The Best Films According to Andrew Sarris's The American Cinema

The Best Films According to Andrew Sarris's The American Cinema's icon

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In Andrew Sarris's The American Cinema, every director in the book has their full filmography listed, and Sarris italicizes the best films of each director. Here is the full collection of every film italicized in the book (with the exception of Out of the Past, which remains unitalicized likely as an error as he calls it Jacques Torneur's masterpiece).

The book has multiple sections, with who Sarris viewed as the pantheon directors at the top, and slowly dwindling in quality as the list goes down. However, there is merit to be found towards the bottom, as he lists a series of oddities, one-shots, and, at the time, newcomers, as well as subjects for further research.

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  1. 883 new

    20,000 Years in Sing Sing

    1932, in 0 top lists Check
  2. 559 new

    5 Against the House

    1955, in 1 top list Check
  3. 1353 new

    711 Ocean Drive

    1950, in 1 top list Check
  4. 556 new

    99 River Street

    1953, in 3 top lists Check
  5. 346 new

    Accident

    1967, in 3 top lists Check
  6. 1381 new

    After the Thin Man

    1936, in 1 top list Check
  7. 651 new

    Alibi

    1929, in 1 top list Check
  8. 399 new

    Anatomy of a Murder

    1959, in 12 top lists Check
  9. 688 new

    And Then There Were None

    1945, in 2 top lists Check
  10. 394 new

    Angel Face

    1952, in 5 top lists Check
  11. 1151 new

    Angels Over Broadway

    1940, in 1 top list Check
  12. 890 new

    Angels with Dirty Faces

    1938, in 9 top lists Check
  13. 743 new

    The Asphalt Jungle

    1950, in 15 top lists Check
  14. 598 new

    Baby Face Nelson

    1957, in 2 top lists Check
  15. 1220 new

    Back Door to Heaven

    1939, in 0 top lists Check
  16. 1118 new

    Bad Day at Black Rock

    1955, in 7 top lists Check
  17. 784 new

    The Barefoot Contessa

    1954, in 8 top lists Check
  18. 195 new

    La bête humaine

    1938 — a.k.a. The Human Beast, in 9 top lists Check
  19. 569 new

    The Big Combo

    1955, in 7 top lists Check
  20. 149 new

    The Big Heat

    1953, in 18 top lists Check
  21. 233 new

    The Big Knife

    1955, in 3 top lists Check
  22. 85 new

    The Big Sleep

    1946, in 22 top lists Check
  23. 643 new

    The Black Cat

    1934, in 8 top lists Check
  24. 884 new

    Black Fury

    1935, in 0 top lists Check
  25. 95 new

    Blackmail

    1929, in 7 top lists Check
  26. 340 new

    Blind Date

    1959, in 2 top lists Check
  27. 644 new

    Bluebeard

    1944, in 1 top list Check
  28. 590 new

    Bonnie and Clyde

    1967, in 28 top lists Check
  29. 749 new

    Boomerang!

    1947, in 3 top lists Check
  30. 349 new

    Border Incident

    1949, in 2 top lists Check
  31. 1297 new

    The Brasher Doubloon

    1947 — a.k.a. The High Window, in 1 top list Check
  32. 902 new

    The Breaking Point

    1950, in 4 top lists Check
  33. 561 new

    The Brothers Rico

    1957, in 1 top list Check
  34. 1059 new

    Brute Force

    1947, in 6 top lists Check
  35. 879 new

    Caged

    1950, in 3 top lists Check
  36. 949 new

    Call Northside 777

    1948 — a.k.a. Calling Northside 777, in 2 top lists Check
  37. 634 new

    Caprice

    1967, in 0 top lists Check
  38. 1179 new

    The Case Against Brooklyn

    1958, in 0 top lists Check
  39. 551 new

    Cause for Alarm!

    1951, in 1 top list Check
  40. 605 new

    Christmas Holiday

    1944, in 1 top list Check
  41. 771 new

    City Streets

    1931, in 3 top lists Check
  42. 1073 new

    Compulsion

    1959, in 0 top lists Check
  43. 193 new

    Le crime de Monsieur Lange

    1936 — a.k.a. The Crime of Monsieur Lange, in 7 top lists Check
  44. 583 new

    Crime of Passion

    1956, in 1 top list Check
  45. 1149 new

    Crime Without Passion

    1934, in 0 top lists Check
  46. 341 new

    The Criminal

    1960 — a.k.a. Concrete Jungle, in 2 top lists Check
  47. 612 new

    Criss Cross

    1949, in 6 top lists Check
  48. 653 new

    Cronaca di un amore

    1950 — a.k.a. Story of a Love Affair, in 3 top lists Check
  49. 1160 new

    Cry Danger

    1951, in 1 top list Check
  50. 611 new

    Cry of the City

    1948, in 2 top lists Check
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Last updated on Sep 28, 2019;