| Classic Films to Watch With Children |
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Howard Hawks’ classic screwball comedy about a palaeontologist (Cary Grant) losing a dinosaur bone to a dog belonging to an heiress played by Katherine Hepburn. “Baby” is a leopard belonging to Hepburn’s aunt, and a series of escapades ensues.
One of Fred Astaire’s classic films, with Ginger Rogers. Astaire plays a dancer (surprise surprise), Jerry Travers, preparing for his new show when he meets Dale Tremont (Ginger Rogers), who mistakes him for his producer who is already married. Irving Berlin’s score and graceful dancing by Astaire and Rogers, to tunes such as “Top Hat, White Tie and Tails” and “Cheek to Cheek” make this a delight.
Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds star in this movie (many think it’s the best movie musical ever made) about a film company making the move from silent films to the “talkies”. It includes the classic songs such as “Good Morning”, “All I Do Is Dream of You” and of course, the title song, with Gene Kelly running around splashing in puddles.
A film crew heads off to a Skull Island where the female blonde star played by Fay Wray is kidnapped by the natives as a sacrifice to a 30 foot tall gorilla. The crew must rescue her, dodging giant dinosaurs, managing finally to capture King Kong to bring him back to New York.
Professor Lindenbrook (played by James Mason) leads an expedition to the centre of the Earth, encountering all sorts of prehistoric monsters and fabulous things on the way. At the time, the special effects were considered spectacular but this adaptation of Jules Verne’s novel can still be enjoyed by all the family.
Frank Capra’s film about a naïve and idealistic scout leader played by James Stewart, who is appointed to the U.S. senate, remains a classic and rightly so. Stewart discovers the shortcomings of the political system and is forced to stand up for what’s right. Watch out for the “filibuster” scene.
A rip-roaring adventure starring Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland and Basil Rathbone, this is the good old tale of Robin Hood and his band of Merry Men, robbing from the rich and giving to the poor. Flynn shines as Robin Hood, managing to escape the clutches of the evil Sir Guy of Gisbourne, and of course, woo the fair Maid Marian. Wonderful stuff.
The film that was always on at Christmas time, “The Sound of Music” with its Rogers and Hammerstein soundtrack is an enjoyable tale of a failed nun, Maria, who goes to work as a governess for Navy Captain Von Trapp’s seven children who are motherless. Maria teaches them all to sing and have fun, winning the Captain’s heart in the end. But Nazi Germany looms on the horizon, threatening to spoil a happy ending.
Ms Rose Sayers (played by Katherine Hepburn) is a straight-laced missionary in Africa who persuades Charlie Allnut (Humphrey Bogart) to take her back to “civilisation” after her Reverend father has died. Charlie has an old steamer, The African Queen, and during the course of the journey during the First World War, Rose persuades Charlie to use his boat to attack an enemy warship.
Basil Rathbone stars as Sherlock Holmes in this adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s book, filled with foggy moors, a strange house and mysterious curse against the heirs to the Baskerville estate involving a howling hound. Sherlock Holmes and his trusty sidekick, Dr. Watson, solve the mystery.
Other suggestions:
Some Like It Hot To Kill a Mockingbird The Day The Earth Stood Still Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Wizard of Oz Mary Poppins The Thief of Bagdad The Swiss Family Robinson High Noon
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