A Glean movie guide
The Black & White Starter Pack
Your gateway to the Golden Age.
Essential masterpieces that prove classic cinema is anything but boring.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
Casablanca
A timeless wartime romance with some of the most iconic dialogue in movie history.
In Casablanca, Morocco in December 1941, a cynical American expatriate meets a former lover, with unforeseen complications.
- 02
12 Angry Men
A high-tension courtroom drama that feels surprisingly modern and fast-paced.
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
The ultimate suspense thriller that redefined 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 high-energy comedy masterpiece featuring legendary performances and sharp wit.
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 picturesque romance that served as Audrey Hepburn’s breakout role.
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
Double Indemnity
The definitive film noir, packed with shadows, suspense, and a perfect crime.
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.
- 07
Modern Times
A short and hilarious introduction to the genius of Charlie Chaplin’s physical comedy.
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..
- 08
High Noon
A concise, real-time Western that trades sprawling landscapes for intense moral courage.
Will Kane, the sheriff of a small town in New Mexico, learns a notorious outlaw he put in jail has been freed, and will be arriving on the noon train. Knowing the outlaw and his gang are coming to kill him, Kane is determined to stand his ground, so he attempts to gather a posse from among the local townspeople.
- 09
Rashomon
A visually stunning mystery that introduced the world to the brilliance of Japanese cinema.
Four people recount different versions of the story of a man's murder and the rape of his wife.
- 10
Sunset Boulevard
A dark and fascinating look at the price of fame with a legendary twist ending.
A hack screenwriter writes a screenplay for a former silent film star who has faded into Hollywood obscurity.