The film industry has gone through a lot of changes over the years. Studios have fallen apart and new ones have taken their place. Generations of actors have come and gone. Genres have gone back and forth in popularity. The way people watch movies has changed dramatically. Notably, what movies are allowed to do has changed. A defining characteristic of an ‘old’ film is that there is no profanity or vulgar language, no sex or nudity, and no explicit violence or gore. It’s not that these movies were sane, it’s that they didn’t contain any actions or language that could be considered inappropriate.
From 1934 to 1968, movie studios had to follow a guideline called the Hays code. Also called the Hollywood Codes or Production Codes, the Hays Codes regulated what studios were allowed to include in their films during most of Hollywood’s Golden Age of Cinema. This dictated everything from costumes that could be worn, words that could be said, actions that could be depicted, to the actual plot of the movie. The Codes specifically prohibited profanity, graphic violence, suggestive nudity, sexual encounters, and rape. Couples could not even sleep in the same bed during this period.
After the Hays Codes ended, the shift in filmmaking is noticeable. Hollywood started to loosen up a bit in the 1950s when movie studios got free speech under the First Amendment, but the big difference didn’t come until after 1968, when the Codes officially ended. Filmmakers from 1969 to the present have been able to make movies about whatever they want, however they want. This is great because not so many incredible movies would have been made if the Codes were still in effect. However, many classic films have also come out of the Golden Age, such as Casablanca, and more movies that are underrated. So, here are ten movies from Hollywood’s Golden Age that are underrated:
10 She Did Him Wrong (1933)
Released a year before the Hays Codes came into effect, She did him wrong stars Mae West as a seductive nightclub singer named Lady Lou who flirts with several lovers, including an escaped convict and handsome temperance leader, Captain Cummings. Since the movie was made and released pre-codes, Lady Lou has been quite suggestive and shows no remorse by leading multiple men on a leash. She is confident in herself and her femininity. She may not be a favored role model for young girls as she bites people knowingly, but it was refreshing to see a movie from that period where the female lead is so powerful. It was also amusing to watch a very young Cary Grant test his comedic chops as Captain Cummings in one of his earliest movie roles.
9 The Terrible Truth (1937)
A couple is on the brink of divorce after unfounded suspicions begin to undermine each other’s attempts to find a new romance. The terrible truth. The physicality of screwball comedy that was prevalent in the ’30s is definitely here with Cary Grant’s full-body comedy. There’s a scene where Lucy, Irene Dunne’s character, starts singing and Jerry, Cary Grant’s character, literally falls down. It’s a classic battle of the sexes here, with Jerry first meddling with Lucy’s new relationship, but later turning the tables by toying with his new romance. The dialogue is fast and witty and the comedic timing is meticulous. It’s also clear that many of the lines and actions were improvised by Dunne and Grant, which only amps up the comedic elements.
8 Bell, Book and Candle (1958)
Following the success of pairing James Stewart and Kim Novak in Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo, the two were paired two years later to star opposite each other in Bell, book and candle. The film follows Gillian (Novak), a modern-day witch, who likes her neighbor but despises his betrothed. She puts a spell on him to make him love her instead, except she actually falls in love with him. BBAC sometimes feels like it served as the inspiration for shows like Sabrina the Teenage Witch or movies like Practical Magic with its quirky characters and bewitching magic. Novak and Stewart are great together, of course, but the real charm of this movie is Greenwich Village’s beatnik culture that kind of parallels the unconventional lives of the witches.
7 Mildred Pierce (1945)
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After her unfaithful husband leaves her, Mildred Pierce (Joan Crawford) tries to prove that she can be successful without him. Although, winning her spoiled daughter Veda’s approval proves to be even more challenging. To put it mildly, Veda is an ungrateful brat who couldn’t care less about everything her mother sacrificed to give her the life she so desperately desires. She berates her mother for being a working woman. She looks down on her mother because she has no husband. She makes fun of her mother for not being as rich as others every time her mother achieves something.
In the midst of a murder investigation following the death of her second husband, Mildred must reevaluate her own freedom and her complicated relationship with Veda. Mildred Pierce is a scathing noir that explores the complications of mother-daughter relationships, selfishness, and the ways social status can bring out the absolute worst in people.
6 Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
Playwright and author Mortimer Brewster (Cary Grant) has always been against marriage, but suddenly falls in love and marries. He travels home to break the news to his unmarried aunts, only to discover they have a rather disturbing hobby; poison lonely old men and bury them in their cellars. Arsenic and old lace is an over-the-top black comedy that will make you laugh even after the movie is over. The dysfunctional Brewster family also includes the delusional Mortimer (who thinks he is Teddy Roosevelt) and his murderous brother. Most of the film takes place in the Brewsters’ living room as Mortimer continues to uncover secrets his eccentric family has been hiding from him. The combination of his two aunts, his uncle and his brother adds a hilarious dynamic to this already entertaining film.
5 Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
Although there was a 1978 remake starring Donald Sutherland, the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers deserves as much attention as its remake. Heavily influenced by the Red Scare and McCarthyism tactics during the height of the Cold War, the film follows a small-town California doctor whose patients are convinced that their loved ones are being replaced by alien impostors. He soon learns that these creatures plan to inhabit people’s bodies and use our planet as their new home, as their planet is struggling. The similarities with McCarthyism are essentially identical. A group of people are terrified that a new enemy is hiding in plain sight among people they admire and respect. It was a very real fear that is portrayed very well here.
4 The Killers (1946)
Two hitmen walk into a diner one night looking for a man known as “the Swede”. The Swede knew they would come for him, so he doesn’t resist when they find him. He had a life insurance policy, so a detective decides to investigate the murder further and learns that the Swede was in love with a beautiful woman who may have persuaded him to commit a bank robbery under the supervision of another man.
The killers is film noir at its best. It is actually based on Ernest Hemingway’s short story of the same name, but further expanded upon by director Robert Siodmak. It has everything a noir needs; suspense, seduction, crime and manipulation. There’s the femme fatale that the male protagonist is foolish enough to help and ends up paying for it. It’s everything that makes a film noir worth watching.
3 Indiscreet (1958)
In 1946, Ingrid Bergman and Cary Grant captivated audiences in Alfred Hitchcock’s thriller Startling. Their instant chemistry and convincing performances saw them star together again 12 years later, but this time in the romantic comedy, Indiscreet. Grant was clearly well versed in comedy and other genres, but Bergman had never done comedy. Bergman stars as an accomplished actress who has given up hope of finding the man of her dreams. Until Philip Adams (Grant) walks in and she realizes this is the smart, handsome man she’s been waiting for.
This is an easy, comforting watch thanks to Bergman and Grant’s ever-present sympathy. Essentially, it’s 100 minutes of watching them fall in love and all the ups and downs that come with romance. There will be a smile on your face all the time.
2 It Happened One Night (1934)
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People who are very fond of film and the history of film will probably know Frank Capra’s romantic comedy, It happened one night. However, more casual fans of movies probably haven’t seen it, or may not have heard of it. Clark Gable stars as a renegade reporter, while Claudette Colbert stars as a runaway heiress who happens to meet on a bus on the way from Miami to New York. They get stuck together after the bus leaves a rest area without them.
The two end up on a wild journey up the East Coast, hitchhiking, pretending to be a married couple and spending the night outside on a ranch. There is a scene in the film where Colbert’s character, in an attempt to hitch a ride, puts her bare leg on the road to get the attention of a male driver after Gable’s failed attempt to get someone’s attention. This is a scene that has been recreated many times, although many people probably don’t realize where it came from.
1 Charade (1963)
Arguably the most Hitchcockian film not written or directed by Alfred Hitchcock, Puppet show follows Regina Lamper (Audrey Hepburn) on her return to Paris after falling for a man named Peter Joshua (Cary Grant) while on a skiing holiday in the French Alps. However, she discovers that her husband has been murdered, leading her and Peter to be pursued by three of her husband’s World War II friends who are after the quarter of a million dollars they stole behind enemy lines. Even more curious is that Peter keeps changing his name.
Puppet show is an absolute blast from start to finish. It is a murder mystery with many comedic moments. It’s a shame Grant and Hepburn didn’t star in more movies together, because they make an excellent pair. Their comedic timing bounces off each other smoothly and they can switch to more serious moments just as easily. Their chemistry is captivating, enhancing both the humorous and thriller aspects of the film