Do you watch old Black and White movies?

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Yes I've asked this before but its been years. I love old black and white films, of all genre's but I have a special place in my heart for the old Universal B&W horror movies of the 30's, 40's, and 50's.

How many have actually seen the original King Kong, or Mighty Joe Young.

How about Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein?

Who hear delights like I do over the campy but powerful performance of Claude Rains in the Invisible Man.

Have you seen the original Mummy with Boris Karloff. While not particularly scary it has a mood that few films can capture.

Creature from the Black Lagoon anyone? The gill man is one of the greatest looking monsters of all time.

Seen Them? Or how about the Day the Earth Stood Still.

stepping away from horror, what about Grapes of Wrath, Pride of the Yankees..., Dark Victory? tissue anyone.

If you've said no to the basic questions of this thread then I urge you to start exploring the film past. There is great stuff out there, A Christmas Carol with Alister Sims is unbelievably great.

Even slock films like Split Second about a group of people trapped in the atomic bomb test area.

If I could I'd start an all B&W channel that only showed B&W programing, old movies, old tv shows.

Do yourself a favor and watch some. I hope some of you appreciate them for what they are.

[MrScratch 294]

Absolutely, I love movies period, from silent films to whats currently in theaters. I watch TCM all the time and I especially love the 30s and 40s. I've seen all the movies you mentioned except for Mighty Joe Young and Split Second.

[Hitch 57]

My old black and whites take pride of place here. Alongside SUNSET BOULEVARD, A TOUCH OF EVIL, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, SOME LIKE IT HOT, WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE?, and CARE BEARS: THE MOVIE

[Wycket 36]

I've seen all of the films you mentioned except Split Second. I'm 20 and I'm truly glad my parents made me watch these older movies as it definitely helped me to appreciate the medium of film and not to criticize older movies just because they look "fake". A good old universal horror or Abbot & Costello film should be close to everyone's DVD player, as those are the kind of classics you have to enjoy.

[Luke Skywalker 1,795]

I dont have a color TV to watch that crap

j/k

I havent seen much of these kind of movies, i should.

I think i have seen some chaplin, and when i was 'Secret Weapons over Normady' frenzy i watched 'The Flying Tigers' starring John Wayne.

I have to watch the original King Kong and Casablanca.

Oh and i have seen Schindler's List several times.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

SL doesnt really count Luke.

[Luke Skywalker 1,795]

Irony, etc.

[indy4 155]

I've seen The Day The Earth Stood Still, all of the original The Twilight Zone episodes, Psycho, The Wizard of Oz, and probably a couple more that I can't remember right now.

And I saw the episode of Seinfeld with the black and white cookie.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Indy 4, Wizard of Oz in not black and white

[Ollie 1,059]

Joe you'll know my answer...

I haven't seen Split Second in years. Wow, I'd forgotten all about that film.

I can think of many favorites; Gojira, Varan, King Kong, Son Of Kong, Mighty Joe Young, The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms, Them!, Tarantula, The Giant Behemoth, 20 Million Miles To Earth, The Day The Earth Stood Still, It Came From Beneath The Sea, The Black Scorpion, Psycho, The Lost World (1925).....I could sit here and name many more to include Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, Wolfman.

I also love the old Laurel and Hardy,Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton films.

[Greg1138 3]

Aha - yes - big fan of all the horror/sci-fi ones you mention Joe.......never keen on The Mummy, just a personal taste thing.....and "Them!" is an underrated classic of the time.....I was most displeased recently to hear a phone-in on a radio show where it came under the banner of "Stupid Titles for Stupid Movies" by an idiot DJ who obviously hadn't seen it.....thankfully someone had the good taste to correct him in no uncertain way......

[Jacob 0]

I watch and love many old B&W movies. I guess I've seen about half of the ones you mentioned Joe. But I'm more into the feel good/comedies I guess. A few I've enjoyed over the years, just off the top of my head:

Sergeant York

Mr. Deeds Goes To Town

Bringing Up Baby

Arsenic and Old Lace

Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer

I'm set to watch The Major and the Minor tonight with some friends. Grabbed it on the DVR. Should be fun.

I also caught the last of Gunga Din the other week and was quite impressed with it. Kind of an early Temple of Doom. I've definitely got to catch the whole thing sometime.

In 19th century India, three British soldiers and a native waterbearer must stop a secret mass revival of the murderous Thuggee cult before it can rampage across the land.

[indy4 155]

Indy 4, Wizard of Oz in not black and white

The very beggining is.

I've also seen part of Steamboat Willie.

[Marian Schedenig 8,193]

Haven't really seen any of the horror movies except for King Kong, but other B&W classics. From memory, I have these on DVD: Ben-Hur (with the Davis score; haven't watched it yet, but seen it on TV once), Captain Blood, The Sea Hawk, Arsenic and Old Lace, Sunset Blvd.

And I seriously need Citizen Kane, Casblanca and Some Like It Hot.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Indy 4, Wizard of Oz in not black and white

The very beggining is.

I've also seen part of Steamboat Willie.

No Indy4 you're wrong, the beginning of The Wizard of OZ is not black and white, I'd explain but maybe you should find out on your own.

[Dole 17]

I love movies from the 20s, 30s. and 40s. There's something wonderful about so many of those films that I can't quite explain, but I think it has something to do with the fact that the medium was so new, fresh, and experimental back then. That's true not just about the black & white films, but also the animated features like Snow White, Pinocchio, and Fantasia as well.

And Claude Rains is one of my favorite actors from the Golden Age of Hollywood. He's excellent in everything from Invisible Man to Lawrence of Arabia.

Oh, and anyone who hasn't taken 3 hours out of his or her life to watch King Kong and Bride of Frankenstein should be whipped. Great groundbreaking movies with great groundbreaking scores.

[BurgaFlippinMan 7]

I really want to see them, but I don't have TCM here and shops dont carry DVDs of them and ordering off the internet (plus rather insane shipping fees) is too much for me to afford.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Colour... that'll never catch on.

[Marian Schedenig 8,193]

I really want to see them, but I don't have TCM here and shops dont carry DVDs of them and ordering off the internet (plus rather insane shipping fees) is too much for me to afford.

What region code do you need? Play.com is quite cheap and offers free shipping.

[Olivier 5]

Of course I do!

Date & color mean nothing, and certainly don't make quality.

How many have actually seen the original King Kong, or Mighty Joe Young.

I have seen the former, and have bought the splendid Collecotr's tin box.

I have yet to see the latter.

How about Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein?

Both of them; I have an early release, and the 2DVD statuette box editions.

Who hear delights like I do over the campy but powerful performance of Claude Rains in the Invisible Man.

I love it! It's a delightful film!

"We'll go gathering nut's in May, nuts in May" ...

Have you seen the original Mummy with Boris Karloff. While not particularly scary it has a mood that few films can capture.

Yup. Got an earlier release; didn't get the newer one (there has been another reelase, hasn't there?) because I was expecting and hoping for another statuette box.

Creature from the Black Lagoon anyone? The gill man is one of the greatest looking monsters of all time.

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees!

Wonderful! Such splendid atmosphere (as so many of those movies)!

The divine Julie Adams! The superb scene of the creature watching her swim, admiring her, accompanying her!

The sumptuous lagoon set! The suspense and tension!

Like King Kong, I first saw it as a child, and yearned long years for it. At the time, it was shown in 3D on TV; a TV program magazine had a poster with glasses; I'm not sure where the poster is.

Great memories-- fuzzy on the details, but vivid as to the effect on me.

Seen Them? Or how about the Day the Earth Stood Still.

I didn't see it until last year or so; I have often made blind purchases of such classic movies, trusting no just their popularity, but my instincts above all.

I was not disappointed.

stepping away from horror, what about Grapes of Wrath, Pride of the Yankees..., Dark Victory? tissue anyone.

I only know and have the excellent The Grapes of Wrath; I have not watched the DVD yet, but I remember the book and movie fondly.

A Christmas Carol with Alister Sims is unbelievably great.

Don't know that one, as probably many others. I have done some catching up over the past two years, though, acquiring the George C. Scott movie (A Christmas Carol) and the Leslie Bricusse musical (Scrooge); with Disney's Mickey's Christmas Carol and the Patrick Stewart version, that's four adaptations of the story I have.

The Disney one will remain my top favorite, especially as I had the read-along LP adaptation (with new songs & score, and translated in French), and because it truly is excellent; all three live action versions are really very good, but Scrooge easily is my favorite of those.

I have strayed a bit from the topic, though, but getting back to it is easy: amid those blind buys was It's a Wonderful Life!; it may seem hard to imagine to Americans, who get to see such movies on TV every year, but this movie for instance has never been shown on TV in France for years and years and years; my memory of a few scenes is so vague that I am not too sure I actually got to see at least part of it as a child; may I did, or maybe I just remember excerpts that were shown somewhere, or maybe it's just a trick of the brain. in any case, I can vouch that it has not been on French TV for at least 20 years, else I would have taped it, seen it, or at least remember not being able to do either.

In any case, I loved It's a Wonderful Life!. James Stewart is one of my favorite actors, too.

Have you seen Harvey? It's an hilarious black and white comedy about a man (Jimmy) whose best friend is an invisible 6-foot rabbit. (I have not seen that recent movie with a giant rabbit whose title I can't remember right now, but I doubt it did not at least find inspiration for the rabbit in Harvey). It's an excellent comedy, which I highly recommend.

Even slock films like Split Second about a group of people trapped in the atomic bomb test area.

Don't even know the title.

I do have the definitive The Twilight Zone set, though, which surely makes up for this.

If I could I'd start an all B&W channel that only showed B&W programing, old movies, old tv shows.

And I would watch it.

Last week, I watched Seconds; it's much more recent, but it was in black and white nonetheless; great movie.

Another title that comes to my mind is The Woman in the Window, a great mystery and suspense movie with Edward G. Robinson.

I also highly recommend The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society's The Call of Cthulhu (trailer), which I watched last week too (ot the week before?). It's a great movie version of the story, made like a silent movie of the 1930s (which naturally helped with the budget); the atmosphere is wonderful, it's pretty inventive, the style is truly that of the era, the use of light & shadows very good, ... I loved it a lot.

Oooooh, and James Whale's The Old Dark House! A great, funny, haunted house movie.

[Marian Schedenig 8,193]

Just remembered that I've seen the original Mummy on TV once. Didn't think too much of it, partly because the pre-film score music didn't really support it so well. It was probably better than the modern version though.

Regarding later movies, The Haunting is a classic. And I need plenty of Hitchcocks on DVD (Notorious comes to mind with all this Claude Rains talk).

I watched M some years ago on TV. Admittedly I was a bit underwhelmed, because it seemed to drag a lot (or perhaps I just wasn't in the mood). But Lorre was absolutely stunning in the finale.

[Olivier 5]

Last year, I got the 1922 The Headless Horseman; it was pretty good, with several interesting bits.

The new "score" was rather terrible, though, so I played Elfman's Sleepy Hollow while watching it.

I wonder if this is the oldest movie I have; certainly one of the oldest.

[robthehand 3]

I think the oldest film I own is The Kid.

As for the main question: yes, definitely! The Third Man is one of my 2-3 absolute favourite films of all time, and lots of others (Casablanca, Sunset Boulevard, Bride of Frankestein, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, King Kong) are among my favorites. I grew up watching a mixture of colour and b/w films, so I never really thought about it. It certainly never bothered me.

As for the Universal horrors, I haven't seen two many, but I absolutely love the first two Karloff Frankensteins. I remember liking The Invisible Man as well, but I haven't seen it for ages.

[Olivier 5]

I think the oldest film I own is The Kid.

Come to think of it, I have it, too; that's one year earleir than The Headless Horseman.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

I have quite a few dvd's from 30's movies but nothing from the '20's.

Indy4, if you read this the Wizard of Oz was shot in Septia tone, which isn't black and white, its actually brown and white. you obviously have a ways to go in your training.

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

I've probably watched more black and white movies than I have colored movies.

Back in the day (read elementary-high school), I'd come home from school everyday and I'd watch a black-and-white movie on one of the classic movie channels while eating a snack/lunch.

Those were the days...

[Olivier 5]

Back in the day (read elementary-high school), I'd come home from school everyday and I'd watch a black-and-white movie on one of the classic movie channels while eating a snack/lunch.

Those were the days...

Wow! These must have been either very short movies or Hook-like banquet snacks/lunches !

[Goldsmithfan 6]

I love to watch camp classics from the period. Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers and Creature from the Black Lagoon come to mind. I've also seen The Day the Earth Stood Still but just can't get into it. I know it's not watched for camp, but I can't get into it seriously or for laughs. It just doesn't hold water for me. I really liked Metropolis too, though that's a bit before the aforementioned titles.

I really like the Laurel & Hardy shorts too. And the older Our Gang stuff is pretty funny too.

[indy4 155]

I have quite a few dvd's from 30's movies but nothing from the '20's.

Indy4, if you read this the Wizard of Oz was shot in Septia tone, which isn't black and white, its actually brown and white. you obviously have a ways to go in your training.

I'm deeply sorry. In the future, I'll try not to dissapoint you, my lord.

[Ollie 1,059]

You will learn soon enough.

[Red 75]

I watched a lot of The Little Rascals when I was younger.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I'm deeply sorry. In the future, I'll try not to dissapoint you, my lord.

This just sounds like stuff from a Gay/SM porn flick

I would imagine.......

[JoeinAR 1,949]

or Star Wars

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Well C3PO was gay....

[Ollie 1,059]

Oh dear...oh dear.

Oh my Artoo!!!!

[Melange 446]

I know it's not from the 20s,30s,40s,or 50s. Nor is it a horror.

But it is in black and white. One of my favourite black and white movies.

Sidney Lumet's The Hill (1965). One of Sean Connery's most powerful performances, too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ku7cMPtCRVk

[Quintus 5,399]

What's the one with the aliens in the sand? Invaders From Mars? What ever it's called, its damn scary!

Also, anyone here saw Whistle Down The Wind starring a very young Haley Mills? It's a beautiful little British movie about childhood innocence, one of my faves.

[Romão 2,274]

Nosferatu is amazing.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

What's the one with the aliens in the sand? Invaders From Mars? What ever it's called, its damn scary!

Also, anyone here saw Whistle Down The Wind starring a very young Haley Mills? It's a beautiful little British movie about childhood innocence, one of my faves.

its a color film TGE

[MrScratch 294]

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari needs to be mentioned as well, I like that better than Nosferatu.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

What's the one with the aliens in the sand? Invaders From Mars? What ever it's called, its damn scary!

Also, anyone here saw Whistle Down The Wind starring a very young Haley Mills? It's a beautiful little British movie about childhood innocence, one of my faves.

its a color film TGE

IMDB lists it as B&W?

[JoeinAR 1,949]

then perhaps i saw a colorized version, I once watched the old and the new back to back on tbs, amc, tcm, one of them.

actually Stefan, I just looked it up on Imdb, and it shows its a color movie.

[Quintus 5,399]

Regardless, I only ever saw the B&W print.

Glad too tbh. Colour may have humanised it a little too much.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

I'm referring to Invaders from Mars, not the other, which is a B& W movie.

[Quintus 5,399]

I'm aware of that, since I noticed your bolded edit when quoting me.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

not sure that Stefan was, and I don't understand why it would be shown in black in white since it was never a "colorized" film.

[Ollie 1,059]

Unless he watched it on a Black & White TV set many years ago. But yes it is in color.

[Quintus 5,399]

I don't know the facts of the matter, but I definitely only ever saw it in B&W. I remember it vividly.

Perhaps I watched it on a B&W TV, long ago, but I doubt it.

Anyway its not really important.

[Hitch 57]

Color TV didn't come to Holland until 1987

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

To Liverpool, you mean?