When the dreadful remake of “Psycho” was released, I had heard that the director made it because his children refused to watch the original version because (GASP!) it was in BLACK & WHITE! I know many current moviegoers of perhaps Generation X and thereafter don’t like to watch those “old fashioned black & white movies.” SO…as a 50-year-old man, I have to wonder if the younger generation would appreciate certain black and white films if they gave these movies a chance. I’ll make some suggestions for films that I wish those who shun black and white films WOULD watch from start to finish. I’d like your recommendations as well. Also feel free to comment on mine and each others’ picks on whether or not you think the younger generation would appreciate my/and everybody else’s suggestions:
“Days Of Wine & Roses”
“Les Diaboliques”
“Psycho”
“Strangers On A Train”
“The Incident”
“Experiment In Terror”
“Notorious”
“Night Of The Hunter”
“Invasion Of The Body Snatchers”
“Them”
“King Kong”
“The Apartment”
“Sunset Boulevard”
“Marty”
Yeah, I know there are numerous others; I want to hear your suggestions.
I worked with a 24-year-old who said she doesn’t like B&W films. sigh Personally, I love B&W. Of course, most of them were made when movies had actual stories and acting instead of fast editing and loud noises.
I’m a big fan of B-grade monster movies. Them is one of the best. Several times I’ve almost started a thread to ask if a B-grade B&W monster/science fiction/horror movie that is not played for laughs would be successful.
One of my fondest childhood memories was when my best friend’s father dropped us off at the movies every Sunday afternoon. It was always a double feature, separated by newsreels and cartoons. Most of the movies were of the monster/scifi/horror genre, in their first release. And the best thing: admission was only 25 cents!
Now, I’d say probably 75% of the movies I watch are from the B&W era. Superlative acting, directing, screenplay, music, editing. And even though it was dark gray, you just KNEW Bette Davis’s dress in *Jezebel *was red!
To Kill a Mockingbird
The Seventh Seal
On the Waterfront
Casablanca
The Palm Beach Story
Frankenstein (1931)
The Bride of Frankenstein
There are great black and white movies, they have great story and acting, and they may have great artistic use of monochrome, and when they have both there are few movies in color that can compete.
Cat People, the Jacques Tournier version (I like the color remake too, actually think it’s a better film in some respects, but this is about black and white films)
Mark of the Demon
The Longest Day
Fury of Achilles
Well, I’m not that much younger than you are (43), but I liked “Gaslight” (the Ingrid Bergman version), “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?”, “It’s a Wonderful Life”, and “Arsenic and Old Lace”. Of the ones you listed, “Days of Wine and Roses”, “Psycho”, and “Sunset Boulevard”. My husband liked “Laura”, I wasn’t that impressed (but it was watchable).
I’ll probably be barbecued as a heretical moron, but I really didn’t care for “Citizen Kane”. I think I lasted ten minutes before the total lack of plot activity caused me to give up.
The Third Man
Some Like It Hot
All About Eve
The Maltese Falcon
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
The Philadelphia Story
Bringing Up Baby
The Hustler
Paths of Glory
Bicycle Thieves
I used to think that Black and White movies were crap, until I grew up. I think MOST people, when they’ve matured, can see quality no matter how old it is. (Seeing Casablanca in a movie theater with an appreciative audience was a revelation to me).
My niece thinks any movie made before she was BORN is crap. that would be pre-1997. I fully expect her opinion to change as she gets older.
I’m not sure how Gaslight would translate into a ‘current’ movie. Either they would have to restructure the movie and find a new way to drive the one of the main characters crazy or it would still take place in the past, essentially just remaking it color. I think people that ‘don’t like old black and white movies’ would be bored by this movie. Too bad, it’s one of my favorites. It’s a good movie if you’re willing to just sit in your damn chair and pay attention instead of think a movie is something you can sort of half watch and half do something else while it’s on.
I don’t think this counts as an ‘old black and white movie’ it’s just a black and white movie. It’s black and white for cinematographic reasons, not because color wasn’t available to them.
My grandson (age 12) is terribly suspicious of anything in black & white. So we watched Young Frankenstein last week. By the time we were half-an-hour into it, he’d forgotten he wasn’t watching a color movie.