We are now, officially, out of the Pre-Code era of films and into the Hays Code era. This means that violent and sexual scenes that you could see in movies from 1927 to 1934 are no more. Everything has to be passed as morally acceptable by the Hays Code board and the movies from this point on become even more boring. Not every movie that came out after 1934 is bad, but they miss that grit that earlier movies on this ranking had. These movies feel more clean and family friendly than earlier movies did. And because of that this list of nominees this year are pretty boring and safe for the most part. Not all, but most of these movies are very forgettable and I won’t spend much time talking about movies I find duller than paint drying.
1.Mutiny on the Bounty (1935):
This film is anything but boring. In fact, it might be one of my favorite action/adventure movies of the 1930s. The story follows a British ship commanded by an evil captain who tortures his crew. Several of the crew members decide to mutiny and kick the captain off the ship. This movie is fun. Its got good action set pieces and really good acting. In particular, Charles Laughton as the captain is so deliciously evil. He starves, whips, tortures, and even ends up killing several of the crew members and he sees nothing wrong with it. Laughton is the highlight of the film and his back and forth with the crew is great stuff. This is a solid adventure story where you want the mutiny to succeed and see some bloodshed. Good start to the Hays Code era of filmmaking.
2.Ruggles of Red Gap (1935):
This movie sort of took me by surprise as I found it really enjoyable and pretty funny for how old it is. The story follows the valet Ruggles (Charles Laughton) as he tries to get used to his new boss in America; hijinks ensue. The performances and writing are the star of this show. Laughton, who is in three Best Picture nominees this year, is as good as ever as a stuck-up valet who doesn’t understand the ways of the American mindset. Of course, it doesn’t help that the family he works for are weirdos in their own right. But through seeing the family and their way of life, our main character starts to believe he can live his life as freely as this family does. Coupled with strong character writing and funny set pieces, this was the definite dark horse of this year that should get more attention.
3.The Informer (1935):
Gypo (Victor McLaglen) wants to have a better life with his girlfriend. So in order to make some money to go over to America, he informs on his friend who is wanted by the police and he claims the reward money after his friend is killed. Gypo, feeling all sorts of emotions, gets drunk and starts to flaunt his money around, all the while the gangs of the town start to wonder if it was him that informed on his friend. This is another movie that surprised me because of how character focused it is. Gypo has been through a lot and thinks the only way to live a better life is to metaphorically, and literally, take someone else’s life. After he informs on his friend he gets sloppy. He spends his money on booze, fish n’ chips, women, and even falsely accuses an innocent man on informing on his friend. He’s a man riddled with guilt and sorrow that is expertly portrayed by McLaglen. Without Gypo and his plight, you don’t have a movie like this.
4.Captian Blood (1935):
Oh boy, a pirate movie, my favorite! In all seriousness, I’m not a fan of pirate movies as they all look and feel the same. This movie is the first one of them though, so I’ll cut it some slack. Dr. Peter Blood (Errol Flynn) is falsely convicted of a crime and becomes a slave. He is able to escape with other slaves and becomes a very successful pirate of the seas. It has all the hallmarks of a pirate themed film. Action, romance, sword fights, ship battles, and a whole bunch of other piratey stuff. Flynn has the charisma to pull off being a pirate captain and he is pretty charming. If you’re a fan of these types of films, then I think it’s worth seeing.
5.Top Hat (1935):
Another Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers musical. There really is no story to this one as Rogers’ character is a wealthy woman who assumes Astaire is also rich. The story doesn’t matter so much as the music and dancing. It’s on par with The Gay Divorcee (1934) in terms of story, music, and dancing. If you like Astaire and Rogers films, then you will most likely like this one. If you’re a musical fan, you can do better, but you can do a lot worse.
6.Les Misérables (1935):
Les Misérables has been made several times in film form, but this was the first Hollywood version. The story centers on two French men, Jean Valjean (Fredric March), a former convict who becomes a great man over time while running from the law, and Emile Javert (Charles Laughton, who had a great year this year) a police inspector who chases Valjean throughout the story. It’s a story that spans over decades and tons of characters that explaining the whole thing will take all day. This version of the story is just ok. It doesn’t add to the story, yet it does take out several character moments that flesh out certain story sections. But it’s serviceable for what it is. If you want the definitive version of this story, the French made a 4 hour version the year before and it films the whole story. Watch that one if you want a somewhat complete version of Les Misérables.
7.Broadway Melody of 1936 (1935):
Another revue/musical with no real story… great. A Broadway producer doesn’t have the finance to produce his new musical. That is until a wealthy woman claims she will provide the money if he casts her as the star. This is really a star vehicle to show off the talents of Eleanor Powell, a tap dancer who was really good at her job. Her dancing scenes are the best part of the film, but other than that there isn’t much to this one. It has no story, no character, and even the music is nothing special. Top Hat had better music and characters than this movie does.
8.The Lives of a Bengal Lancer (1935):
This action/adventure film takes place in the British rule of India. It follows the lives of a few Bengal Lancers, British soldiers that are in the Calverley. There are fights, there is drama, and there a lot of daddy issues. This is a fairly standard action movie with ok action and subpar character drama. I barely remember it even after watching it, so you know how memorable it is.
9.David Copperfield (1935):
If you were ever forced to read David Copperfield in school, you know this story of a young boy and his depressing family life. This version is no different from any other film version of this story. It follows the book pretty well, the cast is good, and it’s also pretty boring. Once David grows up in the second half of the story, I lose interest. It’s not terrible, but it’s pretty forgettable, just like the book.
10.Naughty Marietta (1935):
This operatic musical about a princess falling in love with a pirate is really bad and boring. When everyone breaks out into an opera song, I lose interest very fast. The music sucks, the characters have no character, the singing is boring, the acting is pretty bad, and the story is non existent. The only person who would enjoy this movie is old people, or people into opera, usually both at the same time.
11.Alice Adams (1935):
Oh boy, another Katharine Hepburn film where she acts like a bitch to everyone around her. My favorite! Seriously though, I hate Hepburn and I hate her “I’m better than everyone around me” attitude that she has in most of her early movies. Here she is part of an uppity family and she treats everyone around her like crap. She’s a terrible character and she’s treated like she’s just quirky, and not a total bitch. And everyone thinks she’s cute, even though she’s an awful person. I really hate this movie solely because of Hepburn’s performance and how everyone thinks she’s cute and not a total asshole.
12.A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1935):
Outside of the first ten minutes or so that is colorized, this is an awful movie. Hollywood does not have a good track record of filming Shakespeare’s work and this might be one of the worst versions of this story. The cast is terrible. No one knows how to deliver their lines since none of them are classically trained. The story itself is boring and not funny. As one of Shakespeare’s comedies, it should be funny, but it isn’t. The magical creatures look terrifying. It’s too long and that’s saying something for a Shakespeare play. And it’s really boring. You’ll want to turn it off at the fifteen minute mark because of how unremarkable it is. What a waste of time this experience was!
Movies for 20 Somethings 