My choice for the number one film of all time is made easy by Casablanca which is the most quotable with some of the best lines ever written. This one has it all, and it's just perfect, perfect, perfect every step of the way. Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Rains, and Paul Henreid will always have a place in cinema history. Movies come and go, but there's only one Casablanca.

When Citizen Kane was released, Orson Welles reached the top of the mountain and became an immortal god of cinema. Afterwards, he had nowhere to go but down...down he went hard. It puts everything about cinema into perspective. An important film for numerous reasons, it's one of the best-shot works of art in terms of storytelling through the power of cinematography. The controversy behind the scenes is the reason for its mammoth reputation which makes the whole thing fascinating.

Just like the Nobel Prize-winning book by John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath is a historically important picture that depicts the great migration caused by the Dust Bowl during the 30's, the class struggles between the haves and the have-nots, and workers' rights. It's just powerful stuff along with the superlative performances by Henry Fonda, Jane Darwell, and John Carradine.

It's a Wonderful Life is the Christmas picture of them all. It also captures the human spirit. The last twenty minutes is what transcends the film as a whole to another level, hence the repeated viewings. Any time you're confronted by a person who wants to commit suicide, the best answer is telling him to watch It's a Wonderful Life. This piece of advice will probably save his life, offering him a new perspective of the world.

This is the grandfather of the film noir genre. Humphrey Bogart will always be iconic as Sam Spade, the anti-hero private dick everybody imagines when they read the pulp detective stories. The cinematography is top-notch, the script is marvelously done, and the mood can't be any more noirish. It's "the stuff that dreams are made of."

If you can't get enough of Citizen Kane, this one promises you more of the same. Written by Orson Welles that's adapted from Booth Tarkington's novel, the story of The Magnificent Ambersons is sweeping, innovative, and captivating which is coupled with a wonderful raconteur style. He was the master of advanced, complicated scenes.

Double Indemnity is a top five film noir with a great femme fatale in Barbara Stanwyck. Fred MacMurray does his part well. There's a bit of a playful repartee between him and her that seals the deal what this movie will be all about. Edward G. Robinson, as great as he has been in so many films, gives an outstanding performance.

If there's an automatic must-see film noir, it's D.O.A. with Edmond O'Brien. Shot on location in San Francisco and Los Angeles, it's a brilliant movie, one of the rarest with a strong start and a strong finish. The gist of the story is unbelievable which goes like this: "Frank Bigelow, told he's been poisoned and has only a few days to live, tries to find out who killed him and why." If that's not compelling enough, then nothing else is.

If the wunderkind said, "My name is Orson Welles. I invented the word 'genius' and defined it," I would've believed him. One of the fastest-paced pictures, The Lady from Shanghai is that good and twisting. The most famous scene is the Hall of Mirrors which is something to behold. There's nothing like it. Once again, that's the genius of Orson Welles.

Powerful and mesmerizing, James Cagney gives the best performance of his career. His "Made it, Ma! Top of the world!" scene in White Heat is among the all-time greatest endings. James Cagney's spontaneous reaction after finding out what happened to his character's mother is another famous scene.