Must-see Classic Hollywood movies to watch on YouTube

It was one of those days again. One of those days that I missed being able to watch Classic Hollywood marathons on TCM (which stopped broadcasting in Europe years ago). And I was also slightly annoyed that you have to pay extra for every decent film on Amazon Prime. So, I went back to the one social media channel that I actually use the least: YouTube.

Classic Hollywood movies and YouTube

Next to all the makeup and hair tutorials, IKEA and not-IKEA how-to videos, recipes, lifestyle journeys, yoga and not-yoga exercises, YouTube also made room for my favorite kind of visual entertainment: Classic Hollywood movies. Which immediate brings me to the big pro and con. The pro is: you can watch a lot for free. I mean, a LOT more than you think.

The downside: I couldn’t find any article, blog or list highlighting free Classic Hollywood movies on Youtube. And we all love lists when we’re rushing through social media life, don’t we? So. since I couldn’t find any list, I’ve decided to make one myself, and I will create a blogserie, as I find more mustwatch classics on my YouTube journey.

5 must-see Classic Hollywood movies to watch on YouTube

So here is a first list of a few must-see Classic Hollywood movies. Totally free to watch on YouTube.

1. Leave her to Heaven (1945)
A follower on Instagram actually introduced me to this movie and I was pleased to find it on Youtube. Leave her to Heaven is a film noir about a writer that meets a young socialite in de train. They get married really soon, but then she starts to become a little bit obsessive. And that might be an understatement.

Gene Tierney is brilliant in this movie and ever since, Gene Tierney as Ellen Berent appears in my mind whenever I hear the term ‘Ice Queen’ .

2. No Way Out (1950)
A white patient dies under the care of African-American doctor Luther Brooks (played by Sidney Poitier). The doctor is not at fault, but the brother of the patient seeks for revenge, which leads to racial riots. The dialogues in this movie are at times powerful and at times hard-hitting offensive.

Rumor has it that Richard Widmark (who plays the racist brother), kept apologizing to Sidney Poitier for the racial slurs, eventhough they were obviously acting. This movie not only gives a realistic peak into the lives of people of color in the US back in the day. It helps you understand even more why in 2021 there’s still a lot of work to do.

3. A Night to Remember (1958)
The Titanic without the romance and more realistic. Before the 1997 blockbuster, there was ‘A Night to Remember’. In fact, if you watch this movie, you’ll see that a lot of scenes were duplicated in The Titanic. Looking at the time frame of this movie (the 1950s), this is actually some brilliant camera work.

In a way, this version more intimately tells the stories of the passengers and everyone who helped that night. After watching this film, some people actually like this version better compared to The Titanic film of 1997.

4. What a Way to Go! (1964)
Weird. But funny. But oh so weird. That sums up this movie in one sentence. However, if you’re interested in vintage fashion, the outfits are a lust for the eyes. And if you are like me, you end up googling THE white dress that Shirley MacLaine wears during a memorable scene. Costume designer Edith Head sure brought the low- cut dress to another level.

Next to that, there are also many big names of the Old Hollywood heydays in this movie: Paul Newman, Robert Mitchum and Dean Martin to name a few. I can’t embed this YouTube video, but via this YouTube link you can watch the full movie.

5. Monkey Business (1952)
An all-time favorite comedy. And hilarious, no matter how many times you watch it. The plot: a chemist is looking for the fountain of youth when, plot twist, his chimpansee finds it first. Obviously, things get wild after that.

Ginger Rogers is adorable (when is she not?). Cary Grant is his awesome, charming self (when is he not?). There is also a tiny role for Marilyn Monroe here. Next to that, the classic fashion is impeccable.

That was the list of today. Enjoy! And one last tip: turn on the subtitles. It makes some movies twice as funny.