Below is my definition of a classic movie; along with my film recommendations:

As I conceive it, an American classic movie is a film that is so well made (which is the achievement of the directors and the behind the scene workers), and so well preformed (which is the achievement of the actors and  actresses involved), and so well written and scored (which is the achievement of the screenwriters and musicians) that it is worth viewing several dozen, if not hundreds, of times over a life time. An old movie, on the other hand, is one that deserves to be watched perhaps once or twice (or some other limited number of times) then handed off to others or relegated  to obscurity. All classic movies are old; but not all old movies are classic.

Again, as I conceive it, to qualify as a classic, a movie has to stand up to the test of time in that it has to be relevant- or of some artistic value- as a work of fine art; and it has to be able to maintain its relevancy decades- if not generations- after it has been made. In addition, a classic movie is one that provides insight and inspires as it entertain and transports the audience from the world they find themselves in (the here and now) to the world and time period displayed on the screen.

Moreover, to qualify as a classic, a film must be able to remain as interesting to the audiences of the present and future as it was to the audiences of the past. Very, very few movies have achieved this almost impossible standard. I would hazard a guess that out of the tens-of-thousands that have been made, less than a few hundred movies, in the American film archives, have met these criteria. It should be noted,  however, that there are several hundred good and, indeed, very good movies; but most films are only adequate; and there are more than a few which are fairly poor.

Because it is often difficult to fully evaluate or ascertain the overall quality of a great film (the same is true of a great book), we, as spectators, need time to assess its true worth, merit, or genius. Therefore, I hold that to be a classic, a movie has to be at least 30 to 40 years old; for it is only time and distance that gives us adequate prospective as to a movies' enduring excellence.

I have watched the movies on this list many, many times; and I highly recommend each and every one of them. The order that they appear on the list are placed at random. Some of the films are, of course, slightly better than others. However, it is up to you to decide which are which; for films are not only about objective standards of quality; but also about your personal preferences or tastes as an individual. In any event, each of theses great movies qualifies as a classic.