# Pre-1965 Movies That Hold Up **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 28, 2009, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-1965-movies-that-hold-up/501252 "2009-06-28T11:54:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-1965-movies-that-hold-up/501252/61 "2009-06-29T09:12:25Z")
Why do people feel the need to argue the semantics of the OP? “Movies That Hold Up” is merely the title of the thread. The topic of the thread itself are movies that “a bright teenager of today might enjoy.” While noting that your definition of “movies that hold up” is different than the one implied by the OP is fine, why argue as if your one of you is correct and the other is not? There is no objective definition of the subject, so neither one of you can ever win the argument. Instead, why not use the operant definition as given? Everybody else seems happy to merely answer the question put forth, rather than nitpick it to death or defend it. And, of course, me, who has to ask why people bother to argue when they don’t have to. But, as my want, I wlll actually answer the OP: I find that anything with Shirley Temple still holds up. The actual style of the musical hasn’t changed that much today, and seeing such a talented young performer still hasn’t lost it’s touch. ---
**Author:** ![Abby\_Emma\_Sasha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e68b1a/32.png) [@Abby\_Emma\_Sasha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abby_Emma_Sasha)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-1965-movies-that-hold-up/501252/62 "2009-06-29T09:33:59Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Why do people feel the need to argue the semantics of the OP? “Movies That Hold Up” is merely the title of the thread. The topic of the thread itself are movies that “a bright teenager of today might enjoy.” While noting that your definition of “movies that hold up” is different than the one implied by the OP is fine, why argue as if your one of you is correct and the other is not? There is no objective definition of the subject, so neither one of you can ever win the argument. > > Instead, why not use the operant definition as given? Everybody else seems happy to merely answer the question put forth, rather than nitpick it to death or defend it. And, of course, me, who has to ask why people bother to argue when they don’t have to. > > But, as my want, I wlll actually answer the OP: > I find that anything with Shirley Temple still holds up. The actual style of the musical hasn’t changed that much today, and seeing such a talented young performer still hasn’t lost it’s touch. I didn’t mean to nitpick or argue the semantics, I merely stated my take on the title of the thread. I meant no disrespect to the other posters who mentioned some wonderful movies. I only mentioned the “movies that held up” part as it related to what I was thinking when I read the title. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-1965-movies-that-hold-up/501252/63 "2009-06-29T12:57:43Z")
_The Crimson Pirate_ In fact, not only does it hold up, it’s eerily prescient. It has all the earmarks of a modern-day summer blockbuster - elaborately choreographed fight scenes, a slumming “serious” actor as lead, broad comedy, a nonsensical plot, cheesecake, beefcake (more of the latter, actually), a massive body count, absurd gadgets and really big explosions. It’s like the Ur-Michael Bay film, only, you know, _good_. ---
**Author:** ![MissTake](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misstake/32/3189_2.png) [@MissTake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissTake)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-1965-movies-that-hold-up/501252/64 "2009-06-29T13:30:59Z")
We’ve been watching Hepburn/Tracy movies and screwball comedies lately - and TheKid has been loving them. Much of it, IMO, is due to the dialogue and innuendo found in many of these movies. _It Happened One Night_ _Adam’s Rib_ - which put her on a Judy Holliday kick _The Girl Can’t Help It_ _The Seven Year Itch_ _Desk Set_ - “That’s a computer??” _The Philadelphia Story_ - we both love this movie _Singing in the Rain_ _His Girl Friday_ Last weekend we both watched _Ball of Fire_, with Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck - we’ve been having a hoot of the time using the slang poor Bertram Potts was trying to understand. She’s also been on an Audrey Hepburn kick, and I’ve watched _Breakfast at Tiffany’s_ more times than I care. I prefer _Funny Face_. ---
**Author:** ![emjaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f475e1/32.png) [@emjaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emjaya)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-1965-movies-that-hold-up/501252/65 "2009-06-29T13:43:04Z")
> [@MissTake](#): > > We’ve been watching Hepburn/Tracy movies and screwball comedies lately - and TheKid has been loving them. Much of it, IMO, is due to the dialogue and innuendo found in many of these movies. > > _It Happened One Night_ > _Adam’s Rib_ - which put her on a Judy Holliday kick > _The Girl Can’t Help It_ > _The Seven Year Itch_ > _Desk Set_ - “That’s a computer??” > _The Philadelphia Story_ - we both love this movie > _Singing in the Rain_ > _His Girl Friday_ > > Last weekend we both watched _Ball of Fire_, with Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck - we’ve been having a hoot of the time using the slang poor Bertram Potts was trying to understand. > > She’s also been on an Audrey Hepburn kick, and I’ve watched _Breakfast at Tiffany’s_ more times than I care. I prefer _Funny Face_. Try Charade: Hepburn and Cary Grant. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-1965-movies-that-hold-up/501252/66 "2009-06-29T14:05:03Z")
I watched [\*Pork Chop Hill \*](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053183/)not too long ago. 1959, Gregory Peck, Korean War pic. It’s very gritty for it’s time, no rah rah jingoism, but not overly anti-war either. A pretty honest movie. Maybe some of the acting is overly emotive, but for the most part I’d say it holds up well. ---
**Author:** ![Jettboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/85e7bf/32.png) [@Jettboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jettboy)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-1965-movies-that-hold-up/501252/67 "2009-06-29T15:01:14Z")
_“Giant”_ from 1956, James Dean’s last film. Maybe I’m biased because I’m named after Dean’s character in the film, but I saw it (again) a few weeks ago and it’s _still_ a terrific movie, an _epic_ movie. A great portrait of Texas’ transition from a sleepy state of sprawling cattle ranches to an oil-driven economic powerhouse, as well as all of the social changes that came as a result. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-1965-movies-that-hold-up/501252/68 "2009-06-29T15:16:06Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > _The Crimson Pirate_ > > In fact, not only does it hold up, it’s eerily prescient. It has all the earmarks of a modern-day summer blockbuster - elaborately choreographed fight scenes, a slumming “serious” actor as lead, broad comedy, a nonsensical plot, cheesecake, beefcake (more of the latter, actually), a massive body count, absurd gadgets and really big explosions. It’s like the Ur-Michael Bay film, only, you know, _good_. No longer available on Netflix, I’m afraid. After I returned it, the DVD mysteriously went missing from their inventory. Burt Lancaster may be “slumming”, but he and Nic Cravat are obviously having a ball showing off their acrobatic skills. There is a massive body count, to be sure, but I don’t think you see a drop of blood. The “gadgets” include walking on the sea floor in an overturned row boat–a scene that was re-created in \*Pirates of The Caribbean \*and featured in a Myth Busters episode. ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-1965-movies-that-hold-up/501252/69 "2009-06-29T15:21:37Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > [insert eek and confused smileys here] I’ve never met anybody in my entire life who didn’t like **To Kill A Mockingbird**. Has your daughter seen it? If not, I hope you don’t passively keep it from her just because you don’t like it. Well, since discussing that could massively hijack matters, I’ll just put in a toe and then withdraw. It’s another film that I haven’t watch all the way through in decades so I can’t get detailed. But when I revisited it, maybe five years ago, I stopped after half an hour because Atticus was too iconic, the liberalism too noble, and the rich childhood reminiscing a little too rich for my tastes. Your phrase “passively keep it from her” is a nice piece of wording. And yeah, I have neither pushed her toward it, or poisoned her against it. But Mom has pushed the book and maybe the film on her. I don’t know what the results were. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-1965-movies-that-hold-up/501252/70 "2009-06-29T15:27:30Z")
Burt Lancaster! Oh yeah. I’ve recently rewatched _Elmer Gantry_ and think it could go on the list. It’s all about celebrity. So is _A Face in the Crowd_ with Andy Griffith. I saw it for the first time a few years ago and again a few months ago, and it was just as involving the second time. Andy Griffith was hawt! Another Lancaster movie _The Sweet Smell of Success_ holds up well too, I think. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-1965-movies-that-hold-up/501252/71 "2009-06-29T21:08:57Z")
The two that immediately came to mind have already been mentioned, but I’ll throw them in again. Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb Metropolis It’s been a while since I’ve considered the classics, so I’ll reserve the right to expand upon that at any time and without notice. ---
**Author:** ![C.Montgomery\_Burns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecd19e/32.png) [@C.Montgomery\_Burns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C.Montgomery_Burns)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-1965-movies-that-hold-up/501252/72 "2009-06-29T23:38:55Z")
The “Road To…” series with Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, and Dorothy Lamour have some of the best silly, off-the-cuff comedy of the era. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-1965-movies-that-hold-up/501252/73 "2009-06-30T01:51:56Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > And keep in mind that movies used to be the main form of mass entertainment. There are now hundreds of movies made in America each year but there used to be thousands. And not every one of those thousands was a classic. Most were just throwaway filler to be shown for one week and then forgotten the next. On my copy of _Casablanca_ there’s an interview with one of the Epstein brothers (Julius I think) where he says exactly that. Paraphrasing: When we made _Casablanca_ we had no idea what we were doing. Warner Bros. produced fifty movies a year – one a week. _Casablanca_ was just that week’s movie. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-1965-movies-that-hold-up/501252/74 "2009-06-30T02:59:12Z")
> [@Baal\_Houtham](#): > > But when I revisited it, maybe five years ago, I stopped after half an hour because Atticus was too iconic, the liberalism too noble, Someone who doesn’t like Atticus Finch. Wow. That’s a new one on me. Hmmm, ok, in that case I won’t suggest **Inherit The Wind** , **Gentlemen’s Agreement** , or **The Ox-Bow Incident**. > [@Baal\_Houtham](#): > > Your phrase “passively keep it from her” is a nice piece of wording. And yeah, I have neither pushed her toward it, or poisoned her against it. But Mom has pushed the book and maybe the film on her. That’s good to hear. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-1965-movies-that-hold-up/501252/75 "2009-06-30T03:11:51Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > _The Third Man_ and _Citizen Kane_. Both of which star Orson Welles, interestingly. Also [_Chimes at Midnight,_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimes_at_Midnight) if you can find it. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-1965-movies-that-hold-up/501252/76 "2009-06-30T03:43:12Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Also [_Chimes at Midnight,_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimes_at_Midnight) if you can find it. Fabulous film, though technically not pre-'65. The best films IMHO not yet listed: _The Wind Love Me Tonight Footlight Parade Man’s Castle It’s a Gift The Crime of M. Lange Only Angels Have Wings Pinocchio The Shop Around the Corner The Lady Eve Meet Me in St. Louis La Belle et la Bete The Big Sleep Black Narcissus Intruder in the Dust Ugetsu Monogatari Ordet The Man from Laramie The Incredible Shrinking Man The Seventh Seal Vertigo Rio Bravo Ride the High Country The Naked Kiss_ ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-1965-movies-that-hold-up/501252/77 "2009-06-30T07:39:22Z")
The Philadelphia Story Breakfast at Tiffany’s (Waves at **CrazyCatLady** ) ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-1965-movies-that-hold-up/501252/78 "2009-06-30T08:08:19Z")
I watched **The Thin Man** again recently, and that is still a fun movie. Myrna Loy would rule Hollywood if she were born about 70 years later than she was. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-1965-movies-that-hold-up/501252/79 "2009-06-30T08:12:15Z")
Ooh! Ooh! **Night Of The Hunter!** ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-1965-movies-that-hold-up/501252/80 "2009-06-30T08:24:56Z")
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