50 Years of American Cinema
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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354 new
12 Angry Men
1957, in 30 top lists Check -
358 new
The Bridge on the River Kwai
1957, in 32 top lists Check -
384 new
Paths of Glory
1957, in 26 top lists Check -
362 new
What's Opera, Doc?
1957, in 7 top lists Check -
348 new
An Affair to Remember
1957, in 9 top lists Check -
349 new
Sweet Smell of Success
1957, in 20 top lists Check -
347 new
Funny Face
1957, in 6 top lists Check -
357 new
3:10 to Yuma
1957, in 7 top lists Check -
352 new
A Face in the Crowd
1957, in 14 top lists Check -
371 new
Night of the Demon
1957 — a.k.a. Curse of the Demon, in 7 top lists Check -
346 new
Forty Guns
1957, in 9 top lists Check -
368 new
The Tarnished Angels
1957, in 4 top lists Check -
363 new
Three Little Bops
1957, in 0 top lists Check -
350 new
Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison
1957, in 1 top list Check -
364 new
Birds Anonymous
1957, in 1 top list Check -
345 new
Run of the Arrow
1957, in 4 top lists Check -
351 new
Les Girls
1957, in 1 top list Check -
359 new
The Undead
1957, in 0 top lists Check -
360 new
The Saga of the Viking Women and Their Voyage...
1957 — a.k.a. The Viking Women and the Sea Serpent, in 0 top lists Check -
356 new
Saint Joan
1957, in 0 top lists Check -
353 new
The Bachelor Party
1957, in 1 top list Check -
365 new
Greedy for Tweety
1957, in 0 top lists Check -
343 new
The Adventures of an *
1957, in 0 top lists Check -
361 new
The Girl in the Kremlin
1957, in 0 top lists Check
Last updated on May 13, 2018;