The Golden Age of Hollywoodwas a period in the American film industry unlike any other. Starting just before the Great Depression in roughly 1927 and lasting until about 1969, the Golden Age was a period of technical advancement and spectacular storytelling in Tinsel Town.
Movies went through immense technological upgrading, starting with the transition from silent pictures to talking pictures. Films also transitioned from black and white to color with the incorporation ofTechnicolor. Technicolor is a series of color motion picture processes, using three black and white filmstrips running through a special camera, known as 3-strip Technicolor or Process 4.
The first Technicolor film attempt dates back to 1916, but it was disastrously unsuccessful. The improved process that was used throughout the Golden Age started in the early 1930s and continued throughout the mid-50s. After that, the 3-strip process was replaced by a camera loaded with single-strip “monopack” color negative film.
The use of vibrant colors in films left audiences in awe during the Golden Age and slowly but surely started to leaveblack-and-white moviesin the dust. Many color films from this period in cinema history are revered classics that even movie fans of the 21st century still enjoy. Here are 10 classic Technicolor films from Hollywood’s Golden Age that still hold up today.
10West Side Story (1961)
A modern retelling at the time,West Side Storyis an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, and started off as a Broadway musical. It is set in Manhattan’s Upper West Side and follows two rival street gangs, the Jets, who are white, and the Puerto Rican Sharks. When the little sister of the Sharks' leader falls in love with a Jet, nothing can stop their love, even as it worsens the ongoing feud between the two gangs.
Related:The 15 Best Hits From Hollywood’s Golden Age
Why It Still Holds Up Today
Large-scale musical productions were hugely popular throughout the Golden Age. Musicals typically involve grand set pieces and costumes, so the inclusion of color technology greatly enhances the extravagant visuals that a musical demands. The musical numbers here are full of lively colors in both the costumes and backdrops, particularly in the dance scene where Tony (Richard Beymer) and Maria (Natalie Wood) meet and during the song “I Feel Pretty”.
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9The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Quite possibly the most well-known film in Hollywood history, Victor Fleming’sThe Wizard of Ozrevolves around young Dorothy (Judy Garland) as she is swept away from Kansas in a tornado that lands her in the magical Land of Oz. Accompanied by her dog Toto, she embarks on a quest with her three new friends to find the powerful Wizard who can send her back home and grant her new friend’s wishes. However,the Wicked Witchof the East is looking for Dorothy, and wants her shoes.
The world-building in the film is still incredible 85 years later. The set design is immaculate, the costumes are elaborate. The movie revolutionized the use of color in film, with it’s beautiful transition from black-and-white to color. The vibrant use of Technicolor makes the red of the ruby slippers, the green of the witch’s skin, and much more pop off the screen like eye candy.
Everything about this film is visually beautiful. The story itself is a timeless one that transcends generations. The fantastical adventure that Dorothy finds herself in is something that can be enjoyed no matter what year, decade, or century it is.
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8Rope (1948)
Alfred Hitchcock’s innovative murder mysteryRopeis a seemingly one-take film that follows two young men, Brandon (John Dall) and Phillip (Farley Granger), who believe themselves to be intellectually superior to their former classmate, David (Dick Hogan). As a result, the two men murder David and leave him in a chest while they host a dinner party that includes their former teacher Rupert (James Stewart), whom they mistakenly took their ideas from.
The film was ahead of its time for many reasons, one of them being the technological feats it experimented with. Excluding the opening credits, the film is meant to appear as one long, continuous shot. It is actually composed of 10 long takes that each run for the length of a spool of film, which would equal about ten minutes.
To achieve the appearance of having no cuts, Hitchcock had the camera placed so closely to a subject that the shot was momentarily engulfed by a shadow. It was then that he would cut the cameras. It’s a technique that has been used in recent years with faux one-shot movies, such as Birdman, that to this day is still a technological achievement. It was also Hitchcock’s first color film.
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7Indiscreet (1958)
Nearly 12 years after starring in the film noirNotorioustogether, Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman reunited to star in Stanley Donen’s rom-comIndiscreet. Bergman plays Anna Kalman, an actress who has given up on love until she meets Philip Adams (Grant). Philip is a suave banker that she starts a fling with, even though he’s married.
This wasIngrid Bergman’s first comedyafter nearly 30 years of acting, and she shines alongside comedy veteran Cary Grant. The pair have palpable chemistry together, and it’s evident through their character’s interactions why they were cast as each other’s romantic interests again.
The use of color is subtle but effective in the film, as Anna and Philip are often surrounded by shades of red. It is also an incredibly funny film that will still make viewers laugh today.
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6Singin' in the Rain (1952)
A quintessential ’50s movie musical, Stanley Donen’s and Gene Kelly’s beloved musicalSingin' in the Rainis a movie about movies. Taking place during the transition between silent films and talkies in the 1920s, the movie follows silent film star Don Lockwood (Kelly) as he and his delusional on-screen partner Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen) try to make the difficult transition to talking pictures. During this time, Don falls in love with a chorus girl named Kathy Selden (Debbie Reynolds) who is trying to make it big in the film industry herself.
Singin' in the Rainis a grandiose movie musical that has been adored by both film and musical fans for decades. Whether it’s because you love musicals,movies about movies, or excellent storytelling, there is something for everyone to love. It has been highly influential in the industry since its release, and was most recentlya prominent influence on Greta Gerwig’s box office hitBarbiein 2023.
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5An American in Paris (1951)
Vincente Minnelli’s classic movie musicalAn American in Parisfollows Jerry Mulligan (Gene Kelly), a struggling American painter in Paris who is discovered by an influential heiress with an interest in more than Jerry’s art. Jerry then in turn falls for Lise (Leslie Caron), a young French girl already engaged to a cabaret singer, whom his best friend Adam (Oscar Levant) also falls for.
The dance sequences in this film are simply beautiful. It could have been two hours of just dance numbers, and it would have been worth the watch. Kelly was a gifted dancer who brought a certain charm to every step he did in this movie. It’s incredibly vivid and full of life, especially the ballet sequence with its numerous costumes and props.
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4North by Northwest (1959)
After being mistaken for a government agent by a group of foreign spies, New York City advertising executive Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant) is forced to go on the run after being framed for murder. In his quest to regain his identity and freedom, he meets and falls in love with Eve Kendall (Eve Marie Saint) who helps him evade the authorities, although he soon realizes she’s not the innocent bystander he thought she was.
Hitchcock’s thrilling action-adventure filmNorth by Northwestis one of hismost exciting (and underrated) films. The story’s action never lets up and keeps you engaged for the entire 136-minute runtime. It has grand, sweeping shots that showcase Hitchcock’s artistic abilities and directing chops behind the camera.
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3Rear Window (1954)
Another collaboration between Hitchcock and Jimmy Stewart, this time starring Grace Kelly,Rear Windowtakes place entirely in the living room of one man’s apartment. The apartment belongs to L.B. Jefferies (Stewart), a photographer bound to a wheelchair after hurting his leg.
From his courtyard-facing window, L.B. spies on his neighbors and becomes convinced he witnessed a murder, despite skepticism from his model girlfriend, Lisa Fremont (Kelly).
Similar to his earlier filmRope, Rear Windowtakes place in one location, a stylistic choice that elevates the stakes. It’sa film school favoritefor a reason. Almost all the action occurs in the building across the street, so the viewer feels like they are spying on the residents with L.B.
Since the camera never gets up close and personal with the other characters in the film the way it does with L.B. and Lisa, it adds tension to each scene. You are never close enough to know exactly what’s going on in those apartments, and it makes you feel miles away, straining to see more.
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2Charade (1963)
A combination of a thriller and a rom-com, Stanley Donen’sCharademight be the most Hitchcock-esque film that was not directed by the Master of Suspense. When a man is thrown off a train, his wife Regina Lampert (Audrey Hepburn) is contacted and discovers she knew nothing about him — not even his real name.
Now, three men are after her, insisting that she has a large sum of money they claim belongs to them. Along with her is the dashing Peter Joshua (Cary Grant) who she falls in love with during a ski trip in the French Alps. But why does he keep changing his name?
Related:10 Iconic Opening Scenes From The Golden Age of Hollywood
The balance between comedy and suspense is blended expertly, making it a thoroughly enjoyable watch from start to finish. You go from laughing to gripping the edge of your seat in a matter of seconds. Despite a 25-year age difference between them, the chemistry between Hepburn and Grant is undeniable. They bounce off each other perfectly. The French backdrop adds to the visual beauty of the film as well.
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1Vertigo (1958)
1958 was the year of Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak. They starred in two movies together that year, and one of them was Hitchcock’s mystery/thrillerVertigo. Following his early retirement from the San Francisco Police Department, John “Scottie” Ferguson (Stewart) struggles with his inner demons, especially his crippling acrophobia (fear of heights). He becomes worryingly obsessed with two women in succession, which troubles his friend and former fiancé, Midge Wood, (Barbara Bel Geddes).
Hitchcock was called the Master of Suspense for a reason. The tension building throughout the film is slow but steady, and you always have a gut feeling that something isn’t quite right.The camera movementscapture this sense of tension as it lingers on certain characters and watches them from a distance. Color and camera shots are used wisely to portray different emotions and even make you feel the dizzying effects of the protagonist’s acrophobia.
