Classic films appreciation thread - come and join us!

[PrivateParkin]

Following on from the recent thread about favourite actors from old films, @FatBallsAndSunflowerSeeds had the fab idea of an old movies appreciation thread... So here it is! If you like old films and actors of any kind, come and join us.

old thread

We thought we'd look out for any classic films being shown on TV, post them on this thread and then discuss them afterwards... But if you want to post about any of your favourite old films and actors at any time, that would also be fab. Basically, this is just a place to chat about old films - please come and join us!

I'm off to check the TV schedules for any potential gems coming up - I will post again with anything that looks good.

Meantime, here's James Cagney tap dancing down the stairs in Yankee Doodle Dandy - happy bank holiday everyone
m.youtube.com/watch?v=xlvB4xk4LNQ

My friend nursed Emetic Pressburger in a nursing home. He had his Oscar in his room.

For those of you talking about tap dancing. Look at a fusion of old and new. It's fabulous!!!

Emetic Emeric!!

I love James Mason so one of my top 3 would have to be one of his films - maybe "North by Northwest" as that would get me Cary too!

I was just coming back on to ask if anyone else has listened to any of the You Must Remember This podcasts?
Sounds interesting - will check it out, thanks.

Has anyone been listening to the John Sessions series on Radio 4? Not strictly about films but he tells lots of really interesting anecdotes, many regarding actors he has met.
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0b0yc51

Love the tap dancing too!

PrivateParkin do you like like the sound of the new films as well?

I don't like the tap dancing

Is any budy like Mr Trumb ?

84CharingCross fascinating snippet about Pressburger. Love Powell/Pressburger films.

I also like the fact that Kevin MacDonald is Pressburger's grandson. He directed the excellent documentary One Day in September about the massacre of Israeli athletes in Munich, King of Scotland and State of Play.

Sale Mr Trumb?????

I was that typical teen/20 something that thought "ugh old films are boring"

Then my gran introduced me to...

An imitation of life

I was stunned that a film made then would be about race, family loyalty etc LOVED it.

I should have learnt but I still even now struggle to think 'yea that might be good' about any film older than me!

However, I should know better because I have watched and adored

On moonlight bay
By the light of the silvery moon
Calamity Jane
To catch a thief
Psycho
The Birds
Rear window
Marnie (again really surprised at the subject matter being used so long ago)
Blackboard jungle
Casablanca
Gone with the wind
All about Eve
The King and I
West side story
Madam X
Arsenic and old lace
Brewsters millions (1945)
The million pound note
The music man
In a lonely place (even better than Casablanca imo)
Niagara
Gentleman prefer blondes
How to marry a millionaire
The seven year itch
Some like it hot
All about Eve
Seven brides for seven brothers
Hello dolly
The apartment
To sir with love
Singing in the rain
Strangers on a train
A star is born (1954)
Wizard of oz
Sweet charity
The Ten Commandments
Spartacus
Ben Hur
The ladykillers
Houseboat
Breakfast at Tiffanys
Bonnie and Clyde
Guess who's coming to dinner
The hustler
Zulu
Birdman of alacatraz
The ipcress file
Kes

Numerous WWII and westerns thanks to dad but I don't remember the titles always. Ones I remember are:

Bridge on the river Kwai
The great escape
The dirty dozen
Where eagles dare
The Dam busters

The good, the bad and the ugly
A fistful of dollars
For a few dollars more
Annie get your gun

The only one I've seen that I REALLY didn't like was

It's a wonderful life. Just irritates the hell out of me.

Hmm for someone who 'doesn't watch old movies' I seem to have seen a lot

British or US movie? Black & white or colour? I could only think of 'No Man of Her Own' with Barbara Stanwyck but it doesn't quite fit

Hi ChickChink, nope, not that, but now I want to see that, it sounds right up my alley . The one I'm thinking of was American and I'm pretty sure was in colour.

@CharDeeMacDennis

Guest in the House [1944]?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guest_in_the_House

Or what about Queen Bee [1955]?

Solid list Graphista - definitely some there that I haven't seen. However I will have to ignore your penultimate paragraph

dietcokemango Un Chien Andalou sounds extremely interesting! My favourites tend to the more mainstream so I think this thread will be great for recommendations for things I wouldn't normally consider...

I now badly want to see Guest in the House aka Satan in Skirts

I am in the US now but for anyone in London do you ever go to the BFI Southbank where they have four screens and show classic films? I saw one of my all time favourites It Happened One Night with Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert there (although my mum, who was a massive film buff originally introduced me to the movie).

Yes, I go occasionally, Moveable. Dh and I went recently to see a documentary about Hedy Lamarr, who was a talented inventor in real (non-movie) life. She co-invented a torpedo device for use in WW2 with the composer George Antheil, the technology for which is now used worldwide in wifi etc......but she never got paid for it.

Oh yes,I've all the films mentioned so far. Can I add a few?

The Women (original version with Norma Shearer and Joan Crawford)
Waterloo Bridge (Vivienne Leigh tearjerker, probably my favourite film)
The Red Shoes (just beautiful from start to finish)
Oh and hundreds more!

Op yea I know it's an unpopular opinion but I really hated that film! (And it's VERY rare I'll actually hate a film I've watched some dire crap over my many years. The big problem was I had to watch it for a uni assignment and so whereas normally if I don't like a film I'll of course just turn it off. I had to watch the whole thing AND do a sodding presentation on it! Luckily my - very critical - presentation went down well with the lecturer as he also hated it 😂)

I'm lucky enough to have the glasgow film theatre near enough to visit occasionally which also screens classic and cult films and documentaries associated with them. Info for anyone who lives near or is visiting glasgow.

Graphista ok I'll let you off since you were forced to watch it! I read a funny review of it last Christmas where the writer was saying that George Bailey should have actually loved Pottersville because it was so much more exciting than Bedford Falls, and excitement was exactly what he'd been looking for

Hi creme
ChinkChink
childrenofthesun
Greenglassteacup
84CharingCrossRoad
onemouseplace
boldlygoingsomewhere
Moveablefeast
(Hope I haven't missed anyone that I haven't already responded to )

Thanks for the tip about the podcast Halsall - I've just downloaded a few episodes, it sounds excellent.

I also thought about including film stars' birthdays as well, in case that sparks a few recommendations (and also to look at some fab old pictures). So Gary Cooper was born otd in 1901

And Anne Baxter was also born otd in 1923. One of her films - I Confess with Montgomery Clift - was recommended by someone on the last thread.

Does anyone remember King's Row? I haven't seen it on telly in years.