REWIND & RANK: TOP 10 Movies of the 1950s

RANKING THE DECADE’S BEST: FROM OSCAR MOVIES TO BLOCKBUSTERS

Walk down memory lane… And let the movie nerd debate begin.

Let’s REWIND to the 1950s…
with this EPIC edition of REWIND & RANK!

These are personal TOP 10s ranking Oscar-nominated movies right alongside popcorn-munching blockbusters, indie films, b-movies, and cult classics. You never know, you might even uncover a hidden gem or two.

The 1950s have some all-time greats of cinema. There are some truly legendary films that premiered in the decade. The #1 movie for the 50s was THE TEN COMMANDMENTS with $43 million (not adjusted for inflation). My Notable Must-Watch list is filled with films that have withstood the test of time. Every year (up to today) there are several must-see movies that slipped through the cracks for me. The further back we REWIND history, the more films I need to see.

If you review movies from the 1950s, leave a LINK to your site in the comments below.

My TOP 10 is followed by HONORABLE MENTIONS and the Best of ART VS POPCORN.

Let’s dig in…

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THE TOP 10

james dean – giant

10. GIANT (1956)

9. VERTIGO (1958)

8. A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE (1951)

7. DIAL M FOR MURDER (1954)

6. ON THE WATERFRONT (1954)

james dean

5. REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE (1955)

4. REAR WINDOW (1954)

#1 movie of 1954 – $36.7 million

3. SCROOGE (1951)

ORG XMIT: *S0423530747* **FILE**In this photo released by Warner Bros., actor John Wayne plays Ethan Edwards in the 1956 film “The Searchers.” The film is among the American Film Institute’s best western movies. (AP Photo/Warner Bros.) NY134 10292010xGUIDEDAILY

2. THE SEARCHERS (1956)

1. SEVEN SAMURAI (1954)

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HONORABLE MENTIONS

Handout photo of Ben Chapman in costume for the title character in “The Creature From the Black Lagoon.” For obit. of Chapman. E-mail from Bob [mailto:kogar@earthlink.net] via writer Dennis McLellan.

TITLE: DRACULA (1958) • PERS: LEE, CHRISTOPHER • YEAR: 1958 • DIR: FISHER, TERENCE • REF: DRA015CJ • CREDIT: [ THE KOBAL COLLECTION / HAMMER ]

NORTH BY NORTHWEST, Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, 1959

listed alphabetically

THE 7th VOYAGE OF SINBAD / ALICE IN WONDERLAND / CINDERELLA / CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON / GODZILLA / HORROR OF DRACULA / INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS / THE KILLING / NORTH BY NORTHWEST / OLD YELLER / PETER PAN / PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE / SEVENTH SEAL / SLEEPING BEAUTY

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MY MUST-WATCH LIST

notable films listed by year

1950

ALL ABOUT EVE / THE ASPHALT JUNGLE / THE BLACK ROSE / DESTINATION MOON / FATHER OF THE BRIDE / HARVEY / IN A LONELY PLACE / KING SOLOMON’S MINES (#1 movie at the box office with $9.9 million) / NIGHT & THE CITY / LOS OLVIDADOS (THE YOUNG AND THE DAMNED) / ORPHEUS / PANIC IN THE STREETS / PREHISTORIC WOMEN / RASHOMON / RIO GRANDE / SEVEN DAYS TO NOON / STAGE FRIGHT / SUNSET BOULEVARD / TREASURE ISLAND / WINCHESTER ’73

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1951

ACE IN THE HOLE / THE AFRICAN QUEEN / AN AMERICAN IN PARIS / AWAARA / THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL / DETECTIVE STORY / THE IDIOT / THE LAVENDER HILL MOB / THE MAN IN THE WHITE SUIT / MIRACLE IN MILAN / A PLACE IN THE SUN / THE PROWLER / QUO VADIS (#1 at the box office with $11.9 million) / THE STEEL HELMET / STRANGERS ON A TRAIN / THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD / WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE

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1952

5 FINGERS / AFFAIR IN TRINIDAD / AGAINST ALL FLAGS / ANGEL FACE / THE BAD & THE BEAUTIFUL / BEND OF THE RIVER / THE BIG SKY / DON’T BOTHER TO KNOCK / EUROPE ’51 / FANFAN LA TULIPE / FORBIDDEN GAMES (JEUX INTERDITS) / THE GOLDEN COACH / THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH (#1 movie – $14 million) / HIGH NOON / IKIRU (TO LIVE) / IVANHOE / THE LIFE OF OHARU / LIMELIGHT / THE LUSTY MEN / MACAO / MILLION DOLLAR MERMAID / MONKEY BUSINESS / MOULIN ROUGE / THE NARROW MARGIN / ONE SUMMER OF HAPPINESS / PHONE CALL FROM A STRANGER / RANCHO NOTORIOUS / THE QUIET MAN / SAILOR BEWARE / SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN / SNOWS OF KILIMANJARO / THE SOUND BARRIER / THE STORY OF ROBIN HOOD & HIS MERRIE MEN / SUDDEN FEAR / THE THIEF / THE TRAGEDY OF OTHELLO / UMBERTO D.

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1953

Julius Caesar (1953) Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz Shown: Marlon Brando

The Robe (1953) Directed by Henry Koster Shown in center foreground: Richard Burton, Jean Simmons. center, background: Jay Robinson

SUMMER WITH MONIKA, (aka SOMMAREN MED MONIKA, aka MONIKA, THE STORY OF A BAD GIRL), Harriet Andersson, 1953

THE 5,000 FINGERS OF DR. T / THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS / BEAT THE DEVIL / THE BIG HEAT / A BLUEPRINT FOR MURDER / CALAMITY JANE / FEAR & DESIRE / FROM HERE TO ETERNITY / GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES / THE HITCH-HIKER / HONDO / HOUSE OF WAX / HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE / I CONFESS / INVADERS FROM MARS / IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE / JEOPARDY / JULIUS CEASAR / MOGAMBO / THE MOON IS BLUE / MR. HULOT’S HOLIDAY / THE NAKED SPUR / NIAGARA / PICKUP ON SOUTH STREET / THE ROBE (#1 movie – $17.5 million) / ROMAN HOLIDAY / SALOME / SHANE / STALAG 17 / SUMMER WITH MONIKA / TITANIC / TOKYO STORY / TORCH SONG / UGETSU MONOGATARI / I VITELLONI / THE WAGES OF WAR / THE WAR OF THE WORLDS / THE WILD ONE

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1954

Title: BRIDGES AT TOKO-RI, THE • Pers: HOLDEN, WILLIAM / KELLY, GRACE • Year: 1955 • Dir: ROBSON, MARK • Ref: BRI019AT • Credit: [ PARAMOUNT / THE KOBAL COLLECTION ]

THE COUNTRY GIRL, William Holden, Grace Kelly, Bing Crosby, 1954

PhotoELF Edits: 2009:12:08 — Saved as: 24-Bit 98% JPEG YUV444 — batch crop — crop 2009:12:07 — Batch Resized

20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA / ANIMAL FARM / THE BAREFOOT CONTESSA / THE BRIDGES AT TOKO-RI / BRIGADOON / BROKEN LANCE / THE CAINE MUTINY / CARMEN JONES / THE COUNTRY GIRL / CRIME WAVE / THE CRUCIFIED LOVERS / DEMETRIUS & THE GLADIATORS / THE EGYPTIAN / GARDEN OF EVIL / THE HIGH & THE MIGHTY / HOBSON’S CHOICE / HUMAN DESIRE / JIGOKUMON (GATE OF HELL) / JOHNNY GUITAR / JOURNEY TO ITALY / KNOCK ON WOOD / THE NAKED JUNGLE / RIVER OF NO RETURN / ROMEO & JULIET / SABRINA / SALT OF THE EARTH / SANSHO THE BAILIFF / SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS / SILVER LODE / A STAR IS BORN / LA STRADA / THREE COINS IN THE FOUNTAIN / TRACK OF THE CAT / TWENTY-FOUR EYES / VERA CRUZ / WHITE CHRISTMAS

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1955

Pather Panchali (1955 India) Directed by Satyajit Ray Shown: Subir Bannerjee

Humphrey Bogart (Joseph), Peter Ustinov (Jules) and Aldo Ray (Albert) are three prisoners who escape. They want to rob a store by pretending to be fixing the roof of a merchant. Now they can take insight into the private life of the family.

ARTISTS & MODELS / BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK / BATTLE CRY / THE BIG COMBO / BLACKBOARD JUNGLE / TO CATCH A THIEF / CINERAMA HOLIDAY (#1 movie – $10 million) / THE COURT JESTER / THE COURT-MARTIAL OF BILLY MITCHELL / THE DAM BUSTERS / DAVY CROCKETT, KING OF THE WILD FRONTIER / THE DESPERATE HOURS / LES DIABOLIQUES / EAST OF EDEN / GUYS & DOLLS / TO HELL & BACK / I’LL CRY TOMORROW / IT CAME FROM BENEATH THE SEA / KILLER’S KISS / KISS ME DEADLY / THE LADYKILLERS / LAND OF THE PHARAOHS / LOLA MONTES / THE MAN FROM LARAMIE / THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ARM / MARTY / MR. ARKADIN / THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER / NIGHT & FOG / NOT AS A STRANGER / OKLAHOMA! / PATHER PANCHALI / THE PHENIX CITY STORY / THE QUATERMASS XPERIMENT / RICHARD III / RIFIFI / THE ROSE TATTOO / THE SEA CHASE / THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH / SMILES OF A SUMMER NIGHT / TARANTULA! / TRIAL / WE’RE NO ANGELS

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1956

Title: ANASTASIA ¥ Pers: BERGMAN, INGRID / BRYNNER, YUL ¥ Year: 1956 ¥ Dir: LITVAK, ANATOLE ¥ Ref: ANA001BL ¥ Credit: [ THE KOBAL COLLECTION / 20TH CENTURY FOX ]

Title: BHOWANI JUNCTION ¥ Pers: GARDNER, AVA ¥ Year: 1956 ¥ Dir: CUKOR, GEORGE ¥ Ref: BHO001AA ¥ Credit: [ MGM / THE KOBAL COLLECTION ]

Bibbione – VENICE, ITALY- SEPTEMBER, 12: Bottles of wine with label depicting Nazi Adolf Hilter and Benito Mussolini and other Nazis a on a table ready to be sold on a Wine shop on Semptember 12, 2003 in Bibbione a turistic site near Venice, Italy. The German government has asked Italy to investigate if the Lunardelli’s wine with portrait of Adolf Hitler and other Nazis contravenes a European Union resolution on combating the spread of racist images and literature. Its sale is illegal in Germany, where products bearing images or slogans from the Nazi era are outlawed. (Photo by Giuseppe Cacace/Getty Images)

Eath vs the Flying Saucers by Larry Higbee (maddartist83.deviantart.com)

Love Me Tender Elvis Presley and Debra Paget © 20th Century Fox International TV

ALEXANDER THE GREAT / ANASTASIA / AND GOD CREATED WOMAN / APARAJITO / AROUND THE WORD IN 80 DAYS / ATTACK / AUTUMN LEAVES / BABY DOLL / THE BAD SEED / BHOWANI JUNCTION / BIGGER THAN LIFE / BOB LE FLAMBEUR / THE BRAVE ONE / THE BURMESE HARP /BUS STOP / CAROUSEL / THE CONQUEROR / EARTH VS THE FLYING SAUCERS / FORBIDDEN PLANET / FRIENDLY PERSUASION / THE GIRL CAN’T HELP IT / THE HARDER THEY FALL / HIGH SOCIETY / THE KING & I / LOVE ME TENDER / LUST FOR LIFE / THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH / MOBY DICK / THE RED BALOON / RODAN / ROSE ON HIS ARM / THE SILENT WORLD / THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (#1 movie – $43 million) / WAR & PEACE / WHILE THE CITY SLEEPS / WRITTEN ON THE WIND / THE WRONG MAN

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1957

American actor Grant Williams (1930 – 1985) freezes in terror as he is noticed by feline actor Orangey in a scene from the film ‘The Incredible Shrinking Man,’ directed by Jack Arnold, 1957. The effect was created by the superimposition of one image, that ot Williams, over another, the of the background that contains the cat and a dollhouse. (Photo by Universal Pictures/Courtesy of Getty Images)

20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH / 3:10 TO YUMA / 12 ANGRY MEN / AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER / THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI (#1 movie – $17.1 million) / A FACE IN THE CROWD / A FAREWELL TO ARMS / FUNNY FACE / THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN / I WAS A TEENAGE WEREWOLF / JAILHOUSE ROCK / LOVE SLAVES OF THE AMAZON / MOTHER INDIA / NIGHTFALL / NIGHTS OF CABIRIA / NIGHT OF THE DEMON / PATHS OF GLORY / SAYONARA / SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS / THE THREE FACES OF EVE / THRONE OF BLOOD / WILD STRAWBERRIES / WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION / YELLOW CROW

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1958

APACHE TERRITORY, from left: Rory Calhoun, Barbara Bates, 1958

I WANT TO LIVE, Susan Hayward, 1958 – FILM STILL

Touch of Evil (1958) Directed by Orson Welles Shown: Orson Welles

AMBUSH AT CIMARRON PASS / APACHE TERRITORY / ASHES & DIAMONDS / ATTACK OF THE 50 FT. WOMAN / THE BIG COUNTRY / THE BLOB / BONJOUR TRISTESSE / THE BRAVADOS / THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV / CAIRO STATION / CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF / THE CRANES ARE FLYING / DAMN YANKEES / THE DEFIANT ONES / ELEVATOR TO THE GALLOWS / THE FLY / GIGI / THE HIDDEN FORTRESS / THE HORSE’S MOUTH / INDISCREET / THE INN OF THE SIXTH HAPPINESS / IT! THE TERROR FROM BEYOND SPACE / I WANT TO LIVE! / JALSAGHAR / THE LAST HURRAH / THE LONG HOT SUMMER / THE LOVERS / THE MAGICIAN (ANSIKTET) / MAN OF THE WEST / MON ONCLE (MY UNCLE) / MURDER BY CONTRACT / SEPARATE TABLES / SOUTH PACIFIC (#1 movie – $16.3 million) / TEACHER’S PET / THUNDER ROAD / TOUCH OF EVIL / THE VIKINGS / THE YOUNG LIONS

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1959

Ningen no j™ken (1959, Japan) aka The Human Condition I: No Greater Love Directed by Masaki Kobayashi

SOME LIKE IT HOT, Tony Curtis, Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon, 1959

THE 400 BLOWS / 4D MAN / ANATOMY OF A MURDER / APUR SANSAR / BEN-HUR (#1 movie – $36.9 million) / THE BEST OF EVERYTHING / BLACK ORPHEUS / A BUCKET OF BLOOD / COMPULSION / THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK / FLOATING WEEDS / THE HANGING TREE / THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES / THE HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL / IMITATION OF LIFE / JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH / THE MUMMY / NO GREATER LOVE (THE HUMAN CONDITION) / OPERATION PETTICOAT / ON THE BEACH / PICKPOCKET / PILLOW TALK / PORK CHOP HILL / RIDE LONESOME / RIO BRAVO / ROOM AT THE TOP / SHADOWS / SOLOMON & SHEBA / SOME LIKE IT HOT / SUDDENLY, LAST SUMMER / A SUMMER PLACE / THE TINGLER / WARLOCK

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WHAT DO YOU thiNK?

stay tuned for more rewind & rank!

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