My Top 10 Newspaper Films

In conjunction with the Film Forum’s latest retrospective THE NEWPAPER PICTURE which begins today and runs through  May 6th, I thought I’d list my top 10 favorite newspaper films plus a list of honorable mentions. I have always had an affinity for newspaper themed films, along with train themed films among a few others.  Check out the FILM FORUM’s schedule here.  Also attached is a N.Y.Times article by A.O. Scott  on the retrospective.

Below is my top 10 list.

A note….

The top ten are in order of preference as they relate to being a newspaper film and not necessarily the overall quality of the movie. Subsequently, “Citizen Kane” ranks fourth  as a newspaper film which does not mean this is the 4th best film.

Finally please submit your own list of favorites.

1  Ace in the Hole (1951)

2  Park Row (1952)

3  All the President’s Men (1976)

4 Citizen Kane (1942)

5 Sweet Smell of Success (1957)

6 His Girl Friday (1940)

7 It Happened One Night (1934)

8 Zodiac (2007)

9 Absence of Malice (1981)

10 The Paper 1994)

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Call Northside 777 (1948)

Dealine U.S.A. (1952)

Five Star Final (1931)

Meet John Doe (1941)

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936)

Scandal Sheet (1952)

Shattered Glass (2003)

Shock Corrider (1963)

State of Play (2009)

The Front Page (1931)

The Harder They Fall (1956)

While the City Sleeps (1956)

Woman of the Year (1942)

A Face in the Crowd (1957) Elia Kazan

With the Film Forum in New York doing a three week  tribute to the work of Elia Kazan, I thought it would be a good time to provide a link to a review I wrote on this film for Halo-17.

Click here for the Film Forum web site

Click here for my Halo-17 review

Click here here for my short tribute to screenwriter Budd Shulberg. 

Books about Elia Kazan
The Master Director Discusses His Films (Jeff Young)
Elia Kazan: A Biography (Richard Schickel)
A Life (Elia Kazan)
Kazan on Directing (Kazan and Lahr)
Kazan on Kazan (Michel Ciment)

Novels by Elia Kazan
The Arrangement
The Assassins
The Understudy
America, America
Acts of Love
The Anatolian

British Film Noir at the Film Forum

Here is a major reason I miss living in NYC – The Film Forum. Starting this friday, the Film Forum is presenting a 44 film series of British Film Noir. From well known classics like The Third Man and “Gaslight” to lessor known ( at least to me)  films like Roy Ward Baker’s  “The October Man” with John Mills.  American influence is to be found in films made by expatriates like Jules Dassin with “Night and the City” and Joseph Losey with “The Criminal.” 

Attached here is a New York Times article on the series.

Attached here is the Film Forum website.

Film Forum – Con Film Festival May 8th – 21st

Starting May 8th, and for two weeks Crime does pay at the Film Forum in NYC. Cons, ex cons, chain gangs, prison riots, life behind bars, and more will be on display. It’s a festival of cinematic corruption brought to you by Hollywood’s best crime makers! 

Films in the festival included White Heat, Cool Hand Luke, Riot in Cell Block 11, Ladies They Talk About, The Prisoner of Shark Island, Escape From Alcatraz, Birdman of Alcatraz and many more.   

Here’s a link to the website.

Here are some links on films in the festival  I have previously reveiwed.

I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang 

Sullivan’s Travels

Angels With Dirty Faces  

Here are some links to reviews by other bloggers on films in this festival.  

Cool Hand Luke

Brute Force

 

Film Forum – Breadlines and Champagne

If you are going to be in New York City the Film Forum is having a four week  festival on Depression Movies starting on February 6th.

 50 films in all!

Pre-Code!                                       

 Screwball Comedies!

 Social Consciousness!

 

 

Read Terrence Rafferty’s article on the series in the The New York Times

Check out this youtube link from WNYCRadio