Big-screen new releases are enjoyable to see in theaters, but sometimes it’s nice to go back to the classics. Here is our list of the top five classic movies that are must-sees for the summer.
1. ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ (1962, Gregory Peck, John Megna, et al.)
Based on the book written by Harper Lee, this movie follows Atticus Finch, a lawyer in the Depression-era South, who defends a black man wrongfully accused of rape. Gregory Peck puts in an outstanding performance as Finch, a role that earned Peck an Academy Award. Rylan Bateman, a statistics major from Vancouver said, “To Kill a Mockingbird” is one of his favorite movies.
“The movie is fantastic,” Bateman said. “Gregory Peck’s performance is phenomenal.”
‘It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World’ (1963, Spencer Tracy, Mickey Rooney, Buddy Hacket, et al.)
A wonderful slapstick comedy, “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” focuses on a group of travelers who witness a car accident and, upon trying to save the driver, learn of a large stash of money hidden in California. The movie follows the members of this ragtag group as they rush across the country, trying to be the first to claim the money. With more than 50 cameo appearances, from Jerry Lewis to the Three Stooges, this movie is sure to give a good laugh.
‘Casablanca’ (1942, Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Berman, et al.)
Arguably his most famous film, Humphrey Bogart stars in this movie as Rick Blaine, an ex-freedom fighter and exiled American who runs a popular nightclub in Casablanca during World War II. The nightclub acts as a place for refugees to purchase letters of transit that will allow them passage to America. The story focuses on the rekindling love affair between Blaine and his true love, Ilsa.
“I love ‘Casablanca,'” said Nate Willardson, a finance major from San Diego, California. “It was the first old movie I watched that I really liked.”
‘Wait Until Dark’ (1967, Audrey Hepburn, Alan Arkin, et al.)
One of Audrey Hepburn’s highest-rated movies, “Wait Until Dark” follows recently blinded Susy Hendrix (Hepburn) as she is terrorized by a group of thugs who search for a heroin-filled doll they believe is hidden in her home. The film is brimming with suspense and a few good jump-scares that will get hearts pounding. Viewers might not want to wait until dark to see this movie.
‘The Sound of Music’ (1965, Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, et al.)
Julie Andrews lends her beautiful voice and charming acting to this wonderful movie about a nun-turned-nanny-turned-wife set in pre World War II Austria. Follow Maria (Andrews) as she leaves her convent to follow her heart as it leads her to Captain Georg von Trapp (Plummer) and his young children.
For senior Kevin Godfrey, from Fresno, California, “The Sound of Music” is both endearing and well-loved.
“It’s a great movie, and it brings back good memories of when I was a kid,” he said.
