10 Timeless Classic Movies That Shouldn't Be Overlooked
By: BY CASSIDY STEPHENSON
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
10 Timeless Classic Movies That Shouldn't Be Overlooked
It can be easy to get swept up in the latest releases, but these films helped get cinema to where it is today and are well worth the watch.
It's common practice to simply be interested in the newest films with state-of-the-art special effects and technology. Some people are so interested in what films are upcoming and the what the next technological improvements are that they forget about the films that shaped the industry to what it is now.
Classic films are continuously overlooked, and some dismiss them as boring before they give them a chance. These classic films are the building blocks to what the movie industry has become, and shouldn't be tossed away because of a lack of CGI or decreased camera quality.
10
Casablanca Is One Of The Earliest Films To Be Chosen For National Film Registry
Casablanca is a 1942 romantic drama film directed by Michael Curtiz, whose directorial work in the silent era and Hollywood's Golden Age made him one of the most celebrated directors of the time period. The film is set during World War II and stars Humphrey Bogart as Rick Blaine.
9
Breakfast at Tiffany’s Popularized The Song Moon River
Breakfast at Tiffany' s is a 1961 romantic comedy based on Truman Capote's 1958 novella of the same name. The film stars one of the most recognized actresses of the time period, Audrey Hepburn, as Holly Golightly. Holly is obsessed with everything lavish and becomes entangled with her new neighbor, Paul Varjak.
Paul is an aspiring writer and not the usual man Holly associates with. The pair end up falling in love anyway after they find her cat together. Breakfast at Tiffany' s is notorious for popularizing the song Moon River and later winning an Academy Award for its music.
8
Meet Me in St. Louis Is A Heart-Warming Christmas Film
Meet Me in St. Louis is a 1944 Christmas musical film based on a series of short stories by Sally Benson. The film became the second highest-grossing film in 1944, behind Going My Way , and was by far the most successful musical to come out of the 1940s. Meet Me in St. Louis is set in St. Louis during the early 1900s and focuses on the Smith family, who are planning a move to New York. It stars Judy Garland as the lead character Esther Smith. Esther is upset about the family's move to New York, and her younger sister Tootie believes Santa won't find her at their new home.
7
The Wizard Of Oz Was The 10th Adaptation Of The Original Work
Before Judy Garland's success in Meet Me in St. Louis, she starred as Dorothy in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. The film is the 10th attempted adaptation of L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. While one of the more recognized classic films, The Wizard of Oz really goes down in history as one of the best Technicolor films of all time. The film would win the Academy Awards for Best Original Song and Best Original Score for "Over the Rainbow ." It is also one of the select few to earn a position in UNESCO's Memory of the World Register.
6
Citizen Kane Is One Of The Best Films Ever Made
Citizen Kane is a 1941 drama film that skyrocketed Orson Welles to fame. He produced, directed, starred, and even co-wrote the screenplay along with Herman J. Mankiewicz. The Oscar-winning 2020 film Mank is about his life in the Hollywood movie industry.
Welles stars as Charles Foster Kane, a well-off man in the newspaper industry. The film's plot focuses on the mystery behind Kane's last words, "Rosebud." Citizen Kane is celebrated as one of the best films in history, and anyone who enjoys movies should watch to find out the answer to the mystery themselves.
5
Alfred Hitchcock Is A Psychological Thriller Mastermind
Alfred Hitchcock's psychological thriller expertise continues throughout six decades of film, earning him the title of the "Master of Suspense." Some of Hitchcock's most recognized films include Psycho and The Birds , which caused many people to be afraid of birds. His 1958 film Vertigo stars James Stewart as the lead character of John "Scottie" Ferguson, a former police detective. Scottie forces himself out of the police service because of his fear of heights and vertigo. Gavin Elster hires Scottie as a private investigator to closely watch his wife's strange behavior.
4
Singin' In The Rain Is An Iconic And Classic Musical
Singin' in the Rain is a 1952 romantic comedy film based on the 1951 musical of the same name by Adolph Green and Betty Comden. The film stars Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds and is set in 1920s Hollywood during the transition from silent films to "talkies," which are films with spoken dialogue. Kelly plays the role of a famous silent film star named Don Lockwood, who encounters Reynolds' character, Kathy, after she jumps out of a cake. While not an initial hit, Singin' in the Rain increased in popularity over the years and is celebrated as one of the best musicals of all time.
3
Roman Holiday Is Audrey Hepburn's Breakthrough Role
Roman Holiday is a 1953 romantic comedy directed and produced by William Wyler, who would go on to work on Ben Hur in 1959. The film stars Audrey Hepburn in her breakthrough role as Princess Ann, who sets off to see the wonders of Rome. Princess Ann encounters Gregory Peck's character, Joe Bradley, after she dozes off on a bench. Joe is a reporter for the American News Service but doesn't recognize Princess Ann. He later hires his photographer friend Irving Radovich to take pictures of Ann once he learns of her identity.
2
On The Waterfront Stars Marlon Brando As An Ex-Fighter
On the Waterfront is a 1953 crime drama film directed by Elia Kazan and starring Marlon Brando. Kazan had previously worked with Brando for the 1951 film A Streetcar Named Desire. Brando plays an ex-fighter named Terry Malloy who becomes involved in a freak accident.
The accident involves a dockworker named Joey who falls off the roof when union workers surround him. This event traumatizes Terry, but later he falls in love with the victim's sister, Edie. She, however, is unaware of his involvement with her brother's tragic death.
1
James Dean Posthumously Stars In Rebel Without A Cause
James Dean is one of the most recognized male film stars from the Hollywood Golden Age film era, despite having only a few film appearances . Dean spent only five years in the industry before his tragic and unexpected death at the young age of 24 from a car accident. His most notable film is the 1955 coming-of-age film Rebel Without a Cause. The film stars Dean as Jim Stark, a new student at Dawson High. Jim gets himself in trouble after a freak car accident kills one of his classmates. The film has since been added to the National Film Registry and is iconic for its Griffith Observatory scene, later mentioned in La La Land. It was released shortly after Dean's death.
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I don't know if the author has numbered them in order of importance, but I would not have arranged them in that order. As well, I would think that the most iconic classical Christmas movie of all time would be the Alastair Sim version of A Christmas Carol.
If you were to choose a classical movie for such a list, what would it be, and PLEASE indicate why you would make that choice.
All of them easily rate near the top of any list
These "listicals" are often interesting. I don't think my list would have too many of these on them, but then I'm the weird one. I am in no way saying any of these movies are in any way not great.
All of these (as you call them) "listicals" on the same topics differ because each one represents the author's individual tastes in the movies. You could have two "10 Best Westerns" lists and one might have High Noon on it but not The Magnificent Seven while the other list might have The Magnificent Seven but not High Noon.
I get it. They are meant to generate that conversation too.
What do you mean by "that" conversation?
Does anyone here know what Rosebud really means and I don't mean the sled. The story behind CK is fascinating. It is a total David vs Goliath story.
I never researched it to determine if it meant anything more than the sled, identifying it as such ended the movie.
CK was full of elements that pissed off William R. Hearst. One of them involved Rosebud. It was what he called actress Marion Davies's (his mistress) lady parts. There are other comparisons of CK to Hearst throughout the movie and by all accounts Hearst was completely livid when he learned of them. He was the newspaper business back then and refused to publicize the movie. That failed due to word of mouth. He enlisted the help of Hedda Hopper, who was the wicked witch of the west as a gossip columnist. She could make or break an actor's career with one column. Wells basically told her to piss off and that he was not afraid of her. In the end, not even he or his attack dog could get the film killed or the public's desire to see it.
It's pretty common knowledge that the whole movie was meant to be a shot at W.R.Hearst and there was much in it that was a charicature of him. I'm sure there were many nuances that may have escaped most viewers. However, the importance of the movie in the history of cinema has certainly led to many studies of it.
Wells had the foresight to put in his will that the movie can never be altered in any way.
Yes, I think I was aware of that. Some directors have also been indicating that their B&W movies never be colourized. I once posted an article about that. Can you imagine what it would do to Schindler's List, or to The Third Man if they were colourized?
The only other information I've ever seen came from Orson Wells himself...
Some believe that “Rosebud" was an affectionate term that Hearst used for the favorite part of his lover’s anatomy.
I was typing my response before I saw yours. Apologies.
No problem at all. When I read your question, I assumed you knew the answer.
I don't think you need to apologize for doing that - I've done the same thing many times, but maybe moreso when I'm typing a long comment.
The only two I have seen were Rebel Without A Cause and Wizard Of Oz.
The ones may be classical , they just never interested me. Give me some old Jimmie Stewart.
Check out Hitchcock’s 1958 film Vertigo, it’s on the list and stars Stewart.
I need to. I should put that on my list. I am a fan of his. Sadly we don't get that station that use to show old movies anymore. That was where I saw a lot of them. Loved the movies from the thirties and forties.
Hitch made 4 movies with Stewart, Rope, Rear Window and The Man who Knew Too Much in addition to Vertigo. All are good but Rear Window is my favorite. It also stars Grace Kelly and the building tension and suspense is delicious.
I had just read Ender's comment and was going to mention Rear Window, and saw your comment.
My fav is Strangers On A Train. His daughter had a key role in it.
Great choice, I need to see this film again, it’s been too many years since I enjoyed it last.
Although I don't remember if I ever watched Meet Me In St. Louis, I've watched all the rest of them more than once.
Great movies . I have seen all of them.
The Best Years Of Our Lives , a very underrated movie, should be on such a list. The same for The Apartment with Jack Lemmon and Shirley Mac Laine. Gone With The Wind, It's A Wonderful Life. Gunga Din, The Grapes Of Wrath, etc.
Completely agree, especially on The Best Years of Our Lives. Another James Stewart movie makes your adds. Given the quality, quantity and diversity of Stewart’s career, I see Tom Hanks as our current “Everyman” in film.