Ten Movies on an Island: Dramas

As you can tell from all the lists I have been posting these last couple of weeks, I'm a comedy person. I like movies that make me laugh. But every once in a while, I like a serious movie.

Dramas have been around for centuries, since the times of the Ancient Greeks. We all know the famous symbol of the two Greek masks, one laughing and the other with the corners of its' mouth turned down repesenting comedy and drama. From Wikipedia:

Since the 19th century, the word "drama" has also been used in a more narrow sense to designate a specific type of play. Drama is defined in this modern usage as "a genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone" which focuses on in-depth development of realistic characters who must deal with realistic emotional struggles.

I struggled more with this list, as on some films I was unsure if Drama was the best category for a film or if it belonged primarily in another genre. For example, there aren't any Hitchcock on here because I consider his films to be suspense/mystery.

As I continue to watch more films, I know this list will change. There are still numerous must-see Dramas that I haven't seen yet. But for now, here are my favorite Dramas:

1. Random Harvest (1942) - Greer Garson & Ronald Colman

2. Now, Voyager (1942) - Bette Davis & Paul Henreid

3. A Stolen Life (1946) - Bette Davis & Glenn Ford

4. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) - Dana Andrews, Fredric March, Myrna Loy, Teresa Wright

5. Sunset Boulevard (1950) - Gloria Swanson & William Holden

6. The Robe (1953) - Richard Burton & Jean Simmons, Victor Marture

7. Until They Sail (1957) - Jean Simmons & Paul Newman

8. The Defiant Ones (1958) - Sidney Poitier, Tony Curtis

9. The Young Philadelphians (1959) - Paul Newman (I'll be writing about this for the Order in the Court Blogathon next week)

10. The Hustler (1961) - Paul Newman & Piper Laurie, George C. Scott, Jackie Gleason

Honorable Mentions: In Name Only (1939), The Dark Mirror (1946), Portrait of Jennie (1948), The Men (1950), My Cousin Rachel (1953), The War Lover (1962)

What do you think? Was this list what you expected?

Tomorrow, my Top Ten Screwball/Romantic Comedies!