So,the writers’ strike got you down? Suddenly wishing you actually enjoyedreality television so you could at least have something to fill yourlonely nights? Worry no more, fellow PopWatchers, because the Internetis here to save the day!
Thanks (ironically) to copyright laws, a lot of old movies are cominginto public domain and being put online for anyone with a good Internetconnection (and a lot of patience) to see. A whole lot of them can befound on the (perfectly legal) Internet Archive, and I’ve been watching a few classics nowthat my schedule is, ahem, a bit more free. What surprised memost was how well old movies held up to my modern, pervy, standards,such as the fantastic, Sorkin-esque His Girl Friday (featuring the fast-talking Cary Grant, Ralph Bellamy, and Rosalind Russell, pictured) or James Cagney’s excellent turn as a well-meaning bureaucrat trying to fix corruption in Great Guy. Even an old Max Fleischer Superman cartoon I used to enjoy as a kid was up on the site, and stillsurprisingly enjoyable. In fact there were so many movies to see, Ialmost didn’t get around to writing this blog post, as I was so busycoordinating between browsing IMDB’s Movies By Year lists for interesting-looking films andseeing if the Internet Archive had any of them upyet.
So I ask you, PopWatchers, what hidden, old-timey gems canyou find online? Because I’mactually sleeping at nights, and that’s just all manner of wrong.
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So far, I’ve found all of Akira Kurosawa’s stuff before 1953, 1922’s Nosferatu, 1925’s Phantom of the Opera, and Carnival of Souls. All can be found at the Internet Archive.
I’d be very interested to see how this goes over. Most kids today don’t have enough of a brain in their head to take the time to discover classic black and white films. I was once talking with this 19 year-old guy and I mentioned CASABLANCA. So help me, he said, “What’s Casablanca?” I wanted to strangle him right there and then! The movie’s too long before his time for him to appreciate, you say? That’s bullsh*t, I say! That would be like saying today’s kids should not know Mozart simply because he was too long before their time!
For those who are interested, here are ten (10) classic black and white movies you must see before you die: CASABLANCA, CITIZEN KANE, KING KONG, PSYCHO, DR. STRANGELOVE, THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE, FRANKENSTEIN, CITY LIGHTS, DUCK SOUP and Fellini’s 8 1/2.
In defense of my generation (or maybe just me), I’m a college student and I ADORE old movies, especially those with Dana Andrews, Paul Newman, etc.
Which is what I will now be searching for…
I don’t know who this Sorkin person is, but isn’t it enough to say that His Girl Friday just showcases Howard Hawks at his best?
There are some of us youngsters (I’m only 22) who are trying to keep the classics alive! My friends and I have spread the golden-age-of-cinema love to many others, so don’t give up hope.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Public_domain_films
This link has a list, alphabetical and by year, of public domain films that can be viewed on the Internet. Enjoy!
Awesome site. A lot of great stuff on there, just a few minutes poking around and I found:
M
All Quiet on the Western Front
The 39 Steps
Fatal Glass of Beer
My Man Godfrey
And I intend to download Attack of the Killer Mushrooms as soon as I get home tonight.
Em wrote on Tue, Jan 29, 2008 at 09:55 AM EST:
“I don’t know who this Sorkin person is…”
Aaron Sorkin, creator of SportsNight, The West Wing, Studio 60, writer of The American President and Charlie Wilson’s War. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0815070/
An anachronistic simile, yes, but I think it was meant to say Aaron Sorkin is His Girl Friday-esque…
Are these legal to download and save on your HDD? And at what resolution do they display?
And To Kill A Mockingbird is public domain, too! Love it!
Wow, this is great! There are some wonderful films available there. By the way, I learned to love black and white films from the 30’s and the 40’s thanks to my mom. My husband and I taught our son to appreciate them—he’s 24 and prefers black and white classics over contemporary films. (I don’t like being judged by my age and I try not to do it to those of different generations.)
Em: God Bless you for your Sorkin comment! I think I just heard his ego deflate a little, but not nearly enough
I love old movies! (TCM is the best channel.) It looks like a lot of my favorites haven’t made it on the site yet, but you can always try Netflix.
The Awful Truth
My Favorite Wife
*Both with Cary Grant and Irene Dunne and they’re great together.
The Thin Man movies
*Great chemistry, screwball mysteries (and lots of martinis)
The Women
There’s a remake that’s been in the works for awhile so this one is fun to see first.
And the all time best is It Happened One Night – Clark Gable helping a runaway heiress get away from her controlling father
Oh, thank you! Great information. Can’t wait to look it up tonight. Dafna, you’ve done your good deed for the day!
One of my favorite old movies (which y’all can now watch for free) is the original “A Star is Born” with Frederic March – who I adore.
Ooh, thanks for sharing!
His Girl Friday is absolutely hilarious. And btw, I’m 21. There’s hope for my generation yet.
Aaron Sorkin only wished his writing was as good as “His Girl Friday”. Sorkin-esque? That would be putting the cart in front of the horse.
i’m 20 and i’ve watched some great films yrs ago – citizen kane, double indemnity, stalag17, adam’s rib, arsenic and old lace, his girl friday, all about eve, sunset blvd….young ppl need to watch these films so they kind find out about great cinema. mean girls is not great cinema, i don’t care what any dolt my age says…
*can find
Detour (1945) is a film noir classic and definitely worth watching.
Just like Daniel Bayes (Jan 25 letter), I live in a cave. I think 2007’s best Album was “Pilgrimage” by the late Micheal Brecker who passes away in January, 2007. He left us with an incredible final CD featuring Herbie Hancock and other jazz giants. while I agree that “The Bourne Ultimatum was the best movie, I had no interest in seeing anything else that was released last year.
James Scarl
San Antonio, TX
Kudos to all you young people checking out old movies. for years I’ve wept for future generations with regard to your tastes. I highly recommend you also check out old music. Try classic rock (50s, 60s & 70s), jazz from any era and classical. You’ll be suprized at how great it is!!
I urge people all the time to check out Turner Classic Movie channel—it’s the only movie channel I have. The more I watch, the more I realize that there is nothing original coming out of Hollywood anymore—it’s all been done before, and usually much better! There is a scene in that dreadful Batman movie where Uma Thurman dresses in a gorilla costume and does a striptease—stolen directly from “Blonde Venus,” a Marlene Deitrich movie from 70 years ago!
So many great oldies that still hold up today. In no particular order:
Laura
The Stranger (Orson Welles version)
Any of Fred and Ginger’s
Any of Marilyn’s
Any of WC Fields
Midsummer Nights Dream (Mickey Rooney version)
To Catch A Thief
Rear Window
Old Yellar
Maltese Falcon (Bogart version)
Treasure of Sierra Madre
Caged
Whatever Happened To Baby Jane
Ninotchka
It’s A Mad Mad Mad Mad World
Key Largo
Gone With The Wind
I’m 19 and my favorite films, period, are The Third Man and Modern Times. Unfortunately, there are few cinemaphiles my age who look toward old movies for fulfillment. I’d take Orson Welles over Quentin Tarantino anyday.
i love the classic horrorlike freaks
I’m tottally dying, I can’t find “A Patch of Blue” anywhere, not to rent, not to download, not to buy, its not even at my local library… Only Sidney Poitier can move me more than any other actor.
I don’t see why there has to be a great divide between older and newer movies. There are some fantastic movies being made today, just like there were some absolute stinkers in every era. Course, the more you’re exposed to good films of any age, the better you’ll be able to distinguish between the good and the stinkers. I’ve recently fallen in love with the Marx Brothers. Anything will get a good few laughs, but for the absolute best look for Duck Soup, Animal Crackers, and Horse Feathers. Also just rewatched Some Like it Hot, and it trumps any romantic comedy of the last few decades… sheer brilliance.
FREE ONLINE MOVIES AVAILABLE!!!! It not only provides free movies but also provide information about rental clubs.I have seen and compared many good DVD rental sites. Above all of them
I like http://onlinerentdvds.com/ the most. Reason behind is their
detailed orientation about dvd business. Site first explains working
of a dvd rental system through images and then it tells you about benefits
above conventional system. Gradually it will take you to links of all the
provider sites that offer rental service like Netflix, Blockbuster, Intelliflix,
DVD Avenue, CinemaNow…I have seen some links for Games and Music. Probably
site owners are now adding more colors to this site.
I really like http://www.watchclassicmovies.com when I’ve got a free hour or so. Loads of old and new classics.