Movies and TV Shows Every Man Should See (In order of release)
These are movies and TV shows from all eras that have great appeal to men and present values, ideas, and sometimes humor that men relate to. I realize that a lot of women enjoy these movies too and think that's great just as well, the purpose of this list isn't to exclude anyone, it's simply focused on movies and TV shows that portray masculinity, masculine interests or any related elements.
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- DirectorLewis MilestoneStarsLew AyresLouis WolheimJohn WrayA German youth eagerly enters World War I, but his enthusiasm wanes as he gets a firsthand view of the horror.
- DirectorRay McCareyStarsMoe HowardLarry FineCurly HowardThe stooges become doctors at a large hospital where they disrupt patients and staff alike.This counts for the entire body of work by the Three Stooges. Just make sure you stick to the episodes with Curly or Shemp, but avoid the ones with Joe, even Moe and Larry didn't like those.
- DirectorMichael CurtizStarsErrol FlynnOlivia de HavillandLionel AtwillAfter treating a Monmouth rebel against King James II in 1680s England, a young Irish doctor is exiled as a slave to Jamaica where he captures a Spanish galleon and becomes the most feared pirate of the Caribbean.Less action than one would expect, but this classic pirate movie kicks ass! Pirates of the Caribbean got much of it's inspiration from this movie.
- DirectorFrank LloydStarsCharles LaughtonClark GableFranchot ToneFirst mate Fletcher Christian leads a revolt against his sadistic commander, Captain Bligh, in this classic seafaring adventure, based on the real-life 1789 mutiny.Although most known for Gone With the Wind, Clark Gable was one of the masculine icons of his day and this movie is one of his best.
- DirectorMichael CurtizStarsJames CagneyPat O'BrienHumphrey BogartA priest tries to stop a gangster from corrupting a group of street kids.A classic gangster movie. Men can learn a lot about masculinity from James Cagney, and the movie itself is especially great as a non-watered down morality tale for troubled teens and young adults. The climax is very intense and powerful.
- DirectorMichael CurtizWilliam KeighleyStarsErrol FlynnOlivia de HavillandBasil RathboneWhen Prince John and the Norman Lords begin oppressing the Saxon masses in King Richard's absence in 1190s England, a Saxon lord fights back as the outlaw leader of a resistance movement."We're men! Manly men!" Oh right, that's another movie. Despite the campy and completely non masculine outfits, this film has great action scenes featuring archery, dueling to the death, and an old fashioned sense of camaraderie. The scene where Robin Hood enters the castle hauling a dead deer on his back is particularly manly.
- DirectorFrank CapraStarsJames StewartJean ArthurClaude RainsA naive youth leader is appointed to fill a vacancy in the U.S. Senate. His idealistic plans promptly collide with corruption at home and subterfuge from his hero in Washington, but he tries to forge ahead despite attacks on his character.Mr. Smith's political views are neither left wing nor right wing, but simply what he feels is best for the country. A classic film about a man who is criticized by his peers while standing up for his views in the face of political corruption.
- DirectorJohn FordStarsJohn WayneClaire TrevorAndy DevineA group of people traveling on a stagecoach find their journey complicated by the threat of Geronimo and learn something about each other in the process.One of John Wayne's best early films, and has a great chase scene in the middle.
- DirectorOrson WellesStarsOrson WellesJoseph CottenDorothy ComingoreFollowing the death of publishing tycoon Charles Foster Kane, reporters scramble to uncover the meaning of his final utterance: 'Rosebud.'So legendary and highly regarded that I have little else to say about it.
- DirectorJohn HustonStarsHumphrey BogartMary AstorGladys GeorgeSan Francisco private detective Sam Spade takes on a case that involves him with three eccentric criminals, a gorgeous liar and their quest for a priceless statuette, with the stakes rising after his partner is murdered.
- DirectorMichael CurtizStarsHumphrey BogartIngrid BergmanPaul HenreidA cynical expatriate American cafe owner struggles to decide whether or not to help his former lover and her fugitive husband escape the Nazis in French Morocco.
- DirectorBilly WilderStarsFred MacMurrayBarbara StanwyckEdward G. RobinsonA Los Angeles insurance representative lets an alluring housewife seduce him into a scheme of insurance fraud and murder that arouses the suspicion of his colleague, an insurance investigator.
- DirectorVittorio De SicaStarsLamberto MaggioraniEnzo StaiolaLianella CarellIn post-war Italy, a working-class man's bicycle is stolen, endangering his efforts to find work. He and his son set out to find it.Some will be turned off because it's an artsy Italian film from the 40s. Although I was disappointed with many Neo-realist films from this era, Bicycle Thieves was a very engaging film and is one of the best films about a father son relationship I've ever seen. Has a powerful ending too.
- DirectorJohn HustonStarsHumphrey BogartWalter HustonTim HoltTwo down-on-their-luck Americans searching for work in 1920s Mexico convince an old prospector to help them mine for gold in the Sierra Madre Mountains."We don't need no stinking badges."
- DirectorAkira KurosawaStarsTakashi ShimuraNobuo KanekoShin'ichi HimoriA bureaucrat tries to find meaning in his life after he discovers he has terminal cancer.
- DirectorFred ZinnemannStarsGary CooperGrace KellyThomas MitchellA town Marshal, despite the disagreements of his newlywed bride and the townspeople around him, must face a gang of deadly killers alone at "high noon" when the gang leader, an outlaw he "sent up" years ago, arrives on the noon train.John Wayne called this film unamerican and starred in Rio Bravo as a response. I can't really see how this is unamerican, but this and Rio Bravo are both excellent films. This film in particular shows the consequences of cowardice and the rewards of courage.
- DirectorHenri-Georges ClouzotStarsYves MontandCharles VanelPeter van EyckIn a decrepit South American village, four men are hired to transport an urgent nitroglycerine shipment without the equipment that would make it safe.One of the most underrated manly movies ever made. Despite the first 30 minutes which are quite slow, the rest of the movie features very suspenseful scenes and is one of the most gripping films I have ever seen.
- DirectorGeorge StevensStarsAlan LaddJean ArthurVan HeflinAn ex-gunfighter defends homesteaders in 1889 Wyoming."A gun is a tool, Marian; no better or no worse than any other tool: an axe, a shovel or anything. A gun is as good or as bad as the man using it. Remember that." As a supporter of gun ownership rights, I love that quote.
- DirectorElia KazanStarsMarlon BrandoKarl MaldenLee J. CobbAn ex-prize fighter turned New Jersey longshoreman struggles to stand up to his corrupt union bosses, including his older brother, as he starts to connect with the grieving sister of one of the syndicate's victims.
- DirectorAkira KurosawaStarsToshirô MifuneTakashi ShimuraKeiko TsushimaFarmers from a village exploited by bandits hire a veteran samurai for protection, who gathers six other samurai to join him.Few things are more masculine or intimidating than a samurai. An excellent film from Akira Kurosawa that presents the type of male bonding associated with westerns. This is fitting because the film was a huge influence on later westerns and it was even remade into The Magnificen Seven, featuring cowboys in place of samurai. Every character presents some form of masculinity and there is a strong sense of loyalty among the seven. The youngest one even loses his virginity at one point, impressing everyone in the village except the girl's father.
- DirectorNicholas RayStarsJames DeanNatalie WoodSal MineoA rebellious young man with a troubled past comes to a new town, finding friends and enemies.Teen angst and rebellion shown in a way that holds up very well today. If games of chicken, knife fights, or simply running into large groups of young hoodlums don't remind you in any way of your teenage years, High School must have been a dull point in your life.
- DirectorJohn FordStarsJohn WayneJeffrey HunterVera MilesAn American Civil War veteran embarks on a years-long journey to rescue his niece from the Comanches after the rest of his brother's family is massacred in a raid on their Texas farm.Every man should see at least 1 John Wayne movie in his lifetime. This is John Wayne's ultimate movie.
- DirectorSidney LumetStarsHenry FondaLee J. CobbMartin BalsamThe jury in a New York City murder trial is frustrated by a single member whose skeptical caution forces them to more carefully consider the evidence before jumping to a hasty verdict.I would've voted guilty had I been on that jury. Despite that, one can learn a lot of great lessons in masculinity from this film.
- DirectorDavid LeanStarsWilliam HoldenAlec GuinnessJack HawkinsBritish POWs are forced to build a railway bridge across the river Kwai for their Japanese captors in occupied Burma, not knowing that the allied forces are planning a daring commando raid through the jungle to destroy it.A great war film with an unforgettably suspenseful climax.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsCary GrantEva Marie SaintJames MasonA New York City advertising executive goes on the run after being mistaken for a government agent by a group of foreign spies, and falls for a woman whose loyalties he begins to doubt.Carey Grant plays himself while getting chased by spies, low flying aircraft and hooking up with a hot woman. One of Hitchcock's greatest and is an extremely entertaining film altogether.