Steven Spielberg’s favourite movies from the Golden Age of Hollywood
When Steven Spielberg created his first film, the made-for-television thriller Duel, he likely had no idea that he would become the most commercially successful director of all time. He has consistently released movies that have become era-defining blockbusters, from Jaws and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial to Jurassic Park and Saving Private Ryan.
The filmmaker began his career out of the desire to make films like his cinematic heroes, such as John Ford, Ingmar Bergman, and Alfred Hitchcock. The menagerie of influences that have shaped Spielberg’s career is impressive, and many of these movies stem from the Golden Era of Hollywood, which had a massive impact on the director while he was growing up.
In 2023, he picked out several movies for a season on TCM, explaining his love for specific Golden Age classics. Of course, he picked a Hitchcock movie, even though the legendary filmmaker reportedly refused to meet the young Spielberg, calling him (according to Bruce Dern) “the boy who did the fish movie.” Still, Spielberg is a huge fan of Hitchcock’s work, selecting The Wrong Man as one of his favourites.
The film follows Henry Fonda’s character, an innocent man who gets wrongly accused of a crime, as he spends the run time trying to prove his innocence. The movie has inspired more than just Spielberg. Not only is it a great noir, but it also greatly shaped Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver.
Elsewhere, Spielberg picked the Christmas classic Meet Me in St Louis, directed by Vincente Minnelli. It starred Judy Garland, Mary Astor, and Magaret O’Brien, with Spielberg praising the latter, stating that she “practically steals this whole movie from everybody.” The classic, released in 1944, is a beloved festive favourite, and it was even the first time we were introduced to the song ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’.
Spielberg also selected another Minnelli film—The Bad and the Beautiful—featuring Lana Turner, Dick Powell, Kirk Douglas, and Walter Pidgeon. It’s not a surprise that Spielberg loves the movie – it centres around a film production, detailing the ups and downs of making a movie with a meta edge. The filmmaker revealed, “Growing up in this business, I have known people like Jonathan Shields,” adding, “who I would never want to work for, but who I could not wait to watch their next movie.”
Another pick came in the form of Douglas Sirk’s Imitation of Life, which was released in 1959. Lana Turner also appears in this one, playing a woman who desires to become a star of the stage. The film tackles themes of identity, with Turner’s character employing a black woman, played by Juanita Moore, to look after her child so she can pursue her dream. Issues of class, race, and motherhood are dissected here, and the film was highly acclaimed as a result.
Finally, Gordon Douglas’ Them! from 1954. The movie is a classic ‘50s sci-fi featuring gigantic bugs as a threat to the characters. The film reflected the fears of nuclear warfare, as did many monster movies of the time. However, compared to many similar sci-fi films that emerged during the postwar period, Them! holds up as something more than a cheesy B-movie.
