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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40 new
The Major and the Minor
1942, in 3 top lists Check -
74 new
Double Indemnity
1944, in 37 top lists Check -
86 new
The Lost Weekend
1945, in 17 top lists Check -
188 new
Sunset Blvd.
1950 — a.k.a. Sunset Boulevard, in 35 top lists Check -
220 new
Ace in the Hole
1951, in 21 top lists Check -
255 new
Stalag 17
1953, in 7 top lists Check -
283 new
Sabrina
1954, in 5 top lists Check -
305 new
The Seven Year Itch
1955, in 3 top lists Check -
393 new
Some Like It Hot
1959, in 35 top lists Check -
413 new
The Apartment
1960, in 28 top lists Check -
428 new
One, Two, Three
1961, in 4 top lists Check -
461 new
Irma la Douce
1963, in 1 top list Check -
473 new
Kiss Me, Stupid
1964, in 1 top list Check -
502 new
The Fortune Cookie
1966, in 1 top list Check -
570 new
The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes
1970, in 6 top lists Check -
638 new
The Front Page
1974, in 0 top lists Check -
706 new
Fedora
1978, in 1 top list Check
Last updated on May 13, 2018;