Thursday, March 3, 2016

Old Movies

Do you like old movies?


I enjoy them more than the newer entertainment which often is a bit over the top.
 Here are some great ones you might enjoy seeing. These are all ones that I really enjoy and can watch over and over again.

'The Desk Set' stars Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy with Joan Blondell,Dina Merrill and Gig Young in a tale about the troubles that occur when a large television station decided to automate the reference department.
There is  romance and a lot of humor in this 1957 comedy.
A true Tracy/Hepburn classic.




The chemistry between Hepburn and Tracy continues  in the comedy "Adam's Rib" in which courtroom rivalry interferes in the marriage of two lawyers.
 Adorable Judy Holliday and David Wayne give wonderful comic performances in this classic movie from 1949 and  relationship between Hepburn and Tracy is electric as usual.






The original "Airport" is exciting and romantic . It is the original airline disaster movie, though, no real disaster results when a despondent man buys passage on a 707 to take his own life.
When a bomb goes off the crippled plane must try to land in a massive snow storm. Very exciting.
Helen Hayes, Dean Martin, Burt Lancaster,+Van Heflin, Maureen Stapleton, Jacqueline Bisset, Barbara Hale (of Perry Mason fame),George Kennedy, Jean Seberg star in this exciting drama. What a cast!   The theme music is classic and good as well.


"Forbidden Planet" is considered one of the finest sci fi movies ever made and is a cult classic.
A space mission lands on Altair IV to check on a scientific mission that landed over 20 years before to find  only two survivors who are not happy to see the rescue team at all.
 
The story line is very good and the cast is even better with Leslie Nielsen, Anne Francis, Walter Pidgeon, Earl Holliman, Jack Kelly, James Drury, Warren Stevens, and Richard Anderson.
You just don't find casts with this many great names anymore.







William Powell plays the strict but lovable head of a 19th century New York City family trying to maintain order in his busy household in "Life with Father."
Made in 1947 it is a wonderful slice of life from the era.
It stars William Powell, Irene Dunn, a teenaged Elizabeth Taylor, Martin Milner, and Zazu Pitts.
It is just a lovely little movie which received great reviews.








IMDB gives this synopsis of "Picnic":
Charming Hal Carter (William Holden) turned to wandering after a failed acting career left him loose in the wind. Interested in reuniting with an old college friend, Alan Benson (Cliff Robertson), Carter bums a train ride to a tranquil Kansas town. Alan greets him warmly, and together they join the community in a picnic celebration of Labor Day. However, his welcome quickly sours when sparks ignite between him and Alan's girlfriend, Madge Owens (Kim Novak).
The movie debuted in 1955 and was a hit with people.  It stars Kim Novak, William Holden,Rosalind Russell, Susan Strasberg, Cliff Robertson, and Arthur O'Connell.
The theme song is one of the all time greats.



Walt Witman's quotation, "The untold want by life and land ne'er granted,
Now, voyager, sail thou forth, to seek and find,"  sets the tone for this 1942 classic movie.
"Now Voyager" is one of my all time favorites.
It is a hauntingly lovely story of   Charlotte Vale (Bette Davis) a lonely woman who has been emotionally crippled by a domineering and cruel mother. A stay in a sanitorium and a fateful voyage to Rio change  her life forever.
This 1942 movie stars Paul Henreid, Bette Davis, Claude Rains and Gladys Cooper.  They could not have come up with a better cast for this stellar movie.

Wikipedia defines 'Philadelphia lawyer' this way:
"Philadelphia Lawyer is a term to describe a lawyer who knows the most detailed and minute points of law or is an exceptionally competent lawyer. Its first known usage dates back to 1788."
'The Young Philadelphians' is the story of a young man on the rise and the trials and tribulations he encounters on the way to finding his niche in life.
The more success he gains, the less ethical he becomes. He has some lessons to learn along the way.
 Paul Newman heads a cast that includes Robert Vaughn,  Barbara Rush, Adam West,  Brian Keith and Alexis Smith.

There are a few more but I will save them for another time.
Happy viewing.




4 comments:

  1. I love old movies too! My favorites are the Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire musicials. Is the one with the father and his family "Life With Father"? I remember seeing "Picnic" when I was a child. I don't remember anything in the movie but I do remember the theme song. Can't wait to see what others you come up with.

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    1. Yes. I didn't know I left the title out! I fixed that and also added a video of the Picnic theme song.

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  2. How marvelous to read your blog...never know what goodies you will share with us! The great part of this article is that you give not only the titles , but plot and actors,too!
    Thank you!
    Hoping this snowy day brings you only good things.

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  3. You actually found a few movies I've never seen, Annie! I think I might start with "Picnic".

    xo

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