Clifton Webb was one of Hollywood’s great character actors, a rare star who could thumb through the yellow pages for five minutes straight — and make it interesting to watch. Webb made a terrific villain (Laura), but he was probably most famous for creating the original “Mr. Belvedere,” a genius turned full-time babysitter, in this 1948 comedy classic co-starring Robert Young and Maureen O’Hara. Watch Sitting Pretty for free by clicking here.
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Some folks think this 1962 biopic of longtime prisoner Robert Stroud is a bit creaky, pokey, and preachy — particularly by today’s standards. But I have to confess to a sentimental bias in favor of this Burt Lancaster prison drama. At the end of the film, Stroud (Lancaster) asks a friend if he knows what Alcatraz used to be called. When the friend pleads ignorance, Stroud tells him: “Bird Island.” For the unsophisticated readers out there, Bird Island is a cultural, economic, and artistic hub of activity in the Midwest. Watch Burt and his birds for free by clicking here.
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I have to make a confession: I have not seen this week’s movie, Hope and Glory. Sometimes, during my search for free, quality films on the Internet, I can’t afford to be that selective. However … nearly all critics fell in love with this 1987 autobiographical tale from director John Boorman, in which he details family life in World War II England. My ex-wife also liked this film. You could argue that, having once-upon-a-time married me, she’s already exhibited bad taste, but I think she might have been more discerning about films than she was about husbands. Watch it free by clicking here.
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In the mood for an old movie “like they don’t make anymore”? Here’s a little gem from 1941 that critic Leonard Maltin calls “Hollywood moviemaking at its best, with first-rate cast and performances.” Watch Robert Montgomery and Evelyn Keyes in this charming fantasy-comedy by clicking here.
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In 1984, director John Carpenter was still reeling from the box-office failure of his last film, 1982’s The Thing. Carpenter believed his next project needed to be something a bit kinder and gentler. The result was Starman, a whimsical, science-fiction romantic drama (whew — that’s a lot of adjectives!) starring Jeff Bridges and Karen Allen. Watch it for free by clicking here.
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Ninety-five years ago, the most popular movie in America was on its way to grossing $200 million (in today’s dollars). Today, the film is credited with establishing the feature-length motion picture, introducing cinematic techniques, and cementing the reputation of its director, D.W. Griffith, as a creative genius. It is also considered an inflammatory, racist piece of propaganda. The movie’s heroes are members of the Ku Klux Klan. I have not watched The Birth of a Nation in its entirety, but you should. Because it’s good for you. Now go do it. Watch it for free by clicking here.
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Director Brian De Palma was probably the most blatant imitator of Alfred Hitchcock’s film technique, but De Palma’s movies (including Carrie and The Untouchables) have their own, distinctive merits. Check out this stylish thriller from 1984, starring Craig Wasson, Melanie Griffith, and Deborah Shelton. Watch it free by clicking here.
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Just like the rest of us, Alfred Hitchcock was into self-improvement. When Hitchcock directed his masterful North by Northwest in 1959, he was actually just adding polish to a film he’d already made in England in 1935 — The 39 Steps. If you watch both movies, you will notice the similarities: wrongfully accused man on the run, cool blonde at his side, action sequences tinged with humor, etc. Watch Robert Donat (Cary Grant) and Madeleine Carroll (Eva Marie Saint) for free by clicking here.
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Back when women in the workplace were a rarity, director Howard Hawks saw the situation as rich with comic possibilities. Check out Hawks’s 1940 screwball classic starring Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell, and Ralph Bellamy.
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It’s depressing to see Robert De Niro in some of the junk he appears in these days. The name De Niro, once upon a time, was synonymous with cutting-edge cinema. Ditto for director Martin Scorsese, who is far removed from his Raging Bull prime but at least still produces quality films. Check out De Niro and Scorsese during better days in 1976’s Taxi Driver.
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