The 1940s Still the Greatest Decade of Cinema!

Through this site you will be appraised of the brilliant history of cinema! There will be much debate and conjecture and we are always open to meaningful and positive debate. Though there have been many great movies in all decades of cinema I think, and it's generally agreed that the greatest decade of cinema was the 1940s. Film noir was at its zenith and the studio system was never so prolific. Two of the Greatest Actors ever were at their peak, Humphrey Bogart and James Cagney. One of my favourite movies of all time the film noir classic Double Indemnity came out in this decade. The brilliant director Preston Sturges- an independent maverick probably never to be bettered revolutionised film with a half dozen incredible films. Never were women in film so beautiful and powerful. Think of the heyday of Barbara Stanwyck, Bette Davis, Katherine Hepburn and Ida Lupino, just to name a few! These women were powerful and beautiful, but without the crassness of some female actors today! Cinema attendances were the highest ever in the 1940s.I can only think of one other period when the creativity was close to the 1940s.It would have to be the early 1970s.Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Alan Pakula and Bob Rafaelson were directors of creative brilliance that revolutionised cinema. Classic everlasting films like Scorsese's Mean Streets, Coppola's Godfather, Rafaelson's Five Easy Pieces and Roman Polanski's Chinatown were film of timeless brilliance. In the main most of these directors continued with a diminished brilliance except for Coppola who has seemed to stagnate after the brilliant Godfather trilogy. In coming weeks we will expand on this debate and embark on a definitive list of the greatest movies and actors of all time. Its immensely exciting for us and will be educational for all. We welcome debate and conjecture. Lena grab those tasty nachos!!