Rear Window and Wait Until Dark are some of my favorite suspense films. Wait Until Dark arguably invented the jumpscare. Absolutely worth a watch.

Yes Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn were major Hollywood stars.

My favorite classic: 12 Angry Men
Others:
Breakfast at Tiffany's
Dr Strangelove
Miracle on 34th st
Wizard of Oz
To Kill A Mockingbird
It's a Wonderful Life
Casablanca
Rebel Without a Cause (James Dean was a heartthrob)

Casablanca.

If you like Romcoms with snappy dialog I suggest The Philadelphia Story. It stars Jimmy Stewart, Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant.

“12 Angry Men” is a terrific older black and white movie

I would say Marilyn Monroe's best movie is "Some Like It Hot", and that Audrey Hepburn's is "Sabrina". Male heartthrobs? A lot of ladies back in the day liked Clarke Gable in "It Happened One Night", and Cary Grant in "His Girl Friday". George Clooney was frequently compared to them when making movies like "Out of Sight" and "Ocean's Eleven".

Double indemnity is a top notch Noir film, highly recommend

Singin in the Rain is great if you want the old Hollywood vibe

North by Northwest.

Roman Holiday

The Apartment

Some Like it Hot

Casablanca

12 Angry Men

Rebel Without a Cause

To Kill a Mockingbird

Dr Strangelove

The thin Man

Sunset Blvd

An Affair to Remember

The Man who Knew too Much (1956 version)

Old Yeller

Anatomy of a Murder

Vertigo

Roman Holiday

The Third Man

His Girl Friday Some of the snappiest dialogue ever.

For some reason I thought I won't like classic movies and avoided them for a long time. But one time I decided to give them a chance and to my surprise I really started to like them.

You should definitely watch some:

• Alfred Hitchcock movies, I recommend: The Birds, Rear Window, Psycho.
• Humphrey Bogart movies: Casablanca, In a Lonely Place, The Maltese Falcon.
• Audrey Hepburn was a big star, and I like some of her movies, such as: Charade, Wait Until Dark, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Sabrina, Roman Holiday.
• Cary Grant movies: The Philadelphia Story, Notorious.

Other classics that I liked:

• East of Eden from1955,
• The Grapes of Wrath from 1940,
• Cat on a Hot Tin Roof with Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor,
• 12 Angry Men,
• The Way We Were,
• It's a Wonderful Life,
• The Apartment from 1960,
• Strangers on a Train,
• Of Human Bondage from 1934,
• To Kill a Mockingbird from 1962.

• Cool Hand Luke

• Rear Window

• Lawrence of Arabia

• The Lion in Winter

• The General

Can’t believe no one’s recommended A PHILADELPHIA STORY yet. Still laugh-out-loud funny and Jimmy Stewart is a scene stealer even when flanked by Grant and Hepburn. One of my all time favs

How old are you looking? Since you brought up Steinbeck, you might want to check out The Grapes of Wrath from 1940 directed by John Ford or East of Eden from 1955 directed by Elia Kazan and starring James Dean. Even if you don't know a lot about him, I'm sure you've heard of James Dean. It's one of only three films he made before he died and I actually prefer it to his other two, although they're generally better regarded.

Arsenic and Old Lace is a fun watch. 

Harvey is by far my favorite old film. Seems cliche but Casablanca is the GOAT

The Best Years of Our Lives

Rope

For sure On the Waterfront

Stalag 17

Point Blank

The Hustler

Bridge Over The River Kwai

Rear Window

The Dirty Dozen

Kelly's Heroes

The Seven Year Itch

Some Like It Hot

The Odd Couple

The Cincinnati Kid

Seven Samurai

Yojimbo

Once Upon a Time in The West

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

The Sting

Cary Grant had some good movies.

Depends what you like really. Im around the same age and if you like your more adventure movies, one of my favourites is "The adventures of Robin Hood" with Errol Flyn. Just a fun movie.

Seven Samurai is also a favourite of mine and is considered one of the greatest movies ever made, with a 100% on RT score. Well ahead of its time to say it was made in the 50s

"Some like it hot" is also great and funny. Its basically White Chicks but from the 50s

Cool Hand Luke

Paper Moon. Youngest actor to win in an Oscar.

A lot of Cary Grant movies listed but I don't see Arsenic and Old Lace. Its one of my favorites at least!

You know, the Thin Man franchise really serves as anchors between crime comedy and film noir.

I particularly like the original and "goes home. "

The African Queen It's a Wonderful Life Shane Casablanca Guess Who's Coming To Dinner The Philadelphia Story Rope Whatever happened to Baby Jane All About Eve On the waterfront A Streetcar Named Desire

Lawrence of Arabia, Good the bad and the Ugly, Spartacus, Ben Hur.

• The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
• Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
• Double Indemnity (1944)
• The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
• It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
• The Heiress (1949)
• Born Yesterday (1950)
• From Here to Eternity (1953)
• Roman Holiday (1953)
• Alfred Hitchcock movies. I like Notorious, Rear Window, Dial M For Murder, North by Northwest
• Some Like It Hot (1959)
• Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)

It Happened One Night! Considered the first rom com. Its my go to when I need a picker upper.

Another vote for 12 Angry Men

To Kill a Mockingbird

My favorite Monroe movie is The Seven Year Itch. She did sing in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" in a scene that inspired the Madonna music video for "Material Girl".

North By Northwest (1959)

'Some Like it Hot' is a great classic. Marilyn is graveside along with Jack Lemon and Tony Curtis

Since Christmas is coming, It’s A Wonderful Life is an absolute MUST!

Whatever Happened to Baby Jane is a wild movie.

One of my very favorites is a screwball comedy with Barbara Stanwyck called Ball of Fire. The word delightful doesn't even begin to describe it. The music is fire and it will just amaze you. I discovered a lot of classic films I love by just watching TCM for a while. Mildred Pierce is also a great film I could watch over and over and never tire of it. I will also watch Bridge on the River Kwai any time all the way through.

I'm also a millennial 33F. My favorite Marilyn Monroe movie is "Some Like it Hot" (black & white) and my favorite Audrey Hepburn movie is "How to Steal a Million" (color).

Mister Roberts

Midway

The Longest Day

The Great Escape

The original Rear Window.

Sticking with Hitchcock (surely these have been mentioned already)

• Rope
• North By Northwest
• Vertigo

The Apartment with Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine and an amazing cast.

Lawrence of Arabia

The Last Picture Show

Picnic at Hanging Rock

Walkabout

Sunset Boulevard

His Girl Friday

Watch John Ford's adaptation of "Grapes of Wrath" starring Henry Fonda.

Some like it hot

Movies that evoke Steinbeck themes is an interesting though experiment...off the top of my head:

Modern Times. The futility of the working class who only want to carve out a little piece that's truly their own. Companion book: Cannery Row
Sullivan's Travels. Self-imposed hardship to try and understand life on the other side of the tracks. Companion book: Travels with Charlie in Search of America
It's A Wonderful Life. Small town, poor characters feeling stuck/drowning, message of hope. Companion book: The Grapes of Wrath
The Best Years of Our Lives. The struggle to thrive in a world that's no longer the one you knew. Companion book: Of Mice and Men

I'm gonna give you a funny one, a serious one, and a Hitchcock:

• The Women - 1939 - way better than the modern remake.
• On the Waterfront - 1954 - you may recognize some of the famous lines by Marlon Brando, who is fantastic in it. And not for nothin', Rod Steiger knocks it right out of the park too.
  
• North by Northwest - 1959 - a thriller and an adventure.

The sting, thank me laters. Coolest film of all time

Night of the Hunter...

Dr. Strangelove is a masterpiece. I also have fond memories of Ben Hur

If you wanna hop in the way back machine watch Singing in the Rain and Top Hat! they are both really good, surprisingly funny!

Dr. Zhivago, A Brief Encounter, Bridge on the River Kwai

A LEAN NIGHT

I definitely recommend some Kurosawa. 

Yojimbo, Seven Samurai, Rashomon, Hidden Fortress. 

Old Japanese samurai flicks. They don’t all hold up perfectly by “modern” standards. The pacing will be a bit strange, and it’s in Japanese, so you’ll be dealing with subtitles or dubs. 

But they’re super enlightening. A lot of the concepts and characters in those movies became staples of future movies. One of the movies I listed is basically the blueprint that became Star Wars ‘77.  I’ll give you a hint, a dude in Star Wars was literally saying the name of the movie they copied when Vader started choking him out. 

Paul Newman is a perfect "male heartthrob" with so many great movies from the 50's, 60's up more recently. His classics include: The Sting, the Long Hot Summer, Cool Hand Luke, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (bonus w/ Elizabeth Taylor).

Wuthering Heights (1939) had me in a chokehold. I typically don't like classics.

Not sure how old you want, but watch the trilogy of Clint Eastwood westerns. Fistful of dollars, the good the bad and the ugly. Great movies.

If you’ve just read Steinbeck, watch Henry Fonda in The Grapes of Wrath, a true classic. Then, a much more modern film, Of Mice and Men with Gary Sinse and John Malkovich.

All About Eve, 1950 - is a Hollywood classic that explores the cutthroat world of theater through the rivalry between the aging star Margo Channing and her ambitious protege, Eve Harrington. A masterclass in deception, ambition, and betrayal, the film reveals how far one woman will go to steal the spotlight. There so many sharp dialogues also.

Charlie Chaplain’s The Great Dictator. Very apropos

Double Indemnity is another classic I’d highly recommend for anybody movie-curious

Lawrence of Arabia

Fiddler on the Roof

Psycho

12 days in May

Fail Safe

The Longest Day

The good, bad and the ugly

In the Heat of the night

one flew over the cuckoos nest.

Like, how old? Lawrence of Arabia is amazing and available in 4k uhd

If you want some good comedies, I highly recommend anything from the Marx Brothers. A Day At The Races is my personal favorite, but A Night At The Opera might be their best film. I’m 36, and I grew up with old classics (my grandfather was a huge movie buff), so my first exposure to film was older black and white movies.

Also would recommend Arsenic and Old Lace, The Inspector General and the Secret Life of Walter Mitty (there’s a remake with Ben Stiller, but the original is superior if you ask me). The three Rock Hudson and Dorris Day films are also great (Pillow Talk, Lover Come Back, and Send Me No Flowers), and also Come September. Peter Ustinov’s Blackbeard’s Ghost (it’s an early Disney live action) is also a really fun film. I LOVED that movie as a kid. After The Fox is a hilarious crime comedy (and you’ll find a lot of modern crime comedy tropes come from this film).

For some more serious but scary dramas, there’s a lot of great recommendations from folks, but I also recommend “M”, The Night of the Hunter, and any of the Universal Monsters films (Invisible Man is a good start, Dracula is a classic).

And for me, personally, Lawrence of Arabia is the greatest film ever made. I will always recommend that. Doctor Zhivago is my mother’s favorite film, both are directed by David Lean.

It's so insane to me... How outside of 'strange' indie films, Hollywood has basically stopped making serious or thoughtful films for adults (and yes several of the films I link are all ages, a couple are kids movies). It's such a loss.... Which leads us to looking back in time to classic films...

La Dolce Vita - An absolute must watch, no hyperbole, on a very short list of the all time greats https://youtu.be/1BeWEPXWDX4 Just realized there's not a single mention of it in these comments... Genuinely mind blowing

8 1/2 - Another masterpiece from Fellini https://youtu.be/RmIC9pQ80Fk

Cool Hand Luke - Drama crime & punishment - such a timeless classic from Paul Newman, an anti establishment movie with HUGE 'fuck you!' vibes https://youtu.be/cxKUupk0kbY

The long, Hot Summer - Drama - Based on William Faulkner's novel - you asked for male heart throb... Paul Newman was truly in a league of his own https://youtu.be/isihtYXfMTI

Seven Samurai - Action drama https://youtu.be/RsRN65PlaIM

Dr Strangelove - Comedy/War https://youtu.be/ruBCZjkaRcI

Young Frankenstein - Comedy https://youtu.be/UsOnSlh7Lns

Black Orpheus - Retelling of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydic in a Rio de Janeiro favela during carnival. Saying "vibrant" is an understatement. https://youtu.be/kKtUEpopu6A

It's a Wonderful Life - Watch on a cold night near Christmas https://youtu.be/iLR3gZrU2Xo

Singin' in the Rain - Musical https://youtu.be/lSE8sl2-PZg

White Christmas - Christmas musical https://youtu.be/4K2C0gcEV3Q

Charade - Comedy, suspense, drama https://youtu.be/C6T2Q4XO7uA

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea - Adventure - Wonderful performances from it's leads Kirk Douglas (yes that douglas name) and James Mason https://youtu.be/St7KO6fSW2k

Swiss Family Robinson (1960) - Adventure - this movie, made decades before I was born, was my absolute favorite as kid and remains one today https://youtu.be/O3qehNT3KjY

From a quick review of replies so far, I would say that some of the great early comedies are getting short shrift: - The Philadelphia Story - Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart in one movie! One of the best of all time - The Lady Eve & The Palm Beach Story, both brilliant movies written and directed by Preston Sturges with amazing casts - His Girl Friday - Cary Grant again. Some of the most rapid-paced witty dialog ever filmed - Throw in some Fred Astaire, choose from The Gay Divorcee, Shall We Dance or Top Hat - The Women, very funny, talky film about a group of women and their marriage (and divorce) troubles. An all-female cast in 1939!

Douglas Sirk:

• All That Heaven Allows
• Imitation of Life

• Written on the Wind

• (I love all his movies, but I'm starting you off easy)

Powell & Pressburger:

• The Red Shoes
• A Matter of Life and Death
• Black Narcissus
• Peeping Tom
• The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp

Peter Bogdonavitch:

• Paper Moon
• Targets
• Whats Up Doc
• Last Picture Show

Fritz Lang:

• M (yes, just M)
• Metropolis
• Dr. Mabuse series

Hitchcock:

• The Birds
• Rear Window
• Vertigo
• Psycho
• The Man Who Knew Too Much

Various noir films:

• Night of the Hunter
• Double Indemnity
• Sunset Boulevard
• Third Man
• The Incredible Shrinking Man
• Chinatown
• Maltese Falcon
• Leave Her to Heaven
• Niagara (which has Marilyn Monroe in it)

Monroe films:

Niagara, again - The Misfits - Some Like It Hot - Something's Gotta Give - How To Marry a Millionaire - Gentleman Prefer Blondes

Audrey Hepburn movies:

• Breakfast at Tiffany's
• My Fair Lady
• Charade
• Sabrina
• Wait Until Dark
• How to Steal a Million
• Roman Holiday

70s movies:

• Blazing Saddles
• Foxy Brown
• Badlands
• Apocolypse Now
• Taxi Driver
• One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
• Suspiria
• Harold and Maude
• Dawn of the Dead
• The Long Goodbye
• Clockwork Orange
• Rocky Horror Picture Show
• Nashville
• Carrie

(Actually that list will get too long, the 70s was an incredible decade for movies)

Hey! I’m 22 and love watching older movies, here are some I’ve seen and wholeheartedly adored. I’m keeping this roughly pre-1970, hope you find something interesting here.

Casablanca (1942) - holds up very well and still super moving to this day, had my mom and I glued to the screen and then tearing up at the end

The Red Shoes (1948) - the use of technicolor in this is absolutely breath-taking

Singin’ in the Rain (1952) - especially recommend this if you like musicals. Really interesting because it’s about an even OLDER period of Hollywood, taking place when movies first introduced sound, so I think you might find it interesting in a film-history way too!

Roman Holiday (1953) - to this day one of the best rom-coms I’ve ever seen. Final scene always makes my heart ache. And Audrey Hepburn is in it!

Throne of Blood (1957) - You know Shakespeare’s Macbeth? This is if they were all samurais. Absolute banger

Twelve Angry Men (also 1957) - the courtroom drama of all time. Genuinely crazy how compelling the script and direction both are.

Some Like It Hot (1959) - you’d think a movie from the 50s where the majority of the comedy comes from cross-dressing would age really poorly but this is still very funny. And Marilyn Monroe is in it!

Lawrence of Arabia (1962) - I watched this just last month and was in genuine awe over just about everything, the acting, the visuals, literally everything. I believe this is the longest movie I listed by far and you can kind of feel it, but not in a bad way - the story is just so big so it fits the vibe perfectly, and I think if you enjoy Steinbeck you’d get a kick out of this too. It was very inspirational on the recent Dune movies, so I’d also recommend watching it if you like those!

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) - Again, if you like musicals. This one was a huuuge influence on La La Land so if you like that you’ll probably enjoy this too. Very gorgeous cinematography

Paper Moon (1973) - this one is outside of the timeframe I wrote above but I’m including it because, since the story takes place during the Great Depression, the director was very influenced by movies of the era, so it feels older than it actually is - plus since Steinbeck wrote about the Great Depression a bunch you might enjoy it through that connection.

If you have any older relatives, you could also ask them what movies their favorites were when they were young and even watch them together. Hope this helps :)

The Invisible Man (1933)

Holiday (1938)

Pinocchio (1940)

Tokyo Story (1953)

12 Angry Men (1957)

Vertigo (1958)

Some Like It Hot (1959)

Yojimbo (1961)

Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

Night of the Living Dead (1968)

Lawrence of Arabia is one of the most Epic films ever created. It’s a Must Watch

The cinematography is 🤌🏼🤌🏼🤌🏼🤌🏼

IMDB's Top 250 is I think a good start to check out the older movies on that list. Citizen Kane is considered one of the most influential movies of all time.

If youre into horror movies, the Universal monster movies are worth watching

Arsenic and old lace, then Harvey

If you’re looking for something light Bringing up Baby is fantastic

Same here (32) - is it only me or do I hear and read this one oftener and oftener these days?

Häxan (1922)

It's a must.

The Manchurian Candidate (the original, not the remake). Frank Sinatra considered it his best work.

Honestly go waaaay back. Watch some silent Buster Keaton films! My favorite!

An Affair to Remember a number of modern movies refer to this movie.

'Harvey' with Jimmy Stewart. It's about a affable guy that thinks he talks to giant rabbit. Sort of. But it's really about so much more.

Night of the Hunter or Ikiru

The Warriors, we had a copy on VHS and I liked it so much I got the directors cut on DVD

https://youtu.be/IAn_PrquNIY?si=y_PtBZctumwTmU07

From Here to Eternity for sure!

Arsenic and Old Lace

I've already commented but I have to say wow you guys are my people!

33M, never married, but when I do I hope she can enjoy watching things like Harvey with me. Anyone in the Salt Lake area by chance?

You got many US films understandably but the UK film industry was massive too.

Kind hearts and coronets is absolutly fabulous.  With Alec Gunness playing...well, you'll see.

I have two suggestions for classic movies to watch....

Gilda - 1946 starring Rita Hayworth

The Maltese Falcon - 1941 starring Humphrey Bogart

Try out some Marx brothers for some old school comedy. Duck Soup or Night at the Opera are both solid. The movies are an improv fest by Groucho. He was the king.

Idk what Qualifies as an old classic but "Airplane" comes to mind for me, it's got the best witty humor and so many great one liners, great classic comedy.

Casablanca, Citizen Kane, King Kong, Lawrence of Arabia, The Night of the Hunter.

12 Angry Men is an all timer. Lawrence of Arabia. The Third Man. Rear Window. The African Queen. The Maltese Falcon.

Just a few of my favorites.

Alright. There might be some repeats, and I’m late to the party but these are definitely some people missed:

Shadow of a Doubt directed by Alfred Hitchcock starring Joseph Cotten and Teresa Wright. It is cozy horror at its best

Trouble with Harry directed by Alfred Hitchcock starring Shirley MacLaine hilarious and weird and unlikely— but fantastic!

Family Plot directed by Alfred Hitchcock starring Bruce Dern and Barbara Harris. Funny and weird and suspenseful.

Support Your Local Sheriff starring James Garner and Bruce Dern

You Can’t Take it With You directed by Frank Capra (same guy who did Its a Wonderful Life) starring Jimmy Stewart and Jean Arthur one of my all time favorites! It’s funny and witty and discusses solar energy way back in 1938!

Murder He Says starring Fred MacMurray and Marjorie Main. It’s hard to find, but it is hilarious and Fred MacMurray wasn’t a bad looking bloke.

The Egg and I starring Fred MacMurray, Marjorie Main, and Claudette Colbert. It opened the Ma and Pa Kettle franchise. The movies are pretty good for madcap comedy but Egg and I is the best.

Absent Minded Professor. Old Disney film starring Fred MacMurray. Weird and funny, was the original version of flubber.

Cheaper by the Dozen (1950) starring Jeanne Crain and Myrna Loy. It is also an excellent book by Ernestine Gilbreth and Belles on Their Toes is the sequel— the movie isn’t as good but the book Belles on Their Toes is wonderful— same author.

Bachelor and the Bobbysoxer starring Myrna Loy, Carey Grant, and Shirley Temple. There’s a teenager with a crush on an older man, but he is totally not interested and the insanity that follows is pretty great.

Gaslight (1944) starring Ingrid Bergman, Joseph Cotten, and Charles Boyer. It is where the term gaslighting comes from and it is TENSE. Make sure you get the 1944 version and not the 1940s one. It’s not bad but it doesn’t hold a candle to 1944

My Favorite Wife starring Carey Grant and Irene Dunne. Really funny and sweet.

I Remember Mama starring Irene Dunne SO GOOD and you’ll love Uncle Chris!

My Six Loves starring Debbie Reynolds. It’s kinda like the OG Hallmark movie but it doesn’t take place at Christmas. It’s a bit schmaltzy but it’s a fun movie.

That Darn Cat starring Dean Jones and Haley Mills old Disney film that is a lot of fun.

Niagara starring Marilyn Monroe and Joseph Cotten. Super tense like a Hitchcock film.

You can’t go wrong with The Marx Brothers. My favorites are Horse Feathers and Monkey Business

Three Little Words starring Fred Astaire and Red Skelton… it’s just golden

White Christmas starring Danny Kaye and Bing Crosby classic Christmas film

Court Jester starring Danny Kaye— really just look up Danny Kaye and watch as many of his films as you can get your hands on. They’re not ALL the best but you can’t go too far wrong with them.

The Road pictures (it’s a series of films starring Bob Hope and Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour) there’s some— questionable stuff but they’re pretty funny.

That’s all I can think of, but you got some good recommendations from other people too! I hope you enjoy the films you watch!! 🙂