It’s that time of year again…
Today, the Library of Congress selected 25 films for inclusion in the National Film Registry. These cinematic treasures represent important cultural, artistic and historic achievements in filmmaking.
“Established by Congress in 1989, the National Film Registry spotlights the importance of preserving America’s unparalleled film heritage,” said James H. Billington (the Librarian of Congress). “These films are not selected as the ‘best’ American films of all time, but rather as works of enduring importance to American culture. They reflect who we are as a people and as a nation.”
Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany’s
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To be included, a film must be at least 10 years old as well as “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.” This year’s selection represents a wide range of genres and eras, and includes Hollywood classics, documentaries, early films, and independent and experimental films — bringing the total number of films in the registry to 600.
The Classic Era feature films selected include: 3:10 to Yuma, Anatomy of a Murder, Born Yesterday, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Sons of the Desert and Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Later feature films include: A Christmas Story, Dirty Harry, A League of Their Own and The Matrix.
Judy Holliday, Broderick Crawford and William Holden in Born Yesterday
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Films selected for inclusion into the National Film Registry this year:
- “3:10 to Yuma” (1957) (narrative feature)
- “Anatomy of a Murder” (1959) (narrative feature)
- “The Augustas” (1930s-1950s) (home movie/documentary)
- “Born Yesterday” (1950) (narrative feature)
- “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” (1961) (narrative feature)
- “A Christmas Story” (1983) (narrative feature)
- “The Corbett-Fitzsimmons Title Fight” (1897) (documentary)
- “Dirty Harry” (1971) (narrative feature)
- “Hours for Jerome: Parts 1 and 2” (1980-82) (experimental film)
- “Kodachrome Color Motion Picture Tests” (1922) (experimental film)
- “A League of Their Own” (1992) (narrative feature)
- “The Matrix” (1999) (narrative feature)
- “The Middleton Family at the New York World’s Fair” (1939) (narrative feature/documentary)
- “One Survivor Remembers” (1995) (documentary/short subject)
- “Parable” (1964) (narrative feature)
- “Samsara: Death and Rebirth in Cambodia” (1990) (documentary)
- “Slacker” (1991) (narrative feature)
- “Sons of the Desert” (1933) (narrative feature)
- “The Spook Who Sat by the Door” (1973) (narrative feature)
- “They Call It Pro Football” (1967) (documentary)
- “The Times of Harvey Milk” (1984) (documentary)
- “Two-Lane Blacktop” (1971) (narrative feature)
- “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” (1914) (narrative feature)
- “The Wishing Ring; An Idyll of Old England” (1914) (narrative feature)
Library of Congress Press Release
Images and List of Classic Era Feature Films in the National Film Registry
–Annmarie Gatti for Classic Movie Hub
James Stewart, Donna Reed and Family in Frank Capra’s beloved Christmas Classic (see contest question above)
