I love watching lists on YouTube, and one of the guys I like watching is Daniel over on The Cobwebs Channel. He’s a fan of all things horror, so his lists often reflect that. One series of videos he made is his favourite horror films of each decade, starting with the 30s. I was inspired to make my own version of that, but not only horror films. So be prepared for a grab bag of stuff, hehe. I’m not really a fan of old timey films, so my first post will be for the 70s and before, and I was only able to find 12 that I really loved. Starting next post, though, it’ll be a top 30, and I had all the trouble in the world to keep it at 30. So, without further ado, here’s my favourite films of the 70s (and before)!
Number 12
Title: Cleopatra
Year: 1963
Plot: Queen Cleopatra VII of Egypt experiences both triumph and tragedy as she attempts to resist the imperial ambitions of Rome.
Starring: Elizabeth Taylor, Rex Harrison, Richard Burton, George Cole, Hume Cronyn, Cesare Danova, Kenneth Haigh, Andrew Keir, Martin Landau, Roddy McDowall, Robert Stephens, Pamela Brown
Directed by: Joseph L Mankiewicz, Rouben Mamoulian
Based on a book?: Yes, The Life and Times of Cleopatra by Carlo Maria Franzero
Notes: I absolutely love ancient history, so it’s almost a given that I’d love this. It’s beautiful, it’s lush, the costumes are out of this world (and cost a pretty penny, even in 1960s terms). The only reason it’s not higher up on the list is the second half of the film lulls a bit and is not nearly as good as the first half. The film is also unbelievably long, clocking in at 5h 20m, which I wouldn’t have minded if the Marc Antony part was as good as the Julius Caesar part.
Number 11
Title: The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Year: 1975
Plot: A rain-soaked couple take refuge in the castle of a (sweet) transvestite mad scientist from outer space who is about to unveil his greatest creation.
Starring: Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, Richard O’Brien, Patricia Quinn, Little Nell Campbell, Peter Hinwood, Jonathan Adams, Meat Loaf, Charles Gray
Directed by: Jim Sharman
Based on a book?: No
Notes: I hated this film the first time I saw it. I don’t even remember who got me to give it a second chance, but I thank them. This is one of only 2 musicals in any of these lists, cause I’m generally not a fan (I’m not counting Disney films as musicals, they’re their own beast). It’s silly, it’s campy and it’s a lot of fun.
Number 10
Title: Dracula
Year: 1979
Plot: In 1913, the charming, seductive and sinister vampire Count Dracula travels to England in search of an immortal bride.
Starring: Frank Langella, Laurence Olivier, Kate Nelligan, Donald Pleasence, Trevor Eve, Jan Francis, Tony Haygarth
Directed by: John Badham
Based on a book?: Yes, Dracula by Bram Stoker
Notes: This is the first iteration of Dracula that I ever saw (when I was probably too young), and so when I saw Bram Stoker’s Dracula in 1992, I was confused as to why they switched Mina and Lucy’s characters. Imagine my surprise when I read the book and found that the ’92 version had the right of it. I still have no idea why this version switched the names. It’s a little long winded at times, but it’s a beautiful film, Langella is very smooth as the Count.
Number 9
Title: Psycho
Year: 1960
Plot: A woman on the run stops for the night at a lonely motel where she meets the nice, if a little odd, Norman Bates.
Starring: Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, John Gavin, Martin Balsam, John McIntire, Simon Oakland
Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
Based on a book?: Yes, Psycho by Robert Bloch
Notes: What can I say about this classic, besides the fact that it’s almost surprising I like it as much as I do? I’m generally not a fan of old timey movies, and I’m generally not a fan of slashers, but there are exceptions to everything. I also can’t deny the effect that this film had on the horror industry as a whole. Being done by a respected director, it put the whole world on notice that horror was more than B-movies.
Number 8
Title: The Ghost and Mrs Muir
Year: 1947
Plot: In 1900, a young widow finds her seaside cottage is haunted and forms a unique relationship with the ghost.
Starring: Gene Tierney, Rex Harrison, George Sanders, Edna Best, Vanessa Brown, Anna Lee
Directed by: Joseph L Mankiewicz
Based on a book?: Yes, The Ghost and Mrs Muir by Josephine Leslie (under the pseudonym RA Dick)
Notes: Such a cozy, warm movie. I loved the interaction between the gruff old sea captain’s ghost and the eponymous Mrs Muir. I really don’t have much to say about this film besides I was pleasantly surprised that I loved it.
Number 7
Title: Some Like it Hot
Year: 1959
Plot: After two male musicians witness a mob hit, they flee the state in an all-female band disguised as women, but further complications set in.
Starring: Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, Marilyn Monroe, George Raft, Pat O’Brien, Joe E Brown, Joan Shawlee
Directed by: Billy Wilder
Based on a book?: No
Notes: I absolutely love this film. Yes, the relationships are a little problematic when you think too hard about it, but it’s so charming, so romantic, even funny at times. And Marilyn Monroe was stunning!
Number 6
Title: Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Year: 1956
Plot: A small-town doctor learns that the population of his community is being replaced by emotionless alien duplicates.
Starring: Kevin McCarthy, Dana Wynter, Larry Gates, King Donovan, Carolyn Jones, Jean Willes, Ralph Dumke, Virginia Christine
Directed by: Don Siegel
Based on a book?: Yes, The Body Snatchers by Jack Finney
Notes: When this title is brought up, it’s usually the 70s version that gets all the love. But I prefer this one by leaps and bounds. The sense of creeping dread is there just under the surface, and it’s wonderfully executed.
Number 5
Title: Robin Hood
Year: 1973
Plot: Robin Hood, an outlaw with a heart of gold, must save his beloved Nottingham from the evil Prince John all the while wooing his childhood love, Maid Marian.
Starring: Brian Bedford, Phil Harris, Monica Evans, Peter Ustinov, Terry-Thomas, Andy Devine, Pat Buttram, Roger Miller, Carole Shelley
Directed by: Wolfgang Reitherman, David Hand
Based on a book?: While the story itself originates from poems written starting in the 14th century, the first real book written about Robin Hood was The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle
Notes: This was one of my favourite movies growing up, so imagine my surprise to learn that it was not well received when it came out. Sure, the character of Little John is basically just Baloo from The Jungle Book (even voiced by the same actor), but the film itself is fun and sweet with some great songs.
Number 4
Title: The Last Man on Earth
Year: 1964
Plot: When a disease turns all of humanity into the living dead, the last man on earth becomes a reluctant vampire hunter.
Starring: Vincent Price, Franca Bettoia, Emma Danieli, Giacomo Rossi Stuart, Umberto Raho
Directed by: Ubaldo Ragona, Sidney Salkow
Based on a book?: Yes, I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
Notes: Vincent Price is an absolute legend in the horror community, and even though I haven’t seen many of his films, I know this. This film is dark, bleak, and lonely, with a gut punch ending. An absolute hidden classic in my opinion.
Number 3
Title: Wizards
Year: 1977
Plot: On a post-apocalyptic Earth, a wizard and his faire folk comrades fight an evil wizard who’s using technology in his bid for conquest.
Starring: Bob Holt, Jesse Welles, Richard Romanus, David Proval, Steve Gravers, Jim Connell, Peter Hobbs, Mark Hamill
Directed by: Ralph Bakshi
Based on a book?: No
Notes: I saw this when I was way too young to appreciate the gravity of what was happening in this world. Now that I’m older, I still love it, but for entirely different reasons. This animation is definitely not for kids. Unless, of course, we’re talking about a kid like me, hehe.
Number 2
Title: The Sword in the Stone
Year: 1963
Plot: A poor boy named Arthur learns the power of love, kindness, knowledge and bravery with the help of a wizard called Merlin in the path to become one of the most beloved kings in English history.
Starring: Rickie Sorensen, Karl Swenson, Junius Matthews, Sebastian Cabot, Norman Alden, Martha Wentworth, Alan Napier
Directed by: Wolfgang Reitherman, Clyde Geronimi, David Hand
Based on a book?: Yes, The Sword in the Stone by TH White
Notes: This is one of my absolute favourite Disney movies of all time. While my love of others that I saw as a kid has somewhat faded, I can still watch this one and love it as much as I did back then. It’s so much fun! The scene where Archimedes is laughing his ass off at Merlin after he got his beard stuck in the propellers of a toy airplane gets me every time.
Number 1
Title: The Exorcist
Year: 1973
Plot: When a malevolent entity possesses a young girl, her mother seeks the help of two Catholic priests to save her life.
Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair, Jason Miller, Max von Sydow, Lee J Cobb, Kitty Winn, Jack MacGowran, William O’Malley, Rudolf Schündler
Directed by: William Friedkin
Based on a book?: Yes, The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty
Notes: As if this is a surprise to anyone who knows me. Thinking of other horror films of the era, this one just stands head and shoulders above the rest. It’s such a bleak film, dealing with things such as the loss of faith and despair. Yes, of course, there are the gross out and scary scenes, but the film is so much more then that. I strongly recommend it to anyone who loves horror and for some reason still haven’t seen it. It holds up surprisingly well for a film made in the early 70s.
And that’s my list! What are your favourites?
Stay tuned for the 80s, coming soon!
M.
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