A Glean movie guide
Black & White Essentials
Start your classic film journey here.
The most accessible and iconic entry points into the Golden Age of cinema.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
Casablanca
The ultimate Golden Age romance featuring iconic dialogue and a timeless, high-stakes story.
In Casablanca, Morocco in December 1941, a cynical American expatriate meets a former lover, with unforeseen complications.
- 02
12 Angry Men
A gripping, fast-paced courtroom drama that proves how much tension can be built in a single room.
The defense and the prosecution have rested and the jury is filing into the jury room to decide if a young Spanish-American is guilty or innocent of murdering his father. What begins as an open and shut case soon becomes a mini-drama of each of the jurors' prejudices and preconceptions about the trial, the accused, and each other.
- 03
Psycho
Alfred Hitchcock’s masterclass in suspense that changed the horror genre forever.
When larcenous real estate clerk Marion Crane goes on the lam with a wad of cash and hopes of starting a new life, she ends up at the notorious Bates Motel, where manager Norman Bates cares for his housebound mother.
- 04
Some Like It Hot
A legendary comedy that remains genuinely hilarious thanks to its fast-paced wit and brilliant performances.
In Prohibition-era Chicago, musicians Joe and Jerry witness a mob hit, and flee the state in an all-female band disguised as Josephine and Daphne, but further complications set in.
- 05
Roman Holiday
A charming and lighthearted fairy tale that serves as the perfect introduction to classic Hollywood romance.
Overwhelmed by her suffocating schedule, touring European princess Ann takes off for a night while in Rome. When a sedative she took from her doctor kicks in, however, she falls asleep on a park bench and is found by an American reporter, Joe Bradley, who takes her back to his apartment for safety. At work the next morning, Joe finds out Ann's regal identity and bets his editor he can get exclusive interview with her, but romance soon gets in the way.
- 06
Sunset Boulevard
A dark and stylish masterpiece that offers a fascinating, cynical look behind the scenes of Hollywood.
A hack screenwriter writes a screenplay for a former silent film star who has faded into Hollywood obscurity.
- 07
Citizen Kane
Widely cited as the greatest film ever made, this mystery is essential for understanding modern cinematography.
Newspaper magnate Charles Foster Kane is taken from his mother as a boy and made the ward of a rich industrialist. As a result, every well-meaning, tyrannical or self-destructive move he makes for the rest of his life appears in some way to be a reaction to that deeply wounding event.
- 08
It's a Wonderful Life
An emotionally resonant and deeply human story that has become a definitive cultural touchstone.
George Bailey has spent his entire life giving to the people of Bedford Falls. All that prevents rich skinflint Mr. Potter from taking over the entire town is George's modest building and loan company. But on Christmas Eve the business's $8,000 is lost and George's troubles begin.
- 09
The Apartment
A sharp, relatable blend of workplace comedy and drama from legendary director Billy Wilder.
Bud Baxter is a minor clerk in a huge New York insurance company, until he discovers a quick way to climb the corporate ladder. He lends out his apartment to the executives as a place to take their mistresses. Although he often has to deal with the aftermath of their visits, one night he's left with a major problem to solve.
- 10
Modern Times
Charlie Chaplin’s iconic physical comedy provides a perfect, high-energy bridge into the world of silent film.
A bumbling tramp desires to build a home with a young woman, yet is thwarted time and time again by his lack of experience and habit of being in the wrong place at the wrong time..
- 11
Double Indemnity
The quintessential film noir, featuring razor-sharp dialogue and a classic tale of greed and betrayal.
An insurance representative is seduced by a dissatisfied housewife into a scheme of insurance fraud and murder that arouses the suspicion of his colleague, a claims investigator.
- 12
To Kill a Mockingbird
A powerful and beautifully acted adaptation of the classic novel that remains deeply relevant today.
Scout Finch, 6, and her older brother Jem live in sleepy Maycomb, Alabama, spending much of their time with their friend Dill and spying on their reclusive and mysterious neighbor, Boo Radley. When Atticus, their widowed father and a respected lawyer, defends a black man named Tom Robinson against fabricated rape charges, the trial and tangent events expose the children to evils of racism and stereotyping.