My Top Ten Movies of the '50s

I watch a lot of movies, but my list of movies that came out before the '60s is fairly short.  One of these days I need to expand my familiarity with '50s cinema, but as of now, these are my ten favorites of the decade.

Harvey (1950) - I first heard of this movie because I was curious about the origin of the name of my aunt's cat, Chumley. She explained that he was a character from this film, and that she'd also had a cat named Elwood. That's the character Jimmy Stewart plays, a mild-mannered bachelor who scandalizes his socialite sister by hanging around in bars and consorting with a six-foot-tall rabbit no one else can see. Very funny and, in its way, extremely wise.

Hans Christian Andersen (1952) - We rented this when The Little Mermaid came out in theaters. I assume that this was to give my brother and me some background on the man who wrote this story that had so enchanted us. The story of the mermaid who longs to be human is only one of many Andersen tales referenced in this delightful musical biopic. Thumbellina and The Ugly Duckling are other standouts, all magnificently told by the vivacious Danny Kaye.

Lady and the Tramp (1955) - One of Disney's most romantic movies, despite the fact that the main characters are dogs. More than just about any animated Disney film up to this point, there's ample time taken to develop their individual personalities and let their romance unfold gradually. A high-class dame and a scallywag make a go of it, once he's demonstrated that he's not such a scoundrel after all. That candlelit spaghetti dinner stands as one of the most romantic scenes in any film, animated or not.

Oklahoma! (1955) - I was in high school before I got into this one. I'd seen it once but hadn't been that impressed. Then I heard it was to be the spring musical my junior year. Soon I was well acquainted with it, and my classmates' production, particularly one friend's tour de force performance as overbearing Ado Annie, won me over to the musical completely. It's hardly my favorite Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, but it has some wonderful moments, including the auction and anything involving Ado Annie or Ali Hakim.

Carousel (1956) - I didn't know a thing about this musical until I saw the play, starring my future acting teacher's wife, my freshman year of high school, at which point I became completely obsessed with it. Though the movie doesn't quite capture the play's magnificence, in part because of a strange framing device that takes away the element of surprise, it's one of Rodgers and Hammerstein's most thought-provoking efforts. The songs range from comical to inspiring, with You'll Never Walk Alone transcending the musical to attain its own iconic status.

The Court Jester (1956) - Danny Kaye again, in one of his silliest and most entertaining roles. He was such a wonderful performer, and he pulls out everything in his arsenal here. A master of slapstick, he was ideally suited to play a jester, but it's the verbal acrobatics that really stick with me. "The vessel with the pestle holds the pellet with the poison. The flagon with the dragon holds the brew that is true." Try saying that ten times fast!

The King and I (1956) - Yes, it was a good decade for Rodgers and Hammerstein. This, too, has a high school connection, as my acting teacher, his wife and their two children starred in a local production of it. But I'd loved the musical long before that and in particular the performance of Yul Brynner as the imperious king whose bark is generally worse than his bite. Though certain elements of this culture clash saga paint him in an antagonistic light, he is my favorite character, a man who, much like Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof, struggles to reconcile centuries of tradition with a world clearly changing around him.

The Red Balloon (1956) - Short, sweet, sad. This nearly-wordless French film depicts one glorious day in which a boy befriends a balloon and roves through town with it, reveling in the spirit of adventure but never far from hostile forces. A gentle fantasy whose tragic elements cannot overpower its ability to uplift. "No one can be un-cheered by a balloon," postulates Pooh; this film may prove that he is correct.

Old Yeller (1957) - Now, if you really want depressing, this is the movie for you. Most of its cast would go on to star in Swiss Family Robinson, which features several exotic creatures, none of which end up with rabies. It's a fate not to be wished on any dog, especially one so faithful as Yeller. This classic with the deceptively cheerful theme song is the quintessential Boy Meets Pet-Boy and Pet Have Adventures-Boy Kills Pet tale, so if you like weepy animal stories, you can't consider your repertoire complete until you've seen it.

The Shaggy Dog (1959) - If you'd rather have the animals without the tragedy, Disney proves itself equally adept with live-action comedy. Tommy Kirk from Old Yeller returns for this goofy tale of a teen with the unhappy habit of transforming into an enormous English Sheepdog. There's a reason for this, of course, and the aim is to ultimately get his normal life back. It all ends very happily - but not happily enough to prevent a couple of equally silly sequels.

My Top Ten Movies of the '40s

I like to think of myself as fairly well-versed in movies, but my movie-viewing could use some brushing up, especially when it comes to films from the predominantly black-and-white era.  Still, I've seen enough movies in the '40s to have a few favorites.

The Grapes of Wrath (1940) - Henry Fonda gives perhaps his greatest performances as Tom Joad, champion of the oppressed, alongside Jane Darwell as his formidable mother, who holds the suffering family together as they trek across the wasted landscape during the Dust Bowl in search of food and meager employment. A riveting tale of survival in the face of ordinary evil, it concludes with one of cinema's most stirring and often-referenced speeches.

Pinocchio (1940) - One of Disney's best, it's the standout in a productive decade for the House of Mouse. Adventurous enough to appease modern audiences, it includes timeless lessons on the values of honesty, bravery and unselfishness. When You Wish Upon a Star remains synonymous with Disney, and Jiminy Cricket is equally iconic, though my favorite character is the gentle Geppetto, first of the great Disney dads.

Dumbo (1941) - It's a single parent again in this Disney film, though a mom in this case. Mrs. Jumbo is fiercely proud of her son despite his physical abnormality. One of many tales along the lines of Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer in which an apparent defect becomes the ticket to greatness, Dumbo encourages perseverance. Steadfast mouse Timothy operates much like Jiminy Cricket, helping his young friend achieve his goals. Dumbo's exhilarated flights, the extended scene in which the befuddled stork delivers bundles of joy to the circus animals and the trippy Pink Elephants on Parade sequence are memorable movie moments, and the Baby Mine is heartbreaking.

Bambi (1942) - Three Disneys in a row, and then I'll give it a rest for a while. Set in a pristine forest, Bambi includes some of Disney's most glorious animation. It's a good thing the visuals are so stunning, since there's precious little dialogue, and the rather shrill songs are background rather than belonging to particular characters. The movie is best in its opening half, when Bambi and his friends, enthusiastic rabbit Thumper and shy skunk Flower, are busy exploring their world, getting into all sorts of entertaining mischief. The second half is disturbingly dark, but its full-circle ending is one again tranquil. An excellent precursor to The Lion King.

Casablanca (1942) - I'm not usually much for wartime epics, but this one's so iconic I can't leave it out. Humphrey Bogart is particularly terrific in this story of star-crossed love and a world in turmoil. Some of the most quotable lines of the decade come from this film. Even if they are sometimes misquoted...

It's a Wonderful Life (1946) - Jimmy Stewart gained a reputation for playing decent everymen, and George Bailey seems to be the first character on most people's minds when they make that association. George isn't perfect; by the time the angel Clarence comes to intervene in his life, he's downright surly. But then, he has a right; his life hasn't gone the way he'd intended, and now he's on the verge of bankruptcy because of a stupid mistake that wasn't his fault. Like Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens' Christmas classic, George has an opportunity to see where the decisions of his past have led him and those around him. But in his case, it's a positive revelation. It's the perfect movie to watch when you're feeling down and out, the perfect reminder that the good things we do make an impact, even if we can't always see the results for ourselves.

The Bishop's Wife (1947) - In a similar vein to the above, this one stars suave Cary Grant, who comes into the life of an overworked man of the cloth in an effort to improve his circumstances, though falling for his wife in the process complicates matters. It's hard to say whether I prefer this or the '90s remake, The Preacher's Wife. Both are gently humorous, romantic and Christmassy.

Miracle on 34th St. (1947) - Same goes for this one, in which Natalie Wood plays the serious little girl who comes to believe that the elderly gentleman she's befriended really is Santa Claus. This, too, had a remake in the '90s, and again, I find it hard to decide between the two. But for years, this was the ultimate Santa Claus movie, with nothing really to rival it. Give it a whirl some Thanksgiving and you'll soon see why.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947) - This one will be getting the remake treatment, but it's not there yet. We studied the story in my freshman year of English, and the movie puts the talents of Danny Kaye to good use in adapting this tale of a hen-pecked daydreamer for the big screen. Mike Myers is no Danny Kaye, but I'm curious to see what he will do with the character...

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949) - It's not a full-length masterpiece, but two beloved stories get the animated Disney treatment here. Gangly Ichabod Crane of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and rambunctious Mr. Toad of The Wind in the Willows spring from the screen with vitality, each as idiosyncratic as the other. Ichabod puts me in mind of Halloween, while Toad makes me long for warm, leisurely summer days, but both are magnificent characters year-round.