What are your favourite old movies?

[goirish]

My Favorite Wife
The Awful Truth
(Both Irenne Dunn and Cary Grant)

Many, many others . Love TCM.

 

[tomarin]

Starting with The Cars that Ate Paris (1974). “Paris” being a small town in outback Australia, with a very unusual source of tourist income! I’ve mentioned it before in this thread. It’s a must!

But, we mustn’t forget Bruce Beresford (The Getting of Wisdom, Breaker Morant), Gillian Armstrong (My Brilliant Career), and Baz Luhrmann… amongst others.

Yeah, I was being a tad facetious. I know and love most of the people on your list.

 

[kill051]

My Favorite Wife
The Awful Truth
(Both Irenne Dunn and Cary Grant)

Many, many others . Love TCM.

Irene Dunne is one of my favorite actresses ever. Penny Serenade is another one with her and Cary Grant; slightly more serious and very moving.

 

[Limoncello4021]

I’m partial to British films. I really like The Commitments and The Full Monty (although the latter should probably not be mentioned on a Catholic forum, for its final scene at least).

 

[ascetic]

Depends on what day you ask my fickle mind! Today, it’s Boondock Saints. In nomine patris et filii et spiritus sancti

 

[kill051]

I’m partial to British films.

Are you familiar with the films of The Archers? This was the name for the writing-producing team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, similar to the Merchant-Ivory team later. The Archers are responsible for some of the finest British films ever made, including I Know Where I’m Going, Black Narcissus, A Matter of Life and Death, The Tales of Hoffmann, The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp and many others. Most of the Archers’ films have been restored and released on DVD/Blu-Ray by the Criterion Collection, and are well worth a look, particularly if you have never seen one of them. Michael Powell’s widow, Thelma Schoonmaker, has for many years been the preferred editrix of the films of Martin Scorsese, who is an ardent Archers fan.

 

[Limoncello4021]

I’m not familiar with the Archers, although I’ve seen some of the films you mention. I’ll look into it. Meanwhile, I was feel nostalgic for The Commitments and dug up the trailer. I love the interview scenes.

 

[Limoncello4021]

I think I need to balance my heretical endorsement of films like The Full Monty with an admission that my very shaky faith as a preteen was surprisingly bolstered by Godspell. While it is almost painful to watch now, I can still sing every word of every song.

 

[ConstantLearner]

Oh, and The Philadelphia Story – also a hilarious film.

My favorite, @Gertabelle.

Also like Sunset Boulevard, anything Bette Davis, anything Doris Day and Rock Hudson, anything Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy, Laura, My Favorite Wife,The Awful Truth, Wife Versus Secretary, The Palm Beach Story, a lot more I can’t remember now.

 

[kill051]

Gertabelle:

Oh, and The Philadelphia Story – also a hilarious film.

My favorite, @Gertabelle.

Also like Sunset Boulevard, anything Bette Davis, anything Doris Day and Rock Hudson, anything Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy, Laura, My Favorite Wife,The Awful Truth, Wife Versus Secretary, The Palm Beach Story, a lot more I can’t remember now.

Laura is excellent. Any film that can boast such actors as Clifton Webb, Vincent Price and Judith Anderson as supporting players is of the highest quality a priori.

 

[LilyM]

The worst (in the sense of hinky 60s hippie excess) movie musical with the best songs indeed. Apart from Hair I suppose.

At least the spoken parts (if I remember correctly) were all lifted straight from the Bible.

I find it fascinating that the movie versions of Godspell and Jesus Christ Superstar were released in the same year - two radically different views of the life and work of Jesus.

 

[Limoncello4021]

Agree about Godspell. It is a terrible low budget film in many ways. But it is surprisingly pious in its own hippie dippie way and, as you say, quite biblical.

 

[meltzerboy2]

I remember well “I Know Where I’m Going,” starring that great British actress, Dame Wendy Hiller, who was, I believe, the original My Fair Lady. Quite a love story, that one. Also a great Scottish ballad from where the title comes.

 

[kill051]

I remember well “I Know Where I’m Going,” starring that great British actress, Dame Wendy Hiller, who was, I believe, the original My Fair Lady. Quite a love story, that one. Also a great Scottish ballad from where the title comes.

Not sure Hiller ever played My Fair Lady. For one thing, she’d have been too old for the part, as My Fair Lady wasn’t written until the 1950’s, She did, however, play Eliza in the film of Pygmalion, the Shaw play on which MFL is based. Sorry to be pedantic!

 

[Dlee]

A Summer Place - the music is breathtaking. The story line - not so Catholic

 

[Gertabelle]

Oh, The Bad Seed is fantastic! Rhoda, Rhoda, Rhoda! How could I forget that move?

The Bad Seed

Such a creepy little thriller. Loved that movie. I also like the request at the end not to reveal the ending to those who haven’t seen the movie yet – a very early “spoiler alert” request.

 

[Dlee]

I loved the credits at the end - especially when Rhoda got her spanking

 

[Gertabelle]

I loved the credits at the end - especially when Rhoda got her spanking

Oh that’s right! My gosh was that ever funny!

 

[Gertabelle]

When I was in high school, I think I saw and least six stage productions of “Godspell.”

Oh, that takes me back…

 

[Edmundus1581]

kill051:

Didn’t Peter Weir direct Picnic at Hanging Rock?

I thought he directed all Australian movies.

Yeah, I was being a tad facetious. I know and love most of the people on your list.

I got that! It was a fair comment, and funny.

Peter Weir has a prodigious output, with a recognisable and very effective style.

Peter Weir awards

My favourite is Dead Poet’s Society, but it’s painfully hard to go past Picnic at Hanging Rock and Gallipoli.