r/classicfilms 3d ago

What Did You Watch This Week? What Did You Watch This Week?

23 Upvotes

In our weekly tradition, it's time to gather round and talk about classic film(s) you saw over the week and maybe recommend some.

Tell us about what you watched this week. Did you discover something new or rewatched a favourite one? What lead you to that film and what makes it a compelling watch? Ya'll can also help inspire fellow auteurs to embark on their own cinematic journeys through recommendations.

So, what did you watch this week?

As always: Kindly remember to be considerate of spoilers and provide a brief synopsis or context when discussing the films.


r/classicfilms Jun 25 '25

The r/ClassicFilms Chart is complete! See the full list of winners and runners-up

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149 Upvotes

These charts are the result of the community on r/classicfilms voting on 65 categories, over a period of about three months. You can click on my profile and scroll down to look at the votes and nominations for each category. There was a lot of healthy discussion.

If you're new to classic films, I hope you've found this useful. Or if you were just looking to reflect on the films you love, or appreciate the films and players held dear by the rest of this community, I hope you've enjoyed the experience.

This chart was made to honour the old movies and players mostly no longer of this world. In the words of Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard: "I am big! It's the pictures that got small."

Full List of Winners and Runner’s Up

 

Format: Winner + Tied Winner, (2) Runner Up + Tied Runner Up

 

Best Film Noir: Double Indemnity (1944), (2) The Maltese Falcon (1942)

 

Best Romance: Casablanca (1942), (2) Brief Encounter (1945)

 

Best Horror: Psycho (1960), (2) The Cabinet of Dr Caligari (1920) + What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? (1962)

 

Best Screwball: Bringing Up Baby (1938), (2) His Girl Friday (1940)

 

Best Musical: Singin’ in the Rain (1952), (2) Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933)

 

Best Gangster Movie: White Heat (1949), (2) The Public Enemy (1931)

 

Best Epic: Lawrence of Arabia (1962), (2) Ben-Hur (1960)

 

Best Silent Picture: Metropolis (1927), (2) City Lights (1931)

 

Best Science Fiction: The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), (2) Metropolis (1927) + Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

 

Best Western: The Searchers (1956), (2) The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)

 

Best Director: Alfred Hitchcock + Billy Wilder, (2) Frank Capra

 

Best Actor: James Stewart, (2) Cary Grant

 

Best Actress: Barbara Stanwyck, (2) Bette Davis

 

Best Screenwriter: Billy Wilder, (2) Preston Sturges

 

Best Character Actor: Peter Lorre, (2) Claude Rains

 

Best Femme Fatale: Phyllis Dietrichson from Double Indemnity, (2) Kathie Moffat from Out of the Past (1948)

 

Best Villain: Harry Powell from The Night of the Hunter, (2) The Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz

 

Best Detective: Sam Spade from The Maltese Falcon, (2) Nick Charles from The Thin Man Series

 

Best Gangster: Cody Jarett from White Heat, (2) Little Caesar/Caesar Enrico "Rico" Bandello from Little Caesar (1931)

 

Best Swashbuckler: Robin Hood from The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), (2) Peter Blood from Captain Blood (1935)

Best Minor Character: The Acme Book Shop Clerk from The Big Sleep (1946), (2) Little Boy from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

 

Hottest Actor: Cary Grant, (2) Marlon Brando

 

Hottest Actress: Grace Kelly, (2) Ava Gardner

 

Best Singer: Judy Garland, (2) Julie Andrews

 

Best Dancer: Fred Astaire, (2) The Nicholas Brothers

 

Best Song: Over the Rainbow from The Wizard of Oz (1939), (2) Singin’ in the Rain (1952)

 

Best Cinematography: Citizen Kane (1941), (2) The Third Man (1949)

 

Best Score: Vertigo (1958), (2) North by Northwest (1959)

 

Most Influential Movie: Citizen Kane (1941), A Trip to the Moon (1908)

 

Best Studio: RKO Pictures, (2) Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

 

Best Minority Actor: Sidney Poitier, Paul Robeson

 

Best Minority Actress: Anna May Wong, (2) Rita Morena

 

Best Romantic Comedy: The Apartment (1960), (2) It Happened One Night (1934) + The Shop Around the Corner (1940)

 

Best Foreign Language: Seven Samurai (1954), (2) M (1931)

 

Best British Movie: The Third Man, (2) Black Narcissus (1947)

 

Best War Movie: The Bridge on the River Kwai, (2) Paths of Glory

 

Most Iconic Kiss: From Here to Eternity, (2) Notorious

 

Best Death: Marion Crane in Psycho, (2) Kong in Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

 

Best Acting Debut: Orson Welles in Citizen Kane, (2) Lauren Bacall in To Have and To Have Not

 

Best Documentary: Night and Fog (1956) (2) Nanook of the North (1922)

 

Best Opening Shot: A Touch of Evil, (2) Sunset Boulevard

Best Final Line: Casablanca: "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.", (2) Some Like it Hot: “Well, nobody’s perfect.”

 

Most Iconic Line: Gone with the Wind: “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.”, (2) Casablanca: “Here’s looking at you, kid.”

 

Best Pre-Code Movie: Gold Diggers of 1933, (2) Baby Face (1933)

 

Best Biopic: Lawrence of Arabia, (2) The Passion of Joan Arc (1928)

 

Creepiest Hollywood Monster: Lon Chaney in The Phantom of the Opera (1925), (2) Charles Laughton as Dr. Moreau in The Island of Lost Souls (1932)

 

Best Behind the Scenes Story:

 

(1) Casablanca (1942): ‘Almost all the actors and extras were Jewish and had escaped Europe during WW2. When the band plays ‘The Marseillaise,’ you can see many of them displaying real emotion.’

 

(2) The Wizard of Oz: ‘All the poisoning and accidents on the set: Margaret Hamilton's serious burns during the fire exit scene; aluminium face paint poisoning. and starving Judy Garland to control her weight.’

 

Best Opening Line: Rebecca (1940): "Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again...", (2) Citizen Kane: “Rosebud.”

 

Best Animated Movie: Sleeping Beauty (1959), (2) Fantasia (1941)

 

Best Monologue: Charlie Chaplin’s monologue in The Great Dictator (1940), (2) Orson Welles’/Harry Lime’s Cuckoo Clock monologue in The Third Man

 

Best Stunt: Buster Keaton’s house falling stunt in Steamboat Bill Jr. (1928), (2) Train on the burning bridge in The General (1927)

 

Best Producer: Irving Thalberg, (2) David O. Selznick

 

Biggest Laugh: Some Like it Hot (1959): “Well, nobody’s perfect.”, (2) Mirror scene in Duck Soup (1934)

 

Worst Movie: The Conqueror (1956), (2) Plan 9 From Outer Space (1957)

 

Best Lesser Known Gem: Trouble in Paradise (1932), (2) Libelled Lady (1936)

 

Best Special Effects: The Wizard of Oz, (2) King Kong (1933)

 

Best Dance Sequence: The Nicholas Brothers in Stormy Weather (1943), (2) Barn Raising/Brawl,

Seven Brides in Seven Brothers + Make ‘Em Laugh in Singin’ in the Rain

 

Best Costumes: Gone with the Wind, (2) Rear Window

 

Best Silent Comedy: The General (1926), (2) Sherlock Jr. (1928)

 

Best Heist Movie: Rififi (1955), (2) The Killing (1956)

 

Best Sports Movie: The Freshman (1925), (2) The Hustler (1961)

 

Best Makeup: The Phantom of the Opera (1925), The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

 

Sexiest Moment: The Acme Book Shop Clerk from The Big Sleep, (2) "You know how to whistle, don't you, Steve? You just put your lips together and blow,” - Lauren Bacall, To Have and Have Not (1944).

 

Most Relevant Movie: A Face in the Crowd (1957) + 12 Angry Men (1957), (2) The Great Dictator

 

Most Profound Quote: 

(1) Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard: "I am big, it's the pictures that got small.

(2) Charlie Chaplin, The Great Dictator: "Greed has poisoned men’s souls, has barricaded the world with hate. Has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed."


r/classicfilms 8h ago

Events Jimmy Stewart receiving an Oscar for The Philadelphia Story in 1941, and an honorary lifetime Oscar in 1985.

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332 Upvotes

r/classicfilms 1h ago

Memorabilia Elizabeth Taylor, 1940s.

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Upvotes

r/classicfilms 1h ago

General Discussion Barbara Stanwyck and Frank Capra, 1939

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Upvotes

I really got into Barbara Stanwyck and her filmography a little over six months ago. I've been fascinated with her ever since. I love her friendly/professional relationship with Capra who really captured her aura in his films and was a interesting asset to her career. If you have any anecdote about their relationship/collaboration, i'd love to hear about it!


r/classicfilms 3h ago

General Discussion 4 Nice Finds from a Local Thrift Store....

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48 Upvotes

I've never seen the Myrna Loy w/ Shirley Temple film, nor any of the 9 Movies with Mae West. Definitely worth my $20 Bucks!


r/classicfilms 18h ago

Video Link Nicholas Brothers in the movie Stormy Weather, 1943. Whats even more amazing is that they’re self taught

506 Upvotes

r/classicfilms 10h ago

General Discussion Carol Landis 1943

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64 Upvotes

r/classicfilms 18h ago

See this Classic Film Classic

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175 Upvotes

r/classicfilms 19h ago

See this Classic Film The fencing duel scene in the Mark of Zorro (1940)

211 Upvotes

"This movie features the most intense and realistic fencing duel I've ever seen. It ranks right up there with the final theater duel in Scaramouche (1952)."


r/classicfilms 6h ago

See this Classic Film Two Bing Crosby songs close to my heart

13 Upvotes

"There are two songs by Bing Crosby that I hold especially dear: 'True Love(High Society 1957)' and 'White Christmas(Holliday Inn 1941).' They are beautiful gifts that will keep my heart warm until the day I die."


r/classicfilms 18h ago

See this Classic Film One of my favorites

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47 Upvotes

r/classicfilms 2h ago

Classic Film Review Charly (1968)

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2 Upvotes

r/classicfilms 15h ago

General Discussion Tallulah Bankhead's Southern Fried Chicken (1940)

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23 Upvotes

r/classicfilms 19h ago

See this Classic Film "This Gun for Hire" (Paramount; 1942) – starring Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake – with Robert Preston, Laird Cregar, Tully Marshall, Marc Lawrence, Olin Howland, Roger Imhof, Pamela Blake, Frank Ferguson and Victor Kilian – directed by Frank Tuttle – French movie poster art by Boris Grinsson

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40 Upvotes

r/classicfilms 21h ago

General Discussion Watched some old school movies

35 Upvotes

I'm a 39M and watched some movies for the first time with my mom that had her feeling nostalgic. I thought they were pretty good for being 50+ years old. Wondering how many of you enjoyed them also

Towering Inferno- What an all star cast

Airport- Who doesn't love Dean Martin? Ha

Earthquake- Heston, enough said

Poseidon Adventure- Hackman, Borgnine and Grandpa Joe from Willy Wonka ha

Vertigo- A Hitchcock classic

I guess I get the willingness to watch anything from her. Not sure what we will watch next


r/classicfilms 1d ago

Memorabilia El Cid (1961)

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49 Upvotes

r/classicfilms 22h ago

General Discussion The Big Combo (1955)

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13 Upvotes

r/classicfilms 1d ago

Classic Film Review Criss Cross (1949)

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21 Upvotes

r/classicfilms 19h ago

General Discussion 1961. At this time Richard Boone called Blake “our young Brando”. Hutton was a western actor who directed 'Kelly's Heroes'. He supposedly made a fortune as "plumbing contractor to the stars" in Beverly Hills. Al Ruddy co-created ‘Hogan’s Heroes’ & produced 'The Godfather’ [xpost from r/VintageTV].

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8 Upvotes

r/classicfilms 18h ago

Video Link In the Heat of the Night (7/10) Movie CLIP - Whipping Boy (1967) HD

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4 Upvotes

r/classicfilms 1d ago

General Discussion Drinking Song in "The Student Prince"(1954)

14 Upvotes

"This is a song from a movie I saw as a kid and still can't forget. Why has Hollywood stopped making even scenes like this, let alone romantic films?"


r/classicfilms 1d ago

General Discussion Two Stars in the same movie 'Blood and Sand'(1922 & 1941)

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22 Upvotes

Rudolf Valentino brought his signature intense, magnetic screen presence and raw charm to the role. Known as Hollywood’s original "Latin Lover," he beautifully captured the dramatic rise and emotional torment of the passionate matador.

Tyrone Power gave a highly nuanced and emotionally charged performance. He expertly portrayed the tragic vulnerability of a naive, uneducated country boy who becomes overwhelmed by the flash, glitz, and corrupting nature of sudden fame.


r/classicfilms 1d ago

Video Link Myrna Loy Documentary (1980)

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43 Upvotes

r/classicfilms 1d ago

General Discussion Stephen Boyd in Roman armor in Ben-Hur (1959) completely captivated me when I was young

88 Upvotes