For our latest reader poll, we asked you for your Top 10 films from the 1950s.
Here’s the results!
50. Alice in Wonderland (prod. Walt Disney)
49. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (dir. Richard Brooks)
48. The Big Country (dir. William Wyler)
47. Rashomon (dir. Akira Kurosawa)
“The innovative drama about a horrible crime told from multiple points of view. And yet, it believes in objective truth and the goodness of humanity.”
46. The African Queen (dir. John Huston)
45. Witness for the Prosecution (dir. Billy Wilder)
“Masterful cinematography and great performances make the material come to life as we, like the characters, sit in suspense, wondering what the outcome will be.”
44. Sweet Smell of Success (dir. Alexander Mackendrick)
43. Touch of Evil (dir. Orson Welles)
42. The War of the Worlds (dir. Byron Haskin)
41. La Strada (dir. Federico Fellini)
40. To Catch a Thief (dir. Alfred Hitchcock)
39. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (dir. Don Siegel)
38. The Caine Mutiny (dir. Edward Dmytryk)
37. The Day the Earth Stood Still (dir. Robert Wise)
36. Guys and Dolls (dir. Joseph L. Mankiewicz)
35. White Christmas (dir. Michael Curtiz)
34. Shane (dir. George Stevens)
33. Sabrina (dir. Billy Wilder)
32. Paths of Glory (dir. Stanley Kubrick)
31. The Court Jester (dir. Norman Panama and Melvin Frank)
“A musical satire of the adventure films of the era, the snappy wit of the film combined with fun action you'd expect in a period adventure film makes for a timeless experience that still works today. Danny Kaye as the hapless hero in over his head, Glynis Johns as the far more capable heroine, and Basil Rathbone as the delightful villain still charm audiences decades later.”
30. The Robe (dir. Henry Koster)
29. I Confess (dir. Alfred Hitchcock)
28. The Quiet Man (dir. John Ford)
27. Diary of a Country Priest (dir. Robert Bresson)
“What to say about this film. Enough to simply say that this is one of the greatest works of Catholic cinema (or cinema, period). Robert Bresson is one of the giants of spiritual film, and Diary might be his most important achievement. ‘All is grace.’”
26. Wild Strawberries (dir. Ingmar Bergman)
“Ingmar Bergman's penetrating examination of memory, age, and regret is just as thought-provoking now as it must have been in 1957.”
25. A Place in the Sun (dir. George Stevens)
“George Stevens’ adaptation of Theodore Dressier’s ‘An American Tragedy’ is undoubtedly the darkest melodrama to be made during Hollywood’s Golden Age, yet it is also one of its most profound morality tales. Tenderly romantic and tragically intense, the film remains an insightful portrait of an American Dream gone wrong through the seeds of ambition and deception.”
24. Ordet (dir. Carl Theodor Dreyer)
“Of all fictitious religious movies, Ordet is the most profound and powerful. It looks you straight in the eye and asks: ‘Do you believe in miracles? Do you really?’”
23. In a Lonely Place (dir. Nicholas Ray)
22. Some Like It Hot (dir. Billy Wilder)
21. High Noon (dir. Fred Zinneman)
“Few Westerns have ever come close to offering something insightful about the human condition, save for this simple morality play that touches upon the key principles which conserve a functioning society: courage, conscience, and sacrifice. As Marshal Will Kane, Gary Cooper gives his finest performance as the dutiful lawman who refuses to desert his hometown when facing an encroaching pack of murderous outlaws.”
20. Ikiru (dir. Akira Kurosawa)
“Ikiru means ‘to live.’ A dying man looks over his life and finally takes real action at his work. This exquisite film shows that it is never too late to make a positive impact that's worthy of remembrance.”
“One of Kurosawa's many masterpieces. An emotional and psychological powerhouse that forces you to look at your own life a little differently.”
19. Harvey (dir. Henry Koster)
“A truly moving, wonderful Jimmy Stewart performance and some absolutely gorgeous prose.”
18. Marty (dir. Delbert Mann)
“Marty Piletti is the film character that I most identify with. However, I saw parts of myself in the object of his affection, Clara Snyder, as well. This is a movie as sweet and down-to-earth as its protagonists.”
17. Seven Samurai (dir. Akira Kurosawa)
“Nothing meaningful to add for this one. Just go watch it, immediately.”
16. All About Eve (dir. Joseph L. Mankiewicz)
“In my mind, this is a perfect movie. The acting, the screenplay, the costumes, the story. It is one of the greatest movies ever made.”
15. Roman Holiday (dir. William Wyler)
“Favorite film of the 20th century and second favorite of all-time”
14. The Seventh Seal (dir. Ingmar Bergman)
“In the short span of roughly 90 minutes, Bergman tackles some of the most fundamental existential questions of death, God, and the purpose of life. And he somehow pulls it off, avoiding becoming mired in unnecessary detail and over-intellectualization.”
13. Sleeping Beauty (prod. Walt Disney)
“The best movie from Disney’s Golden Age by far!”
12. The Searchers (dir. John Ford)
“A fantastic film, a true American classic that I believe everyone should see in their lifetime.”
11. The Night of the Hunter (dir. Charles Laughton)
“A southern gothic noir, a fairy tale and ultimately a archetypical tale of good vs evil, its message of protecting children against dark forces masquerading as benevolent is searingly relevant today.”
10. The Ten Commandments (dir. Cecil B. DeMille)
“The quintessential swords-and-sandals Biblical epic: a grandiose adaptation of the book of Exodus supported by monumental music, larger-than-life performances, and extravagant art direction. At once, highly melodramatic and intensely reverent, it is one of the few Old Hollywood cinematic events that is worth revisiting throughout one’s lifetime.”
9. North by Northwest (dir. Alfred Hitchcock)
“One of the most thrilling, stylish and rewatchable thrillers out there.”
“One of the most iconic films of its era and possibly my favorite Hermann score to go along with it too.”
8. Sunset Boulevard (dir. Billy Wilder)
“Possibly the finest film about Hollywood ever made.”
“Perhaps one of the finest noirs and certainly sharpest screenplays. It’s a film that lives up to the hype.”
7. Vertigo (dir. Alfred Hitchcock)
“The most beautifully disturbing film the Master ever made, and in my opinion, his greatest film. A lingering, unsettling depiction of obsession that has lost none of its twisted power.”
6. On the Waterfront (dir. Elia Kazan)
“As Hollywood’s first kitchen-sink masterpiece, the film is a tour-de-force in acting, writing, and direction. As failed boxer Terry Malloy, Marlon Brando delivers an authentically raw, gutsy performance of a postwar everyman in search of spiritual renewal amidst a world defined by organized corruption and violence.”
5. Rear Window (dir. Alfred Hitchcock)
“The one thing I'll never understand is Jimmy Stewart not being all that interested in Grace Kelly.”
4. The Bridge on the River Kwai (dir. David Lean)
“Perhaps the greatest war epic of all time”
“The final line of Apocalypse Now: "The horror. The horror." The Bridge on the River Kwai: "Madness! Madness!" 22 years before Coppola's masterpiece, David Lean made this epic about war-time insanity. Alec Guinness gives his best performance, and that's really saying something!”
3. Singin’ in the Rain (dir. Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen)
“Name an iconic film filled with more joyful delight than this one. I dare you.”
“Hollywood's best musical, period; a true classic that's still surprisingly fresh and hilarious after 70 years.”
2. 12 Angry Men (dir. Sidney Lumet)
“There isn't a legal drama better than 12 Angry Men. The acting from everyone is top-notch and director Sidney Lumet, in his amazing debut, keeps it dynamic despite most of it taking place in a single room.”
“The film offers a universal lesson, to have an attitude of mercy. We should not rush to condemn someone in an emotional reaction to some compelling talking points alone.”
1. Ben-Hur (dir. William Wyler)
“Quite simply the greatest Biblical epic Hollywood has ever produced, both materially and spiritually”
“The chariot sequence remains unrivaled. The scale of this film is remarkable.”
I’m so behind on this decade!
Good list. So far, I've seen at least 2/3 of the films mentioned here. Pleased to see a couple of Disney titles making the list. I've always considered the 1950s to be the best decade for "classic Disney films" (not counting the "Renaissance Disney" films, which exist in a category of their own), especially since the 1940s were dominated by the studio's experimental anthology films.