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) ???
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29 new
Suspicion
1941, in 4 top lists Check -
50 new
Shadow of a Doubt
1943, in 15 top lists Check -
64 new
Lifeboat
1944, in 2 top lists Check -
89 new
Spellbound
1945, in 7 top lists Check -
107 new
Notorious
1946, in 24 top lists Check -
138 new
Rope
1948, in 10 top lists Check -
170 new
Under Capricorn
1949, in 3 top lists Check -
217 new
Strangers on a Train
1951, in 17 top lists Check -
277 new
Rear Window
1954, in 31 top lists Check -
339 new
The Man Who Knew Too Much
1956, in 0 top lists Check -
355 new
The Wrong Man
1956, in 8 top lists Check -
366 new
Vertigo
1958, in 42 top lists Check -
394 new
North by Northwest
1959, in 30 top lists Check -
407 new
Psycho
1960, in 39 top lists Check -
453 new
The Birds
1963, in 18 top lists Check -
482 new
Marnie
1964, in 8 top lists Check -
670 new
Family Plot
1976, in 1 top list Check
Last updated on May 13, 2018;