6.) Cavalcade (1932-1933)

On a Scale of 1 to 10: 4

The word "cavalcade" refers to a procession of people riding horses or in carriages or in cars. The term can also mean a series of noteworthy events. I think this film is titled after the latter definition of the word (as it spans 33 years, showing some high and low points of a couple of families' lives), but these depictions are also inexplicably punctuated by processions of unrelated horsemen. "Cavalcade" is book-ended with News Year's Eve: It begins on the 1899-1900 new year and ends with 1932-1933, bringing the story to the present at the time it was released. Set in London, "Cavalcade" focuses primarily on the women of two families who must endure sending their husbands and sons off to various wars. The plot jumps in and out of historical events and periods, such as the Titanic’s fateful maiden voyage and World War I. What gives “Cavalcade” its poignance is the way it affords a bird’s-eye view of life’s joys and sorrows. Perhaps the most notable aspects of this film are several instances of brand-name advertising and an alarming stunt where a man is run over by a horse-drawn carriage. “Cavalcade” stars Diana Wynyard and Clive Brook.

Director: Frank Lloyd. Starring Diana Wynyard, Clive Brook, Herbert Mundin. Genre: Drama. Runtime: 110 min. B&W. (No MPAA rating but equivalent to PG)

5.) Grand Hotel (1931-1932)

On a Scale of 1 to 10: 6

Known for its cast of multiple, heavy-hitting stars, “Grand Hotel” features Greta Garbo as an emotionally unstable dancer, John Barrymore as a gentlemanly thief, Joan Crawford as an opportunistic stenographer, Wallace Beery as an overbearing business man, and Lionel Barrymore as a terminally ill big spender. The Grand Hotel is said to be a place that’s “always the same: People come; people go; nothing ever happens.” But indeed, much happens to the characters listed above, and we get the feeling that the Grand Hotel is a revolving door of human dramas. This film shows us how these particular guests’ lives happen to overlap and entangle during their stay. “Grand Hotel” is filmed in black and white and is evidently an adaptation of a stage play. Notably, the movie’s tone shifts drastically, beginning comedically and ending somewhat grimly.

Director: Edmund Goulding. Starring Greta Garbo, John Barrymore, Joan Crawford. Genre: Drama. Runtime: 112 min. B&W. (No MPAA rating but equivalent to PG)