# Recommend a Classic Romance Movie -- Need Answer Sort of Fast **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 7, 2016, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-classic-romance-movie-need-answer-sort-of-fast/745445 "2016-02-07T18:09:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2016, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-classic-romance-movie-need-answer-sort-of-fast/745445/41 "2016-02-08T17:13:27Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > You might also consider Powell & Pressburger’s _A Matter of Life and Death_ if you want something that’s bigger in scope than just the romance. It’s a big beautiful film that deserves more attention. It’s also known as _ **Stairway to Heaven** _, and yeah, it’s a great movie! David Niven and Raymond Massey are in top form. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2016, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-classic-romance-movie-need-answer-sort-of-fast/745445/42 "2016-02-08T17:19:34Z")
Another musical: _ **An American in Paris** _. ---
**Author:** ![Zuzu\_s\_Petals](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@Zuzu\_s\_Petals](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zuzu_s_Petals)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2016, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-classic-romance-movie-need-answer-sort-of-fast/745445/43 "2016-02-08T17:35:00Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > _Sabrina > Holiday > Bringing Up Baby > The Philadelphia Story > (I’m seeing a theme here) > Wuthering Heights_ Seconded for _Holiday_, with Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn. It’s one of my favourites. Funny, poignant and beautifully written. I’d also suggest _Marty_, with Ernest Borgnine and Betsy Blair. Fabulous film. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2016, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-classic-romance-movie-need-answer-sort-of-fast/745445/44 "2016-02-08T17:43:24Z")
> [@Zuzu\_s\_Petals](#): > > Seconded for _Holiday_, with Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn. It’s one of my favourites. Funny, poignant and beautifully written. I love _Holiday_, but it’s a little headier than some of the other movies. It’s not a screwball comedy, like _Ninotchka_ or _Bringing up Baby_, and it’s not a pure love story, like _Sabrina_. If you are picking only five, I’d go for the lighter fare, albeit, if I had to rank the films listed so far,\* Holiday\* would be very close to the top. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2016, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-classic-romance-movie-need-answer-sort-of-fast/745445/45 "2016-02-08T17:55:54Z")
_The Awful Truth Top Hat_ _City Lights_ is a wonderful (if ultimately heartbreaking) love story. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2016, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-classic-romance-movie-need-answer-sort-of-fast/745445/46 "2016-02-08T18:45:38Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > _The Awful Truth > Top Hat_ > > _City Lights_ is a wonderful (if ultimately heartbreaking) love story. _The Awful Truth_ is on my top 10 list of movies, but I don’t know if it’s the sort of love story the OP is looking for. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2016, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-classic-romance-movie-need-answer-sort-of-fast/745445/47 "2016-02-08T18:52:17Z")
I love David Lean’s _Summertime_, with Katharine Hepburn and Rossano Brazzi. It’s not only a good love story, it has awesome footage of Venice. And it’s David Lean! Which means its well directed and beautifully filmed. It’ll make you want to take a trip to Venice. ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2016, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-classic-romance-movie-need-answer-sort-of-fast/745445/48 "2016-02-08T19:01:25Z")
IMHO the best romantic comedies have great chemistry between the lead and real-life chemistry is the best. May I recommend _Adam’s Rib_? Oh heck, I love almost everything Hepburn (with the exception of _The Philadelphia Story_). So, add my votes for _Summertime_ and \*Bringing up Baby \*and add in _The African Queen_. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2016, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-classic-romance-movie-need-answer-sort-of-fast/745445/49 "2016-02-08T20:53:46Z")
> [@psychobunny](#): > > IMHO the best romantic comedies have great chemistry between the lead and real-life chemistry is the best. > May I recommend _Adam’s Rib_? > > Oh heck, I love almost everything Hepburn (with the exception of _The Philadelphia Story_). > > So, add my votes for _Summertime_ and \*Bringing up Baby \*and add in _The African Queen_. How could I forget _The African Queen_? And it has a happy ending, too. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2016, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-classic-romance-movie-need-answer-sort-of-fast/745445/50 "2016-02-08T21:04:23Z")
More recently, the 2005 _Pride & Prejudice_ has a great cast, Oscar-nominated music, beautiful cinematography and a winning romance. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2016, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-classic-romance-movie-need-answer-sort-of-fast/745445/51 "2016-02-08T23:33:10Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > More recently, the 2005 _Pride & Prejudice_ has a great cast, Oscar-nominated music, beautiful cinematography and a winning romance. The 1995 mini-series is better. If we can nominate post-1960 movies, let me throw in 1985’s _A Room with a View_. Beautiful movie. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_John\_Marcej](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Richard\_John\_Marcej](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_John_Marcej)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2016, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-classic-romance-movie-need-answer-sort-of-fast/745445/52 "2016-02-09T00:01:42Z")
> [@Zuzu\_s\_Petals](#): > > Seconded for _Holiday_, with Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn. It’s one of my favourites. Funny, poignant and beautifully written. > > I’d also suggest _Marty_, with Ernest Borgnine and Betsy Blair. Fabulous film. I second _ **“Marty”** _, one of the most realistic portrayals of romance ever put on film. These aren’t “pretty” people. They’re real. I could watch this movie over and over. I haven’t seen it mentioned (may have missed it) but my personal favorite is _ **“Roman Holiday”** _ Okay, it doesn’t have a happy ending, but it has the only ending it really could have. Plus Audrey Hepburn is drop dead beautiful, Gregory Peck is great and Eddie Albert brings comic relief. And while this film may not be considered a romantic film, per se, the main plot of _ **“The Apartment”** _ is built around an unrequited romance between Jack Lemmon and Shirley Maclaine and it’s a very funny film (with a happy, funny ending) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2016, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-classic-romance-movie-need-answer-sort-of-fast/745445/53 "2016-02-09T00:10:58Z")
> [@Richard\_John\_Marcej](#): > > I second _ **“Marty”** _, one of the most realistic portrayals of romance ever put on film. These aren’t “pretty” people. They’re real. I could watch this movie over and over. Another film by Paddy Chayefsky: _ **A Catered Affair** _. Ernest Borgnine (again) and Bette Davis. The TV version of _ **Marty** _ was also very well done: Rod Steiger, Nancy Marchand, Betsy Palmer. Plus we find out what happened to Major Hochstetter after the War. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2016, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-classic-romance-movie-need-answer-sort-of-fast/745445/54 "2016-02-09T00:12:03Z")
The ultimate romantic comedy: _ **Some Like It Hot** _. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2016, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-classic-romance-movie-need-answer-sort-of-fast/745445/55 "2016-02-09T00:18:46Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > More recently, the 2005 _Pride & Prejudice_ has a great cast, Oscar-nominated music, beautiful cinematography and a winning romance. Even though I generally don’t care for chick flicks, I quite liked _ **Sense and Sensibility** _ with Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet (and Hugh Grant, and Alan Rickman). When I was teaching English as a foreign language, I’d show it to my students every 8 March (International Women’s Day). ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2016, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-classic-romance-movie-need-answer-sort-of-fast/745445/56 "2016-02-09T20:55:44Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > The ultimate romantic comedy: _ **Some Like It Hot** _. Are you referring to the pairing of Tony Curtis and Marilyn Monroe, or to that of Jack Lemmon and Joe E. Brown? ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2016, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-classic-romance-movie-need-answer-sort-of-fast/745445/57 "2016-02-09T20:59:44Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > Are you referring to the pairing of Tony Curtis and Marilyn Monroe, or to that of Jack Lemmon and Joe E. Brown? The movie wouldn’t be half as funny without the latter. ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2016, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-classic-romance-movie-need-answer-sort-of-fast/745445/58 "2016-02-09T22:45:33Z")
If you want variety, I would suggest spitting the lists above into genres. Pick one from each list: A) Classic screwball comedy (ie It Happened One Night, Bringing up Baby, His Girl Friday, too many others to name but listed above) B) Tearjerker Romance (ie Waterloo Bridge, Brief Encounter, City Lights) C) Sweeping Technicolor Romance (ie, The African Queen, Summertime) D) Musical (ie An American in Paris, Top Hat, Easter Parade) E) Drama/Other Romance (Marty, To Have and Have Not, Sabrina, Roman Holiday) ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2016, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-classic-romance-movie-need-answer-sort-of-fast/745445/59 "2016-02-09T22:58:43Z")
An outlier that I really like: _I Was a Male War Bride_, with Cary Grant and Ann Sheridan. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2016, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-classic-romance-movie-need-answer-sort-of-fast/745445/60 "2016-02-09T23:07:12Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > The 1995 mini-series [of _Pride and Prejudice_] is better… The OP asked about movies, and anyway, you’re wrong. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-classic-romance-movie-need-answer-sort-of-fast/745445.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-classic-romance-movie-need-answer-sort-of-fast/745445.md?page=4)