When Movies Were Movies
by Tyler Woods on Mar. 10, 2010, under Life
I simply refuse to watch the Academy Awards. I cannot seem to get my head around a bunch of overpaid actors dressing up and competing for who’s who and who is the best. We all have our opinions. What is best for some might be worse for others. So I have no desire to watch over-paid people compete for what some academy thinks is the best. In fact, when I found out Hurt Locker, a war movie portraying one of the most senseless wars of our time, I was more than glad to have missed this pointless award show. However, I got to talking with my friends about movies and realized Hollywood just doesn’t make movies like they used to, and it got me thinking…
Indeed Hollywood really doesn’t make movies like they used to. Maybe it’s because it’s all about money and ego anymore. Who knows but looking back when the Academy Awards were about true talent and style and class it takes me right back to the 50s.
In 1950 All About Eve got the best picture. Come on how good does it get? Bette Davis? It simply doesn’t get better than that! This was what Hollywood was meant to be!
In 1951 Humphrey Bogart received best actor for the African Queen, Vivien Leigh
was awarded best actress for A Streetcar Named Desire, and An American in Paris got best picture. That is class!
In 1954 Marlon Brando was the best actor for On the Waterfront. That was when movies were really movies and not Hollywood hype. In fact that year, On the Waterfront got best picture as well. There was no need to re-live a senseless war to get a best picture, just good writing and acting.
In 1956 America was treated with creativity and charm as Yul Brynner got best actor for The King and I and Around the World in 80 Days got best picture. How wonderfully creative these movies were. I am not leaving the women of Hollywood out, in 1957, Joanne Woodward received best actress for The Three Faces of Eve. Now that was a great movie!
In the 50s movies were just incredible. You were allowed to use your imagination. One of the funniest movies I watched as an adult was Harvey which was released in 1950 with James Stewart. He was a drunk who thought his best friend was an imaginary six-foot-tall rabbit. Now that is creativity for its time.
As far as spooky movies, well, we did not need blood and gore back then, just creative writers. I believe one of the spookiest movies I have seen was the 1956 hit, The Bad Seed. This thriller showed us that even young innocent girls could become serial killers. I also loved Alfred Hitchcock for a good jolt. He was clearly beyond his time!
Don’t get me wrong. I am glad for some of the movies that came out this year. I loved the creativity and the meaning behind Avatar. It took 3D to a new level. I thought UP was a great cartoon, and the Blind Side demonstrated something we Americans really need to see; compassion.
I guess I will stick to the classics, avoid some of the violence and vow never to participate in the Hollywood games called award shows. I also suspect a good book beats half the stuff on the big screen anyhow, so I think I will pick up my book, sit outside for a few, breathe in the fresh air and read my next chapter. It is a lot cheaper, allows my imagination to go places, and I do not have to smell stale buttered popcorn and get candy on the soul of my shoes!
In the meantime, what was your favorite movie? Is there a classic you liked?
