Some of my most beloved films lack the bells and whistles of contemporary technologically-enhanced blockbusters, and as I search for movies that my whole family can enjoy, I love revisiting classic films that I watched as a child. I can remember eating popsicles on hot summer afternoons as a kid while I lounged on the sofa watching Swiss Family Robinson (1960), and laying on the floor while That Darn Cat! (1965) played on tv.  Seeing my children discover the magic in some of my favorite movies makes the experience of watching them again even more delightful.

As a child, I stopped to watch Swiss Family Robinson every time it aired. The film chronicles the adventures of a family shipwrecked on an uninhabited island as they build a home and then take in, and defend, a young woman freed from pirate captivity.

The Absent-Minded Professor (1961) is the original film remade by Robin Williams in 1997 as Flubber. Filmed in black-and-white, the original stars Fred MacMurray as Professor Brainard, the professor who invents a unique rubbery substance he terms “Flubber,” for “flying rubber.”  Demonstrations of the substance’s properties and attempts by others to scheme and profit from the invention result in a series of funny adventures.

Hayley Mills and Dean Jones are the stars of That Darn Cat! (1965), in which a Siamese is the key to solving a robbery and kidnapping case. This film has mystery, comedy, romance, and a cat which proves difficult for FBI Agent Zeke Kelso, played by Jones, to follow.

These are only three of the classic family films we’re enjoying at my house.  I’ll share more of my favorites next time.  What classic movies do you enjoy watching with your family?

Images from UltimateDisney.com.

When she’s not watching movies with her family, Robin blogs about them and other topics at The Driftwood Collector.