The Personal Website of Mark W. Dawson


Containing His Articles, Observations, Thoughts, Meanderings,
and some would say Wisdom (and some would say not).

Now That's Entertainment

Introduction

This paper was written for amusement purposes only (and mostly for my own amusement). Movies and Television have a great impact on our lives and can shape our vision of the world and world events. Sometimes for the good, sometimes for the bad, but mostly for entertainment purposes only. In creating this list, I have chosen those Movie and Television shows that have impacted my life or have just been entertaining to myself. Most of these movies and television shows I have viewed more than once as they have provided me great satisfaction. As such, this list is purely subjective. For objective lists I would direct you to the movie and television critics who can provide more dispassionate criteria and evaluation. If you have any comments, concerns, critiques, or suggestions I can be reached at mwd@profitpages.com. I will review reasoned and intellectual correspondence, and it is possible that I can change my mind, or at least update the contents of these articles. This is why these articles are dated. Whenever I make a change to these articles they will be re-dated. So check back and see if any articles have been updated (or perhaps I shall add articles).

Acknowledgements

I wish to acknowledge my wife who assisted in the editing, review, and additions to this list. Her knowledge of Movies and Television is greater than mine, and her help was greatly appreciated.

Top Dozen Movies:

I prefer movies that have a very human element in them. Movies that deal with human passions or human conflicts. As such, the scripts for the movies I prefer are essential. Without a good script it cannot be a good movie. If it does not have a good dialog, or doesn't ring true, then it cannot make my list. I make no claims that all these movies are great movies (although many of them are great). Where a sequel is worthy I have included it on the same line as the original movie. Herein are the movies I have enjoyed (by category) that meet this criterion.

Action/Adventure

  • 55 Days at Peking (1963)
  • Adventures of Robin Hood, The (1938)
  • Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
  • Captain Horatio Hornblower (1951)
  • Flight of the Phoenix, The (1965)
  • Gunga Din (1939)
  • Khartoum (1966)
  • King Solomon's Mines (1950)
  • Man Who Would Be King, The (1975)
  • Mark of Zorro, The (1940)
  • Moby Dick (1956)
  • Sting, The (1973)

Biblical

  • Barabbas (1961)
  • Ben-Hur (1959)
  • David and Bathsheba (1951)
  • Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954)
  • Greatest Story Ever Told, The (1965)
  • King of Kings (1961)
  • Passion of the Christ, The (2004)
  • Peter and Paul (TV Movie) (1981)
  • Robe, The (1953)
  • Samson and Delilah (1949)
  • Solomon and Sheba (1959)
  • Ten Commandments, The (1956)

Animation (Classic)

  • 101 Dalmatians (1961)
  • Aladdin (1992)
  • Bambi (1942)
  • Cinderella (1950)
  • Dumbo (1951)
  • Fantasia (1940)
  • Jungle Book, The (1967)
  • Lady and The Tramp (1955)
  • Peter Pan (1953)
  • Pinocchio (1940)
  • Sleeping Beauty (1959)
  • Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

Animation (Modern)

  • A Bug's Life (1998)
  • Beauty and the Beast (1991)
  • Finding Nemo (2003)
  • Frozen (2013)
  • Lion King, The (1994)
  • Little Mermaid (1989)
  • Mr. Peabody and Sherman (2014)
  • Ratatouille (2007)
  • Secret of Nimh, The (1982)
  • Shrek (2001), Shrek 2 (2004), Shrek the Third (2007), Shrek Forever After (2010)
  • Toy Story (1995), Toy Story 2 (1999), Toy Story 3 (2010)
  • Up (2009)

Comedy (Classic)

  • Adam's Rib (1949)
  • Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
  • Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer, The (1947)
  • Ball of Fire (1942)
  • Bringing Up Baby (1938)
  • Buster Keaton: The General (1926), Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928), Seven Chances (1925), The Cameraman (1928)
  • Charlie Chaplin: Modern Times (1936), The Great Dictator (1940), City Lights (1931), The Gold Rush (1925)
  • Harold Lloyd: Safety Last! (1923), The Freshman (1925), The Kid Brother (1927), The Sin of Harold Diddlebock (1947)
  • Laurel & Hardy: The Flying Deuces (1939), Sons of the Desert (1933), Way Out West (1937), The Music Box (1932)
  • Marx Brothers: Duck Soup (1933), Horse Feathers (1932), Monkey Business (1931), Animal Crackers (1930), The Cocoanuts (1929)
  • Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948)
  • Some Like It Hot (1959)

Comedy (Modern)

  • American Graffiti (1973)
  • Blazing Saddles (1974)
  • Good Morning, Vietnam (1987)
  • Producers, The (1967)
  • Tootsie (1982)
  • Young Frankenstein (1974)
  • Beverly Hills Cop (1984), Beverly Hills Cop II (1987)
  • Ghostbusters (1984), Ghostbusters II (1989)
  • Odd Couple, The 1968
  • When Harry Met Sally 1989
  • Groundhog Day 1993
  • Fargo 1996

Courtroom Drama

  • 12 Angry Men (1957)
  • A Few Good Men (1992)
  • Absence of Malice (1981)
  • Breaker Morant (1980)
  • Caine Mutiny, The (1954)
  • I Accuse! (1958)
  • Inherit the Wind (1960)
  • Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
  • Paths of Glory (1957)
  • Presumed Innocent (1990)
  • To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
  • Verdict, The (1982)

Crime & Punishment

  • Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
  • Chinatown (1974)
  • French Connection, The (1971)
  • Godfather, The: I (1972), II (1974), & III (1990)
  • Goodfellas (1990)
  • Harper (1966)
  • In Cold Blood (1967)
  • In the Heat of Night (1967)
  • Ox-Bow Incident, The (1943)
  • Taxi Driver (1976)
  • Usual Suspects, The (1995)
  • Witness (1985)

Drama

  • A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
  • Birdman of Alcatraz (1962)
  • Chariots of Fire (1981)
  • Citizen Kane (1941)
  • Elmer Gantry (1960)
  • Grapes of Wrath, The (1940)
  • Lilies of the Field (1963)
  • On the Waterfront (1954)
  • One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
  • Taxi Driver (1976)
  • The Elephant Man (1980)
  • To Kill A Mockingbird (1962)

Foreign (British)

  • A Clockwork Orange (1971)
  • A Matter of Life and Death (1946)
  • Alfie (1966)
  • Hobson's Choice (1954)
  • Kind Hearts and Coronets (1950)
  • King's Speech, The (2010)
  • Lavender Hill Mob, The (1951)
  • Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, The (1943)
  • Madness of King George, The (1994)
  • Man in the White Suit, The (1951)
  • Red Shoes, The (1948)
  • Stairway to Heaven (1946)

Foreign (Non-British)

  • Beauty and the Beast (1947)
  • Blue Angel, The (1930)
  • Children of Paradise (1945)
  • Cries & Whispers (1972)
  • Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
  • Fanny and Alexander (1982)
  • M (1931)
  • Princess Mononoke (1997)
  • Seventh Seal, The (1957)
  • Seven Samurai, The (1954)
  • Tale of The Princess Kaguya (2014))
  • Umbrellas of Cherbourg, The (1964)

Fantasy

  • Big (1988)
  • Groundhog Day (1993)
  • Harvey (1950)
  • Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941)
  • It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
  • King Kong (1933)
  • Lord of the Ring, The: Fellowship of the Ring, The (2001), Two Towers, The (2002), Return of the King, The (2003)
  • Lost Horizon (1937)
  • Mighty Joe Young (1949)
  • Night at the Museum (2006), Night at the Museum 2 (2009)
  • Princess Bride, The (1987)
  • Wizard of Oz, The (1939)

Historical (American)

  • Apollo 13 (1995)
  • Crossing, The (2000)
  • Gettysburg (TV Mini Series) (1993)
  • Glory (1989)
  • Gone With The Wind (1939)
  • How the West Was Won (1962)
  • Lincoln (2012)
  • Patriot, The (2000)
  • Right Stuff, The (1983)
  • Sand Pebbles, The (1966)
  • Sergeant York (1941)
  • Young Mr. Lincoln (1939)

Historical (Non-American)

  • A Man for all Seasons (1966)
  • Anne of a Thousand Days (1969)
  • Becket (1964)
  • Braveheart (1995)
  • Dr. Zhivago (1965)
  • Gandhi (1982)
  • Last Emperor, The (1987)
  • Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
  • Lion In Winter, The (1968)
  • Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)
  • Schindler's List (1993)
  • Spartacus (1960)

Horror (Classic)

  • Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
  • Cat People (1942)
  • Creature from the Black Lagoon, The (1954)
  • Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (1941)
  • Dracula (1931)
  • Frankenstein (1931)
  • Invisible Man, The (1933)
  • Mummy, The (1932)
  • Night of The Living Dead (1968)
  • Phantom of the Opera, The (1943)
  • Pit and the Pendulum, The (1960)
  • Wolf Man, The (1941)

Horror (Modern)

  • Birds, The (1963)
  • Children of the Damned (1964)
  • Exorcist, The (1973)
  • Fly, The (1986)
  • Haunting, The (1963)
  • House on Haunted Hill, The (1959)
  • Omen, The (1976)
  • Poltergeist (1982)
  • Rosemary's Baby (1968)
  • Shining, The (1980)
  • Silence of The Lambs, The (1991)
  • Village of the Damned (1960)

Mature

  • 10 (1979)
  • 9 Weeks (1986)
  • Basic Instinct (1992)
  • Black Widow (1987)
  • Body Heat (1981)
  • Fatal Attraction (1987)
  • Last Tango in Paris (1973)
  • Lolita (1962)
  • Pretty Poison (1968)
  • Sea of Love (1989)
  • Unfaithful (1992)
  • Wild Things (1998)

Musicals

  • An American in Paris (1951)
  • Cabaret (1972)
  • Gigi (1958)
  • King and I, The (1956)
  • Music Man, The (1962)
  • Oklahoma! (1955)
  • Porgy and Bess (1959)
  • Singing in the Rain (1952)
  • Sound of Music, The (1965)
  • West Side Story (1961)
  • White Christmas (1954)
  • Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)

Romance

  • African Queen, The (1951)
  • An Affair to Remember (1957)
  • Annie Hall (1977)
  • Apartment, The (1960)
  • Bell, Book, and Candle (1958)
  • Casablanca (1942)
  • From Here to Eternity (1953)
  • Ghost and Mrs. Muir, The (1947)
  • Hunchback of Notre Dame, The (1939)
  • Quiet Man, The (1952)
  • Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
  • When Harry Met Sally (1989)

Mystery & Suspense (Classic)

  • Charade (1963)
  • Notorious (1946)
  • Foreign Correspondent (1940)
  • Laura (1944)
  • Maltese Falcon, The (1941)
  • Man Who Knew Too Much, The (1956)
  • North By Northwest (1959)
  • Rear Window (1954)
  • Saboteur (1942)
  • Suspicion (1941)
  • To Catch A Thief (1955)
  • Vertigo (1958)

Mystery & Suspense (Modern)

  • Conversation, The (1974)
  • Crying Game, The (1992)
  • Deliverance (1972)
  • Fugitive, The (1993)
  • Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, The (2011)
  • In the Line of Fire (1993)
  • L.A. Confidential (1997)
  • Marathon Man (1976)
  • Memento (2001)
  • Mulholland Drive (2001)
  • Name of the Rose, The (1986)
  • Sixth Sense, The (1999)

Sports

  • A League of Their Own (1992)
  • Bull Durham (1988)
  • Field of Dreams (1989)
  • Friday Night Lights (2004)
  • Hoosiers (1986)
  • Hustler, The (1961)
  • Jerry Maguire (1996)
  • Longest Yard, The (1974)
  • Pride of the Yankees, The (1942)
  • Raging Bull (1980)
  • Remember the Titans (2000)
  • Rocky (1976)

Sci-Fi (Classic)

  • Destination Moon (1950)
  • Day of the Triffids, The (1962)
  • Day the Earth Stood Still, The (1951)
  • Forbidden Planet (1956)
  • Incredible Shrinking Man, The (1957)
  • Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
  • Fly, The (1958)
  • Them! (1954)
  • Thing from Another World, The (1951)
  • This Island Earth (1955)
  • Time Machine, The (1960)
  • War of the Worlds, The (1953)

Sci-Fi (Modern)

  • 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), 2010: The Year We Made Contact (1984)
  • Alien (1979), Aliens (1986), Alien3 (1992), Alien Resurrection (1997), Prometheus (2012)
  • Avatar (2009)
  • Blade Runner (1982)
  • E.T. Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
  • Independence Day (1996)
  • Martian, The (2015)
  • Matrix, The (1999)
  • Serenity (2005)
  • Star Wars: A New Hope (1977), , Empire Strikes Back, The (1980), Return of the Jedi (1983)
  • Terminator, The (1984), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003), Terminator Salvation (2009)
  • War of the Worlds, The (2005)

Thrillers (Classic)

  • 39 Steps, The (1935)
  • Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)
  • Cape Fear (1962)
  • Night of The Hunter, The (1955)
  • Psycho (1960)
  • Rear Window (1954)
  • Sleuth (1972)
  • Stranger, The (1946)
  • Strangers On A Train (1951)
  • Ten Little Indians (1965)
  • Third Man, The (1949)
  • Touch of Evil (1958)

Thrillers (Modern)

  • Devil's Advocate, The (1997)
  • Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981),  Temple of Doom, The (1984), Last Crusade, The (1989), Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, The (2008)
  • Jack Ryan: Hunt for Red October, The (1990), Clear and Present Danger (1994), Patriot Games (1992), Sum of All Fears, The (2002)
  • Jason Bourne: Bourne Identity, The (2002),  Bourne Supremacy, The (2004), Bourne Ultimatum,  (2007), Bourne Legacy, The (2012),
  • Jaws (1975), Jaws II (1978)
  • John McClane: Die Hard (1988), Die Hard 2 (1990), Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995), Live Free or Die Hard (2007), A Good Day to Die Hard (2013)
  • Jurassic Park (1993), The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), Jurassic Park III (2001), Jurassic World (2015)
  • Rock, The (1996)
  • Taken (2008), Taken 2 (2012)
  • Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, The (2009)
  • Unstoppable (2010)

War (Hot)

  • All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
  • American Sniper (2014)
  • Apocalypse Now (1979)
  • Black Hawk Down (2001)
  • Bridge on the River Kwai, The (1957)
  • Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
  • Patton (1970)
  • Saving Private Ryan (1998)
  • Stalag 17 (1953)
  • Train, The (1964)
  • Twelve O'Clock High (1949)
  • Zulu (1964)

War (Cold)

  • Bridge of Spies (2015)
  • Charlie Wilson's War (2007)
  • Fail-Safe (1964)
  • Hunt for Red October, The (1990)
  • Ipcress File, The (1965), Funeral in Berlin (1966)
  • Manchurian Candidate, The (1962)
  • On the Beach (1959)
  • Seven Days in May (1964)
  • Spy Who Came in From the Cold, The (1965)
  • Thirteen Days (2000)
  • Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (TV Mini-Series) (1979), Smiley's People (TV Mini-Series) (1982)
  • Torn Curtain (1966)

Westerns

  • Big Country, The (1958)
  • Cheyenne Autumn (1964)
  • Hombre (1967)
  • Magnificent Seven, The (1960)
  • Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, The (1962)
  • Searchers, The (1956)
  • Shane (1953)
  • She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949)
  • Stagecoach (1939)
  • Treasure of Sierra Madre (1948)
  • True Grit (1969)
  • Westerner, The (1940)

Satire

  • A Mighty Wind (2003)
  • Americanization of Emily, The (1964)
  • Best in Show (2000)
  • Dr. Strangelove (1964)
  • For Your Consideration (2006)
  • Forrest Gump (1994)
  • Graduate, The (1967)
  • Little Big Man (1970)
  • M*A*S*H (1970)
  • Mister Roberts (1955)
  • The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming (1966)
  • They Might Be Giants (1971)

Honorable Mentions:

Action/Adventure

  • Dirty Dozen, The (1967)
  • Guns of Navarone, The (1961)
  • Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959)
  • Top Gun (1986)
  • Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
  • Von Ryan's Express (1965)
  • Where Eagles Dare (1968)

Comedy (Classic)

  • Father Goose (1964)
  • Great Race, The (1965)
  • Houseboat (1958)
  • Operation Petticoat (1959)
  • Pink Panther, The (1963), A Shot in the Dark (1964)
  • Wackiest Ship in the Army, The (1960)

Comedy (Modern)

  • 9 To 5 (1980)
  • Airplane! (1980)
  • Back to School (1986)
  • Big (1988)
  • Caddyshack (1980)
  • Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1982)
  • Hangover, The (2009)
  • National Lampoon's Vacation (1983)
  • Stripes (1981)
  • Trading Places (1983)

Courtroom Drama

  • Anatomy of A Murder (1959)
  • Andersonville Trial, The (1970)
  • Court Marshall of Billy Mitchell, The (1955)
  • Kramer vs. Kramer (1987)
  • My Cousin Vinny (1992)
  • Witness for the Prosecution (1957)

Crime & Punishment

  • Carbine Williams (1952)
  • Casino (1995)
  • Dirty Harry (1971), Magnum Force (1973), The Enforcer (1976), Sudden Impact (1983)
  • Little Caesar (1931)
  • O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
  • Public Enemy, The (1931)
  • White Heat (1949)

Drama

  • Magnificent Ambersons, The (1942)
  • Miracle Worker, The (1962)
  • Name of the Rose,The (1986)
  • Nobody's Fool (1994)
  • October Sky (1999)
  • Titanic (1997)
  • To Sir, with Love (1967)

Fantasy

  • Babe (1995)
  • Charly (1968)
  • Enchanted (2007)
  • Hugo (2011)
  • Michael (1996)
  • Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

Foreign

  • Chernobyl (TV Mini Series) (2019)
  • Citizen X (1995)
  • The Lives of Others (2006)

Historical (American)

  • Amistad (1997)
  • Drums Along the Mohawk (1939)
  • Friendly Persuasion (1956)
  • Last of the Mohicans, The (1992)
  • Plymouth Adventure (1952)
  • Shenandoah (1965)

Historical (Non-American)

  • Agony and The Ecstasy, The (1965)
  • Amadeus (1984)
  • Cyrano De Bergerac (1950)
  • Immortal Beloved (1994)
  • Life of Emile Zola, The (1937)
  • Rob Roy (1995)

Horror (Modern)

  • A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
  • An American Werewolf in London (1981)
  • Day of the Dead (1985)
  • Dracula (1992)
  • Interview with The Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994)
  • Salem's Lot (1979)

Mature

  • Age of Consent (1969)
  • Belle De Jour (1967)
  • Boogie Nights (1997)
  • Devil in Miss Jones (1973)
  • Jules and Jim (1962)
  • La Dolce Vita (1960)

Musicals

  • A Hard Day's Night (1964)
  • Brigadoon (1954)
  • Carousel (1956)
  • Fame (1980)
  • Holiday Inn (1942)
  • My Fair Lady (1964)

Romance

  • A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
  • An Officer and A Gentleman (1982)
  • Before Sunrise (1995), Before Sunset (2004), Before Midnight (2013)
  • Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967)
  • People Will Talk (1951)
  • Shakespeare In Love (1998)

Sci-Fi (Classic & Modern)

  • 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
  • Back to the Future (1985)
  • First Men in the Moon, The (1964)
  • Mysterious Island (1961)
  • Passengers (2016)
  • Things to Come (1936)
  • Total Recall (1990)

Sports

  • Babe (1975)
  • Cincinnati Kid, The (1965)
  • Color of Money, The (1986)
  • Jim Thorpe -- All-American (1951)
  • Requiem for A Heavyweight (1962)
  • Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993)

Thrillers

  • Con Air (1997)
  • Lethal Weapon (1987), Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), Lethal Weapon 3 (1992)
  • Rush Hour (1998), Rush Hour 2 (2001)
  • Speed (1994)
  • True Lies (1994)

War (Hot & Cold)

  • Counterfeit Traitor, The (1962)
  • Crimson Tide (1995)
  • Destination Tokyo (1943)
  • Devil's Brigade, The (1968)
  • Firefox (1982)
  • Great Escape, The (1963)
  • Longest Day, The (1962)
  • Lord of War (2005)
  • Midway (1976)
  • Outsider, The (1961)
  • Run Silent, Run Deep (1958)
  • The Ipcress File (1965)

Westerns

  • High Noon (1952)
  • My Darling Clementine (1946)
  • Nevada Smith (1966)
  • Ride the High Country (1962)
  • Two Rode Together (1961)
  • Will Penny (1967)

Shakespeare

  • A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935)
  • Hamlet (1996)
  • Henry V (1989)
  • Julius Caesar (1953)
  • King Lear (1971)
  • Macbeth (2015)
  • Merchant of Venice, The (2004)
  • Much Ado About Nothing (1993)
  • Othello (1965)
  • Richard III (1955)
  • Romeo and Juliet (1968)
  • Tempest, The (2010)
  • Looking for Richard (1996)
    (special mention as it is a documentary with selected scenes from the play)

Silent (I Know - It's more than 12)

  • Battleship Potemkin (1929)
  • Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925)
  • Birth of a Nation (1915)
  • Black Pirate, The (1926)
  • Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, The (1919)
  • Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (1931)
  • Faust (1926)
  • Golem (1920)
  • Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923)
  • Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages" (1916)
  • King of Kings (1927)
  • Mark of Zoro, The (1920)
  • Metropolis (1927)
  • Napoleon (1927)
  • Nosferatu (1922)
  • Phantom of The Opera, The (1924)
  • Sheik, The (1921)
  • Ten Commandments, The (1923)
  • Thief of Bagdad, The (1924)
  • Wings (1927)

50 Movies that Must Be Seen on a Large Movie Screen

There are some movies that need to be experienced on a large movie screen. Even very large screen televisions cannot do justice to these movies. I would, therefore, suggest if you ever have the opportunity to view these movies on a large movie screen that you take advantage of the opportunity.

Must See on Large Movie Screen
Honorable Mention for Large Screen TV’s
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
An American in Paris (1951)
Apocalypse Now (1979)
Ben-Hur (1959)
Braveheart (1995)
Casablanca (1942)
Charade (1963)
Citizen Kane (1941)
Dr. Strangelove (1964)
Dr. Zhivago (1965)
From Here to Eternity (1953)
Gigi (1958)
Gone With the Wind (1939)
Harry Potter saga (2001-2011)
Henry V (1989)
Indiana Jones saga (1981, 1984, 1989)
Jaws (1975)
Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
Jurassic Park saga (1993, 1997, 2001)
King of Kings (1961)
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
North By Northwest (1959)
Patton (1970)
Psycho (1960)
Rob Roy (1995)
 Shane (1953)
Singing in the Rain (1952)
Spartacus (1960)
Star Wars Episodes IV, V, VI (1977, 1980, 1983)
Superman (1978)
The African Queen (1951)
The Big Country (1958)
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
The Godfather I, II, III (1972, 1974, 1990)
The Great Escape (1963)
The Great Race (1965)
The Guns of Navarone (1961)
The Haunting (1963)
The Last of the Mohicans (1992)
The Lord of the Rings saga (2001, 2002, 2003)
The Searchers (1956)
The Ten Commandments (1956)
The Third Man (1949)
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Titanic (1997)
To Catch a Thief (1955)
Top Gun (1986), Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
Twelve O’clock High (1949)
Where Eagles Dare (1968)
Zulu (1964)
 A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
Beauty and the Beast (1946)
Becket (1964)
Breaker Morant (1980)
Dracula (1931)
Frankenstein (1931)
In the Heat of Night (1967)
Metropolis (1927)
On the Waterfront (1954)
Queen Christina (1933)
Safety Last (1923)
Shrek (2001)
Stairway to Heaven (1946)
Sunset Boulevard (1950)
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)
The General (1926)
The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)
The Lion in Winter (1968)
The Mummy (1932)
The Passion of the Christ (2004)
The Red Shoes (1948)
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964)
The Wolf Man (1941)
Things to Come (1936)
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

50 Movies to Think About

As I have previously explained, I prefer movies that have a very human element in them. Movies that deal with human passions or human conflicts. Many of the movies I prefer also have a message, but a message that is not preached but elucidative by all the elements of the movie. Unfortunately, most modern message movies do not elucidate their message but preach to the audience. This was not always the case, as some great movies of the past have had great messages without preaching the message. Alas, most of the artistic people involved in these modern message movies also go out of their way to preach the message in their activities outside of the moviemaking process. Much of this preaching is about Progressive viewpoints on politics and social justice. If it is a great movie, no preaching is necessary, as the message will be received by the audience through the film.

My top 50 favorite message movies without preaching, along with my must-watch movies are:

I have deliberately omitted the three great David Lean films, Doctor Zhivago (1965), Lawrence of Arabia (1962), and The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), as well as the movies Judgement at Nuremberg (1961), The Lion In Winter (1968), and To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) as, in my opinion, they are in a class by themselves.

Every one of these movies is very entertaining and afterward gives you food for thought. Nowadays, the entertainment value of a movie is secondary to the sermonizing. Consequently, movies have become political or social propaganda with minimal entertainment enjoyment. This is reflected in the movie awards show, where the nominations and awards are heavily tilted toward the progressive message rather than the entertainment. In addition, the winner’s acceptance speeches are often about the message rather than the thankfulness, and these award shows ratings are tanking as a result.

Alas, much of this attitude comes from a sense of moral superiority and intellectual hubris of those involved in moviemaking. A superiority and hubris that is undeserving. This attitude is not only of movie makers but also of most of the entertainment industry. It should be remembered that great artists are not great thinkers outside of their art, which is often true for any great person outside of their field of greatness.

Top Actors, Actresses, & Directors:

Not all actor's, actresses, and director's movies are great. After all, in any artistic endeavor not all the works of an artist are great. If you take into account the body of their works I believe the following list reflects those actors, actresses, and directors who have produced some of the more memorable acting and directing works in film history. Viewing their best films usually results in a satisfying experience, and well worth your time.


Actors

  • Burt Lancaster
  • Cary Grant
  • Charles Laughton
  • Charlton Heston
  • Clark Gable
  • Derek Jacobi
  • Edward G. Robinson
  • Gary Cooper
  • Gregory Peck
  • Harrison Ford
  • Henry Fonda
  • Humphrey Bogart
  • Ian McKellen
  • James Cagney
  • James Stewart
  • John Wayne
  • Kirk Douglas
  • Laurence Olivier
  • Marlon Brando
  • Michael Caine
  • Orson Welles
  • Paul Newman
  • Peter O'Toole
  • Richard Burton
  • Robert Mitchum
  • Sean Connery
  • Sidney Poitier
  • Spencer Tracy
  • Steve McQueen
  • William Holden

Actresses

  • Audrey Hepburn
  • Ava Gardner
  • Barbara Stanwyck
  • Bette Davis
  • Carole Lombard
  • Cate Blanchett
  • Claudette Colbert
  • Deborah Kerr
  • Elizabeth Taylor
  • Eva Marie Saint
  • Grace Kelly
  • Greta Garbo
  • Ingrid Bergman
  • Jean Harlow
  • Jean Simmons
  • Joan Crawford
  • Joanne Woodward
  • Judi Dench
  • Judy Garland
  • Katharine Hepburn  
  • Lauren Bacall
  • Marilyn Monroe
  • Marlene Dietrich
  • Meryl Streep
  • Myrna Loy
  • Olivia De Havilland
  • Rita Hayworth
  • Sophia Loren
  • Susan Hayward
  • Vivien Leigh

Directors

  • Akira Kurosawa
  • Alfred Hitchcock
  • Billy Wilder
  • Brian De Palma
  • Cecil B. DeMille
  • Clint Eastwood
  • D. W. Griffith
  • David Lean
  • Elia Kazan
  • Francis Ford Coppola
  • Franois Truffaut
  • Fritz Lang
  • George Cukor
  • George Lucas
  • Howard Hawks
  • James Cameron
  • John Ford
  • John Huston
  • Martin Scorsese
  • Mel Brooks
  • Orson Welles
  • Peter Jackson
  • Ridley Scott
  • Ron Howard
  • Sam Peckinpah
  • Stanley Kubrick
  • Steven Spielberg
  • William Friedkin
  • William Wyler
  • Woody Allen

Top Film Scores:

Given my love of Classical Music it should be no surprise that I also love film scores. The following are some of my favorite film scores, not based on a song or tune, but solely based om the entire score. In my opinion, a film score should enhance the dialog and emotions of the film, as well as transport you to the location(s) within the film. The following film scores do all these things, and are worthy of listening too by themselves:


  • A Clockwork Orange (1971) .....  Composer: Walter/Wendy Carlos
  • A Man for All Seasons (1966) .....  Composer: Georges Delerue
  • Alien (1979) .....  Composer: Jerry Goldsmith
  • Becket (1964) .....  Composer: Laurence Rosenthal
  • Ben-Hur (1959) .....  Composer: Miklos Rozsa
  • Beverley Hills Cop ( 1984) .....  Composer: Harold Faltermeyer
  • Blade Runner (1982) .....  Composer: Vangelis
  • Braveheart (1995) .....  Composer: James Horner
  • Casablanca (1942) .....  Composer: Max Steiner
  • Charade (1963) .....  Composer: Henry Mancini
  • Chariots of Fire 1(981) .....  Composer: Vangelis
  • Citizen Kane (1941) .....  Composer: Bernard Herrmann
  • Close Encounters of The Third Kind (1977) .....  Composer: John Williams
  • Doctor Zhivago (1965) .....  Composer: Maurice Jarre
  • E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) .....  Composer: John Williams
  • East of Eden (1955) .....  Composer: Leonard Rosenman
  • El Cid (1961) .....  Composer: Miklos Rozsa
  • Exodus (1960) .....  Composer: Ernest Gold
  • Forbidden Planet (1956) ..... Composers: Bebe Barron, Louis Barron
  • Forrest Gump (1994) .....  Composer: Alan Silvestri
  • Ghostbusters (1984) .....  Composer: Elmer Bernstein
  • Gladiator (2000) .....  Composer: Hans Zimmer
  • Gone With The Wind (1939) .....  Composer: Max Steiner
  • How the West Was Won (1962) .....  Composer: Alfred Newman
  • In the Heat of The Night (1967) .....  Composer: Quincy Jones
  • Jaws (1975) .....  Composer: John Williams
  • King of Kings (1961) .....  Composer: Miklos Rozsa
  • Kings Row (1942) .....  Composer: Erich Wolfgang Korngold
  • Laura (1944) .....  Composer: David Raksin
  • Lawrence of Arabia (1962) .....  Composer: Maurice Jarre
  • Mutiny on The Bounty (1962) .....  Composer: Bronislau Kaper
  • North By Northwest (1959) .....  Composer: Bernard Herrmann
  • Notorious (1946) .....  Composer: Roy Webb
  • O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) .....  Composer: T Bone Burnett
  • Patton (1970) .....  Composer: Jerry Goldsmith
  • Psycho (1960) .....  Composer: Bernard Herrmann
  • Raiders of The Lost Ark (1981) .....  Composer: John Williams
  • Rocky (1976) .....  Composer: Bill Conti
  • Romeo and Juliet (1968) .....  Composer: Nino Rota
  • Schindler's List (1993) .....  Composer: John Williams
  • Shane (1953) .....  Composer: Victor Young
  • Spartacus (1960) .....  Composer: Alex North
  • Star Trek - The Motion Picture (1979) .....  Composer: Jerry Goldsmith
  • Star Wars (1977) .....  Composer: John Williams
  • Superman (1978) .....  Composer: John Williams
  • The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) .....  Composer: Erich Wolfgang Korngold
  • The Big Country (1958) .....  Composer: Jerome Moross
  • The Bridge on The River Kwai (1957) .....  Composer: Malcolm Arnold
  • The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) .....  Composer: Bernard Herrmann
  • The Godfather (1972) .....  Composer: Nino Rota
  • The Great Escape (1963) .....  Composer: Elmer Bernstein
  • The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965) .....  Composer: Alfred Newman
  • The Guns of Navarone (1961) .....  Composer: Dimitri Tiomkin
  • The Last of The Mohicans (1992) .....  Composer: Randy Edelman, Trevor Jones
  • The Lion in Winter (1968) .....  Composer: John Barry
  • The Magnificent Seven (1960) .....  Composer: Elmer Bernstein
  • The Pink Panther (1964) .....  Composer: Henry Mancini
  • The Sting (1973) .....  Composer: Marvin Hamlisch
  • The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974) .....  Composer: David Shire
  • The Ten Commandments (1956) .....  Composer: Elmer Bernstein
  • The Third Man (1949) .....  Composer: Anton Karas
  • The Untouchables (1987) .....  Composer: Ennio Morricone
  • The Wind and The Lion (1975) .....  Composer: Jerry Goldsmith
  • The Wizard of Oz (1939) .....  Composer: Herbert Stothart
  • Titanic  (1997) ..... Composer: James Horner
  • Touch of Evil (1958) .....  Composer: Henry Mancini
  • Vertigo (1958) .....  Composer: Bernard Herrmann


Top Television:

As a child of the 60's television played an import part of my life and perspective. Shows that I took the time to watch, and shows that I will watch reruns of when they become available. Below are some of my favorite television shows by category:

Animation

  • Rocky and His Friends
  • South Park
  • The Bugs Bunny Show
  • The Flintstones
  • The Jetsons
  • The Road Runner Show
  • The Simpsons

Documentaries

  • Alistair Cooke's America
  • Carl Sagan's Cosmos
  • Connections by James Burke
  • From the Earth to The Moon
  • Liberty! The American Revolution
  • Nova Series
  • PBS Biography's
  • The Ascent of Man by J. Bronowski
  • The Civil War: A Film by Ken Burns
  • The Day the Universe Changed by James Burke
  • The Founding Fathers and The Founding Brothers
  • The History Channel Biography's

Drama

  • Blacklist, The
  • Colombo
  • Hawaii Five-O
  • Hill Street Blues
  • I Spy
  • L.A. Law
  • Mission Impossible
  • Magnum. P.I.
  • Mannix
  • Perry Mason
  • St. Elsewhere
  • The Rockford Files
  • The Sopranos
  • The Fugitive
  • The Blacklist
  • The Untouchables

Game Shows

  • Hollywood Squares
  • Jeopardy!
  • Wheel of Fortune

Legal

  • Adam-12
  • Criminal Minds
  • CSI - Crime Scene Investigation
  • Dragnet
  • Law & Order
  • Law & Order Special Victims Unit
  • NCIS
  • NYPD Blue
  • The FBI

Medical

  • Ben Casey
  • Dr. Kildare
  • Emergency!
  • St. Elsewhere

Mini-Series

  • It
  • Roots
  • Dune & Children of Dune
  • North & South
  • Rich Man, Poor Man
  • Shogun

Music & Comedy

  • Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
  • The Carol Burnett Show
  • The Dean Martin Show
  • The Ed Sullivan Show
  • The Flip Wilson Show
  • The Jackie Gleason Show
  • The Jimmy Durante Show
  • The Monkees
  • The Muppets
  • The Red Skelton Show
  • The Smothers Brothers
  • The Sonny & Cher Show
  • The Tonight Show (Johnny Carson)

Science Fiction

  • Babylon 5
  • Battlestar Galactica (new)
  • Doctor Who
  • Firefly
  • Stargate, Stargate Atlantis, Stargate Universe
  • Star Trek - TOS, TNG, DS9, Voyager
  • The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
  • The Outer Limits (original)
  • The Twilight Zone (original)
  • The Wild, Wild West

Sitcom

  • ALF
  • All In The Family
  • Barney Miller
  • Bosom Buddies
  • Cheers
  • Coach
  • Everybody Loves Raymond
  • Family Ties
  • Frasier
  • Friends
  • Get Smart
  • Happy Days
  • Hogan's Heroes
  • Home Improvement
  • I Love Lucy
  • M*A*S*H
  • Mary Tyler Moore
  • Mork & Mindy
  • Newhart
  • Night Court
  • Scrubs
  • Taxi
  • That 70's Show
  • The Adams Family
  • The Big Bang Theory
  • The Bob Newhart Show
  • The Dick van Dyke Show
  • The Honeymooners
  • The Munsters
  • Third Rock from the Sun
  • Welcome Back, Kotter 
  • Wings
  • WKRP in Cincinnati

War

  • 12 O'clock High
  • Combat
  • China Beach
  • The Rat Patrol

Westerns

  • Bonanza
  • Gunsmoke
  • Have Gun, Will Travel
  • Maverick
  • Rawhide
  • The Big Valley
  • The Lone Ranger
  • The Rifleman
  • The Virginian
  • Wagon Train
  • Zorro

British

  • I Claudius (1976)
  • Fawlty Towers (1975, 1979)
  • Lillie (1978)
  • Poldark (1967-1968)
  • The Avengers (1961-1968)
  • The Prisoner (1967-1968)
  • The Tutors (2007-2010)
  • Secret Agent (1965-1967)
  • Sherlock (2010-2017)
  • Sherlock Holmes
    The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1984-1985) 
    The Return of Sherlock Holmes (1986-1988) 
    The Hound of the Baskervilles (1988) 
    The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes (1991-1994) 
    The Memories of Sherlock Holmes (1994)

Final Thoughts

You should not take this list too seriously, or as a complete list of my favorites. It is just a list I put together for my reference and conversation purposes.

Further Readings

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