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Thank you for visiting Classic Flicks for Kids!

Nowadays, old movies are usually forgotten and neglected. Around me, many people dislike them without even watching them. Even old people dislike them sometimes. But most of the time, it’s the kids who end up saying "boring" at an old movie, since they can get to the modern and colorful movies of their generation, such as Madagascar.

But the movies many treasured from young were once new, were they not?

When we persuade a kid to watch a black-and-white movie, it is hard, is it not? It is not as hard as you think. In fact, I am one of those kids who is very attracted to old movies. In truth, I would not watch anything else but old movies.

As old as the 1890s. You might think films might not have existed at that time, but they did! Heard of "The Milkman’s Mayhem"? That’s a century before us. So what’s wrong? It’s only a hundred years. There might be no colour, no dialogue and not even a bit of special effects, but so? “Everyone else I know would not watch a hundred films in one year,” I once remarked. But I've done it!

I have two sisters, one seven, one five. I use them as simple target audience for my reviews of old movies. At one time, while watching the newest Barbie attraction for kids, Little C suddenly said she wanted to watch The Marx Brothers feature "A Night in Casablanca". She has become a Marx Brother fan, a Charlie Chaplin fan and a Buster Keaton fan. They are all funny men, and all good ones too!

However, there are films I would definitely NOT show them unless they ask me to such as "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" and "M". Those are actually not for their age group and probably too scary. It should be noted the older one, Middle C, took to King Kong, which to her seemed fine.

Let me tell you: All you need to do is show a kid one of these great classic films, the correct one, they would take to it and watch it again and again, even when you ask them to stop. It can also be a treat to you!

I have some kids-tested recommendations you might want to get for your children. You can find all these wonderful selections at the Esplanade Library.  The DVDs there are arranged in alphabetical order, so they're very easy to find.

Library@Esplanade has a treasure trove of old movies such as these!

But before you venture on, you're probably asking, "What's so fascinating about old movies?!" Check out my opinions on this here.

So how does this blog work?

·       If you're new to old movies, check out the Pinnacles for the best of the best old movies.

·       If you prefer certain genres, check out the different sections such as Comedies, Musicals, Dramas,  Film Noir, Mystery & Thriller, Action, Adventure, War & Epic, Horror, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Westerns, Animation and Foreign Films. For each recommended title, I will include the cast, director, a plot summary, specific age group, why it is here to entertain, trivia, a parent’s guide and a list of films to look out if your child likes it.

·         For an Index of all titles I have watched, click the Index tab.

Some things to note though:

First, I have excluded some of classic films like "M" (1931) about a child murderer on the run. I think it is too scary, unless your kid is mature enough to know fact from fiction.

Second, is what the definition of an old movie is. It is not Star Wars or Jaws or The Sting from the 1970s. To me, old movies are films made in the golden era of cinema, from the silent era through to the late 60s. There was a change in the early 70s which resulted in a new type of film culture and new special effects.

So, play on!