1939

There are three camps when it comes to the films of 1939.

Members of the first camp say that Gone With the Wind is the greatest film of 1939.

Members of the second camp say that The Wizard of Oz is the greatest film of 1939.

And Members of the third camp – the camp situated between the other camps – say that Gone With the Wind is the greatest drama of 1939 and The Wizard of Oz is the greatest musical of 1939.

Since this issue is not as definitive as the “Citizen Kane is the greatest movie of 1941” assertion of my previous entry, I’m taking a little creative license by saying that listed below are eleven other great films from 1939 … the Two Through Twelve to Gone With the Wind’s 1-A and The Wizard of Oz’s 1-B.

  

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Starring Jean Arthur, James Stewart, Claude Rains, Edward Arnold, and Thomas Mitchell

Directed by Frank Capra

This marks the second of three collaborations between Capra and Stewart (doesn’t it seem like there were so many more?).  In it, Stewart plays a naïf who is appointed to the US Senate.  There he learns hard lessons about disappointment and corruption, but in the end, he is a beacon of inspiration for film characters and viewers alike.

Stagecoach

Starring Claire Trevor, John Wayne, Andy Devine, John Carradine, and Thomas Mitchell

Directed by John Ford

This marks the 8^th of 21 collaborations (to varying degrees, and yes, you read that right) between Ford and Wayne, and it’s their first great film together.  Wayne is the star in a wonderful ensemble cast of misfits traveling together via – you guessed it – stagecoach, with the threat of an Indian attack looming.

Ninotchka

Starring Greta Garbo, Melvyn Douglas, Ina Claire, and Bela Lugosi

Directed by Ernst Lubitsch

It might be hard to believe that “Greta Garbo” and “romantic comedy” exist on the same plane, but they do, and the exist together well.  Garbo is a hard-nosed Russian trying to sell jewels on behalf of her government when she is distracted by the charm of Douglas.

Wuthering Heights

Starring Merle Oberon, Laurence Olivier, and David Niven

Directed by William Wyler

This is one of many adaptations of Emily Bronte’s novel about star-crossed lovers Heathcliff and Cathy.  However, this is the only adaptation of Emily Bronte’s novel about star-crossed lovers Heathcliff and Cathy one that got the Goldwyn touch, and it shows, from its beautiful cast to its Oscar-winning cinematography.

Gunga Din

Starring Cary Grant, Victor McLaglen, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Sam Jaffe, and Joan Fontaine

Directed by George Stevens

Part buddy-movie, part period action film, Gunga Din covers the battling exploits of three British soldiers.  In this instance, the adventure is the trio’s last, as one of the men is looking to settle down and marry.  Helping them is their titular manservant.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Starring Charles Laughton, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Thomas Mitchell, Maureen O’Hara, and Edmond O’Brien

Directed by William Dieterle

The dazzling gypsy Esmeralda is object of affection of three men: the evil Frollo, the noble Phoebus, and the grotesque caretaker of Notre Dame, Quasimodo (he of the hunched back).  This is probably the best-known version (along with the Lon Chaney silent version of 1923), and a tale that really shouldn’t have been attempted by Disney in 1996.

Only Angels Have Wings

Starring Cary Grant, Jean Arthur, Richard Barthelmess, Rita Hayworth, and Thomas Mitchell

Directed by Howard Hawks

This fine film, about mail pilots based in South America, is the fifth film mentioned in this list (the other four being Gone With the Wind, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Stagecoach) to feature Thomas Mitchell.  Starring in five of the top films in the greatest year in cinema earns Mitchell the MVP for 1939!

Dark Victory

Starring Bette Davis, George Brent, Humphrey Bogart, and Geraldine Fitzgerald

Directed by Edmund Goulding

Davis plays a young socialite who must have a brain tumor removed.  She falls in love with the doctor, who doesn’t tell her that even with the surgery, she has mere months to live.  Davis was at the peak of her success here, earning her fourth Oscar nomination in six years (which was also the second of what would be five consecutive years of nominations).

Destry Rides Again

Starring Marlene Dietrich and James Stewart

Directed by George Marshall

Stewart plays an old west lawman who is called in to help clean up a corrupt town.  Notable for the fact that it is Stewart’s first Western and a role (or at least a film genre) much against type for Dietrich.

Love Affair

Starring Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer

Directed by Leo McCarey

If you thought Sleepless and Seattle was a remake of An Affair to Remember, you were only partially right, because An Affair to Remember was a remake of this original version, about two people who meet and fall in love while on a cruise.  They agree to take six months apart to part with their respective loves, then meet atop the Empire State building.  Okay, I’d take Remember’s Cary Grant over Boyer any day, but I wouldn’t replace Dunne with anybody else.

Another Thin Man

Starring William Powell, Myrna Loy, and Virginia Grey

Directed by W.S. Van Dyke Jr.

Nick and Nora are back in action in this third installment of the six-film Thin Man series.  As was the case with the 1941 list, this is my guilty pleasure entry.  While the film isn’t as good as its two predecessors, crimes are still solved and drinks are still poured, and it is better than its three successors.  Plus, even though they starred in 14 films together, I can never get enough of Powell and Loy.

This list certainly doesn’t cover them all, and I’m sure your Two Through Twelve is different – not better or worse, just different – than mine.