Have you ever wondered what the cinema in the 1960s was like? As the New Hollywood era started in the mid-1960s, it was a notable decade marking a shift in how they made movies. To find out, read the following list (in no particular order) of popular movies from this period:
1) The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966)
This is one of the most top-rated movies of all time. Directed by Sergio Leone, this film is of the Western genre. A bounty hunting scam over a buried fortune. It led to the popularity of the actor Clint Eastwood. To this date, its soundtrack is popular among people of all age groups.
2) My Fair Lady (1964)
If you are an Audrey Hepburn fan, you must have watched this flick. A Broadway musical adaptation, its plot is about a phonetics professor making a wager. He tries to transform a low-society girl into a member of a high society. This movie garnered eight Oscar wins.
3) The Hustler (1961)
If sports betting is your thing, you will enjoy watching The Hustler. Starring Paul Newman as pool shark Eddie Felson who is out of money, he hustles his way to the top. It won two Oscars in the categories of the best cinematography and art direction.
4) Psycho (1960)
If you are into horror fiction, Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho won’t disappoint you. Its shower scene is still studied in film schools today. The story revolves around a secretary who goes on a run after embezzling money from her employer. To this day, this is one of the scariest movies of all time.
5) 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Don’t be surprised! Sci-fi was a thing back in the 1960s too. It won an Oscar for Best Effects. Directed by Stanley Kubrick, it starts with the find of an ancient monolith on the moon. There’s also a supercomputer HAL on the space mission.
6) Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
Once Upon a Time in the West is an Italian Western genre film directed by Sergio Leone. It’s about a mail-order bride who arrives in her new town to find her husband and his children killed by a gunman. Other men who had beef with this gunman embark on a mission to protect the widow. It’s a complex tale of greed and revenge.
7) The Sound of Music (1965)
It is a biographical film based on an Austrian woman Maria von Trap who wanted to become a nun. She becomes a governess of children of a widower and inspires them to be kinder beings. It won five Oscars, including that of Best Picture category.
8) Oliver (1968)
This film is adapted from the famous novel Oliver Twist written by Charles Dickens. Directed by Carol Reed, it portrays the life of an orphan who joins a gang of pickpockets. It was a recipient of six Academy Awards and two Golden Globes.
Humphrey Bogart gave a stellar performance as Dr. X in The Return of Dr. X in 1939. The American horror film, directed by Vincent Sherman, made an unforgettable mark. And for his impressive acting, Bogart helped the science fiction film become an iconic title in history!
Audrey Hepburn's beauty is timeless. Another admirable quality about her is her ability to show forgiveness. She shared how her father abandoned her family to support the Nazis. And while she felt hurt, she forgave him. On the subject, she says, "never throw out anyone."
Hollywood's Golden Age is memorable because of the establishment of the neighborhood as the home of movies and other milestones. It's also the age when the best classics came to life. Such masterpieces include Top Hat (1935), An Affair to Remember (1957), and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962).
Classic Movies and Hollywood’s Golden Age
Watching an outstanding film in a comfortable theater (with popcorn, of course) remains one of life’s simple pleasures. Unfortunately, they simply don’t make movies today like they used to. This blog site pays homage to Hollywood’s golden age when movies were still a source of inspiration and hope. Here, readers will find numerous essays and articles on the most celebrated films of the past, from Casablanca and The Great Dictator to Red River and It’s a Wonderful Life.
This site also features in-depth biographies of the greatest silver-screen legends of all time, including Humphrey Bogart, Anthony Quinn, and Audrey Hepburn, along with many, many others.
