La regle du jeu (The rules of the game) 1939 - A tragi-comic indictment on Europe on the verge of war

IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031885/
IMDB rating: 8,1

Director: Jean Renoir
Main Cast: Marcel Dalio, Nora Gregor, Paulette Dubost, Gaston Modot, Jean Renoir, Pierre Magnier

"Now often cited as one of the greatest films ever made, Jean Renoir's La regle du jeu/The rules of the game was not warmly received on its original release in 1939: audiences at its opening engagements in Paris were openly hostile, responding to the film with shouts of derision, and distributors cut the movie from 113 minutes to a mere 80. It was banned as morally perilous during the German occupation and the original negative was destroyed during WWII. It wasn't until 1956 that Renoir was able to restore the film to its original length. In retrospect, this reaction seems both puzzling and understandable; at its heart, Rules of the game is a very moral film about frequently amoral people. A comedy of manners whose wit only occasionally betrays its more serious intentions, it contrasts the romantic entanglements of rich and poor during a weekend at a country estate.
Renoir's witty, acidic screenplay makes none of the characters heroes or villains, and his graceful handling of his cast is well served by his visual style. He tells his story with long, uninterrupted takes using deep focus (cinematographer Jean Bachelet proves a worthy collaborator here), following the action with a subtle rhythm that never calls attention to itself. The sharply-cut hunting sequence makes clear that Renoir avoided more complex editing schemes by choice, believing that long takes created a more lifelike rhythm and reduced the manipulations of over-editing. Rules of the game uses WWI as an allegory for WWII, and its representation of a vanishing way of life soon became all too true for Renoir himself, who, within a year of the film's release, was forced to leave Europe for the United States." - http://www.allmovie.com/movie/the-rules-of-the-game-v42292

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Judge Hardy's children 1938 - Another chapter in the Hardy family series

IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0030295/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
IMDB rating: 6,8

Director: George B. Seitz
Main Cast: Mickey Rooney, Lewis Stone, Fay Holden, Cecilia Parker, Ann Rutherford

"The third film in the MGM series has Judge Hardy (Lewis Stone) taking a job in Washington, D.C. where he's to work for ten days on a special project. While there Andy (Mickey Rooney) falls in love with a French girl (Jacqueline Laurent) while his sister gets involved with a dirty politician. At just 78-minutes the film moves by extremely quickly as director Seitz keeps everything going at a fast pace. The weakest aspect of the film is the political stuff because Judge is brought to the Capital to do work on a big project and this talk often gets brought up and it even has a major part in later events in the film but we're never really told anything about it. Often it seems as if something about this project was simply left on the editing room floor and it just seems like Judge spends the majority of his time in a hotel when he's suppose to be working. Outside of that this film has pretty much everything fans would expect and of course a lot of the comedy comes from Rooney who once again delivers a fast and fun performance. Rooney handles all the charm without a hitch and his father-son stuff with Lewis are well done by the actors. Stone is terrific as usual and Fay Holden, Cecilia Parker and Ann Rutherford are all fine in their roles. Overall, Judge Hardy's children is a good entry in the series, which still had many high points to follow for the Hardy clan."

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Love finds Andy Hardy 1938 - The third one of the series with the singing talents of Judy Garland

IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0030386/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
IMDB rating: 6,9

Director: George B. Seitz
Main Cast: Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland, Lewis Stone, Fay Holden, Cecilia Parker, Lana Turner, Ann Rutherford

"Considered by many to be the best of the Andy Hardy series, Love Finds Andy Hardy certainly boasts a solid guest-star cast, with the likes of Judy Garland and Lana Turner on hand to add, each in her own special way, spice. This being before The Wizard of Oz, a young Garland hadn't really broken into the big time yet, but you'd never know it from her performance here. She's given three songs (while, surprisingly, star Mickey Rooney gets none); none of the songs are remotely above average, but Garland sells them with an ability that goes far beyond her teenaged years. Her voice is youthful and lovely, but it's her phrasing that's so remarkable; the way in which she handles lines both melodic and lyric is amazing, particularly for one so young. For her part, Turner looks totally delicious. The script calls for the viewer to believe that Rooney has to be coaxed into dating her and then complains because she doesn't like to swim and just wants to kiss. This gives huge credibility problems to the story, but credibility isn't what Love is about, anyway. It's about honor and dignity and small-town virtues and listening to your father. It's also about Rooney, and one's fondness for his specific brand of 'gee whiz' acting and never-ending energy will likely affect one's enjoyment of Love." - http://www.allmovie.com/movie/love-finds-andy-hardy-v30291/

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The drum 1938 - A grand epic vision of the British Empire

IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0030082/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
IMDB rating: 6,6

Director: Zoltan Korda
Main Cast: Sabu, Raymond Massey, Roger Livesey, Valerie Hobson

"The Drum is an opulent Technicolor 'British India' epic, based on a story by A.E.W. Mason (of Four Feathers fame). Teenaged actor Sabu stars as a young East Indian prince educated in England. By rights, his loyalties should lie with his countrymen, but in typical 'Sun Never Sets' fashion most of the other Indian characters are as evil and untrustworthy as Prince Guhl (Raymond Massey). Guhl plans a revolt against the British, intending to wipe out the Royal troops as the English officers enjoy the hospitality of Guhl's spacious palace. It's up to Sabu to warn the troops of Guhl's treachery by means of tapping out a message on the drum of the title." - http://www.allmovie.com/movie/the-drum-v119969

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Mysterious Mr. Moto 1938 - One of the best in the series

IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0030483/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
IMDB rating: 7,0

Director: Norman Foster
Main Cast: Peter Lorre, Mary Maguire, Henry Wilcoxon, Erik Rhodes

"Peter Lorre makes his fifth appearance as J. P. Marquand's polite but deadly Japanese sleuth Mr. Moto. This time Moto is called in by Scotland Yard to thwart a vicious gang of international assassins. To infiltrate the gang, Moto poses as a Devil's Island inmate and escapes with one of the killers. The climax takes place at the British Museum, where the mysterious leader of the assassins (the least likely suspect, of course) overplays his hand. The gimmick of having Mr. Moto make his first appearance as an apparent villain works only when the 'Moto' films aren't seen as a group." - http://www.allmovie.com/movie/mysterious-mr-moto-v103472

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Test pilot 1938 - A familiar story but with great actors

IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0030848/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
IMDB rating: 6,9

Director: Victor Fleming
Main Cast: Clark Gable, Myrna Loy, Spencer Tracy, Lionel Barrymore

"Test Pilot is one of those irresistible MGM potboilers of the 1930s that coast along on sheer star power. Clark Gable plays a courageous test pilot, who compromises his achievements with his frequent bouts of drinking. Gable's mechanic, Spencer Tracy, does what he can to keep his boss out of trouble. While testing a new aircraft, Gable is forced to land on a Midwestern farm, where he meets and falls in love with Myrna Loy. Gable and Loy marry, whereupon he is fired by his boss Lionel Barrymore, who is of the opinion that flying and dames don't mix. Gable goes off on another bender, compelling Loy to leave him. Once more, Tracy comes to Gable's rescue by reuniting the couple and arranging for Barrymore to give Gable his job back. Later, Gable and Tracy are assigned to test a huge army bomber. Something goes wrong, and the plane goes into a dive. The self-sacrificing Tracy sees to it that Gable is saved from a flaming death - at the cost of his own life. Gable is so devastated by Tracy's death that it looks as though he'll never fly again. But with Loy's help, Gable regains his self-confidence. As one can see, there's little in Test Pilot that hasn't been done before. But with Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy and Myrna Loy at the controls, the film proved a real audience-pleaser in 1938. In fact, it's still pretty good today." - http://www.allmovie.com/movie/test-pilot-v49173

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The rage of Paris 1938 - 'There's nothing wrong with you that a nice rich husband couldn't cure'

IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0030652/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
IMDB rating: 7,2

Director: Henry Koster
Main Cast: Danielle Darrieux, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Mischa Auer, Louis Hayward, Helen Broderick

"A lovely screwball gem that, while not obscure, is also not as widely known as it well deserves to be, The Rage of Paris is a great antidote to the blues. Indeed, this frothy, bubbly, escapist delight is so charming that the only real response is to totally surrender. Sure, there are a few flaws. As with any screwball comedy, one has to be willing to suspend logic a wee bit here and there and to accept extreme coincidences as an everyday occurrence. But this artifice is part of the genre's appeal, and Paris is especially artful in its artifice. As an actress, Danielle Darrieux is perhaps not in the same league as other screwball stars (such as Carole Lombard), but it doesn't matter. She has more than enough acting chops for the part, and more importantly, she has the requisite personality and charisma that enables her to handle the role with the lightest of touches. Douglas Fairbanks Jr. is a great foil for her, Louis Hayward is near-perfect, and Helen Broderick and Mischa Auer are dependable as always. Throw in sleek Art Deco sets, beautiful costumes, and well-pitched direction, and the result is an enchanting laugh-fest." - http://www.allmovie.com/movie/the-rage-of-paris-v40092/

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