Friday, November 04, 2011

Listy things -- Dana Andrews

My favorite Dana Andrews' films:

1. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
2. Swamp Water (1941)
3. Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950)
4. Fallen Angel (1945)
5. Laura (1944)
6. Ball of Fire (1941)
7. State Fair (1945)
8. Night Song (1947)
9. The Frogmen (1951)
10. The Ox-Bow Incident (1943)

It's very hard to put Ox-Bow Incident on that list, because that movie is very painful to watch, but at the same time, he's so wonderful in it that it is one of my favorites. Actually, typing up this list really put me in the mood to watch most of these. I kind of wore them out a few years back, but now I'm fresh and ready to watch!


(next up... Joel McCrea, just in time for his birthday)

10 comments:

Patti said...

Oh, what a great list. The Best Years of Our Lives would be my favorite Dana Andrews film as well. Actually, it's about my 8th or 9th favorite film of all time. Total love!! And I will be watching it next Friday, as it is my annual Veteran's Day movie.

I enjoy many of yours as well. I also like The Purple Heart, My Foolish Heart, and Beyond a Reasonable Doubt. He was definitely a very solid leading man...and he had a fabulous voice.

I watched a Joel McCrea/Barbara Stanwyck movie tonight in celebration of his birthday.

Laura said...

I'm enjoying your lists! STATE FAIR and LAURA are in Andrews' #1 and 2 spots for me. After that, I'd have to think about it, but I think FALLEN ANGEL and BEST YEARS would be in the top 5.

Best wishes,
Laura

Carl Rollyson said...

Fallen Angel is a great film--still under appreciated by the critics. Dana's daughter Susan has interesting comments to make on the dvd of the movie. If you haven't watched While the City Sleeps, the scene in the bar with Dana and Ida Lupino, when she puts a cigarette in her mouth in the most suggestive way imaginable is quite startling. My biography of Dana Andrews will be published in the fall of 2012 by University Press of Mississippi. The book will include many never before published photographs.

DKoren said...

Carl - I'm absolutely delighted to hear about the forthcoming biography! Thanks for posting. I had the privilege of meeting Susan Andrews a few years ago at a screening of Where the Sidewalk Ends, and we had discussed the lack of a biography on her father, the possibilities of one in the future. I'm very pleased one has come to pass and will be first in line to buy a copy!

And yes, I agree that Fallen Angel is under-appreciated. I did enjoy the commentary on the DVD. And yep, I know exactly the scene you speak of in While the City Sleeps.

I'm very glad you stopped by!

Hamlette (Rachel) said...

A Dana biography! Rock on! I will be right in line behind Deb (only on the other side of the country...) Yay!

Carl Rollyson said...

I'm pleased to see this enthusiasm for a Dana Andrews biography. It will be out in September and can be preordered from amazon and other online sites. For now you can watch my book trailer (there is a link on my website).

Carl Rollyson said...

My biography has now been published, and I'm happy to say it's been getting great reviews--so far in the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and Library Journal.

Abbe said...

What a great biography it is! So much went on behind the eyes, as Robert Ryan used to say.
I guess my favorite films of Dana Andrews are the ones when he was "in character", like Joe Lilac, or Ben in Swamp Water, and when his hair went white. I cannot explain it, it is watching an actor from the 20s.

Abbe said...

What a great biography it is! So much went on behind the eyes, as Robert Ryan used to say.
I guess my favorite films of Dana Andrews are the ones when he was "in character", like Joe Lilac, or Ben in Swamp Water, and when his hair went white. I cannot explain it, it is watching an actor from the 20s.

DKoren said...

Hi there, thanks for stopping by! I've been in a mood to watch "Ball of Fire" lately -- your reminder of Joe Lilac cinches it! That will be on my watch list this weekend. I'm really fond of him in "Crack in the World." I thought he was great in that.