The 3 Greatest Action Movies of the `30's!

The Adventures of Robin Hood (Warner Brothers, 1938), Gunga Din (RKO, 1939) and Stagecoach (United Artists, 1939).

Movies are about action, and these three made by great directors, writers, producers and casts were the best of the 1930's, and created a blueprint for the unforgettable action flicks that have followed. Though there were brilliant action flicks made during the silent era, and certainly great examples of action in earlier talkies like King Kong, Captain Blood and various Westerns, these three stand head an shoulders above the rest. Each one is tight, where other early actions films couldn't always find balance between action and characters, these three were perfectly integrated. All had charasmatic casts that made you laugh and care about them, and also had fantastic and thrilling action sequences. It should come as no surprise that the three name directors involved, John Ford, George Stevens, and Michael Curtiz went on to make a number of other great movies. But in the `37-`39 production season, they were all making unforgettable action flicks.

BTW, though the action genre is often minimized in this day and age, if a director can't make a great action flick, he's not a great director. And you can take that to the bank.