2016 was another great movie year, filled with wonderful experiences and new discoveries.
This year I saw 275 movies! That's quite a satisfactory number, although lower than
last year's all-time record of 310. I'd been on track to see around 300 films until my business became unusually busy in the last two months of the year. Hopefully in 2017 I can pick up the pace a bit!
For comparison, I saw 286 movies in
2014, 277 films in
2013, 220 in both
2012 and
2009, 226 in
2011, and 211 movies in
2010.
62 of the films I saw this year were repeats, with 22 of those repeat viewings coming on a big screen. That stacks up against "repeat" numbers of 76 in 2015, 68 in 2014, 41 in 2013, 36 in 2012 and 2009, 15 in 2011, and only 13 in 2010.
75 of my 275 titles seen this year were viewed in a theater. That's down from 115 last year, but roughly consistent with 78 seen on a big screen in 2014. One of the biggest reasons for the change was that unlike 2015, I was unable to attend the 2016 Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival in Palm Springs, plus the Palm Springs Classic Science Fiction Film Festival didn't take place in 2016.
Each of the hyperlinked titles in this post links to my past reviews. As I always note in my "year in review" posts, it's impossible to list every movie seen or go into extensive detail here, but it's my hope that the linked reviews will provide inspiration and resources for readers to explore ideas for their own future viewing.
Each linked review includes a list of varied options available for watching each title, including DVD, Blu-ray, streaming, and even VHS, a format I know some readers continue to utilize along with me!
As always, the next section of this post will look at some additional stats, 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 titles not mentioned earlier in the post.
Here's a look back at my movie watching in 2016!
...I attended three film festivals in 2016. The
TCM Classic Film Festival continues to be a highlight of the year, with the chance to spend time with friends from across the U.S., Canada, and the UK along with seeing movies. I saw 15 films at this year's festival, including
A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN (1945),
HE RAN ALL THE WAY (1951),
A HOUSE DIVIDED (1931),
SHANGHAI EXPRESS (1932), BRIEF ENCOUNTER (1946), TRAPEZE (1956), IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946), BAMBI (1942), OLD YELLER (1957), and THE BAND WAGON (1953). Previously reviewed films seen at the TCM festival were
REPEAT PERFORMANCE (1947),
THE WAR OF THE WORLDS (1953),
MIDNIGHT (1939),
ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWS (1955), and
SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON (1949).
...This year the calendar for the
18th Annual Noir City Film Festival was compressed into 10 straight days, rather than spread over three weekends. I got a lot out of my American Cinematheque membership, making the drive from Orange County to the Egyptian most nights of the festival! I managed to see 16 movies, including many wonderful first-time discoveries. The titles seen were
THE BITTER STEMS (1956),
ALL MY SONS (1948),
TAKE ONE FALSE STEP (1949),
FLESH AND FANTASY (1943),
DESTINY (1944),
FLESH AND FURY (1952),
OUTSIDE THE WALL (1950),
MEET DANNY WILSON (1951),
YOUNG MAN WITH A HORN (1950),
DEAD RECKONING (1947),
KEY WITNESS (1947),
DECEPTION (1946),
THE CAPTIVE CITY (1952), and
BUY ME THAT TOWN (1941), plus two previously reviewed films,
RIFFRAFF (1947) and
TOO LATE FOR TEARS (1949) (there's more on that film
here).
...I saw eight films at this year's
27th Lone Pine Film Festival:
STRANGER AT MY DOOR (1956),
THE PRAIRIE PIRATE (1925),
3 GODFATHERS (1948),
TRAIL OF THE VIGILANTES (1940),
DESERT PURSUIT (1952) and
MYSTERY MAN (1945), plus the previously reviewed
3 BAD MEN (1926) and
RAWHIDE (1951).
...Again this year I saw many films at UCLA, which is probably my favorite venue for enjoying classic films. The first series of the year for me was
Out of the Ether: Radio Mysteries and Thrillers On Screen, where I saw three films:
THE TRIAL OF VIVIENNE WARE (1932),
I LOVE A MYSTERY (1945), and
THE UNKNOWN (1946).
...Also seen at UCLA in 2016:
TO BE OR NOT TO BE (1942) and
IN NAME ONLY (1939) from the series
Independent Stardom on Screen: Freelance Women in Hollywood;
THIS WAY PLEASE (1937) and the previously reviewed
FOOTLIGHT PARADE (1933) in the
Marquee Movies series;
THE STRANGE LOVE OF MARTHA IVERS (1946) along with the previously reviewed
OUT OF THE PAST (1947) in the
Kirk Douglas Centennial Celebration; plus
THREE ON A MATCH (1932),
THREE BROADWAY GIRLS (1932),
I'VE GOT YOUR NUMBER (1934), and the previously reviewed
DAMES (1934) in the series
Joan Blondell: Blonde Crazy.
...Other very special big screen experiences: Seeing
CRISS CROSS (1949) at Union Station, just steps from where scenes were filmed;
CASABLANCA (1942) in nitrate with a packed house at the Egyptian Theatre; and Clara Bow in the restored
GET YOUR MAN (1927) and Mary Philbin in
THE BLAZING TRAIL (1927) at the Academy's Linwood Dunn Theatre.
...This was a very good year for "new" films seen in a theater; I saw 13, surpassing 10 new films seen in both 2014 and 2015. Seven of the 13 films came from various divisions of Disney, which releases reliably consistent entertainment:
THE FINEST HOURS (2016),
ZOOTOPIA (2016),
FINDING DORY (2016),
CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR (2016),
DOCTOR STRANGE (2016),
MOANA (2016), and
ROGUE ONE (2016).
...The other new films seen in a theater this year were
JASON BOURNE (2016),
SULLY (2016),
DEEPWATER HORIZON (2016),
MISS SLOANE (2016),
LA LA LAND (2016), and
JACKIE (2016).
...At home, I added to my list of Marvel films seen with first-time viewings of
THOR: THE DARK WORLD (2013) and
AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON (2015). I also enjoyed a number of recent action movies with our oldest daughter, some of which will be mentioned in the last section of this post.
...This was the first time in several years I didn't see an older Disney film at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood. However, I did see five films in the Disney Screen series at my local Cinemark:
ATLANTIS: THE LOST EMPIRE (2001),
MAKE MINE MUSIC (1946),
FUN AND FANCY FREE (1947),
COOL RUNNINGS (1993), and
THE MANY ADVENTURES OF WINNIE THE POOH (1977). Sadly, the Disney Screen series has now come to an end, but it was great while it lasted!
...I also had an especially wonderful big screen Disney experience attending a 75th anniversary presentation of
The RELUCTANT DRAGON (1941) on the Disney lot! It was a very special afternoon including "
Destination D" style panel presentations before the movie, and a party and autograph session afterwards!
...Bill Elliott was my most-seen actor of 2016, clocking in at 13 films thanks to his
Western and
Detective collections from the Warner Archive. I especially loved his detective movies, short and entertaining films which I found reminiscent of DRAGNET episodes. I might add that if I were to add in Elliott's pre-stardom bit roles in '30s films it would up the total considerably!
...George O'Brien (right) ranked second, with 11 films seen, and Wayne Morris was next with nine films. Tied at eight movies apiece were Pat O'Brien and Buck Jones; Jones was far and away my favorite new discovery of 2016! George Brent and Lee Tracy were seen in half a dozen films apiece while Edward G. Robinson, Ronald Reagan, Humphrey Bogart, and Nelson Eddy were seen five times each.
...Further down the list, seen three or four times apiece, are names like Randolph Scott, Barry Sullivan, Richard Dix, Warren William, Tony Curtis, Burt Lancaster, Lee Bowman, Johnny Mack Brown, Walter Pidgeon, Robert Taylor, Robert Montgomery, Dick Powell, Cary Grant, Robert Benchley, Kirk Douglas, Dick Foran, Bruce Bennett, and Rory Calhoun.
...Joan Blondell, my most-seen actress of
2013, makes a return to the top of the list with seven films seen in 2016. This was thanks in part to the wonderful
series honoring her at UCLA this fall!
...Tied for second were Joan Bennett and Jeanette MacDonald, seen in five films apiece. Tied at four films each: Cyd Charisse, Kay Francis, Ann Dvorak, Lauren Bacall, Glenda Farrell, and Bette Davis. A look at both the most-seen actor and actress lists underlines there was a whole lot of Warner Bros. viewing going on this year!
...Actresses also seen regularly in 2016, in three films each: Susan Hayward, Lizabeth Scott, Virginia Grey, Ruth Hussey, Cecilia Parker, Doris Day, Kristine Miller, and Ann Sheridan.
...For the sixth year in a row I made a list of
10 Classics to see for the first time. I've always successfully completed viewing my lists, but for various reasons I tend to leave watching most of them until my vacation time at year's end, with writing the reviews hanging over into early the following year! So far I've reviewed
JUDGE PRIEST (1934) and
SHANGHAI EXPRESS (1932), with reviews to follow of
7TH HEAVEN (1927),
A CANTERBURY TALE (1944),
A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1951),
TOKYO STORY (1953),
THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (1960),
YOJIMBO (1961),
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (1962), and
THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG (1964). As always, I'll be adding the links to this post as they go up!
...I find things to appreciate in most movies I watch, but once in a while I run into a real clunker. This year's Worst Picture: the anthology film
MAKE MINE LAUGHS (1949), which was so "low rent" it was hard to believe it was released in theaters. My previous Worst Picture "winners" were
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, and
THE ROBIN HOOD OF EL DORADO (1936) in 2015.
...I was delighted to be able to participate in an increased number of blogathons this year! Blogathons foster a wonderful sense of community among classic film bloggers, as we gather to celebrate various aspects of classic filmdom. This year I wrote about
AND NOW TOMORROW (1944) for the Loretta Young Blogathon,
SCARLET STREET (1945) for the Classic Symbiotic Collaborations Blogathon,
LOOPHOLE (1954) and
QUANTRILL'S RAIDERS (1958) for the Allied Artists Blogathon,
CANADIAN PACIFIC (1949) for the O Canada Blogathon,
GUNSIGHT RIDGE (1957) for the Joel McCrea Blogathon, and
THE BIG CIRCUS (1959) for the At the Circus Blogathon. I'm already signed up for the 2017 edition of the O Canada Blogathon!
...I enjoyed writing for the ClassicFlix site again this year; my columns can be found
here.
...Again this year I'll be contributing a list of Favorite Discoveries to the blog
Rupert Pupkin Speaks, and I'll be adding the link here once that post is up! (
Update: Here is the post!)
...Below is a month-by-month look at some additional titles not already listed above which I found especially memorable viewing in 2016.
...In January I revisited the delightful
PILLOW TO POST (1945), a WWII housing shortage comedy with fun performances by Ida Lupino and Sydney Greenstreet...
DIAL RED O (1955) was the first of five Bill Elliott Detective Mysteries, which I really enjoyed...I revisited the special MGM musical
THE GLASS SLIPPER (1955), a Cinderella tale with Leslie Caron, for the first time in years...
DRAGOON WELLS MASSACRE (1957) was one of my favorite Westerns of the year, starring Dennis O'Keefe, Barry Sullivan, Mona Freeman, and Katy Jurado...I fell in love with the song "Oh, But I Do" thanks to hearing it in
THE TIME, THE PLACE AND THE GIRL (1946) with Dennis Morgan and Jack Carson costarring with Janis Paige and Martha Vickers...I loved reviewing the Warner Archive's MacDonald-Eddy sets this year, including great films like
SWEETHEARTS (1938) and
NEW MOON (1940).
...Favorite films in February included the Westerns
DOMINO KID (1957), with Rory Calhoun and Kristine Miller, and
SHOWDOWN AT BOOT HILL (1958) with Charles Bronson...the Alaska-set movie
ARCTIC FLIGHT (1952), with Wayne Morris and Lola Albright, was fun...the chase film
MEXICAN MANHUNT (1953) was the last starring feature with a real favorite, George Brent...
THE MAN TRAILER (1934) was my introduction to Buck Jones Westerns, and it was love at first watch -- the titles I've seen have all been very well done...little Sharyn Moffett was excellent in the fine family film
MY PAL, WOLF (1944)...the RKO Western
ROUGHSHOD (1949), with a great cast led by Robert Sterling and Gloria Grahame, deserves to be better known...
SIERRA PASSAGE (1951), another film with Wayne Morris and Lola Albright, was a very well-done minor Western I liked a great deal.
...In March I really liked Forrest Tucker and Adele Mara in
ROCK ISLAND TRAIL (1950)...I had a great time watching (or rewatching!) the movies in the nine-film George O'Brien Western set, including
LAWLESS VALLEY (1938)...
THE BIG CAPER (1957) was an interesting minor noir with Rory Calhoun and Mary Costa...I caught up with some unseen Harold Lloyd in March, including
DR. JACK (1922)...Eleanor Powell was charming in
HONOLULU (1939)...
BULLET CODE (1940) is a favorite among the many George O'Brien Westerns seen, teaming him with six-time leading lady Virginia Vale...
THE DESPERADO (1954) was an excellent Wayne Morris Western, costarring Jimmy Lydon and Beverly Garland...Jeanette and Nelson are movie magic in
ROSE-MARIE (1936).
...There was more Wayne Morris in April, in a good supporting role in Randolph Scott's
SHOTGUN (1954)...and more Jeanette and Nelson in
I MARRIED AN ANGEL (1942)...
THE KANSAN (1943), a very good film, was one of several Richard Dix films seen last spring...I loved revisiting Colleen Moore in the silent flapper romance
WHY BE GOOD? (1929), first seen at the
2015 TCM Classic Film Festival...Most of my April viewing was at the Noir City Film Festival!
...May was mostly "big screen" viewings already linked above, including the TCM Classic Film Festival...Also seen in May were a pair of films with Robert Montgomery and Virginia Bruce,
THE FIRST HUNDRED YEARS (1938) and
YELLOW JACK (1938)...
SHADOW ON THE WALL (1950) is an engrossing crime film with a great cast, including Zachary Scott, Nancy Davis, Ann Sothern, Kristine Miller, and Gigi Perreau...
VALLEY OF THE KINGS (1954) with Robert Taylor and Eleanor Parker is a fun adventure film...the visually gorgeous
SUSAN SLEPT HERE (1954) with Dick Powell and Debbie Reynolds has become a real favorite...the musical propaganda film
SONG OF RUSSIA (1944) may be a bit crazy seen from the vantage point of 2016, but I love the great music plus Robert Taylor and luminous Susan Peters.
...June was a great movie month, including a number of very enjoyable programmers such as
SEVEN MILES FROM ALCATRAZ (1942) with James Craig and Bonita Granville,
A NIGHT OF ADVENTURE (1944) with Tom Conway and Audrey Long,
GAMBLING ON THE HIGH SEAS (1940) with Wayne Morris, Jane Wyman, and Gilbert Roland, and
I WAS FRAMED (1942) with Julie Bishop...I enjoyed revisiting
FATHER OF THE BRIDE (1950) for the first time in many years...
PRAIRIE LAW (1940) and
STAGE TO CHINO (1940) were two more favorite O'Brien-Vale Westerns...I enjoyed all four of Hallmark's "Murder She Baked" series this year, starting with
MURDER, SHE BAKED: A CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE MYSTERY (2015)...Joan Fontaine is a lot of fun in
THE AFFAIRS OF SUSAN (1945), also starring George Brent and Dennis O'Keefe...the mystery
CRACK-UP (1946) was one of a number of films I saw this year with Pat O'Brien; Claire Trevor and Herbert Marshall costar...and there was more Jeanette and Nelson in the delightful
THE GIRL OF THE GOLDEN WEST (1938), costarring Walter Pidgeon.
...July kicked off with a
four-film action movies marathon consisting of THE ITALIAN JOB (2003), THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS (2001), THE BOURNE IDENTITY (2002), and RED (2010). Since then I've also seen several more FAST AND FURIOUS movies, all of the Jason Bourne titles, and the sequel to RED...
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON (2010) was an excellent animated film...I've never seen a film directed by Yasujiro Ozu I didn't like, including
THE END OF SUMMER (1961)...
UTAH BLAINE (1957) was another solid Rory Calhoun Western...I liked
HIS GIRL FRIDAY (1940) more in this year's viewing than I have in the past...thanks to a Lee Tracy set from the Warner Archive, I saw a number of Tracy films this year, including my favorite,
CRASHING HOLLYWOOD (1938)...a great MGM cast headed by Barry Sullivan and Arlene Dahl makes
NO QUESTIONS ASKED (1951) a fun watch...
BOSS OF LONELY VALLEY (1937) was another good Buck Jones Western...
THE GOOSE AND THE GANDER (1935) is a favorite '30s romantic comedy, starring George Brent and Kay Francis, with delightful Genevieve Tobin in support; they're seen at the left with Bill Elliott, who has a supporting part...
GUN THE MAN DOWN (1956) was a solid James Arness Western, with excellent support from the team of Emile Meyer and Harry Carey Jr.
...There were more excellent Buck Jones Westerns in August with
RIDIN' FOR JUSTICE (1932) and
THE DEADLINE (1931)...You can't ever go wrong with Deanna Durbin, Kay Francis, or Walter Pidgeon, seen together in
IT'S A DATE (1940)...
FLAME OF THE WEST (1945) was a terrific Johnny Mack Brown Western, with a very good script and solid support from Douglass Dumbrille, Joan Woodbury, and Lynne Carver...Warren William is terrific as a mob lawyer in
THE MOUTHPIECE (1932)...My first "Rough Riders" Western, starring Buck Jones, Tim McCoy, and Raymond Hatton, was
ARIZONA BOUND (1941)...Lee Tracy and Gloria Stuart are an engaging team as sparring postal investigators in
WANTED! JANE TURNER (1936).
...More George Brent films were on tap in September with
STRANDED (1935) costarring Kay Francis and
HOUSEWIFE (1934) with Ann Dvorak and Bette Davis...I continued to enjoy the Rough Riders in
THE GUNMAN FROM BODIE (1941)...Howard Hawks'
TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT (1944) starring Bogart and Bacall, is perfect '40s moviemaking...the "straight drama" version of
STATE FAIR (1933), starring Will Rogers, Janet Gaynor, and Lew Ayres, was a favorite discovery for me in 2016...I checked another silent movie off my list when I watched Buck Jones in John Ford's
JUST PALS (1920)...
WOMEN FROM HEADQUARTERS (1950), starring Virginia Huston, admittedly isn't a very good movie, but I had a very good time watching it...Robert Montgomery is at his best in
PICCADILLY JIM (1936), with a great cast including Madge Evans, Robert Benchley, Frank Morgan, and Billie Burke.
...Much of my October viewing took place at the Lone Pine Film Festival, and I also did a fair amount during a trip to Oregon, thanks to my portable DVD player!
MEN IN WHITE (1934) was an interesting pre-Code medical drama with Clark Gable and Myrna Loy...I love Fred and Cyd's dances in
SILK STOCKINGS (1957)...
A YANK AT OXFORD (1938) may have needed a dozen screenwriters, including F. Scott Fitzgerald, but this Robert Taylor movie turned out well, a good exemplar of MGM quality...
THE WILD NORTH (1952) is a colorful and engaging "Northerner" adventure starring Stewart Granger, Cyd Charisse, and Wendell Corey...I watched all four of Ronald Reagan's Brass Bancroft of the Secret Service mysteries, starting with
CODE OF THE SECRET SERVICE (1939).
...Work began crowding out viewing time in November, but I still saw several good movies, including
STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND (1955), with Jimmy Stewart heading a super cast in a visually beautiful film...
HAPPINESS AHEAD (1934) with Dick Powell is a real charmer...I enjoyed Pat O'Brien and Humphrey Bogart in
CHINA CLIPPER (1936); it occurs to me I could add this film to the year-end tally for both Bill Elliott and Wayne Morris, but I haven't included it as they were bit parts...Doris Day is superb in
LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME (1955), starring with James Cagney.
...December included a number of new films seen on the big screen! I also watched
ONE OF OUR AIRCRAFT IS MISSING (1942), a terrific film from the team of Powell and Pressburger...
ON DANGEROUS GROUND (1951) is a beautiful film with Robert Ryan and Ida Lupino...
MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL (1997) was an interesting crime drama directed by Clint Eastwood...and I closed out the year watching Spencer Tracy, John Hodiak, Pat O'Brien, and a great MGM cast in
THE PEOPLE AGAINST O'HARA (1951).
...Coming soon: A movie posters video celebrating the films seen last year!
Update:
Here it is!
As this year's review comes to a close, I'd like to once again most sincerely thank each and every visitor to this blog. You are each deeply appreciated! I wish all my readers good health, happiness, and lots of classic movies in 2017!
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.
SECRET SERVICE OF THE AIR (1939) was the first film in the the Brass Bancroft series starring Ronald Reagan.
SECRET SERVICE OF THE AIR is an interesting little "B" in which the Secret Service tries to break up a ring smuggling illegal aliens over the border from Mexico via airplane. It's a story which still seems rather timely over 75 years later.
Eddie Foy Jr. plays Bancroft's sidekick, as he also did in CODE OF THE SECRET SERVICE. The cast also includes Ila Rhodes, Rosella Towne, James Stephenson, Frank Thomas, and Morgan Conway.
This film was directed by Noel M. Smith and filmed by Ted D. McCord and the uncredited Arthur Edeson. It runs 61 minutes.
