One of my regrets when I was younger is that my parents movie tastes were, shall we say, weak. My dad considers the peak of cinema history to be Rambo, Die Hard, etc etc etc. He even walked out of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon because, heaven forbid, he had to read.

I really didn't discover movies with deeper plotlines than Star Wars, Porky's and Smokey and The Bandit until my early 20's.

I want my kids to know, and to understand, why classic cinema is considered classic. I want them to know Sylvester Stallone from Rocky I, not from Over The Top and Rambo III. I want them to know Clark Gable from more than bad impressions. I want them to know why Hitchcock movies are far scarier than Scream 3.

How are you introducing your children to the movies? My children are 6 and 3, all boys. They already know Disney, and I've been looking into increasing their exposure to older movies. They love Little Rascals/Our Gang videos, and when I found an old tape of Keystone Cops flicks, they didn't stop laughing. I can't wait till they get a few years older, and I can show them King Kong, the Universal monsters, and old Harryhausen movies.

My movie tastes are a little too violent/dark/deep for them (The Wild Bunch is a bit too much for a 6 year old). So I'm looking for some input from the forum. What classic films would you consider appropriate for children?

they would get bored silly, but how about citizen kane, gone with the wind, bonnie and clyde (older), since they are boys, you may want to take some of the "lesser" violent movies in your collection since most at that age dont like older stuff. please oh please introduce them to psycho, (and be sure to turn the sound up for the shower sequence).

i was 7 when i first got to stay up after the 11:00 news and watch the original King Kong.
i guess my parents used to figure, instead of a big scene, just let him have his way and he'll fall asleep 10 minutes after it starts anyway.
needless to say i loved it.
by all means, expose 'em to the good stuff as soon as they show an interest in it.

some suggestions that go without saying (although i'll say 'em anyway)
• the Wizard Of Oz
• The Thief Of Bagdad (haven't seen this yet, but from everything i read the disc and movie are top drawer)
• The Adventures Of Robin Hood (Errol Flynn- due late summer '03 on dvd)
• Superman the movie
• Mr Smith Goes To Washington ( maybe when they hit 7 or 8)
• Pollyanna, Swiss Family Robinson, 20,000 Leagues, etc
• Willy Wonka

i'll add more as i think of them

If they enjoyed the Keystone Cops, go for W.C.Fields (especially The Bank Dick with an incredible car chase) and perhaps the Marx Brothers. There's enough visual humor to hold their attention.

You have to realize though that they are just kids. I know many kids are very mature and can not just sit through but actually enjoy movies like the ones previously listed, but most kids don't want Citizen Kane they want Rugrats. Show them movies that have certain things kids will want to see then later on they can enjoy the rest of the movie. (i.e. King Kong-they will probably love to see king kong on the building smashing airplanes but as they get older they can realize how revolutionary the movie really was.)

An interesting thread that I feel is deserving of another run through the forum.

Hi darkflounder, although 6-years and especially 3-years-old might be a little young still for my suggestions, perhaps they might come in handy sometime down the road. So (hopefully) better late than never, here goes:

Abbott and Costello movies, especially A&C Meet Frankenstein (as an introduction to the Universal Monster films which you've already mentioned), or perhaps since they are already acquainted with the Keystone Kops, A&C Meet the Keystone Kops
Laurel and Hardy in March of the Wooden Soldiers (aka Babes in Toyland)
Treasure Island (1950, Walt Disney live-action)
Mighty Joe Young
Jungle Book (1942)
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)
The Incredible Mr. Limpet
Mary Poppins
The Sound of Music
when they are a little older maybe The Princess and the Pirate (1944) starring Bob Hope and the lovely Virginia Mayo, can be followed-up later with The Secret Life of Walter Mitty starring Danny Kaye.
The Bad News Bears
The Pride of the Yankees - when they're a little older
maybe a couple of those old Japanese King Kong and/or Godzilla movies
Old Yeller (1957, Walt Disney live-action)
The Little Princess starring Shirley Temple
again, for when they are a little older Captains Courageous (1937) and The Prince and the Pauper (1937)