Classic Cinema Zone

Another month, another wave of classic movies making their way onto the Blu-ray format. Making the transfer this month are a Doris Day classic, two great film noirs, an early John Wayne Western, and arguably the greatest movie of all time. Of course, all are great additions to any classic movie collection and would make great gifts for any fan.

Hollywood’s first decade with sound gave rise to a number of staple genres like the screwball comedy, which featured rapid-fire dialogue laced with wit and whimsy, and lavish musicals. In the 1930s, Oscar rewarded these films with its highest honor. Also in the decade was the first Western to win Best Picture, the first-ever film to win the so-called Big Five awards and the most enduring romantic epic Hollywood has ever known.

A master director who got his start in silent pictures, Howard Hawks directed numerous classics and became recognized as one of the greats from the studio era. His movies featured rapid-fire dialogue and superb performances from his leading actors, while his exceptional talents transcended the confines of genre, as Hawks directed screwball comedies, gangster films, Westerns, film noir and even musicals. Here are nine classic movies directed by Howard Hawks.

A notoriously difficult director who nearly destroyed his career before it began, Sam Peckinpah almost single-handedly recreated the Western with his violent, ambiguous vision. He made a mess of his life with alcohol and drugs, and left behind a tattered reputation and a long line of enemies. But he was also an incredible filmmaker whose best work ranks alongside Hollywood greats like John Ford, John Huston and Howard Hawks.

James Stewart has long been remembered for his work with Alfred Hitchcock and Frank Capra. But just as famous as ‘Rear Window’ and ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ were a series of Westerns he made in the 1950s and 1960s, particularly his image-changing films with Anthony Mann. Though not as identifiable with the genre as John Wayne or Clint Eastwood, Stewart’s Westerns rank among the best work of his career.

On Nov. 15, 1956, a 21-year-old Elvis Presley made his feature film debut in Love Me Tender , a musical Western that featured the young star in an originally minor role that was expanded to account for his exploding popularity. … Read Full Post

If there was ever a director-actor tandem that defined the Western genre, it was John Ford and John Wayne. Over the course of five decades, Ford and Wayne made over 20 pictures, most of them Westerns and some that stood the test of time as the model for all others to follow. They made other types of films, war movies and even a romantic comedy. Here are seven of their very best.

At a time when the Western had all but run its course, an Italian director named Sergio Leone came along and resurrected the genre. The stylistic film starred Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef and Eli Wallach as three desperados in search of a cash box full of money. Allegiances shift, double-crosses ensue and the three resolve their conflict with a violent finale punctuated by Ennio Morricone’s classic score.

At a time when the Western had all but run its course, an Italian director named Sergio Leone came along and resurrected the genre. The stylistic film starred Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef and Eli Wallach as three desperados in search of a cash box full of money. Allegiances shift, double-crosses ensue and the three resolve their conflict with a violent finale punctuated by Ennio Morricone’s classic score.

Noted for his many Westerns, particularly the ones he made with frequent collaborator John Ford, John Wayne rose from being a bit player in B-movies in the 1920s to become an American institution. Wayne was an enduring icon of All-American values and rugged individualism who ranked high on the list of screen legends that includes Charlie Chaplin, James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart.