I love classic films and the 1950s are probably my favorite decade for movies – it was a decade where black and white was still common but also competing with color movies as well and both types thrived. And it’s the decade where you can see some semblance of modern technology like TVs and dishwashers and washing machines etc whereas 1940s and before you pretty much just saw radios and old style phones (where they hold up a cup to their ears) and sometimes icebox style fridges and might seem a bit too archaic to some people.
Here’s my personal picks for 10 of the greatest 50s films IMO
Sunset Boulevard (1950)
Billy Wilder had a lot of great hits in the 1940s and 1950s and this might be his most famous – Sunset Blvd is a top tier film noir, a story about an aging actress that can’t come to terms with the fact that she’s faded into obscurity, wonderful performances from William Holden and Gloria Swanson, it’s an absolute classic of the genre
All About Eve (1950)
Released in the same year as Sunset Boulevard, and also with a story about an aging actress, it handles it differently because it’s more of a drama rather than noir. There’s no murder involved here, only manipulation and great performances from the great Bette Davis and Anne Baxter.
On the Waterfront (1954)
This is another well known classic of the 1950s, for good reason. Marlon Brando has one of his iconic performances here, a drama involving violence, crime and corruption. I prefer his performance here to Streetcar Named Desire (thought he was a bit too one note in that one).
12 Angry Men (1957)
another absolute classic 50s film, while there’s not much action in this one, the central premise of this film is aimed at the American justice system; that people are innocent until proven guilty with no reasonable doubt. Henry Fonda’s character only raises the possibility of doubt – he doesn’t say that the boy is innocent – only that there is doubt, and from that seed of doubt we get a movie that is probably the greatest legal drama film ever.
Some Like it Hot (1959)
I consider this Marilyn Monroe’s best film – but it’s actually Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon’s performances that really bring out the best of this movie. The idea of two men pretending to be women was very shocking in the 1950s but because of this novel idea they are able to make an amazing comedy out of it. Highly recommended.
A Place in the Sun (1951)
In many ways this film seems like a film noir (even though its not really classified as one) and there’s some parallels with Double Indemnity (1944) in that there is a murder that is extensively covered up throughout the movie but Montgomery Clift delivers a classic performance here and you have a prime Elizabeth Taylor in the movie too, it’s definitely well worth a watch.
Rear Window (1954)
One of Hitchcock’s most acclaimed movies, what’s amazing about Rear Window is the fact that it takes place almost entirely in one setting – Jimmy Stewart’s character’s apartment. And despite this limited setting, Hitchcock creates a very intriguing suspense thriller out of it, which is very impressive. As well you have two all time American film legends Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly in it.
North by Northwest (1959)
Another of Hitchcock’s most famous films, the story is definitely more complex than most 1950s films and involves some memorable sequences like Cary Grant running away from the crop duster or the Mount Rushmore ending sequence. Cary Grant plays his usual suave self here but is surprisingly nimble despite his age at the time of filming, and Eva Marie Saint gives a classic double agent performance here as well.
Vertigo (1958)
I would consider this along with the two other Hitchcock films I mentioned as the three great 50s Hitchcock films. Vertigo isn’t just a typical murder mystery thriller, it combines some innovative perspective cinematography with a storyline that has a great twist and doesn’t end when you think it ends. Jimmy Stewart as always gives a solid performance here but this is also notable as Kim Novak’s most famous performance too (as she has to play essentially two roles in this movie).
The Searchers (1956)
If you were to watch one John Wayne movie – make it this one, as The Searchers is probably his most influential and greatest film. It’s a classic Western epic where you will find murder, love and betrayal and really set the standards for the deluge of Western films in the 1960s.
That’s my pick for the top 10 American 50s films, of course I left a lot out and I left out several international films (Tokyo Story by Yasujiro Ozu and Seven Samurai by Akira Kurosawa for example)
Leave a Reply