to think that acting in Hollywood films in the '40s and '50s is absolutely crap?

[ohmychrist]

Watching April in Paris and the acting is all OTT and music hall-esque.

These old films are full of exaggerated facial expressions and really, really badly-delivered lines. The acting (not the dancing necessarily) seems so amateurish by today's standards.

That might have been a B film.

There were loads of A films that were superb. Were you around at the time to see them at the cinema?

Hardly surprising - most of them had variety backgrounds and well, it was still new!

Try comparing a 1940s car, plane, fridge to one from today. You will see just how VVU you are being.

And I love them...

I've often thought the same things. Some of the classic 'Hollywood greats' are terrible actors/actresses

Am watching the film too and loving it! It's got Doris Day in it for goodness sake!

At least you could recognise one from another Nomama!

There is that, HappyAgain. I have absolutely no idea who the modern day heart throbs are... they do indeed all look the bleeding same!

No no no. Citizen Kane, To Have and Have Not, Double Indemnity, Casablanca, They Live By Night there are so many fabulous films. But I agree there ARE some real stinkers (and I do not include any movies with Doris Day in this category as they are all masterpieces ;)

All of the actors looked similar then too though. White men with brylcreem hair.

I'm so glad acting has progressed since then.

The scripts seem a bit hackneyed too. Particularly in the comedies, from what I've seen.

Candycrushblahblah there is that film where is Doris Day is married to Frank Sinatra which the critics rave about but I think it's really depressing and miserable.

Oh you young thing you

Re you really saying that Bogart, Grant, Jimmy Stewart, Brando, Ingrid Bergman, Hepburn, Hayworth, Leigh... I could go on... are all pasty faced clones who can't act?

Madness, you need to be immersed in such films, the good ones that is. We could make a really good list!

Piffle. I can't bloody understand what the male actors in modern films are even saying! Stop bloody mumbling Ryan Interchangeable, and enunciate.
Give me Burt Lancaster, or Robert Mitchum, or James Mason(pervy choice) ANYDAY.

YABU. It's a different style and, to an extent, just a different way of speaking. It doesn't make it bad acting.

See if you can watch 'All About Eve' some time. I've seen that on many occasions but I still shiver at some of the lines (both for writing and delivery.) I almost have to stand up at 'Eve Darling - this is Addison !

Night of the Hunter. Crikey. That and 28 Days Later are the two movies that continue to give me nightmares.

12 Angry Men. 1957. Brilliant film.

To Kill a Mockingbird, a wee bit later, 1962, again, brilliant.

And yes any thing with Doris Day I. It is automatically a masterpiece.

Oh! Is that who he is... Ryan Interchangeable? Thanks

Nothing wrong with a James Mason spangle... nothing at all.

Best actress for me is Celia Johnson in British films. Her performances fromso long ago just grab me every time, (even while Noel Coward opposite her is making me laugh for all the wrong reasons!) It's rather like I feel about Leonardo de Caprio's performances.

The comedy scripts of Hollywood fluff from the 30's and 40's can be brilliant.

Therefore YABU in my opinion!

The films about the Nuremburg trials are compelling and harrowing.

I'm so glad acting has progressed since then.

Yes, Bill and Ted, Ted, American Pie, Music & Lyrics, anything with Elizabeth Hurley in...

All Oscar-worthy.

I love old films! Took DH to see A Matter of Life and Death once and he was sobbing in the cinema (not out of boredom, I hasten to add ).

I think modern films are really dumbed down in some ways; the language and words used in old films is amazing - film makers weren't "scared" to use complex words and given the audiences were huge they all must have understood them!

Some modern films are great, but most seem to me to be little more than adverts for things and a lifestyle. The story gets lost in the gloss.

Good choice Dolly!

I love Roger Livesey in that and his (slightly creepy) camera obscura.

Modern films are very "dumb" I find; not enough effort spent on the script.

Quite a lot were written for escapism during the war too, which probably has an impact.

The one thing I am glad we don't have nowadays are dream sequences. Every time I get to the middle of Singin' in the Rain, the Broadway Melody bit starts and it feels like the entire film grinds to a halt (although I do love Cyd Charisse).

Any movie with Jimmy Stewart is amazing. Have you seen Bringing up Baby with Katherine Hepburn and Carey Grant? Hilarious.

We saw a preview for the new Dumb and Dumber movie last week, and I could only think, "why?"