More Movies than you can shake a stick at! Movies for any occasion. Not enough?
The American Film Institute likes to give you the top 100 films of all time
in certain categories. Theirs is a noble cause and anyone who is film buff
should do what they can to see as many of those films as they can. My lists
are shorter, just seven films. All of the movies are pre-1970. Most our black
and white, unless Ted Turner has ruined them. But for me, these are must see
movies even if they didn't win an award or make the AFIs list. If you haven't
seen them, your life is incomplete. There were directors and producers before
Spielberg and Lucas became the dominant force in Hollywood.
You will note that Wizard of Oz, Casablanca, Gone with the Wind, Citizen
Kane,Psycho, Its A Wonderful Life and some other very well known, considered
great movies are missing. I'm going to refer to them as "Honorable Mentions"
. I'm assuming you've already seen these so why tell you to watch them again?
If you haven't seen them, what are you waitng for.
Also, The Godfather and Patton Fans, may wonder why these films aren't
here. They came out in 1970 or later and missed the cut-off. I'll lump them
as post 1969 honorable mentions.
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The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence
Starring: James Stewart, John Wayne
Directed by: John Ford
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Fort Apache
Starring: James Stewart, Henry Fonda
Directed by: John Ford
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Winchester '73 (1950)
Starring: James Stewart
Directed by: Anthony Mann
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Destry Rides Again (1939)
Starring: Marlene Dietrich, James Stewart
Directed by: George Marshall
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Stage Coach
Starring: John Wayne (First major starring role)
Directed by: John Ford
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The Magnificent Seven (1960)
Starring: Steve McQueen, Yul Brenner, Eli Wallach, James Coburn
Directed by: John Sturges
And don't bother telling me about the Shichinin no Samurai.
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The Wild Bunch
Starring: Willliam Holden, Ernest Borgnine,Warren Oates, Edmond O'Brien
Directed by: Sam Peckinpah
(Not for the queazy)
In short, if it is a western directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne
, it is hard to go wrong. This would include, Rio Bravo, She Wore A Yellow
Ribbon, the Searchers, and many more It was hard to leave off True Grit until
I thought about Glen Campbell, and it was also difficult to skip Cat Ballou,
but I have issues with Jane "the traitor" Fonda. Blazing Saddles is from 1974
as are the good Eastwood westerns. If you want a decent Made for Cable western,
check out Crossfire Trails starring in Tom Selleck. A fun, gritty post 1970
to lok for would be The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid
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Captain Blood
Starring: Errol Flynn
Directed by:
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The Most Dangerous Game (1932)
Starring: Fay Wray, Joel McCrea, Robert Armstrong
Directed by: Ernest, Schoedsack, Irving Picel
Okay, this guy wrecks ships, rescues passengers, and then hunts them down
like wild animals.
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Jungle Book (1942)
Starring:Sabu
Directed by: Zoltan Korba
Everyone should see at least one Sabu movie.
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King Solomon's Mines (1950)
Starring:Deborah Kerr, Stewart Granger
Directed by: Compton Bennett
Before thier was Indiana Jones, there was Allan Quartermain
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Hatari
Starring: John Wayne, Red Buttons
Directed by: Howard Hawks
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Sea Hawk
Starring:Errol Flynn, brenda Marshall, Claud Rains
Directed by: Michael Curtiz
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Beau Geste
Starring: Gary Cooper, Ray Milalnd, Robert Preston
Directed by: William A. Wellman
Schoedsack was to the 1930s what Spielberg and Lucas were for the 1970s to
the present. He new action and adventure. He brought us both Most Dangerous
Game and King Kong and still later Mighty Joe Young. i could easily fill the
list with Pirate/Swashbucklers and Errol Flynn movies. If that's you're genre,
you need to see The Black Swan with Tyronne Powers and of course Robin Hood.
The best recent swashbuckler is the made for cable version of Treasure Island
(1990) starring Charton Heston and and Christain Bale.
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West Side Story
Starring: Natalie Wood, Ri ta Moreno
Directed by: Jerome Robbins, Robert Wise
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The Sound Of Music
Starring: Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer
Directed by: Robert Wise
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Singin' In The Rain
Starring: Gene Kelly, donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds
Directed by: Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly
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Easter Parade
Starring: Judy Garland, Fred Astaire
Directed by: Charles Walters
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Going My Way
Starring: Bing Crosby
Directed by: Leo McCarey
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Mary Poppins
Starring: Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke.
Directed by: Robert Stevenson
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White Christmas
Starring: Bing crosby, Danny Kaye
Directed by: George Curtiz
Of course I can't help but also mention Cabaret starring Liza Minnelli, Judy's
Daughter. It missed the cut off date coming out in 1972, but it is probably
one of the best muscials ever made. You also should see the Mickey Rooney/Judy
Garland Movies. Easy to spot. most start with the phrase "Babes in...". It
was also dificult not include "An American in Paris" it ials o difficult to
skip some of Frank Sinatra's musicals. Yes I know I've missed all the Striesand
movies. You either hate her or love her. You've either seen all of her movies
or you'll never watch them no matter what anyone says. The only Rogers and
Hammerstein musical I took is Sound of Music. I skipped South Pacific Show
Boat, and many more, as well as Gershwin's Porgy and Bess. They belong on
broadway. If you can't see them there, then rent the movie.
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Greed
Starring: Gibson Gowland, ZaSu Pitts, Jean Hersholt.
Directed by: Erich von Stroheim's
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Metropolis
Starring: Alfred Abel ,Gustav Fröhlich, Brigitte Helm.
Directed by: Fritz Lang
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The Wind
Starring: Lillian Gish, Lars Hanson, Montagu Love.
Directed by: Victor Sjöström
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Ben Hur
Starring: Ramon Novarro, Francis X. Bushman, May McAvoy, Betty Bronson
Directed by: Charles Brabin(uncredited), J.J. Cohn, Fred Niblo
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Noferatu
Starring: Max Schreck, Gustav von Wangenheim.
Directed by: F.W. Murnau
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The Gold Rush
Starring: Charlie Chaplin, Mack Swain, Georgia Hale.
Directed by: Charlie Chaplin
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My Best Girl
Starring: Mary Pickford, Charles 'Buddy' Rogers, Sunshine Hart
Directed by: Sam Taylor
No, I did not recommend D. W. Griffith's, Birth Of A Nation. I know of
it's historical importance, but I'm not a big fan of the movie.
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Duck Soup
(Or any other Marx Brothers movie not starring Marilyn Monroe)
Marx Brothers
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No Time For Sargeants
Andy Griffith
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Trouble Along the Way
Starring: John Wayne, Sherry Jackson Directed by: Michael Curtiz
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The Trouble with Angels
Ida Lupino, Rosalind Russell, Hayley Mills
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The Philadelphia Story
Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, James Stewart
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Harvey
James Stewart, Josephine Hull, Peggy Dow
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Mister Roberts
Starring: Henry Fonda
Directed by: John Ford
If I were to recommend After 1970s, Comedies the one at the Top would
probably be Young Frankenstein. People should also see Its A Mad Mad Mad
Mad World , at least one Bob Hope "Road Movie" with pal Bing Crosby. I guess
no one remembers the old phrase "Like Hope and Crosby" I'd suggest Road
to Morocco. And as I said just about any Marx Brother movie Beyond Duck
Soup, you have Animal Crackers, A Night at the Opera,.A Day At The Races,
A Night in Casablanca, Horse Feathers, Monkey Business, Cocoanuts, and Day
at the Circus. Skip Love Happy, Even the Brothers wished they would've skipped
it..
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A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Starring: Dorothy McGuire, Joan Blondell
Directed by: Elia Kazan
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African Queen
Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Katherine Hepburn
Directed by: John Houston
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Treasure of the Sierra Madre
Starring: Humphey Bogart
Directed by: John Huston
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The Joker is Wild
Starring: Frank Sinatra, Jeanne Crain, Eddie Albert
Directed by: George Vidor
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Boys Town
Starring: Spenser Tracy, Mckey Rooney Directed by: Norman Taurog
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Bells of St. Mary
Starring: Bing Crosby, Ingrid Bergman
Directed by: Leo M. McCarey
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Flight of the Phoenix
Starring: James Stewart Richard Attenborough, Peter Finch, Hardy Krüger,
Ernest Borgnine
Directed by: Robert Aldrich
This list will probably change more than any. It is so hard to choose
seven great dramas. I've tried to grab some really good stories that are
off the beaten track, Of course, in the case of "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn"
and "Bells of St. Mary", I just chose them because I can't watch them enough.
Even when you know whats going to happen, you still want to watch the story
again. Still, there needs to be more Spenser Tracy movie in there somewhere.
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Sahara (1943)
Starring:Humphrey Bogart
Directed by: Zoltan Korda
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Sands of Iwo Jima
Starring:John Wayne
Directed by: Alan Dwan
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To Hell and Back
Starring:Audie Murphy as himself
Directed by: Jesse Hibbs
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Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison
Starring:Robert Mitchum, Deborah Kerr
Directed by: John huston
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Twelve O'Clock High
Starring:Gregory Peck
Directed by: Henry King
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The Dawn Patrol
Starring:Errol Flynn,Basil Rathbone, David Niven
Directed by: Howard Hawks
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Stalag 17
Starring:William Holden
Directed by: Billy Wilder
I'm assuming you've seen The Longest Day, Sand Pebbles, The Great Escape,
The Dirty Dozen and Zulu. I've skipped all but one of the war time propoganda
movies but they really are a must for any war flick fan. If only they'd release
them with a war time cartoon as pre-film lead-in.
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King Kong (1933)
Starring: Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong, Bruce Cabot, Victor Wong
Directed by: Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack
My Persoanl favorite!
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The Day the Earth Stood Still
Starring: Michael Renney, Patricia Neal Directed by: Robert Wise
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Jason and the Argonauts
Starring: Todd Armstrong, Nacny Kovack
and the special effects of Ray Harryhausen
Directed by: Cy Enfield
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Creature From The Black Lagoon
Starring: Richard Carlson, Julie Adams
Directed by:Jack Arnold
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Pit and and the Pendulum
Starring: Vincent Price, Barbara Steele
Directed by: Roger Corman
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Frankenstein
Starring: Boris Karloff, Mae Clarke, Colin Clive
Directed by: James Whael
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Time Machine
Starring: Rod Taylor, Yvette Mimieux
Directed by: George Pal
Roger Corman directed horror flicks are a must. If it has Vincent Price
in it and shares the title with an Edgar Alan Poe story/poem, you shcould
probably see it. Price knows how to camp things up. George Pal is almost
a requisite for good sci-fi fantasy direction. and Ray Harryhausen is a
must for stop action special effects. It was hard to skip his Campy Mysterious
Island from the 1960s., I know what you're going to say! how did you skip
War of the Worlds? There is a whole set of Universal Monster movies that
are a must. Recent movies that live up to the classics in style are
Sommers' "The Mummy" (1999), "The Mummy Returns" (2001)
Coppala's "Bram Stoker's Dracula"(1992) ,
Burton's "Sleepy Hollow" (1999)
Science Fiction and Fantasy changed completely with the release of Star
Wars. They just don't make'em like they used to.
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"M"
Starring: Peter Lorre
Directed by: Fritz Lang
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I Confess
Starring Montgomery Clift
Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
(Suppose it could've been a whodunit but you know who did it early on.)
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12 Angry Men
Starring: Henry Fonda Directed by: Sidney Lumet
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The Roaring Twenites
Starring: James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart
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To Kill A Mockingbird
Starring Gregory Peck
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Night Of The Generals
Starring:Peter O'Toole, Omar Sharif
Directed by: Antole Litvak
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Bullitt
Starring: Steve McQueen Directed by: Peter Yates
Did I miss the original Oceans 11 with the Rat Pack? Shame on Me. You shouldn't!
Couldn't Choose Chinatown, with Jack Nicholson, it came out in 1974. I confess
is the only Alfred Hitchcock movie I chose. Many Hitchcock fans haven't seen
it and it isn't his normal type film. I've pretty much ignored Hitchcock in
my lists but you shouldn't He does for Thrillers what ford did to Westerns.
He made them a true art form.
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Maltese Falcon (1941)
Starring Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor
Directed by: John Huston
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Call Northside 777
Starring James Stewart
Directed by: Henry Hathaway
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The Big Sleep
Starring Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall
Directd by: Howard Hawks
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The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939)
Starring:Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce
Directed by: Sidney Lanfield
Best version, could also be considered a horror film.
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Charlie Chan in Honolulu
Starring: Sidney Toler, Victor Sen Yung
Directed by: H. Bruce Humberstone
Introduces "Number One Son"
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In Like Flynt
Starring: James Coburn
Directed by: Theodore J. Flicker
Okay its a comedy. So what? It also a secret agent moive.
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Shot in the Dark
Starring: Peter Sellers, Elke Sommoers
Directed by: Blake Edwards
okay, another comedy. So what? We're talkin ginspector Clouseau, here!
The problem with a good mystery/whodunit, is that once you know who did it,
it isn't as much fun watching it. I've included two of the best of the "detective
series" Those being the Sherlock Holmes stories and the Charlie Chan series.
These are both "b" type movies but they inspired just about every detective
TV show ever made.
Most people think he was invincible. It is actually hard to believe "The Duke"
John Wayne actually died in seven movies. (I mean besides critical but not
on screen death of Ghenghis Kahn)
As with so many legendary actors, John Wayne's star is fading these days,
being replaced by the likes of Bruce Willis, and George Clooney. But for
many, "the Duke" will always be the number one rugged individual. He defined
the character that so many aspired to be.
It's surprising he died in seven movies.
- The Wake Of the Red Witch (Drowns doing something heroic)
- The Fighting Sea Bees (Drives a bulldozer into a pile of explosives)
- The Alamo (Carries a flaming torch into the pwder stockade)
- The Cowboys (Shot in the back by a coward)
- The Sands Of Iwo Jima (Shot in the Back by a Japanese Sniper)
- The Shootist (Gunfight with Richard Boone but at least he wasn't a
coward)
- Reap The Wild Wind (Drowns doing something heroic)
Honorable Mentions
- The Sea Chase, though he dies off screen
- The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence but it was of Old Age