Classic Films Anyone Can Enjoy

So, you're a young, casual moviegoer. You've seen fewer than 10 movies that were made before 1980 (two named 'Godfather' and some Disney cartoons). You've forgotten there's anything else besides the New Releases section in your local video store. You immediately flip past any cable channel playing a movie in black and white. You cannot name a single silent film.

That's just fine! Not everyone is a cinephile (read: film-crazy nerd). But maybe you want just a taste of classic cinema but are too scared you'll grab a title off the shelf that will bore you to tears or lose you in unfamiliar colloquialisms and obsolete cultural and technological references. You want something comprehensible. You want something accessible. You want something fun.

Well, you're in luck! I've done all the hard work of watching hundreds of 20s-40s films and can point you to just a few titles I'm sure you can enjoy:

Safety Last! (1923) For all the reasons you should watch Safety Last! the first chance you get, read my review.

Sherlock, Jr. (1924) Buster Keaton's masterpiece of comedy, Sherlock, Jr. is a masterful 40-minute succession of hilarious sketches involving an amateur detective. Yes, it's a silent film but you won't be missing anything for lack of sound effects: the story is simple and the physical comedy is universal.

King Kong (1933) So the special effects are a *little* dated... King Kong is an exciting rollercoaster ride and a terribly modern tale. If you enjoyed anything about Jurassic Park, it's in King Kong. King Kong is the foundation for all big, spectacle-oriented, disaster/adventure films. The story works just like it would in a modern blockbuster: the standard characters are all there and the plot exists to serve up a succession of spectacles. The last hour is one giant special-effects scene after another as Kong battles with various monsters and then trashes a metropolitan area.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (1937) The first traditionally-animated feature film, Disney used this beautiful, magical film to launch itself as one of the most successful studios of the next few decades. The charming characters and magnificent story make it a breezy trip through this Brothers Grimm tale. The vain queen is still one of the most effective villains Disney has ever created.

The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) The original high-action swashbuckling adventure! In the best of nearly two dozen versions of the classic legend, Errol Flynn performed most of his own stunts as the gallant, romantic and daring Robin Hood. The pace is brisk, the action exciting, and the mood light-hearted. Think Pirates of the Caribbean in Sherwood Forest and Nottingham Castle. An energetic, joyous, exhilarating experience. Could be used as a blueprint for any successful movie of adventure and laughs.

Bringing Up Baby (1938) One of the funniest films ever made, Bringing Up Baby is a screwball comedy starring the beloved duo Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant. Tim Dirks described the joy of watching this movie best when he wrote, "It is... one of the funniest, wackiest and most inspired films of all time with its characteristic breathless pace, zany antics and pratfalls, absurd situations and misunderstandings, perfect sense of comic timing, completely screwball cast, series of lunatic and harebrained misadventures, disasters, light-hearted surprises and romantic comedy."

The Wizard of Oz (1939) It's not too likely you haven't seen this before, but in case you haven't, you're missing one of the essentials! It's widely considered THE popular American classic, and it's just as enjoyable today as in 1939. Every scene is visually spectacular. Every song is one you'll be humming later. The characters are unforgettable and instantly lovable. The story is touching, fun, magical, and epic. If there is one classic film anyone can enjoy, it's probably this one.

Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) Arsenic and Old Lace is one of the funniest black comedies ever made. Cary Grant has to postpone his honeymoon when he finds that his good-natured aunts are killing people and burying them in the cellar. The situation is complicated by another relative who believes he is Teddy Roosevelt and Grant's brother, who has been killing for years and using his victim's faces to reconstruct his own (unfortunately, the poor craftsmanship of the alcoholic Dr. Einstein has resulted in him looking like Boris Karloff). It's a macabre slapstick comedy of a thousand laughs.

Brief Encounter (1946) This often-imitated small-scale love story is just as touching and intelligent as ever. It's the definitive romantic tearjerker without being melodramatic or emotional untrue. The secret to its success is the way you fall in love with its main characters and their emotional honesty. Forget Lost in Translation, Gone with the Wind, Nora Ephron movies, and When Harry Met Sally - this is my favorite romantic drama. The structure and pace are almost identical to Lost in Translation and the upcoming Code 46, so if you find yourself liking either of them, you're sure to enjoy the original: Brief Encounter.

It's A Wonderful Life (1946) Frank Capra's masterpiece is perhaps the most heartwarming movie ever made, and a popular favorite from the decade. I can't even begin to describe the poetic and beautiful story without starting to tear up in remembering the touching scenes and characters of this, the ultimate Christmas movie. Easily one of my favorite movies of all time. I could watch it a million times (and probably have).

So there you have it! If you like those, you could try these next:

The Gold Rush (1925)
Frankenstein (1931)
Duck Soup (1933)
It Happened One Night (1934)
A Night At The Opera (1935)
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936)
Modern Times (1936)
My Man Godfrey (1936)
Fantasia (1940)
His Girl Friday (1940)
Pinocchio (1940)
The Philadelphia Story (1940)
Citizen Kane (1941)
Casablanca (1942)
Bambi (1942)
Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
Double Indemnity (1944)
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
The Big Sleep (1946)
Stairway To Heaven (1946)
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)