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Subgenre Sampler

 
Tom Brown's School Days (1940)
Dir. Robert Stevenson
Feat. Freddie Bartholomew, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Jimmy Lydon
Thomas Hughes' classic novel of life at the Victorian Boys public school of Rugby is given a generous, populist treatment. New boy Lydon finds…
Twenty One DaysTwenty One Days (21 Days Together) (1940)
Dir. Basil Dean
Feat. Vivien Leigh, Laurence Olivier, Leslie Banks
Laurence Olivier plays a playboy embroiled in the death of an attractive model's blackmailer in this curious pre–war melodrama, from the…
Dark VictoryDark Victory (1939)
Dir. Edmund Goulding
Feat. Bette Davis, George Brent, Humphrey Bogart
Sleekly upholstered melodrama, with Davis as a willful, party–going Long Island millionairess who discovers she is dying. Great performances…
Drums Along the MohawkDrums Along the Mohawk (1939)
Dir. John Ford
Feat. Henry Fonda, Claudette Colbert, Edna May Oliver
Minor Ford drama with Fonda and Colbert as newlyweds whose farming career gets stymied by the Revolutionary War and attacks from Native Americans.…
Goodbye Mr. ChipsGoodbye Mr. Chips (1939) Recommended
Dir. Sam Wood
Feat. Robert Donat, Greer Garson
Slow–moving, heartfelt story of a devoted schoolteacher. Robert Donat won an Oscar in the lead role.
Hunchback of Notre Dame, TheHunchback of Notre Dame, The (1939) Recommended
Dir. William Dieterle
Feat. Charles Laughton
Charles Laughton is perfectly cast in this beautifully expressionistic version of the classic.
Jour Se Leve, LeJour Se Leve, Le (Daybreak) (1939) Recommended
Dir. Marcel Carne
Feat. Jean Gabin, Arletty
A renowned example of 'poetic realism', Jean Gabin gives another consummate performance as a doomed anti–hero. His tragic story is told in…
La Regle Du JeuLa Regle Du Jeu (Rules of the Game) (1939) Aro Favourite
Dir. Jean Renoir
Feat. Marcel Dalio, Nora Gregor, Roland Toutain
Considered one the greatest films in history, this downbeat yet incisive satire centres around weekend shooting party that results in a myriad of…
Of Mice and MenOf Mice and Men (1939)
Dir. Lewis Milestone
Feat. Lon Jr. Chaney, Burgess Meredith, Betty Field
A mentally–challenged giant and his level–headed guardian find work at a sadistic cowboy's ranch in this adaptation of John Steinbeck's…
Only Angels Have WingsOnly Angels Have Wings (1939) Recommended
Dir. Howard Hawks
Feat. Cary Grant, Jean Arthur, Rita Hayworth
Quintessential Hawks fare in which men are men and women have to be equally tough. At a South American outpost, mail pilot Cary Grant becomes…
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