As a classic film devotee, one feels this pressing desire to share the glory that is the world of classic cinema with the uninitiated in one’s real life. I particularly succumbed to this in my first baby years of classic film appreciation, right before I started this blog. However, months of dropping Bogie references with my Halo-worshipping/Indie band snob acquaintances proved only demoralizing and exhausting to me and made no headway on converting any of them. At last, I vowed to keep my black and white treasures to myself and my online pals and never mention my love of the classics with real life people anymore.
In the years since, my vintage hair and clothes have evoked a host of questions about my reasons for choosing that style. Most stem from genuine interest and some are just plain ludicrous, like the questions I regularly field when I wear my 40s snoods about whether or not I am Amish… But still, aside from dropping references only I understand in daily conversations, I don’t discuss my zealous love for Douglas Fairbanks Jr, low budget Noirs and Shirley Temple’s teen films with the people I talk with everyday.
The funny part of all this is that in my own quiet way, I actually have been slowly converting people. One of my clients asked me what my favorite film was (Fair warning: don’t ask this of a classic film fan and expect to be home for dinner) and when I responded with two*, he actually made an effort to find them and watch them. And then, (thrill of thrills!) one of my favorite real life people asked me to create a list of starter classic films to watch. The challenge of choosing films for a first time viewing so excited me, I set about making my selections the very next day. The 10 I chose are below, if you care to peruse and comment. My ideas behind the films I picked were to create a good mix of genres and eras with some of my true favorites thrown in. I refuse to suppress my bias. ;)
-:- The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) The Big Sleep (1946) Carefree (1938) Double Indemnity (1944) Gunga Din (1939) The Narrow Margin (1952) The Quiet Man (1952) Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954) Stagecoach (1939) Witness for the Prosecution (1957) -:-So tell me, do you actively attempt to convert your real life friends? Are you known as the classic film kook in your circles? Please share below!
*The Best Years of Our Lives and The Quiet Man








