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Old movies kids will love

63 replies

PurpleSinger · 21/11/2006 11:39

I realised this morning that I have been neglecting my children's cultural education . Too many 21st-century cartoons are rotting their brains and I need to save them before it's too late! So I've started to put together a list of classic movies that I think they'll love. None of these are movies specifically designed for kids, but I think they'll enjoy them. Does anyone have any other suggestions? My son is eight and my daughter is six, so I've avoided some of my favourite old movies that I think might go over their heads, because I don't want to put them off black and white films before we've even started!
Bringing Up Baby
Meet Me in St Louis
Any Marx Brothers movie
Any Fred and Ginger movie
Harvey
My Fair Lady
Some Like It Hot
Titfield Thunderbolt
Sound of Music
Lavender Hill Mob
Singin' in the Rain

OP posts:
JackieNo · 21/11/2006 11:41

Pink Panther films? DD (6) loved the one that was on the other weekend. Mind you, she was rather gutted that we had to turn over from watching a bit of Death on the Nile to see it.

KathyMCMLXXII · 21/11/2006 11:43

Maybe 'Kind Hearts and Coronets' to go with the other Ealing comedies on the list.

JackieNo · 21/11/2006 11:45

Although DD was rather upset by the bit in My Fair Lady where they force her to have a bath - it's always the unexpected bits that scare them. And we've always turned off the Sound of Music before all the escaping bits - but now she's getting older, that might change.

Saturn74 · 21/11/2006 11:45

It's A Wonderful Life

southeastastra · 21/11/2006 11:48

when i was little i loved that film Pennny Serenade with cary grant, i still cry when i watch it. it's about a couple adopting a baby

plibble · 21/11/2006 11:51

Not b&w, but I loved Hayley Mills films, esp (the very un-pc) Summer Magic.

KathyMCMLXXII · 21/11/2006 12:00

Oh yes Plibble, Whistle Down the Wind is brilliant.

Marina · 21/11/2006 12:03

Wizard of Oz
Laurel & Hardy - Busy Bodies and The Music Box, also Sons of the Desert
Genevieve
The Court Jester (Danny Kaye!)

Marina · 21/11/2006 12:03

National Velvet

Marina · 21/11/2006 12:04

Robin Hood (with the ONLY villain worth watching, the astonishing Basil Rathbone)
Hellcats of St Trinians etc, for your older child

Marina · 21/11/2006 12:05

Bugsy Malone
Just Ask for Diamond

plibble · 21/11/2006 12:10

Calamity Jane! It might be a bit 'old' for your DD, but she may love it when she's older.

gscrym · 21/11/2006 12:17

Ring Of Bright Water. If that's the one with Midge the otter. DS loves it.

southeastastra · 21/11/2006 12:27

oh no! didn't ring of bright water have the very sad ending!

gscrym · 21/11/2006 12:30

I don't know, he watches it at my mums. She censors anything that may cause upset or distress. He loves the bit where the otter goes daft in the flat. She wouldn't let him watch the angler fish bit in Finding Nemo until he was 3. Even then, he sat on her knee and told her if he didn't like it.

eldestgirl · 21/11/2006 12:33

We used to LOVE St Trinian's.
Mary Poppins
Bedknobs and Broomsticks
Harold Lloyd

southeastastra · 21/11/2006 12:35

the otter gets clobbered in the end with a shovel!!

Marina · 21/11/2006 12:35

M Hulot's Holiday
Definitely Harold Lloyd - and Buster Keaton too.

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PurpleSinger · 21/11/2006 12:47

Some great suggestions! Can't believe I forgot Harold Lloyd, Buster Keaton and M. Hulot. And that's reminded me of Laurel and Hardy and Charlie Chaplin. Keep 'em coming!

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ellceeell · 21/11/2006 13:07

dd2 aged 4 loves Calamity Jane, Singing in the rain, Seven brides for seven brothers and is nearly word perfect in the songs. She sang "Singin in the rain" for her HT last week - in the playground, in the rain.

Cassoulet · 21/11/2006 13:21

There was a subtitled film that was shown several Xmases in a row when I was v small and I've never forgotten it. I think it was called The Great Flood where 3 kids were caught in a flood and had to make their way across the country to safety or something. There was another about a cat and a dog which I think was called The Magnificent Journey, or something like that. In fact, I'd like to find them myself.

Bink · 22/11/2006 22:08

What a brilliant idea for a thread. I lived in the US for a (long) while in my 20s, and was quite shamed by how much more the people I knew there knew about, paid attention to, were interested in, classic movies.

Does Little Shop of Horrors count, or is that too recent?

And I've been meaning to get a Harold Lloyd compilation ever since the outing to the Old Vic Aladdin where dd (then barely four) found the silent slapstick bit so hilarious the three rows in front turned to watch her instead.

JanH · 22/11/2006 22:12

NOT RING OF BRIGHT WATER!!!!

It broke my DDs' hearts, aged about 8 and 5, when the otter got it. DD1 is still cross about it (aged 24) and threatens to scour video shops with a permanent marker to scrawl a warning on any she finds

CheeryGarcia · 22/11/2006 22:33

The Thief of Baghdad (1940, Arabian Nights kind of thing - wonderful!)
The Red Shoes
Hans Christian Andersen

saintmaybe · 22/11/2006 22:38

Purplesinger I love your list!

Watched The Red Pony on tv with ds1 the other day
(sniff)