Great Movies of 1939




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ClassGraphic One year stands out as the best single year for American movies in the history of filmdom: 1939, partly due to competition among the studios that released 365 films that year. Movie attendance fell during the early years of the Depression but by 1939 the industry had recovered strongly as 2/3 of Americans went to a movie theater at least once a week. In this study group we will feature many of the best 1939 films but will not show that year’s two best films, Gone With the Wind and The Wizard of Oz either due to being too long or too familiar. Instead, films being considered for the study group are: Wuthering Heights (Wyler), Ninotchka (Lubitsch), Intermezzo: A Love Story (Ratoff), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Dieterle), Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (Capra), Of Mice and Men (Milestone), Four Feathers (Korda), Goodbye Mr. Chips (Wood), The Rules of the Game (Renoir), The Women (Cukor), Destry Rides Again (Marshall), The Roaring Twenties (Walsh), Dark Victory (Goulding), Beau Geste (Wellman), Young Mr. Lincoln (Ford) and possibly a “B” film such as Charlie Chan at Treasure Island (Foster). Join us to view and discuss these oldies but goodies. 
 

Class Details

13 Session(s)
Weekly - Thu

Location
Wieboldt Hall

Instructor
Multiple

Tuition:  $0.00

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Schedule Information

Skip dates: (No class on 11/26/2026)

Date(s) Class Days Times Location Instructor(s)
9/10/2026 - 12/10/2026 Weekly - Thu 01:15 PM - 04:15 PM Chicago, Wieboldt Hall  Map Tom Swanstrom  ; Dennis Carlin  ; Dory Rand