Tonight's Movie in 2022: The Year in Review

Happy New Year!!

It's time for my annual look back at the movie viewing year that was! 2022 was an excellent movie year with many highly enjoyable films seen, including a significant number of "big screen" experiences.

I saw 179 films in 2022.

For comparison, I saw 190 films in 2021, 198 films in 2020, 238 films in 2019, 282 films in 2018, 284 films in 2017, 275 in 2016, 310 movies in 2015 (my record to date!), 286 movies in 2014, 277 films in 2013, 220 in both 2012 and 2009, 226 in 2011, and 211 movies in 2010.

I saw 42 films in a theater this year. Last year I saw 28 big screen films; there were only 9 in 2020. I saw 91 theatrical films in 2019, 116 in 2018, 102 in 2017, 75 in 2016, 115 in 2015, 78 in 2014, 50 in 2013, and 55 in 2012.

Hopefully there will be more big screen viewings of new and repeat films in 2022 as film festivals and screenings continue on the path back to normalcy.

Seven of my theatrical viewings were brand-new films released late in 2021 or in 2022. More information on the new titles seen follows below.

60 of this year's 179 films were repeat watches, with 22 of those repeat viewings coming on a big screen.

For comparison, in 2021 there were 74 repeat watches, in 2020 there were 64, and in 2019 there were 81 repeat watches. In 2018 I saw 92 repeat watches, while in 2017 there were 68 repeats, 62 in 2016, 76 in 2015, 68 in 2014, 41 in 2013, 36 in 2012 and 2009, 15 in 2011, and only 13 in 2010.

Following the pattern of my past "year in review" posts, each hyperlinked title below links to my past review. It's my hope that the linked reviews will provide resources for further exploration and inspiration for future viewing. Each linked review includes one or more options available for watching each title.

The next section of this post will look at some additional data, including films seen at festivals and lists of most-seen actors. The final section of the post is a month-by-month review of additional notable titles not already mentioned.

Here's a look back at the great movie viewing year which was 2022!

...A special screening this year was JOHNNY GUITAR (1954) at the Autry Museum of the American West. It was my first time to see a classic film indoors in Los Angeles in over two years.

...I attended four film festivals this year, starting with the Noir City Film Festival. Noir City returned to Hollywood with a brief but highly enjoyable three-day stay at the Hollywood Legion Theater. I saw four films over the course of the weekend, all first-time watches: THE ARGYLE SECRETS (1948), THE PROWLER (1951), NO WAY OUT (1950), and THE BREAKING POINT (1950).

...At this year's TCM Classic Film Festival I saw 15 films, five of which were new to me: QUEEN BEE (1955), COCKTAIL HOUR (1933), THE FLAME AND THE ARROW (1952), EVENINGS FOR SALE (1932), and HAS ANYBODY SEEN MY GAL (1952). All were highly enjoyable, especially the first four films on that list.

...Previously reviewed films seen at the TCM Classic Film Festival were JEWEL ROBBERY (1932), THE JUNGLE BOOK (1967), TOO BUSY TO WORK (1932), THE TALL T (1957), PORTRAIT OF JENNIE (1948), FLY-BY-NIGHT (1942), 7TH HEAVEN (1927). I also saw THE GAY DIVORCEE (1934), HAIL THE CONQUERING HERO (1944), and LITTLE WOMEN (1949) for the first time in a number of years.

...At the Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival, held in May in Palm Springs, I saw 10 of the dozen films screened that weekend; unusually for that festival, only one film, AMONG THE LIVING (1941), was a first-time watch for me.

...Previously reviewed movies seen at the Arthur Lyons Fest were THEY LIVE BY NIGHT (1948), THE ARGYLE SECRETS (1948), PHANTOM LADY (1944), I WALK ALONE (1947), LEAVE HER TO HEAVEN (1945), THE GUILTY (1947), TOUCH OF EVIL (1958), MOONRISE (1948), and I WAKE UP SCREAMING (1941). This is always a wonderful, relaxing weekend in the desert!

...I traveled to Lone Pine in October for the Lone Pine Film Festival. I toured a great many movie location sites and saw four films at the festival. The Hopalong Cassidy film DANGEROUS VENTURE (1947) was new to me and BIG JAKE (1971) was my first viewing since childhood; I also enjoyed welcome revisits of favorites YELLOW SKY (1948) and ROUGHSHOD (1949). My location visits included where scenes were filmed for the John Wayne Western THE MAN FROM UTAH (1934) and the Johnny Mack Brown film BETWEEN MEN (1935), very short movies which I watched on a portable DVD player at my hotel during the festival.

...New movies seen in theaters in 2022 were: DEATH ON THE NILE (2022), WEST SIDE STORY (2021), UNCHARTED (2022), TOP GUN: MAVERICK (2022), SEE HOW THEY RUN (2022), TICKET TO PARADISE (2022), and GLASS ONION: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY (2022). I also saw a Fathom Events screening of the Japanese anime film ONLY YESTERDAY (1991) at my local theater. My favorite new film this year, which I'm sure is shared by many people, was TOP GUN: MAVERICK.

...Feature-length documentaries viewed at home this year were FIDDLER'S JOURNEY TO THE BIG SCREEN (2022), THE RESCUE (2021), THE AUTOMAT (2021), and FACING NOLAN (2022). All were very good and are recommended.

...Hallmark Christmas films enjoyed in 2022: CHRISTMAS LAND (2015), THE SANTA STAKEOUT (2021), JOLLY GOOD CHRISTMAS (2022), MINGLE ALL THE WAY (2018), and MY SOUTHERN FAMILY CHRISTMAS (2022). I also caught the "Hallmark-style" films A HOLLYWOOD CHRISTMAS (2022) on HBO Max and MERRY TEXTMAS (2022) from Lifetime.  My favorite of all these was probably MY SOUTHERN FAMILY CHRISTMAS, which starred Jaicy Elliot and Bruce Campbell.

...It was almost hard to choose a "worst picture" for the year, as so much of my viewing was good to excellent, but in the end I landed on the downer Kevin Costner film AMERICAN FLYERS (1985), which I can't say I'd want to ever revisit.  Past "winners" in this category: HULLABALOO (1940) from my 2009 list, FORT BOWIE (1958) in 2011, INHERIT THE WIND (1960) in 2012, a tie between DAVY CROCKETT, INDIAN SCOUT (1950) and FLYING BLIND (1941) in 2013, FORT YUMA (1955) in 2014, THE ROBIN HOOD OF EL DORADO (1936) in 2015, MAKE MINE LAUGHS (1949) in 2016, DEJA VU (1985) in 2017, GOLDIE GETS ALONG (1933) in 2018, MADAME X (1966) in 2019, THE MOONLIGHTER (1953) in 2020, and THE ART OF LOVE (1965) in 2021. Fortunately it's quite rare when I don't find at least some things in a film to enjoy!

...It was a tie between John Wayne and Donald O'Connor as my most-seen actor in 2022, with five films apiece. In O'Connor's case, every movie was part of the Francis the Talking Mule series; in Wayne's case, the films spanned decades, from 1934 to 1971. 

...Also seen regularly in 2022, with four films apiece: Fred Astaire, Jon Hall, Rock Hudson, and Randolph Scott.

...Actors seen in three films apiece this year: Joseph Cotten, Wendell Corey, Robert Douglas, Howard Duff, Bob Hope, William Gargan, Van Heflin, John Ireland, Stephen McNally, William Powell, James Stewart, and Lee Tracy.  A fairly eclectic group!

...Ginger Rogers was my most-seen actress of 2022, with six movies.  It's not very surprising that she and Wayne headed this year's list, as both are longtime favorites.

...Rogers was followed by Maria Montez with five films, thanks to this year's Kino Lorber Blu-ray releases, and Janet Leigh, Ella Raines, Elizabeth Taylor, and Barbara Stanwyck with four films apiece.

...Actresses also seen regularly in 2022, with three films apiece: Betty Grable, Judy Garland, Shelley Winters, Loretta Young, and Ann Sheridan, if you count Sheridan's appearance in the chorus of MURDER AT THE VANITIES (1934) as her third film seen!

...Below is a month-by-month look at some additional titles not already listed above which I found especially memorable viewing in 2022.

...January began with revisiting UNION PACIFIC (1939), a wonderful DeMille film starring Joel McCrea, Barbara Stanwyck, Brian Donlevy, and Robert Preston...Sophia Loren has a blast as a lively liar in Stanley Donen's ARABESQUE (1966) opposite Gregory Peck...I very much enjoyed Jeff Chandler and Marta Toren in DEPORTED (1950), a surprisingly sensitive film about an ex-con sent from the U.S. to his native Italy...The Warner Archive Blu-ray of THE NAKED SPUR (1953), a fine James Stewart Western directed by Anthony Mann, was so crisp you could almost feel that you were there in the mountains...I thoroughly enjoyed my first-ever viewing of John Wayne and Janet Leigh in JET PILOT (1957), which was both behind its time (filmed in 1949 but held back from release for eight years) and ahead of it (it plays like a '60s romantic caper comedy)...I also quite enjoyed Marlene Dietrich and Ray Milland in GOLDEN EARRINGS (1947), with gypsy Dietrich hiding Milland from the Nazis in her caravan...THE CRIME OF HELEN STANLEY (1934) was a fun little "B" mystery starring Gail Patrick; it was later remade as WHO KILLED GAIL PRESTON? (1938), with that title character possibly honoring Patrick...I wrapped up a Blu-ray rewatch of the entire Thin Man series over the last couple years with SONG OF THE THIN MAN (1947), one of my favorites in the series.

...February started off with Ralph Bellamy as Inspector Steve Trent in BEFORE MIDNIGHT (1934), one of a four-film series...My second viewing of STAGE FRIGHT (1950) cemented my liking for it; it might have edged into my Top 10 Hitchcock films...Nicholas Ray's PARTY GIRL (1958) is a colorful yet gritty favorite starring Robert Taylor and Cyd Charisse...What can you say about the Warner Bros. musical GOLD DIGGERS OF 1933 (1933) other than it's an absolute classic? Always a joy...It was fun to watch James Cagney and Rosemary Lane in THE OKLAHOMA KID (1939) the same weekend I visited some of the film's Iverson Ranch locations...I really enjoyed Liam Neeson in the title role of HONEST THIEF (2020) as a reformed crook who wants to return stolen money so he can enjoy a guilt-free life with his new love (Kate Walsh)...EDGE OF DARKNESS (1943) with Errol Flynn and Ann Sheridan was a powerful World War II film...and the same can be said for CHINA (1943), starring Alan Ladd and Loretta Young.

...In March I finally caught up with the colorful IVANHOE (1952) for the first time, starring Robert Taylor, Elizabeth Taylor and Joan Fontaine...WHERE THERE'S LIFE (1947) with Bob Hope was pleasant and knew when to quit at just 75 minutes...I thoroughly enjoyed my first watch of DRAGONWYCK (1946) in a great many years; Gene Tierney stars...The new Blu-ray of CAPTAINS OF THE CLOUDS (1942), starring James Cagney, was gorgeous...I watched Rock Hudson and Paula Prentiss in Howard Hawks' MAN'S FAVORITE SPORT? (1964) for the first time in many years; it's not a great film, but it's pleasant, and I liked it more this time than I had on my first viewing...SHAKEDOWN (1950) is a terrific film on ethics in the news business starring Howard Duff, Peggy Dow, Bruce Bennett, and Brian Donlevy; many of the issues raised are familiar to modern viewers...I enjoyed revisiting Ben Johnson and Martha Hyer in WILD STALLION (1952)...and NATIONAL VELVET (1944) starring Elizabeth Taylor was one of the more outstanding films I saw in 2022.

...Most of my April viewing was at the Noir City and TCM Classic Film Festivals! At home I watched Rock Hudson and Gina Lollobrigida in STRANGE BEDFELLOWS (1965), which had its moments but could have been better...I thought ROMANCE IN MANHATTAN (1935), starring Ginger Rogers and Francis Lederer, was charming.

...There was lots of home viewing in May despite also spending a long weekend at the Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival. I started off with more Ginger Rogers in ONCE UPON A HONEYMOON (1942), also starring Cary Grant, which I found "strange yet also entertaining"...I very much enjoyed revisiting Fred MacMurray and Ava Gardner in SINGAPORE (1947) for the first time in 11 years...I had an absolutely grand time revisiting Fred and Ginger in SHALL WE DANCE (1937) for the first time in ages...THE WHISTLE AT EATON FALLS (1951) is a unique docudrama starring Lloyd Bridges which I recommend...I also really like THE ACCUSED (1949), which has excellent performances by Loretta Young, Robert Cummings, and Wendell Corey...I'll never warm up to the oft-used tragic plot of A STAR IS BORN (1937), but the Technicolor in this year's Blu-ray release makes it a must-see...BLACK BEAUTY (1946) was a minor yet enjoyable film starring longtime fave Mona Freeman...and JOHNNY STOOL PIGEON (1949) was a very good film with Howard Duff and Dan Duryea working undercover to break up a drug ring.

...June began with more Mona Freeman and Howard Duff in THE LADY FROM TEXAS (1951), an enjoyable little ranching movie...I thoroughly enjoyed Richard Conte and Stephen McNally in THE RAGING TIDE (1951)...Lloyd Nolan did a fine job in an early Audie Murphy film, BAD BOY (1949)...I loved THE RETURN OF WILDFIRE (1948), a Western in which Patricia Morison had the rare chance to sing onscreen; Richard Arlen and Mary Beth Hughes costarred...and I watched the very first film in the long-running FRANCIS (1950) series. Films were fairly limited in June due to a road trip to multiple national parks.

...In July I revisited both HIGH TIDE (1947) and THE GUILTY (1947), a pair of excellent "B" crime films released in a gorgeous Blu-ray set from Flicker Alley...The aviation film CENTRAL AIRPORT (1933), starring Richard Barthelmess, Sally Eilers, and Tom Brown, was worth seeing...FIESTA (1941) was an interesting little 45-minute "Streamliners" curio starring Ann Ayars, with beautiful Technicolor...The Rodgers & Hammerstein musical FLOWER DRUM SONG (1961) had some very good moments but overall I found it on the weak side...I quite enjoyed the "train film" LAST PASSENGER (2013) and recommend it for anyone else who likes their suspense films set on trains...Despite its imperfections I've always had a soft spot for ZIEGFELD GIRL (1941), with an impressive cast including Judy Garland, Lana Turner, Hedy Lamarr and James Stewart, and it was great to see it on a new Blu-ray...July was my first-ever viewing of John Ford's THE HORSE SOLDIERS (1959), starring John Wayne and William Holden; a John Ford film is always worth seeing, but overall it was only so-so...I enjoyed Tom Hanks in Steven Spielberg's BRIDGE OF SPIES (2015)...I thought CHICAGO CONFIDENTIAL (1957), starring Brian Keith and Beverly Garland, was great fun...JUKE GIRL (1942), a story of poor migrant workers starring Ronald Reagan and Ann Sheridan, was a solid drama...I loved Maria Montez and Jon Hall in WHITE SAVAGE (1943), which had gorgeous Technicolor...I had my first-ever viewing of THE GODFATHER (1972) and shared a lot of thoughts here.

...August began with more Judy Garland, starring with Gene Kelly and George Murphy in FOR ME AND MY GAL (1942)...I really liked ENTER ARSENE LUPIN (1944), a romantic crime film starring Ella Raines and Charles Korvin (seen here in a still)...ADVENTURES OF DON JUAN (1948) was a lot more fun than I expected, thanks to Errol Flynn and the film's overall sense of humor...Carol Kane was impressive as a Jewish immigrant in the period film HESTER STREET (1975)...GYPSY WILDCAT (1944) and SUDAN (1945) were both fun, starring Maria Montez, Jon Hall, and amazing Technicolor; the Montez-Hall films were some of my favorite viewing this year...TEMPTATION (1946) was a bit of an oddball film with Merle Oberon as a woman who doesn't deserve her loving husband George Brent...Charles Boyer is an irresistible cad in WHEN TOMORROW COMES (1939), costarring the great Irene Dunne...LONDON BY NIGHT (1937) is a cute little MGM crime film starring George Murphy and Rita Johnson...The plot of NEXT TIME WE LOVE (1936) was frustrating, but Margaret Sullavan, James Stewart, and Ray Milland were all excellent in it...I think THE CLOCK (1945) was one of my favorite films seen all year. A very special film with exquisite performances by Judy Garland and Robert Walker...On the other hand, BLUE SKIES (1946) starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire, was a disappointment; I've gone back to it more than once over the years, hoping I'll find it better than remembered...A SHRIEK IN THE NIGHT (1933) is a fun little minor "B" (or even "C"!) mystery starring Ginger Rogers.

...In September I revisited a favorite Esther Williams-Van Johnson MGM film, THRILL OF A ROMANCE (1945), for the first time in years; like some of the other films I especially enjoyed this year, it had stunning color...I also enjoyed revisited Burgess Meredith and Claire Trevor in STREET OF CHANCE (1942) for the first time in years...Charles Boyer was a cad (again!) in BACK STREET (1941), but he and Margaret Sullavan were still moving...COBRA WOMAN (1944) was my least favorite of the half-dozen Montez-Hall films, which is interesting as many people like it best of their movies together...The Betty Grable musical PIN UP GIRL (1944) wasn't one of her best, but it was still fun...I enjoy a dose of fast-talking cynic Lee Tracy every so often and saw him in the comedy THE HALF NAKED TRUTH (1932)...TIME OUT OF MIND (1947) was a very interesting period melodrama with Ella Raines among the cast...THE LAST TRAIN FROM MADRID (1937), starring Lew Ayres and Dorothy Lamour, was a solid drama set during the Spanish Civil War.

...October began with a revisit of the strong newspaper-crime drama THE TURNING POINT (1952) starring Edmond O'Brien, Alexis Smith, and William Holden...I also revisited the crime melodrama THE STRANGE LOVE OF MARTHA IVERS (1946) starring Barbara Stanwyck in the title role...MURDER AT THE VANITIES (1934) was one of the "pre-Codiest" films I've ever seen, very entertaining...SO PROUDLY WE HAIL! (1943) was one of the best films seen all year; it was my second viewing and just as powerful as the first time, with a superb cast headed by Claudette Colbert, Paulette Goddard, and Veronica Lake...BY CANDLELIGHT (1933) was a delightful discovery, a charming pre-Code romantic comedy...I rewatched Randolph Scott in MAN IN THE SADDLE (1951) for the first time in years and very much enjoyed it...It might be a minor film but I had great fun watching TANGIER (1946) starring Maria Montez, Kent Taylor, Robert Paige, Sabu, and Preston Foster.

...In November I caught up with KNIVES OUT (2019) so I'd be ready to go see GLASS ONION: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY (2022); I liked a lot about KNIVES OUT but also had issues with the film...I thought the Tom Hanks WWII film, GREYHOUND (2020), about the merchant marine, was excellent...ABE LINCOLN IN ILLINOIS (1940) was well done but overall a downer, with Abe (Raymond Massey) and Mary (Ruth Gordon) portrayed as very unhappy people...TAKE ONE FALSE STEP (1949) isn't a top film, but William Powell, Marsha Hunt, and Dorothy Hart make it worth seeing...I enjoyed seeing Gene Kelly and Mitzi Gaynor in LES GIRLS (1957) for the first time in years...Deanna Durbin's LADY ON A TRAIN (1945) is a favorite I've seen many times...and I rewatched Rosalind Russell, Walter Pidgeon, and Lee Bowman in DESIGN FOR SCANDAL (1941).

...December was a busy month! I enjoyed Joseph Cotten in PEKING EXPRESS (1951), a fairly entertaining remake of a big favorite, SHANGHAI EXPRESS (1932)...A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1938) is a special film for me, and revisiting it was one of my favorite viewings of the year...BEDTIME FOR BONZO (1951) with Ronald Reagan and Diana Lynn is silly, but also better than old jokes might have one believe...The Bob Hope-Lucille Ball film FANCY PANTS (1950) was entertaining.

...Some final notes: I anticipate my annual "year in review" movie poster video will post by late February.

...This year I was delighted to continue contributing a monthly Westerns column for the terrific Classic Movie Hub site. An index to my Western RoundUp columns may be found here. In addition to articles on a variety of topics, including movie locations, film books, and cemetery visits, I wrote full-length reviews of four films for Classic Movie Hub this year: HELL BENT FOR LEATHER (1960), AMBUSH AT CIMARRON PASS (1958), FORTY GUNS (1957), and THE VIOLENT MEN (1955). Look for a review of another Barbara Stanwyck Western, THE FURIES (1950), to kick off January 2023!

...This year I also more briefly surveyed four "B" films for Classic Movie Hub: WAGON TRAIN (1940) with Tim Holt and Martha O'Driscoll, CROOKED RIVER (1950) with Jimmy Ellison and Julie Adams, DEATH VALLEY MANHUNT (1943) with Wild Bill Elliott and Anne Jeffreys, and BANDIT QUEEN (1950) with Barbara Britton and Phillip Reed.

In closing, I'd like to express my sincere appreciation to everyone who visits this blog, both occasional visitors and "regulars." Your readership, friendship, and support are all deeply valued.

I wish everyone health, happiness, and many wonderful movies in 2023!

Previously: Tonight's Movie in 2009: The Year in Review; Tonight's Movie in 2010: The Year in Review; Tonight's Movie in 2011: The Year in Review; Tonight's Movie in 2012: The Year in Review; Tonight's Movie in 2013: The Year in Review; Tonight's Movie in 2014: The Year in Review; Tonight's Movie in 2015: The Year in Review; Tonight's Movie in 2016: The Year in Review; Tonight's Movie in 2017: The Year in Review; Tonight's Movie in 2018: The Year in Review; Tonight's Movie in 2019: The Year in Review; Tonight's Movie in 2020: The Year in Review; Tonight's Movie in 2021: The Year in Review.

Tweet