Ruth Hussey

Howard Da Silva

Scotty Beckett

Trevor Bardette

The life of Marie Antoinette (1755-1793) from her betrothal and marriage in 1770 to her beheading. At first, she's a Hapsburg teenager isolated in France, living a virgin's life in the household of the Dauphin, a shy solitary man who would rather be a locksmith. Marie discovers high society with the help of Orleans and her brothers-in-law. Her foolishness is at its height when she meets a Swedish count, Axel de Fersen. He helps her see her fecklessness. In the second half of the film, she avoids an annulment, becomes queen, bears children, and is a responsible ruler. The affair of the necklace and the general poverty of France feed revolution. She faces death with dignity.—

Marie Antoinette

Marie Antoinette (1938)

Shelley Winters

Carole Mathews

Nick Carraway, a young Midwesterner now living on Long Island, finds himself fascinated by the mysterious past and lavish lifetyle of his landlord, the nouveau riche Jay Gatsby. He is drawn into Gatsby's circle, becoming a witness to obsession and tragedy.—Cleo

The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby (1949)

John Randolph

Orson Welles

Norman Lloyd

The Arts Project of the Work Projects Administration (1935-1942) was a USA government agency established to support writers, theater people, painters, sculptors, and photographers.

The New Deal for Artists

The New Deal for Artists (1976)

Ricardo Montalban

George Murphy

Jack Lambert

To penetrate a gang exploiting illegal Mexican farmworkers smuggled into California (and leaving no live witnesses), Mexican federal agent Pablo Rodriguez poses as an ignorant bracero, while his American counterpart Jack Bearnes works from outside. Soon, both are in deadly danger from the ringleader, sinister rancher Owen Parkson, and find night on the farm to be full of shadowy film-noir menace...—Rod Crawford

Border Incident

Border Incident (1949)

Edward Van Sloan

Gene Lockhart

Ruth Gordon

Biopic of Abe Lincoln, 16th President of the United States, from his early days in backwoods Kentucky to his election as President. After a time running livestock to New Orleans, he settles in New Salem where he meets and falls in love with Ann Rutledge who is already engaged to someone. Abe makes a home for himself in New Salem, eventually running a store and becoming the postmaster. He's popular with the locals and is eventually elected to the State legislature but afterward established himself in the practice of law. He eventually meets Mary Todd who would become his wife and and is sent to Washington as a Congressman before he is elected president.—garykmcd

Abe Lincoln in Illinois

Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940)

Priscilla Lane

Lloyd Nolan

Jack Carson

"Jigger' Pine forms a band that includes singer Ginger 'Character' Powell, wife of the trumpeter Leo Powell, and Nickie Haroyen and Peppi. All of them dedicate themselves to work as a unit and to play blues music. The dedication isn't paying off financially and, while riding the rails in a boxcar, they meet and befriend gangster Del Davis. He offers them a job at a New Jersey roadhouse, where Powell falls in love with Kay Grant, a former 'real good friend' of Davis. But when Powell learns that Character is about to have a baby, he returns to her. Jigger tries to make Kay the band's singer and, after this fails, runs off with her. She leaves him with nothing but a nervous breakdown. Back at the roadhouse, after his recovery, Kay shows up, has a quarrel with Davis, shoots and kills him, and plans to take back up with Jigger, who knows better but just can't help himself. While she is waiting in a car for him, along comes cripple Brad Ames, who she put in that condition, and he gets in and drives the car over a cliff, leaving no survivors in the two-passenger crash. The band is back together at the end, still using boxcars as their transportation, but happy playing the blues.—Les Adams

Blues in the Night

Blues in the Night (1941)

Faye Dunaway

Xander Berkeley

Diana Scarwid

The relationship between Christina Crawford and her adoptive mother Joan Crawford is presented from Christina's view. Unable to bear children, Joan, in 1940, was denied children through regular adoption agencies due to her twice divorced status and being a single working person. Her lover at the time, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer lawyer Greg Savitt, was able to go through a brokerage to adopt a baby girl, who would be Christina, the first of Joan's four adoptive children. Joan believes that her own difficult upbringing has made her a stronger person, and decides that, while providing the comforts that a successful Hollywood actress can afford, she will not coddle Christina or her other children, she treating Christina more as a competitor than a daughter. Joan's treatment of Christina is often passive-aggressive, fueled both by the highs and lows of her career, the narcissism that goes along with being an actress, and alcohol abuse especially during the low times. However, Joan sees much of her actions toward Christina as Christina purposefully provoking her. Despite the physical and emotional abuse Joan hurls at Christina over the course of their relationship, Christina, who often wonders why Joan adopted her seeing as to the abuse, seemingly still wants her mother's love right until the very bitter end.—Huggo

Mommie Dearest

Mommie Dearest (1981)

Forrest Tucker

Spencer Tracy

Katharine Hepburn

American military leader and war hero Robert Forrest, universally beloved and respected within the country and thus touted as Presidential material, has just died in a freak car accident on his sprawling estate, where, during an unexpected rainstorm, the car he was driving plunged over a ravine as he didn't notice the washed-out bridge. While the nation mourns, the national reporters descend on his small hometown to write the story of the incident. One reporter who won't is renowned Steven O'Malley (Spencer Tracy), who wants instead to write an in-depth piece on the man to preserve his status within the public consciousness. Although happy to use official documents and records, O'Malley wants most specifically to speak to his wife, Christine Forrest (Katharine Hepburn), which may be a difficult task as she has refused to grant any interviews as a very private person. O'Malley is able to meet with Christine in person, and although she is reluctant to oblige his request at first, she is convinced by Robert's aide, Clive Kerndon (Richard Whorf), to cooperate with him so as to control the agenda. As O'Malley begins his research, he begins to think that Christine and others around her are hiding something about Robert and/or his death. O'Malley is determined to discover the truth, which he believes may have something to do with: Robert's mother (Margaret Wycherly), afflicted with dementia and hidden away in a big isolated house on the estate; Christine's cousin, Geoffrey Midford (Forest Tucker), who does not hide his disdain for Robert; and/or Jason Rickards (Howard Da Silva), one of Robert's servants, or one of Jason's children Jeb (Darryl Hickman), Jason who was once Robert's superior in the military before he was permanently injured in battle and saved by Robert in the process.—Huggo

Keeper of the Flame

Keeper of the Flame (1942)

June Lockhart

Frank Faylen

George Tobias

Somewhat fictionalized account of the life and war service of Alvin York, who went from humble beginnings to being one of the most celebrated American servicemen to fight in World War I. As depicted in the film, Alvin turned to religion when he was struck by lightning during one of his drunken outings. Alvin took his newfound religion seriously claiming to be a conscientious objector when receiving his draft notice. When that was refused, he joined the infantry where he served with valor, capturing a large number of Germans and saving the lives of many of his men who were under heavy fire.—garykmcd

Sergeant York

Sergeant York (1941)

Robert Redford

Bruce Dern

Sam Waterston

Nick Carraway, a young Midwesterner now living on Long Island, finds himself fascinated by the mysterious past and lavish lifestyle of his neighbor, the nouveau riche Jay Gatsby. He is drawn into Gatsby's circle, becoming a witness to obsession and tragedy.—Cleo

The Great Gatsby (1974)

Sherry Jackson

William Schallert

A killer is preying on small children in Los Angeles. The police, under pressure from civic authorities, are conducting daily raids on the criminal world. This causes all illegal business to come to a standstill. In order to bring things back to normal, the top crime bosses hold a meeting and decide that as the unknown killer is the reason for the increased police vigilance, they will catch the killer themselves using their city-wide network of informants. If they succeed, not only will it bring them relief from the police raids but public, too, will hail them as good Samaritans. The plan is put into motion. Meanwhile, the police are combing the case files of people with a history of mental illness and commitment to psychiatric institutions in the past. And all this time, the killer is getting restless, getting the urge to kill again.—Soumitra

M (1951)

Doris Dowling

Veronica Lake

When Johnny comes home from the navy he finds his wife Helen kissing her substitute boyfriend Eddie, the owner of the Blue Dahlia nightclub. Helen admits her drunkenness caused their son's death. He pulls a gun on her but decides she's not worth it. Later, Helen is found dead and Johnny is the prime suspect.—Ed Stephan

The Blue Dahlia

The Blue Dahlia (1946)

Cathy O'Donnell

Jay C. Flippen

Frank Ferguson

Chickamaw, T-Dub, and Bowie have just escaped from prison. While Chickamaw and T-Dub are hardened criminals--bank robbers--23-year-old Bowie, who has been in prison since he was 16, was wrongly convicted of murder. As he felt he was rotting behind bars, Bowie, when given this opportunity by his two older colleagues, believed his best path forward was to help Chickamaw and T-Dub in their upcoming heists, in a case of knowing there was a payback in they choosing him, to make enough money to hire a lawyer to clear his name of the murder conviction. The plan is to hide out with Chickamaw's alcoholic brother Mobley until they have enough money to make other arrangements. Also with them is Mobley's daughter Keechie, who doesn't much like life with her father or uncle. In their time together, Bowie and Keechie form a bond, both emotional and romantic, and start to dream of a life together in which Bowie would not always need to look behind his back to see the authorities ready to haul him away. Escaping from the obligations to Chickamaw and T-Dub might not be easy for Bowie, but being forever attached to them might mean not having a future with Keechie.—Huggo

They Live by Night

They Live by Night (1948)

Ray Milland

Don Birnam, long-time alcoholic, has been "on the wagon" for ten days and seems to be over the worst; but his craving has just become more insidious. Evading a country weekend planned by his brother Wick and girlfriend Helen, he begins a four-day bender. In flashbacks we see past events, all gone wrong because of the bottle. But this bout looks like being his last...one way or the other.—Rod Crawford

The Lost Weekend

The Lost Weekend (1945)

Edward G. Robinson

Alexander Knox

1900. Each coming into the situation under different circumstances, George Leach, Ruth Brewster, both who are trying to evade capture by the authorities, and writer Humphrey Van Weyden, from a refined background, somewhat reluctantly are on their first of the latest sailing of the Ghost, a sealing schooner, out of its home port of San Francisco. The Ghost is skippered with an iron fist by "Wolf" Larsen, who will not tolerate any question of his authority, and whose cruelty has turned his crew into a hardened lot. In that cruelty, he will often turn his adversaries against each other to his own end of that total control. While all three would like to get off, George and Ruth someplace other than San Francisco, they are being held somewhat captive by Wolf both in not interacting with any other ships and not making land until its ultimate return to San Francisco. Humphrey can see and discovers that Wolf is a mass of contradictions as the Ghost's true nature, which has to do with Wolf's similarly seafaring brother, remains hidden from most. Meanwhile, George does whatever he can to get off board safely with Ruth, especially as they have fallen in love partly in their fugitive status, and even if it requires trying to organize a mutiny under the condition of not knowing who to trust. Through the machinations of each trying to achieve their goal, Wolf may display to who it matters the most his working under the ultimate creed of preferring to "reign in hell than serve in heaven".—Huggo

The Sea Wolf

The Sea Wolf (1941)

Paulette Goddard

Lloyd Bridges

Alan Napier

In 1763, felon Abby Hale is sentenced to slavery in America. In Virginia, heroic Capt. Holden buys her, intending to free her, but villain Garth foils this plan, and Abby toils at Dave Bone's tavern. Garth is fomenting an Indian uprising to clear the wilderness of settlers, giving him a monopoly of the fur trade. Holden discovers Garth's treachery, but cannot prove anything against him. Can Holden and Abby save Fort Pitt from the Senecas? Many hairbreadth escapes.—Rod Crawford

Unconquered

Unconquered (1947)

Keir Dullea

Janet Margolin

Karen Lynn Gorney

The emotional story of a young man in a mental institution for teens who begins to understand his psychosis in the environment of others with mental and emotional problems. He finds intimacy with Lisa, a young woman suffering from dissociative identity disorder.—joe robertson

David and Lisa

David and Lisa (1962)

Blythe Danner

William Daniels

Virginia Vestoff

The film version of the Broadway musical comedy of the same name. In the days leading up to July 4, 1776, Continental Congressmen John Adams and Benjamin Franklin coerce Thomas Jefferson into writing the Declaration of Independence as a delaying tactic as they try to persuade the American colonies to support a resolution on independence. As George Washington sends depressing messages describing one military disaster after another, the businessmen, landowners and slave holders in Congress all stand in the way of the Declaration, and a single "nay" vote will forever end the question of independence. Large portions of spoken and sung dialog are taken directly from the letters and memoirs of the actual participants.—Dave Heston

1776

1776 (1972)

7.3 / 10

Biography
Drama

6.5 / 10

Drama
Music

7.4 / 10

Action
Documentary

7 / 10

Crime
Drama

7.3 / 10

Biography
Drama

6.7 / 10

Action
Crime

6.6 / 10

Action
Biography

6.7 / 10

Action
Drama

7.7 / 10

Action
Biography

6.4 / 10

Action
Drama

6.8 / 10

Action
Crime

7.1 / 10

Action
Crime

7.4 / 10

Action
Crime

7.9 / 10

Action
Drama

7.5 / 10

Action
Adventure

6.9 / 10

Action
Adventure

7.2 / 10

Action
Drama

7.6 / 10

Action
Drama