Six genre classics have been added to the American National Film Registry of the Library of Congress.
Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds, Rob Reiner’s The Princess Bride, Robert Zemeckis’ Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, the original 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Frank Capra’s Lost Horizon and the Disney classic The Lion King are among the 25 films that are “culturally, historically or aesthetically” significant and at least 10 years old added to the Registry.
(Descriptions from the Library of Congress.)
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1916)
Directed by Stuart Paton, the film was touted as “the first submarine photoplay.” Universal spent freely on location, shooting in the Bahamas and building life-size props, including the submarine, and taking two years to film. J.E. Williamson’s “photosphere,” an underwater chamber connected to an iron tube on the surface of the water, enabled Paton to film underwater scenes up to depths of 150 feet. The film is based on Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and, to a lesser extent, The Mysterious Island. The real star of the film is its special effects. Although they may seem primitive by today’s standards, 100 years ago they dazzled contemporary audiences. It was the first time the public had an opportunity to see reefs, various types of marine life and men mingling with sharks. It also was World War I, and submarine warfare was very much in the public consciousness, so the life-size submarine gave the film an added dimension of reality. The movie was immensely popular with audiences and critics.
T
he Birds (1963)
Hitchcock’s four sequential masterpieces — Vertigo, North by Northwest, Psycho and The Birds — revealed a director at the pinnacle of his craft. In The Birds, Hitchcock transfixed critics and mass audiences alike by deftly moving from anxiety-inducing horror to glossy entertainment and suspense, with bold forays into psychological terrain. Marked by a foreboding sense of an unending terror no one can escape, the film concludes with a famous final scene, which only adds to the emotional impact of The Birds.
The Princess Bride (1987)
The 1980s produced many feel-good movies, and this is one of the decade’s most beloved. Adapting his popular 1973 novel for the screen, William Goldman collaborated with Reiner to craft a lighthearted parody of classic fairy tales that retains the writer’s wit and memorable characters and adds bravura performances and a barrage of oft-quoted dialogue. It is a joyride filled with assorted storybook figures like the beautiful title character (Robin Wright), her dashing true love (Cary Elwes), makers of magic spells (Billy Crystal and Carol Kane) and a rhyming colossus (Andre the Giant). As the devious Vizzini, Wallace Shawn incredulously exclaims “Inconceivable!” at every turn. Swashbuckling Mandy Patinkin dreams of avenging family honor and someday declaring, “Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die!” The film continues to delight audiences, drawing new generations of fans.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
Described by Roger Ebert as “not only great entertainment but a breakthrough in craftsmanship,” Who Framed Roger Rabbit introduced a new sense of realism into the interactions between cartoons and live-action characters onscreen. In this film noir comedy, set in a 1940s Hollywood where cartoon characters are real, private investigator Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins) is hired to prove the innocence of the accused murderer and uncontrollably crazy “toon” Roger Rabbit (voiced by Charles Fleischer), with memorable appearances by Roger’s voluptuous wife, Jessica Rabbit (voiced by Kathleen Turner) and the chillingly evil Judge Doom (Christopher Lloyd). The film evokes a love for the golden age of animation, represented through the construction of Roger Rabbit himself, who embodies Disney’s high-quality animation, Warner Bros.’ character design and Tex Avery’s sense of humor. The spirit of the film is artfully summarized in this one line: “I’m not bad, I’m just drawn that way.” Executive producer Steven Spielberg worked tirelessly to negotiate the use of more than 140 beloved cartoon characters in the film, making this the first time that Warner Bros. and Disney characters shared the screen and the last time Mel Blanc voiced Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck before his death in 1989.
The Lion King (1994)
Disney Studios further solidified its position as the producer of modern-day animated masterpieces with this lyrical offering. The story of a young lion cub destined to become King of the Jungle — but first exiled by his evil uncle — The Lion King was a triumph from the moment of its release and has charmed generations of viewers. Like Disney’s beloved Bambi, The Lion King seamlessly blends innovative animation with excellent voice actors (Jonathan Taylor Thomas, James Earl Jones, Moira Kelly, Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Whoopi Goldberg) and catchy, now-classic songs by Elton John and Tim Rice. It is the film’s storytelling that resonates — funny, innovative, suspenseful — for children as well as adults. The film has spawned an animated TV series, two made-for-video sequels and a highly imaginative Broadway show.
Lost Horizon (1937)
Capra’s big-budget romantic fantasy (based on the James Hilton novel) offered an emotional respite to an American public seeking escape from the Depression and yearning for their own personal utopias. Through the book and film, the term Shangri-La became a household word. In the story, dashing diplomat Ronald Colman and a group of plane passengers are kidnapped and taken for mysterious reasons to a remote valley in the Himalayas, where they find a seemingly blissful paradise, a refuge from a world on the precipice of war. Along with memorable adventure, Lost Horizon stands out for its stunning cinematography and fantastic, extravagant sets, a hallmark of the Golden Age of Hollywood.