Classic movies make us feel good, no matter what time of the year. I mean, there's nothing more glamorous than old-school Tinseltown and the plethora of big-time stars that came with the era.
While Hollywood now has more talent than ever before, with directors trying all sorts of experimental filmmaking techniques on the big screen, there was a simple elegance that came with the black-and-white film industry.
Even when colour was introduced, there was such beauty when it came to Hollywood's cinematic releases as it gave us brilliant movies from the romance genre to horror.
We feel so lucky that we can count classic movies such as Mary Poppins and The Wizard of Oz as some of our favourite movies of all time. But if you want more inspo for a Friday night throwback session on the sofa, then look no further than the list below.
1. The Sound of Music (1965)
Julie Andrews delivers in this heartwarming movie based on the real-life Von Trapp Family singers, a well-known concert group preceding World War II. The icon took on the role of Maria, a postulant at an Australian abbey who brings love, life and music into a home with seven children when becoming a governess in the home of a widowed naval captain.
2. The Graduate (1967)
Looking for something a bit more... steamy? Well, why not check out The Graduate? Dustin Hoffman plays the role of Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman), a recent graduate trying to figure out what to do with his life while living with his parents. However, things take an unexpected turn when he is seduced by a bored housewife, Mrs. Robinson. When they embark on their racy affair, things get even more complicated when he falls for her daughter.
3. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
If there was a ranking of all the best classics, then The Wizard of Oz, starring the sensational Judy Garland, is high on that list. We all know and love the story of Dorothy, who, when a tornado rips through Kansas, is whisked away with her dog Toto in their house to the magical land of Oz. Following the Yellow Brick Road toward the Emerald City, the pair meet a range of characters, including the Tin Man and Cowardly Lion.
4. King Kong (1933)
1933's King Kong, directed by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, first brought the tale of the giant, terrifying gorilla to our attention. When a film crew goes to a tropical island for a location shoot, they capture a gigantic ape who falls for their leading lady Ann Darrow. They capture him and bring him back to New York City, where the real trouble begins…
5. Grease (1978)
One of the most iconic films of all time and our ultimate go-to when we need some cheering up, Grease, starring John Travolta and the late and great Olivia Newton-John, broke boundaries with its all-singing-all-dancing high school set in the fifties. When a wholesome exchange student and a leather-clad bad boy Danny have a summer romance, they believe they will never see each other again. But, of course, as we all know, fate has other plans, even if that means ruffling feathers by crossing clique lines.
6. Psycho (1960)
Horror movies may be all experimental and state-of-the-art nowadays, but attempting to pull off a film in the genre back in the sixties was a major feat, and one done so brilliantly by director Alfred Hitchcock. We can never forget that spine-chilling scream from Janet Leigh in the shower! The movie was so popular it even spawned a television series starring Vera Farmiga and Freddie Highmore, which served as a prequel to Norman Bates' terrorising ways.
7. Jaws (1975)
Before he gave us Jurassic Park, Steven Spielberg came out with Jaws. And we all can remember exactly where we were when we saw the movie for the first time. I mean, the terror (on our comfortable sofas and watching behind our fingertips) was like no other as we saw a killer shark wreak havoc in the New England tourist town of Amity Island.
8. It's A Wonderful Life (1946)
It might be considered a staple Christmas film, but here at GLAMOUR, we’re all for watching It’s A Wonderful Life year-round. The black-and-white classic was one of the first films to explore male mental health and remains one of the top contenders for a rainy Sunday in bed. Dreamy.
9. When Harry Met Sally (1989)
The most legendary rom-com of the 80s? When Harry Met Sally. Don’t fight me on it. It broke boundaries when it was first released in 1989, and it remains high on our viewing agenda. If you’ve not seen it, strap yourself in for a life-changing experience.
10. Mary Poppins (1964)
The wonderful Julie Andrews played the titular character in this feel-good classic, which saw the children of the wealthy and uptight Banks family try to pass on some of their nanny's sunny attitude and magical adventures to their preoccupied parents. We also love the 2018 remake starring Emily Blunt, but it would be criminal to watch that without checking out the original.
11. Singing in the Rain (1952)
Singing in the Rain is a movie about making movies, set in the early days of silent cinema when ‘talking pictures’ revolutionised the industry and actors had to, ya know, start talking. Starring Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O’Connor, it is probably the ultimate movie musical, with tunes you’ll recognise even if you’ve never seen the film before. There’s romance, amazing dance numbers, brilliant comedy and some OTT ’20s fashion to gawp at, even if singing (in the rain or otherwise) ain’t your thing. Switch on for feel-good vibes and old-Hollywood movie magic.
12. Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)
The film that launched a thousand black dresses; could Breakfast at Tiffany’s be any chicer? Yeah, no. Never actually seen it? What have you been doing with your life? Run to NowTv immediately to enjoy Audrey Hepburn’s most famous role.
13. Vertigo (1958)
Probably one of Alfred Hitchcock’s most famous films – and regularly topping Best Movie lists, Vertigo is classic movie royalty. This old-school thriller is full of suspense, plot twists and towering performances from the ‘Tom Hanks of the 1950s’ James Stewart, playing an acrophobic in love with tragic ice-queen beauty Kim Novak.
14. Casablanca (1942)
If you haven’t heard of Casablanca, you’ve probably been living on the moon. Whether you’ve seen it or not – so many of its references have infiltrated popular culture – the song, the famous lines and that famous last scene – that you may feel you have. But Casablanca is so worth a watch, so get yourself to Amazon Prime now and enjoy the old-school drama, very flattering 1940s lighting (seriously, where can I get me a permanent spotlight like that?) and sweeping, world-in-peril romance from two of Hollywood’s greatest stars: Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. Play it again, Sam…
15. North by Northwest (1959)
This is such a classic Hitchcock thriller, you’ve probably seen the iconic image of the plane chasing Cary Grant across a cornfield – it’s cemented in movie history. North by Northwest stars one of old Hollywood’s most famous leading men, Cary Grant (think cool suits and easy charm), playing one of his best roles. You’ve got everything you could ever need in this film: spies, mistaken identity, murder, romance, drunken car chases and some very suggestive flirting over fancy cocktails on a train ride.
16. Some Like It Hot (1959)
This fabulous comedy, set in 1929, follows two jazz musicians, played by Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon, forced to flee from the mob after they accidentally witness a murder. They disguise themselves as women and join an all-female jazz band (led by Marilyn Monroe) as they head off on tour to Florida. Hilarity, obviously, ensues – particularly when Tony Curtis falls for Marilyn. This film is as charming as it is funny and is worth a watch for one of Marilyn’s most famous roles and probably the greatest last line of any movie ever made.
17. To Catch a Thief (1955)
Dreaming of all the holidays you can’t go on? Let this movie transport you to the French Riviera in the 1950s. Impossibly sunny, bright blue skies, sandy beaches and luxury hotels full of beautiful tanned people doing tanned and beautiful things. Oh, there’s a jewel thief to catch too, and Cary Grant (yes, him again) has to clear his name. But mostly, we’re in it for Grace Kelly’s wardrobe and the wanderlust. Enjoy.
18. Funny Face (1957)
Audrey Hepburn, ’50s fashion, Audrey Hepburn. Need we say more? Funny Face is a sweet romantic musical about fashion and the magazine industry in the 1950s. Set between Paris and New York, a shy, bookish girl (Hepburn) is recruited to become a top model and then falls for a roguish photographer (Fred Astaire). You may want to buy everything you see. This is The Devil Wears Prada in tap shoes.
19. It Happened One Night (1934)
It may have been made between the world wars, but It Happened One Night has a fresh, modern story that feels like it could have been filmed yesterday. Clark Gable plays a journalist who accidentally falls for a spoiled heiress (Claudette Colbert) on the run from her father while he’s blackmailing her for an exclusive story on her escape. It’s silly, romantic and genuinely funny – full of (super) old-school charm.
20. Rear Window(1954)
Feel stuck indoors in lockdown? So does James Stewart in Rear Window! His character, L.B. ‘Jeff’ Jefferies, has a broken leg and is bored in the house, he’s in the house bored. That is, until he witnesses what he thinks is a murder from his window and he and his girlfriend, an impossibly stylish (yet again) Grace Kelly, set about trying to solve it. Fantastic watching and genuinely suspenseful – just mind, you don’t start imagining your neighbours are murdering people. Obvs.
21. Sabrina (1954)
Before there was the teenage witch, there was Audrey Hepburn’s Sabrina. Audrey plays the young daughter of a rich family’s chauffeur, who falls in love with both the older (Humphrey Bogart) and younger (William Holden) brothers of the family. Talk about keeping it in the family… This film is impossibly chic, romantic and full of fantastic atmosphere (and fashion).
22. All About Eve (1950)
From Cady Heron and Regina George to Tai Frasier and Cher Horowitz, we all love a good frenemy movie, and it doesn’t get any better than All About Eve. Bette Davis plays Margo Channing, a famous but fading actress who hires Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter), a shy fan girl, to be her assistant. Little does she know that Eve is planning on stealing her career – and her relationship. It’s seriously sassy and dramatic, with some fantastic female characters – remaining the only film in Oscars history to receive four female acting nominations. Sit back and enjoy the show because, as Margo Channing would say: “it’s going to be a bumpy night.”
23. Bringing Up Baby (1938)
A stressed paleontologist (Cary Grant) a scatterbrain socialite (Katharine Hepburn) and a leopard? Yes, that’s the premise for this silly, witty romantic comedy from waaay back in 1938. Trust me, this is charming beyond belief and truly very, very funny. Perfect for any evening during the weekend.
24. Sunset Boulevard (1950)
Just like Netflix’s Hollywood, Sunset Boulevard is a look behind the curtain at the murky, dark side of Tinseltown. Gloria Swanson plays a fading silent-movie star who strikes up a relationship with a young, out-of-work screenwriter, played by William Holden. Things soon take a seriously sinister turn for the worse. Moody and brilliant, this is a true classic and has that immortal line: “Alright, Mr DeMille, I’m ready for my closeup…”
25. High Society (1956)
It doesn’t get more cool, classic Hollywood than this, with a cast featuring Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Grace Kelly and Louis Armstrong. There’s jazz, great songs, drool-worthy fashion and a witty, funny plot about a Californian heiress on the eve of her second wedding, with an ex-husband (Crosby) trying to win her back, and a new arrival (Sinatra) trying to flirt with her. Make a cocktail, sit back and watch movie history – all the while imagining how lockdown would be so much better if you could live in one of the Californian mansions on show. Sigh.
26. Roman Holiday (1953)
A quintessential romcom. Audrey Hepburn plays modern princess Ann who rebels against royal expectations, exploring Rome on her own terms. On her travels, she encounters a charming American news reporter – who she immediately befriends. But then reporter Joe discovers who Ann really is, will he remain a confidante or will he use her to break the ultimate story?
27. To Kill A Mockingbird (1962)
Adapted from the book by Harper Lee, To Kill A Mockingbird follows a lawyer in Depression-age Alabama who opts to defend a Black man accused of rape. At the same time, his children are getting to grips with the case, and growing up, and he works hard to teach them about the ramifications of privilege. Timeless.