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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18 new
Citizen Kane
1941, in 39 top lists Check -
29 new
Suspicion
1941, in 4 top lists Check -
31 new
Among the Living
1941, in 1 top list Check -
44 new
Cat People
1942, in 15 top lists Check -
45 new
Keeper of the Flame
1943, in 0 top lists Check -
62 new
The Seventh Victim
1943, in 7 top lists Check -
63 new
The Unknown Guest
1943, in 0 top lists Check -
89 new
Spellbound
1945, in 7 top lists Check -
108 new
The Big Sleep
1946, in 22 top lists Check -
109 new
Fallen Angel
1945, in 2 top lists Check -
157 new
Alias Nick Beal
1949 — a.k.a. The Contact Man, in 2 top lists Check -
158 new
The Argyle Secrets
1948, in 1 top list Check -
189 new
Night and the City
1950, in 12 top lists Check -
192 new
In a Lonely Place
1950, in 19 top lists Check -
276 new
The Barefoot Contessa
1954, in 8 top lists Check -
277 new
Rear Window
1954, in 31 top lists Check -
310 new
Kiss Me Deadly
1955, in 20 top lists Check -
315 new
Murder Is My Beat
1955, in 1 top list Check -
339 new
The Man Who Knew Too Much
1956, in 0 top lists Check -
361 new
The Girl in the Kremlin
1957, in 0 top lists Check -
366 new
Vertigo
1958, in 42 top lists Check -
392 new
Suddenly, Last Summer
1959, in 2 top lists Check -
395 new
Anatomy of a Murder
1959, in 12 top lists Check -
407 new
Psycho
1960, in 39 top lists Check -
420 new
Key Witness
1960, in 0 top lists Check -
463 new
Shock Corridor
1963, in 14 top lists Check -
479 new
A Shot in the Dark
1964, in 2 top lists Check -
491 new
Bunny Lake Is Missing
1965, in 1 top list Check -
501 new
Seconds
1966, in 10 top lists Check -
514 new
In the Heat of the Night
1967, in 17 top lists Check -
528 new
The Boston Strangler
1968, in 2 top lists Check -
530 new
2001: A Space Odyssey
1968, in 45 top lists Check -
582 new
Klute
1971, in 11 top lists Check -
590 new
Duel
1971, in 4 top lists Check -
606 new
Sleuth
1972, in 4 top lists Check -
622 new
Wicked, Wicked
1973, in 0 top lists Check -
628 new
The Conversation
1974, in 23 top lists Check -
630 new
Chinatown
1974, in 31 top lists Check -
644 new
Night Moves
1975, in 6 top lists Check -
650 new
Three Days of the Condor
1975, in 4 top lists Check -
656 new
The Return of the Pink Panther
1975, in 2 top lists Check -
666 new
Obsession
1976, in 1 top list Check -
680 new
Eraserhead
1977, in 20 top lists Check -
681 new
Exorcist II: The Heretic
1977, in 0 top lists Check -
753 new
The Thing
1982, in 20 top lists Check -
761 new
Hammett
1982, in 2 top lists Check -
764 new
Missing
1982, in 5 top lists Check -
813 new
Blue Velvet
1986, in 27 top lists Check -
820 new
Manhunter
1986, in 6 top lists Check -
829 new
House of Games
1987, in 7 top lists Check
Last updated on May 13, 2018;