Ten Favorite GILDED AGE/PROGRESSIVE ERA Movies

Ten Favorite GILDED AGE/PROGRESSIVE ERA Movies

Below is a list of my favorite movies set during the periods dubbed as "The Gilded Age" and "The Progressive Era":

"THE AGE OF INNOCENCE" (1993): This Martin Scorcese movie is based upon Edith Wharton's award-winning novel about a man torn between two women in New York of the 1870s. Starred Daniel-Day Lewis, Michelle Pfieffer and Golden Globe winner Winona Ryder.




"HELLO DOLLY!" (1969): When first released in the late 1960s, this movie - based on the famous Broadway musical - was not very popular with the critics. But it has become more popular with them over the years and aquired new fans. Frankly, this movie features my favorite role by Barbra Streisand. Walter Matthau, Michael Crawford and Marianne Andrews co-starred.

"THE GREAT RACE" (1965): Blake Edwards directed this hilarious, yet long slapstick comedy about a 1908 road race from New York to Paris, between two daredevil rivals.  Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis and Natalie Wood starred.




"ELLIS ISLAND" (1984): Based on Fred Mustard Stewart's novel, this three-part miniseries is about the experiences of four immigrants in early 20th century New York. Starred Peter Riegert, Greg Martyn, Judi Bowker, Alice Kriege, Faye Dunaway and Richard Burton.

"HEAVEN AND HELL" (1994): This three-part miniseries was based upon John Jakes' third novel in his "North and South Trilogy". Most NORTH AND SOUTH fans tend to dismiss it as inferior to the other two. However, I feel that the story was better adapted to the screen than the second miniseries. Starred James Read, Lesley-Anne Down, Kyle Chandler, Terri Garber, Rya Kilstedt and Philip Casnoff.




"TITANIC" (1997): This Oscar-winning film decipted a love story set during the tragic circumstances of the doomed trans-Atlantic liner that sank in 1912. Starred Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane, Frances Fisher, Bill Paxton and Gloria Stuart.




"IN OLD CHICAGO" (1937): Tyrone Power and Alice Faye co-starred in this tale of love and civic corruption in Chicago on the eve of the famous 1871 fire. Co-starred Don Ameche, Alice Brady and Brian Donlevy.

"THE MUSIC MAN" (1962): This musical was based upon the famous Broadway play about a con man in Iowa who brightens the lives of a small town's citizens through music and the promise of a school band. Robert Preston re-prised his Broadway role. The movie co-starred Shirley Jones, Paul Ford, Hermoine Gringold, Pert Kelton and Ron Howard.

"MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS" (1944): This famous movie musical is about a family adjusting to living one last year in their hometown of turn-of-the-century St. Louis. Directed by Vincent Minelli, it starred Judy Garland, Margaret O'Brien, Tom Drake, Lucille Bremer, Mary Astor and Leon Ames.




"THE GOLDEN BOWL" (2000): Based upon Henry James' novel, this is a tale of love, marriage and adultery amongst American expatriates and an Italian nobleman in turn-of-the-century England. Starred Uma Thurman, Jeremy Northam, Kate Beckinsale, Nick Nolte, Angelica Huston and James Fox.