from a play because that's what it felt like. There was so much action in the little press room and not much else. I think if it were redone, it would be a good plot. There were great hints at journalists making things up and crooked government officials. It would be fantastic if more plot time were taken to enhance the relationships and take away unnecessary dialogue so that what is spoken can be done at a normal speed without sounding like a horse-racing caller. I have a soft spot for Slim Summerville after seeing him in All Quiet on the Western Front. But as for directing, it felt too much like they whacked a camera in front of a play.
6/10.
The Public Enemy
Loved it! The story was gripping all the way through. Sure, the almost celebration of domestic abuse is one scene that is a major drawback, but it's one small part of a fantastic movie. The final scene really hit me! Big topics are tackled. The acting was pretty good, except for the kids. My favourite actor was James Cagney. I was blown away by his talent and how he created chemistry with the actresses. The cinematography was some of the best I've seen so far. The costumes were fantastic and showed the progression of the characters in a short amount of time. Such an enjoyable watch! James Cagney should have been nominated for Best Actor.
8.3/10
The Royal Family of Broadway
So bored. There was almost no plot to this movie. I felt it was a self-indulgent glorification of acting and acting families. The acting was OK. My favourite was Ina Claire in this movie. The sound quality was terrible. The highlight of the film was the fantastic dresses. Yawn. Fredric March is a great actor, but he's not in this movie much, and I've seen better performances from him.
5.4/10.
Trader Horn
I had a hard time watching this movie. Ethically, I had so many issues with it. Reading the trivia behind some of it made it worse. It felt so exploitative, which is a shame because an African adventure movie would have been lovely. There was racism and actual animal cruelty. It certainly hasn't aged well. That said, I applaud some of the efforts it would have taken to film in Africa. The acting was ok. I also felt this movie was overly long! I got pretty bored. Was not worth any nominations.
5.2/10.
Whoopee!
More like Whoopsie to me. The plot was ok, but I couldn't get past the racism. The acting was terrible; some of the worst I've seen. I know it's a comedy but jeesh! The songs were cute but maybe a little long. The saving grace of this movie is the beautiful Busby Berkley dance sequences. Great ideas and exciting camera angles for optimal effect. It got a little boring with the hats, but there were so many different ones that were so much fun to watch. Get rid of the rest of the movie, and just let me enjoy the dances.
6.2/10
Awards - Below is the list. The winner is listed first, and my choice is underlined.
Best Actor
Lionel Barrymore – A Free Soul as Stephen Ashe
Jackie Cooper – Skippy as Skippy Skinner
Richard Dix – Cimarron as Yancey Cravat
Fredric March – The Royal Family of Broadway as Tony Cavendish
Adolphe Menjou – The Front Page as Walter Burns
My choice = James Cagney.
Lionel's performance was brilliant, but it was only a few minutes of shining light. Cagney's performance was through the whole movie. Cooper was great. I wasn't impressed with any of the other nominees for Best Actor for this year. A strong year for the ladies, though!
Best Actress
Marie Dressler – Min and Bill as Min Divot
Marlene Dietrich – Morocco as Amy Jolly
Irene Dunne – Cimarron as Sabra
Ann Harding – Holiday as Linda Seton
Norma Shearer – A Free Soul as Jan Ashe
Yep. I feel the Academy got it right for this one!! She was amazing! Ann Harding and Marlene Dietrich were worthy nominees.
Best Picture
Cimarron – William LeBaron for RKO Pictures
East Lynne – Winfield Sheehan for Fox Film Corporation
The Front Page – Howard Hughes for United Artists
Skippy – Adolph Zukor for Paramount Pictures
Trader Horn – Irving Thalberg for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
My choice = The Public Enemy. Yep, The Public Enemy wasn't even nominated, but it was my favourite film of the year.
My top three movies of the year were 1) The Public Enemy, 2) Morocco, and 3) Min and Bill.
Worst Picture
Trader Horn (and it was nominated for Best Picture!). Racist, long, boring, and only memorable for being the movie I wish I could forget. 5.2/10
Best Director
Norman Taurog – Skippy
Wesley Ruggles – Cimarron
Clarence Brown – A Free Soul
Lewis Milestone – The Front Page
Josef von Sternberg – Morocco
I love the way that Sternberg puts a movie together. I think he is fast becoming one of my favourite directors. Taurog shouldn't have won. The movie didn't have enough gravitas or anything special to win.
Best Original Story
The Dawn Patrol – John Monk Saunders
The Doorway to Hell – Rowland Brown
Laughter – Harry d'Abbadie d'Arrast, Douglas Doty, and Donald Ogden Stewart
The Public Enemy – John Bright and Kubec Glasmon
Smart Money – Lucien Hubbard and Joseph Jackson
I really enjoyed the plot of the Dawn Patrol. The ending was fantastic and the themes of courage and sacrifice were obvious and inspiring. While I loved the dialogue of The Doorway to Hell, the overall story of The Dawn Patrol wins it for me.
Best Adaptation
Cimarron – Howard Estabrook, based on the novel by Edna Ferber
The Criminal Code – Seton I. Miller and Fred Niblo Jr., based on the play by Martin Flavin
Holiday – Horace Jackson, based on the play by Philip Barry
Little Caesar – Francis Edward Faragoh and Robert N. Lee, based on the novel by William R. Burnett
Skippy – Joseph L. Mankiewicz and Sam Mintz, based on the comic strip by Percy Crosby
I preferred the story of Little Caesar over the other nominees.
Best Art Direction
Cimarron – Max Rée
Just Imagine – Stephen Goosson and Ralph Hammeras
Morocco – Hans Dreier
Svengali – Anton Grot
Whoopee! – Richard Day
I loved the Art Direction of Morocco. I give big kudos to Just Imagine but they could have done so much more so Dreier wins it for me.
Best Cinematography
Tabu – Floyd Crosby
Cimarron – Edward Cronjager
Morocco – Lee Garmes
The Right to Love – Charles Lang
Svengali – Barney McGill
The cinematography in Morocco is superb and ahead of it's time. Beautiful. I'm loving Lee Garmes' work.
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