Customer Reviews

Movies of the 50s

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This continues in a great series of books on cinema that Taschen has put out. The films are a well selected lot representing the 1950s with good write-ups and an excellent selection of photos accompanying each film chosen. I can't wait for them to come out with editions on films of the 1940s, 1930s and the Silent period (covering the years 1900-1929).

My only complaint is why the year 1950 has been missed out from the decade of the 1950s while 1960 is included instead!

The criteria for inclusion in this beautifully illustrated guide to the best of the cinema's 1950s obviously is: "Does the movie currently enjoy a significant cult reputation in France and Germany?" If the answer is yes, you will most assuredly find that movie in this book. There is only surprise -- of inclusion rather than exclusion: "It Happened in Broad Daylight" (1958) which the editor himself admits is a "forgotten classic." So why include it? The answer: The movie was remade as "The Pledge" with Jack Nicholson in 2000. Although Hollywood still dominates, Europe makes a greater showing here than in previous books in this series. Of the 14 movies selected to represent 1950, for example, only 4 are American. By contrast, in 1955, only 3 of the 11 films are European. And as might be expected, the editor keeps up his campaign against Bing Crosby and Bob Hope, both of whom were never popular in Europe, But another of the editor's pet hates, Fred Astaire, actually gets a look-in this time because it would be impossible to exclude Stanley Donen's "Funny Face", which has an enormous reputation in France. The French still regard Audrey Hepburn as one of their own, so "Roman Holiday" becomes a must inclusion as well. However, as Parisians do not take kindly to satire directed against themselves, "Sabrina" is out! All told, if you enjoy looking at really beautiful stills, and/or are interested in learning which films of the decade are regarded as cult classics by European cineastes, this book is an absolute must.

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