Some time ago, we compiled a list featuring some of the best black and white movies that, in the public eye, have stood the test of time and remained treasured years after their initial release. Besides the film's contents and both historical and cultural value, the B&W color scheme gives these black and white movies an evergreen quality. Apart from that, B&W cinematography allows the spectator to focus on focal aspects of the scene by eliminating any color distractions and focusing the viewers' attention on what's in the frame.
While the color scheme plays a big part in the movie's appeal (and modern color cinema proves that), films are typically considered masterworks if they can "make the cut" to modern times. And many of the old classic movies shot in B&W have endured. Although old classic movies filmed in grayscale may not appeal to everyone, they are regarded as classic movies for a reason. When someone in the AskReddit community asked, "Which black and white movies are absolutely worth watching?" Many classic film enthusiasts shared their top pics for black and white movies well worth giving a watch today.
Below, we've compiled some of the best answers from the thread, revealing the best old movies (and one recent flick) filmed in B&W, which, according to Redditors, are still very much worth seeing. Do you agree with Redditors' selection of must-watch old movies? Then make sure to give those entries an upvote! Also, do you have a favorite black and white movie? Let us know in the comments!
#1 To Kill A Mockingbird (1962)
MissionWide said:
"To Kill a Mockingbird."
"To Kill a Mockingbird."
99thoughtballunes replied:
"I am required to teach this to high schoolers. I am both astonished and completely unsurprised every year at how many of them develop a crush on Gregory Peck."
"I am required to teach this to high schoolers. I am both astonished and completely unsurprised every year at how many of them develop a crush on Gregory Peck."
Tomb5t0ne replied:
"Atticus Finch has been rated as one of the best fictional fathers many times before."
"Atticus Finch has been rated as one of the best fictional fathers many times before."
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34points
#2 Schindler's List (1993)
honey_rainbow said:
"Schindler's List."
"Schindler's List."
Chaps_and_salsa replied:
"Best movie I’ll only ever watch once."
"Best movie I’ll only ever watch once."
Fair_University replied:
"My wife and I call it a 'once every ten years' movie. Heavy stuff."
"My wife and I call it a 'once every ten years' movie. Heavy stuff."
mr_blanket replied:
"The black and white of it all just makes the rare color parts hit even harder. Truly a masterpiece."
"The black and white of it all just makes the rare color parts hit even harder. Truly a masterpiece."
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34points
#3 Young Frankenstein (1974)
InsomniaDreams said:
"Young Frankenstein."
"Young Frankenstein."
Maso_TGN replied:
"It’s pronounced Fronkensteen!"
"It’s pronounced Fronkensteen!"
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33points
#4 Twelve Angry Men (1957)
Listening_Heads said:
"Twelve Angry Men (1957)"
TooOldForACleverName replied:
"My dad with dementia has about a half dozen movies he watches over and over (and over and over). Twelve Angry Men is one of them."
LydditeShells replied:
"I can’t recommend this enough. People always think it s*cks when I say the entire movie happens basically in one room (sure, there’s the bathroom, too, and the beginning and end have the courtroom and outside), but it’s still one of my favorite movies.
Testament to how you can have riveting action with just dialogue, not throwing around explosions and fight scenes."
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32points
#5 Some Like It Hot (1959)
freerangelibrarian said:
"Some Like It Hot."
"Some Like It Hot."
yogorilla37 replied:
"I sat down to watch it one night not expecting much, I never expected anything as hilarious as it was!"
"I sat down to watch it one night not expecting much, I never expected anything as hilarious as it was!"
Beer_Is_So_Awesome replied:
"This is still a very funny movie. It has a lot of opportunities to go very wrong, especially when viewed 60+ years later, and it somehow stays on track."
"This is still a very funny movie. It has a lot of opportunities to go very wrong, especially when viewed 60+ years later, and it somehow stays on track."
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28points
#6 Casablanca (1942)
BoringAccountName78 said:
"Casablanca."
"Casablanca."
Lahmmom replied:
"I thought it was full of cliche phrases and scenes when I watched it. The I realized they INVENTED phrases everyone else quoted."
"I thought it was full of cliche phrases and scenes when I watched it. The I realized they INVENTED phrases everyone else quoted."
fanoffzeph replied:
"It's not the most classic but "out of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine" has always moved me. Sometimes you can't escape fate!"
"It's not the most classic but "out of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine" has always moved me. Sometimes you can't escape fate!"
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27points
#7 Arsenic And Old Lace (1944)
IamAPottato said:
"Arsenic and old lace."
"Arsenic and old lace."
smitch_hitter replied:
"This was my recommendation! One of my favs. Cary Grant is so over the top (apparently even he thought so) but I love it. Cracks me up."
"This was my recommendation! One of my favs. Cary Grant is so over the top (apparently even he thought so) but I love it. Cracks me up."
ButterflyOld8220 replied:
"Every Cary Grant movie is worth watching!"
"Every Cary Grant movie is worth watching!"
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25points
#8 Whatever Happened To Baby Jane? (1962)
Back2Bach said: "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" angrybonejuice replied: "I can’t believe I had to go so far to find this… my dad’s Baby Jane impression immediately after my first watch will always stick with me." JerryCalzone replied: "When one can not do special effects, one relies on a good script and timing to rattle the audience."
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25points
#9 It's A Wonderful Life (1946)
Talltist said:
"It's a wonderful life."
"It's a wonderful life."
I tried to watch It's a Wonderful Life back in 2009 with my sister, but it was playing on TV and they scheduled ads seemingly every five minutes. We gave up.
pippyLONGsocking replied:
"Last year, we were trying to find a Christmas movies to watch and decided to give it a try. We supposed it was probably going to be overhyped, but why not. Holy crap. It's amazing. And so sincere given that a lot of Christmas movies from the past few decades have often been family comedies where everyone's just trying to get through being around each other for the holidays. This and A Christmas story are my two favorites."
"Last year, we were trying to find a Christmas movies to watch and decided to give it a try. We supposed it was probably going to be overhyped, but why not. Holy crap. It's amazing. And so sincere given that a lot of Christmas movies from the past few decades have often been family comedies where everyone's just trying to get through being around each other for the holidays. This and A Christmas story are my two favorites."
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24points
#10 Mr Smith Goes To Washington (1939)
chadmac81 said:
"Mr Smith Goes To Washington."
"Mr Smith Goes To Washington."
musicnothing replied:
"Shockingly relevant even today."
"Shockingly relevant even today."
eddyathome replied:
"This is how a filibuster should work."
"This is how a filibuster should work."
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24points
#11 Roman Holiday (1953)
Stormy_the_bay said:
"Roman Holiday and Bringing Up Baby."
"Roman Holiday and Bringing Up Baby."
doom32x replied:
"Roman Holiday is one of the earliest Romantic Comedies I've seen in which I can see tropes that are still used in more modern movies."
"Roman Holiday is one of the earliest Romantic Comedies I've seen in which I can see tropes that are still used in more modern movies."
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23points
#12 Dr. Strangelove (1964)
shamwowj said:
"Dr. Strangelove."
"Dr. Strangelove."
clintj1975 replied:
"Mein Führer! I can walk!"
"Mein Führer! I can walk!"
aspidities_87 replied:
"When he’s struggling to hold his hand down I f*cking die every time."
"When he’s struggling to hold his hand down I f*cking die every time."
MrOnlineToughGuy replied:
"The movie pairs well with a nice glass of grain alcohol and rainwater."
"The movie pairs well with a nice glass of grain alcohol and rainwater."
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22points
#13 Psycho (1960)
CentralTown776 said:
"Psycho."
"Psycho."
JupiterTarts replied:
"I had the pleasure of going into this movie without knowing anything else but the shower scene and my god, what a thrill ride. Go into this movie as movie with as little information as you can, and you'll be in for a real treat."
"I had the pleasure of going into this movie without knowing anything else but the shower scene and my god, what a thrill ride. Go into this movie as movie with as little information as you can, and you'll be in for a real treat."
AntoblueSmithKiddo replied:
"To be completely honest, one of the reasons I hadn't watched Hitchcock movies was because I had a weird feeling of "obsolescence" because of old time and black & white film.
"To be completely honest, one of the reasons I hadn't watched Hitchcock movies was because I had a weird feeling of "obsolescence" because of old time and black & white film.
I couldn't be more wrong. I haven't been more intrigued by a movie in a long time. Literally i couldn't take my eyes of the screen and i was all the time at the edge of my seat.
Completely recommended."
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22points
#14 Harvey (1950)
BudgetGlittering350 said: "Harvey (1950)" junkeee999 replied: "One of my favorite movies. Years ago my mother used to say to me, she'd say, 'In this world, Elwood, you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant.' Well, for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant. You may quote me. This line has always stuck with me and has grown more true as time goes by. Learning to let go."
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20points
#15 The Bad Seed (1956)
SleepyAxew said: "The Bad Seed (1956)" throwaway33704 replied: "Sometimes when I annoy my mom I say 'oh I've got the prettiest mother' lol." APerfectCircle0 replied: "My favourite! Even better if you read the book first."
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20points
#16 Seven Samurai (1954)
SKINNERNSC said:
"Seven Samurai, original 1954 version."
DCDHermes replied:
"I mean, all of Kurosawa."
wingmasterjon replied:
"Everyone throwing out Samurai films but Ikiru and High and Low are my favorites from him."
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18points
#17 All About Eve (1950)
ronron5000 said: "All About Eve." BBMcBeadle replied: "Fasten your seatbelt… it’s going to be a bumpy night. I don’t know what’s better… that line or Bette Davis’ delivery. An amazing bit of Hollywood magic. Right up there with Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard Alright Mr DeMille, I’m Ready for My Closeup."
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18points
#18 All Quiet On The Western Front (1930)
SquareSquirrel224 said:
"All quiet on the western front."
"All quiet on the western front."
TriTowel replied:
"Had to scroll wayyyy too far for this. Very significant movie."
"Had to scroll wayyyy too far for this. Very significant movie."
Koi_002 replied:
"The fact that most of the actors were german WWI veterans make the film so much more visceral. A true anti war film."
"The fact that most of the actors were german WWI veterans make the film so much more visceral. A true anti war film."
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18points
#19 Citizen Kane (1941)
shamwowj said:
"Citizen Kane."
"Citizen Kane."
onemanandhishat replied:
"Citizen Kane is not only an excellent film in its own right, but the construction of shots were ahead of their time. For someone who wants to get into black and white films it's a great entry point because it feels like a modern film with a change in colour grading, as opposed to the more stagey composition of earlier films."
"Citizen Kane is not only an excellent film in its own right, but the construction of shots were ahead of their time. For someone who wants to get into black and white films it's a great entry point because it feels like a modern film with a change in colour grading, as opposed to the more stagey composition of earlier films."
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18points
#20 Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf (1966)
tryingtoactcasual said:
"Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"
"Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"
DidjaCinchIt replied:
"You can watch two marriages unravel for the price of one! I’ve seen a couple of live productions. They can’t hold a candle to Taylor & Burton."
"You can watch two marriages unravel for the price of one! I’ve seen a couple of live productions. They can’t hold a candle to Taylor & Burton."
unityforall replied:
"So good, but so heart wrenching."
"So good, but so heart wrenching."
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18points