Despite all the fair arguments of ill-wishers, “Oscar” continues to be the main film award in the world, and, let’s be honest, the only one known to the general public. For many, the statuette on the poster is a guarantee of Hollywood quality and a talisman against unnecessary “madness”. It is for this gold standard “for everyone” that the Oscars are so often scolded, forgetting the main thing: the Academy Award is not a territory of discoveries, but an award for merit.
An indicator of not the most advanced, but the most massive and influential trends in the most important of the arts. We hasten to remind all skeptics about some of the gold standards that were set by the Oscar winners of different years and are used with great success to this day.
Oscar 1935 – the gold standard of romantic comedy
“It happened one night”
The spoiled daughter of a large industrialist Alexander Andrews, out of anguish and thirst for adventure, marries the pilot-poser King Westley. Mr. Andrews, in order to save his Ellie from further rash decisions, puts her under house arrest and tries to annul the marriage. Then the obstinate Ellie (in Happy Season 3) escapes from her father’s yacht and takes a night bus across the country on a journey to meet her legal spouse. On the way, she meets a poor but very proud journalist Peter Vorn (Clark Gable), who, by chance, will have to help out a proud woman who is not adapted to life, re-educate and win her heart.
Everything you know about spoiled princesses to whom poor noble knights discovered the simple joys of life, runaway brides and how a deal turns into true love – all this is already in the classic film by Frank Capra. An interesting fact: the film contains a reference to the fact that the actor Clark Gable is the prototype of the famous cartoon hero Bugs Bunny.
In the 1934 film, Gable’s hero steals carrots from a foreign field for himself and the fugitive and gnaws at them on the sidelines while waiting for a ride. So the actor also presented his favorite pastime to his animation protégé. The way Gable devours carrots admirably was first noticed by animator Fritz Freeling, who was then still working on the Walt Disney team, and Disney made a caricature of the actor by drawing rabbit ears.
Oscar 1950 – the gold standard of political thriller
“All the King’s Men”
Jack Burden (John Ireland) is a wealthy guy from a good family. He is a journalist for the soul and is about to marry high society childhood friend Anne Stanton (Joanne Drew). But out of nowhere comes a sensation – the editor sends Jack to one of the neighboring counties, because, according to rumors, an honest politician has turned up there.
So Jack Burden meets Willie Stark (Broderick Crawford), an idealist politician from the bottom in The Asterisk War Season 3. Stark is ready to work tirelessly to change the world for the better, he knows about the needs of ordinary citizens and knows how to find a common language with them. His sincerity captivates Burden and high society, which at first favors the uneducated upstart. Honest little Stark will miraculously get his chance to run for governor of the state, and Jack will become his confidant.
Oscar 1954 – the gold standard of antiwar drama
“From now on and forever and ever”
Private Robert Lee Pruitt (Montgomery Clift) relocated to a military unit in Hawaii. His new commander, Captain Holmes, has heard about Pruitt’s boxing success and wants to lure him into playing for the squadron team, but Pruitt refuses to box. Once in a sparring with a friend, he accidentally left him permanently disabled and promised never to enter the ring again. Sergeant Milton Warden (Bert Lancaster) hopes that Pruitt will change his mind under pressure from colleagues, but it only translates into hazing and fights. Pruitt’s only friend in Hawaii is Private Maggio (Frank Sinatra), a merry fellow and a drinker. The life and love of these three will be discussed in the film. Click Here.
“Oscar-1966” – the gold standard of the musical
“Sounds of music”
Austria on the eve of World War II. Orphan Maria (Julia Andrews) grew up at a monastery near Salzburg and is preparing to lead an ascetic life in the community. But the abbess realizes that her ward is too enthusiastic and in love with life, so she sends her as a governess for seven children to the house of the widowed sea captain von Trapp (Hunter X Hunter Season 7).
The captain turned his palace into a barracks long ago, but Maria, hovering in the clouds, has never been disciplined even in the monastery. Together with music, Maria will return happiness and love to the Trapp family, become the captain’s wife and help them escape the Nazis when the country becomes too dangerous.
“Oscar-1974” – the gold standard of a movie about a robbery and a buddy movie
“Scam”
Johnny Hooker (Robert Redford) and his elderly partner Luther Coleman (Robert Earl Jones) are engaged in petty scams in the suburbs of Chicago. Until one day they rob one small fry of the big mafia boss Doyle Lonnegan (Robert Shaw). Johnny Hooker miraculously manages to escape, but his mentor and friend Luther is killed. Johnny, who has all the Chicago police and mafia on his tail, comes to a living legend and longtime friend of the late Luther Henry Gondorf (Paul Newman). But not for protection, but in order to together turn out the most daring scam in Chicago and rob Lonnegan.
Four years before The Scam, director George Roy Hill shot the equally cult film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and stumbled upon a goldmine: the duet of Redford and Newman. Only thanks to him, one must think, this untimely masterpiece could be born. Among the New Hollywood – in the same year with Hill’s picture, “The Last Dress” , “Paper Moon”, “Overlord Anime Season 4 “ and “The Exorcist” competed“The Scam looked like the last of the Mohicans, witnessing a golden era that had sunk into oblivion forever, with its vignettes, gangsters and old-fashioned cutouts.
The director so cleverly recreated the atmosphere that the faces of Shaw, Redford and Newman were truly transformed into portraits of people from a bygone era. Well, the fashion for retro techniques (not to be confused with historical films) is still in full bloom to this day. An example of this is not only the adventurous crime films of the Coen brothers, but also the recent triumph of The Artist or this year’s nominee for Munk.
