Here is an article that I wrote a few months ago for my college’s student-run arts and culture magazine, Rolling Stonehill.  Since I don’t yet have any ideas for things to write about, I thought I might just repost it here.  More articles I wrote to follow!

I often hear from my friends that they do not like black-and-white movies. I think that this is a silly policy to have, because it completely eradicates decades worth of good films that you might find you actually really enjoy. Lately, I’ve been getting interested in a lot of older movies, and it saddens me that a lot of my peers are missing out on some funny, touching, and well-made films based on a pointless principle. Watching a black-and-white movie may be a new visual experience that takes some getting used to, but it’s well worth it because many are not unlike the movies we watch today. Below, I have outlined five popular classic Hollywood movies that I like, and that would serve as a good introduction to old films.

Bringing Up Baby. Bringing Up Baby is considered a classic comedy. I had vaguely heard of it before, mostly from suggestions from my dad over the years, but I never sat down to watch it until last fall when a Hitchcock class introduced me to Cary Grant. The plot is about a whacked- out heiress (Katharine Hepburn) who meets a scatterbrained scientist by chance and tries everything in her power to keep him interested in her, which includes obtaining a pet leopard named Baby and chasing after a dog to find where it has buried a bone. Hepburn is off the wall in this film (in a good way). I found myself laughing out loud right away, which doesnʼt always happen for me, at the simplest gags—such as Grant climbing on to the side of Hepburnʼs car before she tries to drive away, and the two of them serenading the leopard, trying to coax it down from the roof of a random strangerʼs house. I would highly recommend checking out this film—you might find that itʼs not all that different from some of todayʼs zany comedies, such as The Hangover.

Marty. Marty is a 1955 dramatic film that I happened upon when I was bored during spring break three years ago. It is about a lonely, awkward, 35-year old butcher who thinks he is destined to be alone for the rest of his life because heʼs not particularly good-looking and painfully shy. Eventually, however, Marty meets a woman who is just as lonely as he is and they form a bond. Though itʼs plot is very simple, Marty is incredibly uplifting. It may seem like a story that has been done many times before, but remember, it was made in the fifties, when films about ordinary people were rare. Ernest Borgnine, who played Marty, recently won a SAG lifetime achievement award and it made me remember how charming this movie is.

It Happened One Night. This one is just pure fun. Ellie Andrews, a rich socialite (Claudette Colbert), runs away from home to escape her overbearing father, who wants to annul her recent marriage to a sleazy “fortune-hunter.” Along the way, she meets a reporter named Peter Warne (Clark Gable), who accompanies her because he wants the inside story on the scandal. Of course, they fall in love with one another. Clark Gable is really sweet in this movie because his gruff exterior slowly melts away and he transforms into a big lovable teddy bear. Aw. Also, the image of Clark Gable sitting on a fence, eating a carrot and talking quickly apparently inspired the creator of Looney Tunes to model the character of Bugs Bunny after him. I’m not sure if that’s really true, but it should still make you want to see it for yourself!

The Philadelphia Story. Another Grant/Hepburn movie, except made even better by the addition of Jimmy Stewart, everyoneʼs favorite commie-chaser. Hepburn plays another rich socialite (typecasting?) who is divorced from Cary Grantʼs character. She is preparing to remarry when Stewartʼs character, a tabloid reporter, is hired by Grant to infiltrate the wedding as a guest and get the story. Hepburn becomes close to Stewart, while Grant secretly wantsHepburn back, and Hepburn has a “drunken trainwreck” moment (who canʼt relate to that?) on the night before her wedding. I did have a few issues with this movie (which I wonʼt share for fear of spoiling the movie), but overall, I found it to be a fun, character-driven ride.

On the Waterfront. I did not think I would enjoy this movie, as it is about a New Jersey longshore union member (Marlon Brando) who stands up to the corrupt union leaders that he works for. I thought that the movie would be boring and (I hate to be stereotypical, but) more of a male-oriented film, but it isn’t at all. There is a love plot between Brando and the sister of a union member who has been murdered, played by Eva Marie Saint. Of course, Brando’s character has a sensitive side around Saint’s character, and he develops the courage to stand up to the bad guys. Also, one of my favorite aspects of the movie is the part of a virtuous priest, played by Karl Malden, who has some pretty stirring speeches. Even if you normally donʼt really like these kinds of mob-themed movies, you might want to give this one a try. It is quite suspenseful and fast-paced.