35 Movies From Before 1975 That Everyone Needs To Watch At Least Once In Their Lifetime
1. "First, without a doubt, To Kill A Mockingbird (1962) is an essential movie. From acting to soundtrack."
2. "One of my favorite movies of all time is All About Eve (1950)."
3. " The Philadelphia Story (1940). Just a spot-on comedy, and Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, and Jimmy Stewart have never been better!"
4. " Sunset Boulevard (1950) is a masterpiece of the film noir genre."
5. " Vertigo (1958)! The music by Bernard Herrmann in the scene when Jimmy Stewart ascends the bell tower is the best in any Hitchcock movie, including Psycho."
6. " Rebel Without a Cause (1955) is essential viewing."
"First, James Dean — duh. His performance is equal parts charming and absolutely gutting. He is so beautifully vulnerable and yet unbelievably cool. Everyone should watch this to understand why his legend lingers.
Second, it tells an American story that anyone can relate to. There's just something traumatizing about being a teenager, and this movie really captures the challenges of being an outsider and not relating to an older generation that wants to buy you happiness but not sit down and get to know you. It might be set in the '50s but the themes resonate still."
— dreaminmom
7. "There are SO many great movies to choose from, but I'm going to pick what I think is the most classic horror movie...and that is The Exorcist (1973)."
"The reasons why to watch it are that it is known as one of the scariest films ever made, it has a deep, disturbing, and true representation of demonic possession, and it also dives into the topics of faith, doubt, and the human psyche.
All of that together makes it way more than just your typical jump-scare horror movie. All of these things together leave a big impact on the viewers, making them think about this film decades after it has been made or even possibly them seeing it. Every time I bring it up, my Mom always mentions how scary of a movie it is."
— klb215
8. " The Apartment (1960) with Shirley MacLaine and Jack Lemmon."
9. " The Shop Around The Corner (1940). Fans of You've Got Mail will recognize it."
10. " The African Queen (1951)! It is one of my all-time favorite adventure films with Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn."
11. " Singin' in the Rain (1952). It's one of my favorite movies of all time, and this is coming from a Gen Z'er. Truly a feel-good movie with so much to offer."
"The musical numbers are so impressive and exuberant. Every scene is so pitch-perfect that it's incredibly hard to choose a favorite moment.
However, the scenes that stand out to me the most are 'Moses' (the tap dancing in that is astounding!), 'Make 'Em Laugh' (Incredible tricks and flips), 'Singin' in the Rain' (the title song that's so beautifully performed in the rain), and the ballet scene where Gene Kelly dances with Cyd Charisse (I've had dreams about this scene, it is so magnificent and spellbinding).
I mean, the whole movie is really pitch-perfect from beginning to end, and the premise is timelessly funny and heartfelt."
— isabellalshulman
12. " A Clockwork Orange (1972). Disturbing as heck but oh so worthy of the watch!"
13. " Bringing Up Baby (1938). Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant magic."
14. " The Sound of Music (1965)!"
15. " Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)! Another Judy Garland film. My cousins and I always watched it whenever we went to our grandmother's house."
16. "I never get tired of watching Now, Voyager (1942). My all-time favorite. A classic and inspirational film for any age."
17. " Some Like It Hot (1959) is a great movie. It showed Marilyn Monroe's comedic talent and brought drag into the movies."
United Artists / Via youtube.com
19. " National Velvet (1944) with Mickey Rooney and Elizabeth Taylor."
Metro Goldwyn Mayer / Via youtube.com
"This movie portrays so much about how life should be. The parents in this movie are phenomenal!! Mr. and Mrs. Brown are the parents I always wished I had. The story is great, the actors superb, and overall, a heartwarming experience."
— emopony665
20. " The Sting (1973). One of the first and best heist movies. Paul Newman as a mentor to Robert Redford."
Universal Pictures / Via youtube.com
"Their chemistry, the music, and the rest of the cast all enhance the super smart heist shenanigans. I rewatch it every year!"
— d4bbf3190d
21. " Freebie and the Bean. The 1974 film with James Caan and Alan Arkin."
Warner Bros / Via youtu.be
"This is the movie that's the forerunner to all the cop 'buddy' films that followed. True, it has a gay villain who wouldn't be portrayed today the way he was back then, but don't let that scare you off.
The chemistry between Caan and Arkin is compelling, and the car chases are hilarious. With a solid supporting cast, two of whom were legitimate television stars at the time, this movie is an overlooked gem well worth the watch!"
— tropicanafilmstudios
22. " Stage Door (1937). This has some of the sharpest, wittiest, and smartest dialog of any movie ever."
RKO Radio Pictures / Via youtube.com
"Plus, the chemistry between Katharine Hepburn and Ginger Rogers is unlike anything seen in most movies since."
— scoobylovesgoofy
23. " Ben-Hur (1959). There's a reason why it was the first movie to win 11 Oscars."
Metro Goldwyn Mayer / Via youtube.com
— jungumper
24. " Wings (1927). It won the first Oscar for Best Picture!"
Paramount / Via youtube.com
— slycan58
25. "My fav? The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)."
Warner Bros / Via youtube.com
— witchypepper71
26. " Lawrence of Arabia (1962)."
Columbia Pictures / Via youtube.com
— cleverchair463
27. "Anything by the Marx Brothers, but especially Duck Soup (1933)."
Paramount Pictures / Via youtube.com
"Their work is still influencing comedy today and is funny AF!"
— lraine06492
28. " Double Indemnity (1944)."
Paramount Pictures / Via youtube.com
— indy1989
29. "I want to suggest 12 Angry Men (1957). It is an amazing character study. You have to watch the classics! They crawled so we could walk!"
United Artists / Via youtube.com
— sparklysalt40
30. " Portrait of Jennie (1948). I don't normally go for romantic movies, but this one was done exceptionally well."
Vanguard Films / Via youtube.com
— battery126
31. " Cool Hand Luke from 1967."
Warner Bros / Via youtube.com
"Paul Newman is a prisoner who refuses to submit to authority, especially when the punishment doesn't fit the crime."
— stephaniep461d11578
32. " Harvey (1950) is an amazing and under-watched Jimmy Stewart movie!"
Universal Pictures / Via youtube.com
— acinorevyenwod
33. " M*A*S*H from 1970. Directed by Robert Altman and starring Donald Sutherland, Elliott Gould, and Sally Kellerman, amongst others."
20th Century Fox / Via youtube.com
"The way Altman was able to create a movie set during the Korean War and bring humor and satire to a serious situation, all while addressing many of the social issues of the Vietnam War era, is absolutely brilliant."
— markh63
34. " Rear Window (1954)."
Paramount Pictures / Via youtube.com
— kaelanolsen
35. And finally: " Spartacus (1960). Directed by Stanley Kubrick."
Universal / Via youtube.com
"With Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, and Tony Curtis. I watch it every year or two. Still an amazing movie."
— chaz2013
We can't fit every film into one post, so which other classic Hollywood movies do YOU think are essential viewing? Tell us in the comments below!
Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
Also, if you're a Letterboxd user, you can find the list of these movies here.
If you're wondering where to watch these classic films, many of them can be streamed, so make sure to check out your go-to streaming services for these movies.
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