Most Watched Classic Movies
Posted on 22 Feb 00:00 
Citizen Kane (1941)
This 1941 mystery drama film examines the life and the legacy of the main actor, Charles Foster Kane, a successful newspaper publishing magnate whose last dying word was 'rosebud'. This sets off a scramble to discover the meaning the word 'rosebud'.
This movie is made up of several flashbacks from the millionaire Kane's life, from his childhood years to how he rose to fame. The character of Charles Foster Kane more than aptly played by Orson Welles. Welles wore many hats for this film: producer, co-screenwriter, director and star.
As we learn in the film, is one of America's most powerful men. After his death and in a bid to uncover the meaning of his last words, a newspaper reporter, Jerry Thompson (William Alland) makes his way into Kane's past and discovered that Kane was torn away from his family during childhood. He eventually becomes a newspaperman and marrys the niece of a would-be US president. What starts from a social service turns into a pursuit for power, as Kane edges closer and closer to power.
However, the money and power do not bring Kane happiness as he loses his earlier noble values as he strives for more power.
Gone With The Wind 1939
Gone With The Wind is an epic historical romance movie, which was adapted from the 1936 novel of the same title, written by Margaret Mitchell. The blockbuster movie was produced by David O. Selznick and directed by Victor Fleming.
The movie is set in Southern America, during the eve of the American Civil war and the reconstruction of the new era. It tells the story of the brave and strong-willed daughter of a plantation (Tara) owner in Georgia, Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh).
The story begins in 1861, where Scarlett who has fallen in love with Ashley Wilkes (Leslie Howard), learns that he plans to marry his cousin Melanie Hamilton (Olivia de Havilland). Rebounding, and in an attempt to make Ashley jealous, she marries Melanie's brother, Charles (Rand Brooks), who then goes to war and dies of measles.
Scarlett eventually meets her match in the dashing, and morally dubious Rhett Butler (Clark Gable), with whom she eventually enters into a tumultuous marriage and has one child. The main focus of the film is of Scarlett's struggles to survive through the Civil war and the reconstruction, while also trying to save the plantation, Tara, by any means possible.
Directed by Michael Curtis, Casablanca was produced in the year 1942 as a romantic drama movie set in America. This movie has generated countless views, discussions, and deliberations.
It is an adaptation of a stage play that remains unproduced, of the title 'Everybody Comes to Rick's', written by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison. It is set during World War II.
The owner of the renowned nightclub in Casablanca, Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart), is reunited with a lover from his past, Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman). Ilsa is now married, but her husband (Paul Henreid) Victor Laszlo. The Germans are on the lookout for him because he is the rebel leader of the Czech resistancer.
Ilsa knows that Rick can help her and her husband escape. Rick has to choose between helping them and his love for her. The world weary, hardened Rick risks his secure livelihood and unselfishly helps them to escape.
Trivia: The movie characters did not know how the story ended until the last day of the shoot.
A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
The movie seemed too complicated for the audience when this movie was released in 1951. It focuses on Blanche DuBois (Vivien Leigh), who loses her family home in Laurel, Mississippi to creditors. She is then left with no money and nowhere to go. She decides to move to the French quarters of New Orleans, to live with her younger sister, Stella (Kim Hunter), who is married to the brutish, overbearing and crude Stanley Kowalski (Marlon Brando) who proceeds to make life even harder for her (he resents her pretentiousness). The role of Blanche DuBois was brilliantly interpreted by Vivien Leigh, who played the lead female role, Scarlett O'Hara in the 1939 movie 'Gone With The Wind'. Tensions rise to the boiling point for these three characters, as we watch Blanche's sad and slow descent into madness (there are hints that Stanley may have sexually abused her). She is ultimately sent to a mental hospital.
The Bride of Frankenstein is a continuation of the Frankenstein movies, with Frankenstein, played by Colin Clive, creating a mate for the monster.
Released in the year 1935, with Frankenstein (Colin Clive) recuperating from the injuries from a mob attack. His former mentor, Dr. Pretorius (Ernest Thesiger) insists that Frankenstein continues to experiment in creating new life.
Dr. Frankenstein decides to stop creating new life and discontinue experimenting. However, he is forced, by the monster into creating a mate for him to relieve his loneliness the monster. The creation of a female mate for the monster produces disastrous results.
Produced in 1958, Vertigo centers on John Scottie Ferguson (James Stewart), a former police officer who is forced into retiring early because of an incident which causes him to suffer a phobia for heights and vertigo (a sensation of feeling off balance). He is hired by a friend, Gavin Elster (Tom Helmore) to watch and follow his wife Madeline (Kim Novak).Trivia: The movie was set in San Francisco, California and is the very first movie to use the dolly zoom.
The above-listed movies are the most sought after and most-watched movies of all time. This comes as no surprise since they all have excellent plots and have y prominent casts.
Movie Buffs Forever stocks classic movies on DVD from the 1940's to the early 2000's. Browse our vast collection of old, rare and out of print classic movies on DVD.
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