Dig Deep, Way WAY Back.... Black and White Favorites

Ogee Ogilthorpe

Over Macho Grande?
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I'm flipping through the channel guide and damned if I don't stumble across "A Night At The Opera" with the Marx Bros. Guilty pleasure, I really like the Marx Bros. Just plain funny, can't help it. Watching tv later at night was one of the few things I used to do with my Dad, we enjoyed a lot of good tv together.

One of my favorite all time movies, "Stalag 17" (1953); William Holden, Otto Preminger, et al. Just a great great film, and sparked a big controversy when the creators sued the makers of Hogan's Heroes years later claiming plagiarism.

You don't have to be old to have some good favorite B&W classics (and damnit, nobody better say Gone With The Wind).
 


I'm flipping through the channel guide and damned if I don't stumble across "A Night At The Opera" with the Marx Bros. Guilty pleasure, I really like the Marx Bros. Just plain funny, can't help it. Watching tv later at night was one of the few things I used to do with my Dad, we enjoyed a lot of good tv together.

One of my favorite all time movies, "Stalag 17" (1953); William Holden, Otto Preminger, et al. Just a great great film, and sparked a big controversy when the creators sued the makers of Hogan's Heroes years later claiming plagiarism.

You don't have to be old to have some good favorite B&W classics (and damnit, nobody better say Gone With The Wind).
Love the Marx Brothers. I have very similar memories with my dad watching them.
 


I watch a LOT of movies on Turner Classic Movies. Mostly in B & W.

some of my favorite genres:
Westerns
Film Noir and Detective stories
Old Sci-Fi and Monster movies.
and Errol Flynn swashbucklers.

I love the cinematography of B & W movies. Especially Film Noir with the deep shadows and selective lighting.
just look at the first appearance of Orson Welles in "The Third Man," when his face appears out of the shadows.

And with all of the characters in those 30's and 40's movies smoking all the time, the way they used lighting to highlight puffs of smoke.
 


I'm flipping through the channel guide and damned if I don't stumble across "A Night At The Opera" with the Marx Bros. Guilty pleasure, I really like the Marx Bros. Just plain funny, can't help it. Watching tv later at night was one of the few things I used to do with my Dad, we enjoyed a lot of good tv together.

One of my favorite all time movies, "Stalag 17" (1953); William Holden, Otto Preminger, et al. Just a great great film, and sparked a big controversy when the creators sued the makers of Hogan's Heroes years later claiming plagiarism.

You don't have to be old to have some good favorite B&W classics (and damnit, nobody better say Gone With The Wind).

The Marx Brothers were amazing. Incredible talent, musically and comedically. If you ever get a chance, check out Groucho's appearances on the old Dick Cavett show. Cavett hero-worshipped Groucho, and the interviews are incredible, with Cavett serving as the perfect straight man.

"Don't look now, but there's one too many people in this room, and it's you."
 



Always enjoyed the Marx Brothers. Have to throw Duck Soup in there. Also Dr.Stranglove and Some Like it Hot.
 



To those mentioning Bogdanovich, I can't agree more with both The Last Picture Show and Paper Moon. What a three movie stretch he had there with those two and What's Up Doc? sandwiched between.

Back to Ogee's original question:
12 Angry Men
The Apartment
The Maltese Falcon
Casablanca
Sabrina
Roman Holiday
Chaplin's oeuvre (City Lights, Modern Times, The Great Dictator, The Circus, The Gold Rush)
Marx brothers, as mentioned
Psycho
His Girl Friday
As SON mentioned, just about any film noir
 

To those mentioning Bogdanovich, I can't agree more with both The Last Picture Show and Paper Moon. What a three movie stretch he had there with those two and What's Up Doc? sandwiched between.

Back to Ogee's original question:
12 Angry Men
The Apartment
The Maltese Falcon
Casablanca
Sabrina
Roman Holiday
Chaplin's oeuvre (City Lights, Modern Times, The Great Dictator, The Circus, The Gold Rush)
Marx brothers, as mentioned
Psycho
His Girl Friday
As SON mentioned, just about any film noir
Totally spaced that; damn I really enjoyed "12 Angry Men". Fonda was really good in that film.
 

From old Hollywood, my favorite Buster Keaton movie is the The General. I saw it recently and just marvel at the physical stuff he was able to pull off.

Laurel & Hardy's Sons of the Desert deserves mention.

More recent by decade, my favorites.

60s - Dr Strangelove
70s - Paper Moon
80s - Raging Bull
90s - Ed Wood
00s - Good Night, and Good Luck
10s - Nebraska
20s - Belfast
 

Only B&W stuff I'll watch are horror and sci-fi flicks. All of the original Warner monster movies were pretty good.
 



Totally spaced that; damn I really enjoyed "12 Angry Men". Fonda was really good in that film.

They did a remake in 1997 that was (surprisingly) pretty good. Jack Lemon had Fonda's old role. George C. Scott in Lee J. Cobb's. Also starring James Gandolfini, Edward James Olmos, Hume Cronyn, Ossie Davis, Armin Meuller-Stahl... an all-star cast.

Technically, it can't be on the list, because it was filmed in color, but it's worth seeing.


 

One of my favorite oldies is Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. But I guess it was done in color.
 

Sidney Poitier’s passing brings to mind the outstanding B&W movie, The Defiant Ones. Maybe the first movie to truly move me.
 

From old Hollywood, my favorite Buster Keaton movie is the The General. I saw it recently and just marvel at the physical stuff he was able to pull off.

Laurel & Hardy's Sons of the Desert deserves mention.

More recent by decade, my favorites.

60s - Dr Strangelove
70s - Paper Moon
80s - Raging Bull
90s - Ed Wood
00s - Good Night, and Good Luck
10s - Nebraska
20s - Belfast
Great call on Nebraska, what a beautiful movie that was/is.
 

From old Hollywood, my favorite Buster Keaton movie is the The General. I saw it recently and just marvel at the physical stuff he was able to pull off.

Laurel & Hardy's Sons of the Desert deserves mention.

More recent by decade, my favorites.

60s - Dr Strangelove
70s - Paper Moon
80s - Raging Bull
90s - Ed Wood
00s - Good Night, and Good Luck
10s - Nebraska
20s - Belfast

Forgot about Good Night, and Good Luck. That is one of my favorite movies.
 

The B & W thread inspired me, so tonight I watched a classic Film Noir - "Kiss Of Death."

this is best known for the scene where Tommy Udo, a sadistic gangster played by a young Richard Widmark, is arguing with an old woman in a wheelchair, and pushes her down a flight of stairs.
the movie stars Victor Mature in one of his best performances.
 




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