30% of young people have never watched a black and white movie all the way through

The start of the 1970s saw the era of black and white movies begin to fade in earnest, with the vast majority of films made thereafter being in glorious technicolor.

But it appears that the golden age of cinema prior to colour is in danger of being forgotten by consequent generations.

A survey, via the New York Post, has found that 30 percent of young people admit never having watched a black and white movie the whole way through.

A further 20 percent of those asked simply branded black and white movies ‘boring’.

1000 millennials and 1000 Americans over 50 were polled by FYE.com, finding that less than half young people asked had seen movies like ‘Gone with the Wind’, ‘The Sound of Music’, ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’, and even ‘The Shawshank Redemption’.

28 percent had seen ‘Casablanca’ and only 12 percent had seen Hitchcock’s classic ‘Rear Window, though more had seen ‘Psycho’, at 38 percent.

Meanwhile, 30 percent said they’d felt social pressure to lie about having seen certain classic films, while just three percent of over 50s admitted to it.

By contrast, over 50s were found to be far more likely to stick to classics than new cinema. 10 percent said they couldn’t be sure if they’d seen a movie more recent that 2010, and eight percent admitted they definitely hadn’t.

“There is so much out there in terms of classic cinema that sometimes it can seem overwhelming, but today it is easier than ever to catch up on the classics – or the newest blockbusters – in whatever form you may prefer,” says Bill Miller, VP of blu-ray and DVD sales at the US retailer FYE.

Top 10 most common movies millennials have seen

1. ‘The Lion King’ 81.60%

2. ‘Forrest Gump’ 74.60%

3. ‘Back to the Future’ 66.80%

4. ‘The Dark Knight’ 66.50%

5. ‘The Matrix’ 63.20%

6. ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring’ 60.90%

7. ‘Terminator 2: Judgement Day’ 59.20%

8. ‘The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King’ 59%

9. ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ 54.90%

10. ‘The Godfather’ 55%

Top 10 most common movies over-50s have seen

1. ‘Forrest Gump’ 84.30%

2. ‘Back to the Future’ 80%

3. ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ 71%

4. ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ 70.50%

5. ‘The Godfather’ 69.90%

6. ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ 69.30%

7. ‘Saving Private Ryan’ 68.30%

8. ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ 66.40%

9. ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’ 65.90%

10. ‘The Green Mile 65.60%

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