I’m not even Canadian.

How about the original Shall We Dance – with Japanese cast and subtitles. Not the execrable remake.

A couple of years ago one of the studios re-released some silent horror films with new scores. How about Dracula with a Philip Glass score performed by Kronos Quartet?

There is a good animated Peter and the Wolf. Also I think there is a film of Leonard Bernstein performing and narrating it for a school audience in the 50s. Not to mention the Warner Bros. Buggs Bunny does Wagner shorts…

Theremin was a Russian immigrant inventor in NYC in the 20s and 30s, and was creating a big splash with his Theremin. He was also a glamorous figure, involved with the most beautiful Cuban dancer in NYC. Then he was kidnapped by the KGB who spirited him back to the soviet union to work on spy stuff, and wasn’t heard from for over 50 years. The music is great in this film, there are great interviews (including a hilarious one with Brian Jones of the Beach Boys), and an amazing, amazing twist at the end. I loved this film. Probably not too old for 5th-graders.

Yeah, but A Great Day In Harlem can cancel it out in less than 90 minutes…

Most of what I’d recommend has been proposed: 1776 most definitely, The Music Man, The Wizard of Oz, Spellbound.

The thing is, most movies are far too long for children, especially children in groups. On that score, I’d suggest looking at some Marx Brothers films, most of which are brief, or some screwball comedies. They don’t have the normative value of a musical or a documentary, but I don’t thnk you can ever overestimate the importance of exposing kids to the classics.

FYI, my son loved Fantastic Voyage and The Incredibles, liked season one of Danger Mouse better thanseason two, and thinks Thunderbirds is better to play than to watch. He also knows all the America Rock songs by heart.

Sort of combination musicals/documentaries.

I’m assuming this will take place in a formal setting, not a family one.

With the longer stuff, it’s perfectly possible to show it to kids, if you are prepared to waive the usual format for viewing. Depending on your schedule, you might break it up into two or three parts and have a fifteen-minute group discussion at the break.

There are enough natural breaks in any film to make this possible. This revives flagging interest, as it allows the children to set new goals for watching. (Initial goals are simply to find out what’s going on, but after a while, attention drops. New goals can be formed explictly, like figuring out whether the guys in Cuba will ever get to Carnegie Hall, etc.)

It also helps to have a clarification around here – what was that guy doing? etc, for those children who’ve missed the bus. Cookies are indicated. Keep the breaks short though, otherwise the movie’s over.

I also favour and encourage talking during the viewing, even if it slows things down. For kids it’s a social occassion and being forced to sit like little tin soldiers and pretend to pay attention in service of a social formality is just plain dumb. So talking, together, is good. Not too much, but not too little. But this was informal/family viewing.

Btw, the talking is more like faciliation aimed at eliciting. Lots of questions that you let the kids answer themselves. Kids like to explain things to you. Helped me a lot too. :)

Lots of “wow, isn’t that coooooool” openly, and other opinions encouraged too. Break down the audience barrier. Lead by example:). Learn to say “kewl”.