Top 10 Old Hollywood Movies That Were Ahead of Their Time

The 1954 version of “A Star is Born” wasn’t the first time this story was seen on the silver screen, but it’s one of the best. The 1976 and 2018 iterations of the film possess the benefit of hindsight, and more widespread public knowledge about the inner dealings of Hollywood. This Judy Garland vehicle, however, opened up a lot of forbidden doors many audiences were perhaps unaware of at the time. The story exposes the fragility of fame and a forgetful Hollywood system while touching upon how studios once ran Tinseltown. The tale as a whole is relatively straightforward to adapt, but “A Star Is Born” 1954 does so with a unique brand of brilliance.

The kids aren’t going to stay silent anymore. This is just one of the themes present within 1955’s “Rebel Without a Cause.” The film helped make icons out of James Dean and Natalie Wood, and was among the earliest to effectively portray the growing generation gap between parents and their children. The youth in “Rebel Without a Cause” want to be seen and heard, not only by their folks, but by the whole world. Beyond this, the movie also showcases a daring amount of sexual themes and violence by the standards of the day. This arguably allowed “Rebel Without a Cause” to stand alongside similarly-themed films like “Blackboard Jungle,” serving as turning points for how Hollywood portrayed young people.

The Western genre is, historically, not a place where female characters have been done justice. Oftentimes, one-dimensional parts falling into arcs like mother or damsel in distress were all actresses could hope for. “Johnny Guitar,” however, provides a different take on the testosterone-laden world of the Old West. In addition to its arresting style, it allows star Joan Crawford to buck this trend in favor of a more feminist reading. Elements of the film also parallel Italy’s Spaghetti Western movement, which came to be in the ‘60s. Additionally, it seemingly reacts to McCarthy-era political witch hunts of the 1950s, while also playing with gender roles and discussions of intimacy. It is, quite simply, a western both out of time and ahead of its time.

Alfred Hitchcock was known as the “Master of Suspense,” and his work is widely admired by the horror community. That community mainly had science fiction and monster movies serving as its creative sandbox during the ‘50s. However, Hitchcock’s “Psycho” presented a new and sinister way of telling a horrific story in 1960. It’s here where the nucleus of the slasher movie took concrete, mainstream shape. “Psycho” predates the boom that would eventually be seen with the Italian giallo film, as well as North American efforts like “Halloween” and “Black Christmas.” The movie’s psychosexual themes, tense score, and evocative cinematography have influenced legions of filmmakers to this day.

Oftentimes, a movie’s setting or architecture can serve as a character unto itself. “The Apartment” is proof, satirizing sexual mores and corporate structure with an expert eye for character and detail from co-writer, producer, and director Billy Wilder. The film may appear, on the surface, as a breezy romantic comedy. And those elements certainly live within it. However, Wilder’s film also exposes sexual harassment and power dynamics in the workplace, toxic “quid pro quo” culture, and even themes of loneliness. It’s a stark contrast to the effervescent Hollywood musical about life, love, and happiness. Indeed, “The Apartment” is incredibly nuanced, and made all the better for it.

How liberal is liberal? This is a question asked by the brilliant 1967 film “Guess Who's Coming to Dinner.” Decades before Jordan Peele’s horror masterpiece “Get Out” was released, this romantic dramedy was successfully exploring very similar themes. The white parents in “Guess Who's Coming to Dinner” have always taught their daughter to be progressive. But when she brings home her Black fiancé to meet them, the engaged couple and their families end up having some very frank and uncomfortable discussions. These difficult conversations weren’t exactly mainstream or commonplace in 1967, and the movie allowed such subjects to be explored more thoroughly in cinema.

“A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.” That’s, of course, a quote from a song in Disney’s “Mary Poppins.” But the sentiment can also be applied to this formative Charlie Chaplin film. Chaplin’s reputation as a physical comedian and absolute cinematic icon is secure, and those values are on full display in “Modern Times.” However, he was also reputed for his political views, left-leaning opinions that weren’t always easy to filter into his filmmaking. “Modern Times” deftly balances social and political discourse and satire within a narrative that criticizes the growing industrial world. As a result, Chaplin is able to say what he wants thematically, while also ensuring that audiences will remain entertained by his screen performance.

It could be argued that 1967’s “Bonnie & Clyde” was among the releases that helped bridge the Old Hollywood era with the “New Hollywood” movement. This is largely due to the bold thematic and stylistic choices made by the director and screenwriters. Indeed, there’s an intense chemistry present between the two leads, but not just because of the star power Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway bring to the roles. The palpable on-screen dynamics are amplified by how daring director Arthur Penn and company were in showcasing the central pair’s relationship. Additionally, the final shootout broke boundaries by screen violence standards of the day. It’s a bloody ballet, shot in grotesquely beautiful slow-motion. And there’s nothing else quite like it.

Does “The Devil and Miss Jones” possess a cliché, Old Hollywood-style happy ending? Yes, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. After all, many of us still watch “It's a Wonderful Life” every year around the holidays, right? Moreover, “The Devil and Miss Jones” is remarkably prescient with regards to its treatment of union labor. The plot of management infiltrating their workforce to bust a potential union is turned on its head when that manager becomes sympathetic to the cause. From there, it’s an exploration into the people at the bottom, the top, and everywhere in between. Don’t let the neatly-tied bow of a finale discourage you from discovering just how much “The Devil and Miss Jones” has to offer.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

“Morocco” (1930)
A Pre-Code Hollywood Film with a Big Same-Sex Smooch

“The Band Wagon” (1953)
An Early Example of Meta-Commentary

“The Wizard of Oz” (1939)
A Magical Technicolor Feast with Everything From an Amazing Script to Stellar Music

“Imitation of Life” (1959)
Racism, Sexism, & Disparity Explored

It’s almost cliché at this point to speak about the cinematic brilliance of “Citizen Kane.” Of course, its reputation as “the best movie ever made” is subjective. But it’s important to recognize that it walked so films emerging in its wake could run. This is notably due to its nonlinear narrative structure, impeccable production design, and overall rewatch-ability. It’s arguably not a stretch to compare the back-and-forth storytelling of Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction” or “Reservoir Dogs” to the perspective shifts of “Citizen Kane.” Given all that and more, it’s no wonder the groundbreaking 1941 drama deservedly remains in that aforementioned “best movie ever” conversation. It’s just that good.