McLintock! (1963) on IMDb

John Wayne didn’t make a lot of comedies, but McLintock! was a critical and commercial success for him, his son Michael Wayne, who produced it, and his son Patrick Wayne, who co-starred.

Loosely based on The Taming of the Shrew, the movie centers on a cattle baron and his estranged wife, played by Maureen O’Hara. To describe the events and outcome, Leonard Maltin said it best, “Not recommended for feminists.” If you can get past that, it’s nice to include something this broad and colorful in the Internet Archive Top 100.

 Young and Beautiful (1934) on IMDb

In this lightweight romantic comedy about Hollywood phonies, a publicity agent works to make his fiance a famous movie star, only to find the change in their relationship isn’t that welcome after all. It also features an odd dance number where the men wear masks of then-current film stars.

A few hundred IMDb votes love Young and Beautiful, and Leonard Maltin didn’t list it in his guide. It shows the quirkiness of the system that this okay movie is ranked so high in the Internet Archive Top 100.

 Where's That Fire? (1940) on IMDb

Here’s a late example of the Will Hays phenomenon. This time the comic actor is an incompetent fire captain who accidentally invents a new type of firefighting foam. Then his fire truck is stolen, and the usual Hays-style British comedy ensues.

According to Wikipedia, Where’s That Fire? had been thought to be a lost film for many years before it was rediscovered by the BBC in 1975. I’m glad someone took the time to add it to the Internet Archive’s Feature Films collection so it could be part of the IA Top 100.

 Kansas City Confidential (1952) on IMDb

Kansas City Confidential is the story of an innocent man caught up in an elaborate “perfect crime” who goes after the thieves to clear his name and claim the insurance company reward. Despite the title, most of the film is set in Mexico, where the gang goes to split their proceeds.

This film noir stars John Payne and includes Lee Van Cleef and Jack Elam as two of the thieves. It’s another reminder that you’re never too far from a good film noir in the Internet Archive Top 100.

 'Pimpernel' Smith (1941) on IMDb

Leslie Howard directed, co-produced, and starred in ‘Pimpernel’ Smith, an echo of Howard’s earlier role as The Scarlet Pimpernel. In this movie, set in then-present-day Europe, Howard portrays a man who pretends to be an archeologist while actually working to free inmates from Nazi concentration camps.

This movie had real-life effects. Winston Churchill chose it to be shown on his battleship in August 1941 as he travelled across the Atlantic for a secret conference with FDR. It also inspired Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg to rescue tens of thousands of Hungarian Jews from Nazi concentration camps during the last months of the Second World War. The least we can do is offer it in the Internet Archive Top 100.