Three Dozen Movies for Winter Watching

As it is winter, and many of us are spending more hours indoors each weekend than in other seasons, I thought I'd share some of my family's favorite movies from this past year's watching. Every Friday night we choose a different movie to watch. We take turns each week coming up with a slate of 4 or 5 movies to vote on. 

For group watching, we opt for light-hearted movies, with a G or PG rating. Before the current rating system, movies that were deemed morally acceptable for all audiences were granted "approved" (as opposed to " not approved"). All quoted description are from the individual movie's IMDb page. 

I recommend reading the Parents Guide (link near the bottom of the IMDb page for each movie). Other viewers leave specific comments about the movie's content, listed under topics with which one may be concerned.

Free streaming sites: Internet Archive (especially good for old movies), Classic Comedy Channel, Tubi, Pluto, Kanopy (library access), Hoopla (library access)

Here are 3 dozen good ones.

1. Operation Petticoat, 1959, Approved, comedy. "During World War II, a lieutenant commander finds himself saddled with a decrepit pink-colored submarine, a con-man executive officer, and a gaggle of army nurses making life aboard difficult for everyone."
2. My Favorite Wife, 1940, Approved, comedy. "Missing for seven years and presumed dead, a woman returns home on the very day that her husband remarries."
3. Harvey, 1950, Approved, comedy. "A whimsical man is thought to be insane due to his insistence that he is best friends with an invisible, humanoid rabbit, but he may be wiser than anyone knows."
4. Forty Pounds of Trouble, 1962, Approved, comedy. "Hilarity ensues when a casino manager spends a day at Disneyland with a cute but troublesome little girl."
5. Marty, 1955, Approved, drama. "A middle-aged butcher and a school teacher who have given up on the idea of love meet at a dance and fall for each other."
6. The Major and the Minor, 1942, Approved, comedy. "A frustrated city girl disguises herself as a youngster in order to get a cheaper train ticket home. But little "Sue Sue" finds herself in a whole heap of grown-up trouble when she hides out in a compartment with a handsome Major."
7. Yours, Mine, and Ours, 1968, Unrated, comedy. "A widower with ten children falls for a widow with eight, and they must decide about forming a huge, unconventional family."
8. Mr Smith Goes to Washington, 1939, Approved, drama. "A 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."
9. Monkey Business, 1952, Approved, comedy. "A chemist finds his personal and professional life turned upside down when one of his chimpanzees finds the fountain of youth."
10. The Secret :Life of Walter Mitty, 1947, Approved, comedy. "A clumsy daydreamer gets caught up in a sinister conspiracy."
11. A Night at the Opera, 1935, Approved, comedy. "A sly business manager and the wacky friends of two opera singers in Italy help them achieve success in America while humiliating their stuffy and snobbish enemies."
12. Larger Than Life, 1996, PG, comedy. "A motivational speaker discovers that the inheritance his father left for him is in the form of an elephant."
13. Mrs. Miniver, 1942, Approved, drama. "A British family struggles to survive the first months of World War II."
14. The Best Years of Our Lives, 1946, Approved, drama/romance. "Three traumatized or physically disabled World War II veterans return home to the American Midwest to discover that they and their families have been irreparably changed making readjustment difficult."
15. Bringing Up Baby, 1938, Approved, comedy. "While trying to secure a $1 million donation for his museum, a befuddled paleontologist is pursued by a flighty and often irritating heiress and her pet leopard, Baby."
16. My Man Godfrey, 1936, Approved, comedy. "A scatterbrained socialite hires a vagrant as a family butler - but there's more to Godfrey than meets the eye."
17. It Happened on 5th Avenue, 1947, Approved, comedy. "Two homeless men move into a mansion while its owners are wintering in the South."
18. The Bells of St. Mary's, 1945, Approved, drama. "At a big city Catholic school, Father O'Malley and Sister Benedict indulge in friendly rivalry, and succeed in extending the school through the gift of a building."
19. For Pete's Sake, 1974, PG, comedy. "A housewife tries to finance her cab-driving husband's education."
20. The Spanish Prisoner, 1997, PG, drama/mystery. "A corporate engineer develops a lucrative secret process for a company but doesn't know who to trust when the higher-ups seemingly want to steal it from him."
21. Miss Potter, 2006, PG, period drama. "The story of Beatrix Potter, the author of the beloved and best-selling children's book, "The Tale of Peter Rabbit", and her struggle for love, happiness, and success."
22. She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, 1949, Approved, Western. "Captain Nathan Brittles, on the eve of retirement, takes out a last patrol to stop an impending massive Indian attack. Encumbered by women who must be evacuated, Brittles finds his mission imperiled."
23. Hook, 1991, PG, comedy/fantasy. "When Captain James Hook kidnaps his children, an adult Peter Pan must return to Neverland and reclaim his youthful spirit in order to challenge his old enemy."
24. Charade, 1963, Approved, comedy/mystery. Romance and intrigue ensue in Paris as a woman is pursued by several men who want to get their hands on a fortune her murdered husband had stolen. She soon loses trust in those who claim they want to help her.
25. Snowball Express, 1972, G, comedy. "When John Baxter inherits a ski resort in the Rocky Mountains, he quits his job in New York and moves west to run it--only to find his "estate" in a state of total dilapidation."
26. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence. 1962, Approved, Western. "A senator returns to a Western town for the funeral of an old friend and tells the story of his origins."
27. Father Goose, 1964, Approved, comedy. "During World War II, a man persuaded to live on an isolated island and spot aircraft finds himself responsible for a teacher and several students, all female."
28. Frank and Ollie, 1995, PG, documentary. "A study of the personal and professional relationship of Disney animators Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, who started at the studio in the 1930s and worked on 23 films together."
29. The Biggest Little Farm, 2018, PG, documentary. "Documentarian John Chester and his wife Molly work to develop a sustainable farm on 200 acres outside of Los Angeles."
30. Sabrina, 1954, Approved, drama/comedy/romance. "After her return from school in Paris, a playboy finally takes notice of his family's chauffeur's daughter, who's long had a crush on him, but he questions his more serious brother's motives when he warns against getting involved with her."
31. Christmas in Connecticut, 1945, Approved, holiday comedy/romance. "A food writer who has lied about being the perfect housewife must try to cover her deception when her boss and a returning war hero invite themselves to her home for a traditional family Christmas."
32. To Catch a Thief, 1955, PG, romance/mystery. "A retired jewel thief sets out to prove his innocence after being suspected of returning to his former occupation." 
33. Maverick, 1994, PG, Western/comedy/action. "Bret Maverick, needing money for a poker tournament, faces various comic mishaps and challenges, including a charming woman thief."
34. Roman Holiday, 1953, Approved, comedy/romance. "A bored and sheltered princess escapes her guardians and falls in love with an American newsman in Rome."
35. A New Leaf, 1971, G, comedy. "When Henry Graham's lawyer informs him that his playboy lifestyle has consumed all of his funds, he must avoid sliding down the social ladder. He plans to marry wealthy scientist Henrietta Lowell--and kill her."
36. The Bishop's Wife, 1947, Approved, holiday comedy. "A debonair angel comes to Earth to help an Episcopalian bishop and his wife in their quest to raise money for the new church."

We are always looking for recommendations for movies to watch. Do you have any favorite movies? What free streaming sites do you use?