What I Watched: 2023 in Review

hat’s all folks!

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I actually had quite a bit of fun watching movies this year, which seems weird to say five years into blogging about old movies, but this year I just kind of went where my whims took me. Silent films? Sure! Pre Codes? You betcha! Let’s watch some musicals? Okay! Feel like watching some cheesy horror films? Alrighty then!

All told, I watched 236 new-to-me movies this year. Welcome to my 2023 Year in Review post, and here's the full list of movies I watched in 2023. Here's my 2022 Year in Review post, my 2021 Year in Review post, my 2020 Year in Review post; and here's my 2019 Year in Review post. 

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Best/Favourite Movies: Polly of the Circus (1932), Downhill Racer (1969), For Love or Money (1963), The Wheeler Dealers (1963), Live, Love and Learn (1937), You Gotta Stay Happy (1948), Maisie (1939), Irma La Douce (1963), Forty Pounds of Trouble (1962), Painting the Clouds with Sunshine (1951), Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell (1968), I'd Rather Be Rich (1964), I'll Take Sweden (1965), On the Riviera (1951), The Art of Love (1965), Simon and Laura (1955), Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number! (1966), How to Save a Marriage and Ruin Your Life (1968), Traveling Saleslady (1935), Love Has Many Faces (1965), A Global Affair (1964), Loose Ankles (1930), Midnight Mary (1933), Champagne for Caesar (1950), Personal Property (1937), Sally, Irene and Mary (1925), Good Neighbor, Sam (1964), Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933), The Fuller Brush Girl (1950, Grumpy Old Men (1993)

via gameraboy2

Weirdest/Worst Movies: I feel like I watched some real whoppers this year, but I’m still thinking about Madam Satan (1930) all these months later…

via dailyworldcinema

Earliest Movie: A Trip to the Moon (1902)

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Latest Movie: Grumpy Old Men (1993), which I count as ‘classic’ because of Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau.

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Year with the Most Representation: 1937 with 13 movies! Live, Love and Learn, They Won’t Forget, Dangerous Number, Quality Street, The King and the Chorus Girl, True Confession, Personal Property, Danger: Love at Work, Angel, Love on Toast, History Is Made at Night, Dinner at the Ritz

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Favourite Movie Title: Those Daring Young Men in Their Jaunty Jalopies (1969), The Greeks Had a Word for Them (1932), Glorifying the American Girl (1929)

via screwballsandlove

Movies with Ladies' Names as the Title: Beverly of Graustark (1926), Polly of the Circus (1932), Page Miss Glory (1935), Peg o' My Heart (1933), Messalina (1960), Maisie (1939), Gold Rush Maisie (1940), Maisie Was a Lady (1941), Ringside Maisie (1941), Maisie Gets Her Man (1942), Swing Shift Maisie (1943), Maisie Goes to Reno (1944), Up Goes Maisie (1946), Irma La Douce (1963), Madam Satan (1930), Janie Gets Married (1946), Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell (1968), Grace Quigley (1984), Mary of Scotland (1936), Simon and Laura (1955), The Loves of Carmen (1948), Phaedra (1962), The Helen Morgan Story (1957), Julia Misbehaves (1948), Midnight Mary (1933), Tugboat Annie (1933), Darling Lili (1970), Jane Eyre (1943), From the Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (1973), Mr. & Mrs. Bridge (1990), The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom (1968), Sally, Irene and Mary (1925), Camille (1921), Josette (1938)

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Number of Pre-Code Movies Watched: 33. Consolation Marriage (1931), Payment Deferred (1932), Not So Dumb (1930), The Floradora Girl (1930), Going Hollywood (1933), Polly of the Circus (1932), Five and Ten (1931), Blondie of the Follies (1932), The Bachelor Father (1931), Peg o' My Heart (1933), Madam Satan (1930), Life Begins (1932), The Cabin in the Cotton (1932), Girl Missing (1933), Spitfire (1934), The Greeks Had a Word for Them (1932), The Tip Off (1931), When a Feller Needs a Friend (1932), Loose Ankles (1930), Big Business Girl (1931), They Call it Sin (1932), The Life of Jimmy Dolan (1933), Midnight Mary (1933), I Cover the Waterfront (1933), Tugboat Annie (1933), Glorifying the American Girl (1929), Borrowed Wives (1930), Slightly Married (1932), Female (1933), Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933), High Voltage (1929), Platinum Blonde (1931), Get That Venus (1933)

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Number of Silent Films Watched: 11. Sally, Irene and Mary (1925), A Clouded Name (1923), The Flapper (1920), So This is Love? (1928), Wine of Youth (1924), Camille (1921), When Knighthood Was in Flower (1922), The Patsy (1928), The Red Mill (1927), Bride's Play (1922), Beverly of Graustark (1926)

via rhetthammersmithhorror

Favourite Discovery: Joan Blondell — Big Business Girl (1931), The Greeks Had a Word for Them (1932), Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933), Dames (1934), Traveling Saleslady (1935), Broadway Gondolier (1935), The King and the Chorus Girl (1937), Stay Away Joe (1968)

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Going to the Chapel: Consolation Marriage (1931), Janie Gets Married (1946), Marriage is a Private Affair (1944), How to Save a Marriage and Ruin Your Life (1968), Slightly Married (1932), Wedding Present (1936), Bride's Play (1922), The Little Minister (1934), Honeymoon for Three (1941), Honeymoon in Bali (1939), Borrowed Wives (1930)

via murderballadeer

Royal Intrigue: King Kong (1933), To Please a Lady (1950), Dames (1934), The King and the Chorus Girl (1937), Mary of Scotland (1936), When Knighthood Was in Flower (1922), The Virgin Queen (1955), Beverly of Graustark (1926)

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European Tour: Beverly of Graustark (1926), The Italian Job (1969), Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell (1968), Honeymoon in Bali (1939), It Started in Naples (1960), I'll Take Sweden (1965), On the Riviera (1951), In the French Style (1963), The Greeks Had a Word for Them (1932), The Picasso Summer (1969), The Loves of Carmen (1948), Reunion in France (1942), Waterloo Bridge (1931), Gold Diggers in Paris (1933)

via b-i-r-0

The Rainbow Connection: The Red Mill (1927), Soylent Green (1973), G.I. Blues (1960), Carolina Blues (1944), The Blue Dahlia (1946), Black Widow (1954), Platinum Blonde (1931), Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933), Gold Diggers of 1935 (1935), Gold Diggers in Paris (1938)

via freddie-my-love

Family Unit: The Bachelor Father (1931), Life With Father (1947), I Remember Mama (1948), Yes, My Darling Daughter (1939), Kid Galahad (1962), Daddy Long Legs (1955), Two Sisters From Boston (1946)

via kalosaesthetics

Favourite TCM Star of the Month: Marion Davies (January). Runners-up: Katharine Hepburn (June), Charlton Heston (October)

via vinceveretts

Musicals: Going Hollywood (1933), Say One For Me (1959), Girl Happy (1965), Irma La Douce (1963), The Pleasure of His Company (1961), Painting the Clouds with Sunshine (1951), Kid Galahad (1962), On the Riviera (1951), Road to Singapore (1940), Road to Zanzibar (1941), The Thrill of Brazil (1946), Meet Me After the Show (1951), Too Many Girls (1940), Stormy Weather (1943), Dames (1934), The Broadway Gondolier (1935), Carolina Blues (1944), The Helen Morgan Story (1957), Daddy Long Legs (1955), Darling Lili (1970), So This is Love (1953), Two Sisters From Boston (1946), Showboat (1951), That Midnight Kiss (1949), Stay Away, Joe (1968), Glorifying the American Girl (1929), Broadway Melody of 1940 (1940), Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933), Gold Diggers of 1935 (1935), Gold Diggers in Paris (1938), Babes in Toyland (1961)