Are you looking for some classic movies to watch this Christmas season that will make you laugh? Christmas is the perfect time to watch some of the old classic movies with friends and family. If you’re lucky, you have off a few days for the winter Christmas break from school or work, so you might actually have the chance to catch up on some of these oldies but goodies. Here are ten classic funny films to view over the Christmas holidays.
1. Hatari (1962). Hatari stars John Wayne as Sean Mercer, the head of a group who capture wild animals for a zoo. The movie is filmed in Tanganika and the scenery is beautiful. The movie has everything to make a great classic, including a love interest, capturing of wild animals, a dormant volcano as scenery in the background, and all the comic adventure you need to keep you watching and entertained.
2. Bringing Up Baby (1938). Katharine Hepburn stars as a young heiress. Cary Grant is an engaged paleontologist who thinks his life is set. Little does he know that Katharine Hepburn’s character is about to rip his life to shreds. Question is: is this all for the better anyway? This has to be just about my favorite movie of all time because she really reminds me of me, with disasters happening all over the place! It’s a cute movie that involves getting back the pet leopard and many more crazy adventures!
3. McLintock! (1963). John Wayne plays George McLintock, who has lost his wife. Well, she has left him, but why? How can he get her back. The comedy begins as George tries to get back his wife.
4. Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961). This classic movie stars Audrey Hepburn as a young woman who won’t commit to anything. She won’t give her men the time of day after they spend money on her, for example. So, then she meets George Peppard’s character, who is a man living with and being kept by a wealthy woman. Can their romance actually get her to commit to something and improve herself? This witty classic comedy is a must see for the Christmas season with the family.
5. Walk, Don’t Run (1966). This movie stars Cary Grant, Samantha Eggar and Jim Hutton, and it is hilarious. At times, I thought I would roll on the floor laughing. You just never know what’s going to happen next in this movie. Cary Grant’s character is a businessman traveling to Tokyo. He can’t find anywhere to stay because the Olympics is taking place, so he decides to rent a room from a woman. What ends up happening is that he starts playing matchmaker with another gentleman who needs a place to stay and the female owner of the apartment. Imagine three people trying to live in one apartment and the chaos that can inevitably ensue! This is one of my Cary Grant classic favorites.
6. Harvey (1950). James Stewart is another one of my favorite classic actors. In the movie Harvey, Jimmy Stewart’s character Elwood sees an invisible six foot tall rabbit. He calls the rabbit Harvey! He lives with his sister Veta, played by Josephine Hull. Funny thing is, she actually sees Harvey herself sometimes. The movie is hilarious, as Veta tries to get Elwood committed and then accidentally lets on that she sees the rabbit as well. You can just think of the fun unfolding in this great James Stewart classic comedy.
7. Arsenic and Old Lace (1944). Arsenic and Old Lace combines two of the greats from Walk, Don’t Run and Harvey: Cary Grant and Josephine Hull. In this movie, two old ladies are burying men in the cellar. Apparently, the men are about to die anyway, so the women think they are doing them a service by poisoning them to death. Enter Cary Grant’s character, the nephew, who discovers their plot shortly after his wedding day. Well, the wife gets cast aside when Mortimer (Cary Grant) takes it upon himself to figure out what to do about what’s going on next door with his aunts! The movie is incredibly funny and worth watching twice!
8. The Man Who Knew Too Little (1997). Bill Murray has a birthday, and his brother wants to give him a present. He puts him into a show where the audience participates, as kind of a spy movie. Well, Bill Murray’s character Wallace ends up in an actual crime scene, but thinks he’s still in the show. So, he’s in big trouble and doesn’t even know it! What a fun movie to watch with the family!
9. Mr. Hobbs takes a vacation (1962). James Stewart stars in this classic film that will be a great hit over the holidays with your family! Roger Hobbs, played by James Stewart, takes his wife and kids on a vacation to the beach. He doesn’t even see all the pitfalls about to come his way as he journeys to what would have seemed to be an innocent and relaxing time on vacation. Think again Roger Hobbs!
10. Charade (1963). Charade was one of the first old classic movies I ever watched. I enjoyed it immensely, because it stars Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant in one movie! The movie is a mystery, but it’s also quite comical. You can’t do better than this for a Christmas time family movie!
What are some of your favorite classic movies to watch with the family?