25 Favorite Films made before 1960

This film is very well acted and it is a ringing endorsement for democracy, civil liberties, and the right to a trial-by-jury. This film made me think and affected me emotionally. There's a lot to digest here and it does not answer all the questions. Henry Fonda's performance is heroic.

This is my favorite Billy Wilder film. It follows the story of a wife and insurance man plotting to murder her husband. And if they succeed, how will they get away with it? This was one of the first movies I saw that cured me of the idea that classic films were boring. I also cannot think of another film that has better dialogue.

This is an early Stanley Kubrick film. It's just about as good an anti-war film as has ever been made. Kirk Douglas is powerful in his role as a World War I French officer who stands up against corruption and fights for justice in an unjust situation. This film moved me emotionally as well.

I guess I like Henry Fonda, with him being the star of my two favorite classic films. This film is based on the classic Steinbeck. It follows the lives of a dust-bowl era familiy, as they travel to California, looking for earn a decent living. Some may think of this as a Marxist film, but I do not. I just see it as being a story of social justice.

Alfred Hitchcock is such a great director, but this is one of my favorites. This film really raised the bar for action-adventure spy films. You can see that it influenced the James Bond films in some ways. The blueprint for this film was Hitchcock's 39 steps, but North by Northwest is even more fun.

This is another influential Kurosawa film that tells the story on a man's death from four different perspectives. Truth can be interpreted in many different ways. It's funny how many movies and TV shows have copied this formula ever since.

This is a fascinating David Lean film about Allied POWs being forced to build a bridge for imperial Japan during World War II. The film is also a metaphor for the madness of war. This is best captured in the performance of Sir Alec Guinness as the British officer, who is so driven by his code that he loses sight of what side he is on in the war.

Here is another Billy Wilder film. This is one of the best films ever made about Hollwood filmmaking. It still holds up very well today. I love the way that the story is told. Gloria Swanson's performance as Norma Desmond is one for the ages.

I'm a big fan of Akira Kurosawa's films, but this is my favorite. It's hard to believe that the film was made in the early 1950s. It was so influential on the action genre. It is a long film, but it is one the you can't take your eyes off of.

This is my favorite classic Western. It's been called an anti-Western, as the hero (brilliantly played by Gary Cooper) stands up to a criminal gang, while the cowardly townsfolk will not help him. There's a great element of suspense, as the bad guys are coming to town looking for him, while Cooper tries in vain to recruit deputies. The final battle is well worth the wait.

This is a slow-paced, yet engaging a thrilling suspense film. It has great performances and a very memorable score. It also has a great twist and a shock ending.

This film follows a woman and she struggles to make ends meet and find love in post-war Italy. It has a lot in common with La strada. It is funny, sad, and inspiring all at once. There are many memorable scenes. It's one of my all-time favorite performances for a lead actress.

This classic is on a lot of people's favorites list. It's probably most famous for the love story, which is truly moving. The film offers a lot more and gives a view of life during Nazi occupation during World War II. This is one of the best examples of a classic Hollywood film.

This is another great anti-war film. It is maybe the first great talking picture. It accurately depicts the horrors of World War I, as it follows a group of German soldiers who don't really understand why they are fighting. By the end of the film, the survivers realize how phony all the propaganda is. This film contains great imagery for such an old movie.

This film follows the lives of U.S. army soliders in Hawaii on the eve of the Pearl Harbor attacks. There are complicated love stories, friendships, and tragedies. My grandfather was stationed there during this time, so I really enjoy seeing a glimpse of what things might have been like.

Regarded by many as the greatest film of all time, Citizen Kane is a movie that I admire more than I love. Yet, it is an amazing work of art by Orson Wells and it remains incredibly influential on film makers. I do appreciate it more with each viewing.

This film shows the darker side of human nature. It's also a treat to see Humphrey Bogart play a character that is far different from the roles he normally played. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre truly is a treasure!

Marlon Brando's performance in this film is one of the greatest ever done. He perfectly blends macho toughness with emotion and sensitivity. It's a great story about standing up against evil, even at great peril to oneself. It has many excellent performances, including one by Lee J. Cobb, who is also great in 12 Angry Men

This is a classic Hitchcock film with Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly. It uses a really cool angle by having a man spy on his neighbors out of boredom, only to discover that a murder may have been committed. The film combines mystery, suspense, and humor.

This is a French film that feels like a Hitchcock movie. In fact, Hitchcock tried to buy the rights to make the film. It's a scary film for the pre-Psycho era and keeps you guessing until the end.

This is the quintessential film noir. Bogart is amazing in the role. The mystery is well done. This was one of the first classic films that I had a lot of fun watching.

This is a beautiful Western that draws a clear line between good and evil. Shane represents an admirable hero who risks his life to protect good people who cannot protect themselves from predators.

King Kong is a flawed classic. The special effect are still wonderful to behold. I can only imagine how audiences from 1933 must have been blown away by it. It will always remain iconic.

This is my favorite science fiction film of the 1950s. Watching the film produces a sense of paranoia. Who can you trust? Who can survive? It was a great metaphor not long after the Great Red Scare.

This is a classic Fellini film. It packs an emotional punch and really lets the viewers identify with its characters. This was part of the Italian neorealist movement that influenced film-making all over the world.