Classic Movies

[dragonflies]

Anyone here love Classic Movies? If so, who are your favorite actors/actresses and what movies are your absolute favorite?

[Bright Eyes]

See avatar!

Jean Harlow is my favourite, hands down.

The 30's are EASILY the best decade of film in history.

I watch a classic film at least once a week. In fact, I just watched Arrowsmith last night.

[dragonflies]

Cary Grant is my all time favorite classic movie actor. "Talk of the Town" is one movie I can watch over and over and never tire of

[Bright Eyes]

Have you seen "She Done Him Wrong", starring Grant and Mae West? It is such a fantastic movie.

[dragonflies]

No I haven't, I'm gonna have to check it out

[Bright Eyes]

I also suggest, Blonde Venus, with Marlene Dietrich and I'm No Angel, again, with the superb and infectious Mae West.

[EricMontreal22]

Love old movies, always have, always will. My fave movie star, bar none, is Montgomery Clift (I always find it a bit sad that he's somewhat forgotten now, even though at one time he was as big as James Dean, etc. Maybe if Hollywood ever makes that rumoured biopic, that at one time was meant to star Wes Bentley who does resemble Monty btu that's before Wes became a C level star, things will change). Fave movie of his is Place in the Sun--it never fails to get me, and George Steven's direction is flawless.

I do love the Douglas Sirk "women's pictures" weepies--Imitation of Life, All That Heaven Allows, Written on the Wind being my fave (Written on the Wind was Dallas before there was Dallas!) He elevated a much maligned genre into something almost literary.

Love Wilder's films--obviously Sunset Blvd and probably The Apartment topping my list. Love Hitchcock--have two box sets of most of his classic films (I hate Jimmy Stewart for some reason, yet despite that Rear Window is prob my fave Hitch). Looking at my DVDs probably over half are old movies (pre 1965) which always confuses my friends--the guy I'm actually dating recently admitted to me he's never watched a full black and white movie except Shindler's List. LOL

Some other faves--the Powell/Pressinger British movies especially Black Narcissus and the controversial horror film that destroyed them, Peeping Tom. I'm a HUGE Tennessee Williams fan but I hate how all his movie adaptations had to be censored from their play versions when made into films--soometimes it was done ok, other times not. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof has a glorious cast, but the fact they diluted the dialogue to avoid mentioning Brick's homosexuality (the very POINT of the play) makes me hard to watch it--same goes with the iother Paul Newman one, Sweet Bird of Youth (on stage it ends with the hero getting castrated by the corrupt town bullies after he gave the mayor's daughter an STD that made her sterile, lol--on film he merely made her pregnant and he escapes with her at the end in a speed boat! Still Geraldine Paige recreating her stage role for the movie makes it almost worth it). Three exceptions that manage to capture the Williams' originals even while being slightly censored are the brilliant Streetcar Named Desire (they did downplay the fact Blanche's dead husband was gay), Fugitive Kind (base don his underated great play Orpheus Descending) and Gore Vidal's adaptation of Suddenly last Summer, which verges on camp, but is brilliant.

I'm a HUGE musical theatre geek but actually am not all that into movie musicals, especially the classic ones that often seemed forced. I guess it's something that works better on stage. That said classics like Singing in the Wain, and my childhood fave Wizard of Oz will always have a place.

I know these are rarely thought of as classic films, but the "great five" first Walt Disney animated features (before the war when he lavished unheard of money on them, and was involved in every detail--after the war he kinda lost interest in his animated features) are brilliant. Snow White, Pinocchio, Fantasia, Bambi, and Dumbo, over the span of just five years are not just great cartoons, but they're great FILMS in any genre--compare something like the forest fire in Bambi to ANY action scene from a live action film from 1942, and you'll see Disney and his team were often using more modern, and groundbreaking camera angles and techniques than live action Hollywood did--that's one reason the films haven't dated as much as many old live ones.

Love a lot of old horror, especially the famous cycle of B movies Val Lewton did in the 40s starting with Cat People and including I Walked with a Zombie--these are more insanely atmospheric mood pieces than true horro, and really hold up. Also was always really into silent films especially as a kid when I was obsessed with Buster Keaton--especially love German expressionistic director Murnau's films--namely Nosferatur, and his one big Hollywood film Sunrise. It's amazing what they were doing with film technique was so groundbreaking that when sound came in, talkies actually took a massive step backwards in terms of all that.

Now if by classic movies we'd include the late 60s and 70s I could ramble tons more lol

[quartermainefan]

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JPragZeLGU

two old films a soap fan should check out. The first one has to be a template for Dallas, and the second clip has to be the most melodramatic scene ever. The music alone is worth the film alone. Vincent Minelli and Douglas Sirk directed these two.

[Cat]

IA Amello, 30s movies were gloriously glamorous. Three on a Match, Knight Without Armor, Blue Angel, Catherine the Great, The 39 Steps. The early Fred and Ginger movies. On an OT note, it is amazing how the 1930s evening dresses the actresses wore do NOT date. You could easily wear them today and not look out of place.

EricMontreal delineated a lot of my faves, including the Powell/Pressberger films: The Red Shoes, Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (which is so moving) and the amazing, gripping Black Narcissus.

I also love some of the Liz Taylor films, including Butterfield 8 which is trashtastic. Also Doris Day (yes, her), Rock Hudson and Tony Randall in their prime put today's romcoms to shame. Pillow Talk and Lover Come Back were fab.

Right now, though, I am all about Rita Hayworth and Gilda. The most gorgeous film noir. Rita is just an icon of beauty and charisma in that film.

Also: Hitchcock, arguably my favorite director. Rebecca, Notorious, Spellbound, Rear Window, Dial M for Murder, To Catch a Thief, North By Northwest, The Birds, Marnie. Was there ever a leading man like Cary Grant more in tune with his director? Notorious is the pinacle -- you can actually feel the long, swoony kisses between Grant and Ingrid Bergman.

[dragonflies]

Anyone seen "No sad songs for me" with Margaret Sullavan and a young Natalie Wood? I'm watching it now and it's good, but sad

[JackPeyton]

Guess Who Coming To Dinner, From Here To Eterenity, Love Story, An Affair To Remember, & Breakfast at Tiffanys are some of my favorite movie made.

[dragonflies]

Watched a really good movie on TCM the other night called "June Bride"

[DRW50]

Summer Stock, the pathos in that from Gene Kelly and Judy Garland adds life to the putting on a show stuff, and it has some great songs.

There's also Nashville, one of my favorite movies, more for set pieces than the movie itself. You haven't lived until you've seen Barbara Jean.

[Bright Eyes]

I watched Cavalcade, the 1934 Best Picture winner, starring Academy Award nominee Diana Wynyard , yesterday.

I was happily surprised to see that the movie had many soapy elements to it, especially for a war film. I loved the couple dying on the Titantic.

[Paul Raven]

Thank you Zendall Fan for starting this thread. It's kinda freaky as I was thinking along these lines and thought I'd check out Movies & Music(which I seldom visit) and lo and behold -Classic Movies discussion!

Interesting posts so far. Agree with Eric about Place in The Sun-Elizabeth Taylor never looked more beautiful and Shelley Winters was amazing also.

Have No Sad Songs in my pile to watch.

Douglas Sirk -gotta plug Imitation Of Life-that movie gets me every time. The 1934 version is also worth checking out.

Also,All I Desire with Stanwyck and There's Always Tomorrow with Stanwyck and Fred Mac Murray.

He also directed Lured in 47-not overly Sirkian in style but a very entertaining mystery. What's interesting is Lucille Ball in the lead in a role very different from her wacky Lucy persona,

Have to plug the beautiful and underrated Gene Tierney. She made some fine movies at Fox. If you haven't seen Leave Her To heaven and Laura,the do so.She,and the movies are great.

Hope we can keep this thread happening.