Because I haven’t done an old film post in forever and because New Year’s celebrations are always more fun in movies than real life I figured I’d make a little list of my favorite films that have New Year’s scenes. There are probably a ton of movies that I’m missing. I was trying to think of good ’30s glamour movies with New Year’s parties but couldn’t think of any. Silents either. If you have any New Year’s favorites that aren’t on this list I’d love to hear about them! But here are my favorites. Some of them are cynical and some are sentimental, but they all make me wish I could go back in time, if only for a good old-fashioned New Year’s Eve party.
1. Sunset Boulevard. Here’s the cynical one. I’ve written about this movie lots of times already so I won’t say too much except that if you haven’t seen it you should watch it. It’s a black comedy about Hollywood in the ’50s and an old fading silent film star who’s good at throwing creepy parties, including an extra good one on New Year’s Eve. There’s another New Year’s party in the film too, except its young people in the ’50s corny, and I would have ditched it in favor of Norma Desmond’s ’20s era tango party in a second.
2. I’ll Be Seeing You. It’s funny that two of my top four New Year’s movies have law-breaking heroines and 1940s wholesomeness. I wrote about this movie a few years ago on my blog but I think it’s so good that it’s worth another mention. This one stars Ginger Rogers and Joseph Cotten, two favorites of mine, and it’s not an especially lively or festive movie, but it’s good and quiet and poignant. Especially during the New Year’s Eve dance at the YMCA. Everything is low-key but somehow Ginger manages to pull out this gorgeous dress that you could really only see in a Hollywood movie.
3. The Apartment. I’m finally catching up on watching the first seasons of Mad Men, and we just watched the episode where Joan starts talking about this film and how sad and realistic it is, which is true. But it’s also a lot of fun–like Sunset Boulevard it’s a Billy Wilder black comedy, only instead of silent film style tangos it has Christmas office parties gone wrong and confetti-filled New Year’s get-togethers in Chinese restaurants. And its New Year’s Eve ending is maybe my favorite ending in any Billy Wilder movie. Some Like it Hot included!
4. Remember the Night. This one is more of a holiday movie than anything, but I love it so much that it has to go on this list. For one thing it stars Barbara Stanwyck as a wise-cracking thief and Fred MacMurray as the district attorney trying to send her off to jail. The movie completely changes pace when they both go off to Indiana to spend the holidays with his family, only it’s so good and wholesome that you don’t really mind that Barbara loses a little bit of her toughness. My favorite part is when she dresses up in Fred’s aunt’s ancient corset and ball gown for a country New Year’s Eve dance, and the whole scene is so touching, but maybe that’s just because I’m from the Midwest and start missing Illinois sometimes.
Great post, thank you! I will have to watch all of these movies!
What a wonderful post Rhiannon, I am gonna check all of these out right now! have a happy new year!
I want to see all these movies now!
Happy New Year! Thanks for reminding me of these. Sunset Boulevard will forever be one of my favorites.
Great post, thank you! I remember once you wrote about the movie Sunrise, so I watched it, and loved it! Thanks, happy new year!!
Isn’t that a great movie? Thanks, have a great new year too!!
these are great choices. My fave is After the Thin Man, which is set on New Year’s Eve!
Jill, thank you, I was wondering about that! I remember when TCM did its Thin Man new year’s marathon, and I couldn’t remember if it was because one took place on New Year’s or just because there’s so much drinking in all of them!
I love The Apartment and Remember the night.
Isn’t there a New Year’s scene in Heaven can wait (the Lubitsch one)?
Happy New Year !
There’s a Lubitsch Heaven Can Wait? Oooh, I’m watching . . . .
There’s a pretty good New Year’s Eve scene in Holiday Inn, if you’re up for Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby…
Yeah! I need to see that one again. I’m not a Bing Crosby fan, but it might be worth it for Fred Astaire.
The New Year’s highlight is Fred Astaire dancing completely drunk, which sounds awful, but it’s really rather charming. The other movie I just watched was “Holiday,” which also has a New Year’s scene in it (plus some wonderful gowns, oh my!)
Must see these!
Fab post!
Happy 2011!
xoxox,
CC
Gah, I love love love Sunset Boulevard.. What a great script. All of, amazing. Love your blog!
One of my favorites is Bachelor Mother with Ginger Rogers and David Niven (I think he’s the one who stars opposite of her…). Every year when the ball drops I like to say “Oppy Newww Year?” just like Ginger in her fake Swedish accent. Problem is, nobody really gets it.
I recommend ‘Riptide’ (1934) with Norma Shearer and Robert Montgomery. I’m not sure there are any actual New Year’s Eve parties in it, but there are plenty of parties, so it’ll do. Besides being lovely and amusing, the film also does a great job of flirting around the censorship code. I’m often amazed at how much more free, smart and confident women in 30s-40s movies seem, compared to the neurotic onscreen whiners in so many of today’s fare that supposedly appeals to women audiences.
This imdb review sums it up well: “Apart from fantastic acting, however, the production is further blessed with two absolutely fantastic elements: Adrian’s glorious costumes and Ray June’s stellar camera work. … The costumes are the finest [Norma Shearer] ever wears (with a possible exception being Marie Antoinette). The cinematography is perhaps the finest of the thirties, with beautiful contrast between skin tones, sets, and wardrobe. Every frame is set up as a wonderful painting, and it is perhaps the finest example of what they mean when they say `in glorious black and white.’”
Ally, thank you, I’ll watch it! Don’t know why I never did before . . . I’m not a big Norma Shearer fan. I like her ok in later ones like The Women, but her acting in the early talkies just gets on my nerves. But Robert Montgomery’s pretty much the opposite, so I’m sure he’ll make up for old Norma.
Shearer and Montgomery were partnered in several movies — they have a wonderful rapport together. Montgomery actually seems to relax her acting style. I think of them as one of those wonderfully, surprisingly perfect pairings, like William Powell and Myrna Loy, where they have a perfect rhythm in dialogue and body language, seem genuinely fond of each other, and make each other more interesting as actors.
My favorite Norma-Robert pairing is in Noel Coward’s “Private Lives”, which is utterly funny and delightful (Una Merkel’s in it, too), and incidentally possibly the most dead-on onscreen portrayal of how couples’ fights start out of nowhere and constantly tread the same ground — though not as entertainingly as in the movie. I highly recommend it.
Also, have you ever watched “Evelyn Prentice” with the aforementioned William & Myrna? It’s a classic upper-crust drama, but I think Una Merkel has her best role ever in it, in a supporting part; just one howler of a line after another.
Sorry to go on and on, but it’s fun to have a place to talk black & white movies! Happy new year!
Oh my! You just gave me the most perfect list of movies I need to watch. I always browse through the classic selection at the video store and just get so overwhelmed so thank you!
I think I’ll Be Seeing You will be at the top of my list, I can’t resist beautiful costume work like that! Ginger Rogers is so beautiful!
Ayesha x
Ayesha, you’ll love it. It’s a sweet little movie! A teenaged Shirley Temple is in it too, and her clothes are adorable, even though she does play a little brat.
I kind of wish Norma Desmond was my mother.
Ha ha, whenever I watch that movie with people they always end up hating poor Norma, and I kind of love her.
Very nice movies..
I had never seen the last three, and I am a classic movie lover and my parents raised me on them so I am surprised! Wonderful list!
So watching all of these! I love old movies, particularly I recommend George Cukor’s original version of The Women (remake last year was awful!), Meet me in St. Louis, and Gilda, an old film noir. Thanks so much for your list, it’s nice to come across recommendations.
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