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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?

OP posts:
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.

Darkling1 · 02/08/2025 10:54

Mistyglade · 02/08/2025 00:05

Rear Window
The Apartment

ps top thread

Edited

Thank you! I wonder if anyone else has started watching Old Hollywood films off the back of this thread.

The thread is lovely - I haven’t got anyone else irl to talk about these films.

OP posts:
Wildegeese · 02/08/2025 01:10

@ÚlldemoShúl Do you mean Father Goose? I love that one!

Motherfluffers · 02/08/2025 00:29

Top Hat

Sedgwick · 02/08/2025 00:27

African Queen Hepburn & Bogart
True Grit John Wayne

Mistyglade · 02/08/2025 00:05

Rear Window
The Apartment

ps top thread

Judiezones · 01/08/2025 23:55

The Searchers
Stagecoach
To Kill a Mockingbird
Rebecca
Anything with Fred Astaire

Duckswaddle · 01/08/2025 23:50

Casablanca
Roman Holiday
Some Like It Hot

DisabledDemon · 01/08/2025 23:46

All About Eve
The Quiet Man
Some Like It Hot
Dark Victory
The Women
Now, Voyager
Calamity Jane

Oh Lord, I could go on and on ...

bagpuss90 · 01/08/2025 23:34

3678194b · 12/07/2025 22:25

Brief Encounter! So tame really but I love it!

Me too !

heartsinvisiblefury · 01/08/2025 22:58

Young At Heart - Doris Day and Frank Sinatra

heartsinvisiblefury · 01/08/2025 22:57

Thoroughly Modern Millie is AMAZING!!!!

Darkling1 · 01/08/2025 22:07

Poobs2022 · 01/08/2025 21:39

You should definitely watch Pillow Talk! Rock Hudson was a dreamboat!

It has been added to the list! I don’t think I’ve seen a Rock Hudson film before…

OP posts:
Darkling1 · 01/08/2025 22:03

Poobs2022 · 01/08/2025 21:42

Also recommend Holiday Inn and White Christmas (obvs for Christmas time!).

Yes!

OP posts:
Ohwhatfuckeryitistoride · 01/08/2025 22:02

Just realised op said hollywood and I blethered about Powell and Pressburger. Unrepentant-they are masterpieces.

Ohwhatfuckeryitistoride · 01/08/2025 21:59

way2serious · 12/07/2025 22:57

I love many of the films already mentioned but also an old British one , I Know Where I’m Going, occasionally shown on BBC2

Edited

It's such a lovely lovely film. And Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, Anton Walbrook was so charming. A matter of life and death is so beautiful.Red Shoes and Black Narcissus are just amazing.
1930s/40s musicals, anything with Fred Astaire but especially the Band Wagon though it's 50s.
30s horror-the Universal classics and my favourite The Black Cat with Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi-all art deco and sinister.
40s noir. Big Sleep is still a masterpiece.
The Thin Man. Perfect screwball/crime. And the best dog.

If anyone especially likes noir, David Thomson wrote a novel called Suspects that links characters from films from Laura to Chinatown. It's one of my comfort books.

Poobs2022 · 01/08/2025 21:42

Also recommend Holiday Inn and White Christmas (obvs for Christmas time!).

Poobs2022 · 01/08/2025 21:39

Darkling1 · 12/07/2025 22:39

I grew up watching Calamity Jane. I love it! Haven’t seen any other Doris Day films, mind.

You should definitely watch Pillow Talk! Rock Hudson was a dreamboat!

hazelowens · 01/08/2025 21:34

There are so many, my Grampa was a cinema projectionist so I was brought up on old films. I'd say my main ones are The Wizard of Oz, Calamity Jane, 7 brides for 7 brothers. I had a crush on Howard Keel at age 6 as I would get all embarrassed when he was on screen being manly lol. I do like a disaster movie like The Poseidon Adventure and Towering Inferno

Needtosoundoffandbreathe · 01/08/2025 21:33

Ponoka7 · 12/07/2025 22:32

Whistle down the wind, Swiss family Robinson.

Whistle Down the Wind, while a fantastic film, is not an old Hollywood film! Directed by Bryan Forbes in 1961.

Darkling1 · 01/08/2025 21:27

We’ve watched many of your suggestions - thank you. We’re going to watch Laura (1944) now.

My old Hollywood favourites, so far are:

  1. Ninotchka
  2. Holiday
  3. Some Like it Hot
  4. Adam’s Rib
  5. Queen Christina
OP posts:
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

TaraRhu · 16/07/2025 23:58

Sunset boulevard and wizard of oz

smurfmonkey · 16/07/2025 22:47

Darkling1 · 13/07/2025 21:25

There are several films I’ve wanted to watch, but they aren’t on any streaming services. Particularly Rear Window, Laura and The Philadelphia Story.

I think we’ll be watching Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner tomorrow as it’s on Prime (I’m rather partial to Katharine Hepburn, so that’s a bonus ☺️)

Rear Window is on Sky Movies, literally at the moment 😁

BlueandWhitePorcelain · 16/07/2025 20:46

Musicals:

  1. Anything with Fred Astaire
  2. Anything with Gene Kelly
  3. South Pacific
  4. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
  5. The King and I
  6. Calamity Jane

Other films:

  1. Casablanca and anything with Humphrey Bogart, including The African Queen
  2. An Affair to Remember
  3. The Heiress (for Montgomery Clift)
  4. Red River (for Montgomery Clift)
  5. The Big Country
  6. To Kill A Mockingbird
  7. Lawrence of Arabia
  8. The Philadelphia Story
  9. Alfred Hitchcock films
  10. The Dambusters and other British WWII films
  11. The Wicked Lady
  12. The Man in Grey
  13. Bhowani Junction