# Your All-Time Favorite Black & White Movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 26, 2016, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-all-time-favorite-black-white-movies/744284 "2016-01-26T19:06:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2016, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-all-time-favorite-black-white-movies/744284/101 "2016-02-03T21:17:42Z")
I see several mentions of **Seven Samurai** which, agreed, is a pretty good movie. But IMO, Kurosawa’s best film; perhaps a\* perfect\* film, is **Ikiru**. Another jaw-droppingly awesome movie is **Hara-kiri**. If you would have told me that a movie showing a guy sitting on a mat for 2+ hours telling a story would be world-class entertainment, I might not have believed you. But I would have been wrong. This is one of the best movies I’ve ever seen. The scene where the young samurai has to … do what he does … is highly, highly effective. Even in today’s cinema, with no holds barred explicitness, I don’t know how you could match the power of that simple B&W scene. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2016, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-all-time-favorite-black-white-movies/744284/102 "2016-02-03T21:55:19Z")
> [@divemaster](#): > > I see several mentions of **Seven Samurai** which, agreed, is a pretty good movie. But IMO, Kurosawa’s best film; perhaps a\* perfect\* film, is **Ikiru**. > > Another jaw-droppingly awesome movie is **Hara-kiri**. If you would have told me that a movie showing a guy sitting on a mat for 2+ hours telling a story would be world-class entertainment, I might not have believed you. But I would have been wrong. This is one of the best movies I’ve ever seen. The scene where the young samurai has to … do what he does … is highly, highly effective. Even in today’s cinema, with no holds barred explicitness, I don’t know how you could match the power of that simple B&W scene. I just saw Hara Kiri. Really great. It is by the screenwriter for Rashomon (speaking of which…) and a lot of Kurosawa films. If I recall it is flashbacks and locations too. Just so people don’t think it’s another “my dinner with andre”… There are more great Japanese and French B&W movies than are countable, and Bunuel may not have been mentioned yet: The exterminating Angel, Los olvidados, and on and on. Sorry if I am repeating. Truffault: Jules and Jim, Shoot the piano Player, 400 blows… Godard: Breathless, masculin feminin… Louis Malle: Elevator to the gallows… Anyone ever seen Kubricks Killers Kiss? ---
**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 3, 2016, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-all-time-favorite-black-white-movies/744284/103 "2016-02-03T22:02:03Z")
If you haven’t seen this film and want to see a truly “unique” B&W film, check out Steve Martin’s _ **"Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid"** _. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2016, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-all-time-favorite-black-white-movies/744284/104 "2016-02-05T00:09:57Z")
> [@BrassyPhrase](#): > > _Sullivan’s Travels_ > > (IMHO, any movie shot in b/w after color became the norm is not really a b/w film. It’s an art or indie film. It’s a stylistic or artistic choice; not a necessity.) Sometimes it is a budgetary necessity. Clerks and the original Night of the Living dead were B&W because Smith and Romero couldn’t afford for color (either the cost of film or processing or possibly both) ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2016, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-all-time-favorite-black-white-movies/744284/105 "2016-02-05T01:22:08Z")
> [@BrassyPhrase](#): > > _Sullivan’s Travels_ > > (IMHO, any movie shot in b/w after color became the norm is not really a b/w film. It’s an art or indie film. It’s a stylistic or artistic choice; not a necessity.) This makes no sense. The OP didn’t specify latter day or early. It’s not like color came on a particular date anyway. Production decisions got made in a whole range of circumstances after color was invented. ---
**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 5, 2016, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-all-time-favorite-black-white-movies/744284/106 "2016-02-05T01:46:44Z")
> [@Richard\_John\_Marcej](#): > > If you haven’t seen this film and want to see a truly “unique” B&W film, check out Steve Martin’s _ **“Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid”** _. It’s got nothing on _Tales from the Gimli Hospital_, which is so bizarre, it gave me weird dreams-- not nightmares, just weird dreams. Another great B&W made due to budget constraints is _Stranger than Paradise_. It’s one of those films that, when I was a projectionist, I watched it every single time I showed it. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2016, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-all-time-favorite-black-white-movies/744284/107 "2016-02-06T23:43:28Z")
“The Third Man,” “Red River,” “Rebecca,” and “Anatomy of a Murder” are favorites. Two very good films I don’t the have been mentioned are “Mister Buddwing” with James Garner and “Mirage” with Gregory Peck. ---
**Author:** ![toast\_pakora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ec8ea/32.png) [@toast\_pakora](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toast_pakora)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2016, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-all-time-favorite-black-white-movies/744284/108 "2016-02-08T12:58:31Z")
**1. Seven Samurai** : so engrossing you forget you are watching a classic foreign film (for those who are allergic to them) **2. My Man Godfrey** : just an all around great screwball comedy. William Powell’s scenes with the actress playing Molly the maid are just perfect. Too many possibilities for third but I don’t think anyone’s mentioned **Wuthering Heights, Mildred Pierce, It’s A Wonderful Life** … I’ve only seen **Les Enfants du Paradi** s once but it was mesmerizing. Holy shit, I have my #3 but it’s really #1:\*\* I Know Where I’m Going\*\*. Can’t believe I didn’t think of this right off the bat. LOVE this film, love Roger Livesey. ---
**Author:** ![TonyRV2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/858c86/32.png) [@TonyRV2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonyRV2)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2016, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-all-time-favorite-black-white-movies/744284/109 "2016-02-08T16:43:44Z")
Only 3??!! This is a difficult decision, but here’s 3 that left a lasting impression without overthinking this: 1. The Grapes of Wrath 2. Casablanca 3. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre ---
**Author:** ![TheFaerie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c57346/32.png) [@TheFaerie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheFaerie)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2016, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-all-time-favorite-black-white-movies/744284/110 "2016-02-08T17:37:05Z")
The Philadelphia Story Gaslight The Haunting of Hill House But there are so many more… ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2016, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-all-time-favorite-black-white-movies/744284/111 "2016-02-08T18:04:51Z")
Most of my favorites have already been mentioned (esp. _Dr. Strangelove_), but no one has brought up _Touch of Evil_ yet? The part near the end with the huge shadows is a classic of B&W cinema. It’s also the best B&W movie ever made that has Janet Leigh alone in a remote motel with a creepy front desk clerk. ---
**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, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-all-time-favorite-black-white-movies/744284/112 "2016-02-08T21:22:06Z")
My top three: _Casablanca_ - Great cast, story, music, setting. A well-deserved classic, and my all-time favorite movie, in color _or_ B&W. _Notorious_ - A great espionage thriller, and long my favorite Hitchcock. _It’s a Wonderful Life_ - Uplifting, funny, moving, inspirational. Also very good: _The Maltese Falcon_ - Hard-boiled detective noir at its best. _Roman Holiday_ - Charming romance between a reporter and a princess. _Seven Days in May_ - Great American political thriller. _To Kill a Mockingbird_ - Coming of age in the Great Depression. Almost as good as the book. _Paper Moon_ - Clever, endlessly entertaining film about Dust Bowl grifters. _Dr. Strangelove_ - Hilarious Cold War dark comedy. _Fail Safe_ - The serious version of _Strangelove_; very good in its own right. Now if only Henry Fonda were actually on the ballot this year for President! _The Third Man_ - Thriller set in a ruined postwar Vienna. Great zither score. _Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid_ - Very funny spoof of noir dramas. _Yojimbo_ - Acerbic, kickass ronin cleans up a corrupt Japanese town. Love it! ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2016, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-all-time-favorite-black-white-movies/744284/113 "2016-02-09T19:24:04Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > _Yojimbo_ - Acerbic, kickass ronin cleans up a corrupt Japanese town. Love it! I’d go with _Rashomon_ instead. Better story and the use of light and shadows is a great display of the power of B&W filmmaking. One of those years ahead of its time but made with older tech films. ---
**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, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-all-time-favorite-black-white-movies/744284/114 "2016-02-09T19:46:27Z")
\*\*\*Advise and Consent Town without Pity Experiment in Terror Anatomy of a Murder Lonely Are the Brave\*\*\* ---
**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, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-all-time-favorite-black-white-movies/744284/115 "2016-02-09T19:51:39Z")
_ **Sunset Boulevard.** _ William Holden has always been one of my favorite actors; Billy Wilder, one of my favorite directors. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2016, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-all-time-favorite-black-white-movies/744284/116 "2016-02-09T20:07:01Z")
Trying to stick with films not already mentioned: The Big Sleep (more Bogie and Bacall) Animal Crackers (since Monkey Business, Duck Soup, and Night at the Opera have already been mentioned) Horsefeathers (ditto) ---
**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, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-all-time-favorite-black-white-movies/744284/117 "2016-02-09T23:09:28Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > I’d go with _Rashomon_ instead. Better story and the use of light and shadows is a great display of the power of B&W filmmaking. One of those years ahead of its time but made with older tech films. That’s not how I remember it! ---
**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 10, 2016, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-all-time-favorite-black-white-movies/744284/118 "2016-02-10T01:01:48Z")
_ **The Best Years of Our Lives.** _ ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2016, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-all-time-favorite-black-white-movies/744284/119 "2016-02-10T03:41:35Z")
**To Kill a Mockingbird** (already mentioned but I love it) **Father Goose** **Twelve Angry Men** **Going My Way** ---
**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 10, 2016, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-all-time-favorite-black-white-movies/744284/120 "2016-02-10T04:17:35Z")
> [@Poysyn](#): > > **Father Goose** With Cary Grant, Leslie Caron, Trevor Howard, 1964?!? This one was filmed in glorious color! _“Sir, there’s a chap outside. He’s pinching our petrol!”_ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-all-time-favorite-black-white-movies/744284.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-all-time-favorite-black-white-movies/744284.md?page=7)