The Mighty Thor There was some amazing, classic animation for superhero cartoons done as far back as Max and Dave Fleisher's Superman series of the early 1940s (echoes of which can be found in Batman: The Animated Series). Those were done for the big screen; by the mid-1960s, superhero cartoons were being brought to television, and some of Marvel Comics' biggest heroes-Captain America, Spider-Man, Thor, and the Incredible Hulk-were the stars. Unfortunately, television didn't have much in terms of cachet-or production values-at the time, and all four heroes suffer for it. Between Odin's ever-changing looks (Thor's father rarely manages to keep the same face-let alone the same outfit-from shot to shot) and the over-the-top dialogue, it's hard to follow whatever semblance of plot was scripted. On the two episodes here-"Enter Hercules," in which the Norse God of Thunder battles his equally brawny Greek cousin, and "Battle of the Gods," in which Loki enlists the Enchantress and the Executioner to defeat Thor-the animation is minimal. It looks as if only a couple dozen pictures of the main characters were drawn; for the most part, this is a series of stationary illustrations with voice-overs and plenty of narration. -Randy Silver Sub-Mariner This vintage 1966 cartoon features Marvel Comics' king of the deep, the Sub-Mariner. In the first story, "Atlantis Under Attack," the sacred trident of Neptune is stolen and all signs point to Namor's trusted grand vizier, Lord Vashti. In disbelief, Namor follows Vashti's trail to the carnivorous sea forest while the real thief, his archenemy, Attuma, lies ready to attack the city. The second story, "To Conquer a Crown," opens with a military demonstration by Atlantis's munitions expert, Namor's cousin Biera. [+]

The brilliantly droll Alastair Sim (A Christmas Carol) and the imperious Margaret Rutherford (Murder Most Foul) become reluctant allies in this madcap farce about a British girls' school that is accidentally billeted at a boys' school. The Happiest Days of Your Life, which spawned the popular St. Trinian's film series, builds from sweet chuckles to feverish laughter as children fight, teachers romance, and bungling bureaucrats sink into chaos.

It's long been one of the revered classics of international cinema, but there is no fine layer of dust over La Grande Illusion. Jean Renoir's film is just as vibrant, exciting, and wise as it has ever been. The story is set during World War I, mostly in a couple of German POW camps, where two very different French prisoners plot to escape: the working-class officer Maréchal (Jean Gabin, the French Spencer Tracy) and the upper-class de Boieldieu (Pierre Fresnay). The suspenseful backbone of the story is formed by these escape attempts, but Renoir is primarily concerned with the way people treat each other, and especially with how class and nationality inform human relations. Most compelling of all the film's characters is the aristocratic German officer von Rauffenstein, unforgettably incarnated by stiff-backed Erich von Stroheim; although he runs a prison camp, von Rauffenstein cannot help but strike up a friendship with de Boieldieu, a kindred spirit from the doomed nobility. There is nothing dewy or naive about Renoir's vision (and two years after the release of this antiwar film, Europe was plunged into another world war), yet Grand Illusion is one of those movies that makes you feel good about such long-outmoded ideas as sacrifice and brotherhood. After it won a prize at the Venice Film Festival in 1937, the Nazis declared the film "Cinematographic Enemy Number One. " There can be no higher praise. -Robert Horton.

A nominee for the 1932 Best Picture Oscar, Smilin' Through features Leslie Howard in the role of an embittered man whose fiancée was murdered on their wedding day by a jealous lover, and Frederic March as the lovestruck son of the killer-who will pay dearly for his father's misdeed. The film has a terrific cast, including Norma Shearer in a leading role. Quite memorable as one of the best heartbreakers (tearjerkers, if you like) out of 1930s Hollywood, the story finds Howard's character living alone for three decades following the death of his beloved (Shearer). An unhappy man, he becomes guardian to his niece (Shearer again), the spitting image of his almost-wife. When she falls in love with the son of the killer (both men played by March), who naturally looks like Howard's nemesis, sparks fly and tragedy ensues. Directed by Sidney Franklin, this is a terrific showcase for all three actors, and a moving drama about the burden of guilt and vengeance. -Tom Keogh.

John F. Kennedy lived long enough to see this Hollywood account of his Navy career and his heroism following a ruthless attack by a Japanese ship on his small patrol craft. Cliff Robertson is an amiable choice to play Kennedy, though one won't find a lot of the late president's mannerisms in his performance. The key battle sequence, which finds Kennedy and his crew bloodied and battered while trying to stay alive in shark-infested waters, makes a big impression on young viewers. -Tom Keogh.