Bigger-Faster-Stronger! The movies of the 1950s
Jun 29 '01 (Updated May 10 '02)
The Bottom Line Movie makers in the 1950s were after an edge. These movies represent the best films of that decade in their respective genres.
The movies of the 1950s were very different from the previous two decades. Hollywood began to make movies bigger, more colorful, darker, funnier, more believable and more risque. All of the movies in my top ten list have an edge. Each one took an element of movie making and pursued it better than anyone else. No two movies on my list are alike. There is only one musical despite the fact that there were great musicals made in the 1950s. There is only one western and one WWII drama even though several outstanding films were made.
Half of the films that I chose are in black and white. Moods are created by shadows and shades, which support the argument for the non-colorization of film. Any of the directors of those pictures could have filmed them in color but wisely chose another more artistic style.
All of the movies listed are fun to study, and hours can be spent on discussion. If you haven't seen any of these recently, please rent them and enjoy!
10. All About Eve (1950)
I have never been a Bette Davis fan. Maybe it has something to do with cranky old ladies. But I loved her in this movie. I get the impression that she was playing Bette Davis yet on a far more vulnerable level. The dialogue is crisp and alive and it is a joy to see George Sanders in any movie. Look for a very young Marilyn Monroe.
9. Asphalt Jungle (1950)
Before Quentin Tarantino there was a young John Huston. As the director in this dark movie, Mr. Huston weaves a story about a bunch of crooks, double-crossers and low lifes, none of whom have a redeeming social quality. The movie works best as the characters interrelate and as each falls victim to his own weaknesses. Another early Marilyn Monroe picture.
8. Singin in the Rain (1952)
The story is mediocre, the acting is over the top, and the sentiment is brazenly cheerful. But I like this movie over all of the other 1950s musicals because rather than a theater piece, this film was made for the screen. The picture moves and never bogs down between up beat numbers and phenomenal dancing.
7. The Quiet Man (1952)
This is arguably John Ford and John Wayne's best collaboration, and it isn't even a western. In fact the setting, partially filmed in Ireland, provides a wonderful dimension to the film. A great compliment of character actors and a beautiful Maureen O'Hara more than fill out the rest of the movie. My favorite scene shows an angry John Wayne dragging an angry Maureen O'Hara across a field. Could we see that in today's theaters. I don't think so!
6. Sunset Boulevard (1950)
I saw the movie 30 years ago and then I saw it again recently. I guess as one gets older we unfortunately learn to understand the meaning of decadence. The back side of Hollywood is exposed and illustrated so well that the movie seduces the audience much like Gloria Swanson seduces William Holden. The fact that the ending is shown at the first of the movie only makes the story more intriguing.
5. The African Queen (1951)
Chemistry is a key ingredient in any classic movie. Bogart and Hepburn are the definition of movie magic. Each portrays an unglamorous, bland and lower caste person that ends up in an adventure with someone that is not of their choosing. They both may have had greater roles, but never have they been so endearing.
4. High Noon (1952)
One man isolated against overwhelming odds is a popular movie theme. Gary Cooper is the lone sheriff set to defend a town against bad guys arriving by train. This film serves as the best depiction of this theme in movies. His characterization as the Sheriff with a sense of duty and honor stands out over any other similar film. The precision of tight editing draws the audience in with tension and anxiety as the fateful hour arrives. This could be the best Western ever.
3. Rear Window (1954)
Alfred Hitchcock was a genius at manipulating the viewer into being part of the movie. In this instance we become voyeurs with the same curiosity as the leading characters. As the movie progresses, we become engrossed in all of the stories that are being played out in the apartment building across the way. As the viewer, we, as well as Jimmy Stewart, are constantly reprimanded throughout the film for our guilty pleasure. But try as we might, we keep watching the movie as Stewart watches the windows of his neighbors.
2. Some Like it Hot (1959)
It would be hard to speculate what kind of movie Marilyn Monroe would appear in today. I can't see one utilizing her talents more than this great comedy. She provides the heat in the title of the film. This picture was voted the greatest comedy of all time primarily because it works on so many levels. The chemistry between the leads drives the movie. Monroe & Curtis, Curtis & Lemmon, and Lemmon and Brown interlink to tell the story of two guys hiding from the mob in an all woman band. It doesn't get better than this and it contains my favorite last line in film.
1. The Bridge over the River Kwai (1957)
This World War II film did not focus on the allies as heros and enemy as the hated foe. Instead, the film takes on the clash of cultures in crisis and the definition of duty and honor. The prisoners of war depicted in this movie are used as forced labor in the building of a bridge for the Japanese Army. But the river is not the only thing that is bridged by the end of the picture. William Holden has another great role but Alec Guinness is magnificent as the consummate British Officer.
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