Old Black and White Movies

I'm a fairly young guy, but I find myself enamored with old black and white movies. I enjoy them so much more than their modern counterparts. Why? Dialogue.

For the most part, the formula for modern movies is basically the same: action sequences, special effects, dramatic soundtrack, huge production and marketing budgets. The script doesn't have to be stellar, and the dialogue between actors and actresses doesn't really have to be that good. We've become so conditioned to the dramatic score and explosive special effects that the conversation is secondary. I guess art really does imitate life after all.

Rewind to the movies of 60 or 70 years ago, and you'll find something extraordinary. The talent always carries the movie. Scripts are exceptionally well-written. Conversation is king. People actually talked to one another 60 years ago, so it was common to find movies that reflected that part of life.

We're not a conversational society anymore. We avoid dialogue, and something of great value has been lost when we can no longer talk to one another and enjoy it.

Worth watching:

To Have and Have Not (1944)
Macau (1952)
His Kind of Woman (1951)
Sabrina (1954)
Casablanca (1942)
The Thin Man (1934)