Edward Copeland's Tangents

Cimarron won best picture in '31, but is far from the best picture of that year. There's a good dozen, at least, that have weathered much better over the years. Still, this picture is worth seeing for a few big land run shots and to glimpse its bizarro world of 1931 progressive politics.
Jeffrey

Was Cavalcade the best picture of 1932-33? Hardly. I haven't seen Smilin' Through or State Fair, but I imagine that I would have voted for any of the other nominees before Cavalcade (though it's a close call with Lady for a Day). Still, this adaptation of Noel Coward's play is not a worthless picture and I did enjoy it for its kaleidoscopic look at a British family through the years. Its one throwaway shot of a life preserver bearing the words Titanic foreshadowing some characters' fates for me was far more effective than all the technical know-how and bombast of James Cameron's version — and was accomplished in a matter of seconds.
Edward Copeland

Historically interesting because of the appearances of original Ziegfeld stars — among them a Fanny Brice which doesn't look at all like Miss Streisand — it is a rather conventional, sugary biopic. The work by the players is competent, charming, but hardly awesome. Yet I can't help being fascinated by its elephantine musical numbers, which I suspect the film took to heights of excess that the original stage numbers lacked. I'm particularly haunted by "A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody," with its gargantuan cake-like revolve, increasing its speed as it rotates its way through the "story of music" (as seen by Broadway), with the camera spiraling upwards to a close-up, then traveling majestically backwards as the curtain goes down. A tremendous, and yet wonderful pinnacle of kitsch. Just like the strain of a haunting refrain.
Gloria Porta

OK, not a great movie; it apparently won the Best Picture award because of behind-the-scenes shenanigans to keep out the politically suspect High Noon. But it does have its moments, especially from the two of the female leads, who do what they always do (Betty Hutton, feisty and plucky; Gloria Grahame, bad girl) very well. Jimmy Stewart is pretty good with his
tragic clown, until mawkishness sets in in his last scene. The big circus set pieces are well done, including the train crash. The backstage dramas lack a certain authenticity — where's the elephant poop, for Christ's sake? All in all, not the Greatest Show, but not the worst by a long way.
Tim Footman