Classical In Every Sense
By Reno Litterio

Quincy - I have always been fascinated with the motion picture industry ever since I can remember. My early years were in that period when the industry was just coming into its own in technical advances from black and white to the color spectrum and the beginning of a new era in film making. In 1939 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s “Gone with the Wind” began the interest to use color, since there was a general agreement that the color had added materially to the film’s visual appeal and importance.

After World War II the popularity of motion picture was challenged by the spread of television but the industry countered with movies creating the illusion of a third dimension. Cinerama was introduced in 1952, a system employing a wide, curving screen and an image supplied by three interlocked projectors. Twentieth- Century-Fox came out with the CinemaScope in 1953, followed by Paramount’s VistaVision, MGM’s Technirama, and Todd-AO. The Studios began filming super spectacles, star-studded musicals and stores with colorful, exotic backgrounds, to display these new devices.

Here are a few of my favorite motion pictures, many factors are observed in making a selection: story line, historical contents, principal players and supporting cast, director, photography, music, and if filmed on location. Whether in black and white, sepia, or color, I reflect on the director choice.

1. FOUNTAINHEAD (BW) Patricia Neal & Gary Cooper

2. LION IN WINTER (C) Peter O’Toole & Katherine Hepburn

3. DOCTOR ZHIVAGO (C) Omar Sharif & Julie Christie

4. CAMELOT (C) Vanessa Redgrave, Richard Harris & Franco Nero

5. A BEAUTIFUL MIND (C) Russell Crowe

6. CHARIOTS OF FIRE (C) Hugh Hudson & Ben Cross

7. GRAND PRIX (C) James Garner & Eva Marie Saint

8. GLADIATOR (C) Russell Crowe & Joaquin Phoenix

9. AMADEUS (C) F. Murray Abraham & Tom Hulce

10. AVIATOR (C) Leonardo DiCaprio & Cate Blanchett

Quincy Thomas Crane Public Library has an extensive collection of movies at your disposal, with many new films acquired periodically. Through the family network of libraries of the South Shore you may request a particular movie to be placed on hold for you and it can be picked up at your local community public library. Many of the older films are now digitally re-mastered and are definitely worth seeing again. Call your local library and enjoy your favorite movie.

About The Author
Reno J. Litterio is the previous Editor and Publisher of The Constellation Newsletter. Litterio was the co-founder of the Ward 4 Senior Citizens Social Group in Quincy in 1992 and is now chairman and Director of the group. You can reach Mr. Litterio at renowarior@aol.com.