How to Get into Old Movies...Part 5

Part 5: Show Them Those Iconic Images

When I was in college, I always wondered how many of the people with Breakfast at Tiffany's posters had ever actually seen the movie. Of those who had actually seen the movie, I further wondered how many had ever actually read the original short story by Truman Capote, a dreary and less romanticized version of the eccentric drifter Holly Golightly.

Regardless, whether they have seen the movie or not, there are probably very few people who don't recognize that iconic image of Audrey Hepburn holding that long cigarette.

Due to that recognition, a movie, such as Breakfast at Tiffany's, is a perfect entrance into classic movies. From there, you can take on some of Hepburn's other work, like Sabrina or Love in the Afternoon. You could even go the road (much) less traveled and check out a flick with George Peppard, such as How the West Was Won.

There are many movies like this that boast iconic images that would be worth checking out, such as James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause, Humphrey Bogart telling Ingrid Bergman to get on the plane at the end of Casablanca or Cary Grant being chased by a plane in North By Northwest.

How to Get into Old Movies...Part 1

Part 1: Start with Actors' Later Filmographies

There are many actors whose filmographies have expanded, and even continue to expand today, across multiple decades. Some actors who got their starts in the '40s and '50s even continue to perform in movies nowadays.

Take Dennis Hopper, for instance, who kickstarted his career in 1955 with the James Dean vehicle Rebel Without a Cause. Since then Hopper has notched about 150 movie credits, acted in some of the most important movies of the past 60 years, wrote and directed a few and has even garnered two Oscar nominations (one for acting and one for writing).

Most importantly, for the situation we are discussing, Hopper has a name and/or face that most movie viewers would recognize instantly or with a little bit of memory jogging.

Using Hopper as an example, if you are introducing old movies to a friend or family member, start them out with a movie with which they might be familiar, such as Hoosiers or Apocalypse Now, also movies that sit on the bridge to being considered old movies. From there, you can move backwards through Hopper's movies, touching on some essentials, such as True Grit, Easy Rider, Cool Hand Luke, Hang 'Em High and Giant.

Of course, Dennis Hopper isn't the only actor you can use. You can choose from a handful, such as Cloris Leachman, Julie Andrews, Robert Redford, Clint Eastwood, Robert Duvall, Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway.

Tune in for the next tip...