The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967)

The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967)

In the seaside town of Rochefort, love and romance swirls around the inhabitants and visitors over a long weekend. Yvonne Garnier (Danielle Darrieux) runs the café in the central square. Her twin daughters Delphine (Catherine Deneuve) and Solange (Françoise Dorléac—Deneuve’s real life sister) teach dance to children but want something more, which they hope to

The Servant (1963)

The Servant (1963)

Upper-class slacker Tony (James Fox) decides he needs a manservant, so hires the efficient Barret (Dirk Bogarde), who seems almost as anachronistic as Tony, but additionally there is something sinister about him. Tony’s sharp and disdainful fiancée Susan (Wendy Craig) is immediately antagonistic toward Barret, though to little effect. He brings his wanton sister Vera

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1967)

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1967)

Window washer J. Pierpont Finch (Robert Morse) finds the self help book, “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” at a magazine stand and decides to use its advice to become a corporate executive in less than a week. Through the help of the guide, plus his own brashness and trickery, he moves quickly

The Lion In Winter (1968)

The Lion In Winter (1968)

Aging King Henry II (Peter O’Toole) has decided to hold a Christmas court at an out-of-the-way castle in order to deal with the question of succession. In attendance, besides peasants and soldiers, will be the queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine (Katharine Hepburn), who he has had imprisoned for the past ten years, and their three sons,

Les Girls (1957)

Les Girls (1957)

Years ago, Joy (Mitzi Gaynor), Sybil (Kay Kendall), and Angèle (Taina Elg) worked as dancers for Berry Nichols (Gene Kelly) in his show, Barry Nichols and Les Girls. Since then Sybil has married Sir Gerald Wren (Leslie Phillips) and written a gossipy book about their past, and Angèle, now married to the rich Pierre Ducros

Gaslight (1944)

Gaslight (1944)

This is one of those movies that has made its mark on modern culture while few people of recent generations have seen it. “Gaslighting” has become a verb, used normally in a political context and often dealing with feminism. Of course the terms current usage defines something quite mild compared to what happens in the

Oliver! (1968)

Oliver! (1968)

Orphaned Oliver (Mark Lester) escapes his dreary life in the workhouse and as an indentured servant and heads for London. There he meets up with pickpocket The Artful Dodger (Jack Wild) and Fagin (Ron Moody), who runs an army of child-criminals. When his first time on a job goes wrong, Oliver is taken to court,

Gone With the Wind (1939)

Gone With the Wind (1939)

It’s back in the good old days when we still had slaves, because that was great. Scarlett O’Hara (Vivien Leigh) is an obnoxious, mentally-deficient, self-absorbed tourette-sufferer who we should love because she has a hot bod and is a bitch, which equals sexy. In their slave paradise, she’s surrounded by people like Melanie—who’s a Madonna,

Hello, Dolly! (1969)

Hello, Dolly! (1969)

Dolly Levi (Barbra Steisand), an elderly widow who for some reason looks twenty-five and stunning, decides to give up her matchmaking career and find herself a match. Her target is wealthy Horace Vandergelder (Walter Matthau). On her path to getting him, she fixes up the relationships of his niece Ermengarde (Joyce Ames), who she sends

A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935)

A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1935)

Hermia (Olivia de Havilland) loves Lysander (Dick Powell), but is required by her father to marry Demetrius (Ross Alexander), who had recently had an affair with Helena (Jean Muir). The Duke (Ian Hunter), who is preparing to wed the queen of the Amazons, sides with the father and the four youths escape into the wood.

Rebecca (1940)

Rebecca (1940)

Rich and imposing widower, Maxim de Winter (Laurence Olivier) quickly marries a lower class introvert (Joan Fontaine). The Second Mrs. de Winter—that’s the only name she’s given—has problems fitting in at Manderley, his ancient estate, and is constantly doubting herself, afraid that her husband can only love his dead first wife, Rebecca. Mrs. Danvers (Judith

Sweet Charity (1969)

Sweet Charity (1969)

Charity Hope Valentine (Shirley MacLaine) is a naïve (really, really naïve…like pathologically…) dance hall girl who is seeking love. Her co-workers Helene and Nickie (Paula Kelly, Chita Rivera) are more realistic, dreaming only of rising a step on the economic ladder. Charity is robbed by a supposed boyfriend, and then forced to spend the night