13 thoughts on “My Favorite Robert Aldrich Films (2023 Edition)”

1. Sodom and Gomorrah doesht rate, but Big Leager does?

2. here are my top 20

   The Last Sunset (1961) What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) Hustle (1975) The Big Knife (1955) Emperor of the North (1973) The Grissom Gang (1971) The Legend of Lylah Clare (1968) Sodom and Gomorrah The Choirboys (1977 Kiss Me Deadly (1955) Autumn Leaves (1956) Vera Cruz (1954) The Killing of Sister George (1968) Twilight’s Last Gleaming (1977) Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964) Attack (1956) The Dirty Dozen (1967) The Longest Yard (1974) Apache (1954) The Angry Hills (1959) Ten Seconds to Hell (1959) ..All the Marbles (1981) The Flight of the Phoenix (1965)

3. Bill I have nothing against the film, but rightly or wrongly, fairly or unfairly, I can’t help but feel that Robert Aldrich displayed very little enthusiasm for the biblical epic. Despite it’s production values, Sodom and Gomorrah never really ignites like it should. I would have loved to see what the result would have been had Luchino Visconti helmed the picture, but then again, he was filming the masterful The Leopard, which came out a year later 🙂

4. What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? is my number 2 choice as well as Hustle so we agree on that 🙂 I must say that it is amazing to see The Choirboys ahead of Kiss Me Deadly – I have yet to encounter anyone who would rank that ahead of Kiss Me Deadly. I am amazed to see that there is no Ulzana’s Raid on your list 🙂

5. Nice to see ‘The Killing Of Sister George’ on your list, John. Such an underrated British drama, with a cast that includes the wonderful Coral Browne. (Who wasn’t British, but always appeared to be.)
   Best wishes, Pete.

6. Around these parts John, Aldrich is popular for at least 2 Western Classics: Vera Cruz “Anyone else string with Charlie?” and Apache. Both with Lancaster. Most of his others are worthy of watch too.
   ‘The Flight of the Phoenix’ (1965) is a also true gem I’ve watched several times.
   Nice work Amigo.

7. I agree with you Pete 🙂 The Killing of Sister George has always been underrated and according to IMDB trivia, it was Aldrich’s personal favorite of his films 🙂 I think it may also be a favorite of the LGBTQ community 🙂 As for it being a British drama, you are 98% correct on that – it was financed by American money and the TV station scenes were shot at a studio in California. Nevertheless, everything was shot in the UK, so you are mainly correct 🙂

8. As you can see jcalberta, I ranked Vera Cruz as my number one favorite of his westerns and Ulzana’s Raid and Apache as my second and third favorites of his westerns respectively 🙂 I also agree with you on The Flight of the Phoenix 🙂 And thanks for the compliment amigo 🙂

9. I think Lancaster made more great Westerns than Wayne.

10. Whether or not that is an unconventional opinion jcalberta, I do find your take on that to be interesting 🙂 Some days, I am not sure whether I should rank Jimmy Stewart’s westerns higher than John Wayne’s 🙂

11. Aldrich has made a lot of films that I have enjoyed over the years. I do remember being gripped by the ending to Too Late the Hero, as a child, when Michael Caine and Cliff Robertson had to run across open ground to get back to base with the Japanese in hot pursuit. Watching Borgnine and Lee Marvin go head-to-head in Emperor of the North is great fun too!

12. Funny you should say that because I was going to mention Stewart. I surely can’t recall ANY lousy Westerns he made that’s for sure.

13. Great films indeed Paul S 🙂 Speaking of Aldrich, six of his films have appeared on Moviedrome – Kiss Me Deadly, The BIg Knife, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, The Grissom Gang, Ulzana’s Raid and …All the Marbles 🙂