Favorite Decade In Film Is...

[Detective Jim McLeod]

The 1950s, for me. When I was about 14 or 15 I got a book called The Films Of The Fifties by Douglas Brode. It got me into older films and most of my favorite films are from that decade. What is your favorite decade in film? Here are some of my reasons for the 1950s-

A new breed of film acting with Marlon Brando, Montgomery Clift and (briefly) James Dean took Hollywood by storm. But older veterans like Gary Cooper (High Noon), Spencer Tracy (Bad Day At Black Rock ) and James Stewart (Vertigo) were turning in some of the best work of their careers. New actresses turning out great performances were Joanne Woodward, Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine. Older actresses still had chances to show their greatness like Bette Davis (All About Eve), Barbara Stanwyck with Witness To Murder and Joan Crawford Sudden Fear

Director Stanley Kubrick got his start in this decade with two great films- The Killing and Paths Of Glory. Old school directors like John Ford, William Wyler and especially Alfred Hitchcock were turning out masterpieces.

Westerns were becoming more adult and realistic with The Gunfighter, The Searchers and The Naked Spur.

Science fiction was suddenly more thoughtful and literate with The Day The Earth Stood Still, Forbidden Planet and Invasion Of The Body Snatchers, England helped horror make a more classy comeback with Curse Of The Demon and Horror Of Dracula. Even trashy exploitation like I Was A Teenage Werewolf and Blood Of Dracula showed us the teen angst of the decade.

Musicals were better than ever with An America In Paris, Singin In The Rain and Funny Face.

Dramas were well represented by adapting Broadway and literature to the screen with A Streetcar Name Desire, The Man In The Gray Flannel Suit and Peyton Place. Great comedies were Pillow Talk and Some Like It Hot

There were small B&W films like Marty and Night Of The Hunter as well as big budget, Technicolor wide screen like The Robe, The Ten Commandments and Ben Hur.

And half of my top ten of all time were from this decade-
Detective Story
From Here To Eternity
On The Waterfront
Marty
Night Of The Hunter

[Lomm]

I love the 30s. King Kong, The Thin Man, all those farces. They’re just fun. The code hadn’t quite kicked in fully yet so the gangster dramas had a harder edge to them than later on.
Really it’s hard to choose one decade. I often tell people I like the Cary Grant era, which covers the 30s to the 60s.

[Dargo]

I guess it'd be the '40s for me, and just going by the idea that half of my favorite top ten films were produced during that decade. These being:

The Best Years of Our Lives
Casablanca
Out of the Past
The Third Man
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp

[Swithin]

The 1930s for me, there was magic then, they had faces then. And there was art.

[Swithin]

I guess it'd be the '40s for me, and just going by the idea that half of my favorite top ten films were produced during that decade. These being:

The Best Years of Our Lives
Casablanca
Out of the Past
The Third Man
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp

There is gossip in theatre circles in London that a musical version of The Third Man will be presented at one of London's fringe theaters later this year.

[Intrepid37]

The 70's.

Probably my favorite 10 year period in movies would be from 1966 to 1976, although '68 was the weakest in that grouping.

[Feinberg]

1960's. It had the American popular films of my youth plus the explosion of excellent foreign films from Britain, Japan, Italy, France, Sweden, etc. that frankly, we have not seen since.

[Sepiatone]

I would pick the '60's too, although great arguments could be made for all the other chosen decades here.

But the '60's was when I went to the movies on my own the most, but also seeing some of my favorites when dragged along with my parents.

And a few of my favorites from that decade....
PRESSURE POINT
KING OF KINGS
THE BIRDMAN OF ALCATRAZ
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
THE MIRACLE WORKER
HELL IS FOR HEROES
IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT
IN COLD BLOOD

Sepiatone

[Detective Jim McLeod]

And a few of my favorites from that decade....
PRESSURE POINT
KING OF KINGS
THE BIRDMAN OF ALCATRAZ
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
THE MIRACLE WORKER
HELL IS FOR HEROES
IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT
IN COLD BLOOD

Sepiatone

Good choice, and most of those came from 1962, which is my favorite year in film.

[Cinemaspeak59]

The 1930's because talkies came into their own, and it must have been exhilarating watching movies take off, as a tonic for Depression-era audiences. Those sophisticated comedies of manners like Private Lives, Dinner at Eight, to name a couple, are still fun, along with the great Astaire-Rogers movies. For foreign films, I'll pick the 1950's and 1960's.

[Sepiatone]

And a few of my favorites from that decade....
PRESSURE POINT
KING OF KINGS
THE BIRDMAN OF ALCATRAZ
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
THE MIRACLE WORKER
HELL IS FOR HEROES
IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT
IN COLD BLOOD

Sepiatone

Good choice, and most of those came from 1962, which is my favorite year in film.

Well, that was just a short list. There are also movies like THE GREAT ESCAPE, A HARD DAY'S NIGHT, MR. HOBBS TAKES A VACATION, SOLDIER IN THE RAIN, THE SAND PEBBLES, The mid-'60's Annette and Frankie beach pictures( a couple at least) and all those later '60's biker films( WILD ANGELS, HELL'S ANGELS ON WHEELS, And maybe a few more(remember, I was only 16 about then). Then EASY RIDER and HEAD.

Sepiatone

[CinemaInternational]

Its a close call between the 30s, 40s, and 50s, but the 50s win out. 60s are a slight step down from the big three, while the 70s, 80s, and 90s are uneven decades with strong years, but also a few weak ones (the late 90s hold very little interest)