Deeper Into Movies

In a sign of the times, our local video store closed a couple of weeks ago, but not before having a massive sale of its inventory.  Unfortunately, I got there at the tail end and by then the pickings were relatively slim -- although I was able to pick up a few favorite westerns (Jeremiah Johnson, the original 3:10 to Yuma, and one of the many great Anthony Mann-directed films, The Tin Star), a classic noir (Night and the City) and a family favorite (Waiting for Guffman).  This led me to think about what movies are truly worth owning -- not necessarily the greatest movies but those that for whatever reason are touchstones for me; movies of which I never tire, although I've seen them countless times, and that I feel compelled to share with my loved ones.

Here is my personal and idiosyncratic list of favorite movies of the 20th Century, keeping in mind that "favorite" does not necessarily mean "best." 

1.  Duck Soup (1933) (my favorite Marx Brothers movie, but any of the other early ones would easily qualify for this list)
2.  Sullivan's Travels (1941) (or just about any other Preston Sturges movie)
3.  The Maltese Falcon (1941),  Casablanca (1942), Treasure of Sierra Madre (1948)
4.  Harvey (1950)
5.  Rear Window (1954), North by Northwest (1959)
6.  The Searchers (1956) (just one of the many classic westerns to choose from)
7. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
8. The Guns of Navarone (1961) (one of so many WWII movies that I would (and do) watch again and again)
9. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
10. To Kill A Mockingbird (1962)
11. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
12. Dr. Strangelove  (1964)
13. A Shot in the Dark (1964) (or any of the other early Pink Panther movies)
14. The Graduate (1967)
15. Planet of the Apes (1968)
16. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
17. Little Big Man (1970)
18. Harold and Maude (1971)
19. The Godfather (1972) & The Godfather II (1974)
20. Young Frankenstein (1974)
21. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
22. Annie Hall (1977) (and other early Woody Allen)
23. Diner (1982)
24. This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
25. Midnight Run (1988)
26. Bull Durham (1988)
27. Do The Right Thing (1989)
28. My Cousin Vinny (1992)
29. Groundhog Day (1993)
30. The Big Lebowski (1998)