Movie-Themed 60th Birthday Party Ideas

Black and White

Anyone who has been around for 60 years grew upon on black and white movies. Turn this idea into a theme by making sure that everyone shows up dressed in black, white or gray. Extend this theme to the decorations and the cake as well. Rent some classic black and white movies and have them play on the TV in the background with the sound turned down.

Do some research on Internet Movie Database (IMDB) to find out which movies were popular the year the birthday celebrant was born (see Resources). Pick just a few that are easily used for decorations and cake ideas and create the birthday party around them. For instance, 1952 saw movies like "Singin' in the Rain" and "The Greatest Show on Earth." You could play music from the former while making a movie circus them to fit the latter. For 1950 you could take just one movie, "Sunset Blvd." and build a theme for a woman around the idea of her being the main character, Norma Desmond, with the partygoers playing older movie stars arriving for a tribute.

A movie themed birthday party for a 60 year old need not focus on a half-century old movie. A party themed to coincide with the favorite movie of a 60 year old might mean "Some Like it Hot" or it might mean "UP." Just because the object of the party has been going to the movies for 55 years doesn't mean they don't enjoy recent movies. Find out what his favorite movie is and take advantage of it. If it's "Some Like It Hot," that means guys dressing up as women and a Marilyn Monroe lookalike. If it's "UP," then seriously consider attaching hundreds of balloons to the house and using your video camera and computer to make an old-fashioned newsreel like the one that opens this Pixar movie.

Movie trivia games are everywhere and you shouldn't have any trouble finding one. You can buy the Trivial Pursuit Silver Screen edition. An ever better idea is to get the Turner Classic Movie edition of Scene It. This version features film clips from classic movies with which most 60 year olds are familiar. The game can be challenging to younger partygoers, however, giving the older person an advantage they might not enjoy with other games.