We couldn’t find a better proverb than ‘old is gold’ to metaphorize the topic in focus: must watch Hollywood classics of all time. Many movies come and go every year, but only a handful earn the stature of classic contemporaries of all generations and perpetually resonate in time forever.
Be it rom-com or sci-fi, drama or crime, each genre has an archive of old, best classic Hollywood movies that define and add significant value to the history of cinema. Whether you are a movie buff or an occasional film enthusiast, here are a few among many must-watch Hollywood classics you ought to watch at least once in your lifetime.
Pyscho (1960)
Rating: IMDb – 8.5/10, Rotten Tomatoes – 96%
Psycho is one of the timeless classic Hollywood movies from the legendary director, Alfred Hitchcock. It is based on the 1959 novel of the same name by Robert Bloch. This thriller-cum-horror movie bewitches the watchers with intense suspense and puts them at the edge of their seats with unanticipated plot twists. It is a classic Hitchcock horror masterpiece that still thrills.
The plot of the movie revolves around an encounter between on-the-run embezzler Marion Crane, played by Janet Leigh, and motel proprietor Norman Bates, played by Anthony Perkins. In the aftermath, a private investigator, played by Martin Balsam, Marion’s lover Sam Loomis, played by John Gavin, and her sister Lila, played by Vera Miles, investigate the cause of her disappearance.
The Godfather (1972)
Rating: IMDb – 9.2/10, Rotten Tomatoes – 97%
Widely regarded as one of the greatest Hollywood movies of all time, The Godfather is a 1972 American crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, based on Puzo’s best-selling 1969 novel of the same name. The movie won 3 Academy Awards including the Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay.
With a versatile cast, such as Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Richard Castellano, Diane Keaton, and more, the movie is a power-packed mafia drama that never fails to entice the audience. The movie revolves around the Corleone family under patriarch Vito Corleone, who focuses on the transformation of his youngest son, Michael Corleone, to a mafia boss. The tragic death of Vito puts the family in a tight spot and the story follows the aftermath of the incident.
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Rating: IMDb – 8/10, Rotten Tomatoes – 98%
The Wizard of Oz is a movie for all ages. With wonderful music and comedy, and groundbreaking special effects, the movie, even after six decades, still manages to elicit the deepest insecurities of our childhood, stirs them, and then reassures them. Back then, when computer graphics were at the developing stage, this must-watch Hollywood classic of all time pulled off some of the most mind-boggling scenes with whatever that was at hand.
The film is an adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s 1900 children’s fantasy novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and stars Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale in the lead role alongside Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr, and Margaret Hamilton.
Gone With The Wind (1939)
Rating: IMDb – 8.1/10, Rotten Tomatoes – 91%
Gone with the Wind is a 1939 American classic historical romance film based on the 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell. At the 12th Academy Awards, it received ten Academy Awards (eight competitive, two honoraries) from thirteen nominations.
Directed by Victor Fleming, this Hollywood classic movie is set out during the American Civil War and the Reconstruction era. The film splendidly tells the story of a woman by the name of Scarlett O’Hara, who follows her romantic pursuit of a man by the name Ashley Wilkes, who is married to his cousin, Melanie Hamilton. The movie stars Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable, Leslie Howard, and Olivia de Havilland in the lead roles.
Titanic (1997)
Rating: IMDb – 7.8/10, Rotten Tomatoes – 89%
The list of must-watch Hollywood classics of all time is incomplete without the movie, Titanic. Coupling one of tragic events in the history of ship accidents, the movie perfectly combines a real-life tragedy with a fictional love story to evoke tears from even the strong-hearted.
Directed, written, co-produced, and co-edited by James Cameron, the movie stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in the lead roles. Nominated for 14 Academy Awards, It won 11, including the awards for Best Picture and Best Director. The plot of the movie is synonymous with every moviegoer and cinema enthusiast. The movie revolves around Jack, played by DiCaprio, who wins a ticket to board the titanic. The story picks up when he meets Rose, played by Winslet, on the journey, and how they both fall in love.
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
Rating: IMDb – 8.3/10, Rotten Tomatoes – 94%
Lawrence of Arabia is based on the life of T. E. Lawrence, a British archaeologist, army officer, and diplomat known for his role in the Arab Revolt (1916–1918) and the Sinai and Palestine Campaign (1915–1918), and his book Seven Pillars of Wisdom. Directed by David Lean, the movie stars Peter O’Toole in the lead role as Lawrence.
The movie got nominated for ten Oscars at the 35th Academy Awards in 1963 and won seven, including Best Picture and Best Director. It is widely considered as one of the influential and greatest Hollywood films of all time. In 1991, it was deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” by the United States Library of Congress.
Citizen Kane (1941)
Rating: IMDb – 8.3/10, Rotten Tomatoes – 94%
Citizen Kane is one of those movies you will never know how revolutionary it was until you watch it. Nominated for Academy Awards in nine categories, the movie won an Academy Award for Best Writing. The lead character of the movie was characterised based on American media barons William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer, Chicago tycoons Samuel Insull and Harold McCormick. The film was produced and directed by Orson Welles.
The Sound Of Music (1965)
Rating: IMDb – 8/10, Rotten Tomatoes – 83%
The Sound Of Music is a musical heart-touching drama based on the real-life story of the Von Trapp Family singers, one of the world’s best-known concert groups. Produced and directed by Robert Wise, the movie stars Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer in the lead roles along with Richard Haydn, Peggy Wood, Charmian Carr, and Eleanor Parker.
The movie became the highest-grossing film of all time by November 1966—surpassing Gone with the Wind—and held that title for five years. The Sound of Music received five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.
The Gold Rush (1925)
Rating: IMDb – 8.2/10, Rotten Tomatoes – 100%
This Charlie Chaplin starrer is a consistent entertainer for all generations of audiences. It stars Charlie Chaplin, need we say more! The movie revolves around a character who struggles for survival which is perfectly depicted with a liberal dose of hilarious physical comedy by Chaplin. The film was written, produced, and directed by Charlie Chaplin himself.
Taxi Driver (1976)
Rating: IMDb – 8.2/10, Rotten Tomatoes – 96%
Taxi Driver is one of the all-time Hollywood classics. Directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Paul Schrader, the movie stars Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd, Harvey Keitel, Peter Boyle, Leonard Harris, and Albert Brooks.
Set in a morally bankrupt and corrupt background, the plot of the story revolves around an ex-marine and Vietnam veteran, Travis Bickle, played by Robert De Niro, who works as a taxi driver in New York City. The story picks up when he meets an underage prostitute and tries to save her from her ordeal in an effort to clean the city of its corruption. The movie received 4 Academy Awards nominations but unfortunately won in none category.
Did we miss out on any movie? Let us know your favorite all-time Hollywood classic movies in the comments section below.
