Below is the list of movies I watched in alphabetical order with a brief review and score. Click here to see the awards and to who I would have given the awards.
À nous la liberté
The plot didn't grab me. It was an exciting concept, but the result was not very impactful. I agree with the points it made about working in factories. It highlights well that people thought robots could give people more leisure time, and they did in some ways (mainly housework!). Still, it also meant companies could employ fewer people and pay less instead of giving people a better quality of life and employment. I'm not a slapstick comedy fan, which is why I think I've scored it so low. Charlie Chaplin does it well - this fell flat for me.The acting was great. I found a lot of movie actors from the last year pretty hammy, so it was refreshing to see some better performances. But for all that, the characters weren't particularly taxed either! The score was fantastic and a highlight of this movie.
The cinematography was lovely, and the set design was clean and robotic where it needed to be.
6.4/10
Arrowsmith
I was so excited to finally find a copy of this movie. I love Ronald Coleman. Unfortunately, this movie bored me. I struggled with the accents of some characters. It was a tad too slow paced. The acting was brilliant in this movie, though. That was it's saving grace. Also the cinematography was superb. That said, I've found this year to be a bit below average with the quality of movies, so it rates in my top five at this point anyway.
7.2/10.
Bad Girl
Okay. (Imagine I said that with a little salute thing - you'll know if you've watched the movie). There were some clever elements in this movie. I fell for the wedding insinuation! Lovely dresses and flowers! The dialogue is excellent - witty and fast. There was a sense of character development as the characters revealed their true selves to the grieving woman. And the plot gets cute. But then, an hour in, it reverts to one of the laziest troupes of couples misunderstanding each other, jumping to conclusions, and keeping secrets. That stuff infuriates me. I would have been happier if the whole plot had been as good as the first half. The acting was adequate, and I was impressed with the chemistry between the two leads. My favourite actress, though, was Minna Gombell as Edna Driggs. I thought she was fantastic and genuine. There were some great cinematographic elements; my favourite was the wedding scenes at the beginning. The costumes and sets were good, especially (again) with the wedding scene. If the whole movie were like the first half, I would have given it maybe an 8, but I was disappointed and frustrated in the second half, which bumped the score right down. It's got fantastic dialogue and comes across well. I really like Borzage films, so while I'm glad he won the Oscar here, I'm not sure this was the movie to win it with. It didn't seem to have much directional brilliance. (I preferred 7th Heaven).
6.8/10.
Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde
Wow! This was a fantastic film. I knew the premise from the copious remakes of the novel. This one successfully builds suspense and fear of Mr Hyde. I was genuinely nervous when Jekyll turned into Mr Hyde at Muriel's house! The acting was pretty good. I wish March was a bit more believable as Jekyll. I think he did a fabulous job as Hyde. I think Miriam Hopkins as Ivy was the best performance for me in this movie. The sound effects were great but what made this movie so special for me was the cinematography. There were really great moments of superimposing and having the camera from the character's point of view and seeing himself in the mirror. It felt innovative. The transition scenes were impressive and how they did the change felt very technologically advanced! If only the transitions when he went back to Jekyll were that good, too, but wow. It was a bit risqué! The costumes were great and the make-up very effective. I wouldn't say I like horror films, but I'm sure I'll get a few on my journey. This was a great watch, and I was thoroughly entertained. I'm surprised it didn't get nominated for Best Director. A bit of a snub there, I reckon.
8/10.
Emma
I absolutely loved Marie Dressler! The plot was really great and emotionally gripping. The ending was lovely, although a bit twisted in a way! It had some enjoyable comedic moments and incredible drama. The acting was pretty good, but Marie is the best by far.
7/10.
Five Star Final
This wasn't too bad. I like Edward G. Robinson's acting style. The last part was so impactful to me and the performance of H.B. Warner. I wish we had more backstory on the Townsend's to make it a bit more powerful but it the theme came over loud and clear. Still a problem to this day.
7.2/10.
Flowers and Trees
How cute! This was a good plot. I was genuinely upset by the fire. Maybe that's an Australian talking, but out-of-control bushfires are scary! I am also a fan of the personification of nature. I like to think that plants have feelings IRL. It was short but sweet, with clever thoughts on nature behaving as if it was people. The music was lovely and appropriate. I love the flower bells. The animation was bright, colourful, and well done. My first cartoon on this Oscar journey was short and sweet, but it was memorable. 7/10.
Grand Hotel
I really enjoyed the look, sound, and performances of this movie. The plot was simple. There was nothing gripping, but I like character-driven stories, so it was up my alley. The ending was a bit shocking! There was some fantastic, witty dialogue too, that made me giggle. It's good when a plot has us empathise with 'the bad guy'. The actors were great, with one exception (I'll get to that). I loved the Barrymores so much, especially their scenes when they were together. I thought Joan Crawford and Wallace Beery were both incredible. I loved the exchanges between Joan Crawford and John Barrymore and felt some chemistry there. My biggest acting let-down? Garbo. Sorry! She might have been hamming it up deliberately, but with such strong acting performances all around her, she seemed like a fish out of water. There was a bit of a score in this movie (thank goodness!), so I enjoyed that. What I loved the most was some strong cinematography and superb design. The shots of the telephonists and the circular building were outstanding, and the way the camera moved was really nice and felt relatively modern.
8/10.
It's Got Me Again!
This was a fun cartoon. I like how the mice used musical instruments to make music and used them as weapons. My personal favourite was the phonograph needle machine gun! Nothing to take too seriously here. I liked the music a lot. This cartoon was always going to lose to the colour in Flowers and Trees, but this is still a great cartoon. Funnier than the Oscar winner but less technologically advanced and has less plot.
6.6/10
Mickey's Orphans
Cute. It's weird how sadistic kids' cartoons are! Out of the three nominated cartoons, this was my least favourite as Flowers and Trees was fantastic, but it was still fun, and Christmas is always lovely.
6/10.
One Hour With You
Yuk! I know it's meant to be a comedy and I shouldn't take it too seriously, but I despised this film. The plot didn't make any sense and I disagreed with the way they were so flippant about the subject matter. Jeanette did a good job, and the other actors were ok. The costumes were lovely and the print clear and modern. But I couldn't wait for it to be over. Not my cup of tea.
5.77/10.
Scratch-As-Catch-Can
Not my cup of tea, I'm afraid. There wasn't any aspect of the film that I liked, except that the acting wasn't too bad, I guess. I didn't get a laugh from it, apart from a slight nod to the last scene being a bit clever. 4.8/10. Shanghai Express
I liked the movie's plot, although it could have been a touch faster. I liked the moral of the story, and while the end was predictable, it was well done. I wish they made Chang a bit more menacing, though. What I didn't like about this movie was the acting! Clive Brooks, who I usually really like, was terrible! And Marlene Dietrich wasn't much better. Both were so stilted and corny, and there was no chemistry between them. Maybe I should blame the director for this, as usually they are really good, but wow! It spoiled the movie for me! The only acting I did enjoy was Lawrence Grant. What makes this movie sing is the cinematography and design. The lighting was so well done - so classy and sublime. The outfits were iconic, making Marlene look stunning.
7.2/10.
Swing High
This was riveting to watch. I enjoyed the tricks and appreciated the slow-motion filming so you could see exactly what was happening. There was a good range of camera angles. The narration was slightly annoying but not too bad. I would love to give trapeze a go! Did it deserve an Oscar Nom-Nom? Yes, for a short novelty. It was entertaining and seeing it in slow motion was interesting. According to IMDB trivia, it won but lost on a re-vote. I would have voted for this!
6.4/10.
The Champ
I thought this was a charming movie. I enjoyed the plot and was really annoyed that Andy couldn't shape up! The acting was superb. I am amazed that Jackie Cooper did a better acting job than most full-grown actors of the time. Wallace was very believable and engendered sympathy for a man with terrible habits. I wish the boxing scenes were more believable and there was more rapport between Dink and his mother before the end. 7/10.
The Guardsman
I enjoyed this one. It was quite comical - you just had to turn your brain off for a bit. The acting was quite good and I'm glad they were both nominated but also glad they didn't win as it wasn't as good as the other nominees. I don't quite know what to make of the ending and I think that is quite clever as there haven't been many movies so far like that. It is probably old hat now but I think quite new for the time. Didn't hate it but didn't love it - but because there isn't much high calibre movies this year, in rates in the top five.
7.3/10
The Music Box
I've always liked Chaplin more than Laurel and Hardy, and this movie highlights why. The plot is simple, which is ok in comedy, but there was nothing clever about it. The only smile I got was when they stopped fighting for the national anthem. I always feel something for Chaplin's characters, but not for either Laurel or Hardy, so it's very one-dimensional. That said, there are Laurel and Hardy movies I like, but this isn't one. I think Horse Feathers was made this year, and while it was a full-length movie, I wish the category was comedy in general so that the Marx Bros. could have a nomination. 6/10
The Sin of Madelon Claudet
I enjoyed this one. Proves that I like melodramatic movies! The story was interesting and had a good mix of heartwarming and tragic. The ending wasn't super predictable. I thought they did a good job at aging the characters. Lewis Stone is a very underrated actor. I enjoy all his performances. Helen Hayes won the Oscar for this movie, and I can see why. Her performance made this movie what is was. A bad actress here and the whole movie would have flopped.
7.27/10.
The Smiling Lieutenant
I found this movie a little distasteful. The plot made me loathe the male lead (Chevalier), which I'm sure was not the point of the movie. The moral of the story seemed to be that to be loveable, you need to change who you are to be modern and suggestive. It just felt a tad misogynistic. Chevalier movies seem to have such similar sets and roles that in feels like a pre-cursor to the way Elvis' movies were made. The acting was ok but not memorable. In fact, I had seen this movie before but the only way I could tell is that I'd rated it on IMDB as I had no recollection of the film at all!
6.2/10
The Star Witness
This had some important things to say but also a lot of cliche. There were genuinely tense moments in this movie, and I was really incensed by the terrible deeds of the gangsters. For me, it went too far into the patriotic, twee cliches of justice, but the point needed to be made to stand up to the bad guys. Huston was good, and the little kid. Not a bad movie but not brilliant.
6.86/10.
Transatlantic
I didn't understand this movie. I don't even know who shot the guy! It was interesting to see the movie that won the Oscar for Best Art Direction. Unfortunately, I felt all the camera angles and movement felt very gimmicky. The set was pretty good but I preferred the sets from Arrowsmith. Not a lot to like about this one unfortunately.
6.16/10
What Price Hollywood?
I liked this movie but didn't love it. The plot was really interesting and the dialogue moved the story along well. The acting was pretty good and the scene near the end was very impactful. Yes, you can see what's coming the whole time, but it's done very well. But something just felt off with the casting, especially with Neil Hamilton and as much as I liked Constance, maybe her as well. But still a pretty solid movie which I'd recommend to any classic cinema lover.
7.14/10.
Awards
The winner is at the top of the list - My choice is underlined.
Best Actor
Fredric March – Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as Dr Henry Jekyll/Mr Edward Hyde AND
Wallace Beery – The Champ as Champ - It was a tie.
Alfred Lunt – The Guardsman as The Actor
I loved Fredric March's performance as Dr Jekyll but not so much as Mr Hyde. I liked Wallace Beery in the Champ, but I also liked him in Grand Hotel, and the differences showed his ability. So due to the depths of Beery, I'll go with him. Lunt was good but I agree that he wasn't the best of the nominees.
Best Actress
Helen Hayes – The Sin of Madelon Claudet as Madelon Claudet
Marie Dressler – Emma as Emma Thatcher Smith
Lynn Fontanne – The Guardsman as The Actress
Helen Hayes was amazing in her role and I understand why she won as she carried the whole movie. But for me, Marie Dressler was my favourite actress and it's a shame she didn't live to make many more movies.. I impressed by Miriam Hopkins who I think should have been nominated.
Outstanding Production
Grand Hotel – Irving Thalberg for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Arrowsmith – Samuel Goldwyn for Samuel Goldwyn Prod.
Bad Girl – Winfield Sheehan for Fox Film Corp.
The Champ – King Vidor for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Five Star Final – Hal B. Wallis for First National
One Hour with You – Ernst Lubitsch for Paramount Publix
Shanghai Express – Adolph Zukor for Paramount Publix
The Smiling Lieutenant – Ernst Lubitsch for Paramount Publix
My choice - Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
This one is so tough. I rated DJ&M and Grand Hotel movies exactly the same, with 8 out of 10. I loved DJ&MH with my head and Grand Hotel with my heart. Both had great acting. Both had great cinematography. DJ&MH had a better plot, but Grand Hotel had a better score. I had them as a tie but as time has passed, it's DJ&MH that I remember best and with more affection.
My top three movies of the year were 1) Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, 2) Grand Hotel, and 3) Joint winners - The Guardsman and Emma.
Worst Picture
My least-rated movie was Scratch-As-Catch-Can, but I won't count the shorts. The worst actual movie for me was One Hour With You with a rating of 5.77. I'm not a fan of Chevalier movies!
Best Director
Frank Borzage – Bad Girl
King Vidor – The Champ
Josef von Sternberg – Shanghai Express
I love Sternberg's work but he got so little out of the actors. I would have given it to Borzage if the whole movie was as good as the first half. So I go for King Vidor here, which was solid throughout the whole movie. I'm a fan of all of these directors! My second Oscar for Vidor!
Best Original Story
The Champ – Frances Marion
Lady and Gent – Grover Jones and William Slavens McNutt
The Star Witness – Lucien Hubbard
What Price Hollywood? – Adela Rogers St. Johns and Jane Murfin
I loved the plot of The Star Witness and The Champ but What Price Hollywood? is obviously the first draft of A Star Is Born, which is a classic story throughout the generations. Yes, it's melodramatic, but all of these nominations are, so I'm going with the tried and tested rags to riches but at what cost kinda story.
Best Adaptation
Bad Girl – Edwin J. Burke, based on the novel and play by Viña Delmar
Arrowsmith – Sidney Howard, based on the novel by Sinclair Lewis
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde – Percy Heath and Samuel Hoffenstein, based on Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
I feel The Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was the best representation of the original novel.
Best Art Direction
Transatlantic – Gordon Wiles
À Nous la Liberté – Lazare Meerson
Arrowsmith – Richard Day
Transatlantic had some great set design but it didn't help the feel of the movie. While I loved Meerrson's work, there were more challenges for Day's work, with different continents to explore. There were great choices made so he wins for me.
Best Cinematography
Shanghai Express – Lee Garmes
Arrowsmith – Ray June
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde – Karl Struss
Second year in a row I would vote for Garmes. Beautiful work although all the nominations were warranted.
Best Short Subject, Cartoon
Flowers and Trees – Walt Disney, Walt Disney Productions, United Artists
It's Got Me Again! – Leon Schlesinger, Warner Bros.
Mickey's Orphans – Walt Disney, Walt Disney Productions, Columbia Pictures
Such a beautiful cartoon.
Best Live Action Short Subject, Comedy
The Music Box – Hal Roach
The Loud Mouth – Mack Sennett
Scratch-As-Catch-Can – RKO Radio
Urgh. Not much to choose from. I'll go for Roach as it was more bearable than the others.
Best Live Action Short Subject, Novelty
Wrestling Swordfish – Mack Sennett
Screen Souvenirs – Paramount Publix
Swing High – Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Swing High was the only one I could watch, and it was great, so I'll go that one.
