Top Ten Movies of the 60s


Here we go with the best movies of a great era of movies: The 60s.

1. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) Truly beautiful movie, as well as one of my favorite stories of always and forever.

2. The Great Race (1965) Melodrama at its best. "Push the button, Max!" and "Course there is one good thing, when one was young, one could play along the corridors. I used to ride my pony up and down this corridor when I was young, then I grew up, got drunk, and fell off!"

3. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964). "Survival kit contents check. In them you'll find: one forty-five caliber automatic; two boxes of ammunition; four days' concentrated emergency rations; one drug issue containing antibiotics, morphine, vitamin pills, pep pills, sleeping pills, tranquilizer pills; one miniature combination Russian phrase book and Bible [which is approximately the size of a pad of post-it notes, by the way]; one hundred dollars in rubles; one hundred dollars in gold; nine packs of chewing gum; one issue of prophylactics; three lipsticks; three pair of nylon stockings. Shoot, a fella' could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all that stuff." Just pure fun about the Cold War, really.

4. Mary Poppins (1964) A wonderful film that will be loved for generations.

5. The Russians Are Coming! the Russians Are Coming! (1966) Laughs all the way through. "Always I am saying goodbye to you, Whitaker Walt, and always I am meeting your again." "This is your island. I make your responsibility you help us find boat quickly, otherwise there is World War III and everybody is blaming YOU!"

6. Camelot (1967) My favorite musical ever written, so naturally, the best production of it in film will make it into the top ten of its respective decade.

7. The Guns of Navarone (1961) Actually has a very emotionally involving story. Treachery and sadness and cool stuff and...hey Gregory Peck, once again, does not hurt its standing.

8. The Great Escape (1963) Heroic story, and you actually like some of the characters and care about them. Ashley Pitt shouldn't die if you ask me, and you're pleased as to what happens to Willy and Danny. They certainly deserve it if anyone does. And I'd always like the Australian too.

9. The Sword in the Stone (1963) I just have always been drawn to it. It's always had me captivated.

10. True Grit (1969) It just is. It's just the way it is. I can't really explain.

Honorable Mentions: It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, The Pink Panther, West Side Story
In Honor of My Father: Support Your Local Sheriff (I might die if this weren't on here somewhere)

Comments

8th graders are notoriously impatient with movies not up-to-date--color, graphics, special effects, whatever. Still, when I show To Kill a Mockingbird, I tell them at the start that this movie was done in black and white on purpose, and then I start the movie. They are totally enthralled with the story almost from the start, too, and we never have another moment discussing why we have to watch a movie in black and white. Awesome movie, and the book is one of my all-time favorites, too.

It's a little bit different with Camelot (which I show in Humanities). Musicals are tricky for a lot of 8th graders, but I generally get them hooked eventually.
Beth said…
The Honorable mentions are better than several of the ones actually on the list. I never liked Camelot.

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