12 Short Movies for an Early Night
Ever decide you weren’t hungry enough for supper and would simply snack instead? But maybe that bagel or banana wasn’t enough—so you had a couple of cheese sticks, too. Then later, a bag of chips. And some ice cream. By the end of the night, having munched enough to fill a convenience store, you realize with chagrin that a legit meal would have been smarter.
Now apply this to your night-time TV viewing.
You and your spouse really don’t have the energy for a full-length movie. So instead, one of you proposes, “Let’s just watch an episode of Mrs. Maisel” (or Stranger Things, or Chernobyl—etc.). And afterward: “That was great! How ’bout one more?”
Five episodes later, it’s 1 a.m. and you’re thinking: “Maybe we should have just put on a movie.”
For folks challenged by increasingly long run-times on films, here are a dozen worthwhile movies at or under 90 minutes in length—shorter than two episodes of your favorite show. (All are unrated unless otherwise noted.)
1. Duck Soup (1933); 68 min.
Generally agreed to be the Marx Brothers’ best, this breezy piece of inspired lunacy about two feuding kingdoms is uproarious from start to finish—whether it’s Groucho’s wisecracks, Chico’s fumbling diction, or Harpo’s wordless antics (this reaches its zenith with the mirror routine, later reproduced on TV with Lucille Ball). If you’ve never seen the Marx Brothers, start with this one, or their earlier Horse Feathers (also 68 min.), which is nearly as good.
2. Broadway Danny Rose (1984); 84 min.
Many Woody Allen films are short (Sleeper, Scoop, Purple Rose of Cairo), but this little gem tops the list. Played by a comically fidgety Allen, Danny is a no-luck talent agent whose acts leave him as soon as they’re famous; yet, he remains touchingly committed, even when—as in the main story here—he has to act as “beard” for a philandering lounge singer and then gets targeted by the mob. Highlights include a helium-filled shoot-out among Macy’s parade floats and the scene where lovable losers gather for a low-rent Thanksgiving dinner in Danny’s cramped apartment. Beautifully photographed by Gordon Willis, with wistful reflections on guilt and loyalty. Rated PG
3. The General (1927); 67 min.
The underappreciated Buster Keaton wrote, directed, and starred in this film based on a real Civil War incident in which Union soldiers stole a Confederate train and were pursued along the rails by an intrepid engineer. Filming with real trains throughout, Keaton did his own stunts while his visual team managed to recreate the classic look of Civil War photographer Mathew Brady. Jaw-dropping rail footage includes a collapsing bridge, at the time the most expensive single shot ever filmed.
A comedy about the War Between the States did not play well at the time, even with critics; but The General now stands as one of the silent era’s true masterpieces. Watch also for other Keaton classics: The Navigator (59 min.), Our Hospitality (65), Seven Chances (56 min.) and the amazing Sherlock Jr. (45 min.).
Disney’s version of the Civil War episode—The Great Locomotive Chase—is also short and a good deal more faithful to what actually happened.
4. The Jungle Book (1967); 78 min.
Image courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures; accessed from moviestillsdb.com.
Though Jon Favreau’s recent remake is a wonder, it doesn’t eclipse the lovable laughter and nifty animation of this earlier Disney classic about Mowgli, the human boy raised by jungle beasts. The vocal cast here is top-notch, highlighted by Sebastian Cabot as Bagheera, Phil Harris as Baloo, singer Louis Prima as an ambitious orangutan, and the inimitable George Sanders and Sterling Holloway as respectively, Shere Khan the panther and Kaa the python (Holloway was for many years the instantly recognizable voice of Winnie the Pooh). Great tunes too. Bill Murray and Christopher Walken were decent in the remake, but they can’t hold a candle to Harris and Prima. Rated G
5. Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday (1953); 83 min.
Near-silent black-and-white delight from French comic genius Jacques Tati; he plays the titular Hulot, a good-hearted bumbler struggling to enjoy his hapless holiday at the beach. This film is one precious sight-gag after another, some quite subtle, others outlandish (the funeral scene is just too funny; and Tati’s climax is the ultimate accidental-fireworks scene—like a Warner Brothers cartoon, but with real people!). Even though Hulot’s seaside foray is kind of a flop and the friendly fellow hardly manages to connect with anyone, he leaves wanting to do it all over again.
Written and directed by Tati, the film somehow conveys the bittersweet feeling that seems to leaven every good vacation, especially at the end. This quiet, quirky comedy is not for everyone, but I could watch it every weekend.
6. High Noon (1952); 85 min.
Image courtesy of United Artists; accessed from moviestillsdb.com.
This classic real-time Western stars Gary Cooper as Will Kane, a resolute lawman awaiting the arrival of outlaws who are determined to shoot him dead. As one after another of the townspeople—including, it would seem, the marshal’s new bride—refuse to come to Kane’s aid, the film takes on overtones of the Red Scare and McCarthyism that were rampant at the time. (High Noon’s writer, Carl Foreman, had recently been called before the House Un-American Activities Committee.)
Cooper’s performance in the role—which had been turned down by John Wayne, Gregory Peck, Marlon Brando, Montgomery Clift, and Charlton Heston—won him an Academy Award. A study in courage and integrity, High Noon was directed by the reliable Fred Zinnemann (From Here to Eternity, The Day of the Jackal); it co-stars Grace Kelly, Otto Kruger, Lloyd Bridges, Lon Chaney Jr., and Lee Van Cleef.
7. Frankenstein (1931); 70 min.
This acclaimed early rendering of Mary Shelley’s novel is not so much scary as it is melancholy and atmospheric. Sure, Dr. Frankenstein’s famous monster—played to perfection by Boris Karloff—does wreak havoc; but really he just wants a friend and is rejected at (almost) every turn. The film includes gorgeous set design and photography throughout, especially in the fiery climax. Its ironic coda, with a new-born heir to the Frankenstein line, tragically stresses how little responsibility the doctor took for his ill-advised creation. This acclaimed and successful film was followed by the equally beloved Bride of Frankenstein, which also runs a mere 75 minutes.
8. Pieces of April (2003); 80 min.
Image courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, United Artists and other respective production studios; accessed from moviestillsdb.com.
Touching, funny, and beautifully acted dramedy with Katie Holmes playing a misfit daughter who wants to reconnect with her family on Thanksgiving. As the titular young woman struggles to prepare her first-ever Thanksgiving dinner in a tiny Manhattan walk-up, her family—including April’s abusive mother, who is dying of cancer—makes an arduous journey in from the suburbs. Written and directed by Peter Hedges (Dan in Real Life), with an Oscar-nominated performance from Patricia Clarkson. Rated PG-13
9. Little Fugitive (1953); 80 min.
When a single mom in a small Brooklyn family goes away overnight, she leaves her seven-year-old son, Joey, in the care of his older brother. Since the two don’t get along, Lennie plays a prank on his charge, convincing the lad that he shot and killed his elder sibling. So Joey runs off, winding up at Coney Island, where he swiftly blows his two-dollar stash and then starts gathering bottles for deposit.
This beloved film was made by indie pioneer Morris Engel, who worked with non-actors on shoestring budgets (though the boardwalk photographer here went on to play Sesame Street’s Mr. Hooper). The boy playing Joey, who never made another film, is especially effective for not being particularly cute or lovable—just an ordinary kid.
Also notable is Jay Williams as the Pony Ride Man, here demonstrating the difference a caring person can make in an unassuming job. (Williams is best known as the author of nearly 80 books; his co-author on the famed Danny Dunn adventures was Raymond Abrashkin, who co-wrote and directed Fugitive.)
Engel’s later Lovers and Lollipops (82 minutes!) is likewise terrific.
10. The Iron Giant (1999); 86 min.
Image courtesy of Warner Bros.; accessed from moviestillsdb.com.
Hard to believe this incredible film flopped at the box office.
Based on a children’s book by British poet Ted Hughes, The Iron Giant is one of the last great hand-drawn animated movies—the story of a boy who discovers a giant robot from space. Beautifully drawn and voiced (Jennifer Aniston, Harry Connick, Christopher Macdonald, John Mahoney, and Vin Diesel as the giant), the film becomes a parable on gun violence and a moving lesson in self-sacrifice. Plus, it’s really funny. It was directed by Brad Bird, who went on to such other glories as The Incredibles, Ratatouille,Mission: Impossible—Ghost Protocol. Rated PG
11. Speak (2004); 89 min.
You wouldn’t think a made-for-Showtime movie, filmed inexpensively in about a month, could possibly do justice to Laurie Halse Anderson’s time-tested 1999 novel about the trials and traumas of misfit freshman Melinda Sordino, but some folks actually like this movie better than the book. For one thing, the adults are slightly less clueless, with a trio of fine performances from Elizabeth Perkins and D. B. Sweeney as Mom and Dad, plus Steve Zahn as the art teacher.
Even better, it boasts an incredibly raw and empathetic lead performance by Kristen Stewart, who was only 13 at the time. If you’ve sold this actress short because of her somewhat sticky Twilight series, just watch Stewart here in the Christmas scene; or the tear-jerking final moment with Mom. Speak is tasteful but pulls no punches when it finally reveals what happened to Melinda. It’s a very good movie, but not for children. Rated PG-13
12. Sullivan’s Travels (1941); 90 mins.
Image courtesy of Paramount Pictures; accessed from moviestillsdb.com.
Just at my time-limit, I can’t think of a finer film to finish this list than this classic from madcap master Preston Sturges (The Lady Eve, The Palm Beach Story). Joel McCrea plays John L. Sullivan, a pretentious filmmaker who, seeking authenticity for his next project, disguises himself as a homeless hobo and then, having gotten hit on the head and robbed, forgets who he is and actually becomes one. In the process, he learns that hard-working filmgoers don’t always want a message movie—even though Sullivan’s Travels IS one!
Funny, touching, and influential (one of Sullivan’s movies is called O Brother, Where Art Thou?).
If you have other short-film suggestions, drop the author a line at robbwhitefan@gmail.com.
