Reel Old Movies

On this date in Hollywood history -- September edition:  The Hitchcock classic "Psycho" opens across the U.S., Charlie Chaplin barred from re-entry to the U.S., "The Quiet Man" premieres, birthdays for Raquel Welch, Greta Garbo and Claudette Colbert and more ... 

On this date in Hollywood history -- April edition: Charlie Chaplin was born, Harold Lloyd's "Safety Last!" premieres, a bevy of classic movie stars' birthdays including Doris Day, Bette Davis, Gregory Peck, Spencer Tracy and more! ...

[Updated January 2026] Last year didn't see as many pre-1980 movies re-released in movie theaters as in years past, but fingers crossed for 2026.  Here's a list (and so far, it's slim pickings!) of classic movie re-releases coming soon to a theater hopefully near you.  These are roughly pre-1980 movies being released nationally or at least broad regionally.  As always, check out your local independent movie theaters: they are gems for classic movie screenings and I cannot track all of those! (My tiny town's old one-screen movie theater played a Hitchcock retrospective last year, for example. The audiences were mostly younger adults which spurred hope for the next generation of classic movie fans.) In the meantime, whether you're an old movie expert or just starting out, check out a few books for classic film fans: *  Beginner's Guide to Classic Movies *  It’s a Wonderful Life: Quotes and inspiration from the 1946 classic movie  *  An American C...

On this date in Hollywood history -- January: "The Shop Around the Corner" released ... Cary Grant's birthday ... Gina Lollobrigida passes away ... Marilyn Monroe's "Niagra" premieres ... Charlie Chaplin's "City Lights" screens in Los Angeles ... "Casablanca" opens widely across the United States. Discover what happened on days throughout January in Hollywood history, from historic film premieres and industry milestones to anniversaries of birthdays/deaths of beloved Old Hollywood figures, and more. (This story will be updated throughout the month) January 12 The original “You’ve Got Mail”: 1940’s “The Shop Around the Corner” stars James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan as shop workers who fight by day and unknowingly fall in love with each other via letters at night. Versions of this premise abound in movies, but none so tender as this movie with the “Lubitsch touch,” a favorite of both fans and critics. It was released in theaters Janu...