Scener fra Kalundborg og Koebenhavn (1944) *

A short documentary from Denmark.

To Have And Have Not (1944) ****

The first pairing of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. It's the only film ever made that is based on a novel by one Nobel Prize-winning author (Ernest Hemingway), and adapted for the screen by another Nobel Prize-winning author (William Faulkner). Consequently, it has enough memorable lines of dialogues for a dozens of films. The classic lines:

Slim: Who was the girl, Steve?
Steve: Who was what girl?
Slim: The one who left you with such a high opinion of women.

Slim: I'm hard to get, Steve. All you have to do is ask me.

Slim: You know you don't have to act with me, Steve. You don't have to say anything, and you don't have to do anything. Not a thing. Oh, maybe just whistle. You know how to whistle, don't you, Steve? You just put your lips together and... blow.

Murder, My Sweet (1944) ***

Dick Powell is excellent as Philippe Marlowe in this fine detective movie directed by Edward Dmytryk.

Arsenic And Old Lace (1944) ***

Classic black comedy about two sweet old ladies with murderous tendencies.

On Approval (1944) ***

A very British comedy of manners. Very old-fashioned as well, but in a good way.

The Scarlet Claw (1944) ***

A fine Sherlock Holmes movie starring Basil Rathbone. It's set in Canada during World War II.

The Thin Man Goes Home (1944) **

Probably the weakest of all "Thin Man" films, but still enjoyable enough.

The Uninvited (1944) *****

Possibly the greatest horror film ever made, set in a haunted house on the remote coast of Cornwall. It's a superbly crafted blend of mystery, supernatural, suspense, comedy and romance.

A Canterbury Tale (1944) *****

A quirky and off-beat film set in a little village near Canterbury during World War II. A young English girl and two soldiers try to catch a mysterious "glueman". It's one of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's best films.

Hail The Conquering Hero (1944) ****

Classic Preston Sturges farce about a phony war hero returning to his home town.

The Miracle Of Morgan's Creek (1944) ****

Daring comedy about a war bride who not only gets drunk and pregnant, but also forgets who's the father. Hilarious from start to finish.

Bathing Beauty (1944) ***

Esther Williams’ film debut. She plays a college professor married to a songwriter (Rod Skelton). Musical numbers:

"Bim Bam Boom" *
"Te Quiero Dijiste" *
"Tico Tico" **
"Loch Lomond" *
"I’ll Take The High Note" **
"I Cried For You" *
"Blue Danube Water Ballet" ***

The Battle Of China (1944) ***

The sixth part of the "Why We Fight" series. It's one of the best of all wartime documentary features. It celebrates the heroic struggle of the Chinese people against the Japanese agression.

Brazil (1944) ***

A curious musical about an American writer (Virginia Bruce) and a Brazilian composer (Tito Guizar). Despite its overall mediocrity (weak acting, slow pace, cliche-ridden script, pedestrian direction), the film has a subtle and rare charm. Musical numbers include:

"Brazil" (dance) **
"Upa Upa" **
"Moonlight Fiesta" **
"Brazil" (song) *
"Hands Across The Border" *
"Rio de Janeiro" **

The Canterville Ghost (1944) ***

A company of American soldiers is stationed in a haunted castle in England, scaring its resident ghost (Charles Laughton).

Cover Girl (1944) ***

Musical film starring Gene Kelly and Rita Hayworth. Musical numbers:

"The Show Must Go On" *
"Who's Complaining" *
"Sure Thing" **
"Make Way For Tomorrow" **
"Put Me To The Test" *
"Long Ago And Far Away" **
"Poor John" *
"Alter Ego Dance" *
"Cover Girl" *
"Put Me To The Test" (reprise)

Going My Way (1944) ***

Oscar-winning film about two priests (Bing Crosby and Barry Fitzgerald). Songs include:

"The Day After Forever" *
"Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ra" *
"Habanera" *
"Going My Way" *
"Ave Maria" *
"Going My Way" (reprise) *
"Swingin' On A Star" ***

Higher And Higher (1944) ***

Frank Sinatra plays a crooner named Frank Sinatra in this musical comedy about a servant girl pretending to be a rich debutante. Weak script, but wonderful tunes. Songs:

"It's A Most Important Affair" *
"Today I'M A Debutante / Disgustingly Rich" **
"I Couldn't Sleep A Wink Last Night" **
"The Music Stopped" **
"I Saw You First" *
"A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening" **
"You're On Your Own" **
"Boccherini's Minuet In Boogie" *

Step Lively (1944) ***

Musical remake of Marx Brothers' 1938 comedy "Room Service", starring Frank Sinatra, George Murphy and Gloria De Haven. Musical numbers:

"Where Does Love Begin" **
"Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are" ***
"As Long As There's Music" *
"Where Does Love Begin" (reprise) **
"Some Other Time" *
"Why Must There Be An Opening Song ?" *
"Ask The Madame" *
"As Long As There's Music" (reprise) *

Up In Arms (1944) ***

Danny Kaye's film debut is a moderately entertaining, occasionally silly musical farce about a hypochondriac elevator boy drafted into the army. Musical numbers include:

"Manic-Depressive Pictures Presents" ***
"Now I Know" *
"All Out For Freedom" **
"Tess's Torch Song" *
"Melody In 4-F" **
"Jive Number" **

Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944) **

The first bombing raid against Japan took place only a few months after Pearl Harbour.

Wilson (1944) **

Perfectly reflecting Woodrow Wilson's presidency - long, ponderous, thoughtful and careful - this biopic lacks any sense of dramatic intensity.

The Silly Goose (1944) *****

Goldilocks And The Jivin' Bears (1944) ****

Terrific Warner Bros cartoon, unfairly included in the infamous "Censored Eleven" blacklist, even though it doesn't contain even a single racist gag.

Fish Fry (1944) ****

Andy Panda has to protect his new red fish from a hungry cat. But the fish isn't a passive victim and the cat pays dearly for his predatory intentions.

Screwball Squirrel (1944) ****

A fast and hilarious Tex Avery's masterpiece starring Screwy Squirrel, who becomes the hero of the story after beating the living daylights out of the cute, little Sammy Squirrel and stealing his leading role. The film is full of brechtian distanciation devices, used here as clever gags. The story deals with Screwy tormenting a poor dog who stupidly insists on chasing him.

Donald Duck And The Gorilla (1944) ****

A dangerous gorilla escapes from a zoo and Donald uses the opportunity to scare his nephews. Meanwhile, the gorilla actually finds his way to their house and a hilarious chase begins. A beautifully animated, perfectly edited action cartoon.

The Barber Of Seville (1944) ****

Woody is mistaken for a barber and an Native American client wants to give him a scalp treatment. Inventive, often funny cartoon that starts very slowly, but builds into a madcap frenzy.

Commando Duck (1944) ***

Spectacular Disney cartoon starring Donald Duck as an Allied Commando destroying a Japanese airfield by causing a Niagara-scale flood.

Pay Day (1944) ***

Private Snafu blows his army pay on frivolities.

A Lecture On Camouflage (1944) ***

The Chow Hound (1944) ***

A Snafu cartoon about wasting food.

Bugs Bunny Nips The Nips (1944) ***

Bugs Bunny is fighting Japs on a tropical island.

The Snowman (1944) ***

Wolf! Wolf! (1944) ***

Directed by Mandy Davis. A hungry wolf (dressed as Little Bo Peep) tries to catch a sheep by playing jazzy tunes on his trompet. Fortunately, a rodent Superman soon comes to the rescue.

The Tree Surgeon (1944) ***

Hilarious cartoon about a tree.

What's Cookin' Doc ? (1944) ***

Bugs Bunny shamelessly campaigns for an Oscar, imitating many Hollywood stars, showing a clip from "Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt" (1941) and demanding a recount after the prized statuette goes to James Cagney.

And To Think I Saw It On Mulberry Street (1944) ***

Oscar-nominated Pupperoon about a little boy and what he saw on Mulberry Street.

Target Snafu (1944) ***

Innertube Antics (1944) ***

Amusing MGM cartoon from George Gordon.

Private Snafu Vs Malaria Mike (1944) ***

Brother Brat (1944) ***

Porky Pigs babysits a toddler that clearly inspired Baby Herman from "Who Framed Roger Rabbit".

Polar Pest (1944) ***

Excellent Barney Bear cartoon set in wintertime.

Swooner Crooner (1944) ***

Porky's hens work at an "Eggcraft factory" (contributing to the war effort). Listening to crooning roosters apparently increases their egg production.

My Boy Johnny (1944) ***

Excellent Terrytoon about war veterans returning home.

From Hand To Mouse (1944) ***

A smart mouse tortures a really stupid lion.

Puttin' On The Dog (1944) ***

Tom must pretend to be a dog in order to catch Jerry.

Springtime For Pluto (1944) ***

Uneven, but charming Pluto cartoon about the coming of spring.

Ski For Two (1944) ***

Woody Woodpecker takes a well-deserved winter holiday in the mountains. He reaches an isolated lodge, run by Wally Walrus, who refuses to admit a guest without a reservation. Woody forgets it's still October and dresses as Santa Claus. Also known as "Woody Plays Santa".

The Bodyguard (1944) ***

A Tom & Jerry cartoon, with a huge bulldog protecting the mouse out of gratitude for saving him from a dog-catcher.

Lost And Foundling (1944) ***

Sniffles adopts a little hawk, only to learn that hawks eat rodents like himself.

Going Home (1944) ***

Private Snafu reveals the secrets of a new weapon. Produced in 1944, but never released.

Duck Soup To Nuts (1944) ***

A good example of a "screwball" cartoon, with Porky hunting Daffy, but suffering all kinds of indignities from his fast-talking, completely insane prey. Daffy displays his considerable acting skills, flopping around like a dying fish and tricking Porky into jumping from a tall tree (to prove he isn't an eagle !).

Donald's Off Day (1944) ***

A nice cartoon with Donald getting paranoid about his health, fearing blindness and death. The film lacks unity, jumping from one situation to another. After a brilliant, fast-paced opening, it fails to gain more momentum, but some off-beat ideas (like the sudden changes in weather) are definite assets.

Russian Rhapsody (1944) ***

Nazi airplanes are sabotaged by mysterious "gremlins from the Kremlin" and Hitler decides to lead the next bombing mission himself.

The Zoot Cat (1944) ***

Tom dresses in a zoot suit to impress a feline babe.

Plane Daffy (1944) ***

Woman-hater Daffy has to deal with a gorgeous Nazi spy, Hatta Mari. Excellent cartoon.

Censored (1944) ***

Private Snafu tries to avoid a military censor in this clever cartoon.

Bugs Bunny And The Three Bears (1944) ***

The Three Bears want to set a trap for Goldilocks, but they prepare carrot soup and Bugs Bunny shows up instead. Hilarious parody of the classic story, with characters forgetting their lines and a love-sick Mama Bear chasing the rabbit.

C'est l'aviron (1944) ***

The Gray Old Hare (1944) ***

Superb Elmer/Bugs cartoon, tracing their relationship from its toddler beginning to its gray-haired conclusion.

Outpost (1944) ***

Private Snafu's report on an empty can of seefood leads to the defeat of the Japanese fleet.

How To Play Golf (1944) ***

A Goofy cartoon with an ironic narration explaining the rules of golf. Very amusing, a superior entry among Goofy's sport cartoons.

How To Play Football (1944) ***

Screwy cartoon about a football game.

Birdy And The Beast (1944) ***

A hungry cat (it's not Sylvester yet) tries to catch a little bird. The second "Tweety" cartoon, excellent in every respect.

Little Red Riding Rabbit (1944) ***

Friz Freleng's version of the famous story features a loud and abnoxious bobby-soxer, but the film mostly involves the Wolf chasing Bugs Bunny.

Mouse Trouble (1944) ***

Tom consults a manual on how to catch a mouse, but he has some difficulties putting theory into practice.

Big Heel-Watha (1944) ***

A typical Tex Avery cartoon about a wimpy Native American hunter chasing Screwy Squirrel to get the chief's daughter's hand in marriage.

Batty Baseball (1944) ***

An amusing parody of baseball with many unexpected gags.

Hell-Bent For Election (1944) ****

The first political campaign ad. Made for the 1944 US presidential election, this is UPA's first animated film (at the time, the company was still known as Industrial Films). More conventional than its later films, it presents a race between two trains: FDR's "Win The War Special" versus Republicans' "Defeatist Limited". Directed by Chuck Jones.

Dog Cat And Canary (1944) ***

Oscar-nominated cartoon from Screen Gems.

Happy-Go-Nutty (1944) ***

A typically funny Tex Avery cartoon with Screwy Squirrel escaping from an insane asylum.

Gas (1944) ***

Private Snafu is attacked by a gas cloud.

First Aiders (1944) ***

A Pluto cartoon with Minnie and Figaro practicing first aid using the dog as a guinea pig. Excellent character animation.

The Wreck Of The Hesperus (1944) **

Mighty Mouse saves a sinking ship.

Trombone Trouble (1944) **

PegLeg Pete loves to play his trombone at night. Donald is furious. Thanks to angels from heaven, he aquires supernatural powers and teaches Pete a lesson he will never forget.

Stupid Cupid (1944) **

A hen must fight off Daffy's amorous advances.

Three Brothers (1944) **

Private Snafu ("Situation Normal All Fucked Up") has two brothers: Tarfu ("Things Are Really Fucked Up") and Fubar ("Fucked Up Beyond All Repair").

Booby Hatched (1944) **

An egg is looking for someone to sit on it. Less funny than might be expected.

Million Dollar Cat (1944) **

Tom won't inherit a huge fortune if he harms a mouse.

Snafuperman (1944) **

Private Snafu becomes Snafuperman and almost destroys Washington DC, when he forgets to study his maps and charts.

Meatless Flyday (1944) **

Average cartoon about a fly.

Buckaroo Bugs (1944) **

A bounty hunter named Red Hot Ryder is pursuing Bugs Bunny.

Tom Turk And Daffy (1944) **

Porky, Daffy and a turkey.

Jungle Jive (1944) **

A musical cartoon set on a tropical island, with piano-playing crabs and jazz-crazy natives.

The Beach Nut (1944) **

Woody Woodpecker at the beach.

The Weakly Reporter (1944) *

A series of very unfunny spot gags about wartime shortages.

Angel Puss (1944) *

Eleven Warner Bros cartoons have been banned since the 1960's, including ten "Merrie Melodies" and one "Looney Tune". They are known as "Censored Eleven". All the Merrie Melodies are terrific films: brilliant, innovative, funny and completely devoid of any actual (i.e. vicious and mean-spirited) racism. But the sole Looney Tune, "Angel Puss" is a truly boring and worthless film. And not just because of its racism (it's the only one of the "Censored Eleven" that really is offensive to blacks), but also for all the other reasons. The story revolves around a stupid black boy named Sambo who drowns a cat for money and feels guilty about it.

Bear Raid Warden (1944) *

A mediocre Barney Bear cartoon directed by George Gordon.

Hare Ribbin' (1944) *

One of Robert Clampett's weakest efforts, a lame Bugs Bunny cartoon. The film's ending was changed. The original director's cut has Bugs Bunny killing a dog with a gun (first photo). In the censored version, the dog commits suicide after Bugs gives him a gun (second photo). Both endings are equally bad, equally violent and equally unfunny.

Hare Force (1944) *

Bugs and a dog are trying to throw each other out of a house. Rather schematic and repetitive.

Contrary Condor (1944) *

Donald is an ornitologist, looking for condor eggs in the Andes.

The Pelican And The Snipe (1944) *

A sleep-flying pelican must depend on his pal to rescue him during his nocturnal adventures, but being unconscious, he always suspects a dirty joke. A moralistic, slow moving bore, one of Disney's most forgettable films.

I Got Plenty Of Mutton (1944) *

One of Frank Tashlin's weakest cartoons, about a ram chasing a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Booby Traps (1944) *

Private Snafu is a boob and he will be trapped.

Lulu's Indoor Outing (1944) *

A pair of hungry ghosts living in a haunted mansion try to scare little Lulu, but the brave girl isn't too impressed. A very mediocre effort from the Famous studio.

Stage Door Cartoon (1944) *

As usual, Elmer Fudd is chasing Bugs Bunny, only this time, he is chasing him in a vaudeville theater.

How To Be A Sailor (1944) *

A Goofy cartoon about the history of navigation. Quite different from other films in the series.

A Few Quick Facts About Inflation (1944) *

Produced by UPA.

We're On Our Way To Rio (1944) *

Boring Popeye cartoon inspired by Crosby-Hope's Road movies.