50 Years of American Cinema

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Created by Fidelio.

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Since its first publication in the early sixties and over various updates, "50 ans de cinéma américain" has become the Holy Book of most french cinephiles. Initially published by Jean-Pierre Coursodon and Yves Boisset (with Bertrand Tavernier writing some unsigned articles) as an opuscule called "20 ans de cinéma américain", the book has been totally restructured by Coursodon and Tavernier in the early seventies as "30 ans de cinéma américain", then in 1991 as "50 ans de cinéma américain" and finally updated - for the time being - in 1995.
Due to its form and long sedimentation, division into many sections and the piling up of informations over the years, none list here can really do justice to this book. The highlight and largest section of the book is indisputably the "Dictionary of filmmakers" in which the authors virtually discuss the whole filmographies of more than 250 american directors (this part can't be materialized into a list).
The present list focuses on the first part of the book, a timeline between 1939 and 1993 including the most important and noteworthy movies of each year ("works"). Please note that this section also includes other comments ("facts" and "talents") impossible to transpose here.
The two authors bring up the unmissable masterpieces and commercial triumphs but also a lot of personal picks from overlooked directors or victims of the blacklist (residue of their early years as fervent publicists). They deliberately include some turkeys ("le coin du nanar") and obscurities ("à redécouvrir"), with a strong attention to short features (mainly cartoons).

I hope this list, despite its flaws and restriction to american movies, could be of some utility to ICM users and bring to light which is my favorite book about movies (along with the "Dictionary of Films" from Jacques Lourcelles).
The authors are currently working on a definitive edition of their book - presumably entitled "100 ans de cinéma américain" - that will considerably enlarge the scope, starting from 1914 and to likely reach 2014. Needless to say that most of the previously summoned french cinephiles are awaiting for this like men of God were devotedly expecting the Parousia back in the days.


Missing : "Seven lively arts" (John Hubley, 1959) ???

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  1. 340 new

    Blazing the Overland Trail

    1956, in 0 top lists Check
  2. 63 new

    The Unknown Guest

    1943, in 0 top lists Check
  3. 539 new

    I Sailed to Tahiti with an All Girl Crew

    1968, in 0 top lists
    Check
  4. 361 new

    The Girl in the Kremlin

    1957, in 0 top lists Check
  5. 69 new

    The Hitler Gang

    1944, in 0 top lists Check
  6. 47 new

    The Affairs of Jimmy Valentine

    1942, in 0 top lists Check
  7. 132 new

    Black Gold

    1947, in 0 top lists Check
  8. 341 new

    Stranger at My Door

    1956, in 0 top lists Check
  9. 787 new

    Strangers Kiss

    1983, in 0 top lists Check
  10. 179 new

    Sword in the Desert

    1949, in 0 top lists Check
  11. 159 new

    Rogues' Regiment

    1948, in 0 top lists Check
  12. 449 new

    Hero's Island

    1962 — a.k.a. The Land We Love, in 0 top lists Check
  13. 452 new

    In the French Style

    1963, in 0 top lists Check
  14. 420 new

    Key Witness

    1960, in 0 top lists Check
  15. 433 new

    Most Dangerous Man Alive

    1961, in 0 top lists Check
  16. 343 new

    The Adventures of an *

    1957, in 0 top lists Check
  17. 596 new

    Dirty Little Billy

    1972, in 0 top lists Check
  18. 116 new

    Child of Divorce

    1946, in 0 top lists Check
  19. 294 new

    Beachhead

    1954, in 0 top lists Check
  20. 244 new

    My Six Convicts

    1952, in 0 top lists Check
  21. 58 new

    Hitler--Dead or Alive

    1942, in 0 top lists Check
  22. 292 new

    Jivaro

    1954 — a.k.a. Lost Treasure of the Amazon, in 0 top lists Check
  23. 257 new

    Take Me to Town

    1953, in 0 top lists Check
  24. 296 new

    Fudget's Budget

    1954, in 0 top lists Check
  25. 243 new

    No Room for the Groom

    1952, in 0 top lists Check
  26. 451 new

    Of Stars and Men

    1961, in 0 top lists Check
  27. 725 new

    Heart Beat

    1980, in 0 top lists Check
  28. 318 new

    Lighthouse Mouse

    1955, in 0 top lists Check
  29. 81 new

    Nabonga

    1944 — a.k.a. The Jungle Woman, in 0 top lists Check
  30. 639 new

    The White Dawn

    1974, in 0 top lists Check
  31. 432 new

    Catalog

    1961, in 0 top lists Check
  32. 671 new

    A Matter of Time

    1976, in 0 top lists Check
  33. 760 new

    Fast-Walking

    1982, in 0 top lists Check
  34. 14 new

    Turnabout

    1940, in 0 top lists Check
  35. 319 new

    I'm Cold

    1954, in 0 top lists Check
  36. 113 new

    Margie

    1946, in 0 top lists Check
  37. 659 new

    Report to the Commissioner

    1975 — a.k.a. Operation Undercover, in 0 top lists Check
  38. 472 new

    A Distant Trumpet

    1964, in 0 top lists Check
  39. 16 new

    Knock Knock

    1940, in 0 top lists Check
  40. 365 new

    Greedy for Tweety

    1957, in 0 top lists Check
  41. 227 new

    Little Big Horn

    1951 — a.k.a. The Fighting Seventh, in 0 top lists Check
  42. 186 new

    Ragtime Bear

    1949, in 0 top lists Check
  43. 185 new

    The Magic Fluke

    1949, in 0 top lists Check
  44. 622 new

    Wicked, Wicked

    1973, in 0 top lists Check
  45. 73 new

    The Story of Dr. Wassell

    1944, in 1 top list Check
  46. 690 new

    The Other Side of Midnight

    1977, in 0 top lists Check
  47. 700 new

    Movie Movie

    1978, in 0 top lists Check
  48. 160 new

    What Makes Daffy Duck

    1948, in 0 top lists Check
  49. 129 new

    The Exile

    1947, in 0 top lists Check
  50. 228 new

    Bullfighter and the Lady

    1951, in 0 top lists Check
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Last updated on May 13, 2018;