The Best Movies: 1934

The 10 Best Movies of 1934

1.  It Happened One Night. Directed by Frank Capra. Starring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert. The legendary romantic comedy still seems fresh today.

2.  The Thin Man. Directed by W.S. Van Dyke. Starring William Powell and Myrna Loy. This combination of mystery and comedy was the first paring of Powell and Loy who would become one of great romantic teams in the history of film.

3.  Twentieth Century. Directed by Howard Hawks. Starring John Barrymore and Carole Lombard. A wonderful example of the genre known as the "screwball comedy," featuring Barrymore, known more as a serious dramatic actor, at his funniest.

4. The Gay Divorcee. Directed by Mark Sandrich. Starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The typical Astaire-Rogers film in which the plot is not the point, the musical numbers (especially Continental and Night and Day) are.

5. It's a Gift. Directed by Norman Z. McLeod. Starring W.C. Fields. Fields's second best film (after 1940's The Bank Dick) and the one that features the classic bit about the salesman searching for Carl LaFong.

6.  The Scarlet Pimpernel. Directed by Harold Young. Starring Leslie Howard, Merle Oberon and Raymond Massey. The first non-comedy on the list featuring a fine performance from Howard leading a double life. An excellent early example of the "costume drama."

7.  Tarzan and His Mate. Directed by Cedric Gibbons and Jack Conway. Starring Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O'Sullivan. The best of all the Tarzan movies mainly because it was made pre-code (meaning it had more sexual overtones and less clothing on its stars).

8.  The Count of Monte Cristo. Directed by Rowland V. Lee. Starring Robert Donat. A rousing version of Dumas's classic tale. (I'm not sure this film is available on DVD.)

9.  Imitation of Life. Directed by John M. Stahl. Starring Claudette Colbert. This soap opera has dated more than the previous eight films on this list, but it is still believable. It should be noted that Preston Sturgess, who will be featured in subsequent 10-best lists, wrote the adaptation of the Fannie Hurst novel.

10. Charlie Chan in London. Directed by Eugene Forde. Starring Warner Oland and Alan Mowbray. Not the best in the series about the Oriental detective -- that distinction goes to 1936's Charlie Chan at the Opera -- but still a fine example of all that was good (a decent mystery) and bad (a non-Oriental in the lead role) with the series.