I recently had the unfortunate experience of having to discuss an article by Judith Jarvis Thompson in my ethics class that made reference to Henry Fonda. When I asked my class of 37 students if they knew who Henry Fonda was, three raised their hand. Out of curiousity I then asked about Jimmy Stewart, Cary Grant, Jean Arthur, etc., getting nearly the same number of responses. So as a cultural/public service to my students, I have compiled a short list of what I take to be 'classic' movies from the late 1920s–1960s (omitting for the most part the sub-genres of classic sci-fi and horror). This list was pretty much made off the top of my head. Let me know if there are any glaring omissions.

1930s

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

It Happened One Night

A Night at the Opera Duck Soup

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town

Meet John Doe

You Can’t Take it With You

1940s

It’s a Wonderful Life Casablanca

Notorious

Foreign Correspondent

The Uninvited

Laura

The Bishop’s Wife

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir

Treasure of the Sierra Madre

(Any of the Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce Sherlock Holmes movies)

Maltese Falcon

Arsenic and Old Lace

Suspicion

Miracle on 34th Street

His Girl Friday

Philadelphia Story

Shadow of a Doubt

The Grapes of Wrath

1950s

Vertigo

Rear Window

North by Northwest

Strangers on a Train

High Noon

To Catch a Thief

Anatomy of a Murder

Singin’ in the Rain

Forbidden Planet

Seven Samurai Mister Roberts

12 Angry Men

1960s

Cape Fear

The Birds

The Sound of Music

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner

Psycho

To Kill a Mockingbird

Planet of the Apes

The Magnificent Seven

Spencer’s Mountain

Yours, Mine and Ours

Fail-Safe

Advise & Consent

Spartacus

Dr. Strangelove

2001: A Space Odyssey