Want to know the best James Mason movies? How about the worst James Mason movies? Curious about James Mason’s box office grosses or which James Mason movie picked up the most Oscar® nominations? Need to know which James Mason movie got the best reviews from critics and audiences? Well you have come to the right place….because we have all of that information.
James Mason (1909-1984) was an English actor who appeared in movies for over 50 years. His first appearance was in 1935’s Late Extra and his last appearance was 1985’s The Assisi Underground. James Mason appeared in many British quota quickie movies from 1935 to 1948. After appearing in over 25 of these low budget films, Mason started getting noticed for the movies The Wicked Lady, Odd Man Out and The Seventh Veil.The success of those movies got the attention of Hollywood.
In 1949 James Mason appeared in his first American film, Caught. Once his Hollywood career got started, he appeared in many classic movies like 1953’s Julius Caesar, 1954’s A Star Is Born, 1954’s 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea and 1959’s North by Northwest. For a great movie page on James Mason’s North by Northwest check out this page from film historian, Steve Lensman… North by Northwest Illustrated Reference.
Highlights for Mason in the 1960s were 1962’s Lolita and 1966’s Georgy Girl. As he neared the end of his career he scored two more major hits in 1978’s Heaven Can Wait and 1982’s The Verdict. James Mason and his very distinguished voice earned 3 Oscar® nominations for acting over his career
His IMDb page shows 154 acting credits from 1935-1985. This page will rank James Mason movies from Best to Worst in six different sortable columns of information. Television shows, shorts, cameos and movies that were not released in North American theaters were not included in the rankings.
James Mason Movies Ranked In Chronological Order With Ultimate Movie Rankings Score (1 to 5 UMR Tickets) *Best combo of box office, reviews, and awards.
Year
Movie (Year)
Rating
S
Year Movie (Year) Rating S
1959
North by Northwest (1959)
1982
The Verdict (1982)
AA Best Picture Nom
AA Best Supp Actor Nom
1954
A Star Is Born (1954)
AA Best Actor Nom
1954
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
1978
Heaven Can Wait (1978)
AA Best Picture Nom
1962
Lolita (1962)
1959
Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959)
1966
Georgy Girl (1966)
AA Best Supp Actor Nom
1945
The Seventh Veil (1945)
1953
Julius Caesar (1953)
AA Best Picture Nom
1945
The Wicked Lady (1945)
1966
The Blue Max (1966)
1947
Odd Man Out (1947)
1951
The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel (1951)
1957
Island in the Sun (1957)
1956
Forever, Darling (1956)
1952
5 Fingers (1952)
1949
Caught (1949)
1954
Prince Valiant (1954)
1951
Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951)
1952
The Prisoner of Zenda (1952)
1956
Bigger Than Life (1956)
1949
East Side, West Side (1949)
1953
The Man Between (1953)
1978
The Boys from Brazil (1978)
1965
Lord Jim (1965)
1949
Madame Bovary (1949)
1973
The Last of Sheila (1973)
1952
Botany Bay (1952)
1964
The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964)
1975
Mandingo (1975)
1953
The Desert Rats (1953)
1979
Murder by Decree (1979)
1950
One Way Street (1950)
1976
Voyage of the Damned (1976)
1977
Cross of Iron (1977)
1964
The Pumpkin Eater (1964)
1982
Evil Under the Sun (1982)
1961
The Marriage-Go-Round (1961)
1958
The Decks Ran Red (1958)
1974
11 Harrowhouse (1974)
1952
Lady Possessed (1952)
1952
Face to Face (1952)
1949
The Reckless Moment (1949)
1965
Genghis Khan (1965)
1963
Torpedo Bay (1963)
1942
Thunder Rock (1942)
1953
The Story of Three Loves (1953)
1975
Inside Out (1975)
1968
The Sea Gull (1968)
1967
The Deadly Affair (1967)
1973
The Mackintosh Man (1973)
1967
Cop-Out (1967)
1980
ffolkes (1980)
1958
Cry Terror! (1958)
1960
The Trials of Oscar Wilde (1960)
1965
The Uninhibited (1965)
1969
Age of Consent (1969)
1979
The Passage (1979)
1984
The Shooting Party (1984)
1972
Child's Play (1972)
1971
Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! (1971)
1974
The Destructors/The Marseille Contract (1974)
1985
The Assissi Underground (1985)
1968
Mayerling (1968)
1954
Charade (1954)
1979
Bloodline (1979)
1962
Hero's Island (1962)
1962
Tiara Tahiti (1962)
1960
A Touch of Larceny (1960)
1968
Duffy (1968)
1970
Cold Sweat (1970)
1975
Autobiography of a Princess (1975)
1983
Yellowbeard (1983)
James Mason Movies Can Be Ranked 6 Ways In This Table
The really cool thing about this table is that it is “user-sortable”. Rank the movies anyway you want.
- Sort James Mason movies by co-stars of his movies.
- Sort James Mason movies by adjusted domestic box office grosses using current movie ticket cost (in millions)
- Sort James Mason movies by domestic yearly box office rank
- Sort James Mason movies how they were received by critics and audiences. 60% rating or higher should indicate a good movie.
- Sort by how many Oscar® nominations and how many Oscar® wins each James Mason movie received.
- Sort James Mason movies by Ultimate Movie Rankings (UMR) Score. UMR Score puts box office, reviews and awards into a mathematical equation and gives each movie a score.
- Use the search and sort buttons to make this a very interactive page.
| R | Movie (Year) | UMR Co-Star Links | Adj. B.O. Worldwide (mil) | Review | Oscar Nom / Win | UMR Score | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | Movie (Year) | UMR Co-Star Links | Actual B.O. Domestic (mil) | Adj. B.O. Domestic (mil) | Adj. B.O. Worldwide (mil) | B.O. Rank by Year | Review | Oscar Nom / Win | UMR Score | S |
| 3 | North by Northwest (1959) | Cary Grant | 19.20 | 344.1 | 554.50 | 7 | 93 | 03 / 00 | 99.2 | |
| 1 | The Verdict (1982) AA Best Picture Nom AA Best Supp Actor Nom |
Paul Newman | 68.30 | 250.6 | 250.60 | 10 | 86 | 05 / 00 | 99.2 | |
| 4 | A Star Is Born (1954) AA Best Actor Nom |
Judy Garland | 13.10 | 306.7 | 410.80 | 13 | 83 | 06 / 00 | 98.7 | |
| 5 | 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) | Kirk Douglas | 22.90 | 535.7 | 535.70 | 3 | 82 | 03 / 02 | 98.5 | |
| 5 | Heaven Can Wait (1978) AA Best Picture Nom |
Warren Beatty | 81.60 | 376.1 | 376.10 | 5 | 71 | 09 / 01 | 98.3 | |
| 7 | Lolita (1962) | Peter Sellers | 12.90 | 184.8 | 184.80 | 14 | 87 | 01 / 00 | 98.0 | |
| 6 | Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959) | Pat Boone | 14.30 | 256.7 | 256.70 | 15 | 76 | 03 / 00 | 97.2 | |
| 8 | Georgy Girl (1966) AA Best Supp Actor Nom |
Lynn Redgrave | 19.00 | 186.2 | 186.20 | 12 | 79 | 04 / 00 | 97.1 | |
| 10 | The Seventh Veil (1945) | Herbert Lom | 5.60 | 176.1 | 176.10 | 60 | 74 | 01 / 01 | 94.7 | |
| 10 | Julius Caesar (1953) AA Best Picture Nom |
Marlon Brando | 6.10 | 110.0 | 213.40 | 43 | 82 | 05 / 01 | 93.8 | |
| 13 | The Wicked Lady (1945) | Margaret Lockwood | 5.30 | 167.3 | 167.30 | 67 | 71 | 00 / 00 | 92.6 | |
| 14 | The Blue Max (1966) | George Peppard | 18.20 | 178.2 | 178.20 | 15 | 67 | 00 / 00 | 92.5 | |
| 12 | Odd Man Out (1947) | Robert Newton | 3.80 | 110.2 | 110.20 | 90 | 86 | 01 / 00 | 91.8 | |
| 15 | The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel (1951) | Jessica Tandy | 6.90 | 147.8 | 147.80 | 31 | 70 | 00 / 00 | 90.2 | |
| 14 | Island in the Sun (1957) | Joan Fontaine | 14.30 | 275.0 | 275.00 | 7 | 53 | 00 / 00 | 90.1 | |
| 17 | Forever, Darling (1956) | Lucille Ball | 7.40 | 145.6 | 145.60 | 32 | 65 | 00 / 00 | 88.3 | |
| 16 | 5 Fingers (1952) | Danielle Darrieux | 3.80 | 73.5 | 73.50 | 93 | 85 | 02 / 00 | 87.9 | |
| 18 | Caught (1949) | Robert Ryan | 3.50 | 87.0 | 87.00 | 104 | 81 | 00 / 00 | 87.3 | |
| 19 | Prince Valiant (1954) | Robert Wagner | 7.40 | 174.1 | 174.10 | 38 | 48 | 00 / 00 | 85.0 | |
| 19 | Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951) | Ava Gardner | 3.60 | 77.0 | 77.00 | 102 | 77 | 00 / 00 | 84.4 | |
| 21 | The Prisoner of Zenda (1952) | Deborah Kerr | 5.80 | 113.1 | 306.40 | 46 | 66 | 00 / 00 | 84.3 | |
| 20 | Bigger Than Life (1956) | Walter Matthau | 2.70 | 53.2 | 53.20 | 118 | 83 | 00 / 00 | 83.7 | |
| 23 | East Side, West Side (1949) | Barbara Stanwyck | 4.20 | 105.7 | 176.90 | 76 | 66 | 00 / 00 | 83.5 | |
| 22 | The Man Between (1953) | Claire Bloom | 4.50 | 81.7 | 81.70 | 77 | 73 | 00 / 00 | 83.0 | |
| 25 | The Boys from Brazil (1978) | Laurence Olivier & Gregory Peck |
22.60 | 104.1 | 104.10 | 27 | 62 | 03 / 00 | 82.2 | |
| 28 | Lord Jim (1965) | Peter O'Toole | 10.50 | 111.4 | 111.40 | 21 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 81.6 | |
| 27 | Madame Bovary (1949) | Jennifer Jones | 3.10 | 78.8 | 140.40 | 111 | 69 | 01 / 00 | 81.0 | |
| 26 | The Last of Sheila (1973) | James Coburn | 6.70 | 40.6 | 40.60 | 52 | 82 | 00 / 00 | 80.7 | |
| 30 | Botany Bay (1952) | Alan Ladd | 5.60 | 108.9 | 108.90 | 55 | 60 | 00 / 00 | 80.5 | |
| 29 | The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964) | Sophia Loren | 4.80 | 54.5 | 54.50 | 61 | 75 | 01 / 00 | 80.0 | |
| 33 | Mandingo (1975) | Susan George | 26.10 | 137.0 | 137.00 | 25 | 48 | 00 / 00 | 78.9 | |
| 31 | The Desert Rats (1953) | Richard Burton | 3.00 | 54.4 | 54.40 | 133 | 73 | 01 / 00 | 78.6 | |
| 32 | Murder by Decree (1979) | Christopher Plummer & Donald Sutherland |
8.20 | 35.0 | 35.00 | 73 | 78 | 00 / 00 | 77.2 | |
| 34 | One Way Street (1950) | Dan Duryea | 3.70 | 83.4 | 83.40 | 89 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 75.6 | |
| 35 | Voyage of the Damned (1976) | Faye Dunaway | 5.30 | 26.8 | 26.80 | 79 | 74 | 03 / 00 | 73.3 | |
| 36 | Cross of Iron (1977) | James Coburn | 4.10 | 19.7 | 19.70 | 89 | 77 | 00 / 00 | 71.5 | |
| 37 | The Pumpkin Eater (1964) | Anne Bancroft | 2.80 | 31.8 | 31.80 | 89 | 71 | 01 / 00 | 69.3 | |
| 38 | Evil Under the Sun (1982) | Peter Ustinov | 6.10 | 22.4 | 22.40 | 82 | 73 | 00 / 00 | 67.2 | |
| 39 | The Marriage-Go-Round (1961) | Susan Hayward | 3.70 | 54.1 | 54.10 | 61 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 65.7 | |
| 40 | The Decks Ran Red (1958) | Broderick Crawford | 2.30 | 41.8 | 41.80 | 95 | 64 | 00 / 00 | 63.1 | |
| 41 | 11 Harrowhouse (1974) | Candice Bergen | 3.00 | 17.5 | 17.50 | 90 | 69 | 00 / 00 | 59.7 | |
| 42 | Lady Possessed (1952) | June Havoc | 1.90 | 38.1 | 38.10 | 161 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 58.6 | |
| 43 | Face to Face (1952) | Gene Lockhart | 2.20 | 43.6 | 43.60 | 146 | 60 | 00 / 00 | 58.2 | |
| 44 | The Reckless Moment (1949) | Joan Bennett | 2.00 | 49.9 | 49.90 | 144 | 57 | 00 / 00 | 56.6 | |
| 46 | Genghis Khan (1965) | Omar Sharif | 4.90 | 51.4 | 51.40 | 55 | 56 | 00 / 00 | 54.7 | |
| 45 | Torpedo Bay (1963) | Lilli Palmer | 2.00 | 25.1 | 25.10 | 91 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 53.3 | |
| 48 | Thunder Rock (1942) | Michael Redgrave | 0.60 | 21.8 | 21.80 | 204 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 51.1 | |
| 48 | The Story of Three Loves (1953) | Kirk Douglas | 3.30 | 59.7 | 172.40 | 117 | 50 | 01 / 00 | 50.6 | |
| 47 | Inside Out (1975) | Telly Salavas | 2.70 | 14.3 | 14.30 | 93 | 65 | 00 / 00 | 50.4 | |
| 48 | The Sea Gull (1968) | Vanessa Redgrave | 1.80 | 14.7 | 14.70 | 130 | 65 | 00 / 00 | 49.5 | |
| 50 | The Deadly Affair (1967) | Maximilian Schell | 1.60 | 14.5 | 14.50 | 114 | 64 | 00 / 00 | 47.7 | |
| 53 | The Mackintosh Man (1973) | Paul Newman | 4.50 | 27.7 | 27.70 | 68 | 59 | 00 / 00 | 47.0 | |
| 51 | Cop-Out (1967) | Geraldine Chaplin | 1.20 | 10.6 | 10.60 | 133 | 64 | 00 / 00 | 45.9 | |
| 54 | ffolkes (1980) | Roger Moore | 4.00 | 16.5 | 16.50 | 114 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 45.6 | |
| 57 | Cry Terror! (1958) | Rod Steiger | 1.70 | 30.8 | 30.80 | 117 | 57 | 00 / 00 | 44.9 | |
| 58 | The Trials of Oscar Wilde (1960) | Peter Finch | 1.90 | 29.0 | 29.00 | 102 | 58 | 00 / 00 | 44.6 | |
| 57 | The Uninhibited (1965) | Melina Mercouri | 0.90 | 10.0 | 10.00 | 131 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 43.6 | |
| 59 | Age of Consent (1969) | Helen Mirren | 2.60 | 19.5 | 19.50 | 86 | 60 | 00 / 00 | 43.4 | |
| 58 | The Passage (1979) | Anthony Quinn | 2.90 | 12.4 | 12.40 | 93 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 43.0 | |
| 59 | The Shooting Party (1984) | Edward Fox | 1.00 | 3.2 | 3.20 | 156 | 64 | 00 / 00 | 41.2 | |
| 60 | Child's Play (1972) | Robert Preston | 2.60 | 16.3 | 16.30 | 105 | 60 | 00 / 00 | 40.7 | |
| 62 | Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! (1971) | Jean Seberg | 2.00 | 13.0 | 13.00 | 120 | 55 | 00 / 00 | 27.7 | |
| 63 | The Destructors/The Marseille Contract (1974) | Michael Caine & Anthony Quinn |
0.50 | 2.7 | 2.70 | 145 | 56 | 00 / 00 | 24.2 | |
| 63 | The Assissi Underground (1985) | Irene Papas | 0.50 | 1.5 | 1.50 | 166 | 56 | 00 / 00 | 22.2 | |
| 64 | Mayerling (1968) | Omar Sharif | 2.60 | 21.2 | 21.20 | 107 | 49 | 00 / 00 | 22.1 | |
| 65 | Charade (1954) | Pamela Mason | 0.90 | 20.1 | 20.10 | 157 | 49 | 00 / 00 | 20.4 | |
| 67 | Bloodline (1979) | Audrey Hepburn | 14.10 | 60.6 | 60.60 | 54 | 36 | 00 / 00 | 19.4 | |
| 68 | Hero's Island (1962) | Neville Brand | 2.00 | 28.7 | 28.70 | 98 | 43 | 00 / 00 | 15.3 | |
| 68 | Tiara Tahiti (1962) | John Mills | 1.90 | 26.7 | 26.70 | 102 | 43 | 00 / 00 | 14.7 | |
| 70 | A Touch of Larceny (1960) | Vera Miles | 1.60 | 24.6 | 24.60 | 110 | 43 | 00 / 00 | 14.1 | |
| 71 | Duffy (1968) | James Coburn | 2.90 | 23.5 | 23.50 | 101 | 43 | 00 / 00 | 13.1 | |
| 72 | Cold Sweat (1970) | Charles Bronson | 2.70 | 19.0 | 19.00 | 88 | 43 | 00 / 00 | 11.9 | |
| 72 | Autobiography of a Princess (1975) | Madhur Jaffrey | 1.40 | 7.2 | 7.20 | 130 | 45 | 00 / 00 | 9.7 | |
| 73 | Yellowbeard (1983) | Graham Chapman | 4.30 | 14.7 | 14.70 | 96 | 39 | 00 / 00 | 6.7 |
Possibly Interesting Facts About James Mason
1. James Mason had no formal acting training. He can thank the quota quickie era for getting his start in movies. This is the 3rd or 4th time I have mentioned the quota quickie era. So what is the quota quickie era?
2. The quota quickie era was a ten year Act in England that required English theaters to show a percentage of movies made in England. This need to have English made films helped create many English production companies that could generate many movies in a very short time on a low budget.
3. James Mason was nominated for 3 acting Oscars®. His three nominations were for 1954’s A Star Is Born, 1966’s Georgy Girl, and 1982’s The Verdict. James Mason also was nominated for 3 Golden Globes®. He won one Golden Globe® for A Star Is Born.
4. Here is one for you Flora….James Mason was a huge cat lover all of his life. In 1949 James Mason and his wife Pamela wrote the book, The Cats in Our Lives. His first cat’s name was Top Boy.
5. James Mason was married twice in his life. His first marriage was to Pamela Ostrer, from 1941 to 1964. They had two children, a son named Morgan and a daughter named Portland. His second marriage was to Clarissa Kaye from 1971 to his death in 1984.
6. James Mason was the father-in-law to Belinda Carlisle who is lead singer in the rock group The Go-Gos.
7. Roles James Mason either turned down or was seriously considered for:….The African Queen, Whose Afraid of Virginia Wolfe, The Paper Chase, The Bridge on the River Kwai and Doctor Zhivago.
8. James Mason was not the first choice for 1954’s A Star Is Born, which is probably his greatest performance. Mason got the part after Humphrey Bogart, Cary Grant, James Stewart, Marlon Brando and Montgomery Clift all passed on the part.
9. James Mason was almost involved in three James Bond projects. (1 ) He was hired to play James Bond in a television version of From Russia With Love in 1958, but the it was never produced. (2) He was one of the many contenders to play Bond in Dr. No, but Sean Connery got the part. And (3) He was offered the role of Hugo Drax in 1979’s Moonraker but he turned down the part….too bad because I think he would have made a great Bond villian.
10. Check out James Mason’s career compared to current and classic actors. Most 100 Million Dollar Movies of All-Time.
Academy Award® and Oscar® are the registered trademarks of the Academy of Motion Arts and Sciences.
For comments….all you need is a name and a comment….please ignore the rest.
I’m hanging my head in shame right next to fpherj. Might be because he likes cats, I’m not a fan of those…more of a dog person. I agree with mentalist with the impressive career! Another outstanding hub cogerson! Looking forward to the next whenever you get there. No rush. Does it seem like I’m rushing you? Seriously I’m not! :))
Hey Sunshine625….thanks for checking out my latest classic actor. It is ok to hang your head in shame….I am also joining you and Fpherj48 doing that. Thanks for the compliment and the comment. I do not think you are rushing me….I am actually working on a non-movie hub next…imagine that…a non-movie from me…it does not happen to often.
Great actor. He’s got one of the most distinctive voices I’ve ever heard. I think my favorite film of his was “Lolita”.
“A star is born”, “the Verdict” and “Lolita” were, in my view, his best performances. I’ve always liked “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” even though its not a great film. Mason made a very authoritative Nemo.
Another excellent entry in your actor’s hub series. Keep ’em coming.
Rob
Hey Rob..well your top 3 Mason movies are all considered classics….every time I write a hub I end up with one or two movies that I feel I have to see….for Mason it is easily A Star Is Born. When I was writing this hub I was thinking it was a shame he is still not around during this era of computer animated movies…his voice would be a much sought out commodity. As for Lolita, his performance is awesome but Peter Sellers got the Oscar love…rather than Mason…thanks as always for checking out my movie pages.
James Mason….hmmm, should I be embarrassed to admit I forgot him entirely? I am aware he’s one of the greats, but apparently he did not squirm his way into my heart. In fact, the 2 movies that jumped out at me, “The Last of Shelia,” & “The Verdict,” both of which I thoroughly enjoyed…..I was drawn to, by his co-stars, Paul & James…After reading this fabulous hub and realizing his outstanding career…I’m hanging my head in shame, Cogerson. Thanks buddy…you sure know how to make an old lady wonder, “WHAT WAS I THINKING??!!” lol
Hey fpherj48…it is ok….I have only seen 9 of his movies myself so my head is hung in shame too….lol….I am wondering why I never got around to watching his best film A Star Is Born. I am glad to see that you liked The Last of Sheila as much as I do…the first time I saw that mystery it blew me away. As for The Verdict….I had wish that Newman and Mason would win Oscars for their roles….that way Newman would have won for a great movie rather than Color of Money and Mason would have gotten an Oscar. Thanks for checking out my latest hub…your comments are greatly appreciated.
A great movie page on a great actor. Excellent work Mr. Cogerson!
Packed with facts and figures, didn’t know he loved cats so much, I do too!
I think he would have made a splendid Bond villain in Moonraker.
He was superb in A Star is Born which is no.1 on your moviescore, I still haven’t seen The Verdict. North by Northwest at no.4 but it’s no.1 on your critics chart, nice.
Loved 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, watch it every Xmas, good to see topping one of the charts.
So lets see, I’ve seen just… 24 of the 73 films you’ve listed. I expected more. Saw 7 from the box office chart and 5 from the critics chart.
The Boys from Brazil is a guilty favourite and Salem’s Lot one of my fave Stephen King adaptations um [bites fist] I can’t see it on any of the charts… Cogerson!! I’m kidding it was made for TV. 🙂
Oh yes, Journey to the Center of the Earth is another fave from my childhood. Bought the DVD. I’d love to see that and Leagues released on Blu-ray.
Well, well what were the odds that we’d both be publishing a James Mason hub on the same day eh? 🙂
Hey Steve…your requested James Mason hub is now done…it only took a few months since your request…but better late than never. I have only seen 8 of his movies….9 counting one of the ones that never got released in North America
That one is called The Destructors…it is a horrible movie but it starred Mason, Michael Caine and Anthony Quinn…but it was so bad it never got released on this side of the water.
Journey to the Center of the Earth and 20,000 leagues are also favorites of mine…as well as the little seen The Last of Sheila from 1973…which is a forgotten gem of a movie and Mason is excellent in the movie.
When you publish your Mason movie page I will be sure to link it to this page. Thanks for the votes up and as always thanks for visiting my movie pages.
Impressive career and filmography Cogerson! I Loved Mason In Heaven Can Wait watching his scene stealing performance on VHS over 100 times
Hey Mentalist acer…thanks for stopping by…yep his role in Heaven Can Wait is one of my favorites as well. And I remember the days of watching a VHS tape over and over until the tape would show lots of wear and tear and fuzzy snow on parts that got watched too many times. Thanks for the comments.