I highly recommend "Imitation of Life" It's a beautiful sad story. Definately need tissues for this one.

Oh, it's so hard to pick only one favorite movie! I loved the Tracy/Heburn movies, like Pat & Mike and Adam's Rib. And of course there's Bogart & Bacall (To Have and Have Not!). And musicals: Anchors Aweigh, On the Town - anything with Fred Astaire!

So bummed that our cable service has dropped Turner Classic Movies; now I can't watch any old movies while I'm knitting. :o(

Enjoy the movies. I think I'll pick up a few of my favorite classics on DVD next summer when we visit the States(they only carry a few classic movies here in the stores, like Sound of Music and Fiddler on the Roof - both good but there's more to life than that).

I'm a big fan of Katherine Hepburn. I would recommend "Desk Set" (Spencer Tracy, funny to see computers portrayed so long ago), "The Philadelphia Story" (Cary Grant & Jimmy Stewart), and "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" (Spencer Tracy & Sidney Poitier).

For classic, genre defining films, have you seen "Metropolis"? One of the very first science fiction films.

I always enjoy the perspective of foreign films. Have you seen Orphee, the classic French film with Jean Cocteau? Or Babette's Feast? And then the animals: Milo and Otis, The Black Stallion especially on the big screen, or March of the Penguins? Or the costumes in Dangerous Liasons!

my favorite classic happens to be a musical (i love classic musicals -- when i was a little girl i thought life should be a musical)

An American in Paris with leslie caron and gene kelly.

i love love love this movie

Meet Me in St. Louis with Judy Garland and the indomitable Margaret O'Brien as one of the less saccharine children in old movies.

I'm a a huge Hitchcock fan, and you've mentioned some of my favs already - Rebecca, Vertigo. Some of the early ones are great too - I'm thinking The 39 Steps, and Damn! if you haven't seen Rope you must -its a masterpiece.

You've probably seen these, but I've got to put them out there. Besides, they're worth multiple viewings.

My Fair Lady--it's one of my favorite movies and my absolute FAVORITE show. I used to play in pit orchestras for community/church musical theater productions (I played the viola), and My Fair Lady was the best show I've ever been involved with.

Back to the movies, though... I'd throw in South Pacific and Guys and Dolls.

I love "Bringing up Baby" with Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant. Classic Kate!

And as for Musicals, all Roger's And Hammerstein, but my fav. of theirs is The King and I. And Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is sooo classic. C and I sing those songs at least once every month.

Bogie and Becal-The Big Sleep or Key Largo (kinda sappy but worth a look). And I LOVE Harvey and anything else with Jimmy Stewart.

Best Hepburn film: The Lion in Winter
Best foreign film: King of Hearts
Best Hitchcock film not made by Hitchcock: Charade

(I tried to think of something made before I was born, but for a long stretch there the actors appeared to be paid like typists, by words per minute, and I don't much care for that style. Luckily I am, er, classic myself.)

I admire and enjoy watching the classic dramas, like Casablanca and Citizen Kane and others, but the movies I'll watch over and over are all comedies or musicals. Or even musical comedies.

The Perils of Pauline - starring Betty Hutton. This is a fictionalized biography of Pearl White, the star of silent films who created the lead character in the popular serial by that title.

Auntie Mame - starring Rosalind Russel. Not the later musical version Mame which starred Lucille Ball. Lucille Ball was a comic genius, but by the time she filmed Mame her voice was hoarse enough to be painful to listen to, and her over-the-top slapstick style was too much. No, get the original non-musical version with Rosalind. She plays the character with style and flair, and her delivery of Mame's zingers is unforgettable.

Cheaper by the Dozen - starring Clifton Webb and Myrna Loy as the parents of a dozen children. Again, not the recent re-make which totally re-invented the story. The original was taken very directly from the book, which was the real-life tale of a family where the parents were efficiency experts, and Dad especially applied the techniques from his industry to the raising of 12 children. See also the less-remembered but just as enjoyable sequel, Belles On Their Toes.

Those are the specific titles I can think of immediately. Beyond that, there are some broad rules for "movies I'll watch regardless":

Anything musical with Betty Grable.
Anything Bing Crosby was ever in.
Crosby, Hope, & Lamour's "Road" movies.
Astaire & Rogers.
Astaire without Rogers.
Rogers without Astaire.
Betty Hutton - something of an unsung comedic heroine. It's hard to turn up her films other than an occasional showing of "The Perils of Pauline", but she's worth watching in anything she did. Oh, yes - another great film she was in was "The Greatest Show on Earth", directed by Cecile B. DeMille in 1952 (winner of best picture Oscar).

And of course, just any of the great musicals, period. Including some of the modern pieces like "Chicago".

My only problem with watching movies? Unlike most of you, I have trouble knitting while watching a movie. I'm a deeply-involved movie fan, and my attention gets so absorbed by what's on the screen I can't concentrate on knitting, too!

Two of my all time favourites generally play here around Christmas - Going My Way and The Bells of St. Mary's - both with Bing Crosby as Father O'Malley. Strong emotional connection to both the holidays, and memories of my Mum with those.

I have to say I like National Velvet with a young Mickey Rooney and Elizabeth Taylor also. Don't know why. There's just something about it, you know? I can't remember any of the names of the Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland 'spunky kids get together and put on a Broadway musical in an unused lot and get discovered' ones, but I'd watch them every chance I got. And Singin' in the Rain. Love that. I'd put my knitting down for any of these.

The Thin Man
Niagara (with M. Monroe's infamous walk across the parking lot)
Sabrina
Key Largo (Yeah, like the song...just like Bogie & Bacall...la la la laaa)
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
How to Marry a Millionaire

Too many to name...pretty much FolkCat's entire list. I left out all the Astaire/Rogers, Astaire w/o Rogers and Rogers w/o Astaire movies I love because everyone has heard of those. ;o)

Keep an eye on my 'Currently...' list on my blog - nine times out of ten I have a classic movie on there (right now I think it's Wife vs. Secretary with Gable, Harlow and Loy).

The African Queen (Hepburn & Bogart)
Rear Window
It's a Wonderful Life (no way you haven't seen it, but oh, it's so good)
Harvey
Arsenic & Old Lace
North by Northwest
Bus Stop
Sunset Boulevard
Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte
Lion in Winter
The Grapes of Wrath

and on, and on, and on ...

I have to admit it, I'm a big Bing fan, so I have to recommend some of my favorite Bing Crosby films...

Going My Way
Bells of Sainte Mary's
White Christmas

Whoops! Just noticed that Rachel H already recommended them.... oh well, I have to second the recomendation! :)

my favorite classic is the quite man with john wayne

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner and Bringing Up Baby

I really like Hepburn.

To Kill a Mockingbird is probably my favorite. I also liked:

To Sir With Love with Petulia Clark and Sidney Poitier

Guess Who's Coming To Dinner with Katherine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy and Sidney Poitier

The Thornbirds- Richard Chamberlain, Rachel Ward

Shogun- Richard Chamberlin

Well, I'm sure by now, it's been mentioned but one of my all time favorites is Sabrina. A couple other movies that I am very fond of include Hopscotch and Silver Streak.

I'm kind of surprised that An Affair To Remember hasn't been mentioned yet...it's one of my favorites.

You already mentioned two of my favorites...To Kill a Mockingbird and Rebecca. Jane Eyre is also very good. A couple of my favorite musicals are Oklahoma and The Sound of Music.

Hmmm. How old does a film have to be before it is considered "classic"? I love Woody Allen's movies, especially "Hannah and her Sisters", but I think that is only about 20 years old.

(By the way, no need to enter me in the contest. :) )

White Christmas, It's a Wonderful Life, Singing in The Rain, All the Classic Disney movies like Mary Poppins, Jungle Book, Bambi, Cinderella, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, What's Up Doc, a musical with Barbra Streisand, Funny Girl and Funny Lady also with Barbra. The original Dr. Doolittle. Chitty-Chitty Bang Bang. Camelot and the original Sabrina with Audrey Hepburn and Bogie.

Enjoy!

So romantic is 'An Affair to Remember'! Gotta love Cary Grant...

My favorite Classic movie was made in 1937 and its called "Lost Horizon" with Ronald Coleman and Jane Wyatt. Directred by Frank Capra.

It's about a plane crash delivers a group of people to the secluded land of Shangri-La. I watched it at the threate as a teenager and I swear I never wanted to leave that day. I'd have stayed in Shangi-la for sure!

The musicals of musicals -- "The Sound of Music" and "Oklahoma." One of my favorite movie is "The Wizard of Oz." Just my recommendations -- no need to enter me :-)

Lots of great movies on the list, I think I need to request some of these from the movies tow atch again! I love LOVE old silent black & white horror films, my favorite is Phantom of the Opera. I also adore anything Abbot & Costello (Meets Frankstein is great).

And, even though this isn't an old classic, I adore the Princess Bride from the 80's. It's a classic to me :).

A few that I love are "Singing in the Rain" and "Some Like it Hot" but if you are looking for a real sit down movie then "Dr. Zhivago" is great! Keep up the great blogging!

Oh, I forgot! Educating Rita- side splittingly funny.

Oh, I forgot! Educating Rita- side splittingly funny.

I'll second Desk Set for the librarian with computers as portrayed by Hepburn. Anything from the Thin Man ouevre!

For newer movies, do yourself a favor and rent Valmont. It's the movie that Dangerous Liasons wanted to be.

And, we consider Monty Python to be very classic in our house. Life of Brian is by far the best of that lot.

My dad had me watch A Night at the Opera, and I LOVED it. And the original Birdcage. And Breakfast at Tiffany's and Gigi and Sabrina and Roman Holiday. I adore Audrey Hepburn, can you tell? ;)

The King and I or Westside Story have got to be my all-time fav. musicals.

I Remember Mama. I have no idea why I love this movie so much, I must have watched it 50 times when I was a kid! Maybe I'm the only one who thinks it's a classic.

The Quiet Man ::Doesn't he give her a spanking? Edgy stuff, for the times.::

North by Northwest.

Meet Me in St. Louis.

Picnic. ::Is it getting hot in here?::

You found another subject I have a love for: the classic movie! I was ever so happy when my cable company, in exchange for taking away what had been a free sports channel gave us TCM. Love it! I do love An Affair to Remember and it always brings a tear to my eye, but its definitely a chick flick :) I have a number of big time favorite movies and most of them are the romantic comedies. I just adore Katherine Hepburn/Cary Grant combination in Philadelphia Story and Bringing up Baby. Tracy and Hepburn are not to be beat in Adam's Rib, Woman of the Year, Pat & Mike. My all time movie favorite though is Arsenic and Old Lace.

Okay... SO many of the ones I'dve said are already there (although I do have to ditto Imitation of Life as one of my all time favorites - along with West Side Story.)

And did I miss it or did NO one really add Gone With the Wind???

Two others that aren't classics by their age, but hooooo boy, they are unbelievable: Life is Beautiful, and Billy Elliot.

Thanks for coming to visit my blog. And yes, I do try to emphasize to my daughter that there is nothing wrong with crying. Although I am usually the only one she wants to see her when she is crying.

Now, on to the movies. So many great ones have already been mentioned. One of my all time favorites is Sound of Music, but trying to come up with some that haven't been mentioned... Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer (or any other Cary Grant movies), any of the Rock Hudson/Doris Day movies - light entertainment.

Not sure if my last comment came through. I wanted to add Queen Christina which I have never seen but my mom raves about. In my last comment, I had also mentioned the Rock Hudson/Doris Day movies and The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer (Cary Grant).

Carole, thanks for visiting my blog. And yes, I do try to explain to my daughter that it is ok to cry. She is embarrassed to cry around anyone but me - don't know where that comes from.

Paint Your Wagon is an all-time favorite of mine.

An Affair to Remember, Gone with the Wind, Philadelphia Story--all mentioned already but so worthy of a second nod. How about The Birds--it still scares me today--or some of the Vincent Price classics--The Fly or House on Haunted Hill.

So hard to pick just one...what about Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Charade, Roman Holiday? Sounds like you guys are doing a great job covering the basics!

I love To Kill a Mockingbird... and Roman Holiday, Laura... I will try to think of some more. This is fun!

Okay this one is not soooo old
but it is my favorite... The Sting

and my favorite holiday classic
Holiday Inn

there are great movies here in the comments -- now I need to get to the library.

It's already been said... but Gone With The Wind... all the way!

Since I'm already being bad; the first time I saw a naked boob in a movie was Billy Jack. Remember the guy cutting off the woman's bra with a jack knife? I was in 7th grade, and mortified. There were boys in the theatre.

Strictly Ballroom is great. As is Best in Show. Definitely Gone with the Wind. Streetcar Named Desire.

Oh my, there are so many...here are a few of my favorites; Holiday Inn, A Streetcar Named Desire, Little Women, Meet Me in St Louis, Babbetts Feast, Manion of the Spring (French film), but my all time hands down favorite one is Mr Houliot's Holiday.

I'm not going through all the comments to check if this is a repeat, but my two favorites are Sunset Boulevard and To Have and Have Not (the Hoagie Carmichael song in it is the best).

The Philadelphia Story. The pool is on the campus of my daughters' school. The Academy of Notre Dame, Villanova, PA.

I think your comments got messed up. I'm the one who suggested Paint Your Wagon.......

I read all 52 comments (!) and I didnt see one of my favorites...On the Beach, Gregory Peck and Ava Gardner! GREAT MOVIE! I second West Side Story and any version of the King and I, even the later Jodie Foster version. Also, not a oldie but surely a goodie, The Boys From Brazil. An older Gregory Peck as the infamous Dr. Mengele...a real nail biter!

Someone else mentioned Billy Elliot...a relatively new movie but a winner! Completely charming and wonderful!

Enjoy! :)

I love the old *Little Women* with Katharine Hepburn. (Haven't seen it in ages, though.) And the ever-sappy *An Affair to Remember* with Deborah Kerr and Cary Grant.

I remember the first time I saw Gone With the Wind. Senior year in the sweltering dorm eating popsicles with, hmm, who was I with...oh ya...you!

Shirly Temple's "The Little Princess" is one of my favorites, and the "Bells of St. Mary's" is a family classic. Then there's always "The African Queen" and early Bond movies (do those count?).

Dang! I'm a classic movie ho! I wish I had seen this contest earlier. TCM has most of the majors on periodically. Do you have Tivo?! You can set up a wish list for certain actors/directors. I love it.