Have a Historical Movie Night

Only four posts in, and I'm already getting off topic. But a friend asked me about this recently, and I want to answer her. How can you find good movie ideas for the whole family once you've exhausted your streaming service? Your local library is going to be your best friend. You just have to know what to look for. Here are a couple ideas:

Photo by Corina Rainer on Unsplash

Try historic films. Last year, my kids studied modern American history. Inevitably, they heard the names Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford, Ginger Rogers, and Fred Astaire. So we framed our movie nights around some of those people, partially to give them cultural context and partially for fun. It's even more enjoyable if you do a little bit of research with your kids about Hollywood history and each star so that you can appreciate what a huge artistic accomplishment each film was. But here are some of the films we enjoyed:

• The Gold Rush starring Charlie Chaplin (1925). Chaplin is at his comedic best in this silent film about the gold rush in Alaska. In Chaplin's preferred version of the film, he himself does the voiceover. While there is some violence, a bad guy, and a murder, the silent film's speed of action, silly humor, and dramatic acting makes the violence seem less real and more cartoon-like.

• The Mark of Zorro starring Douglas Fairbanks (1920). This is another classic silent film. Douglas Fairbanks stars as the athletic and dashing Zorro, hiding his true identity so he can challenge the wicked comandante oppressing the people in the Spanish colony of California. Fun, romantic, exciting, and cheesy: What more could anyone want from a silent film?

• Little Annie Rooney starring Mary Pickford (1925). This poignant tearjerker follows the antics of little Annie who leads a group of the neighborhood children in her tenement neighborhood in New York City. When Annie's father is killed as a policeman in the line of duty, Annie must help figure out the real perpetrator and protect the innocent. Part Little Rascals and part Shirley Temple, this film is meant to evoke laughter and tears.

• The General starring Buster Keaton (1926). Buster Keaton is Johnny Gray, a train engineer in the South during the U.S. Civil War. The only thing that he loves as much as his engine, "the general," is the Southern belle Annabelle. When the South refuses to enlist Johnny because they need him to continue serving as an engineer, Annabelle refuses to speak to him. Nothing can get worse for Johnny until Northern officers steal Johnny's beloved engine and kidnap Annabelle. Johnny singlehandedly takes on the Northern army to rescue them both. This movie was considered one of the great films from the silent movie era. It especially made its mark by using a real train to collapse a bridge instead of models. Please note: This film portrays Southerners and the South as the heroes of the film. It does not portray slavery or explore any of the factors and failings that contributed to the Civil War. This lighthearted comedy simply uses the Civil War as an avenue for Buster Keaton to indulge his obsession with trains and his talent for stunts.

• Steamboat Bill, Jr. starring Buster Keaton (1928). Buster Keaton's hilarious physical stunts dominate this film about small, preppy young Willie who meets his large, rough and tumble father after years apart. Steamboat Bill, Sr., wants his son to take over his dilapidated steam boat, but Willie falls in love with the daughter of Steamboat Bill's biggest rival on the river. It will take some midnight escapades, an unjust arrest, and a hurricane to set things right.

• Robin Hood starring Errol Flynn. This classic rendition of the old British legend has been a fan favorite for a very long time.

• The Sea Hawk starring Errol Flynn. If you like Robin Hood, try The Sea Hawk. Flynn stars as Captain Geoffrey Thorpe, a swashbuckling privateer serving under Queen Elizabeth I. He successfully preys on Spanish ships, but the Spanish get a chance to take revenge when they discover that Captain Thorpe plans to attack their colony of Panama. Please note: This film is fun adventure but a terrible way to teach ethics. The British privateers are clearly portrayed as “the good guys,” no matter what they steal from the Spanish and their colonies, while the Spanish are portrayed as wicked, mostly for using galley slaves, for hypocritically judging the British for stealing while they do it themselves, and for having bad facial hair.

• The Court Jester starring Danny Kaye. You may know Kaye only from co-starring in White Christmas with Bing Crosby. But in this ridiculous Robin Hood spoof, Kaye plays Hawken, a British jester who serves the Robin Hood like Black Fox, who serves the true heir to British throne (a tiny infant) in opposing the usurper who has killed most of the royal family. But Hawken gets the chance to prove his courage when he goes to the royal castle impersonating a royal jester to allow the Black Fox to break into the usurper's castle. Hilarity ensues when Hawken is mistaken for an assassin and for the spoiled princess' true love. Please note: This film has scenes of implied requests for sexual favors. Most of it will go over kids' heads. And the ridiculous humor and rollicking songs will enthuse kids and entertain the whole family.

• The Scarlet Pimpernel starring Leslie Howard. (1934) Lady Marguerite Blakeney is as intrigued as anyone else in London by the elusive hero “the Scarlet Pimpernel” who rescues French aristocrats from the Robespiere’s guillotines in France. But at the same time that Lady Blakeney learns the hero’s identity, she is blackmailed to turn him in to the French authorities. Lady Blakeney must choose between saving the hero or letting her only brother be executed.

• The Thin Man starring William Powell and Myrna Loy. (1934) A rich young detective and his new wife investigate the disappearance of a friend, an enterprising scientist. This detective film involves a murder investigation and may be a combination of boring and frightening for young children.

• The Wizard of Oz starring Judy Garland. (1939) When a cruel neighbor wants to have Dorothy's dog Toto killed, Dorothy runs away from home, only to be swept up into a cyclone. When she lands, Dorothy finds herself in the magical world of Oz with no idea how to get home and evade the angry Wicked Witch of the West. (#6 on the American Film Institute's 100 greatest American films of all time)

• Singing in the Rain starring Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds. (1952) A Holly wood movie star in 1927 has to navigate the transition from silent films to talkies while placating his jealous co-star and pursuing the woman of his dreams. (#10 on the American Film Institute's 100 greatest American films of all time)

• It's a Wonderful Life starring Jimmy Stewart. (1946) George Bailey has always wanted to go to college, become an architect, and see the world. But at every turn, he's thwarted by small town politics. George begins to question if his life has any meaning at all. It's hard to beat this American Christmas classic. (#11 on the American Film Institute's 100 greatest American films of all time)

• Mr. Smith Goes to Washington starring Jimmy Stewart. Small town boy scout leader Jeff Stewart is catapulted into national politics when he is appointed by the governor to fill a vacancy in the U.S. Senate. When Jeff discovers that his political idol is part of a scheme to get financial graft, he has to decide how much he is willing to sacrifice for what he believes is right. (1939) (#29 on the American Film Institute's 100 greatest American films of all time)

• Bringing Up Baby starring Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn. (1938) An paleontologist just wants to get his grant to keep funding his research. He just wants to marry his prim secretary who is devoted to his research. But things go awry when an eccentric heiress ropes him into helping her deliver a tame leopard to her aunt. Do not watch if you don't enjoy constant chaos. (#97 on the American Film Institute's 100 greatest American films of all time)

• The Sound of Music starring Julie Andrews. This heartwarming musical is based on the true story of a young woman who is supposed to become a nun but finds herself a nanny to seven motherless children, and more deeply drawn to the children and their father every day. (#55 on the American Film Institute's 100 greatest American films of all time)

• Meet Me in Saint Louis starring Judy Garland. (1944) Another heartwarming musical, this film tells the story of the affectionate Smith family in the year leading up to the 1904 World's Fair. The film centers most on the antics of little Tootie and the matching making efforts of oldest sisters Esther and Rose.

• The Scarlet and the Black starring Gregory Peck and Christopher Plummer. This is one of my all-time favorite films, but I will not recommend it for kids under twelve because of the violence and peril. Set in Rome during the Nazi occupation of Italy, this tells the true story of a priest who risked his life to hide Allied soldiers from the Gestapo.

• Harvey starring Jimmy Stewart. A kindly old man insists his best friend is a six-foot-tall invisible white rabbit named Harvey.

There have been many a good, family-friendly film made over the years. But it's important to note that a movie being old doesn't make it clean. Even those listed above have their flaws. I encourage you to always read a good review before watching an older film.