I watched several great movies in 2024, but these are my favorite first-time new-to-me film discoveries of the year. These are not in order of favorite, but in the order that I watched them in 2024:

Garden of Evil (1954)
Directed by Henry Hathaway
Gary Cooper, Richard Widmark and Camron Mitchell play an American trio stranded in Mexico, who agree to help Susan Hayward, whose husband (Hugh Marlowe) is injured and trapped in the mountains. The journey is treacherous, and the men are suspicious of Hayward’s motives, which she keeps secret.

I knew nothing about this film going in — only knowing it was a western. I also had some predictions of how it would play out early on, and all of them were wrong.

The cast of this film is excellent, and Gary Cooper and Susan Hayward are good, but Richard Widmark was the standout performer in this film. Widmark is so good and his character is not at all how you expect him to be.

I watched this via a Twilight Time Bluray, and it was stunning. It made me miss the boutique line even more. Filmed in gorgeous Technicolor and on-location shots, it included some gorgeous matte painting backdrops. It also made me mourn that many 20th Century Fox films will never have a restoration.

The film also included a unique Bernard Herrmann score here. With a western flair, much of the score doesn’t sound like Herrmann’s signature style.

Desperately Seeking Susan (1985)
Directed by Susan Seidelman
Rosanna Arquette plays Roberta Glass, a bored New Jersey housewife who enjoys reading the personal ads between two lovers, including one that reads “Desperately Seeking Susan,” asking two lovers to meet in a park in New York City. Roberta travels to the meeting spot, hoping to see the lovers — Susan and Jim (Robert Joy). She then follows Susan to a thrift shop, where Susan sells a distinctive jacket with a pyramid on the back. Roberta is intrigued by her bohemian look and lifestyle and buys the jacket. While trying to catch up with Susan, Roberta hits her head and loses her memory. A friend of Jim, Dez (Aidin Quinn), finds Roberta and assumes she’s Susan.

After years of hearing about it, I finally watched this and had a great time. I never really knew what it was about, but I didn’t expect it to be a mix of comedy, crime, romance and mystery. Madonna’s signature fashion look in this (that Arquette’s character mimics) is so great, and the music is outstanding, too. After watching this, I was ready to change my whole life like Roberta Glass.

Too Many Kisses (1925)
Directed by Paul Sloane
Richard Dix plays Richard Gaylord, Jr., a Don Juan who is always in love and puts romance before his job. Fed up, Richard’s father (Frank Currier) sends Richard to a village in Spain because he has read that the villagers only marry locals. Instead, Richard falls in love with Yvonne (Frances Howard) but is challenged by Captain Julio (William Powell), who also has his sights on Yvonne.
This is an hour-long lark that is so much fun. I’ve seen Richard Dix in many 1930s dramas, so seeing him in a lighter, comedic role is enjoyable. It’s also fun to see William Powell as a dastardly character. It’s a treat.

The Ipcress File (1965)
Directed by Sidney J. Furie
Michael Caine plays Harry Palmer, a spy with the Ministry of Defense, who is tasked with investigating what is happening to kidnapped British scientists. While he’s frustrated about the constraints of his organization, he’s also wondering if it is an inside job.

Michael Caine’s Harry Palmer is not only so cool but also humorous and perhaps a bit more relatable than a spy like James Bond. The John Barry score, of course, adds to the film. Following this film, I watched the two other films with Michael Caine as Harry Palmer — FUNERAL IN BERLIN (1966) and BILLION DOLLAR BRAIN (1967). Unfortunately, neither are as fun or cool as the original.

Footlight Serenade (1942)
Directed by Gregory Ratoff
Victor Mature plays Tommy Lundy, a famous boxer who is so popular that Broadway promoter Slap (Phil Silvers) contrives a Broadway show around Lundy. Both dancer Pat Lambert (Betty Grable) and her finance Bill Smith (John Payne) get a job in the show — tough Pat auditioned and Bill got the job by happenstance for a boxing portion of the show. Tommy immediately makes a play for Pat, making her the understudy for the lead. When Pat and Bill get married, the show’s director (James Gleason) asks that they keep it a secret, since Tommy likes Pat.

This was a long-awaited first-time viewing that exceeded expectations. Victor Mature is hilarious in the over-the-top role as Tommy Lundy. Betty Grable sparkles and sells so many songs. Grable’s singing and dancing are a joy. Of course, John Payne is incredibly handsome, and Jane Wyman is hilarious as Grable’s best friend.

The songs and Hermes Pan-choreographed dances are just fantastic. I could continue to go on and on about FOOTLIGHT SERENADE, but simply put: It’s a ball.

Late Autumn/Akibiyori (1960)
Directed by Yasujirô Ozu
Setsuko Hara plays Akiko Miwa, who is recently widowed, and her grown daughter, Ayako (Yôko Tsukasa) lives with her. Friends of Akiko’s late husband believe she is still young and should remarry, and began planning who her next husband should be. They also think it is time for Ayako to marry and move out. Both women resist matchmaking from their friends, saying they are happy as they are, and some of the interference from outside parties causes problems between mother and daughter.

I’ve never watched an Ozu movie that I didn’t like, and this one is no exception. Filmed in vibrant color, it’s a light and pleasant story. Though not without conflict, it had me chuckling throughout, particularly at the meddling men.

Butterflies Are Free (1972)
Directed by Milton Katselas
Edward Albert plays Don, a blind young man who is living alone in an apartment in New York City, much to the worry of his mother (Eileen Heckart). Don meets his neighbor Jill (Goldie Hawn), and they quickly become friends and form a romantic attachment. When Don’s mother arrives to check on her son for an unplanned visit, she questions if Jill really could love a blind man and urges Don to return home.

When I watched this, I was watching the 1980s TV nighttime soap opera, “Falcon Crest,” where Edward Albert was playing a stalker maniac. So it was interesting to watch this simultaneously, where Albert is playing a kind and gentle character trying to find his way – talk about range! I really loved this film, and Albert was so lovely. It’s an all-around sweet and tender film that made me want to watch it over and over again.

The Man in the White Suit (1951)
Directed by Alexander Mackendrick
Alec Guinness plays eccentric scientist Sidney Stratton, who always finds jobs in textile mills so he can work in their laboratories. Sidney works to develop a long-wear fabric that can’t tear, wrinkle or stain. With this miracle fabric, the textile executives and workers wonder what that means for their industry.

This movie is an excellent mix of humor and heartbreak as Guinness’s character tries to follow his dreams and then watches them crumble. It’s also an interesting commentary on progress’s effects on society.

Remember My Name (1978)
Directed by Alan Rudolph
Geraldine Chaplin plays Emily, who was just released from prison. Her past is mysterious, with no reason given why she was in jail or why she has selected the town to where she has relocated. Emily also begins inexplicably stalking Neil Curry (Anthony Perkins) and his wife Barbara Curry (Berry Berenson).

I thought about this film for weeks after watching it. It is a film that keeps you uneasy because you never quite know what Geraldine Chaplin’s character is up to — and just when you think you know what she’s up to, you’re wrong. The description makes you think it will be a different type of film when it resembles more of a noir. It’s incredible.

Cría Cuervos (1976)
Directed by Carlos Saura
After their widowed father dies, Ana (Ana Torrent) and her two sisters (Conchita Pérez and Mayte Sanchez) go to live with their strict Aunt Paulina (Mónica Randall). As the girls adjust to their new life with their aunt, young Ana daydreams about her gentle and loving mother, María (Geraldine Chaplin), who died of cancer.

The film flips between reality, memories, and daydreams of a child. Young Ana Torrent is a great actress, and Geraldine Chaplin is excellent as both her mother and grown Ana, who is remembering the flashbacks. The film is sad and feels somewhat nostalgic, as these young girls have to figure out how to grow up in their new normal.

Black Gold (1947)
Directed by Phil Karlson
Based on a true story, Anthony Quinn plays Native American, Charley Eagle. He meets and adopts Davey (Ducky Louie) after Davey’s father is killed. Charley and his wife Sarah (Katherine DeMille), raise Davey, and Charley also has a beloved horse, Black Hope. Charley eventually finds oil on his land, and Black Hope has a colt, Black Gold, for whom he has racing ambitions.
I didn’t know what to expect going into this film. I thought it would be a run-of-the-mill western. I walked away, charmed by this movie. For this era of his career, this is a different role for Anthony Quinn, whose early roles were often gangsters and villains. While his character speaks with broken English, Quinn shows a lot of heart in this film. His relationship with the character Davey, played by Ducky Louie, is sweet and heartwarming. It’s also filmed in beautiful Cinecolor. It’s a hidden gem.

Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon (1970)
Directed by Otto Preminger
Junie Moon (Liza Minnelli) is hospitalized when a date pours car battery acid on her, badly scaring her face. After her hospitalization, she rents a home and lives with two men she met at the hospital — Arthur (Ken Howard), who has epilepsy, and Warren (Robert Moore), who has paraplegia. The three work to live independently and face discrimination from the community.

I didn’t know what to expect, but I didn’t expect to be so sad. I liked this, and Ken Howard is also incredibly cute.

Mr. Fix-It (1918)
Directed by Allan Dwan
When Reginald Burroughs (Leslie Stuart) is beckoned home from college, he doesn’t want to leave because he wants to stay with his sweetheart. To help him out, Reginald’s friend, Dick Remington (Douglas Fairbanks), impersonates his friend since his rich aunts and uncles haven’t seen Reginald in years. Friendly and boisterous Reginald arrives to find quiet and unfriendly relatives. But everything changes when Reginald invites Mary McCullough (Hawley) and her young brothers and sisters to live with the family when they are in danger in their tenement apartment. The children soften the hearts of the elderly aunts and uncles, making it easier for Reginald to fix the other family problems.

This film is so sweet and fun. I love the elderly softening towards the children; it is so sweet. Of course, we get to see some excellent acrobatics from Douglas Fairbanks.

Love at First Bite (1979)
Directed by Stan Dragoti
George Hamilton plays Count Dracula, who is being evicted from his castle in Transylvania. Dracula heads to New York City hoping to meet and woo model Cindy Sondheim (Susan Saint James). Cindy falls for Dracula, but her boyfriend, Dr. Jeff Rosenberg, is related to Van Helsing, the vampire slayer, and tries to keep the pair apart.

George Hamilton isn’t given enough credit for being a hilarious comedian. I love him so much. This film is so much fun and hilarious, with legitimate laugh-out-loud moments. This was honestly one of the highlight films of the year and the funniest movie I watched this year!

This Sporting Life (1963)
Directed by Lindsay Anderson
Frank Machin (Richard Harris) is a coal miner turned rugby player, whose story is told through flashbacks while he’s getting dental work following a rugby game on Christmas Eve. The flashbacks show that Frank got on the team by getting in a fight in front of a rugby talent scout and that he is in love with his widowed landlord, Mrs. Hammond (Rachel Roberts). Frank gains fame and wealth through his rugby career, but his relationships with Mrs. Hammond and his peers don’t improve.

This film frankly blew me away, and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. Richard Harris is an excellent actor, and I don’t feel he often gets the credit — often just pigeonholed by his role in “Harry Potter” and his “Hell Raiser’s” reputation. Harris is really excellent in this. Frank is a complicated character — both a sympathetic character and a menace. He uses aggression to get what he wants, but that will only take him so far. I liked this more than any other British “kitchen sink” dramas I’ve seen.

Call Her Savage (1932)
Directed John Francis Dillon
Clara Bow plays Nasa Springer, an heiress who isn’t as gentle and refined as her parents would like. Because of this, she butts heads with her father (Willard Robertson), who sends her from Texas to Chicago as a punishment. Nasa embraces this “punishment” with open arms, as she becomes known as “Dynamite” Springer, a partying heiress. Her wild times lead her to a loveless marriage that separates that leads her to become estranged from her parents. She goes through highs and lows, but one constant is her childhood friend, Moonglow (Gilbert Roland).

You read so much about Clara Bow failing in talkies because of her supposed awful voice. Excuse me, she sounds great, and she is fabulous in this. Some storylines may feel like vignettes, but this is endlessly entertaining and wildly Pre-Code. There are some excellent shots, like when Clara Bow breaks a mirror and we see her through the broken mirror. Not to mention, Gilbert Roland is incredibly handsome in this.

Christmas Holiday (1943)
Directed by Robert Siodmak
U.S. Army Lt. Charlie Mason (Dean Harens) is on leave and trying to make it home for Christmas to confront his sweetheart who he received a “Dear John …” letter from. Instead, his plane is grounded in New Orleans on Christmas Eve, where he meets nightclub singer Jackie Lamont (Deanna Durbin). While spending time together, Charlie learns Jackie’s real name — Abigail — and how she ended up in New Orleans. Told in flashback, Abigail tells the story of her happy marriage to Robert Manette (Gene Kelly), which quickly sours when he’s jailed for murder, but regardless, how she still loves him.

After wanting to see this for years, I was happy to finally watch it this year. I loved this! Set in the holiday season, it’s a dark and gritty noir. Deanna Durbin is incredible in every film, acting with her whole heart. This is a very different role for Durbin, whose career started as an opera-singing child star in bubbly and humorous roles. But Durbin plays this down-in-the-dumps, matter-of-fact dramatic role so well. This film is terrific and gives a different look at how the Christmas holidays are always cheery for everyone.

Honorable Mention:
A Muppet Family Christmas (1987)
Appointment with Venus (1951)
Bedelia (1946)
Blanche Fury (1946)
Calcutta (1946)
Daddy’s Gone-a-Hunting (1969)
Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999)
Gangway (1937)
Gideon’s Day (1958)
Heavenly Bodies (1984)
London Belongs to Me (1948)
Mississippi Masala (1991)
Night Has a Thousand Eyes (1948)
Paisan (1946)
The Pit and the Pendulum (1961)
The Proud and Profane (1956)
Queen of the Mob (1940)
White Witch Doctor (1953)

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