What classic movie should I show my 7 year old?

[Taverner]

He's getting into the classic stuff...likes the feel of the old Black and Whites

Have any suggestions?

[Mendocino]

1. Grapes of Wrath

Timeless classic for any age.

[Taverner]

3. But would a 7 year old get that movie? Or would it be boring?

He's into action movies most of the time

But when he saw "Flying Aces" and "Maltese Falcon" he loved them...

[Mendocino]

17. Good vs. evil without being a

fairy tale.

On the other hand I read the novel when I was nine, so who knows.

How about Mutiny on the Bounty?

Or Northwest Passage with Spencer Tracy?

[Dr Morbius]

23. You know, if the Maltese Falcon he liked at age seven...

...I'm betting he appreciates the "film noir" qualities of the movie (because frankly, the mystery in the movie probably wouldn't be interesting to a younger kid). The "look" of it, if you will. Bogart was also memorably in such other films as The Big Sleep and Casablanca, both also gorgeous films to look at but more complicated in story.

I bring all this up because there is a movie which I absolutely love which is never on television. It's called The Third Man, and it is one of the most visually stunning b&w movies ever. And then there's that music to it. And it may be fun for your son. Good guys, bad guys, lots of chase scenes and no better use of shadow, ever.

[tigereye]

24. we just watched Maltese Falcom with my teen - great film, good to expose

the younger set to great classic movies.

Casablanca, old Katherine Hepburn films, old Sherlock Holmes, maybe? When I was a kid I loved Crosby and Hopes' On the Road movies.


Seven Samurai - my husband has watched that one with the kiddo...

[Ava]

2. Sullivan's Travels is a good one for kids (i liked it as a kid)

so is Duck Soup!

[Taverner]

4. Duck Soup! Now he would like that!

[tigereye]

26. yeah, all the Marx Bros movies- my kid has been watching those with us

since he was about that age. So much fun. Some of the old Betty Boop cartoons are fun, too.

[gmoney]

49. I'd bet the Cocoanuts would bore him to tears...

There is SO much padding in that movie with the stupid dance numbers and romantic "plot" -- could easily be edited down to about 15 minutes and it might be entertaining.

[Captain Hilts]

77. I'm glad to hear someone else say that. nt

[gmoney]

96. Although the female jewel thief was gorgeous...

played by Kay Francis...




Interesting web page about her. http://www.brightlightsfilm.com/52/kay.htm

[Dr Morbius]

5. The Adventures of Robin Hood

1937. It's in color but it has a wonderfully antique atmosphere. It's family friendly, well paced, and a clever kid can follow the story easily enough.

Most of the b&w movies which spring immediately to mind are too, um, mature for a seven year old; I will have to think on this a bit. Another film which might be fun is the 1940 Tyrone Power classic The Mark of Zorro.

I presume he has already seen The Wizard of Oz, the first half-hour or so of which is in glorious sepiatone?

[Taverner]

7. He has seen all of the WOO...loved it

Didn't like the singing so much, but loved the - how else can I say - whimsy of it all.

[Faygo Kid]

6. Two Errol Flynn films: The Prince and the Pauper and (of course) Robin Hood

Yes, I know Robin Hood is in color, but a great film for a seven year old or a 70 year old.

[TK421]

8. Plan 9 From Outer Space

[Taverner]

9. He may actually like that flick...

Although they I would have to deal with questions like "why is that policeman scratching his head with his gun?"

[TK421]

11. You could explain to him the importance of poking fun at such a bad movie

and THEN introduce him to Mystery Science Theater 3000...

then, the possibilities are endless!

[Taverner]

12. I dunno - should you deconstruct the fourth wall so early in a moviegoer's experience?

[TK421]

13. Just show him a "quality" movie afterwards and he'll pick it up

like the original Star Wars trilogy...NOT, I repeat...NOT that new garbage

[tigereye]

27. mm, sometimes kids are natural deconstuctors!

:rofl:

[AllenVanAllen]

10. 1933 King Kong

It's a little violent but I loved it at the age of 5.

[BurtWorm]

90. Excellent suggestion.

And you're right, it is a little violent and scary for a young kid. But maybe not so much for kids who've seen Harry Potter movies.

[AllenVanAllen]

97. I saw a handful of movies at five

that awakened my imagination and inspired me for a lifetime. They're a big part of why I became an artist.

[MiddleFingerMom]

14. An old, extemely incredible movie of Dr Seuss...

(edit to add video link)
.
.
.
.
..."The 5,000 Fingers of Dr T."
.
.
.
.
.
Kinda like "The Wall"... you know... but for kids.
.
.
.
HEY... TEACHER... LEAVE THEM KIDS ALONE!!!!"
.
.
.
I recommend it for everyone -- considering the McCarthy era
in which it was made, it's even more incredible.
.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgpfMxYFSmE
.

[Ghost of Tom Joad]

15. Show him a Buster Keaton silent

I show these in my film history class and college students love him. They are amazed that they could enjoy a silent film. Try The General, Steamboat Bill or The Cameraman.

[struggle4progress]

29. The General!

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[Capn Sunshine]

16. The Blob

the original, 1958 version featuring Steve McQueen. This came out when I was seven, and it was scary but not too. A boy appreciates this.

[tigereye]

28. that's another one we re-watched recently - it was great!

[Ikonoklast]

42. NO EFFIN' WAY!

I saw that movie for the first time at that age, and I didn't sleep with the lights out for a week.

Scared the bejeebus out of me.

[WinkyDink]

18. "Great Expectations", FOR SURE (John Mills). ANY movie with Freddie Bartholomew!

[Captain Hilts]

43. Captains Courageous!!!!!!!!!!

[lunatica]

19. The Our Gang Little Rascals collection

http://www.wbshop.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-WB-Site/default/Product-Show?pid=1000113696&src=GGLWMOD&gclid=COat9Z-v-KECFQleagodch0-Gw

[Sanity Claws]

63. Good choice for a 7 year old

[Fire Walk With Me]

20. The Court Jester.

[Orsino]

21. To Kill a Mockingbird

Just be prepared to talk it over, before and after.

[tigereye]

30. I loved that movie when I was a kid - it's the 50th anniv of the book, and

lots of folks are re-reading it...


My book group decided to re-read it for out next selection.

[Orsino]

64. I saw it for the first time here...

...with Mary Badham present to describe her experience with the movie, the book, and later activism: http://www.americantowns.com/ga/carrollton/news/the-big-read-to-kill-a-mockingbird-266593

[Captain Hilts]

41. I think that's a lot for a seven year old. nt

[Orsino]

65. Well, it's about a seven-year-old...

...but yeah, it's a lot to chew on at any age.

[pokerfan]

22. North by Northwest

It keeps moving so a seven-year-old won't be bored. There's plenty of humor to relieve the tension and there's nothing really inappropriate (they either get the symbolism of Hitch's "impudent shot" of the train plunging into a tunnel or they don't.)

[WinkyDink]

33. There's a LOT a kid wouldn't get! Like most of the story!

[XemaSab]

53. I recently saw it again

and I thought I followed the story as a kid, but I did not get it as an adult. :P

[WinkyDink]

55. Hee! I've had to read Hitchcock criticism to really "get" his movies!

[peacefreak]

25. Harvey

or Bringing Up Baby. And there's always The Three Stooges....woobwooobwoooob

[struggle4progress]

31. Some Charlie Chaplin

Gold Rush
Modern Times

[nolabear]

32. The 10,000 Fingers of Dr. T.

Although it creeped me out a little when I was a kid. But it's pure Seuss, and has Hans Conreid to boot!

[MrsMatt]

46. That was my suggestion too!

But it was only 5,000 fingers.

I suppose if you adjust for inflation . . .

[MorningGlow]

34. What my 6 YO loved lately

Not the old-old stuff, but modern classics--all six Star Wars movies, Back to the Future, and Ghostbusters I and II. He is APESHIT for those. (In fact, all the first graders "play Ghostbusters" when they hit the playground, and when MG Jr. gave his friend a Slimer glow-in-the-dark bank for a birthday present, it was the hit of the party. Go figure.)

He's also loving the campy Batman TV show (and Mr. MG is loving any excuse to watch Catwoman).

[sarge43]

35. The Day The Earth Stood Still. n/t

[Flaxbee]

47. that was going to be my choice - the original, of course

Notorious might be good, too - might not be a lot in there for a kid, but the visuals of almost any Hitchcock are wonderful.

[Dr Morbius]

56. If I were to choose a Hitchcock film for a kid, it might be Rear Window.

Because a seven year old can understand the temptation to watch other people's houses, and even kids can sympathize with being cooped up with a broken leg. A conversation after, to be sure, but RW isn't a complicated movie, while still being quite entertaining.

The Day the Earth Stood Still is better appreciated by someone of age, I think, though to be sure the child in the movie is intended to help kids identify with and follow the story. There are religious and political undertones to TDTESS which many adults don't get. The message is simple enough, but I submit it's the wrong message to give to a little kid: if you (the human race) don't behave we'll punish you. That's the wrong reason to be good; 'tis better to teach one's kids to behave properly because it is the right thing to do.

Great movie, though. Look at my login name: I love old scifi movies.

[WinkyDink]

82. EVERY Hitchcock movie is "a complicated movie", if one reads the plethora of criticism.

It's an adult movie with sexual under- and overtones, murder, voyeurism, poignancy, etc. ; there are plenty of movies for younger viewers.

[sarge43]

57. ".... the original, of course"

There is no other.

Your son might like Hitchcock's Spellbound and Rebecca - more knockout visuals. Change of pace to Technicolor - Rear Window.

Some Henry Fonda classics: Young Mr Lincoln, The Oxbow Incident, My Darling Clementine, Fort Apache, Mr Roberts

[rurallib]

36. 3 stooges, Laurel and Hardy, Tom Sawyer from 1938.

[Capn Sunshine]

74. I was just going to suggest L&H's "The Piano Movers"

[wickerwoman]

37. Arsenic and Old Lace

or if he's still a bit young, all the Danny Kaye movies and Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream Home.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

38. Not B&W but

how about "Old Yeller"?

[likesmountains 52]

39. National Velvet. My kids used to love that movie.

[Sanity Claws]

I second this choice

[Drix]

40. The Wizard of Oz

It's B&W for a little while.

[NewJeffCT]

45. +1

plus, a ton of classic lines, and it's great for a 7 year old

[Avalux]

44. "Bringing Up Baby" - delightful romp with Hepburn, Grant, a leopard and a dog.

I love this movie; very fast paced and hilarious. :hi:

[Captain Hilts]

52. BINGO! nt

[HillGal]

67. That's an excellent choice. NT

NT

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

48. Beauty and the Beast - Jean Cocteau

[BurtWorm]

91. That's a brilliant movie, but you need to be comfortable with reading subtitles.

Probably not for a seven year old who doesn't speak French, alas.

[Drix]

50. Any of the classic monster movies.

Frankenstein, Dracula, Wolfman, The Mummy.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

51. "City Lights" and "The Bicycle Thief."

Both very different (silent comedy vs. Italian non-silent movie), but excellent B&W movies with universal appeal. I wouldn't normally show a child "The Bicycle Thief," but you said upthread he likes "The Maltese Falcon," so it should be a safe choice in terms of exposure.

[IcyPeas]

54. The Red Balloon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYxIPhjDcf8

It's not black and white but still has that "feel". It's only 36 minutes long too, so not exactly a "movie" either.

but a memorable little film nonetheless

[rucky]

58. My 5 yo daughter is crazy about the song & dance movies.

Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly

Top Hat, Swing Time, Royal Wedding

Singin' in the Rain, of course

[Tuesday Afternoon]

59. The New Adventures of Tarzan. And

also:
'Frankenstein' - 1931
'The Bride of Frankenstein' - 1935
'Dracula' - 1931
'King Kong' - 1933
'The Mummy' - 1932
'The Invisible Man' - 1933
'The Wolf Man' - 1941

[Tuesday Afternoon]

60. A Patch of Blue

yes.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

61. The Glass Menagerie

yes.

[Captain Hilts]

87. For a 7 year old???

[Tuesday Afternoon]

88. perhaps not ...

I know I was somewhere between 7 and 12 when I watched it.

[Sanity Claws]

62. Shirley Temple films

I know people are going to scoff but a child might like seeing another child being the center of the movie.
I'm afraid I can't pick one particular Shirley Temple film for you but maybe you can do a google search and pick one that way.

[Taverner]

71. I liked Temple in my childhood

About to age 11 - so that's not that big of a stretch

[Captain Hilts]

76. The Little Princess is in color and she's kind of a hero in that. Heidi is an abomination. There

are some good ones, though.

[HillGal]

66. The Heiress is a great movie, and anything starring Bette Davis. NT

NT

[HillGal]

69. On second thought he might be too young for the movies I listed, although he might find

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane amusing.

[WinkyDink]

80. "The Heiress" is superb (Hello, Monty!), but it's a bit too subtle in its adult relationships,

I think, esp. the aunt's all-knowingness, the father's cruelty, the heroine's naivete, and, of course, the caddishness and greed of Morris Townsend.

One of my Top 5 Favorite Movie Lines:

"Bolt the door, Mariah."

[Bucky]

68. Silence of the Lambs. Then you'll have a really tough kid

[Taverner]

72. Or one like wifey is assessing

Who is obsessed with South Park, death and horror. Mind you this kid is 10.

[Whisp]

70. The Incredible Journey.

[Tikki]

73. The Secret Garden...(1949)

Filmed in B & W a small potion was colored by Technicolor for effect.

http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=1828

Tikki

[Fast Dude]

75. The Caine Mutiny

Perhaps Humphrey Bogart's finest performance.

[WinkyDink]

81. SEVEN-year-old. For a court-room drama?

[driver8]

85. One of my favorites -- but not really for a kid. n/t

[begin_within]

78. Two come to mind, with qualifiers

"Bicycle Thieves" (Ladri di Biciclette), mentioned earlier, is a classic father-and-son story, though it is in Italian with English subtitles. Your son would have to be able to read English quickly to keep up with it.

"The Yearling" with Gregory Peck is a good film for the whole family, especially kids. However the ending can be traumatic emotionally. I don't understand the logic of the ending, but I won't give any spoilers away.

[Stuart G]

79. The Iron Giant...I am sure he will like and understand the message..nt

[Digit]

83. Not B&W, but has he seen Gremlins?

Topper, Our Gang, Laurel and Hardy

[Chubb Rock]

84. Not really a movie, but I loved old episodes of The Fugitive

n/t

[yellowdogintexas]

86. Two Danny Kaye movies (not B& W but cool anyway) The Court Jester and

The Inspector General.

and if you can find it,

March of the Wooden Soldiers Laurel and Hardy a real treat

[begin_within]

89. If he hasn't seen it,

"Mary Poppins" (1964) is one of the masterworks of film, that works on both child and grown-up levels. Relevant interlocking themes; a witty, even sarcastic script; outstanding cast even down to the tiniest supporting roles; unforgettable songs and expertly written background score; special effects that are still dazzling today; and innumerable tiny details (the cartoon ducks create ripples in the live-action reflections of Dick Van Dyke and Julie Andrews, and so on). It's a gigantic achievement and a gigantic film too... really too long and too much to take in all at one sitting... better to watch it in 2 halves.

[BurtWorm]

92. Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein

Any Abbott and Costello, really.

[Old Troop]

93. How about one of the Shirley Temple movies?

It's not a classic, but my kids loved the "Secret of NIMH" when they were little.

[alphafemale]

94. Has he seen "NeverEnding Story" yet?

Seven is probably about the perfect age for that movie.

DragonHeart made my daughter believe that dragons were "real" for a beautiful, but brief, period of time.

:hi:

[DFW]

95. The Seven Faces of Dr. Lao

It's in color, but he'd love it, as I did.