The best classic movies on Amazon Prime Video in 2024

Amazon Prime Video is among the best streaming services on the market. Every week, you can access new movies. These include Prime Originals as well as a host of third-party titles that rotate regularly. And if you’re looking for something a bit older, you can check out the classic movies on Amazon Prime Video.

Amazon gives you the ability to filter your movie search by decade. So if you’re specifically looking for, say, a laugh-out-loud gem from the 1960s, you can type in comedy and then filter by the 1960s for perfect results.

Or, if you’d like to take a look at some of the best classics we could find on Amazon Prime Video right now, keep on reading. The movies range in style, genre, and period, so there ought to be something for everyone. We’ve also included a few titles you can watch for free on Amazon’s Freevee streaming service.

Best classic movies on Amazon Prime Video

Royal Wedding (1951)

What you need to know:

• Rating: NR
• Runtime: 93 minutes
• Director: Stanley Donen
• Main cast: Fred Astaire, Jane Powell, Peter Lawford, Sarah Churchill, Keenan Wynn, Albert Sharpe, Henri Letondal
• Genre: Comedy, Musical, Romance
• IMDB score: 6.7

A pair of hoofing siblings head across the pond, hoping to catch their big break by performing their song and dance routine for the pomp and circumstance of the royal wedding. But amidst the hubbub of celebrations, both brother and sister unexpectedly find romance brewing with charming locals, threatening to sweep them off their feet and derail their trip’s strictly business aspirations.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on Prime.

Where the Red Fern Grows (1974)

What you need to know:

• Rating: G
• Runtime: 97 minutes
• Director: Norman Tokar
• Main cast: James Whitmore, Beverly Garland, Jack Ging
• Genre: Drama, Family
• IMDB score: 6.8

A boy yearns for two Redbone Hound dogs, but his parents can’t afford them in this family film set in the Ozarks during the Great Depression. The heartwarming film follows the boy on his quest to get the dogs on his own.

Based on the novel of the same name by Wilson Rawls, this story about a boy and animal companionship fits well into the tradition of films like New Yeller, The Incredible Journey, Lassie, and Homeward Bound.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on Prime Video.

Charade (1963)

• Rating: Passed
• Runtime: 113 minutes
• Director: Stanley Donen
• Main cast: Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Walter Matthau
• Genre: Comedy, Mystery, Romance
• IMDB score: 7.9

Regina Lampert, a married woman, falls for the charming and mysterious Peter Joshua while off on a skiing trip. When she returns home and finds her husband has died, Regina suddenly turns to Peter for help evading the men after her late husband’s stolen fortune. Nothing — and no one — is quite what it seems in this cat-and-mouse mystery that keeps you guessing until the credits roll.

This romantic mystery thriller is an absolute delight, infused with hints of everything from Alfred Hitchcock to James Bond. If you enjoy films like North by Northwest, you won’t want to miss Charade.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on Prime Video.

Another Man’s Poison (1951)

What you need to know:

• Rating: Approved
• Runtime: 90 minutes
• Director: Irving Rapper
• Main cast: Bette Davis, Gary Merrill, Emlyn Williams, Anthony Steel, Barbara Murray, Reginald Beckwith, Edna Morris
• Genre: Crime, Drama, Film Noir
• IMDB score: 6.8

Janet Frobisher lives apart from her husband in a secluded house. They’re estranged because she doesn’t approve of his criminal activities. She’s having an affair with her secretary’s fiancee, and life seems to be going by just fine until her husband makes a sudden appearance. She poisons him but has to cover up her crime when his accomplice shows up. She has to figure out a way to fool everyone and get away with cheating and murder, which she attempts to do with the help of a mysterious stranger.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on Prime.

Fist of Fury (1972)

• Rating: R
• Runtime: 107 minutes
• Director: Wei Lo
• Main cast: Bruce Lee, Nora Miao, James Tien Chuen
• Genre: Action, Drama
• IMDB score: 7.2

Martial arts and cinema legend Bruce Lee plays a student of Kung Fu who must face off against foreign aggressors to defend China. When his master is killed, he seeks revenge against mighty foes, showcasing his incredible skill.

Lee’s second major acting role and one of the first titles to introduce him to a North American audience, Fist of Fury is required viewing for fans of action and Hong Kong martial arts cinema. Fans of Kill Bill, The Matrix, and other American action films will likely appreciate this influential title.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on Prime Video.

His Girl Friday (1940)

• Rating: Passed
• Runtime: 92 minutes
• Director: Howard Hawks
• Main cast: Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell, Ralph Bellamy
• Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
• IMDB score: 7.8

Newspaperman Walter Burns knows he has one chance to win his ex-wife back when he learns she’s engaged and ready to settle down. Knowing Hildy can’t pass up a good story, he lures her to the courthouse to cover the case of a man on death row. When she realizes the man may be innocent, nothing will stop Hildy, much to her new fiancé’s consternation.

The quintessential fast-talking screwball comedy from director Howard Hawks and one of the best journalism films of all time, His Girl Friday moves at a quick pace, without a wasted moment.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on Prime Video.

Funny Girl (1968)

• Rating: G
• Runtime: 149 minutes
• Director: William Wyler
• Main cast: Barbra Streisand, Omar Sharif, Kay Medford, Anne Francis, Walter Pidgeon, Lee Allen, Mae Questel
• Genre: Biography, Comedy, Drama
• IMDB score: 7.3

Fanny Brice wants to be the next big thing, working her way up from the New York vaudeville stage to fame and glory on Broadway. As she rockets to stardom, her relationship with husband Nick, whose return she awaits while he serves time in prison, is a more complicated matter.

This classic musical marked the start of Barbra Streisand’s film acting career, reprising her iconic Broadway role — and she took home an Oscar for it. Fans of Hello Dolly, Chicago, and other classic Hollywood musicals are sure to enjoy this beloved film.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on Prime Video.

The Bishop’s Wife (1947)

What you need to know:

• Rating: G
• Runtime: 109 minutes
• Director: Henry Koster
• Main cast: Cary Grant, Loretta Young, David Niven, Monty Woolley, James Gleason, Gladys Cooper, Elsa Lanchester
• Genre: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
• IMDB score: 7.6

When the esteemed Bishop Henry Brougham prays for guidance in funding his cherished cathedral, his call is answered by the sudden appearance of the enigmatic Dudley—who reveals himself to Henry as an angel sent from on high. But Dudley’s holy purpose soon becomes complicated when he finds himself enchanted by the Bishop’s lovely wife Julia, awakening jealousy and frustration within Henry.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on Prime Video.

The Lady Vanishes (1938)

What you need to know:

• Rating: NR
• Runtime: 96 minutes
• Director: Alfred Hitchcock
• Main cast: Margaret Lockwood, Michael Redgrave, May Whitty, Paul Lukas, Basil Radford, Naunton Wayne, Cecil Parker
• Genre: Mystery, Thriller
• IMDB score: 7.7

A group travels to England on a train. Iris befriends Miss Froy, so you can imagine her surprise when suddenly she finds the latter gone. When she tries to find her, or at least get to the bottom of what is going on,  no one can remember who Miss Froy is.

Apparently, she never existed at all. The worst part is Iris is hit on the head before Miss Froy goes missing, so doctors and other characters chalk her ramblings down to hallucinations from a concussion. But Iris knows what she saw, or does she?

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on Prime.

South Pacific (1958)

What you need to know:

• Rating: Approved
• Runtime: 157 minutes
• Director: Joshua Logan
• Main cast: Rossano Brazzi, Mitzi Gaynor, John Kerr, Ray Walston, Juanita Hall, France Nuyen, Russ Brown
• Genre: Musical, Romance, War
• IMDB score: 6.8

A Marine Corps officer named Joe Cable seeks to gather vital intelligence about Japanese troop positions, pleading with French plantation owner Emile de Becque to help him undertake a perilous reconnaissance mission behind enemy lines. However, Emile finds his attentions distracted by a charming Navy nurse named Nellie Forbush, who he is falling deeply in love with.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on Prime Video.

My Man Godfrey (1936)

What you need to know:

• Rating: Approved
• Runtime: 95 minutes
• Director: Gregory La Cava
• Main cast: William Powell, Carole Lombard, Alice Brady, Gail Patrick, Eugene Pallette, Jean Dixon, Alan Mowbray
• Genre: Comedy, Romance
• IMDB score: 7.9

On a zany scavenger hunt, a bubbly high society socialite does the unthinkable and hires a homeless man as her family’s eccentric new butler. Bringing him home, she throws her already madcap household into hilarious chaos. As uproarious mayhem and antics ensue, an unlikely bond forms between these two mismatched souls from vastly different worlds.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on Prime.

Till the Clouds Roll By (1946)

What you need to know:

• Rating: Passed
• Runtime: 132 minutes
• Director: Richard Whorf
• Main cast: Robert Walker, Van Heflin, Judy Garland, Dinah Shore, Frank Sinatra
• Genre: Biography, Musical
• IMDB score: 6.3

Jerome Kern attends a screening of the show that made him who he is: Show Boat. A few songs into the musical, he remembers his early days and takes us through them.

Join him as he recounts struggles, lost friends and loves, disappointment and redemption – with plenty of music to go with that.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on Prime Video.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)

What you need to know:

• Rating: Approved
• Runtime: 123 minutes
• Director: John Ford
• Main cast: John Wayne, James Stewart, Vera Miles, Lee Marvin, Edmond O’Brien, Andy Devine, Ken Murray
• Genre: Western
• IMDB rating: 8.1

When a senator returns to the town where he rose to fame for killing a notorious outlaw to pay his respects to a recently deceased friend, he reminisces and has the chance to set the record straight about what really went down all those years ago.

One of the best western films of all time and certainly among the best classic movies on Prime Video, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance explores the idea of American mythmaking, allowing for heroism and chivalry while poking holes in the official narratives we’re taught.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on Prime Video.

Redhead (1941)

What you need to know:

• Rating: Approved
• Runtime: 64 minutes
• Director: Edward L. Cahn
• Main cast: Johnny Downs, June Lang, Eric Blore, Frank Jaquet, Weldon Heyburn, Herb Vigran, Anna Chandler
• Genre: Comedy, Romance
• IMDB score: 5.7

A sultry lounge singer enthralls men with her aura of mystery and allure at a smoky 1950s London club. But when her captivating charm causes trouble for a visiting American jazz musician, it sends them both careening down a hazardous path of scandal, intrigue, betrayal and murder most foul.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on Prime.

Cheers for Miss Bishop (1941)

What you need to know:

• Rating: Passed
• Runtime: 95 minutes
• Director: Tay Garnett
• Main cast: Martha Scott, William Gargan, Edmund Gwenn, Sterling Holloway, Dorothy Peterson, Sidney Blackmer, Mary Anderson
• Genre: Drama
• IMDB score: 6.5

From a scholarly schoolgirl dreaming of opportunity to a respected educator shaping young minds, this story warmly chronicles the inspirational life of a small-town teacher across decades of sweeping change. Through unwavering passion and selflessness, she leaves an indelible mark on her community.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on Prime.

Penny Serenade (1941)

What you need to know:

• Rating: NR
• Runtime: 120 minutes
• Director: George Stevens
• Main cast: Cary Grant, Irene Dunne, Beulah Bondi, Edgar Buchanan, Ann Doran, Eva Lee Kuney, Leonard Willey
• Genre: Drama, Romance
• IMDB score: 7.1

Their dreams shattered in a devastating earthquake, a grief-stricken couple finds new hope in adoption. But just as they embrace the joy of parenthood, fate threatens to tear their makeshift family apart. Now they face their most heart-wrenching trial yet in a passionate fight to defy the odds and keep the little girl they call their daughter.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on Prime Video.

The Blue Gardenia (1953)

What you need to know:

• Rating: NR
• Runtime: 89 minutes
• Director: Fritz Lang
• Main cast: Anne Baxter, Richard Conte, Ann Sothern, Raymond Burr, Jeff Donnell, Richard Erdman, George Reeves
• Genre: Crime, Film Noir
• IMDB score: 6.9

When a heartbroken telephone operator’s night out spirals into a drunken blackout and a shocking murder, she wakes to discover she’s the prime suspect in a sensationalized case the press dubs “The Blue Gardenia Killing.” With evidence stacking against her and the charming columnist covering the case falling for her story, Norah races to piece together what really happened amid hazy memories,

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on Prime Video.

The Missing Corpse (1945)

What you need to know:

• Rating: Passed
• Runtime: 62 minutes
• Director: Albert Herman
• Main cast: J. Edward Bromberg, Isabel Randolph, Frank Jenks, Eric Sinclair, Paul Guilfoyle, Ben Welden, Charles Coleman
• Genre: Comedy, Mystery
• IMDB score: 5.8

When a bullying newspaper publisher finds a corpse stashed in his car trunk during a relaxing getaway, he and his loyal chauffeur scramble to conceal the body from prying guests at his mountain lodge – including his own unsuspecting family. But the dead man’s secrets won’t stay buried for long as a cunning killer stalks the isolated cabin, determined to find what he seeks. The laughs and chills compound in this madcap mystery farce about the lengths one domineering boss will go to cover up a murder he didn’t commit.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on Prime Video.

It’s a Wonderful Life (1947)

• Rating: PG
• Runtime: 130 minutes
• Director: Frank Capra
• Main cast: James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Thomas Mitchell, Henry Travers, Beulah Bondi, Frank Faylen
• Genre: Drama, Family, Fantasy
• IMDB score: 8.6

George Bailey plans to end his life on Christmas, but his guardian angel instead shows him what a world without his good deeds might look like, revealing that even small acts can have great outcomes in this riff on Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol.

Due to a clerical error, the film’s copyright was not renewed in 1974, paving the way for its perennial syndication during the holiday season when TV stations were looking for content to fill airtime. A beloved classic in its own right, this peculiar detail still helped cement it as a holiday classic in the public imagination.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on Prime Video.

Three Guys Named Mike (1951)

What you need to know:

• Rating: Approved
• Runtime: 90 minutes
• Director: Charles Walters
• Main cast: Jane Wyman, Van Johnson, Howard Keel, Barry Sullivan, Phyllis Kirk, Anne Sargent, Jeff Donnell
• Genre: Comedy, Romance
• IMDB score: 6.2

An earnest young stewardess captures the vying attention of three flirtatious Air Force pilots who, believe it or not, all share the name Mike. As she gets to know the trio of charismatic young men, she finds herself wonderfully torn between their equal charms and affections.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on Prime.

One Special Night (1999)

What you need to know:

• Rating: PG
• Runtime: 92 minutes
• Director: Roger Young
• Main cast: James Garner, Julie Andrews, Patricia Charbonneau, Stacy Grant, Stewart Bick, Sam Stone
• Genre: Drama, Romance
• IMDB score: 7.2

Snowed in at a countryside mansion, two longtime adversaries warily bond over one serendipitous evening that becomes filled with candid conversation. As past stories are amiably shared by the fire, an unlikely friendship blossoms between them, and even romance starts to tentatively emerge.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on Prime.

Life with Father (1947)

What you need to know:

• Rating: Passed
• Runtime: 118 minutes
• Director: Michael Curtiz
• Main cast: William Powell, Irene Dunne, Elizabeth Taylor, Edmund Gwenn, Zasu Pitts, Jimmy Lydon, Emma Dunn
• Genre: Comedy, Family
• IMDB score: 7.1

Warmly recounting the humorous exploits of a stern but loving father in 1880s New York, this comedic tale follows his struggles to maintain order and propriety in his household, as his blithe wife and rambunctious children cause constant hilarious mischief and mayhem.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on Prime.

Those are our picks of some of the best classic movies on Amazon Prime Video. What are your favorites?