What are the Top Ten Movie Classics Pre-1975?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Greg Bernhardt
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Movie
AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers around participants sharing their favorite classic movies made before 1975. Popular titles mentioned include "Dr. Strangelove," "Casablanca," "12 Angry Men," "The Godfather," "A Clockwork Orange," and "Gone with the Wind." Various genres are represented, with contributions highlighting dramas, comedies, and musicals. Some participants express nostalgia for specific actors and directors, such as Stanley Kubrick and Mel Brooks, while others note the influence of classic films on modern cinema. There is also a playful tone as some users humorously acknowledge the thread's focus on pre-1975 films, with a few straying into post-1975 titles. Overall, the thread reflects a deep appreciation for cinematic history and the impact of these films on culture.
Greg Bernhardt
Admin
Insights Author
Messages
19,773
Reaction score
10,726
I've been hooked on AMC the last few days and wondered what everyones top ten movie classics are (pre '75)?

Roman Holiday
Dr. Strangelove
Julius Caesar
Sunset Boulevard
12 Angry Men
Casablanca
High Noon
Seven Samurai
Chinatown
Sullivan's Travels
 
  • Like
Likes mathwonk
Physics news on Phys.org
Godfather
2001
Wizard Of Oz
Chinatown
To Have And Have Not
Casablanca
A Clockwork Orange
Jaws
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
The Graduate
 
  • Like
Likes mathwonk
the dirty dozen
spartacus
Cleopatra
Jaws
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

Cant think of 5 more good ones right now.
 
Police Acadamy IV
Greese II
Look Who's Talking 3
Jaws 3-D
Midway (in Sensurround!)
Star Wars episode I
Honey, We shrunk Ourselves!

Sorry, I can't keep this up, didn't mean to derail the thread, sorry. I just got back from the worst vaction ever.
 
Some of my favorites:

Some Like It Hot
Bell, Book and Candle
The Manchurian Candidate
Rosemary's Baby
Cool Hand Luke
Blazing Saddles
The Sound of Music
Mary Poppins
Miracle on 34th Street
Breakfast at Tiffany's
 
  • Like
Likes mathwonk
I definitely second Dr. Strangelove, The Godfather, and A Clockwork Orange.

Some more that I can think of right now:

GoodFellas (This is its 15th year, so I guess we can call it a classic.)
Superman 1,2
Star Wars Episodes IV,V
Rocky 1,2
Taxi Driver
Raging Bull (can't get enough De Niro)
 
Last edited:
Some of my favorites are already listed, here are some I've watched more than once.

Mrs Miniver 1942
South Pacific 1958
Von Ryan's Express 1965
The Bridge on the River Kwai 1957
Desiree 1954
Madame Bovary 1949
Journey to the Center of the Earth 1959
The Day the EarthStood Still 1951
The Virgin Queen 1955
Wuthering Heights 1939
The Illustrated Man 1969
The Haunting 1963
 
  • Like
Likes mathwonk
Ah, I love Blazing Saddles. :!) Mel Brooks rocks.

I don't have a list. I just had to add Paths of Glory because if you like Kubrick, you should see it. And if you don't like Kubrick, you should see it. Powerful stuff.
 
Tom Mattson said:
I definitely second Dr. Strangelove, The Godfather, and A Clockwork Orange.
Some more that I can think of right now:
GoodFellas (This is its 15th year, so I guess we can call it a classic.)
Superman 1,2
Star Wars Episodes IV,V
Rocky 1,2
Taxi Driver
Raging Bull (can't get enough De Niro)
Hey, this is about movies PRIOR to 1975.
 
  • #10
Gone with the Wind

Don't care if it seems old fashioned, it’s still #1 classic
 
  • #11
citizen kane.

an affair to remember. indiscreet. and most cary grant movies.
 
  • Like
Likes mathwonk
  • #12
The Tramp
Citizen Kane
Metropolis
A Clockwork Orange
Forbidden Planet
Silent Running
Born Free [as a kid anyway, haven't seen it since]
Manchurian Candidate
Fail Safe [may be my all time favorite]
Wizard of Oz
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Likes mathwonk
  • #13
Wow, I can't even think of like any except like...

12 Angry Men

I guess I'm living under a rock when it comes to this.

When I first read the title, I was thinking "Mallrats" is definitely up there, but it doesn't date that far back.
 
  • Like
Likes mathwonk
  • #14
Dirty Harry- 1971
Bullitt-1968
The Prodcuers -1968
The Godfather-1972
Zulu-1964
From Russia with love-1963
Hmmm, I have 4 more still...
 
Last edited:
  • #15
those clint eastwood spaghetti westerns are a classic. they're heavily influenced by kurosawa's samurai movies.
i highly recommend the good, the bad and the ugly.
 
Last edited:
  • #16
12 angry men
Papillon
Gone with the wind
A few good men
 
  • Like
Likes mathwonk
  • #17
Evo
Moonbear
MIH
Tsu
 
  • #18
tribdog said:
Evo
Moonbear
MIH
Tsu

i heard little women was a great movie
 
  • #19
lol, you are smarter than me. I was going with classics
 
  • #20
How about Disney movies, like Aristocats? :biggrin:

Jungle Book,
Snow White,
Cinderella,

Fantasia !

One could have Top 10 - drama, comedy, musical, cartoon, etc.

I liked the Pink Panther movies with Peter Sellers,
Monty Python - Holy Grail, Life of Brian, and others.

I liked the old movies with Gregory Peck, Henry Fonda, James Stewart, and picking the top 10 would be really hard.

In the past 5 years or so, the Bourne Identity and sequel are good, and Vin Diesel in The Chronicles of Riddick
 
  • Like
Likes mathwonk
  • #21
Astronuc said:
In the past 5 years or so, the Bourne Identity and sequel are good, and Vin Diesel in The Chronicles of Riddick
Did you fall off of one of those mountains you like to climb?
 
  • #22
Brazil
Bladerunner
The Seventh Seal (Sjunde inseglet, Det)
A Clockwork Orange
Pleasantville
The Day The Earth Stood Still
Bram Stoker's Dracula


Ummmmm... yeah I can't think of many real classics as you can tell.
 
  • #23
tribdog said:
Did you fall off of one of those mountains you like to climb?
No but I did come close to starting an avalanche with me in the middle. I had to move very slowly, otherwise I would have been riding a rock slide for several hundred feet. It was too close.

Otherwise, I have fallen off roofs and out of trees.
 
Last edited:
  • #24
that explains a lot
 
  • #25
In no particular order:


Bladerunner
The Life of Brian(hilarious: 'nuff said)
Donnie Darko(that paradox stuff is great, takes a few watches before you get the idea that the whole movie can't happen: or can it: the old lady:wink: )
Ice Cold in Alex(great buddy movie, and a demonstration of how predudice can be overcome by adversity)
Cassablanca(the dialogue is the sharpest and most observant I've seen in a long while)
The African Queen(just twee but damn inspiring)
Lord of the Rings(all three, special effects, keeping it close to Tolkein: a buffs film/s)
The Seven Samurai(superb and brilliantly funny)
The Sting(great twist)
The Raiders of the Lost Ark(action movie at it's finest, and brilliantly dry humour)


Damn I have ten more too in no particular order, too many great movies, can we extend this to 20?


Brazil( now that film is clever and funny, if ever you meat a beureaucrat just think of this film, and his small mindedness will make you laugh)
Monty Python and the Holy grail
Underworld(great plot:underated IMO)
Apocalypse now(for the Carmina Burana thing if nothing else and the quote: I love the smell of napalm in the morning)
GoldenEye(how to do Bond well, hats off to Sean the best Bond ever, but for sheer fun this movie rates: pity they didn't follow it up with a great movie or two)
Blade(all of them if I could)
The Good the Bad and the Ugly( the quintessentail country and western)
Gattica(sublime: great way of showing it's not about what you got, it's what you do with it that counts)
Pleasentville( yes cheezy in parts but a great little tear jerker)
The Excorcist( this is how you do horror: not matched until The Ring: Japanese or other wise) Blair Witch eat your heart out.


Can I do top 30 in no particular order:biggrin:


Fight club(possibly the sharpest dialogue and cleverist observation of anarchist behaviour you'll see)
Henry IV(Kenneth Branagh version: the other one is good but too hammy: it made me want to go over to France and fight them: Orleans and st crispins day speech: some propoganda here but damn it a great piece of story telling: once more unto the breach dear friends or close the wall up with our English dead)

Ahhh.. no I could go on all night:biggrin:
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Likes mathwonk
  • #26
Oooo... add Somwhere In Time to my list.
 
  • #27
The thread is about movies made PRIOR to 1975!

I love how no one reads the first post. :rolleyes:
 
  • #28
applesauce
jello
pudding
pie
cake
tapioca
 
  • #29
Evo said:
The thread is about movies made PRIOR to 1975!
I love how no one reads the first post. :rolleyes:

Beatle Movies

Help!
A Hard Day's Night
Yellow Submarine
 
  • #30
tribdog said:
applesauce
jello
pudding
pie
cake
tapioca

So that's what mush your brain has reduced to these days. :smile:
 
  • #31
Evo said:
The thread is about movies made PRIOR to 1975!
I love how no one reads the first post. :rolleyes:
I tried... :frown:
 
  • #32
TheStatutoryApe said:
I tried... :frown:
Do, or do not. There is no try. :-p
 
  • Like
Likes mathwonk
  • #33
honestrosewater said:
Do, or do not. There is no try. :-p
Sorry but that's 1980.:-p
 
  • #34
Adding to Greg's, Evo's, MIH's, Ivan's, Schroedinger's lists:

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
Citizen Kane (1941)
Adam's Rib (1949)
The War of the Worlds (1953)
North by Northwest (1959)
The Time Machine (1960)
My Fair Lady (1964)
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967)
Doctor Dolittle (1967)
Hang 'Em High (1968)
Hello, Dolly! (1969)
Two Mules for Sister Sara (1970)

After '75

Apocalypse Now (1979)

. . . . lot's more
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Likes mathwonk
  • #35
Astronuc said:
...
The War of the Worlds (1953)
....

Damn how could I forget about that one. I love the old war of the worlds:!)
 
  • #36
Evo said:
The thread is about movies made PRIOR to 1975!
I love how no one reads the first post. :rolleyes:


I did I just chose to ignore it and pick my favourite classic movies since everyone else was doing that, well some people were anyway if you look carefully there are about 10 pre 1975 movies in there anyway so I did my bit:-p :smile:
 
Last edited:
  • #37
I do not think I can list ten, but here are some I like, not in any order. The years listed are from the Internet Movie Database.

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)
Jesus Christ Superstar (1973)
Ben Hur (1959)
Blazing Saddles (1974)
Dr. Strangelove (1964)
To Kill A Mockingbird (1962)

That is about it, I was going to list "The Picture of Dorian Grey" (1974), but much dialouge was cut out and I just do not feel this movie was all that great. Also I wanted to list "The Man in the Iron Mask", but I am unsure which version I saw.
 
  • Like
Likes mathwonk
  • #38
over the waterfront (1954)
the wild one (1953)
Last Tango in Paris (1972)
The third Man (1949)

marlon
 
  • #39
Planet of the Apes (1968)

The Andromeda Strain (1971) - some parts I liked, some I didn't. The lasers were a good effect, better than darts.

The Terminal Man (1974)


Logan's Run (1976) - just missed the '75 cut off.
 
  • #40
Astronuc said:
Adding to Greg's, Evo's, MIH's, Ivan's, Schroedinger's lists:
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
Citizen Kane (1941)
Adam's Rib (1949)
The War of the Worlds (1953)
North by Northwest (1959)
The Time Machine (1960)
My Fair Lady (1964)
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967)
Doctor Dolittle (1967)
Hang 'Em High (1968)
Hello, Dolly! (1969)
Two Mules for Sister Sara (1970)
After '75
Apocalypse Now (1979)
. . . . lot's more
Oh, some good ones!
 
  • #41
Besides lots that folks have already mentioned, other great movies both pre-1975 or which missed the cutoff:

Marathon Man (1976)
Young Frankenstein (1974)
Sleeper (1973)
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
Gaslight (1944)
Forbidden Planet (1956)
 
  • #42
TheStatutoryApe said:
Sorry but that's 1980.:-p
I tried... :frown: :-p

Paths of Glory was 1957, by the way.

Hey, does anyone else love the Marx Brothers? I'll make an ordered list of theirs. There's more to life than drama, after all. :wink:
 
Last edited:
  • #43
Mr. Smith's War of the Northwestern Fair Lady and her two mules' Hanging Doctor.(1825)
 
  • #44
Evo said:
Oh, some good ones!

I had to find a substitute for Wuthering Heights since you got that one. :smile: And I like your list too!
Maybe someday.


Also I would add in the Sci-Fi genre:

The Omega Man (1971) - Charlton Heston

Soylent Green (1973) - Charlton Heston

Genesis II (1973, TV) - Alex Cord as Dylan Hunt, Mariette Hartley as Lyra-a - Dylan Hunt, a scientist, puts himself into suspended animation in a NASA cavern in 1979 to establish if he could be brought back to life in a couple of days to research into extending the process to astronauts. However the cavern collapses during an earthquake and Dylan doesn't recover until the year 2133. During the 154 years he had slept, war has broken out and the world's scientists rebelled against the war-loving military and developed a society known as the Pax, whose goal is to keep the spirit of mankind alive. However there are also the mutant Tyranians who plan to be Nazi-like rulers of the slowly recovering world. Dylan is tricked by the Tyranians who plan to use his knowledge of the past to rebuild their nuclear generator and therefore make their plans complete. Can the Pax and Dylan stop them or will the man from the past destroy the future?...

Like a lot of men (boys) in my generation, I had a crush on Mariette Hartley.


Planet Earth (1974, TV) - John Saxon as Dylan Hunt - A man awakens from suspended animation and finds himself in the 22nd century, where he finds that women rule the world and that men are slaves called Dinks. He is captured and sold as a slave, but escapes and hooks up with a male rebel movement.


And for comedy -

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966) - with Zero Mostel, Phil Silvers.

The Producers (1968) - Zero Mostel, Gene Wilder


Another classic drama - Rear Window (1954) - James Stewart.

Ice Station Zebra (1968) - Rock Hudson

Basically I like the old classics with actors like Alec Guinness, Laurence Olivier, James Stewart, Henry Fonda, Gregory Peck, Cary Grant, Robert Mitchum, Kirk Douglas, Yul Brynner, Victor Mature, Rock Hudson . . . .
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Likes mathwonk
  • #45
I rarely watch old movies. Well, I used to not even find time to watch movies at all. I finally joined Netflix though, and now that I don't have to leave the comfort of home to rent a movie on a rainy day (or any other day), I've been watching 2 movies a week.

*scurries off to Netflix to update my queue with some pre-1975 movies* :biggrin:
 
  • #46
All Quiet on the Western Front, 1930; Battleship Potemkin; Gunga Din; It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.

Editorial additions: Treasure Island (Jackie Cooper); Psycho; Stalag 17.
 
Last edited:
  • #47
theCandyman said:
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)

Well that was hard to see coming, theCandyman. :biggrin:

I Just saw the new one... interesting...
 
  • #48
I have not seen the new one yet, but the color of the previews looked depressing. However I did see The Producers shortly after New Year's Day, so Gene Wilder was in the first one? I do not remember it too well, excpet for the part where the musical "Springtime for Hitler" was performed in the old movie.
 
  • #49
All's Quiet on the Battleship Potemkin, Gunga Din. (1960)
 
  • #50
Once Upon a Time in The West (1968)
The Graduate (1967)
The Godfather: Part II (1974)
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
The Getaway (1972)
Chinatown (1974)
The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
From Here to Eternity (1953)
Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
Spartacus (1960)

As you might guess, I dig the outlaw films.
 
  • Like
Likes mathwonk

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top