I just put together a few titles for a friend and thought I’d put some of my suggestions here too. You can probably find these elsewhere, but they are all available on the Criterion Channel right now.
And, I might add, the Criterion Channel offers a 2-week trial period for free…
Dancey
You Were Never Lovelier (1942)
Director: William A. Seiter
Starring: Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth
A fairly silly plot involving a domineering father insisting that his daughters wed in order of age. The younger ones have spouses all picked out, but their happiness is blocked by the insistence of daughter #2 (Rita Hayworth) that she will never marry. Shenanigans ensue and happy hoofer Fred gets caught in the middle. Take this storyline as you will, and you will be rewarded by the spectacle of Fred and Rita dancing. Everyone knows Fred can dance – the real surprise here is Rita, who keeps up with him effortlessly. Stunning! (Movie also features Xavier Cugat and his orchestra.)
Also on Criterion is another Fred/Rita flick – You’ll Never Get Rich (1941). Weaker movie, generally, and much weaker storyline, but blessed with Cole Porter tunes and some amazing dance sequences. If you don’t want to watch the whole thing, just go to 3:40, and 57:58 for my two favourite routines.
If these both seem pretty frothy and lightweight, remember that they were made as World War II was going on, so the full intent of movies like these was to cheer people up!
Witty
Blithe Spirit (1945)
Director: David Lean
Script by: Noel Coward
Starring: Rex Harrison, Margaret Rutherford, Constance Cummings, Kay Hammond
If witty dialogue is your cup of tea – or your dry martini – then this is the movie for you. During a dinner party seance Rex Harrison’s deceased first wife is accidentally conjured up and proceeds to upset the household. Featuring Margaret Rutherford as the hilariously eccentric medium, a role she played as well on the stage. (You may remember Rutherford as the quintessential Miss Marple in her later years.)
Whimsical
Mon Oncle (1958)
Directed by and starring: Jacques Tati
Old-fashioned Hulot can’t quite figure out an ultra-modern, push-button house. That’s really all there is to it, though this is also a critique of modernity itself. Tati specialized in perfectly timed physical comedy, like the silent movie gags of Keaton or Chaplin, and his movies are extremely sparse of dialogue. There are five Tati films in the Criterion catalogue right now, if you like this one.
If you are really ready to level up, Playtime (1967) is, I kid you not, a comedy about architecture, and it is sublime. Just be sure to watch it on a large screen, as everything happens in wide shots and there’s a lot going on. Three-ring circus style.
Hope these brighten up your evening! Keep calm and carry on!