Before the surge in American action and gritty narrative cinema of the 1970s, headed by auteur figures such as Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola, there was the Golden Age of Hollywood, alternatively known as the Studio Era because of the prominent role played by studios in actors’ careers and the artistic process. Stretching from the late 1920s to the early 1960s, the Golden Age of Hollywood was dominated by MGM and Fox, producing stars such as Humphrey Bogart, Cary Grant, and Ingrid Bergman. It also produced some of the classic films that continue to influence the film industry today. These are the essential watches.

12 Angry Men (1957)

The seminal 12 Angry Men follows the 12 members of a jury who have been asked to come to a verdict on the guiltiness of a young Hispanic man accused of murdering his father. What the men believe is an open-and-shut case soon becomes far more twisted, as they reveal their biases and start to doubt their initial impressions. Questioning the nature of justice and showing the pervasiveness of prejudice in supposedly objective judgement, 12 Angry Men, adapted from  the 1954 play, takes place almost entirely in one room as the men think, debate, and accuse one another of various flaws.

Rebel Without a Cause (1955)

In Rebel Without a Cause, the iconic James Dean is a troublemaking 17-year-old in the suburbs of Los Angeles, desperately seeking stability after a recent move. His troubles take him to the local police station for public drunkenness, where he meets an emotionally volatile local girl and a disturbed younger boy who hopelessly looks up to him. Between knife fights and drag races, the film takes the audience through celebrated Los Angeles landmarks such as the Griffith Observatory. James Dean acts with a level of dynamism and emotional vulnerability previously unseen in an era of stilted male acting, influencing generations of actors after him despite appearing in only three films before his death.

The Killing (1956)

While Stanley Kubrick is primarily known for his later films, such as A Clockwork Orange (1971) and 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), his early work still provides plenty of interesting narratives and the tense, highly stylized direction that he is known for. The Killing, his third film, follows Johnny Clay, a career criminal determined to make it big with one last heist before getting on the straight and narrow. Things get complicated when a member of the team tells his wife about their plan to steal millions from a local racetrack and she decides to hatch a scheme. Sleek and stylish, The Killing explores desperation, deception, and the inherent futility of greed.

Some Like It Hot (1959)

While the last few films on this list have been dramas, Old Hollywood had no shortage of comedy films, either. Some Like It Hot follows musicians Joe and Jerry (played by comedy duo Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon) who flee Chicago after accidentally witnessing a shooting by the local mafia. Short on time, and with their only available skills being their talent as musicians, the men are forced to join a girl group while hiding their true identities. They settle in, only to both fall in love with the charming singer Sugar Kane (played by Marilyn Monroe) and go to ridiculous lengths to simultaneously hide their identities and try to woo her. Some Like It Hot offers some of Old Hollywood’s wittiest writing and a riotously good time.

Strangers on a Train (1951) and Rope (1948)

It’s time for a double feature! Alfred Hitchcock was Old Hollywood’s master of suspense, and I would be remiss to not include any of his films here, which is why I suggest that you pair two early Hitchcock classics, Strangers on a Train and Rope, for a delightfully creepy evening viewing. Also, both of these films star the talented Farley Granger (pictured on the left in both of the images above), and with the incredible performances he gives in these two films, you’re sure to be wanting more of him at the end. Our first pick, Strangers on a Train, starts with a meeting between tennis player Guy Haines and maladjusted socialite Bruno Antony on a train to Guy’s hometown of Metcalf. The two start a conversation while waiting for their destination, and hearing of Guy’s desire to divorce his promiscuous wife, Bruno tells him about his plan for the perfect murder: “swap” murders with someone else, a complete stranger that cannot be traced back to the crime. Guy becomes uncomfortable and quickly leaves, but unknowingly, he has just made a connection that will follow him. Full of suspense and tense cinematography, Strangers on a Train follows the eerie plot of Patricia Highsmith’s novel of the same name. 

Rope, Hitchcock’s 1948 masterpiece, depicts an evening party in the aftermath of a cold-blooded murder. Friends Brandon and Philip, on a mission to prove their superiority at virtually every aspect of life, decide to murder an acquaintance of theirs just to see if they can get away with it, à la Leopold and Loeb. To be extra daring, they decide to keep the body hidden in the room with them while they host a dinner party with the friends and family of their former “friend.” An evening of joking, worry, and eventually tension ensues as the two try to see how far they can go. Filmed as though it were shot in one take (but in reality was shot in 10, which is still impressive), Rope is a movie that lingers. And lingers, and lingers…

Well, that’s a wrap! Of course, I know that there are many films that should have been on this list but aren’t, partially because I haven’t seen them yet and partially because I can’t compress all that Old Hollywood has to offer into a single list. This is the last publication of the FIS Herald before October (a.k.a horror month), so if there are any horror movies you’d like to see covered, please comment below. I’m especially looking for classic slashers, hidden gems, and your favorite new releases.