Goodbye Mr. Chips
Sam Wood
This film made in 1939 is based on James Hilton's book of the same name. Mr. Chips, a public school teacher played by Robert Donat, looks back on his rich and varied life teaching generations of boys. The story took Hollywood by storm and landed Donat his debut Oscar award as Best Actor overriding that year's favourite Clarke Gable as Rhett Butler in the classic “Gone with the Wind”.
Witness For The Prosecution
Billy Wilder
This picture based on an Agatha Christie courtroom drama is directed by Billy Wilder and has all the twists and turns that go to make a great detective story. Unforgettable acting from all-time greats such as Marlene Dietrich, Tyrone Power, Elsa Lancaster with Charles Laughton as the attorney. The story line is absorbing and in the end when the real murderer is acquitted but shot dead by his wife, all in the courtroom shout “murder”, but Laughton, the defending advocate says “No. Executed” — the best last words befitting a great drama.
The Man Who Knew Too Much
Alfred Hitchcock
A classic by Alfred Hitchcock, the film stars James Stewart and Doris Day. The story centres around the murder of a spy at Marrakech, witnessed by the couple (Stewart and Day) which takes them from Morocco to London, where the showdown takes place and the culprits are exposed, amidst high drama. The song “Que Sera Sera” from the film is an evergreen favourite.
Bicycle Thief
Vittoria De Sicca
An Italian film it depicts the life of a poor man (Lambertto Maggirani) who purchases a bicycle to work as a poster sticker. The bicycle, without which his life will be a shambles is stolen. Maggirani's acting willmove the audience to tears. He is well supported by Enzo Staiola in a film that is unforgettable.
Do Aankhen Barah Haath
V. Shantaram
One of the greatest of Hindi films made by the master-filmmaker, V. Shantaram, the film revolves around a jail warden and six life convicts, convicted for heinous crimes, whom the warden takes out to reform at personal risk executing a bond on his life. The hardened criminals are reformed and their journey to normalcy will move one to tears.Those that almost made it.
Maya Bazaar: K.V. Reddy
Sholay: Ramesh Sippy
Bridge on the River Kwai: David Lean
Sound of Music: Robert Wise
Gandhi: Richard Attenborough
(Dharani Parthasarathi, is a doctor based in Hyderabad.)
