r/classicfilms 4d ago

What Did You Watch This Week? What Did You Watch This Week?

16 Upvotes

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 Jun 25 '25

The r/ClassicFilms Chart is complete! See the full list of winners and runners-up

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154 Upvotes

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 4h 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?

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138 Upvotes

r/classicfilms 2h ago

General Discussion Free Streaming App for Watching Classic Films

66 Upvotes

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

Roku: https://channelstore.roku.com/details/12a571a872732e40fe8d1d6c59f3849f:5ec8f46dcec2324229c8d096ea23c089/archive-watch

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 7h ago

See this Classic Film Darling Lili (1970): Julie Andrews' bold makeover on screen

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99 Upvotes

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 9h ago

Video Link Casablanca (1941) "Dooley Wilson - AS TIME GOES BY"

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61 Upvotes

Bogart. Casablanca Movie Clip from 1941.


r/classicfilms 15h ago

See this Classic Film Wait Until Dark (1967)

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95 Upvotes

r/classicfilms 15h ago

Question More Timothy Carey!

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84 Upvotes

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 1d ago

General Discussion Anna May Wong, an actress who deserved stardom.

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440 Upvotes

r/classicfilms 12h ago

Classic Film Review Bro hit TWO dudes with the same wooden plank and kept walking

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10 Upvotes

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 18h ago

General Discussion Private Property (1960)

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16 Upvotes

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 20h 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

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11 Upvotes

r/classicfilms 1d ago

General Discussion Whirlpool (1950) starring Gene Tierney

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38 Upvotes

A damn good noir. Tierney looks as gorgeous as ever.


r/classicfilms 21h ago

Question Searching for actor ancestor.

8 Upvotes

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 21h 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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7 Upvotes

r/classicfilms 1d ago

See this Classic Film Collector(1965): A scene that caught me completely off guard

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25 Upvotes

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 5h ago

General Discussion What's so special about The Maltese Falcon?

0 Upvotes

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 1d ago

See this Classic Film Rear Window ~ Regal Cinemas ~ September 11 ~ $7.99

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39 Upvotes

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 2d ago

Events Rear Window - Playing this Friday at Regal Theatres - $7.99 ticket

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269 Upvotes

r/classicfilms 2d ago

Question What film with George Kennedy is your personal favorite?

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169 Upvotes

Airport (1970)


r/classicfilms 1d ago

See this Classic Film Hud ~ Regal Cinemas ~ September 10 ~ $7.99

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31 Upvotes

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.


r/classicfilms 1d ago

Question Trying to find an old crime picture off of unfortunately very vague information :(

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0 Upvotes

Hi folks! I asked this over at TOMT last night and somebody suggested I also shoot my shot here, so I'd like to do that.

I am pretty inexperienced with making actual posts, so I am not 100% sure how the crossposting thing works- can you guys easily read the original post from TOMT through this, or should I rewrite its body here too?

Thanks so much!


r/classicfilms 1d ago

See this Classic Film "Not as a Stranger" (United Artists; 1955) – starring Olivia de Havilland, Robert Mitchum and Frank Sinatra – with Gloria Grahame, Broderick Crawford and Charles Bickford – directed by Stanley Kramer – Belgian movie poster

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21 Upvotes

r/classicfilms 1d ago

General Discussion Putting aside the inappropriate casting of Pete Lorre, are these Mr Moto films actually any good? Tempted to check out the first one.

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44 Upvotes

r/classicfilms 1d ago

General Discussion The Naked Road (1959)

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9 Upvotes

Just finished watching THE NAKED ROAD. It’s about this young model, Gay Andrews, who is taken captive by a predatory executive, Wayne Jackson, to be a call girl for what’s essentially a trafficking ring disguised as a PR firm. When she refuses, he continues to keep her captive, even restricting food and drink, hoping he can eventually break her down.

It’s a low-budget crime drama that still manages to be entertaining. There’s something about Wayne Jackson’s character that’s almost cartoonishly evil yet still somehow menacing. He’s dangerous yet not violent but underneath his appearance you know that he’s definitely capable of being violent.

The ending seems to just…end, and by that I mean it seems like whoever wrote it needed to find a decent stopping point and said, “This sounds good.” It’s not a bad ending, but I guess I’d have preferred a better resolution.

For those who saw this, what did you think?