Glens Falls (NY) Online Book Discussion Group discussion
Movies, DVDs, and Theater
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Classic Old Movies - Have U any favorites?
I don't recall any of these, I'm sorry, Joy. I'm sure Anthony has seen them all, multiple times, LOLI'll mention two I really enjoyed:
Bringing Up Baby and Arsenic and Old Lace.
Jackie wrote: "I don't recall any of these, I'm sorry, Joy. I'm sure Anthony has seen them all, multiple times, LOLI'll mention two I really enjoyed:
Bringing Up Baby and Arsenic and Old Lace."
Jackie, I'd be interested to know what Anthony says about the movies I listed. Both of the movies you listed are good ones. Cary Grant is one of my favorite actors and he's in both of them.
Which movie is it in which Cary Grant steps on the back of Katharine Hepburn's gown, tears it, and then has to cover the back of her legs by walking with his body against her back, in order to cover her up, as they leave the party? Is that "Bringing Up Baby"? It's one of the funniest scenes in the classic old movies.
Anthony says Yes, it was BUB, because she runs into the bushes after it happens.Anthony's ratings:
Godfrey: really liked it
He says they sound familar but he doesn't always know the names of the old movies he watches. Sorry, that's all I can give for now.
Ant says another great Cary Grant movie is My Girl Friday. I remember this one too and I liked it also.
Jackie wrote: "Anthony says Yes, it was BUB, because she runs into the bushes after it happens. Anthony's ratings: Godfrey: really liked it ...... Ant says another great Cary Grant movie is My Girl Friday... "
Thank Anthony for me, Jackie.
Here's the Netflix info for "His Girl Friday": ====>
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/His_Girl...
Yes, that was another great classic.
Netflix says it's on the:
"TIME® Magazine List: All-TIME 100 Movies"
Anthony knows his old movies! :)
"Topper"? The one where Cary Grant (I think) & his girl friend are killed in an auto accident & have to do a good deed."Metropolis" an old, silent, SF flick that is amazing.
Jim wrote: ""Topper"? The one where Cary Grant (I think) & his girl friend are killed in an auto accident & have to do a good deed."Metropolis" an old, silent, SF flick that is amazing."
Yes, "Topper" was great fun.
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Topper_T...
Haven't ever heard of "Metropolis". But Netflix has it! ====>
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Metropol...
Now I'm curious. I've added it to my Netflix queue.
I haven't watched all that many older classic films from the black-and-white era. But a few that are favorites of mine include Westward the Women (1952), starring Robert Taylor, which is a favorite of my wife's, as well; The Red Badge of Courage (1951) starring Audie Murphy; and The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945) --I don't remember the main actors' names in that one, but it has an about 20-year-old Angela Lansbury in a supporting role. Both of the latter two are excellent (and basically pretty faithful) adaptations of the novels.
I was just watched "Harvey" a while back. Jimmy Stewart is amazing in that. We were talking about "Shenandoah" the other night, too. He starred in a lot of fantastic ones.Joy, did you ever watch "Metropolis"? Pretty wild, isn't it?
Werner and Jim, Harvey is one of my favorites. Dorian Gray was a great mystery. Haven't seen the others you mentioned. I put Red Badge on my N-queue. They don't have Westward the Woman.Metropolis is in my Netflix queue and it's streamable. Perhaps I'll watch it today. Thanks for the reminder.
I see that Red Badge is streamable too. That's good to know. I never read the book.
The Red Badge of Courage Bk.10 by Stephen Crane
We'll be watching 'It's a Wonderful Life' soon, Anthony likes to watch it every year around this time.
Jackie wrote: "We'll be watching 'It's a Wonderful Life' soon, Anthony likes to watch it every year around this time."Yes, the 1946 version with Jimmy Stewart.
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/It_s_a_W...
And how about the one about the kid who wants a BB gun for Christmas? :)
"A Christmas Story" (1983)
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/A_Christ...
They usually show it on TV at holiday time.
Jim, I tried to watch "Metropolis". Couldn't do it. Too depressing. Couldn't get past the beginning. Very dark.http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Metropol...
I'm sorry, Joy. It is pretty dark & horrible, but so well done, especially for a silent film. The music & actors are fantastic.
Well Jim, at least I know it exists. :)
Joy, I did some checking, and Westward the Women can be purchased (on VHS) through Amazon. There are currently three new copies available, starting at $59.90 (which is prohibitively steep, I grant you!) and 12 used copies starting at a more reasonable $19.71. The average customer rating is 4 1/2 stars. The URL is:http://www.amazon.com/Westward-Women-... .
Unlike my wife, I'm not usually an avid fan of Westerns, and most of those I do like have some atypical feature that distinguishes them from the pack. This one does. At the beginning, an aged California rancher resolves, at a time when the state's population was still overwhelmingly male, to travel to Chicago and bring back a wagon train full of decent women willing to be mail-order brides for his ranch hands. (Taylor's character is the scout/ wagonmaster that he hires as his second-in-command on the mission.) The bulk of the film concentrates on the arduous overland westward journey of about 100 women, with only a relative handful of male escorts, over Indian-controlled rugged terrain that includes deserts, rivers and the Rocky Mountains. In order to survive --and not all of them will-- the ladies will have to learn to drive teams, handle guns, haul wagons through rivers and over mountains, and much more; and will face floods, drought, and other enemies both natural and human. It's one of the few Westerns that really concentrates on the female side of the Western experience; and our heroines rise to the occasion admirably!
Jackie, Barb and I both really like It's a Wonderful Life, too! Although I really resent it that Potter never gets called to account for his theft --if I'd written the script, he'd have found out that the guy who pushes his wheel chair has eyes, and a voice! (I like to think that maybe that happened after the credits got done rolling. :-)) That's another older movie we usually watch at this time of year; and one more is the original Miracle on 34th St. (we never liked the remake nearly as well).
Werner, Westward the Woman does sound like a different kind of Western, especially, as you say, "It's one of the few Westerns that really concentrates on the female side of the Western experience...". Too bad it's not available on DVD at Netflix.
Okay, her's some of my favorite old flicks: Petrified Forest
Stagecoach
Public Enemy
The Roaring Twenties
Gentleman's Agreement
Meet John Doe
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (Still sadly timely today!)
All Quiet on the Western Front (also still relevant!)
And since I'm a major comedy buff:
All Laurel and Hardy, Chaplin, Keaton, Lloyd, Marx Brothers, WC Fields, et al.
You got a lot of my favorites there, Arnie. I've never seen "All Quiet on the Western Front" but I've read the book a couple of times.I'd have to add in "Forbidden Planet" & "Shane", too.
What is an 'oldie' anyway. I consider 50's & below oldies, but my kids think 70's & below are oldies. If I could go up into the 70's, I'd have to add in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show", "Wizards" & "Sometimes a Great Notion".
That last movie doesn't seem to be very well known for some unknown reason. It was made in 1970 & had Paul Newman & Henry Fonda in it. They're father & son in a logging family. Absolutely fantastic! Anyone else ever seen it?
My take on 'classic old movies' is old Black and White movies.
When I was a kid, the local CBS affiliate showed at 10:30 p.m. the old films. That was before Jack Paar and Johnny Carson. :) The films were great. Now, what were they? Danged if I can remember. I remember some with Zazu Pitts, gosh that woman was funny!
I liked the old science fiction ones too, Jim, you mention Forbidden Planet, yeah, loved that too. There was one with Forrest Tucker, The Creeping Eye...something like that...that can't be the whole title, but it was a schlocky sort of science fiction...then there was the original The Thing, remember James Arness played the thing? I have to laugh at the thought now.
I didn't like Westerns as much when I was a kid as I do now. Some that come to mind are Stagecoach, The Sons of Katie Elder and the likes of them. It didn't hurt that Dean Martin played in the latter, I liked him a lot. Of course The Duke. :)
Oh, there was one with John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara...McClintock!.....man that was funny. What a pair they were together. The Quiet Man too.
I tried Metropolis and couldn't bear it.
I like the old detective series, The Thin Man films come to mind. William Powell and Myrna Loy. Wonderful!
I liked the old science fiction ones too, Jim, you mention Forbidden Planet, yeah, loved that too. There was one with Forrest Tucker, The Creeping Eye...something like that...that can't be the whole title, but it was a schlocky sort of science fiction...then there was the original The Thing, remember James Arness played the thing? I have to laugh at the thought now.
I didn't like Westerns as much when I was a kid as I do now. Some that come to mind are Stagecoach, The Sons of Katie Elder and the likes of them. It didn't hurt that Dean Martin played in the latter, I liked him a lot. Of course The Duke. :)
Oh, there was one with John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara...McClintock!.....man that was funny. What a pair they were together. The Quiet Man too.
I tried Metropolis and couldn't bear it.
I like the old detective series, The Thin Man films come to mind. William Powell and Myrna Loy. Wonderful!
Jackie wrote: "My take on 'classic old movies' is old Black and White movies. "
Agreed, for the most part.
Agreed, for the most part.
Arnie wrote: " Okay, her's some of my favorite old flicks: ..."Arnie, I think I remember "The Petrified Forest" (1936). Yes, that was a good one.
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/The_Petr...
Also "Gentleman's Agreement" (1947).
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Gentlema...
I also enjoyed "Meet John Doe" and "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington".
Here's a link to "The Roaring Twenties" (1939) which I had forgotten about:
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/The_Roar...
I read "The Quiet Man" before I saw the movie. It was one of the few John Wayne movies I didn't like. Loved "The Sons of Katie Elder", though! I have "McClintoc" on VHS, I think.Do you remember "The First Spaceship on Venus"? Definitely an old grade B movie, but some of the ideas they had were way ahead of their time. "Jason & the Argonauts" was another that was ahead of its time. The skeleton fight was very good for back then, the first time something like that had been done - or so one web listing said. (I really remember it because I ate way too much popcorn & orange soda & got sick. I've disliked both since then!)
Yes, I remember "The Thing". "The Blob" with Steve McQueen was another favorite. I really liked a lot of those old SF flicks.
Jackie, I'm never sure what was B&W versus color. A lot of them seem to be both.
Jim, I've seen Shane too (twice, actually, on TV), and have to admit that I liked it pretty well, even if it is a Western. :-) Somehow it doesn't have the hackneyed feel of a lot of the later ones --of course, it was made at a time when a lot of the typical Western plot elements were a lot fresher! And it's a good example of clear-cut moral conflict between good and evil, which requires courage for victorious resolution --something which, as Barb often reminds me, is a strong point of the genre as a whole.Pontalba, I'm married to a John Wayne fan, and do a lot of my movie/TV watching with her, so I've seen my share of the Duke's films. The Sons of Katie Elder is one of his better ones, IMO --though I don't really think of it as an "old" movie. To me, as some others here have said, "old" movies are B & W --though as Jim noted, that's a generational thing!
When I was a kid, I used to watch Gunsmoke and Bonanza on TV (still do at times, with Barb), and back in the 90s, our whole family were fans of the Young Riders series. But though all of those series were/are Westerns, and included some gunfighting action when called for, they were mainly about human character and relationships, and the characters were well-drawn individuals, not stock figures embodying stereotypical types. (I'm a bit off topic here, I know --sorry! :-))
Jim wrote: I'm never sure what was B&W versus color. A lot of them seem to be both.I don't know what you mean, can you elaborate?
Jackie, I've noticed that some of the old B&W's were colorized...a hateful practice if I ever saw one. Oughta be outlawed.
Jim, no, I don't remember First Spaceship to Venus, but that doesn't mean I didn't see it. A great many of them have run together in my head...I do remember the skeleton fight scene in Jason though, yeah!!
I haven't read The Quiet Man, gotta do that! Thanks. :)
I just really, really liked Wayne and O'Hara together, they were well matched.
Werner, no, Katie Elder isn't truly a golden oldie, but it embodied so much of the true values to me I sort of classify it in that "genre".
I didn't like Gunsmoke when it was on originally, but have watched it in reruns [they're endless:] and truly enjoyed it then. I did like in it's original run though.
Do you remember Have Gun Will Travel with ....um.....gotta google.....Yes! Richard Boone. Loved that one too.
Rawhide ? :)
Jim, no, I don't remember First Spaceship to Venus, but that doesn't mean I didn't see it. A great many of them have run together in my head...I do remember the skeleton fight scene in Jason though, yeah!!
I haven't read The Quiet Man, gotta do that! Thanks. :)
I just really, really liked Wayne and O'Hara together, they were well matched.
Werner, no, Katie Elder isn't truly a golden oldie, but it embodied so much of the true values to me I sort of classify it in that "genre".
I didn't like Gunsmoke when it was on originally, but have watched it in reruns [they're endless:] and truly enjoyed it then. I did like in it's original run though.
Do you remember Have Gun Will Travel with ....um.....gotta google.....Yes! Richard Boone. Loved that one too.
Rawhide ? :)
Jackie, beyond colorization (which I don't particularly mind) some of the movies were color in the theaters but released to TV as B&W, I think. Or maybe it was just that I saw them in B&W several times & remember them that way. We didn't get a color TV until I was 13.Pontalba, The Quiet Man is a wonderful short story, but dramatically different than the movie. The Duke was not the man for that role & him playing it just had to change it completely. In the story, the guy is a small, quiet man. Steve McQueen could have played it. The real shock of the story is because he's so small & puts up with so much. When he finally loses it... Well, I don't want to spoil it for you.
It's a short story & originally appeared in the Saturday Evening Post in 1933. If you'd like to read it, go to this link:
http://www.apex.net.au/~mhumphry/QMan...
OK, now I get it. I hadn't given it much thought before, but I think you're right, that I just remember them as B & W because it's how I saw them on TV.
Pontalba wrote: "... I like the old detective series, The Thin Man films come to mind. William Powell and Myrna Loy. Wonderful!"Ah, yes, William Powell and Myrna Loy were priceless in The Thin Man films. And so was their dog, Whats-his-name. :)
Yes, Pontalba, I do remember Paladin on Have Gun, Will Travel, as well as Rawhide ("Head 'em up, move em' out!" :-)). Some other ones I watched at times were Wyatt Earp, with Hugh O'Brien, Bat Masterson with Gene Barry, and The Rifleman, with Chuck Connors. But I didn't watch any of these as much or as consistently as the ones I mentioned before, so they didn't make as much impression on me.I grew up with black and white TV, too; so did Barb. We didn't get a color TV until the very end of the 80s, when we got a VCR. (We figured if we were going to watch videos, a lot of them would be better experienced in color!)
Joy H. (of Glens Falls) wrote:
Ah, yes, William Powell and Myrna Loy were priceless in The Thin Man films. And so was their dog, Whats-his-name. :) ..."
Asta. Adorable little beggar. :)
Oh, well, Maverick was my intro to James Garner. How bad can that be? hee hee
Ah, yes, William Powell and Myrna Loy were priceless in The Thin Man films. And so was their dog, Whats-his-name. :) ..."
Asta. Adorable little beggar. :)
Oh, well, Maverick was my intro to James Garner. How bad can that be? hee hee
I loved Richard Boone as Paladin in "Have gun, Will Travel". One of my favorite shows. There was another with Steve McQueen in it. Was that "Branded"? I tended to like the more violent ones better.
Pontalba wrote: "Asta. Adorable little beggar. :)Oh, well, Maverick was my intro to James Garner. How bad can that be? hee hee"
Thanks, Pontalba. Yes, now I remember. The cute little dog was Asta.
My favorite James Garner movie is Victor/Victoria (1982).
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Victor_V...
Garner is such a hunk. (Not bad at all!) Even in his 80s. Born in 1928!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Ga...
Jim wrote: "I loved Richard Boone as Paladin in "Have gun, Will Travel". One of my favorite shows. There was another with Steve McQueen in it. Was that "Branded"? I tended to like the more violent ones bet..."Here's "Branded":
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Branded/...
I don't see Steve McQueen's name.
Jim wrote: "I loved Richard Boone as Paladin in "Have gun, Will Travel". One of my favorite shows. There was another with Steve McQueen in it. Was that "Branded"? I tended to like the more violent ones bet..."
Wanted, Dead or Alive
http://www.fiftiesweb.com/tv/wanted-d...
I can still see him with that sawed off shotgun. :)
And The Rifleman Chuck Conners
And Cheyanne Clint Walker
LOL I guess I watched more Westerns when I was young than I'd reckoned on. :)
Wanted, Dead or Alive
http://www.fiftiesweb.com/tv/wanted-d...
I can still see him with that sawed off shotgun. :)
And The Rifleman Chuck Conners
And Cheyanne Clint Walker
LOL I guess I watched more Westerns when I was young than I'd reckoned on. :)
Joy, James Garner is one of my all time favorites. He was marvelous. Loved and watched his TV shows...The Rockford Files and Maverick.
Not 'Branded' then. "Wanted: Dead or Alive"! That was the one with Steve McQueen!
As for more of the Old Classics, what about Now, Voyager, or really any Bette Davis/Claude Rains combination. Not to mention Casablanca, everyone talks about Bogart and Bergman, but Rains was wonderful in it as well. I can still see the last frame of the film...the guys walking off into their beautiful friendship. :):)
Pontalba wrote: "As for more of the Old Classics, what about Now, Voyager, or really any Bette Davis/Claude Rains combination. Not to mention Casablanca, everyone talks about Bogart and Bergman, but Rains was wond..."Ah, yes, Pontalba, those movies were terrific!
There's a book out which tells the story of what happened before and after the "Casablanca" story. It's like a prequel and a sequel. It entitled: _As Time Goes By_ (1998) by Michael Walsh. My son gave it to me as a gift and I enjoyed it but have since given it away (in a weak moment). (g) I regret that.
See more at:
http://web.naplesnews.com/special/boo...
"... the book is clearly evocative of the movie."
http://www.alibris.com/search/books/q...
My absolute favorite black and white movie is the original 1951 version of "The Day the Earth Stood Still", with an outstanding preformance by Michael Rennie!
Pontalba: When were were kids there WERE a lot more Westerns around than there are now. Used to be every network had a few Westerns. Nowadays, cop shows are more popular.I liked Cheyenne; Wagon Train: Rawhide; and The Rifleman. Also, The Lone Ranger and Have Gun will Travel.
Mary JL wrote: "My absolute favorite black and white movie is the original 1951 version of "The Day the Earth Stood Still", with an outstanding preformance by Michael Rennie!
"
!!!!!!!!!! Oh, my poor dumb and clouded brain!
Yes..mine too! Love, love, loved Michael Rennie in it, and Pat Neal was terrific! I have it on DVD.
"
!!!!!!!!!! Oh, my poor dumb and clouded brain!
Yes..mine too! Love, love, loved Michael Rennie in it, and Pat Neal was terrific! I have it on DVD.
Joy H. (of Glens Falls) wrote: There's a book out which tells the story of what happened before and after the "Casablanca" story. It's like a prequel and a sequel. It entitled: _As Time Goes By_ (1998) by Michael Walsh.
I have this one, and it is most interesting.
http://www.amazon.com/Making-Casablan...
They've changed the name of the book since a friend gave me a copy.
Your links definitely sound interesting Joy, more for my list! :)
I have this one, and it is most interesting.
http://www.amazon.com/Making-Casablan...
They've changed the name of the book since a friend gave me a copy.
Your links definitely sound interesting Joy, more for my list! :)
Pontalba, Thanks for telling me about the book which changed its name.Sounds like something I'd enjoy reading... about what happened behind the scenes of "Casablanca". I've added it to my To-Read List:
IT WAS: _Round Up the Usual Suspects The Making of Casablanca Bogart, Bergman, and World War II_
IT'S NOW: _The Making of Casablanca Bogart, Bergman, and World War II_
Amazon and Goodreads both say:
"Critically acclaimed when published in 1992 as "Round Up the Usual Suspects", "The Making of Casablanca" offers the ultimate insider's look at the politics and personalities behind the most celebrated movie of all time-Casablanca. ... Richly detailed and full of surprises, The Making of Casablanca debunks many cherished myths about the casting, script, story, and stars, to reveal the realities of the highly pressured Hollywood studio system during World War II."
FROM:
http://www.amazon.com/Making-Casablan...
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37...
Mary JL wrote: "My absolute favorite black and white movie is the original 1951 version of "The Day the Earth Stood Still", with an outstanding preformance by Michael Rennie!"Good choice, Mary! I remember great suspense when watching this movie. Below is a link to the Netflix description:
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/The_Day_...
As the description says, the movie sent a "potent message".
And yes, Michael Rennie was great in this movie. Perfect casting, IMO.
My Favorites include:"The Letter" starring Bette Davis, or any of her movies from that time period.
"Imitation of Life"- the Lana Turner version
"The Sting" no more need to be said when there's Paul Newman & Robert Redford
Most of the 50's Monster Movies: "Them", "The Creature from the Black Lagoon", "The Blob", with Steve McQueen, "Village of the Dammed"
Katherine wrote: "My Favorites include:"The Letter" starring Bette Davis, or any of her movies from that time period.
"Imitation of Life"- the Lana Turner version
"The Sting" no more need to be said when there's..."
Katherine, I don't think I've ever seen "The Letter" (1940). So I put it on my Netflix queue just now. Bette Davis is always terrific. Below is a link to the Netflix description:
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/The_Lett...
Same with "Imitation of Life" (1959):
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Imitatio...
I don't remember seeing that version (with Lana Turner) but I did see the original with Claudette Colbert which came out in 1934.
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Imitatio...
I've always enjoyed Claudette Colbert.
Joy, I saw the Lana Turner version as well, and pieces of the Claudette Colbert one, but I believe there has even been a third one made.
Katherine...watching Bette coming down those steps with the smoking gun was such fun...she was marvelous. Joy, you'll love it. Classic Davis.
There is a short story you know that The Day The Earth Stood Still was based on...I finally found it a few years ago on Amazon, only in PDF form [at the time:], so I did so, and it is nothing like the film! Not to say it isn't good, but I was amazed at the difference.
http://www.amazon.com/Earth-Stood-Sti...
At that price, I'm glad I was able to get the PDF version for a few dollars when I did! Yikes.
Katherine...watching Bette coming down those steps with the smoking gun was such fun...she was marvelous. Joy, you'll love it. Classic Davis.
There is a short story you know that The Day The Earth Stood Still was based on...I finally found it a few years ago on Amazon, only in PDF form [at the time:], so I did so, and it is nothing like the film! Not to say it isn't good, but I was amazed at the difference.
http://www.amazon.com/Earth-Stood-Sti...
At that price, I'm glad I was able to get the PDF version for a few dollars when I did! Yikes.
Pontalba wrote: "... There is a short story you know that The Day The Earth Stood Still was based on...I finally found it a few years ago on Amazon, only in PDF form [at the time:], so I did so, and it is nothing like the film! Not to say it isn't good, but I was amazed at the difference.http://www.amazon.com/Earth-Stood-Sti... "
Pontalba. Thanks for the interesting bit of info.
Below is an excerpt from that Amazon webpage:
"Were the alien and his robot here to help or harm humankind? Find out the surprising answer in the original story that inspired the classic 1951 science fiction movie "The Day the Earth Stood Still" and the blockbuster 2008 remake. This story, "Farewell to the Master" (Astounding Science Fiction 1940), with its poignant, haunting last line, would posthumously earn its author, Harry Bates, the coveted Balrog Award (1983). Here is a must-read for any science fiction lover because the motion picture's producers made a key change, and as the Encyclopedia of Science Fiction says, 'the film lost the story's ironic ending.' Discover for yourself what Hollywood left out in the first-ever collection of the best work of the legendary 1930s science fiction idea man, Harry Bates (1900-1981)."
Glens Falls (NY) Online Book Discussion Group
Books mentioned in this topic
Round Up the Usual Suspects: The Making of Casablanca--Bogart, Bergman, and World War II (other topics)The Making of Casablanca: Bogart, Bergman, and World War II (other topics)
As Time Goes By (other topics)
The Red Badge of Courage (other topics)
Authors mentioned in this topic
Stephen Crane (other topics)Michael Walsh (other topics)
Just off the top of my head are several of mine, which one doesn't usually hear about:
"My Man Godfrey (1936)"
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028010/
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/My_Man_G...
"Libeled Lady" (1936)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0027884/
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Libeled_...
"Midnight" (1939)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031647/
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Midnight...
And it goes without saying that "It Happened One Night" (1934) is a favorite too.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0025316/
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/It_Happe...
I guess you might call them "screwball comedies".
If you haven't seen them, I'll bet you'd like them.