Classic Movies

Ok, classic movies are old movies. That means movies made before I was born. They don't have to be Academy Award winners on this page, so don't get all gripey about Copocabana being listed as a classic.
Return to the main page.

The Long Hot Summer: Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Orson Welles.

Newman is a drifter with a bad reputation who moves into a town run by Orson Welles. Joanne Woodward is one of Welles's two daughters, and he wants her to get married and carry on the family name. She has no intention of giving in to her father. She doesn't like Newman, either; she thinks he's too much of a smooth talker. Her father decides he likes Newman, so much that he takes him into his house and gives him a good job so that Newman can court Woodward. Welles gives a great performance as a big fish in a small pond who's used to getting his way, and Newman is convincing as the small-time mischief-maker turned good citizen (and he looks awfully good doing it). (Carly)

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid: Paul Newman, Robert Redford (1969 Oscar for cinematography).

I expected much more from this movie--I thought it would be silly, but I also thought there would be an exciting plot. Redford and Newman spend the first half of the movie robbing trains and banks and then running from the law; this part is OK. Newman also has an interest in Redford's girlfriend, but this part is never really developed. Then they decide to go to Bolivia, an occasion marked by a long montage of odd sketches that completely undermines the momentum of the plot. In Bolivia, nothing of much interest happens. The only funny part is Newman using a cheat sheet on Spanish phrases while robbing a bank (there, just picture it, and now you don't have to bother with the rest of the movie). I kept expecting a plot twist, but one never came, and the music is really cheesy. On the upside, Paul Newman does look good. (Carly)

It Happened One Night: Claudette Colbert, Clark Gable (1934 Oscar for Best Picture).

This is a sweet little movie about a rich girl who runs away from her controlling father, only to find herself nearly penniless and generally lost on her trip. She is befriended by a newspaperman, who wants the scoop on this famous girl that nobody can find. She doesn't want his help at first, but she realizes that she's going to have to call daddy if she doesn't accept his help. After fighting all during their trip, what do YOU think happens? (Carly)

The Adventures of Robin Hood: Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland.

Errol Flynn has a hidden talent--archery! Watch him show off that and his swordfighting skills in a pretty traditional rendition of Robin Hood. You might be able to pass off a viewing of this as educational--it has a lot more British history in it than other versions I've seen, and you can pick up tips on guerilla warfare and fomenting rebellion. (Carly)

Swinger: Ann-Margret.

OK, yeah, we get the classic movie channels on cable now. Ann-Margret is an aspiring magazine writer who really wants to get published in this men's magazine for some reason, but her stories are all too clean. So she makes up this story that the people at the magazine think is autobiographical, and she has to live out this crazy "swinger" life to convince them. She has a party where she naked body paints and other wild stuff. But then the magazine guy figures it out AND falls in love with her, and there's a fake ending where they crash into each other on the highway and die, and then there's the worse real ending where they run into each other's arms. (Carly)

Sex and the Single Girl: Natalie Wood, Tony Curtis.

This is amazingly similar to Swinger. Wood is a sex therapist who has some issues herself. Curtis is friends with a married couple who are having problems, but they won't go to a therapist, so he pretends to be the husband and goes to see Wood. His ulterior motive is to find out if she's really as knowledgeable as she pretends to be. It wasn't an awful movie, but it certainly wasn't anything to write home about. (Carly)

The Man Who Knew Too Much: Jimmy Stewart.

Real-life lesson from the movies: Stay away from Morocco if you want a nice relaxing vacation. Stewart, his wife, and his son visit Morocco on vacation. They are mistaken for another couple at first, and this draws them into some sort of international espionage ring. A dying man tells Stewart a secret, and then their son is kidnapped. They have to balance their interests in world peace and the welfare of their son. It's really very exciting. (Carly)

All the President's Men: Robert Redford, Dustin Hoffman.

I like Robert Redford. I like Watergate. I like N--well, ok, I don't LIKE Nixon, but I think he's pretty entertaining. But I didn't like this movie, and it's not just because I don't like Dustin Hoffman. It's supposed to be the film version of the book of the same name by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein which tells the tale of uncovering the facts of Watergate. The problem is that some things about Watergate are dramatic and good for a movie, but some aren't. What do you do about whether John Dean had certain papers in his safe, or whether the White House was laundering money? The movie would take forever if they put in all the details, an obstacle they got around by going really slowly for most of the film, and then bam, it's over. The cool parts are getting to see Redford run, and the fact that if you kind of squint, the guy who plays Deep Throat looks like Ronald Reagan. But I think it's really Hal Holbrooke. (Carly)

The Blob: Steve McQueen, teen idol

Steve McQueen, teen idol, is really great in this campy sci-fi classic. He plays a teenager who tries to warn the town that the blob is going to destroy them all. Unfortunately, no one believes him, which I think is due to the fact that he's a "teenager" who looks about forty. Pretty suspicious if you ask me. But even if it's not the most frightening movie ever, it's amusing. And after all, who can pass up a movie with Steve McQueen, teen idol? (Ellen)

The Buccaneer: Yul Brynner, Charlton Heston

This is not to be confused with the BBC production of Edith Wharton's The Buccaneers. We watched this move in eighth grade U.S. history and it revolutionized my life. Yul Brynner actually has hair in this movie!!! He plays the dashing pirate Jean Lafitte who comes to the aid of the Americans in the battle of New Orleans. This movie has it all, star crossed lovers, pirates, Charlton Heston as Andrew Jackson, and the line "she knows everything about being a lady, but nothing about being a woman!". It comes on the History Channel a lot, so be patient and you too can enjoy the unintended silliness that is this movie. (Ellen)

It's a Wonderful Life: Jimmy Stewart.

It's sappy, and it comes on every channel on TV right around Christmas. But you've got to see it once, just for the cultural reference. Stewart's character is about to commit suicide because of the Depression and stuff when he's rescued by an angel who's trying to earn his wings. Of course, Stewart winds up succeeding in his efforts against the stingy mean guy, and everybody's happy in the end. (Carly)

Splendor in the Grass: Natalie Wood.

This is all about repressed teenage sexuality, but it comes off far better than you'd think. Natalie Wood's character finds a guy she likes, but her mom has made her think that it's wrong to really feel any attraction for a guy. The stress of this causes her to try to commit suicide, and she has to go to a mental hospital for a time. I really liked this movie, despite the sad topic. It doesn't ever get cheesy or sappy or trite; it's intense and thought-provoking. (Carly)

Father Goose: Leslie Caron, Cary Grant.

This is one of those cute silly movies that comes on TV at odd times. Grant winds up as the savior of a girls' school where Caron is the teacher. They fall in love, of course. But don't watch for the plot, watch for the giggly-sweet romantic comedy of it. (Carly)

Charade: Audrey Hepburn, Cary Grant.

There is actually a good plot in this movie. Audrey's the widow of a man knocked off by dark, mysterious forces. And now they're after her! She's got something worth a quarter of a million dollars, but neither she nor the crooks know what it is. She waffles between trusting Grant to help her and thinking that he's after her money as well. One funny part is when Audrey's running through the Paris subway, trying to get away from Grant. She's got a bit of a head start, but she's far shorter and wearing heels. But she outruns Grant. The end scene is really sweet. And I don't mean that in a bad way. (Carly)

Arsenic and Old Lace: Cary Grant, Peter Lorre.

This was the first Cary Grant movie I ever saw. I've seen it several times, from when I was in elementary school to sometime last year, and I still think it's hilarious. Grant's got these two spinster aunts who take it upon themselves to put lonely old men out of their misery with a little arsenic mixed with elderberry wine, or something like that. Then their brother, who thinks he's Teddy Roosevelt building the Panama Canal, buries the victims in the basement, thinking they've died of yellow fever. Grant's engaged, and despite all this craziness, it looks like he's going to be able to get married without any problem. Then his crazy brother Jonathan comes home. He's a mix of criminality and Frankenstein, and he's there to make trouble. But you know it comes out all right in the end. (Carly)

Beach Blanket Bingo: Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon.

So I'm really apprehensive about including this as a classic movie--it's sillier than Copocobana, if that's possible. Annette's hair NEVER gets wet or mussed, despite the fact that she's at the beach in her swimsuit and that she goes skydiving, wearing a helmet. But no helmet hair here. Just a bungling motorcycle gang called the "Rats," that guy who plays Samantha's annoying cousin or something on Bewitched, a guy everybody in the movie refers to as "Bonehead," a mermaid, and a budding starlet named Sugar Cane. I'd tell you the plot but there really wasn't one to speak of. A very amusing movie, but I can certainly think of better guys to make into teen idols than Frankie Avalon. He looks like he should be named Vinny and work in a pizza joint somewhere. (Carly)

Love in the Afternoon: Audrey Hepburn.

This movie may not have an airtight plot, but it's sweet, funny, and altogether delightful. It does have a happy ending. (Carly)

Just about the sweetest movie ever made. Anybody who likes love stories should watch it, and even if you're totally unsentimental there's a lot of silliness in this movie. If you think you're an Audrey Hepburn fan because you've watched Breakfast at Tiffany's twenty times and know all the words to Moon River you should especially see this movie. This is a happy crying kind of film. (Ellen)

Casablanca: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Peter Lorre (1943 Oscar for Best Picture).

This one lives up to the hype. The plot moves slowly at the beginning, but it is generally unpredictable and interesting. The acting is superb, of course. With all the famous lines that people quote from this movie, it could easily be cheesy, but it's not. (Carly)

There can be no criticism of this film. It's a masterpiece. The thought of someone having the audacity to make a sequel makes me want to cry. Anybody who saw Scarlett should realize the error of making a sequel to a story that is not only a classic, but also you didn't write in the first place. It's an absolute travesty. (Ellen)

Gone with the Wind: Vivian Leigh, Clark Gable (1939 Oscar for Best Picture).

So maybe it's a more than a little dated, and maybe it's hard to sit through, but really, you can't say it's not a good movie. Think about this: If you're going to spend that much time watching a movie, don't you think it should be a Technicolor gem like this rather than an affront to taste and decency like Titanic? All the actors are superb and do a great job of character development. It really is a beautiful movie to watch. If you're one of those people who didn't watch it when it was re-released in theaters because you hated it when you watched it in eight grade history class, shame on you. Granted it is a politically incorrect, historically romanticized movie, but you have to admit the story is engrossing and entertaining. (Ellen)

Sabrina: Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart.

I must admit the only thing that stuck out in my mind about this version of Sabrina was the fact that Audrey Hepburn went to cooking school and cracked lots of eggs, and she wore a really cool black cat suit when she was cooking for Bogey. All in all, it's a good little film that is just as good, if different from the remake. If you've got a really strong desire to watch an Audrey Hepburn film, stick with Love in the Afternoon. At least it has gypsies. (Ellen)

Pillow Talk: Rock Hudson, Doris Day.

This is the first Rock Hudson movie I saw. If it has any deeper meaning, I didn't find it, but it's awfully funny. Doris Day is a single interior designer, and at first she hates Rock, but then she falls in love. (You knew it was going to happen.) (Carly)
Well damn, this movie's funny. First of all, Doris day is cute as a bug in my book and Rock Hudson is about the most beautiful specimen of manhood I've ever seen. This movie is non-stop giggles, the kind you see with your best girlfriend and laugh cause well, men can't be trusted. The first time I saw this movie I thought it was about the most brilliant comedy ever, and it doesn't lose much in re-viewing. Doris is in her element as the prim and proper yet cute and sexy Jan Morrow, who puts up wit the wolf-like wooing of playboy Brad Allen who shares her party line. Brad thinks she's one step from the nunnery until he sees her shaking her rear at a nightclub. Being a silly guy, he decides the only way to win Jan over(read seduce) is to pretend to be a big dumb Texan who says "shucks" a lot. It's not a movie that can be taken seriously. Carly's right, if you're looking for a deep movie, don't try this one. Hudson's and Day's close off screen relationship adds to the silliness and the wit. (They were great friends and constantly played practical jokes on and off screen). Rock and Doris made a couple of other films, which I believe were called Lover Come Back and Send Me No Flowers. They were both pretty funny, but neither compares with Pillow Talk. Tony Randall is also in a couple of these films. (Ellen)

Breakfast at Tiffany's: Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard.

Who doesn't like this movie? Audrey's a girl who's not quite what she appears to be, and George is a kept man. They meet, and of course, they fall in love. Audrey almost runs off to South America, and the last scene always makes me cry. (Carly)

An Affair to Remember: Cary Grant.

This movie doesn't get a thumbs up or a thumbs down -- I thought it would be all sweet and funny, but it's not as lighthearted as other Cary Grant movies. I was disappointed in the ending. (Carly)

The Sting: Robert Redford, Paul Newman (1973 Oscar for Best Picture).

Robert Redford runs so gracefully. I never noticed until I saw this movie. Anyway, Redford and Newman team up to save Redford from some oragnized crime guys who want to get him. It's got the great Scott Joplin music, too.
I had forgotten what a superb movie this is. Robert Redford is probably the only man who can pull off a maroon suit with gold stripes. Paul Newman's pretty sexy, himself. They've got that great nose-swipe secret signal, and all kinds of cool gangster stuff. This movie actually has a complex plot, which means it's great for repeat viewing--I'm watching it on TNT, where it's brought to me by Little Debbie Snack Cakes. (Carly)

Copocabana

This is the only Groucho Marx movie I've ever seen, and I saw it a long time ago, but it's the one where Carmen Miranda wears the fruit on her head (maybe she does it in other movies, too; I'm not sure). Anyway, it made a big impression on me. It's very silly, but you probably guessed that. After all, this is the Silliness Extravaganza. (Carly)

Great Expectations

This one doesn't get a thumbs up or thumbs down, either. I'm talking about the old version, the one we all had to watch in high school, which is the bad part about it. The good part is that it's really funny when Miss Havisham's wedding dress catches on fire with her in it. I guess it ruins the drama of Dickens or something, but it's really ridiculous in the movie. (Carly)

The Gang's All Here: (1943) Carmen Miranda, Alice Faye, Benny Goodman, Charlotte Greenwood.

This lovely classic is on TV often, so keep your eyes peeled. If you enjoyed Carmen Miranda with fruit on her head in Copacabana, you'll adore her in this musical comedy. The number "Lady in the Tutti Frutti Hat" is a scream. You never saw so many pretty girls dancing with large bananas in your life. This movie features the late Alice Faye as a sweet showgirl in love with a soldier who is promised to his childhood sweet heart. All kids of crazy things ensue, and well it's a riot. If you've never seen the work of director Busby Berkeley, you're in for a treat. Berkeley's dance numbers are a riot, and every scene that can have a bevy of smiling girls has the to the extreme. The supporting cast is excellent, with a lot of famous faces (Benny Goodman, Charlotte Greenwood etc.) (Ellen)

A Magnificent Obsession: Rock Hudson.

An unfortunately hilarious drama. This is a Rock Hudson film that shouldn't be taken seriously. Rock plays (guess what) a playboy who is out of control. He finally realizes the error of his ways when he accidentally blinds the women he lives (it's a cheesy accident scene that's about as bad as the accident in An Affair to Remember). Rock then becomes a brain surgeon all the while courting his blind love under an assumed name (okay, she's blind, not stupid, you'd think she'd know it was him) Eventually of course, he must do emergency surgery on her and she forgives him and they love each other forever etc. So I may have given away the ending, but this isn't really a movie you watch to experience a moving drama. It's better to watch with a friend who has a good sense of humor who will let you throw popcorn at the screen and ogle Rock. (Ellen)

Roman Holiday: Audrey Hepburn, Gregory Peck.

This has got to be the least fun of Audrey Hepburn's movies. While Gregory Peck and Audrey are great, the movie drags and the ending genuinely sucks. (Ellen)

COMING SOON

That Touch of Mink

Operation Petticoat

Yellow Submarine

The Philadelphia Story

The Swan

---

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page