Older Movies

[Asteriktos]

So we have threads for movies from the 80's and 90's, and horror movies, but I don't think we have one for older movies yet. What are your favorite older movies? I guess "older" is sort of subjective... I'm taking it to mean either from the 70's backwards (since we did 80's/90's), or older than you are. The only four that I can think to list that I like enough are...

12 Angry Men (1957)
The 300 Spartans (1962)
Planet of the Apes (1968)
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory   (1971)
Pumping Iron (1977)

[Heorhij]

I grew up watching comedies by a Soviet film director, Leonid Gaidai (Ukrainians pronounce Haidai). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonid_Gaidai

My absolute favorites were "Operation Y and other Shurik's adventures" (1965), "Kidnapping, Caucasian Style" (1967), and especially "The Diamond Arm" (1968). We kids could watch these movies over and over again and we laughed and laughed like crazy.

My wife and I recently rented "The Diamond Arm," and, alas, it did not seem so funny anymore. Maybe we grew up and became hopelessly boring adults (I hope not!), or maybe simply the times have changed and the humor has changed somewhat.

[Marc1152]

Dark Star (1974) John Carpenter

Ranks up there with Dr. Strangelove. John Carpenter made it when he was a graduate film student I believe. One of the funniest cheap movies ever.

Garbage scow spacecraft sent to blow up planets that are in the way of colonization. Way out in deep space for 20 years. Nothing works anymore. Crew is bored, living in broken down meat locker. Captain dead but in suspended animation till they get home.. Still gives advice.  Bombs talk back, smarter than crew. Ship is infected  with an Alien that looks like a beach ball.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbuQ5ZLB2ME


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjGRySVyTDk&feature=related


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9-Niv2Xh7w&feature=related       "Let there be Light"

[Entscheidungsproblem]

Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922)
Metropolis (1927)
The Time Machine (1960)
The Count of Monte Cristo (1934)
Forbidden Planet (1956)
The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951)
Things to Come (1936)
...
(Just to name a few)

I'm a huge fan of old sci-fi films.  

[Michał Kalina]

Fiddler on the roof (1971), Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977), Znachor (Polish film from 1981 - but older than me).

[EofK]

Singing in the Rain, 1952
The King and I, 1956
Solaris (Andrei Tarkovsky's film), 1972

I'll have to edit with more when I can remember them.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

Citizen Kane (1941)
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
War of the Worlds (1953)
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
Vertigo (1958)
Psycho (1960)
The Birds (1963)
Dr. Strangelove (1964)
Pink Panther (1964)
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1965)
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Blazing Saddles (1974)
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1974)
Star Wars IV (1977)
Monty Python and the Life of Brian (1979)

[EofK]

^Well, if Monty Python counts, their whole library of works can go on my list but especially Life of Brian.

[genesisone]

When it came out in 1965, I was enthralled with Doctor Zhivago. Have watched it countless times since. I'm about due for my more or less annual viewing; next Tuesday seems good - will have the house to myself most of the day.

The African Queen (1951) is another I never tire of. And no, I didn't see it when it came out - I arrived a year too late!
The Great Escape (1963)

[Theophilos78]

The Rope (1948)
The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
Vertigo (1958)
Cape Fear (1962)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

[Heorhij]

^^I love all of the mentioned films by Hitchcock, and Milos Forman's "One flight over...". As for "Doctor Zhivago," I like it, but I can't help laughing when I watch it, because I know the novel by Pasternak very well, and to me, the Hollywood movie is an example of how can a movie be made allegedly based on a book and yet have exactly nothing to do with the book. My wife and I once agreed that Hollywood might as well make a movie called "Glassperlenspiel" ("Glass Bead Game"), "based" on the novel by Hermann Hesse (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Glass_Bead_Game), where the central motif would be the story of love between the hero (Magister Ludi, Joseph Knecht) and a peasant girl. The two are visiting each other, hugging, kissing, romancing, and all that on the background of majestic Alpine peaks, and with the music of Swiss alphorns.  (Those of you who read "Glassperlenspiel" will get my irony.)

[Entscheidungsproblem]

Stalker (1979).  I'll admit it, I wasn't a huge fan of the film the first few times I viewed it, but over the years it has grown on me.  Now the novella it was very loosely based on, "Roadside Picnic", pure genius.

[genesisone]

As for "Doctor Zhivago," I like it, but I can't help laughing when I watch it, because I know the novel by Pasternak very well, and to me, the Hollywood movie is an example of how can a movie be made allegedly based on a book and yet have exactly nothing to do with the book.

Yes, I've read the book too a couple of times - due for another reading as well - and I agree. They really are two different stories. But I was an impressionable thirteen year old. I remember seeing it the first time with a group from my church. I was the youngest of the group, most were late teens, early twenties. It was something of a "coming-of-age" experience for me. And I do laugh at a number of things such as Ralph Richardson, who sounds like he belongs on an English manor in a bygone era; knowing parts were filmed in Franco's Spain with agents checking for Communists on the set. Did you know the old woman trying to get on the train in the burned out village really was injured in the attempt?

[Andrew21091]

I love older movies; especially the epics.

My favorites:
Lawrence of Arabia
The Ten Commandments
Ben-Hur
Khartoum
Seven Samurai
Yojimbo
Patton
The Longest Day

[stanley123]

Some good ones that I agree with:

Citizen Kane (1941)
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
War of the Worlds (1953)
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
...[edited]..

But I didn't see mentioned one of the all time great movies: Casablanca.

[Gebre Menfes Kidus]

Easy Rider
Ben Hur
All 3 James Dean Movies (Rebel Without a Cause, East of Eden, and Giant)
Apocalypse Now
Shane
Imitation of Life
Lillies of the Field
The Nun's Story
Spartacus
Pride of the Yankees
The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit
The Apartment
And... anything with Anthony Quinn


Selam

[Heorhij]

I saw "Spartacus" and "300 Spartans" as a kid. I believe I was in the second or third grade. Both movies were dubbed in Russian. The whole male student body of my elementary school was very excited for a week or so!

[ytterbiumanalyst]

Some good ones that I agree with:

Citizen Kane (1941)
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
War of the Worlds (1953)
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
...[edited]..

But I didn't see mentioned one of the all time great movies: Casablanca.

I didn't think it was all that great.

[Marc1152]

Yes, 300 Spartans... It had a big impact on my little boy life.

"When we attack, our arrows will block out the Sun !!"

"Good. Then we shall fight in the shade."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uul-NvMM3rg

"What happend to those men at Thermopylae?"

"Dead to the last man."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fivRJQUCo7o

[stanley123]

Some good ones that I agree with:

Citizen Kane (1941)
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
War of the Worlds (1953)
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
...[edited]..

But I didn't see mentioned one of the all time great movies: Casablanca.

I didn't think it was all that great.

OK.
I liked it.
Another good movie I didn't see mentioned was:
Dersu Uzala.

[Andrew21091]

Yes, 300 Spartans... It had a big impact on my little boy life.

"When we attack, our arrows will block out the Sun !!"

"Good. Then we shall fight in the shade."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uul-NvMM3rg

"What happend to those men at Thermopylae?"

"Dead to the last man."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fivRJQUCo7o

I really liked The 300 Spartans.

[Andrew21091]

I watched Kurosawa's film Sanjuro and loved it. I've only seen four Kurosawa films (Rashomon, Yojimbo, Sanjuro, and Seven Samurai) but I was blown away by all of them. He was one of the greatest film makers in my opinion and Toshiro Mifune has to be one of the best actors I've seen. Any Kurosawa fans on here?

[Iconodule]

I watched Kurosawa's film Sanjuro and loved it. I've only seen four Kurosawa films (Rashomon, Yojimbo, Sanjuro, and Seven Samurai) but I was blown away by all of them. He was one of the greatest film makers in my opinion and Toshiro Mifune has to be one of the best actors I've seen. Any Kurosawa fans on here?

So far I've seen Ikiru, Rashoman, Yojimbo, Dreams, and Ran, and loved them all, especially Ran (his version of King Lear). I just recently picked up Throne of Blood (his version of Macbeth) and am eager to watch it when I have the time.

[Robb]

All I ever watch is old movies (I mean OLD movies, stuff from the 30's till the 50's is my cup of tea). I grew up under the influence of my parents who were always watching older films which they had been exposed to as kids watching them on the late show way back when.  I'm probably close to the only person my age who still knows who the old stars were from Hollywood's golden age.  Nostalgia for these movies was probably much bigger in the 60's and 70's then it is today.  When you say that you're a fan of "older movies" these days, chances are that most people will think that you're referring to films from the 80'd, defiantly not the 30's.

[Andrew21091]

I watched Kurosawa's film Sanjuro and loved it. I've only seen four Kurosawa films (Rashomon, Yojimbo, Sanjuro, and Seven Samurai) but I was blown away by all of them. He was one of the greatest film makers in my opinion and Toshiro Mifune has to be one of the best actors I've seen. Any Kurosawa fans on here?

So far I've seen Ikiru, Rashoman, Yojimbo, Dreams, and Ran, and loved them all, especially Ran (his version of King Lear). I just recently picked up Throne of Blood (his version of Macbeth) and am eager to watch it when I have the time.

I have Ran and Throne of Blood in my Netflix queue so I'll be able to watch those soon. You really should see Seven Samurai since thats considered one of his best. I really loved it.

[Asteriktos]

I'm suprised no one has mentioned The Deer Hunter. Wasn't that one pretty highly praised in some other movies threads we've had?

EDIT--Btw, this is still bugging me, so I have to say something. I'm sorry that I said "four" movies in my post and then listed five. I remembered one as I was looking up a couple of the dates for the movies, but forgot to change the post to say "five" movies.

[Gebre Menfes Kidus]

I'm suprised no one has mentioned The Deer Hunter. Wasn't that one pretty highly praised in some other movies threads we've had?

EDIT--Btw, this is still bugging me, so I have to say something. I'm sorry that I said "four" movies in my post and then listed five. I remembered one as I was looking up a couple of the dates for the movies, but forgot to change the post to say "five" movies.

The Deer Hunter is one of the best ever! They don't make them like that anymore. I loved the way they spent so much time in the first part of the movie developing the characters and portraying the culture. Today everything is geared towards getting to the action as fast as possible. It's ridiculous.

I didn't mention it because I think it was made in the early 70's. I tried to list movies from the 60's and earlier. Sorry I listed more than 5, I wasn't paying attention.


Selam

[Asteriktos]

Gebre,

I apologize, because again I said something that didn't come out the way I meant it to! I didn't mean that people should stick with five,. I just meant that I had mistakenly said that I was going to list 4 movies in my first post, when I in fact listed five. It was only later that I noticed that I had made a mistake.

[Opus118]

I am posting this here because it is an old movie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqnFrCoff50

I watched this today, I do not know what it is about (there are no subtitles) because I do not understand a word of Greek unless it is phrases contained within the Divine Liturgy (none of which occurred in the movie).

Why did I watch this - because I grew up listening to Aliki Vougiouklaki songs, two of which are in this movie.

Google translates the title, TO XILO VGIKE APO TON PARADISO (ΤΟ ΞΥΛΟ ΒΓΗΚΕ ΑΠ' ΤΟΝ ΠΑΡΑΔΕΙΣΟ) as Wood Came Out of Heaven. Aliki is really cute but I do not think she could do this. My take is that the movie is about teachers revolting and slapping a bunch of spoiled girls to their senses. Although it is not clear that they became sensible.

The teacher's revolt begins at 1:06 into the movie. The most intense slapping of young girls by old men that I have ever seen.

The girls may be spoiled but they are adept at playing the accordion, harmonica and guitar/or something related I cannot tell, along with singing. There is a great Hadjidakis song at 1:09:30. This is followed quickly with a cha-cha at 11:11:50, also by Hadjidakis. If you like cats you will like this song or if you like women who act like cats you will like this song.

In keeping with the theme, there is a cat fight at 1:17:20.

For the car enthusiast, the best look at what appears to be a chauffeur-driven 1957 Chevrolet Bel-Air convertible is at the very end of the movie.

I cannot rate this movie since I do not know what it was about but I thought Aliki was adorable.
 
A perfect match for JamesR (based on the cat song) if she weren't already dead.

[Gamliel]

I like Dracula with Bela Lugosi and Frankenstein with Boris Karloff and other horror films from the 1930s to 1950s.  They were able to engender suspense without all the blood and gore that modern horror films show.  Like a previous poster, I also enjoy Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and Patton with George C. Scott.

[Ioannis Climacus]

I watched Kurosawa's film Sanjuro and loved it. I've only seen four Kurosawa films (Rashomon, Yojimbo, Sanjuro, and Seven Samurai) but I was blown away by all of them. He was one of the greatest film makers in my opinion and Toshiro Mifune has to be one of the best actors I've seen. Any Kurosawa fans on here?

Old post to respond to, but Shubun is one of my favorites.

[Kerdy]

This is perhaps my favorite thread so far!  I love, love, love old movies, although my favorites are from the beginning of sound to the mid 60's.  My all-time favorite used to be The Quiet Man (1952) which is now currently in third place.  I now think it is I Remember Mama (1948) with Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939) in second and Holiday Inn (1942) in fourth.

I will have to exercise self-control on this thread.  I could spend all day here.  Until a few years back when I sold my Harley my Saturdays began with about a two hour ride, then on to the local cigar shop when it opened to sit until lunch, enjoying some stogies and watching TCM.  This was back when I had a life.  I miss my life.  Anyway, awesome thread!

Since we added a fifth, The Maltese Falcon (1941) would fall there.

[Arachne]

I'm not particularly fond of the so-called Golden Age of Hollywood... but I can definitely make time for Metropolis (1926), Freaks (1932), Fire Over England (1937), Wuthering Heights (1939), Dies Irae (1943), The Red Shoes (1948), West Side Story (1961) and Scrooge (1970), as well as any and all comedies starring Thanassis Veggos.

[Ansgar]

I love old movies. I remember watching some pretty good ones, back when we had TCM.

[Iconodule]

Anyone here into film noir?

My favorites:

Double Indemnity
Touch of Evil
Kiss Me Deadly
Nightmare Alley
Gun Crazy
Out of the Past
Mildred Pierce
The Killing

[Gebre Menfes Kidus]

I will have to exercise self-control on this thread.  I could spend all day here.  Until a few years back when I sold my Harley my Saturdays began with about a two hour ride, then on to the local cigar shop when it opened to sit until lunch, enjoying some stogies and watching TCM.  This was back when I had a life.  I miss my life.  Anyway, awesome thread!

Sounds like good times indeed!    I miss my life also, but I think I would miss my wife a lot more. 



Selam

[Adela]

Favorite older movies:


   Vivacious Lady (1938 - Ginger Rogers, James Stewart) - James Stewart is a college professor (his father runs the university) who goes to the big city to rescue his cousin from marrying a showgirl.  James Stewart's character marries her instead and brings her back to the small town, but has to keep it a secret until he breaks the new to his parents (and the girlfriend who thinks she is still engaged to James Stewart)):
   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-2r3zzZYgA

 It Happened One Night (1934 - Claudette Colbert, Clark Gable)
 Claudette teaches Clark how to hitchhike:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wHfSb2xz2M

 Miss Sadie Thompson (1953 - Rita Hayworth)  - Rita's character is running from her past and has a shot for a better life with a Marine, but a religious zealot gets in the way. 

Marty (1959 - Ernest Borgnine) This won the Oscar for Best Picture, he's a quiet butcher who wants to get married, and meets a girl at nightclub who was just dumped by her date.  He has to overcome everyone else trying to control his life and go after the girl who really makes him happy.

The Black Orchid (1958 - Sophia Loren, Anthony Quinn) 

A Letter To Three Wives (1949 - Jean Crain, Linda Darnell, Ann Sothern) 

The Taming of the Shrew (1967 - Liz Taylor, Richard Burton)

[biro]

The Maltese Falcon
North by Northwest
All the Godzilla movies
The African Queen

[vamrat]

IMHO, Zulu is one of the greatest movies of all time.

Otherwise, Akira Kurusawa is the greatest director in recorded history.  If Steven Spielburg were to get in a direct-off with Kurusawa he'd end up having to commit seppuku with a roll of film, just to retain the honour he got for Jurassic Park.

[Carl Kraeff (Second Chance)]

This are the movies that I would watch again, dozen or so per decade.

1970s:
The Godfather
The Godfather part II -
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Star Wars
Jaws
Patton
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
American Graffiti
Blazing Saddles
Young Frankenstein
Fiddler on the Roof
Superman

1960s:
Lawrence of Arabia
Dr. Strangelove...
2001: A Space Odyssey
To Kill a Mockingbird
Doctor Zhivago
The Music Man
Spartacus
The Sound of Music
My Fair Lady
Goldfinger
Judgment at Nuremberg
A Man for All Seasons
The Pink Panther

1950s:
Seven Samurai
On the Waterfront
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Rashomon
Singin' in the Rain
Some Like It Hot
North by Northwest
The African Queen
The Ten Commandments
The King and I
Forbidden Planet
Lady and the Tramp
Witness for the Prosecution
Paths of Glory
The Quiet Man

1940s:
Citizen Kane
Casablanca
It's a Wonderful Life
The Philadelphia Story
Yankee Doodle Dandy
Beauty and the Beast
His Girl Friday
Adam's Rib
Miracle on 34th Street
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
Sergeant York
Orpheus

Earlier:
Gone With the Wind
The Wizard of Oz
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Modern Times
King Kong
The 39 Steps
It Happened One Night
The Adventures of Robin Hood
Wuthering Heights
A Night at the Opera
42nd Street
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Great Ziegfeld
The Gay Divorcee
Gunga Din
Captain Blood
The Gold Rush

[Peter J]

Dark Star (1974) John Carpenter

Ranks up there with Dr. Strangelove.

I was thinking of Dr. Strangelove! (Granted, I only started thinking about it about 90 seconds before reading your post. I'm a bit late to this thread.)

[Peter J]

Wuthering Heights

Didn't care much for what they did with Wuthering Heights.

Anyone here into film noir?

My favorites:

Double Indemnity

Good movie. (Fred Mcmurray, for anyone who doesn't already know that.)

[Opus118]

I should probably get a start on this as my memory comes and goes.

Bringing Up Baby, 1938. If it is not my favorite it is close to it.
Swing Time , 1936. If it is not my favorite it is close to it.
Top Hat, 1935
The Gay Divorcee, 1934
Shall We Dance, 1937 ("Slap that bass" needs to be seen on a large screen)
Follow the Fleet,1936
My Man Godfrey, 1936
The Black Cat, 1934 (mainly because it was the first time I heard the Schumann Piano Quintet, this is a Boris Karloff/Bela Lugosi movie for those that do not know)
Duck Soup, 1933
The Thin Man, 1934
Roberta, 1935

[Peter J]

Nice thread btw. I'm afraid the really long threads that lump together all movies (or all TV shows or all music) don't do a lot for me.

[Arachne]

Wuthering Heights

Didn't care much for what they did with Wuthering Heights.

My favourite version remains the 1992 one with Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche, but the old one had some stunning B&W photography, and Laurence Olivier, who totally owns Heathcliff.

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