The Lavender Hill Mob (1951)

Alec Guinness is excellent in this starring role. The plot didn't do much for me. I think I've seen too many heist movies at this point. I enjoyed his burgeoning friendship with Pendlebury, his second in the mob. At the beginning lurks a delightful surprise: Audrey Hepburn in a walk-on role early in her acting career, two years before Roman Holiday.

Robinson Crusoe on Mars (1964)

Stunning visuals and a leisurely pace in the first half of this movie combine for an immersive experience. Despite all it's problems -- most harking back to its source material -- I enjoyed this movie. I can appreciate the art of the fabulous special effects and the effort that went into the production (filmed in Death Valley USA). The politics are something else. Once you learn about colonialism and it's ongoing deletrious effects on society, you can't go back.

Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941)

What a relief to see an excellent comedy after watching so many dramas and films noir from the first half of the twentieth century in my project to watch 100 old movies. The switched-body concept is based on reincarnation in this flick, so we only have the one confused soul to deal with, which I much prefer to the popular "double-swap." Claude Rains is wasted in this picture, but Robert Montgomery makes up for it by being endearing and demanding and comically oafish all at the same time. I enjoyed this version much more than the later remakes: recommended! 

Born Yesterday (1950)

Trigger warning: violence against women, emotional and verbal abuse. That's an odd opening for a review about a comedy. Judy Holliday mesmerizes as the star of this mid-century flick based on a play. The cinematographer focuses on her minute facial expressions, rewarding the audience with the depth and range of her command of that role. A role she played 1,200 times on Broadway before making the movie! 

My favorite scene is the gin rummy sequence: the camera never leaves Holliday; as one reviewer puts it, "It is seven minutes and fifty seconds of pure cinematic gold."

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974)

I am 100% positive that the 1970s Gojira movies are made as comedies. Well, I got a lot of laughs out of watching Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, which features FOUR kaiju monsters. I always cheer for the monsters in creature features, and lucky for me, the audience is supposed to in this flick. I wanted to enjoy the fuzzy dragon-dog god-monster-protector but King Caesar was not much help in the monster wrestling match. It was fun: I needed fun today.