Classic Movies

Classic movies are not defined as such merely because of their age. A movie is “classic” if, in hindsight, it helped to redefine the movie industry and brought something original to the screen. So, while a movie doesn't have to be forty or more years old to be considered a cinema classic, enough time has to have passed for its contributions to be appreciated and noted by film historians and critics. While some fans prefer classics filmed in black and white and others prefer color, both styles have contributed much to the industry and both are equally “classic”.

Black and White Classics
The black and white films of the 1930s and 1940s - It Happened One Night (1934), Wuthering Heights (1939), The Philadelphia Story (1940), Casablanca (1942), and all the other greats of that era - are often what people think of first when someone mentions classic movies. If it's in black and white, then it must be old. Filming in black and white, however, has been a popular technique with some of the most modern of classic movie makers, as well. Indeed, many believe that shooting black and white instead of color allows the audience to focus more intently on the storyline and dialogue. Psycho (1960), Manhattan (1979), Raging Bull (1980), and Schindler's List (1993), are some of the most noted black and white modern classic movies.

Classics in Color
Many people mistakenly believe that shooting a film in color was not an available option in the 1930s and 1940s, but this notion is incorrect. Most often, the choice between black and white vs. color was an economical one – color film was too expensive for many film budgets. Two of the earliest classic movies to be shot in color were Gone With the Wind (1939) and the Wizard of Oz (1939). While these films are beautiful and helped change the look of future movies, fans of black and white cinema do not want to see their favorite classics subjected to the same colorization process that has been applied to many old films.