Year by Year Polls: 1931 (CLOSED)

gromit82 · #1

Welcome to the Year by Year Poll!

This poll is for the year 1931.

These polls are fairly simple. We work our way through film history selecting a different year each time, and you list your top films from the given year. Depending on the number of voters, the poll usually produces a list of around 50-90 films and is a great way of finding recommendations. You can also list other films outside your top 20 as honorable mentions or runners-up.

The Rules

- You can vote for a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 20 films.

- Feature films, documentaries, short films, TV movies, and TV mini-series are all eligible, but not continuing TV series or individual TV episodes.

- We use IMDb dates for consistency, so a title should be listed on IMDb as 1931 (unless a specific film has been otherwise declared eligible). Note: I usually don't validate titles for eligibility until after the poll closes, unless a question has been raised about a specific title. So please make sure that the films on your list are eligible, or specifically ask on this thread about titles whose eligibility is in doubt. If you happen to see that someone else has an ineligible film on their ballot, please let them know.

- Your ballot can be either ranked or unranked, but for ranked ballots, your list must be numbered. Partially ranked lists (where a certain number at the top are ranked, and the rest are unranked) are allowed. Please make sure that what you mean to do with your list is clear.

- IMPORTANT: Along with a list of the titles from 1931, please include the corresponding list of bare IMDb urls for the same films. Your ballot cannot be counted if the IMDb urls are not included. (And if you list only the URLs but not the films' titles, you'll significantly reduce your fellow voters' enjoyment of this poll, so please make sure to include both titles and URLs.)

- Please note, you must post your list of URLs yourself rather than having someone else do that for you.

The Scoring

For ranked ballots, the top-ranked title will receive a number of points equal to the number of titles on the ballot, with each succeeding title receiving one fewer point. So the top title on a list of 20 films will receive 20 points, the next 19 points, and so on. If the list has only 10 films, the top title will receive 10 points, the next one 9, and so on. If there are 5 films on the list, the top film will receive 5 points, the next one 4, etc. You get the idea.

For unranked ballots, each title will receive an equal share of the total points that would have been allotted to the ballot if it had been ranked. If there are 20 films on the ballot, this means each one would receive 10.5 points.

Some resources

1931 films sorted by most votes on IMDb

1931 films you've rated on IMDb

Wikipedia's 1931 in film article

1931 films you've checked on ICM

1931 films you *haven't* checked on ICM

Previous poll results as ICM lists

2017: 1940 results, 1981 results, 2005 results, 1927 results, 1968 results, 1939 results, 1976 results, 1997 results
2018: 1958 results, 2017 results, 1948 results, 1983 results, 1969 results, 1925 results, 1991 results, 1957 results, 2006 results
2019: 2018 results, 1932 results, 1972 results, 1942 results, 1987 results, 1964 results, 1994 results, 2007 results, 1955 results
2020: 2019 results, 1945 results, 1935 results, 1974 results, 1960 results, 1951 results, 2008 results, 1966 results, 1944 results
2021: 1980 results, 1929 results, 1998 results, 1933 results, 1950 results, 1978 results, 2020 results, 1967 results, 2009 results, 1946 results, 1985 results
2022: 1920 results, 1993 results, 1937 results, 2002 results, 1953 results, 2020 results, 1962 results, 1971 results, 2010 results, 1986 results, 1924 results, 1941 results
2023: 1992 results

The Deadline

This poll is currently scheduled to close on Sunday, February 26, at 11 AM US Pacific time. You may revise or add a ballot anytime until the poll is indicated closed in the subject header.

The next poll will be for 2001, followed by 2015 and 1954.

Eligibility notes

Terra Nova, directed by Gerald Rutten, is not eligible for this poll. It is listed by IMDb in 1932 and the consensus here is that 1932 is correct.

blocho · #2

1. M
2. Kameradschaft
3. The Public Enemy
4. Little Caesar
5. Frankenstein
6 .Dracula
7. City Lights

Spoiler

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022100/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022017/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022286/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021079/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021884/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021814/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021749/

gunnar · #3

1. M
2. City Lights
3. Five Star Final
4. Monkey Business
5. Limite
6. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
7. The Champ
8. The Star Witness
9. The Front Page
10. Tabu
11. Little Caesar
12. Smart Money
13. Bad Girl
14. Marius
15. Trader Horn
16. The Peach Girl
17. Transatlantic
18. The Sin of Madelon Claudet
19. The Guardsman
20. À Nous la Liberté

Honorable Mention
21. The Public Enemy
22. Frankenstein

Spoiler

Fergenaprido · #4

Gettin' in early and jumping on the M-Train. ~~I do have a bunch of 1931 films lined up for this month, but I doubt I'll get a full ballot as it's not a particularly fruitful year for me yet. My goal will be to hit 10.~~
Ballot is finalized.

1. M - Eine Stadt sucht einen Mörder
2. Marius
3. City Lights
4. The Champ
5. Dracula
6. Kameradschaft [Comradeship / Solidarity]
7. Dishonored
8. Der Kongreß tanzt [Congress Dances]
~~9. Mor vran [Sea of Ravens / Sea of Crows]~~ - 1930 film now

URLs

1. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022100/
2. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022125/
3. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021749/
4. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021730/
5. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021814/
6. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022017/
7. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021800/
8. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022034/

maxwelldeux · #5

Damn... I've only seen 11 films from 1931 and only liked 5 of them. I'll have to do some work on this.

Minkin · #6

I know that shorts are less plentiful for this year, but I'll once again solicit any and all accessible short films for 1931 - and I'll try to get to as many as possible!

Shorts I already know of / plan to vote for:
Working on the Douro River
Bimbo's Initiation
The Laurel and Hardy shorts

Will not make my list
The Clock Store
Trader Hound
All Quiet on the Canine Front (who the fuck make these dog spoofs?)

So, I thank anyone who offers some shorts suggestions - as they really help me pad out my list and give me more stuff to vote for than just the usual suspects - and I don't always have much time for features, so I really do rely on these shorts for help - and I again thank those who helped in 1992.

Angel Glez · #7

gromit82 wrote: ↑February 2nd, 2023, 1:05 am The next poll will be for 2001. We're working on what the April and May polls will be, and I'll update this post once we have decided.

Hurry up to take advantage of KG's freeleech (it ends next Monday).

iCheckMovies · #8

1931 is easily one of the best years of the 30s for me.

1. M (1931, Fritz Lang)
2. Limite (1931, Mario Peixoto)
3. À nous la liberté / Freedom for Us (1931, René Clair)
4. Tabu: A Story of the South Seas (1931, F.W. Murnau)
5. Der Hauptmann von Köpenick / The Captain from Köpenick (1931, Richard Oswald)
6. Der Kongreß tanzt / Congress Dances (1931, Erik Charell)
7. David Golder (1931, Julien Duvivier)
8. Marius (1931, Alexander Korda)
9. Street Scene (1931, King Vidor)
10. City Lights (1931, Charlie Chaplin)

11. Kameradschaft (1931, Georg Wilhelm Pabst)
12. Le million (1931, René Clair)
13. Mädchen in Uniform (1931, Leontine Sagan & Carl Froelich)
14. The Champ (1931, King Vidor)
15. Wer nimmt die Liebe ernst... / Who takes love seriously? (1931, Erich Engel)
16. Nebyvalyj pohod / An Unprecedented Campaign (1931, Mikhail Kaufman)
17. Frankenstein (1931, James Whale)
18. Other Men's Women (1931, William A. Wellman)
19. Lursmani cheqmashi / Nail in the Boot (1931, Mikhail Kalatozov)
20. Ze soboty na nedeli / From Saturday to Sunday (1931, Gustav Machatý)

Honourable mentions:

Sorok serdets / Forty Hearts (1931, Lev Kuleshov)
Resurrectio (1931, Alessandro Blasetti)
Den store barnedåpen / The Big Christening (1931, Tancred Ibsen)
Safe in Hell (1931, William A. Wellman)
City Streets (1931, Rouben Mamoulian)
Ihre Majestät die Liebe / Her Majesty Love (1931, Joe May)
Portrait of a Young Man in Three Movements (1931, Henwar Rodakiewicz)
The Miracle Woman (1931, Frank Capra)
Hyppolit a lakáj / Hyppolit, the Butler (1931, Steve Sekely)
Night Nurse (1931, William A. Wellman)
Platinum Blonde (1931, Frank Capra)
Dracula (1931, Tod Browning)
Der Mörder Dimitri Karamasoff (1931, Erich Engels & Fyodor Otsep)
Five and Ten (1931, Robert Z. Leonard)

URLs:

Spoiler

Mysterious Dude · #9

OldAle1 · #10

No point in even pretending that I'll have the time or energy to focus on this year while this poll is going so might as well post now -

1. M (Fritz Lang)
2. Limite (Mario Peixoto)
3. Seed (John M. Stahl)
4. Bimbo's Initiation (Dave Fleischer) SHORT
5. City Lights (Charles Chaplin)

6. Tôkyô no kôrasu / Tokyo Chorus (Yasujirô Ozu)
7. Dishonored (Josef von Sternberg)
8. Frankenstein (James Whale)
9. La chienne (Jean Renoir)
10. Platinum Blonde (Frank Capra)
11. The Miracle Woman (Frank Capra)
12. Le million (René Clair)
13. Tabu (F.W. Murnau)
14. Koshiben ganbare / Flunky, Work Hard (Mikio Naruse) SHORT
15. Smile, Darn Ya, Smile (Hugh Harman / Rudolf Ising) SHORT
16. Philips-Radio (Joris Ivens) SHORT
17. Jack and the Beanstalk (Dave Fleischer) SHORT
18. Mädchen in Uniform (Leontine Sagan)
19. Svengali (Archie Mayo)
20. Monkey Business (Norman Z. McLeod)

URLzzzz

Some more SHORTS for Minkin and anybody else who wants a quick fix -

Chickens Come Home - & probably all of the other Laurel & Hardy films from this year - I still haven't gotten to all of them
Dizzy Red Riding-Hood
Douro, Faina Fluvia
Hittin' the Trail for Hallelujah Land - quite the opposite of PC, just so you know
Taris, roi de l'eau
You Don't Know What You're Doin'!

Lots of important films from this year that I've never gotten to yet - chief among them quite a few from Germany including Kameradschaft, Die 3 Groschen-Oper and Der Kongreß tanzt. Also several from France and Russia, and certainly some second-tier Hollywood films that are probably worth seeing. I would have liked to explore this year at some length but right now alas isn't the time. Hopefully in the future.

blocho · #11

Who's gonna be the renegade who does not put M first?

gunnar · #12

blocho wrote: ↑February 2nd, 2023, 2:58 pm Who's gonna be the renegade who does not put M first?

Somebody who decides to list their films alphabetically?

OldAle1 · #13

blocho wrote: ↑February 2nd, 2023, 2:58 pm Who's gonna be the renegade who does not put M first?

I actually thought about switching my top 2 but... nah, M has just been a top favorite for me for a very long time, and in this case the more recent new favorite isn't going to topple it.

I would guess we'll have a ballot or two with City Lights at the top though. And there must be somebody who isn't crazy about the Lang (aside from people who aren't crazy about this era of film generally that is).

jeff_v · #14

1. M
2. City Lights
3. The Miracle Woman
4. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
5. Monkey Business
6. Little Caesar
7. Die 3 Groschen-Oper / 3 Penny Opera
8 .Dracula
9. Dishonored
10. Mädchen in Uniform
11. The Public Enemy
12. Frankenstein
13. City Streets
14. Tabu: A Story of the South Seas
15. Limite
16. The Smiling Lieutenant
17. Girls About Town
18. Private Lives
19. La chienne
20. À Nous la Liberté

Spoiler

klaus78 · #15

1. M - Eine Stadt sucht einen Mörder
2. Limite
3. City Lights
4. Der Kongreß tanzt
5. Tabu: A Story of the South Seas
6. Douro, Faina Fluvial
7. Mechanical Principles
8. Frankenstein
9. Little Caesar
10. Mädchen in Uniform
11. The Public Enemy
12. La chienne
13. Tôkyô no kôrasu
14. A Bronx Morning
15. À nous la liberté
16. The Smiling Lieutenant
17. Kameradschaft
18. Le million
19. Taris, roi de l'eau
20. Shadow on the Mountains

Spoiler

LeSchpountz · #16

iCheckMovies · #17

Wow, don't think this has ever happened before, and like OldAle I too considered switching M and Limite, but didn't. So, for the record, at this point, and it gets crazier:

9/9 has M has their favourite
5/9 has City Lights as their number 2
3/9 has Limite as their number 2

The only voter to not put City Lights or Limite on 2nd place is Blocho, and luckily for him, he was the first voter, so no added pressure to follow any trends.

Have you seen Limite btw, Blocho? Would be hilarious if you watched it and joined the trend.

LeSchpountz · #18

M is in my top ten (if I could take part in the Sight & Sound survey).
And if I had to give an Oscar for the best male performance in the history of film, I would probably choose Peter Lorre in M.

Torgo · #19

blocho wrote: ↑February 2nd, 2023, 2:58 pm Who's gonna be the renegade who does not put M first?

Well, I don't participate in those "early" polls because my sample size and enthusiasm for pre-1960 years are mostly too small (in my opinion!), so there goes

Spoiler

.. another list with M at #1.
City Lights probably would've been my 2, too, and I didn't even love it that much? lol

Traveller · #20

01. M - Eine Stadt sucht einen Mörder
02. Limite
03. The Smiling Lieutenant
04. City Lights
05. Monkey Business
06. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
07. Le million
08. Hyppolit a lakáj
09. Der Kongreß tanzt
10. Frankenstein

Spoiler

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022100/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022080/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022074/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021749/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022158/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022835/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022150/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021985/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022034/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021884/

iCheckMovies · #21

And the streak continues with Limite climbing:

10/10 has M has their favourite
5/10 has City Lights as their number 2
4/10 has Limite as their number 2

OldAle1 · #22

I'm just curious to see whether Seed gets any other votes.

LeSchpountz · #23

OldAle1 wrote: ↑February 2nd, 2023, 6:42 pm I'm just curious to see whether Seed gets any other votes.

Unfortunately I haven't seen "Seed" yet.

hurluberlu · #24

1. City Lights ( Charles Chaplin )
2. M - Eine Stadt sucht einen Mörder ( Fritz Lang )
3. Marius ( Alexander Korda )
4. Le million ( René Clair )
5. Bimbo's Initiation ( Grim Natwick, Dave Fleischer )
6. Frankenstein ( James Whale )
7. Street Scene ( King Vidor )
8. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde ( Rouben Mamoulian )
9. La chienne ( Jean Renoir )
10. Monkey Business ( Norman Z. McLeod )
11. A nous la liberté ( René Clair )
12. Little Caesar ( Mervyn LeRoy )
13. Dishonored ( Josef von Sternberg )
14. Safe in Hell ( William A. Wellman )
15. Platinum Blonde ( Frank Capra )
16. Mephisto ( Henri Debain, Georges Vinter )
17. Yi jian mei ( Wancang Bu )

Spoiler

blocho · #25

hurluberlu wrote: ↑February 2nd, 2023, 6:58 pm 1. City Lights ( Charles Chaplin )
2. M - Eine Stadt sucht einen Mörder ( Fritz Lang )

The only forum member so far brave enough to stand against the M hegemony!

blocho · #26

St. Gloede wrote: ↑February 2nd, 2023, 6:10 pm Have you seen Limite btw, Blocho? Would be hilarious if you watched it and joined the trend.

I have not seen Limite, and it's not in my near-term plans.

hurluberlu · #27

blocho wrote: ↑February 2nd, 2023, 7:23 pm
hurluberlu wrote: ↑February 2nd, 2023, 6:58 pm 1. City Lights ( Charles Chaplin )
2. M - Eine Stadt sucht einen Mörder ( Fritz Lang )
The only forum member so far brave enough to stand against the M hegemony!

Hard to believe I am going to be the only one with City Lights at #1 !

iCheckMovies · #28

Damn it, Hurlu, oh, well, everyone still has M in their top 2 - - - - - - - Oh, and you really need to see Limite, Blocho.

---

Can't remember ever hearing of Seed before, but then I'm not a fan of the few Stahl films I've seen, so not sure if I should jump on it, but this has me intruiged.

I also hope everyone with time seeks out David Golder. While Limite leans on the arthouse side, David Golder is one of those films I'd be willing to recommend to everyone.

Torgo · #29

blocho wrote: ↑February 2nd, 2023, 7:23 pm
hurluberlu wrote: ↑February 2nd, 2023, 6:58 pm 1. City Lights ( Charles Chaplin )
2. M - Eine Stadt sucht einen Mörder ( Fritz Lang )
The only forum member so far brave enough to stand against the M hegemony!

Chaos and anarchy in this list. The order of those two is so much off it must've been meant as a joke!

joachimt · #30

1. City Lights
2. M - Eine Stadt sucht einen MÃ¶rder
3. À nous la liberté
4. Le million
5. Tabu: A Story of the South Seas
6. Die 3 Groschen-Oper
7. Frankenstein
8. Ze soboty na nedeli
9. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
10. Little Caesar
11. David Golder
12. Dracula
13. The Public Enemy
14. Douro, Faina Fluvial
15. La chienne
16. Resurrectio
17. Philips-Radio

urls

iCheckMovies · #31

See what you did, Hurlu, because of you the balance of the world shifted. Nothing will ever be the same again.

beavis · #32

another one of those 30's/40's years where I can't come up with a full slate... but I've got a remarkable amount of strong German movies here!!

1 - M - Eine Stadt sucht einen Mörder
2 - À nous la liberté
3 - Limite
4 - Berlin-Alexanderplatz - Die Geschichte Franz Biberkopfs
5 - Mädchen in Uniform
6 - Die Koffer des Herrn O.F.
7 - Night Nurse
8 - Tabu: A Story of the South Seas
9 - Kameradschaft
10 - David Golder
11 - Dishonored
12 - Die 3 Groschen-Oper
13 - City Lights
14 - Emil und die Detektive

Spoiler

timshelboy · #33

Obscurities THE MAD PARADE is interesting - an all female WW1 movie with Evelyn Brent. I think I have only seen edited by 6 mins 1940 reissue. Source for full version welcome.

Jealous and intrigued oldale has SEED on his list. Where o where did he see it?

Perception de Ambiguity · #34

1. Portrait of a Young Man in Three Movements
2. Das Lied vom Leben
3. Illicit
4. Der Mörder Dimitri Karamasoff (1931)
5. Limite

6. An American Tragedy
7. Le Million
8. David Golder
9. Dishonored
10. Manhattan Medley

11. Die 3 Groschen-Oper
12. Safe in Hell
13. Night Nurse
14. Street Scene
15. Mechanical Principles

16. Nail in the Boot
17. À Nous la Liberté
18. Wot a Night
19. A Bronx Morning
20. A Day in Santa Fe (despite the terrible, terrible, terrible Erik Satie renditions - just turn off the sound if you watch it at home)

I Am Dee Bee

Torgo · #35

Perception de Ambiguity wrote: ↑February 2nd, 2023, 10:08 pm
Am

Well, he did include M, kind of ..

Perception de Ambiguity · #36

Torgo wrote: ↑February 2nd, 2023, 10:11 pm
Perception de Ambiguity wrote: ↑February 2nd, 2023, 10:08 pm
Am
Well, he did include M, kind of ..

Ehhhhm, aaaactualliiiiiiie, "M" was very close to making it. It was up there with the other 7's at the bottom of my list. But in Angel Glez fashion: "FUCK THAT MAINSTREAM SHIT!" There were enough non-undisputed-classics that I think are the shit for Lang's half-mute masterpiece to genuinely not make the cut.

Torgo · #37

Perception de Ambiguity wrote: ↑February 2nd, 2023, 10:21 pm But in Angel Glez fashion: "FUCK THAT MAINSTREAM SHIT!"

Quote - unquote

prodigalgodson · #38

1. Limite (Mario Peixoto)
2. Tabu (FW Murnau)
3. La chienne (Jean Renoir)
4. M (Fritz Lang)
5. Dishonored (Josef von Sternberg)
6. Jirokichi the Rat (Daisuke Ito)
7. Autumn Fire (Herman G Weinberg)
8. Bimbo's Initiation (Dave Fleischer)
9. Flunky, Work Hard (Mikio Naruse)
10. Le million (Rene Clair)

Spoiler

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022080
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022458
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021739
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022100
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021800
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022214
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0139868
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021664
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022036
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022150

Dang, three of my choices (Enthusiasm, In Spring, and Mor'vran) have been reassigned to different years. Another one for Limite then!

Fergenaprido · #39

prodigalgodson wrote: ↑February 3rd, 2023, 3:49 am Dang, three of my choices (Enthusiasm, In Spring, and Mor'vran) have been reassigned to different years. Another one for Limite then!

Oh, I didn't realize Mor vran had changed. Guess that's one less film for my ballot two. Thanks for the heads up!

hurluberlu · #40

St. Gloede wrote: ↑February 2nd, 2023, 8:43 pm See what you did, Hurlu, because of you the balance of the world shifted. Nothing will ever be the same again.

Recovering sight is a long process but you are going to be fine !