Sweet Land (2005), Once Upon a Time in America (1984), The Roaring Twenties (1939), Scarface (1932), Miller's Crossing (1990), The Public Enemy (1931), Lawless (2012), Little Caesar (1931) ... Let's take a look at the ranked list of the best Prohibition Era movies.
Storyline: In 1922 New York City, Millie Dillmount (Dame Julie Andrews) and Miss Dorothy Brown (Mary Tyler Moore) are just two of the girls living at the Priscilla Hotel for Single Young Ladies run by Mrs. Meers (Beatrice Lillie). Orphaned, Miss Dorothy, just recently arrived, is a naive, old-fashioned girl from a seemingly privileged background who has aspirations to be a stage actress. From more modest means, Millie, in New York City for three months, used to be old-fashioned, but now has a new modern sensibility and look to match, complete with bobbed hair and dresses with hemlines above the knee. Included in this new modern sensibility is Millie's goal of getting a job as a stenographer, with a quick promotion to being her wealthy boss' "Mrs." Love is not to factor into the equation. She believes she's found the right employer in the form of chisel-jawed Trevor Graydon (John Gavin) of the Sincere Trust Insurance Company. Millie's pursuit of Mr. Graydon is despite the fact that Mr. Graydon sees her as one of the boys, he has old-fashioned sensibilities, and Millie has a mutual attraction to another boy named Jimmy Smith (James Fox). Although she likes Jimmy, Millie feels that Jimmy, as a paper clip salesman with an overwhelming happy-go-lucky attitude, is not driven enough to be husband material. That doesn't stop Jimmy's pursuit of Millie. In her association with Jimmy, Millie meets flamboyant wealthy Renaissance woman Muzzy Van Hossmere (Carol Channing). Jimmy's father once worked as Muzzy's gardener. Originally from humble means much like Millie, Muzzy tries to convince Millie that true love will lead to happiness, as that is what happened when she met the now deceased Mr. Van Hossmere, who she had no idea was rich. In other goings-on amongst this new circle of friends, Miss Dorothy leaves New York City without a word to anyone except Mrs. Meers. Thinking this situation rather odd, Millie connects Miss Dorothy's leaving with that of other girls previously living at the Priscilla Hotel. With Mr. Graydon's help, Jimmy and Millie try to find out what happened to Miss Dorothy.—Huggo
Plot Keywords: musical, comedy, romance, 1920s, dance, lighthearted, vintage ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: A gangster movie where all the gangsters are played by children. Instead of real bullets they use "splurge guns" that cover the victim in cream. The story tells of the rise of "Bugsy Malone" and the battle for power between "Fat Sam" and "Dandy Dan".
Plot Keywords: musical, comedy, gangster, children, parody, satire, 1930s ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: In this unusually accurate biography, small-time hood Al Capone comes to Chicago at the dawn of Prohibition to be the bodyguard of racketeer Johnny Torrio. Capone's rise in Chicago gangdom is followed through murder, extortion, and political fraud. He becomes head of Chicago's biggest "business," but moves inexorably toward his downfall and ignominious end.—Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>
Plot Keywords: gangster, crime, biography, historical, usa, 1950s, classic ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: Gangster Joe Krozac is in prison for ten years. Reporter Paul North is fired by his newspaper for writing articles sympathetic to Krozac's wife and young son. She divorces Krozac and marries North. When Korzac gets out he goes looking for his former wife and son.—Ed Stephan <stephan@cc.wwu.edu>
Plot Keywords: gangster, crime, drama, classic, 1930s, american film, film noir ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: Police Chief Jim Fitzpatrick is fighting gangster Sam Belmonte. He asks his dishonest brother Ed to keep an eye on Daisy who was connected with Belmonte.—Ed Stephan <stephan@cc.wwu.edu>
Plot Keywords: crime, gangster, police, corruption, violence, action, mystery ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: Judge Foster throws his daughter out because she married a circus man. She leaves her baby girl with Prof. McGargle before she dies. Years later Sally is a dancer with whom Peyton, a son of Judge Foster's friend, falls in love. When Sally is arrested McGargle proves her real parentage.—Ed Stephan <stephan@cc.wwu.edu>
Plot Keywords: silent film, comedy, drama, circus, 1920s, black and white, american film ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: Stephen Ashe, an upper class alcoholic defense attourney, successfully defends local mobster Ace Wilfong in a murder case. After his daughter Jan Ashe breaks her engagement to polo player Dwight Winthrop and starts an affair with Wilfong, she finds that the liason is not easily severed when she wants out. Winthrop earns Miss Ashe's true affections by killing Wilfong to break his grip on her. Now the question is, can Stephen Ashe save Winthrop with an impassioned defense speech to the jury?—Gary Jackson <garyjack5@cogeco.ca>
Plot Keywords: drama, crime, romance, courtroom, lawyer, family, moral dilemma ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: A man's life is retold just after his funeral. Beginning as a track walker, Tom Garner rose through all sorts of railroad jobs to head the company. In the meantime he lost touch with his family. When he saw what was happening it was already too late.—Ed Stephan <stephan@cc.wwu.edu>
Plot Keywords: drama, moral dilemma, redemption, religion, catholicism, mexico, fugitive ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: Tina works as a barmaid at the Red Mill Tavern and is at the mercy of volatile and bad tempered owner, Willem. Dennis is a visitor to the area and Tina soon falls in love with him. Dennis doesn't share her feeling and leaves only to return later on. He becomes interested in Gretchen, the Burgomaster's daughter. However, Gretchen, about to enter into an arranged marriage with the Governor, is in love with Captain Jacop Van Goop. Tina and Gretchen enter into an elaborate masquerade in order to be with the men they each love.—jodlyn
Plot Keywords: silent film, comedy, romance, musical, historical, drama, adventure ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: A kind-hearted young man is thrown out of his corrupt home town of West Rome, Oklahoma. He falls asleep and dreams that he is back in the days of olden Rome, where he gets mixed up with court intrigue and a murder plot against the Emperor.
Plot Keywords: musical, comedy, golden age of hollywood, satire, ancient rome, slapstick, pre-code hollywood ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: Nick Carraway, a young Midwesterner now living on Long Island, finds himself fascinated by the mysterious past and lavish lifetyle of his landlord, the nouveau riche Jay Gatsby. He is drawn into Gatsby's circle, becoming a witness to obsession and tragedy.—Cleo <frede005@maroon.tc.umn.edu>
Plot Keywords: classic film, romance, drama, american dream, black and white film, high society, tragedy ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: Men pay a dime to dance with Barbara and her fellow taxi dancers. She marries Eddie and quits dancing, but before that, she meets with the handsome and very rich Bradley. Barbara eventually starts dancing again, since her marriage is plagued by financial tension, and Bradley begins visiting her again. Eddie becomes jealous, accusing his wife of infidelity. He sees that alleged infidelity as an excuse to steal money from Bradley.—Ulf Kjell Gür
Plot Keywords: musical, drama, romance, dance, working class, nightclub, love triangle ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: A musical comedy about a Brooklyn boy (Eddie Cantor) who inherits a fortune from his archaeologist father, but has to go to Egypt to claim it.—Alessandro Martini <alemartini@geocities.com>
Plot Keywords: musical, comedy, 1930s, black-and-white, inheritance, song and dance, slapstick ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: The Cotton Club was a famous night club in Harlem. The story follows the people who visited the club, those who ran it, and is peppered with the Jazz music that made it so famous.
Plot Keywords: crime, drama, music, gangster, jazz, historical, romance ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: Nick Carraway, a young Midwesterner now living on Long Island, finds himself fascinated by the mysterious past and lavish lifestyle of his neighbor, the nouveau riche Jay Gatsby. He is drawn into Gatsby's circle, becoming a witness to obsession and tragedy.
Plot Keywords: romance, tragedy, american dream, luxury life, social class, wealth, obsession ...
Movie Details Click Here !