Pre 50's films that should get remakes.

[Phillip c. Niethe]

While I am an enormous fan of Cinema through the ages, most people refuse to watch black and white films. One of my favorites is Casablanca, which I believe does not need a remake ever...however admittedly I would watch one. some films from days gone by would do well as remakes such as The Treasure of the Sierra Madre and The Big Sleep...also Bogart films

I would be interested in seeing which films you all would find fascinating as remakes of films from the early fifties and before. And who you might cast as the star or feel would make great additions as supporting cast...also I intend to view some older films that you all list which I may have not seen as Covid has given me waaaay to much unwanted free time lol.

My main choice off the top of my head would be Treasure of the Sierra Madre starring Chris Pratt as the lead, Gary Oldman, Harrison Ford, or Micheal Cain as the old Man, maybe even Josh Brolin. And Zack Efron as Pratt's buddy...and Sam Spruell as the unwanted 4th man. Benicio Del Toro as the lead of the rebels and Danny Trejo.

[Damon1281]

My only problem with remakes of classics is the inability of film makers to leave out modern spins.




Perhaps, the Third Man.

[clifford finch]

None!

[traths]

None, leave them alone.

[Michael24]

I like the original but would be interested in a remake of White Zombie, which I believe was close to happening at one point within the last decade until some kind of legal issue got in the way.

[dommie]

Originally Posted by Phillip c. Niethe

While I am an enormous fan of Cinema through the ages, most people refuse to watch black and white films. One of my favorites is Casablanca, which I believe does not need a remake ever...however admittedly I would watch one. some films from days gone by would do well as remakes such as The Treasure of the Sierra Madre and The Big Sleep.

I don't see any reason to mess with perfection. "Treasure" and "Sleep" are perfection and if you can't improve upon that, why bother. They tried to remake The Big Sleep in the late 70's with Robert Mitchum. It was a disaster. They tried to bring 70's culture and relocating it to England made the remake a joke. It was lacking everything that made the original work so well. One of the main reasons that makes these pre-50's films so great on their own is because they exist in the time period, and culture, in which they were made. They were stories told in a certain way for their time.

I would also argue that many modern films, while they may not be direct remakes, do in a sense, reflect an inspiration in their effort to older films that came before. One of my favorite films of all time is Chinatown. While Chinatown is not a direct remake of The Big Sleep, I think you can draw direct parallels from a film like The Big Sleep to the inspiration for Chinatown; and that's just one example of many that could be cited.

[rockinrick]

Out Of The Past
Captain Blood

[Phillip c. Niethe]

Originally Posted by dommie

I don't see any reason to mess with perfection. "Treasure" and "Sleep" are perfection...

I agree, they are perfection. I don't wish to see them remade in current era like craptacular Point Break 2015 or even altered like the terrible Ben Hur remake...I just mean that the majority of today's audience have missed out on great films due to a reluctance to view things without color. A period set remake true to the originals would be stuff they hadn't seen before and maybe would further influence them to curiosity of the original...bring back a larger audience for otherwise long forgotten gems

[Phillip c. Niethe]

I think films like; The Count of Monte Cristo, Les Miserables, Three Musketeers, Sherlock Holmes, and even The Time Machine are solid arguments that older works are worth revisiting...even slightly inferior adaptions like the aforementioned Time Machine or The day the earth stood still are pretty great in my opinion

[Josep5349]

Well, we still have 30 years before we get to the 50s so why don’t we just wait and see what’s produced in the first place before any talk about remaking them.

[dommie]

Originally Posted by Phillip c. Niethe

I agree, they are perfection. I don't wish to see them remade in current era like craptacular Point Break 2015 or even altered like the terrible Ben Hur remake...I just mean that the majority of today's audience have missed out on great films due to a reluctance to view things without color. A period set remake true to the originals would be stuff they hadn't seen before and maybe would further influence them to curiosity of the original...bring back a larger audience for otherwise long forgotten gems

Your point is well taken and you are 100% spot on that the audiences today are missing out by not revisiting these older gems, in large part because they are not interested in seeing films shot in B&W. That in itself is a shame. Fortunately, venues like TCM have brought new attention to the classics of the past. I am just not totally convinced that a big scale color remake will drive more people than are already interested in taking a look at those older classics.

Your reference to Ben Hur brings up another point. Those older classics were made in a different Hollywood than exists today and the Ben Hur remake is a perfect example. Under the studio system,with leaders like Warner, Mayer, Zanuck, etc. and with film makers like Hawks, Curtiz, Huston, Wyler, Ford, etc. they brought something personal and original to those projects that made them what they were.

The film makers of today that I would say measure up to that level, like Tarantino, Spielberg, Nolan, etc. aren't as interested in remaking older films for the most part. Like those masters of yesterday, they strive more toward projects that showcase their own originality. What remains: people who turn out horrible remakes like the recent Ben Hur.

There have been a few exceptions yes, like the Coen Brothers True Grit remake. While Spielberg has stepped into remake territory a few times, the results have been largely mixed and have not been up to the level of most of his original works. I would argue that his remakes of War of the Worlds and A Guy Named Joe, remade as Always, while not total disasters, are not considered his best work. As it happens, Spielberg is currently remaking West Side Story, It will be interesting to see how that turns out.

[Deezer1986]

Charlie Chan films. Probably never happen though.

[principehomura]

On the top of my head, maybe Villeneuve could do Metropolis.

[RCRochester]

Lady in the Lake. The stupid first person gimmick ruined what could have been a fantastic noir if they’d actually been able to depict all of what was in the book.

[Poya]

Originally Posted by Phillip c. Niethe

I think films like; The Count of Monte Cristo, Les Miserables, Three Musketeers, Sherlock Holmes, and even The Time Machine are solid arguments that older works are worth revisiting...even slightly inferior adaptions like the aforementioned Time Machine or The day the earth stood still are pretty great in my opinion

Despite Tom Hooper and Russell Crowe, I quite enjoyed the 2012 movie, only because Anne Hathaway gave a masterclass in acting.

[Phillip c. Niethe]

Originally Posted by Poya

Despite Tom Hooper and Russell Crowe, I quite enjoyed the 2012 movie, only because Anne Hathaway gave a masterclass in acting.

B.B.C. turned it into a 6 episode miniseries and it was spectacular...I agree that Anne Hathaway in the last film remake gave a superb performance
And I remember thinking during Russell's opening song that he was terribly miscast.

[Todd Tomorrow]

Choosing pre-50s films is a bit tricky because so many of them have already been remade, sometimes more than once. If they haven't been remade, there usually is a good reason.

[Bugg]

Obviously there should be a Thin Man reboot with Tiffany Haddish and Kevin Hart. I assume you all agree.

[Gacivory]

Chris Pratt in a Treasure if Sierra Madre remake? That sounds like something that should be considered torture and not see the light of day.

[Mikezilla3k]

Originally Posted by Deezer1986

Charlie Chan films. Probably never happen though.

I remember those old Charlie Chan films growing up. It would interesting to see a modern adaption of the character. I think Donnie Yen could be a good Chan.