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Your favourite Old Hollywood films?

232 replies

Darkling1 · 12/07/2025 22:24

I’m just getting into Old Hollywood films. I’ve only watched a handful so far, but right now my favourite is Bringing Up Baby (staring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant)

What’s your favourites?

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Darkling1 · 18/09/2025 11:46

CoffeeCantata · 18/09/2025 07:42

Oh my goodness b- The Ghost and Mrs Muir is absolutely brilliant!

You’re in for a treat and Gene Tierney is so beautiful.

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It was a stunning film. Truly stunning.

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CoffeeCantata · 18/09/2025 07:48

Darkling1 · 22/08/2025 20:47

Thank you - I think Double Indemnity will be next.

Unpopular opinion, but I really didn’t like Gone with the Wind!

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GWTW is definitely biased strongly towards the slave-owning Confederacy- which is not an acceptable stance today. I won’t deny it’s problematic.

But as a film it’s just stupendous. Vivienne Leigh is beyond brilliant and the sets, costumes, dialogue, scenery…I don’t think it’s been bettered.

And it’s quite hard-hitting about the horror of war too for its time.

An amazing piece of cinema.

CoffeeCantata · 18/09/2025 07:42

Darkling1 · 23/08/2025 21:08

This is on the list, thank you! I’ve yet to see a Gene Tierney film.

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Oh my goodness b- The Ghost and Mrs Muir is absolutely brilliant!

You’re in for a treat and Gene Tierney is so beautiful.

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Darkling1 · 17/09/2025 19:22

Thebaldprimadonna · 12/07/2025 22:29

It Happened One Night ❤️

I’ve just watched it and LOVED it. Thank you so much for suggesting it.

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Jools67 · 23/08/2025 21:08

High society

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Darkling1 · 23/08/2025 21:08

MichaelandKirk · 12/07/2025 22:40

Ghost and Mrs Muir. It looked like it was filmed on the UK coast and was very disappointed it was US based.

This is on the list, thank you! I’ve yet to see a Gene Tierney film.

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cariadlet · 23/08/2025 00:01

Double Indemnity is an excellent choice. I love Film Noir and it's one of the best.

I'm not sure that disliking Gone With the Wind is a particularly unpopular opinion.
When I started getting into films and wanting to watch classic films, I didn't watch it because it was so long.

Now I wouldn't watch it because in the clips I have seen, the characters seem insufferable. Plus the book it was based on is pretty racist and is responsible for popularising a lot of Southern myths about the Civil War (I listened to an interesting history podcast about it).

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Darkling1 · 22/08/2025 20:47

CoffeeCantata · 21/08/2025 13:47

Random Harvest is brilliant!

Despite all kinds of things (won’t bore readers here…) I think the best version of Wuthering Heights is the old Hollywood one with Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon. It’s just got something…and captures the cruelty and passion of the story better than later versions.

Gone with the Wind, of course.

Meet me in St Louis

Jezebel with Bette Davis

Mildred Pierce

Double Indemnity

Now, Voyager

Citizen Kane

The Magnificent Ambersons

Not Hollywood - an Ealing comedy: Kind Hearts and Coronets (the best fil ever made bar none). AllEaling comedies are great too.

Ben Hur

So many!

Thank you - I think Double Indemnity will be next.

Unpopular opinion, but I really didn’t like Gone with the Wind!

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CoffeeCantata · 21/08/2025 14:05

Ooh - forgot Rebecca - superb.

CoffeeCantata · 21/08/2025 14:04

Needtosoundoffandbreathe · 02/08/2025 11:57

When I finally got round to watching Casablanca I loved it. Love a Hitchcock film too - my favourite is North by Northwest.

Oh wow - Cary Grant’s suits in that film! So chic.

And the gorgeous, sinister James Mason.

curtaintwitcher78 · 21/08/2025 13:59

Shylo · 12/07/2025 22:38

so many wonderful films but my favourite is Some Like it Hot

Mine too!

CoffeeCantata · 21/08/2025 13:47

Random Harvest is brilliant!

Despite all kinds of things (won’t bore readers here…) I think the best version of Wuthering Heights is the old Hollywood one with Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon. It’s just got something…and captures the cruelty and passion of the story better than later versions.

Gone with the Wind, of course.

Meet me in St Louis

Jezebel with Bette Davis

Mildred Pierce

Double Indemnity

Now, Voyager

Citizen Kane

The Magnificent Ambersons

Not Hollywood - an Ealing comedy: Kind Hearts and Coronets (the best fil ever made bar none). AllEaling comedies are great too.

Ben Hur

So many!

jimmybim · 21/08/2025 13:37

Some great suggestions.
My favourite film of all time is Random Harvest with Greer Garson & Ronald Coleman , the ending gets me every time

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Darkling1 · 21/08/2025 13:28

Davros · 12/07/2025 22:38

Not a Hollywood film but I shouldn’t be so pedantic!
Laura
Mildred Pierce
Sullivan’s Travels
All Bette Davis films
Leave her to Heaven
Adam’s Rib
The Women
The Fountainhead
Everybody Does it
Song of Love
lots more…

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Thank you. The Women is what we’ll be watching next 😊

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cariadlet · 10/08/2025 16:32

BBC IPlayer has got some great old films - scroll down to Hollywood Greats: the Golden Age.

I watched Now Voyager yesterday. I've known the famous quote for as long as I remember and had seen a few clips but realised that I had never actually watched the film.

I enjoyed it but was a bit taken aback by the ending. Not what I'd expected. I was also a bit irritated by the trope that women (and girls) with glasses are necessarily dowdy and unattractive.

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Darkling1 · 07/08/2025 13:18

BlueEyedBogWitch · 17/07/2025 00:06

Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?
Sunset Boulevard
The Third Man
All About Eve
The Bishop’s Wife
Singin’ In The Rain
The Philadelphia Story
It’s A Wonderful Life
Twelve Angry Men
An American In Paris
Meet Me In St Louis
Young At Heart
Now, Voyager

Sunset Boulevard will be our next worth, since it has been mentioned so many times. Thank you 😊

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SnowFrogJelly · 07/08/2025 01:35

Brief Encounter, Gone with the Wind, any Hitchcock , Carousel

DianaVilliers · 07/08/2025 01:00

Some like it hot.
A Philadelphia story
His girl Friday

Fishneedscycle · 07/08/2025 00:00

Hollywood Films not yet mentioned
Top Hat
On the Town
Weekend at the Waldorf
The Best Years of Our Lives
The VIPs
Giant
Splendor in the Grass
This Property is Condemned

My favourite British b and w film
is The Wicked Lady about a rich bored woman who becomes a highwayman

SydneyCarton · 06/08/2025 23:32

How To Marry A Millionaire with Lauren Bacall, Betty Grable and Marilyn Monroe. Such wonderful costumes Smile

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Darkling1 · 06/08/2025 23:18

Abracadabra12345 · 16/07/2025 19:22

I’ve not heard of this. How did you access it?

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Just realised you said “access” and not assess. We used FMHY to stream it.

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Flumpaphone · 06/08/2025 23:07

Rear Window

Grace Kelly can’t act for toffee but she’s absolutely luminous and James Stewart is fantastic

Charlieangle · 06/08/2025 23:05

North by Northwest
Charade
Gone with the wind
Gaslight
It’s a wonderful life
Vertigo
39 Steps (Kenneth Moore)
The Birds
Whatever happened to baby Jane

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Darkling1 · 06/08/2025 22:57

Abracadabra12345 · 16/07/2025 19:22

I’ve not heard of this. How did you access it?

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Sorry, I completely missed this.

It’s an incredible film. Very witty and clever. Very quotable too. It’s my favourite out of the lot, thus far! It stars Greta Garbo and Melvyn Douglas.

We’ve watched Now Voyager and The Shop on the Corner. Both great films. None have topped Ninotchka for me, yet.

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Illegally18 · 06/08/2025 22:36

Needtosoundoffandbreathe · 02/08/2025 11:57

When I finally got round to watching Casablanca I loved it. Love a Hitchcock film too - my favourite is North by Northwest.

The 39 Steps is good too - pre WWII.

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