Ten Best Films of the 1950's (With Pictures and More)

Submitted by CaptMal on Sat, 10/25/2008 - 08:43
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  1. 12 Angry Men (1957)
  2. Written by Reginald Rose, based on his story
  3. Directed by Sidney Lumet
  7. It's always difficult to keep personal prejudice out of a thing like this. And wherever you run into it, prejudice always obscures the truth. I don't really know what the truth is. I don't suppose anybody will ever really know.
  9. Country: USA
  11. IMDb: 8.8/10
  13. Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
  15. What the Critics Are Saying:
  17. Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times - Great Movie
  18. "This is a film where tension comes from personality conflict, dialogue and body language, not action; where the defendant has been glimpsed only in a single brief shot; where logic, emotion and prejudice struggle to control the field. It is a masterpiece of stylized realism--the style coming in the way the photography and editing comment on the bare bones of the content."
  20. Jeff Labrecque, Entertainment Weekly - A-
  21. "Like To Kill a Mockingbird, 12 Angry Men, a tense jury-room thriller, endures as a pillar of liberal ideals robust enough to answer even Ayn Rand's most conservative opuses."
  23. Mick Martin and Marsha Porter, DVD & Video Guide - 5/5
  24. "A superb cast under inspired direction makes this film brilliant in every aspect."
  26. Singin' in the Rain (1952)
  27. Written by Adolph Green and Betty Comden
  28. Directed by Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly
  32. What do they think I am? Dumb or something? Why, I make more money than...than...than Calvin Coolidge! Put together!
  34. Country: USA
  36. IMDb: 8.4/10
  38. Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
  40. What the Critics Are Saying:
  42. Steve Daly, Entertainment Weekly - A+
  43. "The transfer has sensational color, and the package even includes a charming Debbie Reynolds number cut before the film's release."
  45. Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times - 4/4
  46. "The film was photographed in bold basic colors--the yellow raincoats are an emblem--and Donen and his cast have an energy level that's also bold, basic and playful. But is this really the greatest Hollywood musical ever made? In a word, yes."
  48. Mick Martin and Marsha Porter, DVD & Video Guide - 5/5
  49. "In the history of movie musicals, no single scene is more fondly remembered than Gene Kelly's song-and-dance routine to the title song."
  51. Smultronstället (1957)
  52. Written by Ingmar Bergman
  53. Directed by Ingmar Bergman
  57. When you were little you believed in Santa Claus, now you believe in God.
  59. Country: Sweden
  61. USA Title: Wild Strawberries
  63. IMDb: 8.3/10
  65. Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
  67. What the Critics Are Saying:
  69. Ty Burr, Entertainment Weekly - A
  70. "The opening nightmare sequence sprang straight from Bergman's own dreams, and as the film glances into the doctor's bucolic childhood, touches on the unhappiness of marriage, and marvels at the brutal honesties of youth, one realizes that the filmmaker is re-creating his father -- and thawing him out in the bargain."
  72. Mick Martin and Marsha Porter, DVD & Video Guide - 4/5
  73. "Superbly photographed and acted, the film tells the story of an elderly professor facing old age and reviewing his life's disappointments."
  75. Sunset Blvd. (1950)
  76. Written by Charles Brackett, Billy Wilder, and D.M. Marshman Jr.
  77. Directed by Billy Wilder
  81. You see, this is my life! It always will be! Nothing else! Just us, the cameras, and those wonderful people out there in the dark! All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up.
  83. Country: USA
  85. IMDb: 8.7/10
  87. Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
  89. What the Critics Are Saying:
  91. Steve Daly, Entertainment Weekly - A
  92. "Pull Sunset Boulevard off the shelf and you'll see how Condon makes inspired use of Billy Wilder's indelible image of a corpse found floating in a swimming pool. He also salutes the immortal sequence of Norma Desmond (played by actual silent star Gloria Swanson) studying her own past glory on a rickety projector."
  94. Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times - Great Movie
  95. "The movie cuts close to the bone, drawing so directly from life that many of the silent stars at the movie's premiere recognized personal details."
  97. Mick Martin and Marsha Porter, DVD & Video Guide - 5/5
  98. "Sunset Boulevard is one of Hollywood's strongest indictments against its own excesses. It justly deserves its place among the best films ever made."
  100. All About Eve (1950)
  101. Written by Joseph L. Mankiewicz
  102. Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz
  106. If nothing else, there's applause...like waves of love pouring over the footlights.
  108. Country: USA
  110. IMDb: 8.4/10
  112. Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
  114. What the Critics Are Saying:
  116. Roger Ebert, Chicago-Sun Times - Great Movie
  117. "Growing older was a smart career move for Bette Davis, whose personality was adult, hard-edged and knowing. Never entirely comfortable as an ingenue, she was glorious as a professional woman, a survivor, or a bitchy predator. Her veteran actress Margo Channing in All About Eve (1950) was her greatest role; it seems to show her defeated by the wiles of a younger actress, but in fact marks a victory: the triumph of personality and will over the superficial power of beauty. She never played a more autobiographical role."
  119. Entertainment Weekly - A
  120. "Writer-director Joseph L. Mankiewicz packs the film's 2 hours and 18 minutes with so much emotional intrigue and provides his fully fleshed-out characters with such sharp dialogue that the whole thing races by as breathlessly as Speed."
  122. Mick Martin and Marsha Porter, DVD & Video Guide - 5/5
  123. "The dialogue sparkles, and the performances are of high caliber."
  125. Shichinin no samurai (1954)
  126. Written by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, and Hideo Oguni
  127. Directed by Akira Kurosawa
  131. This is the nature of war. By protecting others, you save yourselves.
  133. Country: Japan
  135. USA Title: The Seven Samurai
  137. IMDb: 8.8/10
  139. Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
  141. What the Critics Are Saying:
  143. Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times - Great Movie
  144. "Since Kurosawa's samurai adventure Yojimbo (1960) was remade as A Fistful of Dollars and essentially created the spaghetti Western, and since this movie and Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress inspired George Lucas' Star Wars series, it could be argued that this greatest of filmmakers gave employment to action heroes for the next 50 years, just as a fallout from his primary purpose."
  146. Mick Martin and Marsha Porter, DVD & Video Guide - 5/5
  147. "This Japanese release--about seven swordsmen coming to the aid of a besieged peasant village--is one of those rare screen wonders that seems to end much too soon."
  149. Tim Purtell, Entertainment Weekly - A
  150. "Samurai is loaded with thrilling filmmaking—from its character-driven setup to the glorious chaos of the rain-soaked climax, a dizzying blur of men, horses, mud, and death."
  152. North by Northwest (1959)
  153. Written by Ernest Lehman
  154. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
  158. That's funny. That plane's dustin' crops where there ain't no crops.
  160. Country: USA
  162. IMDb: 8.6/10
  164. Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
  166. What the Critics Are Saying:
  168. Mark Harris, Entertainment Weekly - A
  169. "For weeks, Alfred Hitchcock and screenwriter Ernest Lehman worked together trying to create a screenplay for The Wreck of the Mary Deare; when they couldn't crack it but still owed MGM a film, they came up with this instead -- one of Hitchcock's, and Hollywood's, greatest light-suspense entertainments ever, and an essential addition to the growing catalog of Hitchcock on DVD."
  171. Mick Martin and Marsha Porter, DVD & Video Guide - 5/5
  172. "Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint star in this classic thriller by the master himself, Alfred Hitchcock, who plays (or preys) on the senses and keeps the action at a feverish pitch."
  174. Kumonosu jô (1957)
  175. Written by Shinobu Hashimoto, Ryuzo Kikushima, Akira Kurosawa, and Hideo Oguni, based on the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare
  176. Directed by Akira Kurosawa
  180. Admirable, my Lord. You, who would soon rule the world, allow a ghost to frighten you.
  182. Country: Japan
  184. USA Title: Throne of Blood
  186. IMDb: 8.1/10
  188. Rotten Tomatoes: 97%
  190. What the Critics Are Saying:
  192. Mick Martin and Marsha Porter, DVD & Video Guide - 5/5
  193. "Japanese director Akira Kurosawa's retelling of Macbeth may be the best film adaptation of Shakespeare ever made."
  195. Joshua Rich, Entertainment Weekly
  196. "Deriving as much from the traditional Noh theater style as from Shakespeare, Blood employs Kurosawa's usual slate of trickery -- wipes, cunning production design, inventively choreographed battle sequences."
  198. On the Waterfront (1954)
  199. Written by Budd Schulberg, based on his story, and suggested by articles by Malcolm Johnson
  200. Directed by Elia Kazan
  204. Hey, you wanna hear my philosophy of life? Do it to him before he does it to you.
  206. Country: USA
  208. IMDb: 8.4/10
  210. Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
  212. What the Critics Are Saying:
  214. Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times - Great Movie
  215. "Today the story no longer seems as fresh; both the fight against corruption and the romance fall well within ancient movie conventions. But the acting and the best dialogue passages have an impact that has not dimmed; it is still possible to feel the power of the film and of Brando and Kazan, who changed American movie acting forever."
  217. Mick Martin and Marsha Porter, DVD & Video Guide - 5/5
  218. "Tough, uncompromising look at corruption on the New York waterfront."
  220. Troy Patterson, Entertainment Weekly - A
  221. "On the Waterfront is the fruit of Kazan's desire to justify himself (that is, his testimony before the House Un-American Activities Committee) to Hollywood and the world -- an arguable proposition with an inarguably affecting payoff."
  223. Le Salaire de la peur (1953)
  224. Written by Henri-Georges Clouzot and Jérôme Géronimi, based on the novel by Georges Arnaud
  225. Directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot
  229. You don't know what fear is. But you'll see. It's catching, it's catching like small pox! And once you get it, it's for life! So long, boys, and good luck.
  231. Country: France/Italy
  233. USA Title: The Wages of Fear
  235. IMDb: 8.4/10
  237. Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
  239. What the Critics Are Saying:
  241. Marc Bernardin, Entertainment Weekly - A-
  242. "Henri-Georges Clouzot's The Wages of Fear, a gem of a thriller, which won Cannes' Grand Prix way back when, lags a bit in the early going (thanks to 21 minutes of character embroidery, which was cut from its first U.S. release), but once those guys hit the road, it's a masterpiece of tension, precision, and a very specific form of masculine desperation."
  244. Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times - 4/4
  245. "The film's extended suspense sequences deserve a place among the great stretches of cinema."
  247. Mick Martin and Marsha Porter, DVD & Video Guide - 5/5
  248. "This masterpiece of suspense pits four seedy and destitute men against the challenge of driving two nitroglycerin-laden trucks over crude and treacherous Central American mountain roads to quell a monstrous oil-well fire."