Great Old Movies Everyone Should Watch
This list goes a bit beyond the standards like The Wizard of Oz and Gone With Wind. A list of terrific old movies everyone should watch at least once, in no particular order.
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- DirectorWilliam WylerStarsMyrna LoyDana AndrewsFredric MarchThree World War II veterans, two of them traumatized or disabled, return home to the American midwest to discover that they and their families have been irreparably changed.Won a well deserved Best Picture Oscar in this depiction of vets coming home after WWII. As relevant today as it was in 1946.
- DirectorGeorge CukorStarsCharles BoyerIngrid BergmanJoseph CottenTen years after her aunt was murdered in their London home, a woman returns from Italy in the 1880s to resume residence with her new husband. His obsessive interest in the home rises from a secret that may require driving his wife insane.A great psychological thriller and where the term "gaslighting" comes from. Some people prefer the slightly earlier English version, I'd say they are both terrific.
- DirectorMorton DaCostaStarsRosalind RussellForrest TuckerCoral BrowneAn orphan goes to live with his free-spirited aunt. Conflict ensues when the executor of his father's estate objects to the aunt's lifestyle.Rosalind Russell is simply delicious as Auntie Mame. The whole movie is fun and chock full of great lines.
- DirectorWilliam WylerStarsBette DavisHerbert MarshallJames StephensonThe wife of a rubber plantation administrator shoots a man to death and claims it was self-defense, but a letter written in her own hand may prove her undoing.A powerhouse performance by Bette Davis and directed by the perennially under-appreciated director William Wyler. A timeless tale of the dark side of the human heart.
- DirectorGeorge CukorStarsJudy HollidayWilliam HoldenBroderick CrawfordA tycoon hires a tutor to teach his lover proper etiquette, with unexpected results.Judy Holliday is brilliant in this classic comedy-romance. A lot of people can't understand why Holliday beat out Bette Davis in All About Eve to win the Best Actress Oscar, but I think it was well deserved in this great comedic performance and I for one cheer the Academy Awards for recognizing it.
- DirectorBilly WilderStarsMarilyn MonroeTony CurtisJack LemmonAfter two male musicians witness a mob hit, they flee the state in an all-female band disguised as women, but further complications set in.Jack Lemmon at his best and Marilyn Monroe at her Marilyn Monroeiest. An absolute timeless comic gem that is a must see.
- DirectorBilly WilderStarsTyrone PowerMarlene DietrichCharles LaughtonA veteran British barrister must defend his client in a murder trial that has surprise after surprise.If you've never been introduced to the great Charles Laughton, here is a great place to start. A witty, courtroom mystery with wonderful performances all around, including the great Marlene Dietrich.
- DirectorWilliam WylerStarsMerle OberonLaurence OlivierDavid NivenA servant in the house of Wuthering Heights tells a traveler the unfortunate tale of lovers Cathy and Heathcliff.Laurence Olivier is young, beautiful and passionate in his definitive portrayal of Heathcliff. Not particularly faithful to the book. it's best enjoyed on it's own terms.
- DirectorHoward HawksStarsKatharine HepburnCary GrantCharles RugglesWhile trying to secure a $1 million donation for his museum, a befuddled paleontologist is pursued by a flighty and often irritating heiress and her pet leopard, Baby.Comedy seems to be particularly vulnerable to becoming dated, but this one is just a truly funny classic movie. Hepburn and Grant are wonderful on their own, but together they make another kind of magic.
- DirectorJohn FordStarsHenry FondaJane DarwellJohn CarradineAn Oklahoma family, driven off their farm by the poverty and hopelessness of the Dust Bowl, joins the westward migration to California, suffering the misfortunes of the homeless in the Great Depression.John Steinbeck classic brought to life in this compelling drama led by Henry Fonda's intense performance that helped bring realism to film.