100 Years at the Movies (1994) (TV)

User Rating:

8.5/10   

Director:

Chuck Workman

Genre:

Documentary | Short

Plot:

Commemorates the centennial of American movies with a montage of clips and music scores from the most important movies of the century.

Plot Keywords:

Compilation | Anniversary | Birthday | Hollywood | Centenary

Cast

Clara Bow	...	(archive footage)
Rin Tin Tin	...	(archive footage)
Eugen Sandow	...	(archive footage)

Runtime:

9 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Turner Classic Movies (TCM)

Movie Connections:

Features The Wind (1928)

Soundtrack:

Rocky: Gonna Fly Now

"It was a modest beginning to 100 years of magical memories and unforgettable images"

One of my favourite short films of all time is 'Precious Images (1986),' an unforgettable montage tribute to nearly a century of American cinema. After winning an Oscar for his efforts, director Chuck Workman updated the film to coincide with the centenary of American cinema. Indeed, his supreme editing skills were in high demand during the mid-1990s, when many film associations – AMPAS, AFI, TCM – were celebrating one hundred years of movies. '100 Years at the Movies (1994),' commissioned by Turner Classic Movies, is a roughly-chronological nine-minute tribute to American movies. Whereas 'Precious Images' was an indiscriminate barrage of moments from any era, though typically tied to a central theme or genre, here Workman's chronology allows the viewer to appreciate the aesthetic and thematic progression of the medium; for example, the abrupt transition from the silent slapstick farce of Chaplin, Keaton and Lloyd, to the quick-witted screwball comedy of Mae West, Cary Grant and the Marx Brothers. Most of all, however, it's about reliving all those wonderful memories.

Each regular viewing of 'Precious Images' usually moves me to tears, such is the flood of emotions that accompanies each cinematic image. '100 Years at the Movies' doesn't cover as much ground as its predecessor, offering only a snapshot of the landmark pictures of the twentieth century, and perhaps unduly ascribing more screen-time to some movies over others. The various diverse film clips are generally integrated beautifully, especially a transition from Fred and Ginger in 'Swing Time (1936)' to Gene and Leslie in 'An American in Paris (1951).' Perhaps the only misstep in Workman's editing is his decision to synchronise a clip from 'Lawrence of Arabia (1962)' with Monty Norman's James Bond theme from 'Dr. No (1962)' – same year, but different genre! Nevertheless, the film is a treasure of memories for anybody who calls themselves a film buff, resurrecting all those moments whose emotions you had almost forgotten. Additionally, the film served as inspiration for me to see those classics that I haven't gotten around to yet – 'Greed (1923)' and 'The Crowd (1928),' for example.