COLORIZATION
Colorization is the bastardization of black and white films into dreadful colors. It has been around for a while. Ted Turner famously tried to colorize Citizen Kane, but he encountered such a firestorm of outraged opposition that he dropped the idea. He seems to have also dropped the whole colorization thing. Others have not. But I’m pleased to report that the beast seems to have been dealt a hopefully fatal blow about 10 years ago. We can only hope!
What these folks don’t seem to understand is that directors and cinematographers who use black and white know what they’re working with. They use the medium to achieve things that color simply can’t do. And yet, the monster persists. It is apparently because lots of young people won’t watch something in black and white. Well, that’s their loss. 
Critics Siskel and Ebert, the best of the best, called it “Hollywood’s New Vandalism.” Anjelica Houston successfully stopped the process in its tracks in France, using French copyright law. The U.S. has legislation that protects films in the National Film Registry from colorization. 
Well, anyway, here are some wonderful black and white movies that would be cheapened and perhaps ruined by being colorized.
Let's begin with Schindler's List (1993), which deservedly won the Oscar for best picture. The starkness of the prison camp and the situations just cry out for black and white. The very end is shot in color and rightly so- it makes the contrast in times greater.
Orson Welles perhaps understood better than anyone else how to use the subtle shadings and shadows of black and white. His landmark film Citizen Kane (1941) is exhibit A. But an even better use of the medium, though a lesser film, is The Magnificent Ambersons (1942) which is shot almost entirely in the gloomy old Amberson mansion. The story of the decline of a once-mighty family is perfectly mirrored in the photography. If the ending seems to be tacked on, it is. The studio took Ambersons away from Welles and pasted on the hokey ending. It's still a great film.
Raging Bull (1980) is one of the great boxing movies. The brutality and violence of the ring (and the kitchen) are more exquisitely captured in black and white than any color imaginable. The sleazy, smoky nightclubs that become Jake LaMotta's environment seem much more oppressive and atmospheric in black and white.
Casablanca (1942) has dark filmic echoes of the war and the end of a culture, and is one of the most romantic films ever made. Notice that in the night scenes you can always see what is going on. Night scenes in most modern color movies are annoyingly unwatchable.
On The Waterfront (1954) with its gritty shots of the docks and union halls, is perfect for black and white. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf (1966), in which an apparently happy marriage slowly unravels before our eyes, would be ruined by color. . 
The Hustler (1961) with its seamy pool halls and seamier characters is just right for black and white. High Noon (1952) is an epic because the situation is black and white to Gary Cooper's character.
My favorite example of black and white cinematography is How Green Was My Valley (1941). This is a great film anyway, but the photography is unmatched. It's the story of Welsh miners and their lives and their village. Use your freeze button on any frame in this movie and you could hang it on your wall. 
Director Alexander Payne (Sideways, About Schmidt) decided to film Nebraska (2013) in black and white. Excellent choice!  The film had five Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. The dreary, barren Midwestern landscape, the dingy small towns and the dysfunctional family members are perfect in black and white. 
And remember while we’re on this topic that a black and white movie, The Artist, won the Best Picture Oscar for 2011. It’s also silent! 
All of the films in this article are available on DVD in glorious black and white. All are for 12 and up.