What does it mean to be "Born in the U.S.A.," as Springsteen chants? If nationality means anything, it means we are born into more than just a shared ancestry, a common history, a given language, sacred spaces, generally accepted views on God and government. That something more is a national consciousness, a national soul, a national character, a national identity--in short, perhaps, a national myth. In America surely our most pervasive, powerful, provocative, and, yes, even polemical cultural invention is the myth of success, "The American Dream." Though its most familiar guises are "Rags to Riches" and "the Self-Made Man," the American Dream "has not been a dream of merely material plenty. . . . It has been much more than that. It has been a dream of being able to grow to fullest development as man and woman, unhampered by the barriers which had slowly been erected in older civilizations, unrepressed by social orders which had developed for the benefit of classes rather than for the simple human being of every class" (James Truslow Adams, The Epic of America, Boston: Little, Brown, 1932, p. xxx).

In the poetry of our national myth, America is Eden, El Dorado, New Jerusalem, the City on a Hill, the Fountain of Youth. America is the Statue of Liberty, the melting pot, the rainbow. America is Columbus, Ben Franklin, Daniel Boone, Lee Iacocca. America is Winning the West, Manifest Destiny, Making the World Safe for Democracy, exploring Space: The Final Frontier. Americans are immigrants, WASPs, beats, hippies, yuppies, Okies. America is upward mobility, expansive frontiers, exploration of consciousness, new beginnings. America is Andrew, the Hebredean, Emerson evicting the courtly muses of Europe, Thoreau waiting for the spring to come in, Whitman finding himself luscious, Ragged Dick saving the scion, Christopher Newman shopping for a wife, Silas Lapham agonizing over gloves, Hank Morgan knocking 'em dead, Gatsby on his dock, Flem Snopes sniffing a deal. Every American heart vibrates to the opening lines of Lee Iacocca's autobiography: "I began my life as the son of immigrants, and I worked my way up to the presidency of the Ford Motor Company." America is work yet luck, moxie yet humility, log cabins yet lifestyles of the rich and famous. All revolves around the potential for wealth, fame, power, self-fulfillment. America is the worship of (the sometimes bitch goddess) Success.

The literary and some popular culture aspects of the American Myth of Success have received significant attention. A basic bibliography of such studies would certainly include the likes of John Cawelti's Apostles of the Self-Made Man (Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1965), Richard Huber's The American Idea of Success (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1971), David Madden's American Dreams, American Nightmares (Carbondale: Southern Illinois UP, 1970), Richard Weiss's The American Myth of Success from Horatio Alger to Norman Vincent Peale (New York: Basic Books, 1969), and Irvin Wyllie's The Self-Made Man in America (New Brunswick: Rutgers UP, 1954).

There is at present, however, no sustained study of the ways in which film has played its part in the continual creation, transmission, and testing of the myth of success. Yet America surely is also Rocky and the Little Tramp. Surely the oily Gordon Gekko proclaiming greed as good and desperado George Bailey poised for the last leap. Surely Orson Welles bellowing "I am Charles Foster Kane" and Jane Darwell affirming the people will never die. Surely Little Caesar with his elegant attire and fast cars as well as Jack Nicholson in football helmet on a cycle making love to the open road. Surely movies that got us through the Depression as well as movies that gave us depression when we were affluent yuppies. Surely mythic scripts from Frank Capra, John Ford, Oliver Stone. Surely, surely America is Gary Cooper as John Doe, Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond, Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey, Joan Crawford as Mildred Pierce, Henry Fonda as young Lincoln, John Wayne as Tom Dunson.

So, here is a basic film guide to the American Myth of Success. In order to suggest the pervasiveness of the myth, the list extends beyond traditional immigrant and biographical films to include representatives of all the genres (western, gangster, musical, war, political, science fiction, sports, even comedy) , representatives of the several marginalized cultures of America (African American, Native American, Asian American, Hispanic), and films that both celebrate and complicate the myth. Leading actors and actresses are usually given, and the director's name appears when his career work has had a major impact on the rendering of the myth.
 

Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1939) (110 mins.): Early career and romantic relationships of America's model self-made man. Raymond Massey, Gene Lockhart, Ruth Gordon.

After Hours (1985) (97 mins.): Timid yuppie ventures into an unfamiliar part of New York and confronts the marginalized. Griffin Dunne, Rosanna Arquette. Dir: Martin Scorsese.

The Age of Innocence (1993) (138 mins.): Based on the Edith Wharton novel. Tough look at 1870s New York aristocracy. Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer. Dir: Martin Scorsese.

Alice Adams (1935) (99 mins.): Based on the Booth Tarkington novel. Small-town girl, ashamed of humble family, tries to gain acceptance into society. Katherine Hepburn, Fred MacMurray.

Alice's Restaurant (1969) (111 mins.): Key film about the 1960s counterculture. Hippie attempts to evade the draft by enrolling in college. Arlo Guthrie. Dir: Arthur Penn.

All About Eve (1950) (138 mins.): A seemingly sweet but actually conniving young woman schemes to replace a Broadway star. Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, George Sanders. Dir: Joseph Mankiewicz. (English Dept)

All the King's Men (1949) (109 mins.): Based on the Robert Penn Warren novel. Lowly well-meaning politician rises to the governorship, falling morally along the way. Broderick Crawford, Joanne Dru, John Ireland. (LU 1600)

America, America (1963) (168 mins.): During the 1890s, a Greek boy's incredible struggles just to get to America. Dir: Elia Kazan. (LU 1638)

Angels with Dirty Faces (1938) (97 mins.): Two buddies from a slum neighborhood grow up, one a priest, one a gangster. The gangster is a hero to the "dead end kids" because he sees the hypocrisy of a greedy and corrupt society. James Cagney, Pat O'Brien.  (LU 1905)

Apocalypse Now (1979) (153 mins.): Army officer in Vietnam plays god, goes his own way, and has to be "terminated." Marlon Brando, Martin Sheen, Robert Duvall. Dir: Francis Ford Coppola. (LU 570 & English Dept)

Apollo 13 (1995) (140 mins.): "Houston, we have a problem." Courageous astronauts fight for their lives and the success of their mission. Tom Hanks. Dir: Ron Howard.

At the Circus (1939) (87 mins.): The Marx Brothers try to save a circus from bankruptcy. Marx Brothers.

Avalon (1990) (126 mins.): Three-generation saga of Russian Jewish family moving from poverty to prosperity starting from the Baltimore suburb of Avalon. Aldan Quinn, Elizabeth Perkins. Dir: Barry Levinson. (LU 1019)
 

Babbitt (1934) (74 mins.): Based on the Sinclair Lewis novel. Tough look at small-minded small town America. Guy Kibbee.

Baby Boom (1987) (110 mins.): Top female executive tries to take care of a baby. Diane Keaton.

Back to Bataan (1945) (95 mins.): Intrepid army officer leads guerrilla raids against the Japanese. John Wayne, Anthony Quinn.

The Bank Dick (1940) (73 mins.): Bumbling boozer and failure in the eyes of his female family becomes an unlikely hero after he appears to have foiled a robbery, ending up an aristocrat. W. C. Fields. (English Dept)

The Barkleys of Broadway (1949) (110 mins.): Story loosely based on the stars' careers. Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers.

Bataan (1943) (105 mins.):  American patrol holds out against all odds.  Robert Taylor, George Murphy.  (LU 1957)

Being There (1979) (124 mins.): Based on the Jerzy Kosinski novel. Childlike recluse is made by the media into a political messiah. Peter Sellers, Shirley MacLaine. (LU 1660)

The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) (170 mins.): Three soldiers try to adjust to America after World War II. Frederic March, Myrna Loy. Dir: William Wyler.

Big Business (1988) (98 mins.): Two sets of identical twins contest a business deal. Bette Midler, Lily Tomlin.

The Big Carnival (1951) (112 mins.): Cynical newsman milks story of trapped coal miner for his own gain. Kirk Douglas. Dir: Billy Wilder. (Also titled Ace in the Hole.)

The Big Chill (1983) (103 mins.): Reunion of college friends at the funeral of one of them who committed suicide contrasts 80s yuppies with their 60s selves. William Hurt, Glenn Close. (English Dept)

Blood Money (1933) (65 mins.): Debutante comes between corrupt social climber and his associate. Underworld drama. George Bancroft.

Blue Chips (1994) (108 mins.): Coach tries to create a winning basketball team, in the mode of Bobby Knight. Nick Nolte.

Bob Roberts (1992) (102 mins.): Folk singer rises in self-made man fashion to the Senate attacking 60s values and representing conservative philosophy of the rich. Tim Robbins.

The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990) (126 mins.): Based on the Tom Wolfe novel. A young financier who thinks of himself as a "Master of the Universe" takes a wrong turn into the south Bronx while driving with his mistress and his successful life unravels. Tom Hanks, Melanie Griffith, Bruce Willis. Dir: Brian DePalma. (LU 1009)

Bonnie and Clyde (1967) (111 mins.): The mythologizing of successful criminals in the exploits of the Robin-Hood-like Barrows gang during the Depression. Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway. Dir: Arthur Penn. (LU 185 & English Dept)

Born on the Fourth of July (1989) (145 mins.): The true story of the rise of Ron Kovic from a kid in Norman Rockwell America to Vietnam war hero and the post-war adjustment of the permanently disabled. Tom Cruise. Dir: Oliver Stone. (LU 1639 & English Dept)

Born Yesterday (1950) (103 mins.): Rich man hires a reporter to tutor his wacky mistress. Judy Holiday, William Holden. Dir: George Cukor.

Boys Town (1938) (96 mins.): Antidote to the slums is example of America's ability to right any wrong: a democratic melting pot where bad and deprived boys can get a good start. Spencer Tracy, Mickey Rooney.  (LU 1820)

Boyz N' the Hood (1991) (112 mins.): Black coming of age story in the tough part of Los Angeles. Larry Fishburne. Dir: John Singleton. (LU 1795)

Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) (114 mins.): In New York rural Lula Mae becomes transformed into Holly Golightly, a woman who will do almost anything for money. Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard. (LU 574)

The Breakfast Club (1985) (92 mins.): High school trouble makers have yuppie parents more interested in money than them. Emilio Estevez, Molly Ringwold.

Brewster's Millions (1985) (97 mins.): A man will inherit a huge fortune if he can spend a small fortune in a month. Richard Pryor, John Candy.

Bright Lights, Big City (1988) (108 mins.): Midwesterner sucked into the urban yuppie drug culture. Michael J. Fox, Kiefer Sutherland.

A Bronx Tale (1993) (122 mins.): Young boy growing up torn between his middle-class bus driver father and a gangster neighborhood hero. Robert De Niro.

Buffalo Bill and the Indians (1976) (115 mins.):  Caustic portrayal of the western hero and his Wild West Show that glamorized our defeat of the Indians.  (English Dept)

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) (112 mins.): Likeable western crooks as heroes. Paul Newman, Robert Redford. (LU 770)
 

Carrie (1952) (118 mins.): Based on the Theodore Dreiser novel. Late 19th-century Chicago woman rises through the social ranks. Jennifer Jones, Laurence Olivier. Dir: William Wyler.

Cash McCall (1959) (116 mins.): Successful businessman romances the daughter of a failing rival. James Garner, Natalie Wood.

Champion (1949) (99 mins.): Breakdown of brutal boxer who has spared no one on his way to the top. Kirk Douglas. (LU 1640)

The China Syndrome (1979) (123 mins.): Television reporter after a big story and an engineer try to expose the cover-up of a potential nuclear plant meltdown. Jack Lemmon, Jane Fonda. (LU 824 & English Dept)

Christmas in July (1940) (67 mins.): Comedy when a man is tricked into buying presents, thinking he has won a contest. Dick Powell. Dir: Preston Sturges.

Christopher Columbus (1949) (104 mins.): The man whose success started it all. Frederic March.  (English Dept)

Citizen Kane (1941) (119 mins.): The rise and fall of a Hearst- like newspaper magnate. Orson Welles. (LU E48 & English Dept)

City Lights (1931) (75 mins.): The Little Tramp tries to help a poor blind flower girl regain her sight. Charlie Chaplin.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) (135 mins.): A very ordinary guy finds himself one of the first humans chosen to meet friendly aliens. Richard Dreyfuss. Dir: Steven Spielberg. (English Dept)

Coal Miner's Daughter (1980) (124 mins.): Rags to riches life of country music star Loretta Lynn. Sissy Spacek, Tommy Lee Jones.

Cobb (1995) (129 mins.): The best but most despised baseball player of all time. Tommy Lee Jones.

Cold Turkey (1971) (99 mins.): Small town will win a huge cash prize if everybody quits smoking. Dick Van Dyke, Bob Newhart. Dir: Norman Lear.

The Color of Money (1986) (119 mins.): "It's about money," says Fast Eddie, twenty years after The Hustler, about playing pool. Paul Newman, Tom Cruise. Dir: Martin Scorsese.

The Color Purple (1985) (154 mins.): Poor abused black woman gradually gains control of her life. Whoopi Goldberg, Danny Glover. Dir: Steven Spielberg. (LU 772)

Come and Get It (1936) (99 mins.): Based on an Edna Ferber story. Greed and power in a midwestern lumber town. William Wyler, Edward Arnold, Walter Brennan. Dir: Howard Hawks.

Coming to America (1988) (116 mins.): African prince comes to New York to find a bride. Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall. (LU 576)

The Count (1916) (23 mins.): The Little Tramp, fired from his tailor job, impersonates a wealthy man and competes for Miss Moneybags. Charlie Chaplin. (English Dept)

Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989) (104 mins.): The monied world of yuppie angst. Woody Allen, Mia Farrow, Martin Landau, Alan Alda. (LU 1601)

Crossing Delancey (1988) (97 mins.): New York career girl is subject to matchmaking by her Jewish grandmother. Amy Irving.

Crossover Dreams (1985) (85 mins.): Puerto Rican salsa singer wants to be a mainstream star. Ruben Blades. (LU 1765)

The Crowd (1928) (104 mins.): Mediocre man who only wants an "opportunity" to be a success is almost lost and crushed in the big city. Silent. Dir: King Vidor. (English Dept)

The Curse of the Starving Class (1995) (102 mins.): Based on the Sam Shepard play. Con men feed on a pitiful family. James Woods.
 

Dances With Wolves (1990) (180 mins.): Civil War veteran chooses to serve on the frontier and finds new life with the Sioux. Kevin Costner. (LU 1077)

Daniel Boone (1936) (75 mins.): The opening of the Kentucky frontier led by the legendary pioneer. George O'Brien, John Carradine. (LU 1811)

The Day of the Locust (1975) (140 mins.): Based on the novel by Nathanael West. Greed and ambition in 1930s Hollywood. Donald Sutherland, Karen Black.

Dead End (1937) (94 mins.): Fugitive crook returns to the neighborhood where his chosen life began. Joel McCrea, Humphrey Bogart. Introduces the "Dead End Kids." Dir: William Wyler.  (English Dept)

Death of a Salesman (1985) (135 mins.): The Arthur Miller play. Tragic distance between a hard-working man's illusions and the reality of his life and family. Dustin Hoffman, John Malkovich. (LU 777 & English Dept)

The Deer Hunter (1978) (183 mins.): The lives of Pittsburgh steel worker friends are shattered after they follow the American dream to Vietnam. Robert De Niro, Meryl Streep. (LU 1602)

The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941) (109 mins.): Based on the Stephen Vincent Benet story. Getting ahead with the help of the devil. Edward Arnold, Walter Huston. (Also titled All That
Money Can Buy.)

The Devil and Miss Jones (1941) (92 mins.): Rich, miserable tycoon is humanized after he becomes a clerk in his own store to see who is responsible for union activities. Jean Arthur, Charles Coburn.

Diary of a Mad Housewife (1970) (100 mins.): Frustrated woman married to a social-climber. Carrie Snodgrass, Richard Benjamin.

Disclosure (1994) (129 mins.): Woman boss charges sexual harassment when a man refuses her advances. Michael Douglas, Demi Moore.

The Dollmaker (1984) (140 mins.): Long-suffering farm wife from Kentucky realizes her artistic talents as a sculptor and shapes the family life as well. Jane Fonda. (LU 1641)

The Doors (1991) (135 mins.): Rise and fall of rock star Jim Morrison and his group. Val Kilmer, Meg Ryan. Dir: Oliver Stone.  (LU 1928 & English Dept)

Downhill Racer (1969) (102 mins.): Ambitious, unscrupulous, lower-class athlete tries to make good in the world of international skiing competition. Robert Redford, Gene Hackman.

Drums Along the Mohawk (1939) (103 mins.): Farmer families fight Indians to defend their young America around the time of the Revolution. Henry Fonda, Claudette Colbert. Dir: John Ford. (LU 1642)

Duck Soup (1933) (72 mins.): Satire on everything sacred as things were falling apart in the Depression: loyalty, patriotism, democracy. Marx Brothers. (English Dept)

Dutchman (1966) (55 mins.): The Amiri Baraka play. White woman taunts then kills upwardly moving middle-class black man. Shirley Knight, Al Freeman. (LU 1507)
 

Easy Living (1937) (87 mins.): Cinderella story: people are what they wear and whom they seem to know. Jean Arthur, Edward Arnold, Ray Milland.

Easy Living (1949) (77 mins.): Grim life for a football star at the end of his career. Victor Mature, Lucille Ball.

Easy Rider (1969) (94 mins.): Counter-culture heroes explore America on their motorcycles. "It's real hard to be free when you're bought and sold in the marketplace." Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Jack Nicholson. Dir: Dennis Hopper. (LU 338 & English Dept)

Easy Street (1916) (23 mins.): The Little Fellow converts a violent slum into middle-class respectability. Charlie Chaplin. (English Dept)

Edison, the Man (1940) (106 mins.): Culminates in the invention of the light bulb. Spencer Tracy.

Eight Men Out (1988) (119 mins.): The 1919 Chicago White Sox, the best team in baseball, throw the World Series. Corruption in the national past-time. John Cusack, Charlie Sheen. Dir: John Sayles. (LU 1643)

El Norte (1983) (139 mins.): Guatelmalan brother and sister flee persecution for the imagined paradise of Los Angeles. (LU 245)

The Emigrants (1971) (148 mins.): Swedish family comes to the New World in the 1850s. Max von Sydow, Liv Ullmann. Sequel is The New Land.  (LU 1812)

Emperor Jones (1933) (72 mins.): Based on the Eugene O'Neill play. Train porter becomes ruler of a Caribbean island. Paul Robeson. (LU 1018)

Everybody's All-American (1988) (127 mins.): Self-pitying middle age follows the glorious career. Dennis Quaid, Jessica Lange.

Executive Suite (1954) (104 mins.): Power struggle on the board of a manufacturing firm. William Holden, June Allyson.
 

A Face in the Crowd (1957) (126 mins.): Low-life southerner with magnetic personality uses the power of radio and television to mold himself into a national figure. Andy Griffith, Patricia Neal, Lee Remick. Dir: Elia Kazan. (English Dept)

Far and Away (1992) (140 mins.): Lovers leave Ireland seeking their fortune in the New World. Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman. Dir: Ron Howard.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) (103 mins.): Teen rebellion against the yuppie world of parents. Matthew Broderick.

A Few Good Men (1992) (138 mins.): Top marine is brought down. Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore. Dir: Rob Reiner.

Field of Dreams (1989) (106 mins.): The power of imagination against farm developers brings about a baseball field and the return of legendary heroes. Kevin Costner. (LU 782)

The Fighting Seabees (1944) (100 mins.): Construction-worker heroes in World War II. John Wayne, Susan Hayward.  (LU 1816)

The Fighting 69th (1940) (90 mins.): World War I soldier changes from coward to hero. James Cagney, Pat O'Brien.

The Firm (1993) (154 mins.): Low-level lawyer lands a dream job with a prestigious firm that has secrets to hide. Tom Cruise, Gene Hackman.

First Blood (1982) (96 mins.) (LU 1779), Rambo: First Blood, Part II (1985) (95 mins.) (LU 1780), Rambo III (1988) (102 mins.): Rambo! Sylvester Stallone.

Flashdance (1983) (96 mins.): Welder by day, erotic dancer by night, a woman dreams of dancing with the ballet. Jennifer Beals. (English Dept)

Flying Leathernecks (1951) (102 mins.): Two officers represent the tension between cold military discipline and humanity as World War II squadron tries to get the job done. John Wayne, Robert Ryan.  (English Dept)

Follow the Fleet (1936) (110 mins.): Sailors try to raise money to restore a ship. Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers.

Footlight Parade (1933) (104 mins.): Hard-working and creative musical comedy producer struggles to save his company from bankruptcy. James Cagney, Ruby Keeler. Busby Berkeley musical. (English Dept)

Forrest Gump (1994) (142 mins.): Low IQ and good-hearted boy works hard and becomes everything from a football hero and war hero to a business "go-zillionaire." Tom Hanks, Sally Field.  (LU 1645)

Fort Apache (1948) (120 mins.): Two styles of leadership clash as cavalry fight the Indians. Henry Fonda, John Wayne. Dir: John Ford. (English Dept)

The Fortune (1975) (88 mins.): Con-men plan to murder an heiress and fleece her fortune. Warren Beatty, Jack Nicholson. Dir: Mike Nichols.

42nd Street (1933) (90 mins.): Chorus girl fills in and becomes a star. Ruby Keeler. Busby Berkeley musical. (English Dept)

1492: The Conquest of Paradise (1992) (142 mins.): Columbus, the prototype of American enterprise. Gerard Depardieu, Sigourney Weaver. Dir: Ridley Scott. (LU 1644)

Fun With Dick and Jane (1977) (95 mins.): After husband loses his job, a couple turn to crime to survive. George Segal, Jane Fonda.
 

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) (91 mins.): Two women chase men and fortunes. Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe, who sings "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend." Dir: Howard Hawks. (English Dept)

The Getaway (1972) (123 mins.): Bank robber couple lead police on a lengthy chase. Steve McQueen, Ali McGraw. Dir: Sam Peckinpah.

Giant (1956) (202 mins.): Based on the Edna Ferber novel. Oil barons v cattlemen, new money v old money, class distinctions in Texas. Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, James Dean. (LU 270)

Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) (100 mins.): Based on the David Mamet play. Desperate real estate men hustle to sell properties in cut-throat business. Jack Lemmon, Al Pacino. (LU 1617)

The Godfather (1972) (175 mins.), Part II (1974) (200 mins.), Part III (1990) (161 mins.) : Mafia empire, crime as capitalism, a corrupt Vatican, and etc.! Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Robert Duvall. Dir: Francis Ford Coppola. (LU 191 & English Dept)

Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933) (98 mins.): Showgirls marry the rich men who save a stage show from being a Depression casualty. Dick Powell, Joan Blondell, Ginger Rogers, Ruby Keeler. Busby Berkeley musical: the song "We're in the Money." (English Dept)

Gold Diggers of 1935 (1935) (95 mins.): A bit darker than 1933. The song "Lullaby of Broadway." Dick Powell, Adolphe Menjou. Dir: Busby Berkeley.

The Gold Rush (1925) (80 mins.) (re-edited with narration and music, 1942): Charlie braves the Alaskan Klondike and a greedy villain to become rich himself and to win a dance hall beauty. Charlie Chaplin. (English Dept)

Gone With the Wind (1939) (233 mins.): The effect of the Civil War and reconstruction on the good life in the Old South. Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh. (LU 153)

Goodfellas (1990) (146 mins.): A young boy who wants to be "somebody" instead of a "sucker" rises in the mafia only to end up "Mr. Average Nobody." Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci. Dir: Martin Scorsese. (LU 1585)

The Graduate (1967) (105 mins.): Upperclass young man follows love and opts out of family's fast-track. "Plastics." Dustin Hoffman, Katherine Ross. Dir: Mike Nichols. (English Dept)

The Grapes of Wrath (1940) (128 mins.): Based on the John Steinbeck novel. Oklahoma dustbowl farmers seek a better life in California during the depression. Henry Fonda, Jane Darwell. Dir: John Ford. (LU 255 & English Dept)

The Great Gatsby (1974) (146 mins.): Based on the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel. Criminal millionaire tries to pursue his love and to join the wealthy social elite. Robert Redford, Mia Farrow. (LU 1603 & English Dept)

The Great McGinty (1940) (82 mins.): Hobo becomes governor through party machinery and then tries to go straight. Brian Donleavy. Dir: Preston Sturges. (English Dept)

The Greatest (1977) (100 mins.): Muhammad Ali plays himself. Ernest Borgnine, James Earl Jones.

Greed (1925) (133 mins.): Based on McTeague by Frank Norris. Money is the root of all evil. Wife's obsession with money precipitates husband's gradual descent into madness. Silent. Dir: Erich von Stroheim. (English Dept)

The Green Berets (1968) (141 mins.): Regarded as the first Vietnam movie and designed by all to support our involvement against a vicious enemy. John Wayne, David Janssen. (LU 1558)

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967) (108 mins.): Relatively upperclass parents are shaken by daughter's engagement to a black man. Spencer Tracy, Katherine Hepburn, Sidney Poitier. Dir: Stanley Kramer.
 

Hail the Conquering Hero (1944) (101 mins.): Satire on our hero worship as rejected soldier becomes a hometown hero. Eddie Bracken. Dir: Preston Sturges.

Hallelujah, I'm a Bum (1933) (82 mins.): Central Park "mayor" of the hoboes in love. Al Jolson. (Also titled Hallelujah, I'm a Tramp and The Heart of New York)

The Hairy Ape (1944) (90 mins.): Based on the Eugene O'Neill play. Animal-like boiler room sailor lusts after a woman in first- class. William Bendix, Susan Hayward.

Harlan County, U. S. A. (1977) (103 mins.): Documentary about striking Kentucky mine workers. (LU 1821)

Harvest of Shame (1960) (53 mins.): Edward R. Murrow documentary on the degradation and exploitation of migrant workers. (LU 1512).

Heaven's Gate (1980) (220 mins.): Immigrant homesteaders war with cattle barons in 1890s Wyoming. Kris Kristofferson, Christopher Walken. Dir: Michael Cimino.

Hero (1992) (116 mins.): Small-time criminal and failure to his family saves a woman from a plane crash and allows another person to take the credit -- for a time. Dustin Hoffman, Geena Davis.

Heroes for Sale (1933) (73 mins.): Incredible suffering, but persistence and endurance during the Depression. Richard Barthlemess, Loretta Young.

Hester Street (1975) (92 mins.): Orthodox Jewish immigrant follows her assimilated husband to Lower East Side New York and attempts to cope with "America." Carol Kane. (LU 1646)

Hoop Dreams (1995): The reality about basketball as the road to success for black youths. (LU 1791)

Hoosiers (1987) (115 mins.): Triumph of underdog high school basketball team. Gene Hackman, Dennis Hopper.

How the West Was Won (1962) (165 mins.): The story of westward movement from the Erie canal to California through several frontier types and several families in representative situations from the early 19th century past the Civil War. All-star cast: Gregory Peck, James Stewart, Debbie Reynolds, many more. (English Dept)

How to Marry a Millionaire (1953) (96 mins.): Three friends attempt to land wealthy husbands. Marilyn Monroe, Betty Grable, Lauren Bacall. (LU 1647)

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1967) (121 mins.): Ingenious window washer uses self-help book to go up the corporate ladder. Robert Morse. (LU 1662)

Hud (1963) (112 mins.): Unethical Texas oil man on hard times and his roguish son. Paul Newman, Patricia Neal. (LU 184)

The Hustler (1961) (134 mins.): Pool shark Fast Eddie takes a crack at legendary Minnesota Fats. Paul Newman, Jackie Gleason.
 

I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932) (76 mins.): Victim of the Depression is falsely convicted for a crime and endures incredible inhumanity. Paul Muni.  (LU 1956)

I Have a Dream (1963) (25 mins.): The Martin Luther King speech at the March on Washington. (LU 938)

The Idle Class (1920) (30 mins.): The tramp visits a swank resort, plays a wild round of golf, and is mistaken for a rich drunk. Charlie Chaplin. (English Dept)

Imitation of Life (1934) (109 mins.): Daughter of African American maid tries to pass for white. Claudette Colbert.

The Immigrant (1917) (23 mins.): Humorous and hopeful view of the trials of outsiders coming to "the land of liberty" which does not especially welcome them. Charlie Chaplin. (English Dept)

Indecent Proposal (1993) (119 mins.): Wealthy man offers couple trying to finance dream house through Las Vegas winnings a million dollars to sleep with the wife. Robert Redford, Demi Moore.

The Iron Road (1990) (60 mins.): The transcontinental railroad and the Gold Rush of 1849. (LU 1285)

It Happened One Night (1934) (105 mins.): Spoiled runaway heiress joins with tough newspaper reporter on bus from Florida to New York. Clark Gable, Claudette Colbert. Dir: Frank Capra. (LU 171 & English Dept)

It's a Wonderful Life (1946) (129 mins.): Middle-class Everyman contemplates suicide thinking his life is a failure. James Stewart, Donna Reed. Dir: Frank Capra. (LU 219 & English Dept)
 

The Jackie Robinson Story (1950) (76 mins.): Racial problems confronting the first black man to play in the major leagues. Jackie Robinson, Ruby Dee.

The Jazz Singer (1927) (89 mins.): Cantor's son struggles to reconcile his own drive to be a successful popular singer with his father's religious beliefs. Al Jolson. (LU 1648)

Jeremiah Johnson (1972) (107 mins.): Ex-soldier decides to become a mountain man and trapper. Robert Redford.

The Jerk (1979) (94 mins.): White boy leaves his adopted black parents to find fame and fortune. Steve Martin, Bernadette Peters. Dir: Carl Reiner.

Jim Thorpe -- All-American (1951) (107 mins.): The Native American who had to give up his Olympic medals because he played professional baseball. Burt Lancaster.
 

The Kid (1920) (60 mins.): The tramp adopts an orphaned child, and they form a loving relationship, helping each other make a living, for instance. Charlie Chaplin. (English Dept)

Kings Row (1942) (127 mins.): Incredible corruption beneath the surface respectability of a classic American small town. Ann Sheridan, Ronald Reagan, Robert Cummings. (LU 1649)

Knute Rockne, All-American (1940) (98 mins.): The successful and humanitarian Notre Dame football coach. Pat O'Brien, Ronald Regan as "The Gipper."

Koyaanisqatsi (1983) (87 mins.): Visual tone poem contrasts the Hopi and capitalist worldviews. The title means "crazy world." Music by Philip Glass. (LU 122 & Prof Gallagher)
 

La Bamba (1987) (103 mins.): Rock star Richie Valens' rise to fame, from barrio to stardom before accidental death. Lou Diamond Phillips. (LU 1626)

Lady for a Day (1933) (96 mins.): Apple Annie is transformed into a "lady" by her friends when her daughter comes to visit. May Robson. Dir: Frank Capra. (English Dept)

The Last Tycoon (1977) (123 mins.): Based on the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel. Hollywood mogul tries to maintain his empire. Robert De Niro, Tony Curtis, Robert Mitchum. Dir: Elia Kazan. (LU 1651)

Leaving Normal (1992) (110 mins.): Two women recoiling from bad lives join on a journey in search of a place to settle down. Meg Tilly.

Limelight (1952) (137 mins.): Aging music hall comedian, once a star, befriends a young ballet dancer without confidence, and they help each other. Charlie Chaplin, Claire Bloom. (English Dept)

Little Caesar (1930) (80 mins.): Neurotic gangster, hungry for power, goes from the gutter to the top and back again. Edward G. Robinson. (LU 1652)

Little Women (1933) (116 mins.): Based on the Louisa May Alcott novel. Four sisters in a relatively impoverished but highly respectable family struggle to find their ways during the hard times of the Civil War period. Katherine Hepburn, Joan Bennett. Dir: George Cukor. (LU 362)

Lost in America (1985) (91 mins.): Yuppie wants to drop-out like his heroes in Easy Rider, sets out across country in a motor home, but finds himself penniless when his wife loses their nest egg in Las Vegas. Albert Brooks. (LU 1813)
 

The Magnificent Ambersons (1942) (88 mins.): Based on the Booth Tarkington novel. Fall of genteel family unwilling to adapt to modern times. Joseph Cotton. Dir: Orson Welles. (LU 1606)

Malcolm X (1992) (201 mins.): Rise from petty criminal to internationally known political leader. Denzel Washington. Dir: Spike Lee.  (LU 1790)

The Mambo Kings (1992) (104 mins.): Based on the novel by Oscar Hijuelos. Two Cuban brothers come to America seeking success as musicians. Armand Asante. (LU 1589)

The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (1956) (153 mins.): Mid-life crisis in corporate America. Mild-mannered middle-class man, scarred by the war, takes a high-powered executive job and must choose between wife and career. Gregory Peck, Jennifer Jones. (LU 1653)

A Man's Castle (1933) (66 mins.): Depression romance. Spencer Tracy, Loretta Young.

Marilyn: The Untold Story (1980) (150 mins.): Based on Norman Mailer's biography of Marilyn Monroe. Catherine Hicks, Richard Basehart.

M*A*S*H (1970) (115 mins.): Black humor in a Korean War mobile hospital unit. Deconstructs heroism. Donald Sutherland, Elliott Gould. Dir: Robert Altman. (LU 103)

Matewan (1987) (100 mins.): Massacre of striking coal miners during 1920s labor struggles in West Virginia. James Earl Jones. Dir: John Sayles.

McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971) (121 mins.): Small-time hustler has the dream of creating a town in the Pacific Northwest. Warren Beatty, Julie Christie. Dir: Robert Altman.

Meet John Doe (1941) (122 mins.): A naive hobo is made into a national representative of the common man by a newspaperwoman and becomes a tool of politicians. Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck. Dir: Frank Capra. (English Dept)

Melvin and Howard (1980) (95 mins.): Man in a continual struggle to make a living helps billionaire Howard Hughes and is remembered in his will. Jason Robards, Mary Steenburgen. (LU 1607)

Midnight Cowboy (1969) (113 mins.): Anticipating male prostitution as a way to the high life in New York, a man finds only the city's harshest realities. Jon Voight, Dustin Hoffman. (LU 846)

The Milagro Beanfield War (1988) (118 mins.): Dirt-poor Chicano farmer won't give in to powerful land developers. Ruben Blades. Dir: Robert Redford. (LU 1631)

Mildred Pierce (1945) (109 mins.): Housewife drives her husband away, works her way up to successful restaurant business, only to lose her ungrateful daughter in the process. Working mothers beware! Joan Crawford, Jack Carson. (English Dept)

Mississippi Masala (1992) (118 mins.): Industrious black man working hard at his own small business falls in love with an (Asian) Indian woman and encounters unexpected racism. Denzel Washington. (LU 1608)

Modern Times (1936) (89 mins.): Depression aura. Barely surviving dehumanization in a modern factory, Charlie pursues dreams of a happy, middle-class, domestic life--and is last seen escaping with his girl into the sunset with only a "We'll get along" as hope for success in a world in which they are outlaws. Charlie Chaplin, Paulette Goddard. (LU 791.43 M689)

The Money Pit (1986) (91 mins.): Young yuppies' dream of the perfect house turns into a nightmare. Tom Hanks, Shelley Long.

Moscow on the Hudson (1984) (107 mins.): Russian circus performer defects and adjusts to American life. Robin Williams.

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936) (115 mins.): Naive New Englander inherits a fortune and moves to New York City where everybody is out to exploit "Cinderella Man." Gary Cooper, Jean Arthur. Dir: Frank Capra. (English Dept)

Mr. Sears' Catalogue (1989) (60 mins.): The symbol of the American Dream for the new country. (LU 839)

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) (129 mins.): Idealistic young man is appointed state senator and expected to be a pawn but exposes corruption in his home state. James Stewart, Jean Arthur. Dir: Frank Capra. (English Dept)

My Darling Clementine (1946) (97 mins.): Classic rendition of the Wyatt Earp western hero story. Henry Fonda, Victor Mature. Dir: John Ford. (LU 1655)

My Man Godfrey (1936) (96 mins.):  Spoiled heiress hires a hobo as butler, and he changes her life.  Carole Lombard, William Powell.  (LU 1819)
 

Nashville (1975) (159 mins.): Combination of show business and politics in the music capital. Character study of those around a political rally. Henry Gibson, Karen Black. Dir: Robert Altman. (LU 1609)

Native Son (1987) (111 mins.): Based on the Richard Wright novel. Poor young black man kills white girl by mistake. Victor Love, Oprah Winfrey. (LU 1610)

The Natural (1984) (134 mins.): Based on Bernard Malamud's novel. Baseball player gets a chance late in life to redeem himself. Robert Redford. (LU 803)

Natural Born Killers (1994) (118 mins.): Media turns murderers into folk heroes. Woody Harrelson, Juliette Lewis. Dir: Oliver Stone.  (LU 1906 & English Dept)

Network (1976) (122 mins.): Television news man and woman ultimately have different views on success, on the relative importance of love and work. William Holden, Faye Dunaway, Peter Finch. (English Dept)

The New Land (1972) (161 mins.): Sequel to The Emigrants. Max von Sydow, Liv Ullman.

9 1/2 Weeks (1986) (117 mins.): Poor-boy-made-good as a Wall Street arbitrage expert "plays" with a woman, drawing her into a "dominating" situation. Mickey Rourke, Kim Basinger. (LU 1591 & English Dept)

Nixon (1995): Perennial loser Richard Nixon's drive to gain and maintain political power. Anthony Hopkins. Dir: Oliver Stone.  (LU 2011 & English Dept)

Norma Rae (1979) (114 mins.): Blue-collar woman fights management to form a union. Sally Field. (LU 262)

North Dallas Forty (1979) (119 mins.): Football players battle win-at-any-cost team management. Nick Nolte, Mac Davis.
 

Objective Burma (1945) (142 mins.):  American paratroopers must negotiate 200 miles of jungle to safety after a raid.  Errol Flynn.  (LU1958)

On the Waterfront (1954) (108 mins.): A loser ex-boxer who "could have been a contender" battles leadership of corrupt longshoreman's union to prove he is not a bum. Marlon Brando, Eva Marie Saint, Lee J. Cobb. Dir: Elia Kazan. (LU 264)

Once Upon a Time in America (1984) (227 mins.): Rise and fall of gangster partners from the Lower East Side New York immigrant ghetto from prohibition to the 50s. Robert De Niro, James Woods. Dir: Sergio Leone. (LU 1611)

Once Upon a Time in the West (1969) (165 mins.): Greed and revenge, new business practices and old gunfighting ways meet at a town on the edge of the frontier as the railroad progresses west. Charles Bronson, Henry Fonda, Claudia Cardinale. Dir: Sergio Leone. (LU 1656)

Other People's Money (1991) (101 mins.): Wall Street magnate sets out to take over a small firm and tangles with woman attorney, daughter of the owner. Danny DeVito, Penelope Ann Miller, Gregory Peck.

Our Daily Bread (1934) (74 mins.): Depression era farmers form a successful commune. Dir: King Vidor.
 

Paris is Burning (1991) (76 mins.): Transvestites compete at drag balls.

Patton (1970) (171 mins.): The legendary World War II general. George C. Scott, Karl Malden.

Pennies From Heaven (1981) (107 mins.): Unusual musical mixes sunny depression-era songs with love affair plot. Steve Martin, Bernadette Peters.

Personal Best (1982) (124 mins.): Lesbian comes out while going up as a track star. Mariel Hemingway. (LU 1592)

A Place in the Sun (1951) (122 mins.): Based on Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy. Ambitious young man caught between wealthy woman and middle-class one. Montgomery Clift, Elizabeth Taylor, Shelley Winters. (English Dept)

Platoon (1986) (120 mins.): A ferocious view of Vietnam from the infantry point of view. Tom Berenger, William Dafoe, Charlie Sheen. Dir: Oliver Stone. (LU 589 & English Dept)

The Player (1992) (124 mins.): Callous movie studio executive starts receiving death threats from a rejected screenwriter and his already shaky career begins to crumble. Tim Robbins. Dir: Robert Altman. (LU 1619)

The Power and the Glory (1933) (76 mins.): Ruthless industrial tycoon rises to the top from modest beginnings. Spencer Tracy.

Powwow Highway (1981) (91 mins.): Two Native Americans on a modern quest. (Bethlehem Public)

Pretty Woman (1990) (89 mins.): Ruthless business magnate hires a hooker as a companion during a takeover. Richard Gere, Julia Roberts. (LU 928)

The Pride of the Yankees (1942) (128 mins.): Lou Gehrig, "The Iron Man." Gary Cooper, Teresa Wright.

Prizzi's Honor (1985) (130 mins.): Money wins out over love as hit-team couple accepts contracts on each other. Jack Nicholson, Kathleen Turner. Dir: John Huston.

PT 109 (1963) (140 mins.): President John F. Kennedy's war heroics. Cliff Robertson.

Public Enemy (1931) (84 mins.): Two kids from the slums rise to power in the mob. The hero dies saying, "I ain't so tough." James Cagney, Jean Harlow.   (LU 1941)

Putney Swope (1969) (88 mins.): All-white ad agency is taken over by blacks. Arnold Johnson.

Quick Millions (1931) (72 mins.): Truck driver tired of being low man sets out to be a powerful mobster. Spencer Tracy.

Quiz Show (1995) (133 mins.): The scandal surrounding the television quiz shows in the 1950s. Ralph Fiennes, John Turturro. Dir: Robert Redford. (English Dept)
 

Rabbit, Run (1970) (94 mins.): Based on the John Updike novel. Former high school athlete spends the rest of his life making everybody miserable. James Caan, Carrie Snodgrass.

Raging Bull (1980) (120 mins.): The story of the rise and fall of fierce boxer Jake Lamotta. Robert De Niro. Dir: Martin Scorsese. (LU 1657)

Ragtime (1981) (156 mins.): Based on E. L. Doctorow's novel. Black ragtime musician's fight against racism against the background of early 20th century American life. James Cagney, Elizabeth McGovern.

Raisin in the Sun (1961) (128 mins.): Based on Lorraine Hansberry's play. Struggling 1950s African American family tries to escape their confining existence by moving into a white neighborhood. Sidney Poitier, Claudia McNeil. (LU 936)

Rambo: First Blood, Part II (1985) (95 mins.): Vietnam war hero is sent back after the war on a mission to find POWs. Sylvester Stallone, Richard Crenna. (LU 1780)

Rebel Without a Cause (1955) (111 mins.): Alienated teenager in the 1950s trying to find his identity. James Dean, Natalie Wood. (LU 176)

Red River (1948) (133 mins.): Self-made cattleman becomes power- mad on a grueling cattle drive forced by hard times, forcing a rebellion by his "son" and their cowhands. John Wayne, Montgomery Clift. Dir: Howard Hawks. (LU 1658 & English Dept)

Regarding Henry (1991) (107 mins.): Brain injury from hold-up man's bullet causes soul-less lawyer to find humanity. Harrison Ford. Dir: Mike Nichols.

Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962) (100 mins.): Trying to survive once the career in the corrupt fight game is over. Anthony Quinn, Jackie Gleason.

The Rich and Famous World's Best (1987) (90 mins.): Episodes from the Robin Leach television show "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous." Bounces around the world, but has a section on American restaurants and hotels and vacation spots. (LU 1618)

The Right Stuff (1983) (193 mins.): Training the first astronauts. America's space program beating the Russians to the moon. Sam Shepard, Scott Glenn. (LU 811)

Rocky (1976) (126 mins.): Down-and-out boxer gets a chance to fight the champ. Sylvester Stallone. (LU 1612) Several sequels: Rocky 2 (1979) (120 mins.): Rocky wins the title. Rocky 3 (1982) (100 mins): Rocky's lifestyle of wealth and idleness is shaken. (LU 1613) Rocky 4 (1985) (91 mins.): Rocky fights the Russian. (LU 1614) Rocky 5 (1990) (104 mins.): Rocky trains a protege.

Roger and Me (1989) (91 mins.): Devastating "documentary." Michael Moore tries to get General Motors Chairman Roger Smith to visit Flint and see the economic effects caused by the plant closing. (English Dept)

The Rose (1979) (134 mins.): The rise and fall of drug-ridden rock star Janis Joplin. Bette Midler. (LU 592)

Ruby in Paradise (1993) (115 mins.): A young rural woman pulls up stakes and starts on a journey of self-discovery. Ashley Judd.

Rudy (1993) (113 mins.): There's nothing better than realizing the dream of playing football for Notre Dame. Sean Astin, Ned Beatty.
 

Sabrina (1954) (113 mins.): Daughter of a rich family's chauffeur finds herself a kind of Cinderella. Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart. Dir: Billy Wilder.

Salt of the Earth (1953) (94 mins.): Chicano mine workers strike for decent terms of employment. Subject of bans and blacklists because of "unamerican" slant. (LU 900 & English Dept)

Sands of Iwo Jima (1949) (109 mins.): Tough sergeant makes Marines out of men. John Wayne, John Agar. (LU 812)

Scarface (1932) (93 mins.): Committed to the capitalist ethic, Capone-like Scarface ultimately shows the price paid for individualism. Paul Muni, George Raft. Dir: Howard Hawks.  (LU 1907)

Scarface (1983) (170 mins.): Cuban refugee in Miami becomes a cocaine kingpin. Al Pacino. Dir: Brian DePalma. (LU 1595)

Scavenger Hunt (1979) (117 mins.): Relatives of a deceased wealthy man compete in a scavenger hunt for the vast fortune. Richard Benjamin, James Cocco.

Scent of a Woman (1992) (137 mins.): Poor scholarship student at an exclusive prep school faces a moral decision that will affect his future ability to "make it." Al Pacino.

The Secret of My Success (1987) (110 mins.): Hoping to make it big, a mail clerk heads up the corporate ladder. Michael J. Fox.

Seize the Day (1986) (93 mins.): Based on the Saul Bellow novella. Without job, without money, a man finds that nobody cares what happens to him, not even his father. Robin Williams. (English Dept)

Sergeant York (1941) (134 mins.): Simple farmer becomes a World War I hero. Gary Cooper, Walter Brennan. Dir: Howard Hawks.  (LU 1814)

1776 (1972) (141 mins.): A musical about the Declaration of Independence. William Daniels, Howard Da Silva.   (LU 1878)

Shane (1953) (117 mins.): Gunfighter helps homesteaders being terrorized by cattlemen who have hired a ruthless killer. Alan Ladd, Jack Palance. Dir: George Stevens. (LU 186 & English Dept)

The Shootist (1976) (100 mins.): Gunfighter dying of cancer wants peace but pays price of success when his violent reputation precedes him. John Wayne, Lauren Bacall.

Silkwood (1983) (131 mins.): Woman nuclear plant worker develops courage and political skill when she discovers the workers are being exposed to radiation. Meryl Streep. Dir: Mike Nichols.

Six Degrees of Separation (1993) (112 mins.): Based on John Guare play. Charlatan works his way into and exposes upperclass New York society. Stockard Channing, Donald Sutherland.

Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956) (97 mins.): Rocky Graziano's struggle to rise from hoodlum beginnings to middleweight champion of the world. Paul Newman, Pier Angeli.

The Southerner (1945) (91 mins.): The struggles of a poor tenant farmer against overwhelming odds. Zachary Scott, Betty Field. Dir: Jean Renoir.  (English Dept.)

Stand and Deliver (1988) (103 mins.): Mexican-American teacher inspires barrio students to pass the AP calculus exam. Edward James Olmos, Lou Diamond Phillips. (LU 1633)

A Star is Born (1954) (150 mins.): Struggling singer's Hollywood career rises as her alcoholic star husband's falls. Judy Garland, James Mason. Dir: George Cukor. (English Dept)

Steamboat 'Round the Bend (1935): A chance to see Rogers who represented the American Dream to the American public. Will Rogers. Dir: John Ford.

Stella Dallas (1937) (110 mins.): Mother sacrifices herself to help her daughter escape the working class. Barbara Stanwyck. Dir: King Vidor.

The Story of Alexander Graham Bell (1939) (97 mins.): Biography of the great American hero. Don Ameche, Loretta Young.

Strategic Air Command (1955) (114 mins.): Pro baseball player is drafted to fly long-range bombers during the Cold War. James Stewart, June Allyson.

Sullivan's Travels (1941) (91 mins.): Film-maker pretends to be a hobo for his next film and finds hobo-life is no laughing matter, or is it? Joel McCrea, Veronica Lake. Dir: Preston Sturges. (LU 1659)

Sunset Boulevard (1950) (100 mins.): Silent screen film star now a has-been tries for comeback with help of a gigolo. Gloria Swanson, William Holden. Dir: Billy Wilder. (LU 105 & English Dept)

The Swimmer (1968) (94 mins.): Based on the John Cheever story. "Successful" suburbanite decides to swim his way home via his affluent Connecticut neighbors' back yard pools. And we learn his life on the way. Burt Lancaster. (English Dept)

Sweet Smell of Success (1957) (97 mins.): Expose of gossip columnists and press agents. Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis.
 

Talk Radio (1989) (100 mins.):  Tough look at the personal and public life of a talk show host who achieves success insulting callers.  Eric Bogosian.  Dir: Oliver Stone.  (LU 1898 & English Dept)
 
Thelma and Louise (1991) (127 mins.): Frustrated with their lives in a male environment, two women drop out and accidentally become criminals. Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis. Dir: Ridley Scott. (LU 1597)

They Died With Their Boots On (1941) (141 mins.): The story of Custer as hero. Errol Flynn, Olivia de Haviland. (LU 1635)

They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969) (121 mins.): Depression desperation seen through a grueling dance marathon. Jane Fonda, Gig Young.

This is My Life (1992) (94 mins.): Single mother with two children dreams of becoming a comedian. Julie Kavner.

To Hell and Back (1955) (106 mins.): Audie Murphy, the most decorated infantry soldier in World War II, plays himself.  (English Department)

Tootsie (1982) (116 mins.): Unemployed actor disguises himself as an actress and finds work and success. Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange. (English Dept)

Top Gun (1986) (110 mins.): American machinery and cocky American pilot best the Russians in Cold War encounters. Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis. (LU 401)

Top Hat (1935) (99 mins.): The film couple who long epitomized America's image of success. Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers.

The Toy (1982) (107 mins.): Rich man hires a poor writer to play with his son. Richard Pryor, Jackie Gleason.

Trading Places (1983) (118 mins.): Preppie and street bum have their lives switched. Dan Aykroyd, Eddie Murphy.

The Tramp (1915) (30 mins.): The Little Tramp saves the farmer's daughter and the farmer but must move sadly on down the road with his trademark little hop that says tomorrow will be better. Charlie Chaplin. (English Dept)

Troop Beverly Hills (1989) (105 mins.): Yuppie girl scout leader teaches her troop how to survive in "the wilds of Beverly Hills." Shelley Long.

True Believer (1989) (103 mins.): Affluent lawyer but former radical embodies contrast between 60s idealism and the yuppie cynicism of the 80s. James Woods.

Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988) (111 mins.): Hard work and know-how are defeated by the need for friends in high places in this true story of a designer whose ideas didn't make it in the car world. Jeff Bridges, Martin Landau. Dir: Francis Ford Coppola. (LU 1815)

The Turning Point (1977) (119 mins.): Competition between retired ballerinas. Shirley MacLaine, Anne Bancroft.

Twelve O'Clock High (1949) (136 mins.): A World War II American bomber squadron. Gregory Peck. (LU 451)
 

Under the Biltmore Clock (75 mins.): Based on the F. Scott Fitzgerald story. A woman husband-hunting for a wealthy man eventually sees through a bizarre test of her sincerity and gets revenge for the trick played on her. (English Dept)

Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964) (128 mins.): Backwoods woman overcomes poverty and prejudice and becomes the richest woman in Denver. Debbie Reynolds.

Urban Cowboy (1980) (132 mins.): American manhood in a country- western bar. John Travolta, Debra Winger.
 

Wall Street (1987) (124 mins.): Young stockbroker aligns himself with Wall Street super-star and almost loses his soul. Michael Douglas, Charlie Sheen. Dir: Oliver Stone. (LU 2102 & English Dept)

The War of the Roses (1989) (116 mins.): Yuppie love turns to homicidal violence as married couple fight for possession of the perfect house. Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, Danny De Vito.  (English Dept)

White Heat (1949) (114 mins.): Gangster who wants to reach the "top of the world" gets his wish in a way--in a flaming death. James Cagney, Virginia Mayo. (LU 1615)

Wild Boys of the Road (1933) (68 mins.): Group of boys turn to crime to survive the Depression. Frankie Darro.

The Wild One (1954) (74 mins.): Motorcycle gang under anti-hero leader terrorizes a small town. Marlon Brando, Lee Marvin. (LU 339)

Wild Orchid (1990) (111 mins.): Bright, beautiful, and reserved Mid-west farm girl enters international finance in the Big City and encounters "Wheeler," a wealthy, detached speculator with a need to control people. Mickey Rourke, Carrie Otis. (LU 1616)

Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? (1957) (94 mins.): Satire on advertising, sex, and success in the 1950s. Tony Randall, Jayne Mansfield.

Wilson (1944) (154 mins.): Woodrow Wilson's dream of a League of Nations. Alexander Knox, Geraldine Fitzgerald.

The Wizard of Oz (1939) (101 mins.): Little girl in Kansas transported to the magical land where wishes are granted. Judy Garland, Ray Bolger. (English Dept)

Woman's World (1954) (94 mins.): Corporate king maker trying to pick a new executive in a dog-eat-dog world. Clifton Webb, June Allyson.

Working Girl (1988) (115 mins.): A frustrated "self-made woman" tries to get ahead by impersonating her boss. Melanie Griffith, Harrison Ford. Dir: Mike Nichols. (LU 1598 & English Dept)
 

You Can't Take It with You (1938) (126 mins.): Family complications when daughter romances a wealthy man. Jean Arthur, Lionel Barrymore, James Stewart. Dir: Frank Capra.

Young Mr. Lincoln (1939) (100 mins.): Our model self-made man decides to become a lawyer and wins a murder case. Henry Fonda. Dir: John Ford. (English Dept)

Young Tom Edison (1940) (82 mins.): The teenage Tom. Mickey Rooney.