Hollywood classics

Films from Hollywood's golden era—roughly the 1930s through 1960s—that have endured as landmarks of American cinema.

The term typically evokes black-and-white dramas, musicals, and romances from the major studio system: We stayed up watching Hollywood classics like Casablanca and The Wizard of Oz.

What qualifies as a classic is subjective, but the phrase suggests widespread recognition and cultural staying power rather than mere age.