The1950s were a game-changing erafor film. It was the emergence of technological breakthroughs and bold new storytelling, with the studios giving in to directors and stars who wished to be the best new creative visionaries. This was a time whenHollywood became afraid of the rising influence of television, and started embracing widescreen formats, color, and epic storytelling for the sake of staying on top.
More than just technological advancements, film became a reflection of the cultural mood. Rebels, Cold War paranoia, social conformity, class, fame, and wealth became prominent topics;international film movements influenced American storytelling, and vice versa; together, both those in Hollywood and worldwide made the 1950s a bridge between classical Hollywood and the more experimental auteur films. The best movie from every year of the 1950s reflects that as much as it can.
‘Sunset Boulevard’ (1950)
Sunset Boulevardis probably the most important movie of 1950; other great films that came out this year includesIn a Lonely Place(Humphrey Bogart’s best role),The Asphalt Jungle(John Huston’s brilliant crime caper), andAll About Eve(a great social satire and dark-ish comedy).Sunset Boulevardwas sort of more important than these other films because it wasone of the first movies of the time to skewer fame and Hollywood, criticizing the industry and its delusions of grandeur.
Billy Wilder’sSunset Boulevardfollows struggling screenwriter Joe Gillis (William Holden), who meets the fading silent-film star, Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson). Desmond clings to her past glory, living in a bubble of self-conviction and delusion; she has a devoted butler who fuels her beliefs, and Joe moves into her home under the guise of helping her make a new film.Sunset Boulevardis intense, but also a thrilling satire; the performances are haunting and amazing, which was recognized with the film getting nominated in all four acting categories. It’s a defining post-war classic.
‘Ace In the Hole’ (1951)
Another Wilder film,Ace In the Hole,was initially a failure, but was later reappraised and is currently deemedone of his most important films. The cold contemporary welcome was likely due to several factors—it was Wilder’s first stint as a writer, director, and producer, the first film he wrote without his longtime collaborator,Charles Brackett, anda story that was quite ahead of its time that it likely just went over people’s heads. Movies that marked 1951 were alsoThe Day the Earth Stood Still, a sci-fi classic, andStreetcar Named Desire, a character drama that gaveMarlon Brandoa career boost.
Ace In the Holefollows disgraced, wild, and cynical journalist, Chuck Tatum (Kirk Douglas), who manipulates the story of a man trapped in a mine in New Mexico for personal gain. However, his coverage turns into a media circus, and the situation spirals out of control.Ace In the Holeis Wilder’sindictment of media exploitation and a sharp critique of sensationalism, and it’s just chillingly relevant to this day. This kind of theme was common on film in the 1950s, butAce In the Holeis still one of cinema’s boldest tales of morals and decency.
‘Singin’ In the Rain’ (1952)
Singin' In the Rainis often consideredthe greatest musical ever made.It’s joyful, it’s a spectacle, and has plenty of witty satire about filmmaking itself, depicted through beautiful cinematic magic and in bold and beautiful Technicolor. It was apparentlyFrançois Truffaut’s favorite movie, one he claimed to know by heart, and aless depressing depiction of Hollywoodcompared toSunset Boulevard, for example. In 1952, film fans could also seeJohn Ford’s rom-comThe Quiet ManandKatharine Hepburn’sThe African Queen, thoughSingin' In the Rainis arguably more iconic.
Singin' In the Rainis a lighthearted satirical musical about Hollywood’s transition from silent films to “talkies,” following actors who are trying to adapt to this new and bold filmmaking style. The stars areGene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, andDonald O’Connor,with Kelly starring as a silent film star, Don Lockwood,who tries to adapt to his studio’s new policies revolving “talkies.“Singin' In the Rainis filled with romance, comedy, and dazzling song-and-dance numbers that are a staple of musical film today.
‘Tokyo Story’ (1953)
It’s hard to choose any other film thanTokyo Story,Yasujiro Ozu’s cinema staple. Granted, this is more for movie buffs and anyone considering themselves one, since it’s a Japanese film and not widely seen like, say,Roman HolidayorThe Big Heat(both from 1953). Still,Ozu’s meditation on generational divides and impermanence is so profoundly humanand emotionally devastating, that itcan’t be considered anything less than a masterpieceof film. In 2012,Sight and Soundgathered the opinions of film directors, who all agreedTokyo Storywas the greatest film of all time.
Tokyo Storyis about an elderly couple who come from the countryside to visit their grown children in Tokyo. Their visit leads to them feeling neglected and forgotten as modern lifestyles consume their family members. The only person going out of her way to spend time with them is their presumed dead son’s wife, and the story feels relevant and hard-hitting even today, long after the post-war times.Modernization and fast-paced city life still consume everyone living in big cities,and it oftenseparates us from our loved onesin inexplicable ways.Tokyo Storyis a powerful drama that’s still very important in film.
‘Seven Samurai’ (1954)
Yes,Rear Windowcame out in 1954, and it’s iconic and influential, but we could argueSeven Samuraiwas a lot more influential, iconic, and impactful. Actually, that’s tough—deciding which of the two films was more impactful is a thankless task, butSeven Samurai, if anything, influenced the creation ofStar Wars, deepened the impact on Westerns, andblended philosophy with action, emotion, and thrills.Akira Kurosawa’s most famous historical epic revolutionized cinema, and it’s one of only several international films that had a massive impact on Hollywood that continues to this day.
Seven Samuraifollows the residents of a village that’s continuously terrorized by looters and criminals. The village head decides to hire a ronin, Kambei (Takashi Shimura), who then gathers six other ronin to help him defend the villagers against the bandits.The movie shows them forging bonds of sacrifice, honor, and humanity; it has a romance amid the action, and a deep philosophy. Another interesting thing is thatSeven Samuraiis often considered the movie that pioneered the “assembling the team” sequence, which is popular in today’sheist and caper films.
‘The Night of the Hunter’ (1955)
Thebest movie directed byCharles Laughtonis, undoubtedly,The Night of the Hunter. Obviously, it’s the only movie he’s directed, but if he ever tried anything else, it likely wouldn’t have been as haunting, revolutionary, and stark asThe Night of the Hunter.This is another movie we can safely say was ahead of its time; it was received poorly at first, but nowadays, directors likeMartin Scorsese,Spike Lee, and theCoen Brothersclaim it had a huge impact on their filming and directing style. Laughton was a theatrical and film actor mostly, so his feverish fairy tale of good versus evil is a striking directorial effort.
The Night of the Hunterwas based on the true story of Harry Powers and the book of the same name based on it. Powers is played byRobert Mitchum(eerily, I might add), wherehe poses as a preacher traveling through West Virginia to find a hidden stash of money. He finds the children of the man who hid away the money, and preys on them to get his hands on the cash. This nightmarish Southern Gothic fable is psychologically chilling and visually striking. It’s one of those movies you watch and then envy anyone about to see it for the first time.
‘The Searchers’ (1956)
John Ford’s Western masterpiece,The Searchers, is one ofthe best Westerns of the 1950s. In 1956, film lovers had some great picks:The Ten Commandments,The Man Who Knew Too Much, and evenStanley Kubrick’sThe Killing; however,The Searchersis the best because it somewhat redefined the Western genre, with numerous publications naming it the best American Western movie, and overall, the best Western film of all time. It alsosolidifiedJohn Wayneas a major Western star, ashis character inThe Searchersis a complex anti-hero,influencing generations of filmmakersand performers afterward.
The Searchersis about a Civil War veteran, Ethan Edwards (Wayne), whose family gets killed and two nieces kidnapped. Edwards joins forces with other men who’ve been harmed by the same ploy, and they head out to search for those that wronged them.Fueled with hatred, vengeance, and obsession, Edwards flows from good to evilin small but meaningful moments across the film, becoming a morally gray character with plenty of valid motivation and blind rage. It’s an interesting and powerful Western with hints of psychological drama.
‘12 Angry Men’ (1957)
12 Angry Menis probably the highest-rated movie from the 1950s on IMDb, with a solid 9/10 rating given by approximately one million users.Sidney Lumetdirected the film, and his specialty was always character and dialogue-driven stories that tend to take place in one room.12 Angry Menis a chamber drama—taking place in a single location, like, say,The Hateful Eight—and despite that,it’s a triumph of tension, intensity, and thrills. Embodying the ideals and flaws of democratic practices, 12 Angry Men boasts razor-sharp writing and incredible cast performances.
12 Angry Menfollowstwelve jurors deliberating a murder trial. One man’s dissent sparks a gripping debate on justice and doubt, andthey go back and forth with their opinions and discourse on the murder. In American courts, every single juror must agree on the same verdict, since majority votes aren’t accepted.12 Angry Menis timelessand highly influential, which is interesting, as it was Lumet’s directorial debut. It starsHenry Fonda, Martin Balsam, andLee J. Cobb, among nine other powerhouse actors of the time.
‘Vertigo’ (1958)
Image via Paramount Pictures
Alfred Hitchcockmade a bunch of films during his directorial career, butVertigois a hypnotic masterpiece that’s often considered his best work, or, his magnum opus. It’s apowerful thriller that explores obsession and illusion, paired with daring visuals and colors.Vertigois often deemed the greatest film of the 1950s, and often the best movie ever made. Like many masterpieces on this list,Vertigowas also welcomed with a lukewarm reception upon release, but every movie that somehow moves boundaries and feels ahead of its time is frequently misunderstood by its peers. In some ways, this became a stamp of approval for numerous classics; thank god for reappraisals.
Vertigofollows a retired detective, Scottie Ferguson (James Stewart), who begins suffering from acrophobia (fear of heights) and vertigo after his colleague falls to his death from a rooftop. Scottie is hired to follow Madeleine (Kim Novak), the wife of his college acquaintance, but he becomes obsessed with her. This case andhis familiarity with Madeleine leads to a spiraling mystery and psychological torment, with running themes of obsession, aggression, control, and fascination.
‘Some Like It Hot’ (1959)
Another Wilder classic,Some Like It Hot, is truly one of a kind, a gender-bending romantic comedy that boasts endlessly witty dialogue, perfectly performed by a powerhouse trio—Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, andMarilyn Monroe.Some Like It Hotwasa trailblazer for modern comedy, but few people know it was based on the French filmFanfare of Love. The movie was alsothought to be the reason The Hays Code rules were loosened over time, as its influence and humor were critically and commercially successful; this marked an ending to rules that said a film should never “lower the moral standards of those who see it.”
Some Like It Hotis about two friends and musicians, Joe (Curtis) and Jerry (Lemmon), who disguise themselves as women in an all-ladies band while running away from mobsters. There,they become Josephine and Daphne, and meet the band’s singer, Sugar (Monroe). Joe and Jerry fall for Sugar but have to maintain their disguises in order to stay hidden; however, their ploys to win her heart often go to different extremes and get them into different entanglements. It’s comedy chaos and genius all at once, and came out the same year asNorth by Northwest,400 Blows, andAnatomy of a Murder.
