Share:

Movies: Popular Movies of the 1950s (1950-1959)

Movies in chronological context: The 1950s (pronounced nineteen-fifties; commonly abbreviated as the "Fifties" or the "'50s") (among other variants) was a decade that began on January 1, 1950, and ended on December 31, 1959. Throughout the decade, the world continued its recovery from World War II, aided by the post-World War II economic expansion. The period also saw great population growth with increased birth rates and the emergence of the baby boomer generation.Despite this recovery, the Cold War developed from its modest beginnings in the late 1940s to a heated competition between the Soviet Union and the United States by the early 1960s. The ideological clash between communism and capitalism dominated the decade, especially in the Northern Hemisphere. In the United States, a wave of anti-communist sentiment known as the Second Red Scare aka McCarthyism resulted in Congressional hearings by both houses in Congress. In the Soviet Union, the death of Joseph Stalin would lead to a political campaign and reforms known as "de-Stalinization" initiated by Nikita Khrushchev leading to the deterioration between the relationship of the Soviet Union and China in the 1960s. The beginning of the Cold War lead to beginning of the Space Race with the launch of Sputnik 1 in 1957 and the United States would create NASA i... ()

Movies of a single year: 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959


All Providers

Sort by:
18,555 movies found (page 1/619):

12 Angry Men(1957)

NR
| 1h 37min | Drama
4.3/5 (with 3,899 votes)

The defense and the prosecution have rested and the jury is filing into the jury room to decide if a young Spanish-American is guilty or innocent of murdering his father. What begins as an open and shut case soon becomes a mini-drama of each of the jurors' prejudices and preconceptions about the trial, the accused, and each other.

Cinderella(1950)

3.5/5 (with 3,146 votes)

Cinderella has faith her dreams of a better life will come true. With help from her loyal mice friends and a wave of her Fairy Godmother's wand, Cinderella's rags are magically turned into a glorious gown and off she goes to the Royal Ball. But when the clock strikes midnight, the spell is broken, leaving a single glass slipper... the only key to the ultimate fairy-tale ending!

Rear Window(1954)

1h 52min | Thriller, Mystery
4.2/5 (with 2,807 votes)

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

Vertigo(1958)

4.1/5 (with 2,659 votes)

A retired San Francisco detective suffering from acrophobia investigates the strange activities of an old friend's wife, all the while becoming dangerously obsessed with her.

Alice in Wonderland(1951)

3.6/5 (with 2,655 votes)

On a golden afternoon, young Alice follows a White Rabbit, who disappears down a nearby rabbit hole. Quickly following him, she tumbles into the burrow - and enters the merry, topsy-turvy world of Wonderland! Memorable songs and whimsical escapades highlight Alice's journey, which culminates in a madcap encounter with the Queen of Hearts - and her army of playing cards!

Peter Pan(1953)

3.6/5 (with 2,423 votes)

Leaving the safety of their nursery behind, Wendy, Michael and John follow Peter Pan to a magical world where childhood lasts forever. But while in Neverland, the kids must face Captain Hook and foil his attempts to get rid of Peter for good.

Lady and the Tramp(1955)

3.6/5 (with 2,380 votes)

Lady, a golden cocker spaniel, meets up with a mongrel dog who calls himself the Tramp. He is obviously from the wrong side of town, but happenings at Lady's home make her decide to travel with him for a while.

Sleeping Beauty(1959)

3.5/5 (with 2,332 votes)

A beautiful princess born in a faraway kingdom is destined by a terrible curse to prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and fall into a deep sleep that can only be awakened by true love's first kiss. Determined to protect her, her parents ask three fairies to raise her in hiding. But the evil Maleficent is just as determined to seal the princess's fate.

North by Northwest(1959)

NR
| 2h 16min | Mystery, Thriller
4.0/5 (with 1,745 votes)

Advertising man Roger Thornhill is mistaken for a spy, triggering a deadly cross-country chase.

Seven Samurai(1954)

NR
| 3h 27min | Action, Drama
4.3/5 (with 1,498 votes)

A samurai answers a village's request for protection after he falls on hard times. The town needs protection from bandits, so the samurai gathers six others to help him teach the people how to defend themselves, and the villagers provide the soldiers with food.

Some Like It Hot(1959)

NR
| 2h 2min | Comedy, Music, Romance / Love, Crime
4.1/5 (with 1,476 votes)

Two musicians witness a mob hit and struggle to find a way out of the city before they are found by the gangsters. Their only opportunity is to join an all-girl band as they leave on a tour. To make their getaway they must first disguise themselves as women, then keep their identities secret and deal with the problems this brings - such as an attractive bandmate and a very determined suitor.

The Seventh Seal(1957)

NR
| 1h 36min | Fantasy, Drama
4.1/5 (with 1,365 votes)

When disillusioned Swedish knight Antonius Block returns home from the Crusades to find his country in the grips of the Black Death, he challenges Death to a chess match for his life. Tormented by the belief that God does not exist, Block sets off on a journey, meeting up with traveling players Jof and his wife, Mia, and becoming determined to evade Death long enough to commit one redemptive act while he still lives.

Ad Protect Your Online Privacy with a VPN

Don't risk your personal information and online activities being exposed to hackers, government surveillance, and other online threats. A VPN encrypts your internet connection and hides your IP, giving you maximum security and privacy. Take control of your online safety, switch to a VPN now. Choose one of these services to learn more:

Singin' in the Rain(1952)

4.1/5 (with 1,350 votes)

In 1927 Hollywood, a silent film production company and cast make a difficult transition to sound.

Paths of Glory(1957)

NR
| 1h 28min | Drama, War
4.1/5 (with 1,309 votes)

A commanding officer defends three scapegoats on trial for a failed offensive that occurred within the French Army in 1916.

Ben-Hur(1959)

3h 42min | Action, Drama, History
3.9/5 (with 1,144 votes)

In 25 AD,Judah Ben-Hur, a Jew in ancient Judea, opposes the occupying Roman empire. Falsely accused by a Roman childhood friend-turned-overlord of trying to kill the Roman governor, he is put into slavery and his mother and sister are taken away as prisoners. Three years later and freed by a grateful Roman galley commander whom he has rescued from drowning, he becomes an expert charioteer for Rome, all the while plotting to return to Judea, find and rescue his family, and avenge himself on his former friend. All the while, the form and work of Jesus move in the background of his life...

Dial M for Murder(1954)

PG
| 1h 45min | Crime, Thriller
4.0/5 (with 1,096 votes)

An ex-tennis pro carries out a plot to have his wife murdered after discovering she is having an affair, and assumes she will soon leave him for the other man anyway. When things go wrong, he improvises a new plan—to frame her for murder instead.

Sunset Boulevard(1950)

PG
| 1h 50min | Drama
4.2/5 (with 1,089 votes)

A hack screenwriter writes a screenplay for a former silent film star who has faded into Hollywood obscurity.

The 400 Blows(1959)

NR
| 1h 39min | Drama
4.1/5 (with 978 votes)

For young Parisian boy Antoine Doinel, life is one difficult situation after another. Surrounded by inconsiderate adults, including his neglectful parents, Antoine spends his days with his best friend, Rene, trying to plan for a better life. When one of their schemes goes awry, Antoine ends up in trouble with the law, leading to even more conflicts with unsympathetic authority figures.

The Bridge on the River Kwai(1957)

PG
| 2h 41min | Drama, History, War
3.9/5 (with 945 votes)

The classic story of English POWs in Burma forced to build a bridge to aid the war effort of their Japanese captors. British and American intelligence officers conspire to blow up the structure, but Col. Nicholson , the commander who supervised the bridge's construction, has acquired a sense of pride in his creation and tries to foil their plans.

Roman Holiday(1953)

G
| 1h 59min | Romance / Love, Comedy, Drama
4.0/5 (with 926 votes)

Overwhelmed by her suffocating schedule, touring European princess Ann takes off for a night while in Rome. When a sedative she took from her doctor kicks in, however, she falls asleep on a park bench and is found by an American reporter, Joe Bradley, who takes her back to his apartment for safety. At work the next morning, Joe finds out Ann's regal identity and bets his editor he can get exclusive interview with her, but romance soon gets in the way.

Rashomon(1950)

NR
| 1h 28min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
4.1/5 (with 913 votes)

Brimming with action while incisively examining the nature of truth, "Rashomon" is perhaps the finest film ever to investigate the philosophy of justice. Through an ingenious use of camera and flashbacks, Kurosawa reveals the complexities of human nature as four people recount different versions of the story of a man's murder and the rape of his wife.

Wild Strawberries(1957)

1h 31min | Drama
4.1/5 (with 693 votes)

Crotchety retired doctor Isak Borg travels from Stockholm to Lund, Sweden, with his pregnant and unhappy daughter-in-law, Marianne, in order to receive an honorary degree from his alma mater. Along the way, they encounter a series of hitchhikers, each of whom causes the elderly doctor to muse upon the pleasures and failures of his own life. These include the vivacious young Sara, a dead ringer for the doctor's own first love.

Strangers on a Train(1951)

1h 41min | Crime, Thriller
3.9/5 (with 688 votes)

A deranged socialite accosts a tennis star with his theory that if two strangers trade murders, they can disguise their motives and avoid suspicion.

Rebel Without a Cause(1955)

PG-13
| 1h 51min | Drama
3.8/5 (with 680 votes)

After moving to a new town, troublemaking teen Jim Stark is supposed to have a clean slate, although being the new kid in town brings its own problems. While searching for some stability, Stark forms a bond with a disturbed classmate, Plato, and falls for local girl Judy. However, Judy is the girlfriend of neighborhood tough, Buzz. When Buzz violently confronts Jim and challenges him to a drag race, the new kid's real troubles begin.

On the Waterfront(1954)

NR
| 1h 48min | Crime, Drama
4.0/5 (with 659 votes)

Terry Malloy dreams about being a prize fighter, while tending his pigeons and running errands at the docks for Johnny Friendly, the corrupt boss of the dockers union. Terry witnesses a murder by two of Johnny's thugs, and later meets the dead man's sister and feels responsible for his death. She introduces him to Father Barry, who tries to force him to provide information for the courts that will smash the dock racketeers.

All About Eve(1950)

2h 19min | Drama
4.1/5 (with 651 votes)

From the moment she glimpses her idol at the stage door, Eve Harrington is determined to take the reins of power away from the great actress Margo Channing. Eve maneuvers her way into Margo's Broadway role, becomes a sensation and even causes turmoil in the lives of Margo's director boyfriend, her playwright and his wife. Only the cynical drama critic sees through Eve, admiring her audacity and perfect pattern of deceit.

The Night of the Hunter(1955)

NR
| 1h 33min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
3.9/5 (with 647 votes)

In the Deep South, a serial-killing preacher hunts two young children who know the whereabouts of a stash of money.

To Catch a Thief(1955)

3.7/5 (with 636 votes)

An ex-thief is accused of enacting a new crime spree, so to clear his name he sets off to catch the new thief, who’s imitating his signature style.

The Killing(1956)

NR
| 1h 25min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
3.8/5 (with 625 votes)

Career criminal Johnny Clay recruits a sharpshooter, a crooked police officer, a bartender and a betting teller named George, among others, for one last job before he goes straight and gets married. But when George tells his restless wife about the scheme to steal millions from the racetrack where he works, she hatches a plot of her own.

The Ten Commandments(1956)

G
| 3h 40min | Drama, History
3.9/5 (with 624 votes)

Escaping death, a Hebrew infant is raised in a royal household to become a prince. Upon discovery of his true heritage, Moses embarks on a personal quest to reclaim his destiny as the leader and liberator of the Hebrew people.

previous page
next page