Tight in the grip of the Great Depression, the 1930s represented ten years of restriction and want, and whether King Kong or Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Animal Crackers or Monte Carlo, any film that allowed the audience to envision a world significantly different than their own was met with enthusiasm and appreciation.
City Lights (1931)
Charlie Chaplin’s impressive and acclaimed canon, with wonderful films such as Modern Times and The Gold Rush, reached its pinnacle with City Lights, widely and justifiably regarded as the best Chaplin film in existence, with the most impactful mix of comedy, pathos, and tragedy for any film to that point. The honest hope of true love depicted in the film was a huge hit with audiences. Chaplin was famous for resisting the lure of sound films for years. City Lights, so moving without even a word of audible dialogue, is a testament to the auteur’s genius. The tale of the Tramp’s love for a blind flower girl is beyond the scope or justice of a mere recap or review; it is a bona-fide phenomenon that must be seen to be fully appreciated.
Frankenstein (1931)
James Whale’s masterpiece still hits home with audiences today, despite numerous remakes. Mary Shelley’s tale of the Monster, truly a victim of one man’s hubris, retains its impact from the simplicity of its message and the film which carries it. While many consider Bride of Frankenstein to be the superior of James Whale’s two Frankenstein movies, the originality of interpretation demonstrated in the first film is the most iconic. Still, it is difficult to discuss this film without discussing its sequel, and many fans simply marry the experiences of the two films into one. Along with Tod Browning’s Dracula that same year, Frankenstein (and Boris Karloff’s brilliant title performance) was instrumental in defining the popular narrative and performance devices of the horror genre for decades to come.
It Happened One Night (1934)
The Great Depression could not staunch Hollywood Romance, and this Clark Gable/Claudette Colbert vehicle was one of most talked-about films of the decade. The film’s runaway popularity (only after significant word-of-mouth had developed) solidified the Romantic Comedy as a genre; more than simply a comedy with romantic elements, the burgeoning love and ensuing antics between Gable’s Peter Warne and Colbert’s Ellie Andrews was central to the comic fodder. The film was rather scandalous when released; in addition to the legendary troubles with Colbert during production, there were issues regarding how to depict the two leads occupying the same bedroom, and the showstopper where Ellie stops a car by flashing her leg with skirt hiked up. The final box office numbers proved that audiences of the time appreciated having their sensibilities challenged.
M (1931)
Few films manage to capture the raw menace of Fritz Lang’s tale of a murderous pedophile operating in 1930’s Berlin. A departure from popular themes of the time, and the objectionable subject matter notwithstanding, M showed that real monsters are those in human form. Peter Lorre cements his wide-eyed madman image in this film, performing in a style often imitated both dramatically and comically in years to come. Lang understood Society’s deepest fears, embodied in the terror associated with harm done to our most vulnerable treasures, our children. Astonishingly, the film still resonates so many years later, due in no small part to the masterful use of light and shadow, and the talents of the excellent cast. The German audio track also lends an alien air to the proceedings, while still remaining recognizable.
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
This perennial favourite and holiday staple closed off the 1930s, just as the world finally slipped into another global conflict. The ultimate escapist expression of the decade, the appeal of this wonderful and often flawed film can never be overstated, discovered year after year by new audiences. Mervyn LeRoy’s production challenges are almost as legendary as the movie itself: alternate casting choices which were ultimately scrapped, such as Shirley Temple as Dorothy, and glamorous Gale Sondergaard as the Wicked Witch; on-set injuries such as Margaret Hamilton being severely burned by a faulty pyrotechnic; and the enduring urban myths associated with the film, such as the (false) claim that one of the Munchkins can be seen hanging himself on screen. Despite all of the setbacks, the film hit cinematic gold, due to the endearing subject matter and the memorable, wonderfully performed musical numbers. Though Victor Fleming would go on to direct such well-regarded films as A Guy Named Joe and Joan of Arc, The Wizard of Oz will forever remain his greatest triumph.
The 1930s saw a decade of fantastic storytelling with compelling characters and narratives that challenged audiences to suspend disbelief, helping transform the Cinema forever and propelling it into marvellous new directions in the 1940s.
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