#3 Casablanca

1942
Director: Michael Curtiz
Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains

Probably my personal favorite on the whole list, this is Casablanca.  Set in unoccupied France during World War 2, we meet Rick- American owner of a cafe in Casablanca (a waiting point for people looking to get to America.)  With transit papers hard to get, most are found on the black market.  When Victor Laszlo and Ilsa Lund come to Casablanca looking for their transit papers, it is Rick who has them instead of the original black market go-between.  But there's a catch - Ilsa and Rick have met before- in Paris, before the war, and fell in love.  Ilsa left Rick at the train station with no explanation.  Turns out that she was already married to Laszlo and thought him dead in a concentration camp.  So here they are, in Casablanca.  Laszlo a wanted man by the German army, and Rick with only 2 transit papers.  (All this happening with German soldiers in Casablanca waiting for them to make a move, and the prefect -Captain Renault- of Casablanca who takes no sides but is trying to impress the Germans) So..... Ilsa still loves him, but respects her husband who has become a symbol of freedom and righteousness in the war.  What's a girl to do?! She tells Rick he has to think for the both of them, so he does... I won't spoil the ending but what a movie!  Really I think probably the best one so far.  It has some of my favorite actors in Henreid and Rains, and you can't go wrong with Bogart and Bergman.   If you haven't seen this movie, there's probably something wrong with you.

Trivia: Rick never says "Play it again, Sam." He says: "You played it for her, you can play it for me. If she can take it, I can take it so Play it!". Ilsa says "Play it, Sam. Play 'As Time Goes By"'. The incorrect line has become the basis for spoofs in movies such as A Night in Casablanca (1946) and Play It Again, Sam (1972).

In the famous scene where the "Marseillaise" is sung over the German song "Watch on the Rhine", many of the extras had real tears in their eyes; a large number of them were actual refugees from Nazi persecution in Germany and elsewhere in Europe and were overcome by the emotions the scene brought out.

Up Next: The Godfather

#4 Raging Bull

1980
Director: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Robert DeNiro, Cathy Moriarty

Story of prize fighter, Jake LaMotta, set in the 1940's and 50's. LaMotta is unbeatable in the ring and desires greatness, but ultimately destroys everything around him and ends up alone.  The acting in the movie is some of the finest in movies, from DeNiro to Pesci to Moriarty... they all work brilliantly together to tell the story.

Trivia: When the real Jake LaMotta saw the movie, he said it made him realize for the first time what a terrible person he had been. He asked the real Vicki LaMotta "Was I really like that?". Vicki replied "You were worse."

Up Next: Casablanca

#5 Singin in the Rain

1952
Director: Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly
Starring: Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, Donald OConnor, Jean Hagen

Set in 1927 Hollywood, the movie follows movie star Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly) and his costar Lina Lamont (Hagen) as silent movies give way to talking pictures.  Along the way, Don meets-cute Reynolds' character, Kathy Selden, and they fall in love, much to Lina's dismay.  Kathy is trying to make it into the movie business also, but Lamont tries everything she can to prevent it.  The movie is funny, entertaining and is movie-making at its finest.  Loved it!

Trivia: In the "Would You" number, Kathy Selden (Debbie Reynolds) is dubbing the voice of Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen) because Lina's voice is shrill and screechy. However, it's not Reynolds who is really speaking, it's Jean Hagen herself, who actually had a beautiful deep, rich voice. So you have Jean Hagen dubbing Debbie Reynolds dubbing Jean Hagen. And when Debbie is supposedly dubbing Jean's singing of "Would You", the voice you hear singing actually belongs to Betty Noyes, who had a much richer singing voice than Debbie.

Up Next: Raging Bull

# 6 Gone With The Wind

1939
Director: Victor Fleming
Starring: Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Leslie Howard, Olivia de Havilland

Well I got incredibly lucky, and Gone With the Wind happened to be playing in theaters to celebrate the 75th anniversary of its release this year.  It was only playing 2 nights, so I caught the second night with my friend Jillian, who had never seen the movie before.  The day we were supposed to go, I informed her it was a 4hour movie, she had no idea! But away we went.  Seeing it on the big screen was amazing!! My sister was up in New York at a theater seeing it too, and said the theater was packed.  Its my sisters favorite movie, so I knew she wouldn't miss the opportunity to see it in the theater.
This movie is even better than I remember, every scene is captivating.  Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable are sheer perfection.  The movie is simply timeless; it was funny, and sad and moving... If you haven't seen it, see it now!  I'm surprised it isn't in the top 3.

Trivia: When Gary Cooper turned down the role for Rhett Butler, he was passionately against it. He is quoted saying both, "Gone with the Wind (1939) is going to be the biggest flop in Hollywood history," and, "I'm just glad it'll be Clark Gable who's falling on his face and not Gary Cooper."

Up Next: Singin In The Rain

#7 Lawrence of Arabia

1962

Director: David Lean

Starring: Peter O'Toole, Omar Shariff, Alec Guiness, Claude Rains, Anthony Quinn

Peter O'Toole stars as T.E. Lawrence (or "Aurance" as he is called by the Arabs he meets and ultimately befriends and leads.  He is conflicted and brave at times, but always different.  Acting on all fronts is done well.  The whole movie is an adventure.  

Trivia: Peter O'Toole claims he never viewed the completed film until nearly two decades after its original release, by which time he was highly impressed.

Up Next: Gone with the Wind

#8 Schindler's List

1993
Director: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley

Well, I knew this one was coming. And I hadn't watched it since high school.  Needles to say, it's a tough movie to watch, mostly knowing that it is based on things that really occurred.  Liam Neeson plays Oskar Schindler, a greedy and ambitious business man looking to make as much money as he can by profiting off of the free labor of the Jewish people of Krakaw, Poland after the Nazi's had invaded and forced them to live in ghettos and camps.  Throughout the film, we are shown a glimpse of the absolute horrors that occurred.  Schindler takes notice and slowly starts to do good, and ultimately when it is announced that all the Jews in his factory and town will be sent to Auschwitz (all but guaranteeing their death), Schindler insists that he move his factory and his workers come with him.  He draws a list, and ultimately saves the lives of about 1200 people.  The imagery is amazing, and acting is perfection.  One of Spielberg's best films.  It is powerful and haunting and something every person should see.

Trivia: Steven Spielberg's resolve to make the film became complete when studio executives asked him why he didn't simply make a donation of some sort rather than wasting everyone's time and money on a depressing film.

Up Next: Lawrence of Arabia

#9 Vertigo

1958
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Starring: Jimmy Stewart, Kim Novak, Barbara Bel Geddes

Classic Hitchcock film which I had never seen before.  As with all Hitchcock film, every shot is perfect and has a purpose.  The story was interesting and dark, as I expected.  Jimmy Stewart's character, Scottie,  is an ex-detective who suffers from vertigo, which was the reason for his early retirement after he witnesses someone fall and couldn't save him because of his fear.  When an old friend asks Scottie to follow his wife because he was afraid something bad would happen to her, he becomes obsessed and in love.  When she falls to her death, he is devastated.  But nothing is quite as it seems...

Trivia: The film was unavailable for decades because its rights (together with four other pictures of the same period) were bought back by Alfred Hitchcock and left as part of his legacy to his daughter. They've been known for long as the infamous "Five Lost Hitchcocks" amongst film buffs, and were re-released in theatres around 1984 after a 30-year absence. The others are The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956), Rear Window(1954), Rope (1948), and The Trouble with Harry (1955).

Up next: Schindler's List

#10 The Wizard of Oz

1939
Director: Victor Fleming, George Cukor

Starring: Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Jack Haley, Billie Burke, Margaret Hamilton

Ok, if you've never seen this movie are are over the age of 12, then there's something wrong with you! I haven't seen it in a few years, so it was fun to watch again.  I watched this movie with my best friend and this is her favorite movie ever.  She was saying it's funny how you never forget the lines and the songs after you've seen it so many times.
There were so many interesting stories that instead of writing the synopsis, I'll share some that I found.

- When the wardrobe department was looking for a coat for Frank Morgan (Professor Marvel / The Wizard), they decided they wanted one that looked like it had once been elegant but had since "gone to seed". They visited a second-hand store and purchased an entire rack of coats, from which Morgan, the head of the wardrobe department, and director Victor Fleming chose one they felt gave off the perfect appearance of "shabby gentility". One day, while he was on set in the coat, Morgan idly turned out one of the pockets and discovered a label indicating that the coat had been made for L. Frank Baum. Mary Mayer, a unit publicist for the film, contacted the tailor and Baum's widow, who both verified that the coat had at one time been owned by the author of the original "Wizard of Oz" books. After the filming was completed, the coat was presented to Mrs. Baum.

- While filming the scene where Dorothy slaps the Cowardly Lion, Judy Garland got the giggles so badly that they had to take a break in shooting. The director, Victor Fleming, took her aside, gave her a quick lecture, and then slapped her. She returned to the set and filmed the scene in one take. 

- The horses in Emerald City palace were colored with Jell-O crystals. The relevant scenes had to be shot quickly, before the horses started to lick it off.

Up Next: Vertigo

# 11 City Lights

1931
Director: Charles Chaplin
Starring: Charles Chaplin

Story of a tramp who falls in love with a blind flower girl.  He does anything to save up enough money for her to have an operation so she can see.  He forms a friendship with a wealthy man, who only remembers Chaplin when he's drunk.  Chaplin fears that once his girl is able to see again, she won't love him because he's poor.  I am a fan of silent movies, but this one was just so so for me.  I am a little surprised it's number 11 on the list!

Trivia: At the beginning of the film, a town official and a woman dedicating the statue can be heard uttering nondescript words by way of a paper reed mouth instrument. The sounds were made by Charles Chaplin and this was the first time that his voice was heard on film.

Up Next: The Wizard of Oz

#12 The Searchers

1956
Director: John Ford
Starring: John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles

So far, one of the only westerns I've ever seen that I've liked!  The story follows Wayne's character, Ethan Edwards, who comes homes after fighting in the Civil War to his family.  Before he can settle in, the family's ranch is attacked by Comanches.  Most of the family is killed, but his young niece, Debbie,  survives and is taken by the native americans.  Ethan sets out to save his niece and his traveling companion is Martin, a young man who is part native american and was all but adopted by Ethan's family.  Ethan's obvious dislike towards native americans comes out mostly towards Martin.  But after 5 years they finally find the niece, Debbie, who has become part of the Comanche tribe herself, and Ethan finds himself starting to feel the same towards her.  (Natalie Wood plays little Debbie all grown up.)  Great story, great characters... finally a western I can say I really enjoyed watching.

Trivia: Reportedly this film was seen in a theater in Texas by Buddy Holly and his friends in the summer of 1956. They were so impressed with Ethan's (John Wayne) repeated use of the phrase "That'll be the day" that they used it as the title for their now standard rock song, which they composed soon after.

Up Next: City Lights

#13 Star Wars

1977
Director: George Lucas
Starring: Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford

One of my all-time favorites, and one I've seen more times than I care to admit.  If you haven't seen this movie, there might be something wrong with you.  (Just as a side note- I watched this movie twice; once just by itself and once with a Rifftrax.  Google it if you've never heard of it!!)

Nothing more to say other than it's the reason why people go to the movies- entertaining as any movie can be.  Looking forward to see the sequels being filmed now!

Trivia: George Lucas was so sure the film would flop that instead of attending the premiere, he went on holiday to Hawaii with his good friend Steven Spielberg, where they came up with the idea for Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Up Next: The Searchers

# 14 Psycho

1960
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Starring: Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh

What a great movie! I haven't seen it in years, and it holds up. Every shot is perfect and purposeful.  What more can be said!

Trivia: Every theater that showed the film had a cardboard cut-out installed in the lobby of Alfred Hitchcock pointing to his wristwatch with a note from the director saying "The manager of this theatre has been instructed at the risk of his life, not to admit to the theatre any persons after the picture starts. Any spurious attempts to enter by side doors, fire escapes or ventilating shafts will be met by force. The entire objective of this extraordinary policy, of course, is to help you enjoy PSYCHO more. Alfred Hitchcock"

Up Next: Star Wars (!!!!!!)

#15 2001: A Space Odyssey

1968
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Starring: Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester,

Stanley Kubrick's classic film, which I hadn't seen in about 20 years. The story follows mankind, starting with early apes, who come across a strange monolith on earth.  Modern man then discovers a similar monolith on the surface of the moon, and the race begins to find the origins of the strange structure.  Astronauts set out on a mission with the assistance of HAL (a computer/AI), who then turns on them.  I found myself loving the score, but the movie wouldn't be classified as one of my favorites.

Trivia: There is no dialogue in the first 25 minutes of the movie (ending when a stewardess speaks at 25:38), nor in the last 23 minutes (excluding end credits). With these two lengthy sections and other shorter ones, there are around 88 dialogue-free minutes in the movie.

Up Next: Psycho

#16 Sunset Boulevard

1950
Director: Billy Wilder
Starring: Gloria Swanson, William Holden

I hadn't watched this one since I was a teenage and it did not disappoint.  Gloria Swanson stars as Norma Desmond, a silent film star, who has been put to the silent by talking pictures.  She is now a recluse living in am enormous crumbling mansion. Joe Gillis, a small-time writer, stumbles upon the house and they strike up a business deal that turns into a love affair.  Norma dreams of a big comeback into movies, but things don't go her way.  Murder and mayhem ensue.

Trivia: The name Norma Desmond was chosen from a combination of silent-film star Norma Talmadge and silent movie director William Desmond Taylor, whose still-unsolved murder is one of the great scandals of Hollywood history. (On the morning of Febriary 1, 1922, Taylor was shot and killed in his Hollywood bungalow. His killer was never identified.)

Up Next: 2001: A Space Odyssey 

# 17 The Graduate

1967
Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft, Katharine Ross

Director: Mike Nichols

Recent college grad Ben Braddock, played by Hoffman, doesn't know what he is going to do with his post-college life.  After a run in at his homecoming party with Mrs. Robinson, he begins an affair with her, only to then fall in love with her daughter Elaine.  After Elaine learns that Ben had slept with her mother (who tells Elaine that she had been raped by Ben), she wants nothing to do with him.  Ben follows Elaine to Berkley, hoping to win her back.  But to be honest, he turns into quite the stalker there for a bit.  Eventually, Elaine is set to marry someone else, and Ben finds the church to take her away.  The two run out of the church together and hop onto a bus.  It's all joy and elation at first, but the last shot of the movie shows the two of them on that bus with a look of "what the hell did we just do" on their faces.  I'm left with the feeling that it may not work out in the end.

Up next: Sunset Boulevard

# 18 The General

1926

Directors: Clyde Bruckman, Buster Keaton

Starring: Buster Keaton, Marion Mack

Silent movie taking place during the civil war.  Keaton's character is the conductor of a train he loves named "The General."  When war breaks out, he desperately wants to enlist, mainly to impress his lady Annabelle and her family, but is told he cannot because of his occupation.  When "The General" is taken by enemies with Annbelle aboard, he embarks on his own rescue mission.  Keaton's timing is perfect, and the movie is genuinely funny!  And I have to admit that I kinda got goosebumps at the end when - spoiler alert- he saves the day and earns his uniform.  This movie is a perfect example of how acting and music can make a movie great even without words. 

Up Next: The Graduate