Best "hat movie" ever?

[photobyalan]

The Godfather, on Bravo right now. So many hats, and a great movie, too.

 

[Wild Root]

As for my favorite hat movie it would be the 1935 film Transatlantic-Merry-Go-Round staring Jack Benny, Gene Raymond and Nancy Carroll. Some of the best hats and clothes you'll se on any men! Gene Raymond wears some killer hats in that flick!

Root.

 

[scotrace]

Thin Man

Any of the Thin Man films.

Though all The Godfather films at A+ for hats.

 

[Andykev]

Whoa!!

What? Didn't you see "Bullets of Ballots"? G-Men Never Forget? (Republic Serial..no one looses their hat!). Or The Big Sleep? Or ,..Cagney in G-Man?

How about "All Thru The Night"?

Rip out those vintage CD's, video's, and TCM!

 

[Bebop]

No one can argue that the Indiana Jones movies did alot for the fedora. While not what I would call a "good movie" (none of Speilberg's movies grab me too much), they pushed the fedora back onto the heads of younger people.

 

[Sefton]

The Batman (Columbia,1943)

The Batman serial from 1943 is not only the FIRST Batman on film, the best (to my taste) but it's 15 chapters of pure hat viewing pleasure. Everybody wears a hat and as Andykev mentioned, hats don't come off! (the mark of quality in a serial!).

 

[photobyalan]

Those films are also great but...

The Godfather has the advantage of being in color, which makes all the difference for me as far as hat watching is concerned. Disclaimer: This is not to be misconstrued as meaning that I think color films are superior to B&W as a general rule.

 

[Vladimir Berkov]

I like the Forsyte Sage for the older, more formal styles of hat.

I agree with you photobyalan that films in color (especially more modern ones with better film quality) are great for looking at hats, clothes and the like. B&W period movies are great for seeing actual period items but trying to get clothing ideas from grainy B&W images is rather difficult sometimes.

 

[Wild Root]

Modern period movies are good references but, the only ones that come to mind as to being correct or most faithful to the period would be Tucker, Seabiscuit, Road to Perdition and The Majestic. Most films made today don?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t use much original vintage for the lead rolls. There are good hats to see in modern films and it?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s always fun to see the colors in what vintage items show up on the cast.

As for me, when I want to research or, get ideas I will only draw knowledge from original films. Yes, some are grainy and cloudy some what but, there are plenty out there that one can see the cut of the suits, the shape of the hats, the patterns on the ties and what have you to get a good feel of true vintage style. That?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s one way I learned how to find vintage. You?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ll only see tall crowned fedoras like the ones William Powell wore in his movies. Also you?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ll see how men wore hats in those days when in most modern films I have seen they don?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t always manage to pin the right look down. Wearing their hats square on their heads like Marines is one example.

Remember, there are a few films from the late 30?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s to early 40?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s that use true Technicolor that offer a real color look into the past. Some are being restored digitally and are just as sharp as a modern movie. If you want to see colors, don?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t forget that original magazine ads and catalog pictures are also good references! Why do I mention this? Because today lots of colors that were used in men's hats at that time are not even known today because no one makes them any longer!

Regards,
Root.

 

[PutALidOnIt]

FWIW my faves...

I would say the Thin Man series is a great one, but a lot of the B movie detective-gangster genre with real street scenes, like Mr.Moto, Chuck Chan, Bulldog Drummond for the Brits - as opposed to soundstage settings - had some real-life, regular guy hats.

Modern color movies - Hands down...I go for Chinatown and The Two Jakes...Nicholson has a couple of different hats each day - some reeeaalllyyy cool ones, too! Yeah, they're long and filled with clue minutae, but dig those lids! Even improves his look with his nose in a bandage :cool2:

For TV stuff, check out some of the cheesy DVD's that are available now, like 50s Dragnet, Gangbusters, etc...

 

[Biltmore Bob]

I know the movie sucked but...

There were a coupla nice lids in "League of Extrordinary Gentlemen".

Any of the Tom Selleck or Sam Elliott, Louis L'Amour westerns, for those Cowboy Hat fans out there.

 

[besdor]

ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WITH THE MOVIE INDUSTRY IS ALL OF THE MOVIES THAT SHOW HATS ARE EITHER 50 YEARS OLD OR ARE PERIOD PIECES . INDIANA JONES PROBABLY DID MORE FOR THE HAT INDUSTRY THAN ANY OTHER MOVIE IN HISTORY . IT WOULD BE NICE IF THE PRODUCERS TODAY WOULD SHOW SOMEONE HEARING A HAT IN A MOVIE SET IN TODAYS TIMES!!

 

[Wild Root]

Last time I checked the Indy movies are period films. There were plenty of films made in the late 70?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s and early 80?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s that have men in fedoras. I can tell an original hat from a modern wool fedora.

The problem with a movie taking place in modern times and having the lead hero or character wear a fedora is that people will automatically say: Oh, it?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s a modern Indiana Jones movie! Or: It was nice but we don?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t need another ?¢‚Ǩ?ìIndy?¢‚Ǩ? want to be! Every time people see fedoras they always link it to Indy. That?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s why I wear original hats and clothes to separate my self from this common identity or link with the Raiders movies. I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢d rather hear some one call me James Cagney then Indy.

Lets face it folks, we?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢re a rare breed of men who love hats and good taste. If people are going to start wearing hats again, it?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s going to because of more people seeing men wear them and not from a movie. Movies come and go and they flop some times. Look at the Aviator, I enjoyed that movie myself but, not every one did. And, it didn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t exactly create a major boom in hat sales ether. Most I talked to thought that it was going to cause 1930?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s fashion to resurface into mainstream fashion again. The movie industry?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s influence is seen more on the feminine side of fashion then the men?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s. Women will go out and buy period looking outfits to walk down the red carpet before the men will.

WR.

 

[riccardo]

Hi to all,
I'm not a great expert in American movie,in the past I was not an american movie lover, I didn't love golden era films, it looked too "dark", for me.
After i've met you,on the lounge, my interest in that direction is grown up and I everytime looking for an golden era movie on the TV...I often don't find it.
About hat movie I love very much "Casablanca" in this movie there are a lot of Panama Hat in several choice, straw hat and the classic Boogie.
Near to me I've this DvD, I enjoy seeing it a lot of time...and every time I found in it a new wonderful hat.
Regards.
Riccardo.

 

[Daniel Riser]

Yes Casablanca is an excellent example of a very wide range of hats. From foreign military to fez caps!

 

[Biltmore Bob]

"Tombstone" for hats and guns.

[img=http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/4113/tombstone4kt.jpg]

and moustaches.

 

[Vladimir Berkov]

The problem with a movie taking place in modern times and having the lead hero or character wear a fedora is that people will automatically say: Oh, it?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s a modern Indiana Jones movie! Or: It was nice but we don?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t need another ?¢‚Ǩ?ìIndy?¢‚Ǩ? want to be! Every time people see fedoras they always link it to Indy. That?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s why I wear original hats and clothes to separate my self from this common identity or link with the Raiders movies. I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢d rather hear some one call me James Cagney then Indy.
WR.

That's why I was very hesitant to buy an Akubra hat at first as I didn't want to be seen as a "gearhead" trying for the Indy look. But I finally gave in and just decided to shape the hat to the way I wanted (30s centerdent style) and if people say I am trying to be Indy that is just their problem.

 

[Mycroft]

"Tombstone" for hats and guns.

[img=http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/4113/tombstone4kt.jpg]

and moustaches.

I agree with you on that one, I also love the suits and hats in The Untouchables.

 

[Uberneot]

I just saw the trailer for the new King Kong coming out in a few months. Lots of great hats in there.

http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=4771

Trailer link is near the bottom of the article.

 

[Kaleponi Craig]

In this order:

Indiana Jones' fedora in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade", especially the Venice Pier Scene

Fred C. Dobbs' fedora in "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre"

Sam Spade's fedora in "The Maltese Falcon"

Victor Laszlo's Panama in "Casablanca"

Johnny Rocco's Panama in "Key Largo".