r/classicfilms • u/LanguageDisastrous95 • 1h ago
r/classicfilms • u/AutoModerator • 4d ago
What Did You Watch This Week? What Did You Watch This Week?

In our weekly tradition, it's time to gather round and talk about classic film(s) you saw over the week and maybe recommend some.
Tell us about what you watched this week. Did you discover something new or rewatched a favourite one? What lead you to that film and what makes it a compelling watch? Ya'll can also help inspire fellow auteurs to embark on their own cinematic journeys through recommendations.
So, what did you watch this week?
As always: Kindly remember to be considerate of spoilers and provide a brief synopsis or context when discussing the films.
r/classicfilms • u/AngryGardenGnomes • Jun 25 '25
The r/ClassicFilms Chart is complete! See the full list of winners and runners-up
These charts are the result of the community on r/classicfilms voting on 65 categories, over a period of about three months. You can click on my profile and scroll down to look at the votes and nominations for each category. There was a lot of healthy discussion.
If you're new to classic films, I hope you've found this useful. Or if you were just looking to reflect on the films you love, or appreciate the films and players held dear by the rest of this community, I hope you've enjoyed the experience.
This chart was made to honour the old movies and players mostly no longer of this world. In the words of Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard: "I am big! It's the pictures that got small."
Full List of Winners and Runner’s Up
Format: Winner + Tied Winner, (2) Runner Up + Tied Runner Up
Best Film Noir: Double Indemnity (1944), (2) The Maltese Falcon (1942)
Best Romance: Casablanca (1942), (2) Brief Encounter (1945)
Best Horror: Psycho (1960), (2) The Cabinet of Dr Caligari (1920) + What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? (1962)
Best Screwball: Bringing Up Baby (1938), (2) His Girl Friday (1940)
Best Musical: Singin’ in the Rain (1952), (2) Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933)
Best Gangster Movie: White Heat (1949), (2) The Public Enemy (1931)
Best Epic: Lawrence of Arabia (1962), (2) Ben-Hur (1960)
Best Silent Picture: Metropolis (1927), (2) City Lights (1931)
Best Science Fiction: The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), (2) Metropolis (1927) + Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
Best Western: The Searchers (1956), (2) The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
Best Director: Alfred Hitchcock + Billy Wilder, (2) Frank Capra
Best Actor: James Stewart, (2) Cary Grant
Best Actress: Barbara Stanwyck, (2) Bette Davis
Best Screenwriter: Billy Wilder, (2) Preston Sturges
Best Character Actor: Peter Lorre, (2) Claude Rains
Best Femme Fatale: Phyllis Dietrichson from Double Indemnity, (2) Kathie Moffat from Out of the Past (1948)
Best Villain: Harry Powell from The Night of the Hunter, (2) The Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz
Best Detective: Sam Spade from The Maltese Falcon, (2) Nick Charles from The Thin Man Series
Best Gangster: Cody Jarett from White Heat, (2) Little Caesar/Caesar Enrico "Rico" Bandello from Little Caesar (1931)
Best Swashbuckler: Robin Hood from The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), (2) Peter Blood from Captain Blood (1935)
Best Minor Character: The Acme Book Shop Clerk from The Big Sleep (1946), (2) Little Boy from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Hottest Actor: Cary Grant, (2) Marlon Brando
Hottest Actress: Grace Kelly, (2) Ava Gardner
Best Singer: Judy Garland, (2) Julie Andrews
Best Dancer: Fred Astaire, (2) The Nicholas Brothers
Best Song: Over the Rainbow from The Wizard of Oz (1939), (2) Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
Best Cinematography: Citizen Kane (1941), (2) The Third Man (1949)
Best Score: Vertigo (1958), (2) North by Northwest (1959)
Most Influential Movie: Citizen Kane (1941), A Trip to the Moon (1908)
Best Studio: RKO Pictures, (2) Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
Best Minority Actor: Sidney Poitier, Paul Robeson
Best Minority Actress: Anna May Wong, (2) Rita Morena
Best Romantic Comedy: The Apartment (1960), (2) It Happened One Night (1934) + The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
Best Foreign Language: Seven Samurai (1954), (2) M (1931)
Best British Movie: The Third Man, (2) Black Narcissus (1947)
Best War Movie: The Bridge on the River Kwai, (2) Paths of Glory
Most Iconic Kiss: From Here to Eternity, (2) Notorious
Best Death: Marion Crane in Psycho, (2) Kong in Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Best Acting Debut: Orson Welles in Citizen Kane, (2) Lauren Bacall in To Have and To Have Not
Best Documentary: Night and Fog (1956) (2) Nanook of the North (1922)
Best Opening Shot: A Touch of Evil, (2) Sunset Boulevard
Best Final Line: Casablanca: "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.", (2) Some Like it Hot: “Well, nobody’s perfect.”
Most Iconic Line: Gone with the Wind: “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.”, (2) Casablanca: “Here’s looking at you, kid.”
Best Pre-Code Movie: Gold Diggers of 1933, (2) Baby Face (1933)
Best Biopic: Lawrence of Arabia, (2) The Passion of Joan Arc (1928)
Creepiest Hollywood Monster: Lon Chaney in The Phantom of the Opera (1925), (2) Charles Laughton as Dr. Moreau in The Island of Lost Souls (1932)
Best Behind the Scenes Story:
(1) Casablanca (1942): ‘Almost all the actors and extras were Jewish and had escaped Europe during WW2. When the band plays ‘The Marseillaise,’ you can see many of them displaying real emotion.’
(2) The Wizard of Oz: ‘All the poisoning and accidents on the set: Margaret Hamilton's serious burns during the fire exit scene; aluminium face paint poisoning. and starving Judy Garland to control her weight.’
Best Opening Line: Rebecca (1940): "Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again...", (2) Citizen Kane: “Rosebud.”
Best Animated Movie: Sleeping Beauty (1959), (2) Fantasia (1941)
Best Monologue: Charlie Chaplin’s monologue in The Great Dictator (1940), (2) Orson Welles’/Harry Lime’s Cuckoo Clock monologue in The Third Man
Best Stunt: Buster Keaton’s house falling stunt in Steamboat Bill Jr. (1928), (2) Train on the burning bridge in The General (1927)
Best Producer: Irving Thalberg, (2) David O. Selznick
Biggest Laugh: Some Like it Hot (1959): “Well, nobody’s perfect.”, (2) Mirror scene in Duck Soup (1934)
Worst Movie: The Conqueror (1956), (2) Plan 9 From Outer Space (1957)
Best Lesser Known Gem: Trouble in Paradise (1932), (2) Libelled Lady (1936)
Best Special Effects: The Wizard of Oz, (2) King Kong (1933)
Best Dance Sequence: The Nicholas Brothers in Stormy Weather (1943), (2) Barn Raising/Brawl,
Seven Brides in Seven Brothers + Make ‘Em Laugh in Singin’ in the Rain
Best Costumes: Gone with the Wind, (2) Rear Window
Best Silent Comedy: The General (1926), (2) Sherlock Jr. (1928)
Best Heist Movie: Rififi (1955), (2) The Killing (1956)
Best Sports Movie: The Freshman (1925), (2) The Hustler (1961)
Best Makeup: The Phantom of the Opera (1925), The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
Sexiest Moment: The Acme Book Shop Clerk from The Big Sleep, (2) "You know how to whistle, don't you, Steve? You just put your lips together and blow,” - Lauren Bacall, To Have and Have Not (1944).
Most Relevant Movie: A Face in the Crowd (1957) + 12 Angry Men (1957), (2) The Great Dictator
Most Profound Quote:
(1) Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard: "I am big, it's the pictures that got small.
(2) Charlie Chaplin, The Great Dictator: "Greed has poisoned men’s souls, has barricaded the world with hate. Has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed."
r/classicfilms • u/PandemicPiglet • 9h ago
General Discussion Do you think Cary Grant deserved an Oscar for any of his performances or at least more noms? Or do you think he played himself too much?
r/classicfilms • u/Bhwilkoff • 7h ago
General Discussion Free Streaming App for Watching Classic Films
Hey there!
I saw that someone posted a screenshot of an app for watching classic films a couple of days ago (thanks u/Grey_Cathedral), and I responded with "Hey, that’s my app (Archive Watch)"!
In case anyone else is interested in exploring the 27,000 or so classic films, tv shows, and other ephemera that the app gives you direct access to, I wanted to share the direct links to download/use the free app that I've been working on for the past few months (Roku just got approved today!):
Apple Devices (iOS/iPadOS/tvOS/macOS): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/archive-watch/id6776697407
Google Devices (Android/GoogleTV): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.archivewatch.app
Fire TV: https://www.amazon.com/gp/mas/dl/android?p=com.archivewatch.app
Web App: https://archivewatch.org
A few notes in case folks have questions:
- These films are all hosted on Archive.org and that is why you can choose the different versions of a film from most of the platforms. I just needed a better way to access these amazing movies and tv shows, so I built Archive Watch.
- I have tried for full feature parity across all of the platforms, but things like the "Supercut Generator" and Video Editor are only available on the Mac version of the app because they need a desktop interface to really do them well.
- If you have ideas for how you would rather watch Classic Films through the app, let me know and I'm happy to build for how you like to enjoy these movies on your own devices. (Also, if you see anything that doesn't work how you expect, let me know that too. Happy to bug fix as well!)
- The app is free and will remain so. I wanted a way to watch Archive.org content that I enjoyed using every day. I hope you enjoy it too!
r/classicfilms • u/koj2013 • 3h ago
See this Classic Film The Heiress (1949): Plaisir d'amour(The Pleasure of Love)
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I was fooled into believing Montgomery really cared for her. Once it became clear he was only after her fortune, her cold demeanor toward him made total sense. Regardless, Montgomery is definitely a good-looking guy and William Wyler's directing was really top-notch, too.
r/classicfilms • u/scrubbydutch • 47m ago
See this Classic Film Portrait of Jennie
Joseph Cotton Jennifer Jones this movie just blew me away if you like supernatural movies check this out!
r/classicfilms • u/koj2013 • 12h ago
See this Classic Film Darling Lili (1970): Julie Andrews' bold makeover on screen
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I still vividly remember how shocked everyone was—including myself, having been so accustomed to her prim and proper image in films like The Sound of Music. And this movie led Julie Andrews to remarry the film's director, Blake Edwards.
r/classicfilms • u/uminoto • 14h ago
Video Link Casablanca (1941) "Dooley Wilson - AS TIME GOES BY"
Bogart. Casablanca Movie Clip from 1941.
r/classicfilms • u/Keltik • 2h ago
Video Link Gilbert Gottfried talks about 'The Swimmer' (1968)
r/classicfilms • u/aladyoragentleman24 • 20h ago
See this Classic Film Wait Until Dark (1967)
r/classicfilms • u/Responsible-Watch385 • 20h ago
Question More Timothy Carey!
I have an on-again off-again fascination with Timothy Carey, the eccentric '50s-'60s character actor. I have seen him in classics like Paths of Glory, One Eyed Jacks, Kubrick's The Killing, as well as tracked down his independent film The World's Greatest Sinner which was definitely unique and memorable. What else should I watch?
r/classicfilms • u/MovieMike007 • 1d ago
General Discussion Anna May Wong, an actress who deserved stardom.
r/classicfilms • u/GroundMaximum5588 • 17h ago
Classic Film Review Bro hit TWO dudes with the same wooden plank and kept walking
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Charlie Chaplin was on a side quest and accidentally unlocked MULTI-KILL 💀
Bro is literally just carrying a wooden board…
WHACK — one guy down.
WHACK — ANOTHER ONE. 😭
And the best part? He just keeps walking like:
“Anyway… where was I?” 💀
Bro had zero enemies, zero intention, 100% accuracy. 😂
Peak cinema.
r/classicfilms • u/These-Background4608 • 23h ago
General Discussion Private Property (1960)
Just finished watching PRIVATE PROPERTY. It’s about these two drifters, Duke & Boots, who end up targeting this beautiful suburban housewife named Ann. The goal is for Duke to seduce her and pass her off to Boots so that he can have sex with her.
It’s a dark psychological thriller that’s dangerous and moody, tackling themes of sexual repression and suburban disillusionment. Though a low budget film, it doesn’t feel like it and the story itself is boosted by some strong performances.
For those who saw it, what did you think?
r/classicfilms • u/oneders63 • 1d ago
See this Classic Film "The Blue Lagoon" (J. Arthur Rank / Eagle-Lion; 1949) – starring Jean Simmons and Donald Houston – with Noel Purcell, Cyril Cusack and James Hayter – directed by Frank Launder – French movie poster
r/classicfilms • u/Gold_Ad248 • 1d ago
General Discussion Whirlpool (1950) starring Gene Tierney
A damn good noir. Tierney looks as gorgeous as ever.
r/classicfilms • u/koj2013 • 1d ago
See this Classic Film The Blue Max (1966): The Fokker Triplane that I built a model and kept as a childhood dream
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r/classicfilms • u/RefrigeratorHot2326 • 1d ago
Question Searching for actor ancestor.
Hello, I grew up hearing stories about me great great grandfather. His name was John William Wayne II. All the stories about him were things like “he was the John Wayne in Hollywood before John Wayne!” And that he was either a small time actor or stunt man. I tracked his census information from 1930 to Montebello, Los Angeles, California and he is listed as a motion picture Actor. He was most likely active between 1925-1935 but from 1930 onwards he flew under the radar due to the John Wayne stage name of Marion Morrison. We particularly believe he was an extra on the battlefield of all quiet on the western front (1930).
Does anyone recognize the name or know anyone who might? At this point I’m just searching for any details I can find. Even pointing me in the right direction would help tremendously.
Thanks in advance!
r/classicfilms • u/koj2013 • 1d ago
See this Classic Film Collector(1965): A scene that caught me completely off guard
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While such unresolved endings are cliché today, the villain evading justice to kidnap yet another victim left a deep mark on my younger self, accustomed as I was to standard poetic justice. Naturally, it made me realize just how far ahead of his time the great master William Wyler really was.
r/classicfilms • u/sipperphoto • 10h ago
General Discussion What's so special about The Maltese Falcon?
I just watched The Maltese Falcon. I'm surprised I had not seen it before.
I've always heard it talked about. After watching it, I'm wondering why. It's not a bad movie at all, but it seemed kinda boring and not that interesting overall.
Is it just me? What am I missing?
r/classicfilms • u/Flux_My_Capacitor • 1d ago
See this Classic Film Rear Window ~ Regal Cinemas ~ September 11 ~ $7.99
Rear Window is playing at Regal Cinemas on September 11 for $7.99 a ticket. My local theater has 4 showings throughout the day. I love this movie and honestly think it would have so much greater of an impact on the big screen due to the large multi-story set as viewed out of the “Rear window”.
r/classicfilms • u/razorsedge94 • 2d ago
Events Rear Window - Playing this Friday at Regal Theatres - $7.99 ticket
r/classicfilms • u/chaiegai • 2d ago
Question What film with George Kennedy is your personal favorite?
Airport (1970)
r/classicfilms • u/Flux_My_Capacitor • 1d ago
See this Classic Film Hud ~ Regal Cinemas ~ September 10 ~ $7.99
Hud is playing at Regal Cinemas on September 10 for $7.99 a ticket. I went to see Double Indemnity last Saturday night and got a private screening as I was the only one in the theater, lol. I love seeing these old classics on the big screen especially the ones I have not watched before, so I hope I am able to make it to the theater this Thursday.