Top 20 List of Classic Movies

The internet has spoken! This list of classic movies officially defines the top twenty old black and white films.

There are many websites out there that claim to list the best ever b&w movies, and they all champion different films. We here at b&wm.com have scoured the internet on your behalf, and compiled the list below, which is an overall ranking based on every list we could find. We awarded 20 points to any film listed at number one, 19 for number two, and so on. We only allowed films made before 1970, so sorry to all you fans of Raging Bull.

We discovered that there are basically two types of list – the first is where people list all the most famous, respected, and well-loved old movies (Citizen Kane, Casablanca), sorted into the order they like them best. The second is where people list serious foreign-language movies (The Seventh Seal, La Dolce Vita), perhaps with a few more well-known ones thrown in.

If you would like to add your own “Top Twenty”, please feel free to do so using the form below. I will include any submissions when I next update the master list.

Top Twenty
last updated – November 2010

1. Citizen Kane
2. Sunset Boulevard
3. Double Indemnity
4. The Seventh Seal
5. Casablanca
6. Night of the Hunter
7. Dr Strangelove
8. Metropolis
9. Psycho
10. Paths of Glory
11. To Kill a Mockingbird
12. The Haunting
13. Ice-cold in Alex
14. Rashomon
15. City Lights
16. Touch of Evil
17. It’s a Wonderful Life
18. Frankenstein
19. The Apartment
20. My Darling Clementine