19. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)

Director: William Wyler

Starring: Fredric March, Myrna Loy, Dana Andrews

Other Oscar Wins: Best Actor in a Leading Role (Fredric March), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Harold Russell), Best Director, Best Writing, Best Film Editing, Best Score

Other Oscar Nominations: Best Sound

Favourite Line: "You see, Mr. Milton, in the Army I've had to be with men when they were stripped of everything in the way of property except what they carried around with them and inside them. I saw them being tested. Now some of them stood up to it and some didn't. But you got so you could tell which ones you could count on."

Harold Russell, Dana Andrews, and Fredric March.

William Wyler's The Best Years of Our Lives is a lovely and touching film about hope and perseverance. It features a very large, and very talented cast, and is a very unique look at the Second World War, and the toll it took on the everyday lives of the soldiers who fought in it.

The Best Years of Our Lives is the story of three World War Two veterans returning home, and their struggle to re-adjust to their lives outside of the war. One returns to his wife of 20 years and his two children, who he no longer recognizes. He begins drinking, and finds he has dramatically different opinions concerning his pre-war job at a bank. Another comes home to the wife he married fewer than 20 days before leaving, only to find that perhaps they aren't as suited for each other as he had hoped. He also finds he cannot keep a job, looses all his money, and falls in love with another woman. The third, who lost his hands to the war and now wears hooks instead, finds the pitying stares of strangers and loved-ones alike to be unbearable. He struggles to re-connect with his girlfriend, and worries he will no longer be enough for her, or will scare her away.

Art by Olly Moss.

This is a very moving and emotional picture, which carries you seamlessly between all three stories. The actors are all brilliant, but most the most notable performance is that of Harold Russell, who in fact won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Homer, the young man who lost his hands. He was discovered by director William Wyler in an army training film, Diary of a Sergeant. In the original script for The Best Years of Our Lives, Russell's character was a victim of emotional and mental trauma, but when Russell was cast in the picture, the role was re-written to deal with Russell's real-life disability.

An interesting fact about The Best Years of Our Lives, was that William Wyler wanted to give the film a very realistic, almost documentary-like feeling. To accomplish this, he actually hired all his crew from the ranks of World War Two veterans. He also wanted all the costumes to be store bought, and worn by the actors in regular life prior to filming.

The Best Years of Our Lives is a lovely film, and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in the Second World War, or just in wonderful filmmaking.

18. The Lost Weekend (1945)

Director: Billy Wilder

Starring: Ray Milland, Jane Wyman

Other Oscar Wins: Best Actor in a Leading Role (Ray Milland), Best Director, Best Writing

Other Oscar Nominations: Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Score

Favourite Line: "Don't wipe it away, Nat. Let me have my little vicious circle. You know, the circle is the perfect geometric figure. No end, no beginning."

Ray Milland in The Lost Weekend.

 The Lost Weekend is an absolutely incredible film, full of wonderful cinematography, moving performances, and brilliant storytelling. The film, based on a novel of the same name, shows, quite harshly, the tragedy and struggle of a man dealing with alcoholism, and the toll it takes on those around him as well as himself.

The filming itself is very impressive in this picture, and there are a number of beautiful and very interesting shots. The script is also brilliant, and so it is no surprise that this film took home an Oscar for the screenplay. However, the most compelling and stunning part of The Lost Weekend, is the performance by Ray Milland as the films lead. All the performances were wonderful, to be sure, but Milland's is of special note. He is breathtaking, and so invested in his role, that you feel so strongly for the character and his struggle, even when he does wrong again and again. In fact, director Billy Wilder guessed, upon completion of the film, that Milland would win the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his performance. His guess was right, and the award was well deserved.

Art by Olly Moss.

Here are my few fun facts about The Lost Weekend. Before the film's release, the studio was frequently attacked by the alcohol industry, demanding the film not be released, as it presented alcohol in such a bad light, and they feared sales would decrease. At the same time, other groups tried to stop the film's release as they thought it would encourage drinking. Another interesting fact about The Lost Weekend is that it is the first film to feature the theremin (a musical instrument) on the soundtrack. The strange sound was so effective for the nightmarish atmosphere of the film, that the theremin became very commonly used in science-fiction film scores.

Overall, The Lost Weekend is a brilliant film that must be seen. It is well deserving of it's Best Picture award.

17. Going My Way (1944)

Director: Leo McCarey

Starring: Bing Crosby, Barry Fitzgerald

Other Oscar Wins: Best Actor in a Leading Role (Bing Crosby), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Barry Fitzgerald), Best Director, Best Writing (Story), Best Writing (Screenplay), Best Original Song (“Swinging on a Star”)

Other Oscar Nominations: Best Actor in a Leading Role (Barry Fitzgerald), Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing

Favourite Line: "It wouldn't be a church without a mortgage."

Bing Crosby and the Robert Mitchell Boy Choir in Going My Way.

First of all, I would like to apologize for the very long delay between films recently. I just became very busy at work, and have now moved to a new city for school, but I am now settling down, and will try to get back on track.

Going My Way is the heartwarming and charming story of a young priest who is assigned to a well established, but rather poor church. He and the long time head of the church don't see eye to eye at first, but come to understand each other, as the young priest cant help but touch the hearts of all he meets with his kindness and his music.

This was a very charming, but albeit somewhat cheesy film, and although it has some fine acting, there's really not much of a plot to speak of. I was actually surprised when the movie ended because I kept waiting for a story to develop. The most impressive part of this film is the music, which was very lovely. One of its songs, "Swinging on a Star", actually won the Oscar that year for Best Original Song. I was especially a fan of the scene in which Bing Crosby (who plays the young priest) and his newly formed boys choir sing "Ave Maria". It was stunning. Of course, the choir was very talented, but I was already a fan of Bing Crosby, and so it doesn't take much to impress me when it comes to his singing. That man could sing the phone book, and I'd still swoon.

Art by Olly Moss.

Here are a couple fun facts that I found interesting about this picture. In the film, Barry Fitzgerald plays a catholic priest, but in real life he was a protestant. Evidence of this can be found in the film, as he apparently crosses himself in the wrong direction. Another thing I found interesting was that because this film was released during WWII, there were metal shortages, and so when Barry Fitzgerald was given the Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, the statue was made of plaster, rather than gold, as they usually are. He accidentally broke the statue a few weeks after he won.

Over all, Going My Way provides an entertaining and lighthearted movie viewing experience, despite not being as impressive as some of the other Best Picture winners.

16. Casablanca (1942)

Director: Michael Curtiz

Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid

Other Oscar Wins: Best Director, Best Writing

Other Oscar Nominations: Best Actor in a Leading Role (Humphrey Bogart), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Claude Rains), Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Score

Favourite Line: "Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine."

Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca.

Casablanca is an undeniably brilliant film, and is one of my all time favourites. It is full of romance, intrigue, action, and exceptional acting, and of course includes the timeless song, "As Time Goes By". This film is set in Casablanca, Morocco during the Second World War, a dangerous city full of refugees trying to escape to the new world. American saloon owner Rick Blaine must decide between staying with the woman who once broke his heart, and helping her husband, a prominent leader of the resistance, to escape.

Art by Olly Moss.

The story itself is enough to make a wonderful film, but it's the performances of all the actors that really makes it. Humphrey Bogart as the hard and secretly sentimental Rick is stunning, delivering one of the most memorable film performances of all time. Ingrid Bergman is also incredible, despite her being a little uncomfortable throughout the filming over the fact that the script was not finished until the last minute and she did not know whether her character ends up with Rick or Victor Laszlo. My favourite character, however is the selfish and yet strangely charming Captain Renault, played to perfection by Claude Rains. He makes what could be a very dislikable character someone who the audience still feels for to some degree.

Casablanca is one of history's greatest films. An undeniable classic, which has woven itself into popular culture, with some of the most famous lines of all time; "We'll always have Paris", "Play it Sam", "Round up the usual suspects", and of course, "Here's lookin' at you, kid". This nearly perfect film is one that should be watched over and over again. It lives up to it's reputation, and will endure for years to come.

15. Mrs. Miniver (1942)

Director: William Wyler

Starring: Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon

Other Oscar Wins: Best Actress in a Leading Role (Greer Garson), Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Teresa Wright), Best Director, Best Writing, Best Cinematography

Other Oscar Nominations: Best Actor in a Leading Role (Walter Pidgeon), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Henry Travers), Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Dame May Whitty), Best Sound, Best Film Editing, Best Effects

Favourite Line: "I know how comfortable it is to curl up with a nice, fat book full of big words and think you're going to solve all the problems in the universe. But you're not, you know. A bit of action is required every now and then."

The cast of Mrs Miniver.

Mrs. Miniver is a beautiful and moving film about a middle class British family, trying to make it through the Second World War. It is thoroughly touching and optimistic, despite showing the toll that war can take on common people.

The most stunning thing about this film is the astounding number of incredible acting performances. It's no wonder it includes 5 Oscar nominations for acting alone, and two of those won. Mrs. Miniver is in fact the first film to have so many acting nominations. I personally cannot single any one performance, as all of them were very moving, lovely, and nuanced.

Art by Olly Moss.

 Interestingly, director William Wyler openly admitted that he made this film as a sort of propaganda to cause American audiences to be more sympathetic to the British during World War Two. He joined the army himself after filming was completed, and was oversees the night he won his Oscar. The final speech of the film was used extensively for the war effort in America. It was printed in magazines such as "Time" and "Look", and it was also broadcast on the Voice of America by order of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Copies of the speech were dropped over Europe. Winston Churchill in fact once said that Mrs. Miniver did more for the war effort than a flotilla of destroyers. 

All in all, Mrs. Miniver is a wonderful film that I would highly recommend seeing, particularly if you are interested in the Second World War, or simply if you wish to see a showcase of excellent acting. 

14. How Green Was My Valley (1941)

Director: John Ford

Starring: Walter Pidgeon, Maureen O’Hara

Other Oscar Wins: Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Donald Crisp), Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction

Other Oscar Nominations: Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Sara Allgood), Best Writing, Best Sound, Best Film Editing, Best Score

Favourite Line: "Prayer is only another name for good, clean, direct thinking. When you pray, think. Think well what you're saying. Make your thoughts into things that are solid. In that way, your prayer will have strength, and that strength will become a part of you, body, mind, and spirit."

A scene from How Green Was My Valley.

 How Green Was My Valley is a beautiful and sentimental picture about a poor Welsh mining town as seen through the eyes of a young boy, Huw Morgan. As I have Welsh heritage myself, it was very cool to see a film featuring my family's cultural background. Wales is not a country that usually gets a lot of attention.

This movie is brilliantly filmed and written with some lovely performances from all involved. The most impressive, I found, was Donald Crisp as Huw's father, Mr. Morgan. He certainly earned his Oscar, and his performance is very truthful and nuanced. Also, Roddy McDowall as Huw himself is so endearing and he draws the viewer into the story.

Art by Olly Moss.

Something I found very interesting about How Green Was My Valley, was that despite being very clearly set in Wales, it was actually filmed Southern California. The plan had been to film on location, but the Second World War made that extremely difficult, and an 80 acre set was built instead. This also meant that the film had to be shot in black and white, because the colour of the flowers in California didn't match Welsh flowers. The film was finished in only two months.

Perhaps How Green Was My Valley's biggest claim to fame is that it beat Orson Welles masterpiece, Citizen Kane, for Best Picture. Citizen Kane is widely considered one of, if not the best film ever made, whereas How Green My Valley has faded into obscurity. Nonetheless, this is a lovely film, which I would recommend viewing, even just once.

13. Rebecca (1940)

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

Starring: Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine

Other Oscar Wins: Best Cinematography

Other Oscar Nominations: Best Actor in a Leading Role (Laurence Olivier), Best Actress in a Leading Role (Joan Fontaine), Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Judith Anderson), Best Director, Best Writing, Best Art Direction, Best Film Editing, Best Effects, Best Score

Favourite Line: "Please promise me never to wear black satin or pearls... or to be 36 years old."

Joan Fontaine and Laurence Olivier in Rebecca.

 Alfred Hitchcock's Rebecca, based on the novel by Daphne Du Maurier, is the story of the shy second wife of Maxim de Winter, who is haunted by the memory of his first wife, the beautiful and popular Rebecca.

Rebecca is an exceptionally well done film, full of romance, mystery and suspense, and with some wonderful and interesting twists along the way. This is an incredible piece of storytelling, which keeps the viewer captivated throughout.

The most astonishing thing about this film, that I found, was that the character of Rebecca de Winter herself, has an astounding presence throughout the film. It feels as though she is always there, even though she is never seen, not even in a photograph. All we see of the title character is her signature, and her monogram on several items around the house. To be able to create that sort of presence for an absent character is simply brilliant, and really shows Hitchcock's undeniable ability as a director.

Art by Olly Moss.

The acting in this picture is also very impressive, having earned three acting nominations at the Oscars that year. Joan Fontaine's portrayal of the second Mrs. de Winter is lovely, and you really feel for her shyness and uneasiness. Apparently her sense of unease is partly due to the fact that Fontaine herself felt that she was not liked on the set, having not been the first choice for the role. In fact, over 20 actresses were tested for the role, including Vivien Leigh. The most impressive performance, however, I found to be Laurence Olivier as the reclusive and mysterious Maxim de Winter. His monologue describing the final night of Rebecca's life is so compelling and intriguing, and makes for my favourite overall scene of the film.

Rebecca is a wonderful film, and definitely one worth seeing more than once.