In Derek’s review of the 1931 release Dracula, he makes a good point: it’s not fair to make a straight up comparison between brand new blockbusters and classic’s of old. I will now ignore that statement and go straight to my analysis of the best decade for movies. To keep it relevant I’ll start with the 1950’s. After all, if you’re old enough to remember the movies you watched in the 1940’s, you’re likely still trying to figure out what a ‘blog’ is or why your great-great-grandson won’t stop talking about his twitter.
1950’s
This decade and prior owns the acclaimed title of the “golden era” in film. Back when you couldn’t make-up for a poor story or shallow characters with some good explosions and lots of cursing. This decade passes down to us such greats as 12 Angry Men, North By Northwest and Singin’ in the Rain. Household names like Cary Grant, Gene Kelly, Rita Hayworth, Burt Lancaster, Frank Sinatra and Grace Kelly cut their chops in the 50’s (and prior). Overall, the 50’s is likely better known for it’s legendary celebrities than it’s monumental films. So, the 50’s can be easily coined the “decade of legends”.
1960’s
It’s impossible for me to think of the 1960’s and not think of John Wayne and Clint Eastwood. Westerns played a huge role in the 1960’s and appealed to the “tough, hard-nosed, gritty” man of that age, an image reinforced by many of our fathers and grandfathers . You also started to see the sci-fi/horror genre take off a bit, especially concerning vampires. Elvis Presley even 
gave the big-screen a try, starring or co-starring in 27 films in the 60’s alone! This decade was really all over the place. Studios were beginning to really push the limits of what can, or should, be shown on the big screen. Audiences were enjoying the latter years of some of the stars I mentioned in the 50’s, while also figuring out who the next group of young stars would be. I’d personally label this decade as “Hollywood in transition”.
1970’s
The greatest impact out of the 1970’s on the big screen can be summed up in two words: Star Wars. I’m personally a bigger fan of 1977’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind (I know I know… stop throwing things at your monitor). While somewhat overshadowed by Star Wars and its ensuing legacy, the rest of the decade still delivered some greats. You had big-time films like 
Patton, The Exorcist, The Sting and Apocalypse Now. There were some huge series that began in the 70’s as well: The first two installments of The Godfather, the first three Jaws movies, the first two Rocky’s and the first of the big-screen appearances of Superman. Epic comedies also appeared in the 70’s like Blazing Saddles, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Animal House, Young Frankenstein and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. For some perspective, in 1977 alone the movie industry grossed about $1.5 Billion… just in the States! It’s not hard to see why I call the 1970’s the “beginning of blockbusters.”
I’ll be wrapping up my analysis of each decade next week with the 80’s, 90’s and 2000’s (the ought’s?) and weighing in on which decade is best. Until then, what do you think of these three decades? See Part 2 here.
Really disappointed that you have not mentioned 1 Stanley Kubrick film. Arguably the greatest film director of all time.
I had thought I included Dr. Strangelove in there… by bad, good call.
I don’t think I’d consider him for the GOAT… I’d think you’d have to have at least one Oscar win for Best Director to have a case there. He had a real solid 60’s and 70’s though.
The only thing I liked about this is when you mentioned me. Oh, and the content. You make a good case for the 70s, which I think is an obvious frontrunner. Looking forward to part 2. Do you think it will be hard to separate what appeals to your senses (as a contemporary of, and fan of, movies today) to what you might consider objectively “the best”? What is your criteria? Ehhhh … and I said objectively, even though it will always be subjective. But what steps are you taking to not be a generationist snob? I know that will be particularly hard for you.
Lol. Well, I’m taking into consideration more opinions than just mine, which I’ll reference in part 2. Film impact, as with Star Wars, was also considered. I didn’t really use the box office take, that’s hard to compare consistently. And in general I tried to pick the opposite of whatever you would pick, Derek. Knowing you’re usually wrong 😉
And don’t forget that the 50s and prior were the era of the sweeping epics (Ben Hur, Ten Commandments, Gone with the Wind), classic musicals (which you did mention one), the gangster era, the anti-hero film noir era, the classic horror era, a lot of classic war movies. I guess it would be hard to really judge this one accordingly since this is sort of the era that started it all. But having it be 50s “and prior” leads to some of that. Good luck. I don’t know what your conclusion is yet, but I disagree.
AND the Wizard of Oz!!
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Are you kidding me?! C’mon, Gene–the 1950s and the 1960s should be WAY higher on the list. Those two decades saw some of the very best filmmakers in the history of film making. Alfred Hitchcock, the master of suspense himself, made most of his movies during this times. Other fantastic directors who made fantastic movies in the 50s and 60s include Elia Kazan (On the Waterfront, Streetcar Named Desire), Akira Kurosawa (Seven Samurai, Ikiru), William Wyler (Ben Hur, Roman Holiday), David Lean (Bridge on the River Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia), Billy Wilder (Sunset Blvd, Some Like it Hot, The Apartment), and Orson Welles (yes, Citizen Kane was released in 1941, but Touch of Evil was released in 1958). On top of all of that, the end of the 1950s and all of the 1960s saw the French New Wave in film, led by filmmakers such as Francois Truffaut (Jules et Jim, The 400 Blows), Jean-Luc Godard (Breathless, Pierrot le Fou), and Jacques Demy (Lola, Umbrellas of Cherbourg). Oh and let’s not forget the Italian filmmakers of the time, including Federico Fellini, “Il Maestro” (La Docle Vita, 8 1/2). And legendary Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergmen created some of his masterpieces during this time (The Seventh Seal, Persona). Even if you want to argue that Hollywood was unsure of itself in the 60s, foreign filmmakers sure weren’t.
Walt Disney also killed it during the 50s and 60s. Animated movies produced by Disney during this time include Cinderella, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, Sleeping Beauty, and Jungle Book; live action movies include classics such as Mary Poppins, Old Yeller, and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. It was also a golden era for Hollywood epics (The Ten Commandments, or anything produced by Cecil B. De Mille) and musicals (My Fair Lady, Gigi, The Sound of Music, West Side Story). Seriously, look at the Oscar winners for Best Picture in the 1960s–four out of ten are musicals.
And you don’t even discuss the 1930s or the 1940s? I can’t talk to you right now.