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) ???
Pssst, want to check out the 50 Years of American Cinema list in our new look?
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12 new
Fantasia
1940, in 20 top lists Check -
848 new
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
1988, in 16 top lists Check -
11 new
Pinocchio
1940, in 16 top lists Check -
273 new
Duck Amuck
1953, in 11 top lists Check -
362 new
What's Opera, Doc?
1957, in 7 top lists Check -
317 new
One Froggy Evening
1955, in 4 top lists Check -
120 new
The Cat Concerto
1947, in 4 top lists Check -
99 new
The Three Caballeros
1944, in 3 top lists Check -
61 new
Red Hot Riding Hood
1943, in 5 top lists Check -
270 new
The Tell-Tale Heart
1953, in 2 top lists Check -
135 new
King-Size Canary
1947, in 4 top lists Check -
211 new
Gerald McBoing-Boing
1950, in 4 top lists Check -
182 new
Bad Luck Blackie
1949, in 2 top lists Check -
272 new
Toot Whistle Plunk and Boom
1953 — a.k.a. Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom, in 1 top list Check -
363 new
Three Little Bops
1957, in 0 top lists Check -
183 new
Little Rural Riding Hood
1949, in 2 top lists Check -
229 new
Rooty Toot Toot
1951, in 3 top lists Check -
48 new
Blitz Wolf
1942, in 1 top list Check -
250 new
Magical Maestro
1952, in 1 top list Check -
59 new
Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs
1943, in 2 top lists Check -
17 new
You Ought to Be in Pictures
1940, in 1 top list Check -
271 new
A Unicorn in the Garden
1953, in 1 top list Check -
84 new
Screwball Squirrel
1944, in 1 top list Check -
364 new
Birds Anonymous
1957, in 1 top list Check -
184 new
Fast and Furry-ous
1949, in 1 top list Check -
468 new
The Critic
1963, in 0 top lists Check -
403 new
Moonbird
1959, in 2 top lists Check -
102 new
Swing Shift Cinderella
1945, in 1 top list Check -
15 new
A Wild Hare
1940, in 0 top lists Check -
103 new
The Shooting of Dan McGoo
1945, in 0 top lists Check -
450 new
The Hole
1962, in 1 top list Check -
431 new
Blazes
1961, in 2 top lists Check -
389 new
Knighty Knight Bugs
1958, in 0 top lists Check -
83 new
The Barber of Seville
1944, in 1 top list Check -
390 new
Robin Hood Daffy
1958, in 0 top lists Check -
161 new
Lucky Ducky
1948, in 1 top list Check -
540 new
Windy Day
1968, in 1 top list Check -
251 new
Rock-a-Bye Bear
1952, in 0 top lists Check -
213 new
Ventriloquist Cat
1950, in 0 top lists Check -
342 new
Gee Whiz-z-z-z-z-z-z
1956, in 1 top list Check -
320 new
The Legend of Rockabye Point
1955, in 0 top lists Check -
466 new
Now Hear This
1962, in 0 top lists Check -
119 new
Rhapsody Rabbit
1946, in 0 top lists Check -
212 new
What's Up Doc?
1950, in 0 top lists Check -
275 new
The Three Little Pups
1953, in 0 top lists Check -
295 new
When Magoo Flew
1954, in 0 top lists Check -
624 new
The Crunch Bird
1971, in 0 top lists Check -
274 new
Don't Give Up the Sheep
1953, in 0 top lists Check -
297 new
Drag-A-Long Droopy
1954, in 0 top lists Check -
467 new
To Beep or Not to Beep
1963, in 0 top lists Check
Last updated on May 13, 2018;