Old Hollywood is associated with glamour and romance, and many of the great classics of the era are still worth watching in the 21st century. Also referred to as the Golden Age of Hollywood, Old Hollywood was classified by the studio system, which signed big-name movie stars and directors to multi-movie contracts. There’s some debate over when exactly it ended, but New Hollywood emerged at some point during the 1960s.
Since the apogee of Old Hollywood took place from the 1930s to 1950s, it’s only natural that some of the era’s greatest movies don’t hold up so well today. Modern audiences have different tastes, but there are still plenty of classics which are just as enjoyable. Movies likeCasablanca, Bringing Up BabyandNorth By Northwesthave stood the test of time, and they are still being watched by people all over the world.
Casablancahas stood the test of time, and it’s now considered one of the best romance movies ever made. Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman were two of the biggest stars in Hollywood at the time, and they are both on top form inCasablanca.Their chemistry is part of what makes the romance so realistic and ultimately heartbreaking, but they also benefit from an outstanding script and a great supporting cast.
Casablancahas stood the test of time, and it’s now considered one of the best romance movies ever made.
Casablancais one of the most quotable movies ever, and it’s always a joy to go back and watch Bogart’s jaded, hangdog expressions as he grabs hold of each line.The tearjerker of an ending is the final cherry on topwhich cementsCasablanca’s iconic status. Even without its Second World War context,Casablancais a timeless story about the cost of love and freedom that still rings true.
Three years beforeDr. Nokicked off theJames Bondfranchise, Alfred Hitchcock delivered one of the best espionage thrillers ever made. The style ofBondand many other spy movies owe a great debt toNorth By Northwest.The helicopter scene inFrom Russia With Lovemay be the franchise’s most obvious reference toNorth By Northwest,but the tone and the big-screen characterization of Bond also seem to take inspiration from Hitchcock.
The style ofBondand many other spy movies owe a great debt toNorth By Northwest.
Many ofAlfred Hitchcock’s best moviesare still just as enjoyable many decades later.Psycho, Vertigo, Rear WindowandDial M for Murder -to name just a handful - still pack a punch. There aren’t many Golden Age directors who still have such a sizable audience in the 21st century.North By Northwestis one of his most entertaining movies, barreling from one action scene to another, while still providing some moments to allow Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint’s chemistry to flourish.
12 Angry Menlooks and feels like a stage play, but it was developed as a movie based on a teleplay. The close confines of12 Angry Men’s single location never feel too restrictive. In fact, the deliberation room is the perfect pressure-cooker environment as a dozen men from different walks of life lock into a battle of wills. Sidney Lumet constantly finds new and inventive ways of framing his characters.
12 Angry Men Cast & Character Guide
The courtroom classic 12 Angry Men had an all-star cast including the likes of Henry Fonda, Jack Klugman, and E.G. Marshall.
12 Angry Menis a masterpiece of conflict and dialogue,with a very limited concept that reduces all outside distractions. It’s the kind of movie that could and should be studied in detail, so every rewatch reveals new details about the characters. Also,12 Angry Men’s endingdoesn’t solve the mystery at hand. It merely offers a verdict on the trial, but there are a lot of unanswered questions and potential errors in the jury’s process.
The Treasure of the Sierra Madreis Humphrey Bogart’s best western, andone of the best westerns of all time.Bogart stars alongside Tim Holt and Walter Huston - the director’s father - as a trio of prospectors who find their fortune in a gold deposit in Mexico, but this turns out to be a false dawn.The Treasure of the Sierra Madreis a brilliantly written and acted exploration into greed and paranoia.
Bogart was robbed of an Oscar nomination forThe Treasure of the Sierra Madre.It’s one of his most captivating performances, and his character inspiredBreaking Bad’s Walter White andThere Will Be Blood’s Daniel Plainview. He brews a potent mixture of greed and jealousy that heightens the impact of the script. It’s a tense exploration into human nature, but it can also be seen as an allegory for America’s westward expansion.
Singin' In The Rainepitomizes the lavish style of Old Hollywood musical movies. It’s a feast for the eyes, from the set design to the choreography, and it has only gotten better with age as its particular style of musical has become vanishingly rare. The 1950s and 1960s produced several Best Picture-winning musicals.Singin' In The Rainwasn’t one of them, but it’s just as entertaining asThe Sound of Music, West Side Storyor Gene Kelly’s 1951 winnerAn American In Paris.
Singin' In The Rainepitomizes the lavish style of Old Hollywood musical movies.
Gene Kelly is a delight throughoutSingin' In The Rain,and many of his co-stars get their own moments to shine - like Donald O’Connor’s unforgettable solo number, “Make ‘Em Laugh”.Singin’ In The Rainis all about Hollywood’s transition from silent films to talkies, and its period setting means that it has aged brilliantly.It’s a love letter to the medium of film itself, with wonderful exuberance and commitment to entertainment.
Back in 1939,The Wizard of Ozwas praised for its marvelous technicolor artistry. It’s remarkable that it still has the power to immobilize and captivate audiences so many decades later. The transition from the dreary sepia of Dorothy’s home to the rainbow wonderland of Oz sums up the allure ofThe Wizard of Oz.In some ways, it also sums up the magic of the entire fantasy genre.
The transition from the dreary sepia of Dorothy’s home to the rainbow wonderland of Oz sums up the allure ofThe Wizard of Oz.
Thanks to the success ofWicked,The Wizard of Ozis once again back in the cultural zeitgeist, with audiences discovering and rediscovering its charms.It looks more inviting and exciting than most movies which are being made today, but it also tells an endearing story of friendship and family. The core character archetypes ofThe Wizard of Ozhave been copied and reinterpreted in countless ways, but the original movie still has its power.
Roman Holidayis one ofAudrey Hepburn’s best movies, andit secured her the Oscar for Best Actress. It has lost none of its appeal over the years, thanks to the infectious charisma of Hepburn and her co-star Gregory Peck.Roman Holidayfeels like the kind of weighty romance that studios rarely make these days. There are plenty of laughs, but it’s also a gut-wrenching story of insurmountable odds and missed chances.
Roman Holidayfeels like the kind of weighty romance that studios rarely make these days.
Roman Holidayis light on its feet, as the two main characters explore a beautiful city together with a natural flow to their conversation and every stolen glance. It’s a film worth getting wrapped up in, and there’s a catharsis to the heartbreaking ending. Not everyone can relate to the story of a princess escaping her entourage, but anyone can identify with the joy and the agony of her adventure.
It’s hard to believe thatBringing Up Babywas Katharine Hepburn’s first comedy movie, since she is a force of nature as the fast-talking, flighty socialite Susan Vance. She and Cary Grant are the perfect odd couple, with him as the awkward, nervous paleontologist who gets dragged across the country with a leopard in the back seat of the car. It’s a ludicrous comedy that hits all the right notes, and it makes the most of its wild premise.
Cary Grant’s David is the only character who listens or thinks more than he talks. ThroughoutBringing Up Baby,characters use language to deceive, to fill time and to cause a scene, but they rarely use it to communicate any useful information. The comedy is built around a series of uproarious misunderstandings and flat-out lies, as well as a healthy dose of slapstick.It’s so quick-witted and densely packed that it always has something to offer on a rewatch.
Over the years, the nameCitizen Kanehas been synonymous with towering, imposing works of art. For example, when actors and filmmakers want to be self-effacing about a certain project, they might say that they aren’t trying to makeCitizen Kane.This makes the movie seem far less accessible than it really is. In truth,Citizen Kaneis endlessly entertaining, easy to get into, and even surprisingly funny in places.
The 60 Best Movies Of All Time
Screen Rant breaks down the best movies of all time, from old classics to modern masterpieces across multiple genres of cinema.
Orson Welles' directorial debut tracks the life of a newspaper magnate through his triumphs and failures. The story is set in motion by the investigation into his enigmatic final words, but it soon becomes an in-depth character study that ties into the hollow promise of the American dream.Citizen Kanemixes its intelligent thematic explorations with sheer entertainment value.Audiences shouldn’t be put off by its highbrow reputation.
Stanley Kubrick eventually became an icon of New Hollywood, but his earlier movies show glimmers of his genius while he was still working within the confines of the Old Hollywood studio system.The Killingis a thrill ride coming in at less than 90 minutes, but it still offers a lot to love. Sterling Hayden plays the leader of a group of thieves who aim to knock off a racetrack and split the loot.
The Killingis a thrill ride coming in at less than 90 minutes, but it still offers a lot to love.
Along with Jules Dassin’sRififi,The Killinghelped to establish the conventions of the heist genre, and its influence can still be seen in the 21st century. As with many great heist movies, there’s a gulf between the plan and the execution inThe Killing.With a dash of humor and some frantic action,The Killingholds up to multiple watches. It may not be as ambitious as Kubrick’s later works, but it’s well worth watching.
