1950s Movies

The 1950s saw many technical innovations, but the biggest advance was in the new approaches to acting and narrative storytelling resulting in grittier drama, towering performances and some unforgettable movies. Here are some of them.

Cinderella (1950)
When Cinderella’s cruel stepmother prevents her from attending the Royal Ball, she gets some unexpected help from the lovable mice Gus and Jaq, and from her Fairy Godmother.

Sunset Blvd. (1950)
A screenwriter develops a dangerous relationship with a faded film star determined to make a triumphant return.

A Streetcar Names Desire (1951)
Disturbed Blanche DuBois moves in with her sister in New Orleans and is tormented by her brutish brother-in-law while her reality crumbles around her.

The African Queen (1951)
In WWI East Africa, a gin-swilling Canadian riverboat captain is persuaded by a strait-laced English missionary to undertake a trip up a treacherous river and use his boat to attack a German gunship.

Singin' in the Rain (1952)
A silent film star falls for a chorus girl just as he and his delusionally jealous screen partner are trying to make the difficult transition to talking pictures in 1920s Hollywood.

High Noon (1952)
A town Marshal, despite the disagreements of his newlywed bride and the townspeople around him, must face a gang of deadly killers alone at "high noon" when the gang leader, an outlaw he "sent up" years ago, arrives on the noon train.

Shane (1953)
A weary gunfighter in 1880s Wyoming begins to envision a quieter life after befriending a homestead family with a young son who idolizes him, but a smoldering range war forces him to act.

Roman Holiday (1953)
A bored and sheltered princess escapes her guardians and falls in love with an American newsman in Rome.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) Showgirls Lorelei Lee and Dorothy Shaw travel to Paris, pursued by a private detective hired by the suspicious father of Lorelei's fiancé, as well as a rich, enamored old man and many other doting admirers.

Rear Window (1954)
A wheelchair-bound photographer spies on his neighbors from his apartment window and becomes convinced one of them has committed murder.

Dial M for Murder (1954)
A tennis player frames his neglected wife for murder after she inadvertently foils his plan to have her murdered.

Lady and the Tramp (1955)
The romantic tale of a sheltered uptown Cocker Spaniel dog and a streetwise downtown Mutt.

Rebel Without a cause (1955)
A rebellious young man with a troubled past comes to a new town, finding friends and enemies.

The Ladykillers (1955)
Five oddball criminals planning a bank robbery rent rooms on a cul-de-sac from an octogenarian widow under the pretext that they are classical musicians.

... And God Created Woman (1956)
In sunny St. Tropez, a young sexpot loves one brother but marries the other.

The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
British POWs build a railway bridge across the river Kwai for their Japanese captors, oblivious of the Allies’ plans to destroy it.

12 Angry Men (1957)
The jury in a New York City murder trial is frustrated by a single member whose skeptical caution forces them to more carefully consider the evidence before jumping to a hasty verdict.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)
An alcoholic ex-football player, drinks his days away and resists the affections of his wife. His reunion with his father, who is dying of cancer, jogs a host of memories and revelations for both father and son.

Vertigo (1958)
A former police detective juggles wrestling with his personal demons and becoming obsessed with a hauntingly beautiful woman.

Ben Hur (1959)
When a Jewish prince is betrayed and sent into slavery by a Roman friend, he regains his freedom and comes back for revenge.

North by Northwest (1959)
A New York City advertising executive goes on the run after being mistaken for a government agent by a group of foreign spies, and falls for a woman whose loyalties he begins to doubt.

Some Like it Hot (1959)
When two male musicians witness a mob hit, they flee the state in an all-female band disguised as women, but further complications set in.