In 1934, distress over the luridness (for its time) of movies led to the creation of the Motion Picture Production Code, which put severe restrictions on what content could be put in movies. Movies released prior to this are referred to as "Pre-Code" and were, while very tame by today's standards, much loser morally than the films that came after the Code. A perfect example of this are the gangster films that were hugely popular during the early 1930s. These films glorified the life of gangsters, often reveling in their crimes, a big no-no post-Code, but a big hit with audiences before it became taboo. The Public Enemy is one of a number of seminal pre-Code crime films, along with the likes of Little Caesar (1931) and Scarface (1932), that centered around a small-time gangster's rise up the ranks of the crime world. Due to the presence of James Cagney, who became synonymous with gangster films, The Public Enemy is the best the genre has to offer. His ability to play a hardened criminal, yet still remain appealing to the audience is crucial to the success of the film; it also helps that Cagney is a tremendous actor. Cagney plays Tom Powers, who begins a life of petty crime along with his best friend Matt Doyle (Edward Woods) during the Prohibition era. The two eventually start a bootlegging syndicate and the money starts rolling in, with women not far behind. Tom especially goes through women quickly, from Kitty (Mae Clarke) to Mamie (Joan Blondell) before finally meeting Gwen Allen, played by pre-Code superstar Jean Harlow, who is perfect for the salacious nature of a crime drama. While The Public Enemy does a great job showing both Tom's rise and downfall in the crime world, the way his personal life collapses, particularly his relationship with his family, is even more intriguing. Between Cagney, Harlow, and the exciting shoot-outs directed by William A. Wellman, The Public Enemy is still thrilling and entertaining today.
During the Silent era, there was no bigger star than Charlie Chaplin and his Tramp character, so much so that he was annually the top paid actor in Hollywood and highest earn for his studio. However, so much of the Tramp was tied to silent film and Chaplin had trouble embracing sound, to the point that he didn't create a fully talking picture in The Great Dictator in 1940, thirteen years after talkies debuted. Despite this fact, several of his best pictures came after the advent of sound, including Modern Times, which has a couple of lines of spoken dialogue, but none by any of the principle characters. Chaplin, one of the first auteur directors, was almost completely responsible for the creative process surrounding his movies, frequently writing, producing, directing, scoring, and starring in his movies. Such is the case with Modern Times, where Chaplin's Tramp appears as a hapless assembly line worker, marking the character's last appearance on the screen. Much of the movie's humor is derived from the Tramp attempting to operate the assembly line and fix the various machines in the factory where he works. He is also arrested a number of times for various humorous reasons and tries to get a new job as a waiter, with typically hilarious results. An underlying theme of the movie is the Tramp's relationship with a gamine (Paulette Goddard) and their attempts to make a living for themselves during the turbulent times of the Great Depression. Chaplin mixes in a saccharine love story between the Tramp and gamine that, like most of Chaplin's movies is just as likely to touch your heart as it is to split your sides with laughter. Modern Times is a master at work in all facets of film-making and proof that great visual humor will always be funny, talking or not.
One of the best things a movie can do is to transport you to a different place and a different time, fill you with a sense of adventure and dangerous unknown. These are often the most entertaining films because they allow you to escape your daily life for an hour or two and live the life of an hero or adventurer in a far-off land. Gunga Din, based on the poem by Rudyard Kipling, is exactly that type of movie. It's impossible not be swept was away with the sense of adventure that absolutely permeates spirit and charm. Set on the Indian frontier in the late 1800s, Gunga Din stars Cary Grant, Victor McLaglen, and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. as a trio of British army Sergeants and best friends who, along with Indian water carrier Gunga Din (Sam Jaffe), investigate a Thuggee murder cult. This leads to all sorts of small skirmishes, before ending with a giant, rip-roaring battle at the movie's climax. A subplot involves Fairbanks Jr's relationship with Emmy Stebbins (Joan Fontaine), who he intends leave the army and marry her, much to the chagrin of his two friends, who do every thing they can to get him to stay in the army, even resorting to trickery. For a movie that deals with some pretty serious subject matters like war, sacrifice, and a murder cult, Gunga Din is surprising lighthearted and downright humorous at points. Part of the reason for this is the writers (Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur) and the director (George Stevens), all three veterans of comedy films. This provides a much-need levity to the some of the dark elements of the film. Gunga Din is a terrific adventure movie that is both fun as well as a stirring drama.
17. The Island of Lost Souls (1932)
Most horror movies in the 1930s and 40s focused on a singular monster as it's main attraction, from Frankenstein's monster, to the Wolfman, Dracula, and the Invisible Man, it is usually that one character that holds the audience's fascination. An unfortunate side-effect of this is that those movies tend to suffer when these characters aren't on screen, leading to uneven films. This is one of the reasons that The Island of Lost Souls really stands out and above those movies because it successfully incorporates numerous terrifying characters and horror elements while creating a terrific sense of atmosphere, keeping the audience engaged and on edge throughout the movie. Based on The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells, the movie stars Richard Arlen as Edward Parker who, after his ship is wrecked, is picked up by a boat that is transporting animals to a remote island in the South Seas. Parker ends up stuck on the island and finds out that is inhabited by Dr. Moreau (Charles Laughton) and his hideous creations, human-like creatures created through the vivisection of various animals. These creatures have rudimentary abilities to function as humans, including speech, and include the Sayer of the Law (Bela Lugosi) and M'ling (Tetsu Komai), Moreau's servant. Also inhabiting the island is beautiful, yet simple minded Lota (Kathleen Burke) who Parker falls in love with, despite being engaged to another woman (Leila Hyams), who is desperately trying to find him. The special effects and makeup for the beast-men is a touchstone for monster makeup, equal parts twisted and grotesque, yet also believable. The Island of Lost Souls is chock-full of shocking and horrifying moments, while also carrying over some of the more philosophical themes in Wells' novel.
Most horror movies in the 1930s and 40s focused on a singular monster as it's main attraction, from Frankenstein's monster, to the Wolfman, Dracula, and the Invisible Man, it is usually that one character that holds the audience's fascination. An unfortunate side-effect of this is that those movies tend to suffer when these characters aren't on screen, leading to uneven films. This is one of the reasons that The Island of Lost Souls really stands out and above those movies because it successfully incorporates numerous terrifying characters and horror elements while creating a terrific sense of atmosphere, keeping the audience engaged and on edge throughout the movie. Based on The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells, the movie stars Richard Arlen as Edward Parker who, after his ship is wrecked, is picked up by a boat that is transporting animals to a remote island in the South Seas. Parker ends up stuck on the island and finds out that is inhabited by Dr. Moreau (Charles Laughton) and his hideous creations, human-like creatures created through the vivisection of various animals. These creatures have rudimentary abilities to function as humans, including speech, and include the Sayer of the Law (Bela Lugosi) and M'ling (Tetsu Komai), Moreau's servant. Also inhabiting the island is beautiful, yet simple minded Lota (Kathleen Burke) who Parker falls in love with, despite being engaged to another woman (Leila Hyams), who is desperately trying to find him. The special effects and makeup for the beast-men is a touchstone for monster makeup, equal parts twisted and grotesque, yet also believable. The Island of Lost Souls is chock-full of shocking and horrifying moments, while also carrying over some of the more philosophical themes in Wells' novel.
16. Top Hat (1935)
When it comes to on-screen pairings, it doesn't get any better than Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Like many screen-teams, they co-starred in many pictures together (nine total), yet there is something special about the pair. Perhaps the most important part of their partnership was the fact that not only could Ginger dance, but she could dance just as well as Fred. It's one thing for an actor and actress to have screen chemistry, which they had in spades, it is quite another when the two of them could go literally go toe-to-toe during the frequent song-and-dance numbers. Add to that the fact that they dance like a couple in love and you've got a dynamic pairing. For the most part, Astaire/Rogers movies have a flimsy plot that serves as the framework for the musical elements, a few, however, are more complete movies with good, entertaining stories. Top Hat, which was the pair's biggest hit, is one of those that transcends trivial entertainment and becomes a very good movie, regardless of genre. Astaire plays Jerry Travers, a dancer who accidentally disturbs Ginger's Dale Tremont while practicing for his next show. He immediately falls in love with her, yet through a case of mistaken identity she believes that he is already married and refuses to ever see him again. Besides an entertaining plot, Top Hat also includes some of their best loved songs (written by Irving Berlin and Max Steiner), including "Top Hat, White Tie, and Tails" and "Cheek to Cheek," which are now considered classics of American music. Even the cheesier of the Fred and Ginger's movies are worth watching because of the songs, dances, and the pair's magnetism, but when these a combined with a great story, they become absolutely essential viewing. 
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