I love old movies, and yes also the black and white ones. Remember colorization? Remember how much it sucked?
These are in no particular order, but they are my favorites.
1 Rebecca-Delightfully creepy Hitchcock with a great love story, wonderful twist in the middle, and Mrs. Danvers, (Judith Anderson).
2 Sunset Boulevard-Yet another wonderfully creepy villainess played by Gloria Swanson, although anyone can tell you the real bad guy is played by William Holden.
3 Mutiny on the Bounty (the original) Clark Gable is great if a little too American but man! Charles Laughton plays nightmare boss from hell!
4 Mildred Pierce - Nice murder mystery built around a lesson in what how ambitious women were viewed before women’s lib. Plus another great villianess in Veda Pierce. (Anne Blythe) I’m seeing a whole villainess pattern here.
5 Gone with the Wind-I don’t care what anyone says. I love it.
6 I am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang - Paul Muni plays the title role in a story taken from true life. It’s fast paced and exciting and horrifying even today.
And whether the famous ending was an accident or not, it’s still perfect.
7 The Bad Seed - Oh my, another villainess! This one’s only ten years old. It’s really campy but the creepiness factor makes up for or enhances it, take your pick.
Ending really stupid, but apt at the same time.
8 The Good Earth - More Paul Muni, who deserves to be remembered better than he is. Okay, I hear you. White actors playing Chinese. So what. The film still gives you a real feel for living through agricultural catastophes (famine, locusts) and even if Louise Rainer is white, she’ll break your heart as O-Lan.
9 Inherit the Wind - I purposely chose the cut-off year of this list as 1961 so I could include this masterpiece from 1960. Dopers interested in the creationism vs evolution arguements on the Dope will love this gem. Demand your right to think!
10 And a tip of the hat to the silent movies with a vote for “Speedy”, a Harold Lloyd comedy about a street car driver that’s a treat to watch if only for the scenes of New York in 1928. Babe Ruth appears!
And all but one in black and white. Imagine that.
All of the above subject to change as I feel like it.