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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44 new
Cat People
1942, in 15 top lists Check -
56 new
I Walked with a Zombie
1943, in 10 top lists Check -
62 new
The Seventh Victim
1943, in 7 top lists Check -
70 new
Bluebeard
1944, in 1 top list Check -
95 new
Hangover Square
1945, in 3 top lists Check -
207 new
Outrage
1950, in 5 top lists Check -
247 new
Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla
1952, in 0 top lists Check -
288 new
Them!
1954, in 3 top lists Check -
337 new
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
1956, in 19 top lists Check -
359 new
The Undead
1957, in 0 top lists Check -
371 new
Night of the Demon
1957 — a.k.a. Curse of the Demon, in 7 top lists Check -
387 new
Attack of the 50 Foot Woman
1958, in 1 top list Check -
402 new
Plan 9 from Outer Space
1957, in 6 top lists Check -
407 new
Psycho
1960, in 39 top lists Check -
446 new
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
1962, in 15 top lists Check -
453 new
The Birds
1963, in 18 top lists Check -
465 new
The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped...
1964, in 1 top list Check -
480 new
The Masque of the Red Death
1964, in 3 top lists Check -
483 new
The Creeping Terror
1964, in 0 top lists Check -
489 new
The Tomb of Ligeia
1964, in 1 top list Check -
501 new
Seconds
1966, in 10 top lists Check -
511 new
Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter
1966, in 0 top lists Check -
526 new
The Astro-Zombies
1968, in 0 top lists Check -
529 new
Rosemary's Baby
1968, in 21 top lists Check -
573 new
Horror of the Blood Monsters
1970 — a.k.a. Blood Creatures from the Prehistoric Planet, in 1 top list Check -
611 new
The Exorcist
1973, in 27 top lists Check -
612 new
Sisters
1972, in 2 top lists Check -
622 new
Wicked, Wicked
1973, in 0 top lists Check -
623 new
Invasion of the Bee Girls
1973, in 0 top lists Check -
667 new
Carrie
1976, in 11 top lists Check -
680 new
Eraserhead
1977, in 20 top lists Check -
681 new
Exorcist II: The Heretic
1977, in 0 top lists Check -
710 new
Alien
1979, in 30 top lists Check -
726 new
The Shining
1980, in 28 top lists Check -
752 new
Cat People
1982, in 1 top list Check -
753 new
The Thing
1982, in 20 top lists Check -
756 new
Poltergeist
1982, in 9 top lists Check -
819 new
The Fly
1986, in 11 top lists Check -
838 new
Fatal Attraction
1987, in 11 top lists Check -
842 new
Near Dark
1987, in 9 top lists Check -
847 new
Dead Ringers
1988, in 12 top lists Check -
918 new
Bram Stoker's Dracula
1992, in 6 top lists Check
Last updated on May 13, 2018;