Monday's news that there is actually going to be a sequel to the 1946 classic It's A Wonderful Life was incredibly sad. Is nothing sacred for Hollywood? I suppose not. The fact of the matter is that even though it would be cheaper to just re-release these classics in theaters, producers are more inclined to think a sequel is necessary. Of course, the trouble with It's A Wonderful Life is that the film's owners aren't the ones looking to make the sequel. Nevertheless, it's still annoying that the producers looking to make it would rather make a sequel to a 67-year-old movie than make an original product.

There should just be a general rule that if the original film is over 50 years old and that none of the original cast and crew can return, then you can't make a sequel. If the original is so overwhelmingly beloved that a sequel could harm that reputation, don't make a sequel. Before Monday, It's A Wonderful Life would likely top a list of 10 Hollywood classics that should never get a sequel. Unfortunately, since it is, I'm not going to include it. So, here are 10 other Hollywood classics that should never EVER get a sequel.

10. The Thin Man
This is a bit of a cheat – William Powell and Myrna Loy made six films as Nick and Nora Charles, the husband-and-wife sleuthing team. So, obviously, MGM already made five sequels. The trouble here is that we never need another story with these two characters, who were created by Dashiell Hamett. Loy and Powell had incredible chemistry and actually made other films together outside of the series. Thankfully, an ill-advised reboot with Johnny Depp never happened.

9. Annie Hall
Woody Allen has never made a sequel and for good reason. The modern master of American comedy has never been one to look back on his past and I highly doubt he and his tight-nit group of producers would ever allow anyone to make a sequel. But if the suggestion ever comes, up they better never make the further adventures of Annie Hall. Diane Keaton hasn't had a hit in a while, so she might easily be tempted, but I think she's smart enough to say no.

8. The Public Enemy
It would be really hard to continue the story of William A. Wellman's gangster classic The Public Enemy, since James Cagney's Tom Powers dies in the end. (Sorry, the movie's 82 years old... you should have seen it by now.) However, some Hollywood hack could always dream up a Public Enemy 2, centering on Tom's offspring or about the rest of his family. Please don't – if you want to make a new gangster movie, just come up with a fresh idea.

7. Citizen Kane
Orson Welles' 1941 film starts with the main character's death, so it was certainly built to never have a sequel. The film was not a big hit when it came out, but neither was It's A Wonderful Life. Both films have seen their stature only grow as they age, but the similarities end there. Considering that Charles Foster Kane was such a big character, there might have been other lives he destroyed that could be covered in a sequel, but just because you can doesn't mean you should.

6. Vertigo
The only Alfred Hitchcock film to receive sequels is Psycho and let's keep it that way. I just recently watched Vertigo for the first time in a couple of years and was shocked that it just ends. While it does have an open-ended ending, it isn't one that lends itself to a sequel. We don't need the details of how James Stewart's character gets over the shocking ending.

5. Mr. Smith Goes To Washintgon
This could actually be a horror movie – small town, idealistic man who was once used by experienced politicians turns around and starts using another small town, idealistic young man. No, just let Frank Capra's love letter to the American political system alone.

4. The Maltese Falcon
John Huston's 1941 film with Humphrey Bogart as Dashiell Hammett's detective Sam Spade was actually Warner Bros.' third time trying to get it right. Of course, they did, crafting the first film noir. Unlike Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe, Sam Spade has rarely ever appeared on screen again. Bogart's performance was just too good. It's impossible to see anyone else as Sam Spade.

3. Casablanca
It really goes without saying that a film as perfect as Casablanca doesn't need a sequel. Last year, there were rumors that one would happen, but let's hope it never comes to fruition.

2. The Philadelphia Story
In 1956, MGM remade The Philadelphia Story as the musical High Society. That's a fun film, but let's leave the saga of C.K. Dexter Haven and Tracy Lord at the altar.

1. Any Charlie Chaplin movie
No brainer. Seriously, don't make a sequel to the greatest comedies ever made, please.

image: Wikimedia Commons