The 10 Best Films of the 1960's

Here is a continuing look at my picks of the best films of each decade. The 1960's were an even bigger decade for teenagers then the 50's. Unfortunately teenagers and adults grew even further apart and movies continued to cater to younger audiences as horror movies and beach party movies (and sometimes the two combined) as well as spy movies (particularly the birth of James Bond) were the rage. Epic movies began to dwindle as the cost was too great and the profits became smaller.

Drive-ins rose to their highest level of popularity and black and white movies became an exception by the end of the decade. Nudity and swearing entered the culture of film to stay. The old school producers were fast becoming extinct as a new brand of filmmaker was preparing to enter the scene in the 70's.

John Wayne was the top box office draw for the second decade in a row with Doris Day and Elizabeth Taylor following in second and third.

This was a difficult list to compile, as there were easily 20 great movies to choose from. I wanted to make special note of some of these films that are just as great but just didn't quite make it including "Days of Wine and Roses," "Doctor Zhivago," "The Graduate," "Judgment At Nuremburg," "The Odd Couple," "The Professionals," "Psycho," "To Kill A Mockingbird," and "West Side Story,"

Here are my choices for the ten best films of the 1960's listed in alphabetical order.

THE APARTMENT - Did any director have a better one-two punch then Billy Wilder who followed his classic "Some Like It Hot" with this very serious comedy starring Jack Lemmon as an office worker who quickly climbs the corporate ladder by lending out his apartment key to executives cheating on their wives. Lemmon himself has a crush on elevator operator Shirley MacLaine but soon discovers his boss (Fred MacMurray) is having an affair with her that leads to near disaster when she attempts suicide in Lemmon's apartment. While she recovers the two get to know one another better. Wilder manages to mix pathos and tragedy with humor and balances it all perfectly.