The Rage of Paris (1938) on IMDb

The Rage of Paris is a fast-paced romantic comedy starring Danielle Darrieux as an unemployed model, about to be evicted from her apartment, who hits on the idea of finding a rich husband to solve her problems. She finds a likely candidate, but his friend knows her past and could scuttle matrimonial negotiations.

The Internet Archive Top 100 needs more screwball comedies like this one. Leonard Maltin gave it 3 stars (out of 4), and IMDb users pretty much agree. Give it a try!

 Molly and Me (1945) on IMDb

I’m always looking for comedies to include in the Internet Archive Top 100, and this is one of them. Molly and Me is a fun little movie about an actress who has to resort to housekeeping and the effect she has on her new boss.

According to IMDb, novelist Frances Marion wrote parts for Marie Dressler when she discovered her down on her luck and ready to accept a housekeeping job. The novel, Molly, Bless Her, the basis of this film, was Marion’s view of what might have happened if Dressler had accepted a job as housemaid.

 Topper Returns (1941) on IMDb

Topper Returns is a fun bit of fluff. Joan Blondell is a murder victim who, as a ghost, tracks down her killer with hilarious results. It’s particularly nice to see Eddie “Rochester” Anderson on the screen instead of being just the voice of Jack Benny’s assistant on his long-running radio show.

I always think that the Internet Archive Top 100, despite its important and serious films, could always use more comedy. This movie isn’t very high up the list, but at least it made it.

 Reign of Terror (1949) on IMDb

This French Revolution thriller, sometimes called Reign of Terror, stars Robert Cummings as Charles D’Aubigny, who searches for Maximilien Robespierre’s black book containing the names of those he intends to denounce and have executed.

I guess this is one of those old Hollywood movies where a very American actor is supposed to look like he comes from another background, because I never thought Cummings seemed very French. But Leonard Maltin and the IMDb users both rate it as a solid movie, so it ranks in the Internet Archive Top 100.

 The Girl Was Young (1937) on IMDb

Here’s another Alfred Hitchcock entry, sometimes called The Girl Was Young. It touches a lot of his common themes; an innocent man in the wrong place at the wrong time has to dodge the police while he finds the real killer. In this case, he’s assisted by a beautiful, young, innocent police constable’s daughter.

Hitchcock’s cameo comes at the 16-minute mark as he holds a tiny camera outside the courthouse. His crane shot near the end is legendary. And this solid all-British production is a worthy entry in the Internet Archive Top 100.