#also i'm sorry to only really be recommending screwball comedies it's... almost exclusively what i've been watching lately

[el-im]

What are your favorite old/oldish movies that you’ve watched recently

the thin man (1934) - a former detective, happily retired and living on his wife's fortune, is begrudgingly dragged into investigating the disappearance of an inventor (the first of a series of thin man films, this i think is the best written/most engaging, though i came out of it with such an acute affection for the main characters--nick and nora charles--that i've since poured through the rest of the movies)

double wedding (1937) - an eccentric, out of work director who has befriended an aspiring actress and her meek fiancé finds himself in the middle of their family affairs when he comes toe-to-toe with her controlling sister, who he finds strangely interesting... hijinks ensue. (of all the movies i've seen recently, this might be my favorite. the characters are piquant and endlessly endearing)

libeled lady (1936) - a major newspaper editor is responsible for the publication of a false story on wealthy socialite connie allenbury. enlisting the help of his fiancée and a "libel-man", the editor hopes to quell the oncoming lawsuit and frame allenbury to make the story stick, but (naturally) things don't quite go as planned.

top hat (1935) - model dale tremont mistakes dancer jerry travers (who she initially likes) for the husband of a friend. as travers pursues tremont, he finds her continually put off by his attempts to get close to her, much to his confusion. (in my opinion--the best ginger rogers/fred astaire collaboration that i've seen thus far, with my favorite music/routines/story/characters)

#the first three are myrna loy/william powell pictures because i am... minorly obsessed with them as i'm going through the process of #watching their films together. they were absolutely magnificent in every way but these three really stand apart for me #and the last one is just... a miracle. the dances are beautiful. all the music is beautiful. #'the orchestra is beautiful!' #asks #also i'm sorry to only really be recommending screwball comedies it's... almost exclusively what i've been watching lately #still these have fantastically clever dialogue and i love how the characters are raised up #so despite the fact that comedies are usually thought of as being less than dramas/historical pictures/what have you #i think these are really magnificent :)! #anyhow some more serious ones that i also thought were very well done if you're not into comedies so much: #fear (1954) #crisis (1950) #the valley of decision (1945) though this one is a little slow/laborious #OH MY GOD #and it's not very recent but indiscreet (1958) was a delight. my favorite actors. a fantastic story. beautifully framed scenes. #that one is a wonderful picture in and of itself. a whole thing apart from everything else on this list