1950s Picks
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- DirectorSidney LumetStarsHenry FondaLee J. CobbMartin BalsamThe 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.
- DirectorAlain ResnaisStarsMichel BouquetReinhard HeydrichHeinrich HimmlerThe history of Nazi Germany's death camps of the Final Solution and the hellish world of dehumanization and death contained inside.
- DirectorJohn BrahmStarsBurgess MeredithVaughn TaylorJacqueline deWitA henpecked book lover finds himself blissfully alone with his books after a nuclear war.
- DirectorWilliam H. Brown Jr.StarsBarry NelsonPeter LorreLinda ChristianAmerican spy James Bond must outsmart card wiz and crime boss Le Chiffre while monitoring his actions.
- CreatorRod SerlingStarsRod SerlingRobert McCordJay OverholtsOrdinary people find themselves in extraordinarily astounding situations, which they each try to solve in a remarkable manner.
- DirectorMarc DanielsStarsLucille BallDesi ArnazVivian VanceLucy has angled her way onto Ricky's special as the show's pitch girl. She advertises a medicine called "Vitameatavegamin." Believing it contains vitamins, minerals, meat, and vegetables, Lucy does not know is that it also contains twenty-three percent of alcohol.
- DirectorWilliam D. RussellStarsRaymond BurrBarbara HaleWilliam HopperPerry's client is menaced by a car driven by a hooded man, whom she shoots at with a gun that was planted in her room. When the guy winds up dead from a bullet, Perry confuses matters by firing an identical gun later at the scene.
- DirectorAleksandr GordonAndrei TarkovskyStarsOleg BorisovAleksey AlekseevPyotr LyubeshkinSoldiers undertake the perilous task of removing a stockpile of World War II bombshells discovered during roadworks under the ground of a small village.
- StarsAndré MorellCec LinderAnthony BushellA team of scientists search for the origin and purpose of a mysterious capsule found on a building site.
- DirectorVladimir DegtyaryovStarsNikolay LitvinovGeorgiy MillyarGeorgiy VitsinEvery family has its beauties. The classic tale of Ugly Duckling.
- DirectorBill BenningtonGrey LockwoodStarsBob HopeBuddy AdlerAnna Maria AlberghettiThe 27th Academy Awards, held on March 30th, 1955 to honor the best films of 1954. Hosted by Bob Hope at the RKO Pantages Theatre in Hollywood with Thelma Ritter hosting from the NBC Century Theatre in New York City.
- A tennis simulation game displayed on an oscilloscope and played with two custom aluminum controllers. The game depicts the tennis court as a long horizontal line and a small line in the middle representing the tennis net. While the tennis ball is represented by a bright dash followed by a streak of a line.
- DirectorLadislav RychmanStarsIrena KacírkováJosef BekLudek HulanMusic video of "Dáme si do bytu" by Irena Kacírková and Josef Bek. As it features an actual story line (about a newlywed couple arranging the apartment they just moved in) it can be considered the first music video.
- DirectorBilly WilderStarsMarilyn MonroeTony CurtisJack LemmonAfter two male musicians witness a mob hit, they flee the state in an all-female band disguised as women, but further complications set in.
- DirectorHenri-Georges ClouzotStarsSimone SignoretVéra ClouzotPaul MeurisseThe wife and mistress of a loathed school principal plan to murder him with what they believe is the perfect alibi.
- DirectorElia KazanStarsMarlon BrandoKarl MaldenLee J. CobbAn ex-prize fighter turned New Jersey longshoreman struggles to stand up to his corrupt union bosses, including his older brother, as he starts to connect with the grieving sister of one of the syndicate's victims.
- DirectorDon SiegelStarsKevin McCarthyDana WynterLarry GatesA small-town doctor learns that the population of his community is being replaced by emotionless alien duplicates.
- DirectorAkira KurosawaStarsToshirô MifuneTakashi ShimuraKeiko TsushimaFarmers from a village exploited by bandits hire a veteran samurai for protection, who gathers six other samurai to join him.
- DirectorWilliam WylerStarsCharlton HestonJack HawkinsStephen BoydAfter a Jewish prince is betrayed and sent into slavery by a Roman friend in 1st-century Jerusalem, he regains his freedom and comes back for revenge.
- DirectorClyde GeronimiWilfred JacksonHamilton LuskeStarsIlene WoodsJames MacDonaldEleanor AudleyWhen 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.
- DirectorWalter LangStarsYul BrynnerDeborah KerrRita MorenoA widow accepts a job as a live-in governess to the King of Siam's children.
- DirectorThor HeyerdahlStarsThor HeyerdahlHerman WatzingerErik HesselbergA documentary about the Kon-Tiki expedition of the Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl.
- DirectorIngmar BergmanStarsMax von SydowGunnar BjörnstrandBengt EkerotA knight returning to Sweden after the Crusades seeks answers about life, death, and the existence of God as he plays chess against the Grim Reaper during the Black Plague.
- DirectorBilly WilderStarsWilliam HoldenGloria SwansonErich von StroheimA screenwriter develops a dangerous relationship with a faded film star determined to make a triumphant return.
- DirectorCecil B. DeMilleStarsCharlton HestonYul BrynnerAnne BaxterMoses, raised as a prince of Egypt in the Pharaoh's household, learns of his true heritage as a Hebrew and his divine mission as the deliverer of his people from slavery.
- DirectorStanley DonenGene KellyStarsGene KellyDonald O'ConnorDebbie ReynoldsA 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.
- DirectorAkira KurosawaStarsToshirô MifuneMachiko KyôMasayuki MoriThe rape of a bride and the murder of her samurai husband are recalled from the perspectives of a bandit, the bride, the samurai's ghost and a woodcutter.
- DirectorJules DassinStarsRichard WidmarkGene TierneyGoogie WithersA small-time grifter and nightclub tout takes advantage of some fortuitous circumstances and tries to become a big-time player as a wrestling promoter.
- DirectorDavid LeanStarsWilliam HoldenAlec GuinnessJack HawkinsBritish POWs are forced to build a railway bridge across the river Kwai for their Japanese captors in occupied Burma, not knowing that the allied forces are planning a daring commando raid through the jungle to destroy it.
- DirectorFred ZinnemannStarsGary CooperGrace KellyThomas MitchellA 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.
- StarsLucille BallDesi ArnazVivian VanceThe wife of a band leader constantly tries to become a star - in spite of her having no talent, and gets herself (along with her best friend) into the funniest predicaments.
- StarsGeorge ReevesNoel NeillJack LarsonThe Man of Steel fights crime with help from his friends at the "Daily Planet."
- StarsWalter LantzGrace StaffordHomer BrightmanWalter Lantz hosts a program of theatrical cartoons, along with segments showing the workings of an animation studio and newsreel footage narrated by Woody Woodpecker.
- CreatorErle Stanley GardnerStarsRaymond BurrBarbara HaleWilliam HopperThe trials of a master criminal defense attorney handling the most difficult cases in support of the innocent.
- StarsLeonard GravesWinston ChurchillDwight D. EisenhowerTwenty-six episode series about naval combat during World War Two. Famous for its music score, eloquent narration and combat footage.
- StarsJohn DalyArlene FrancisBennett CerfFour panelists must determine guests' occupations - and, in the case of famous guests, while blindfolded, their identity - by asking only "yes" or "no" questions.
- StarsRoger MooreRobert BrownAndrew KeirThe adventures of Sir Wilfred of Ivanhoe, a noble knight and champion of justice during the rule of the evil Prince John.
- CreatorHal AdelquistWalt DisneyStarsJimmie DoddDarlene GillespieSharon BairdMickey Mouse hosts a youth-oriented variety show featuring 'The Mouseketeers'.
- StarsEthel MermanDean MartinWilliam HickeyThe Ford Motor Company sponsored this hour-long program which rotated between variety shows, dramatic productions, and musical comedies. One of the offerings was turned into a regular series, Sing Along with Mitch (1961).
- CreatorRalph EdwardsStarsRalph EdwardsBob WarrenEddie CantorEach week, an unsuspecting celebrity would be lured by some ruse to a location near the studio. The celebrity would then be surprised with the news that they are to be the featured guest. Next, the celebrity was escorted into the studio, and one by one, people who were significant in the guest's life would be brought out to offer anecdotes. At the end of the show, family members and friends would surround the guest, who would then be presented with gifts. These usually included jewelry, a scrapbook of memories, a home 16 mm projector and a camera.
- CreatorDavid DortortFred HamiltonStarsLorne GreeneMichael LandonDan BlockerThe Wild West adventures of Ben Cartwright and his sons as they run and defend their Nevada ranch while helping the surrounding community.
- DirectorAlbert LamorisseStarsPascal LamorisseSabine LamorisseGeorges SellierA red balloon with a mind of its own follows a little boy around the streets of Paris.
- DirectorKenneth AngerStarsSamson De BrierMarjorie CameronJoan WhitneyHistorical, biblical, and mythical characters gather in the pleasure dome and become part of a visual feast of superimposed images, hallucinations, and decadence.
- DirectorChuck JonesStarsMel BlancArthur Q. BryanElmer Fudd is again hunting rabbits - only this time it's an opera. Wagner's Siegfried with Elmer as the titular hero and Bugs as Brunnhilde. They sing, they dance, they eat the scenery.
- DirectorJoseph SterlingStarsPeter SellersSpike MilliganDick EmeryA pair of detectives from Scotland Yard are assigned to look into the disappearance of the Mukkinese Battle Horn, a ninth-century artifact, from the Metropolitan Museum.
- DirectorChuck JonesStarsMel BlancDuck Dodgers and Marvin Martian wage war over Planet X.
- DirectorSeymour KneitelTom GoldenStarsJackson BeckJack MercerMae QuestelPopeye is trying to get his nephews to eat their spinach, so he tells them about how Hercules (Popeye) defeated a bully (Bluto). Hercules gets his strength by sniffing garlic; he wins numerous tests of strength against the bully until the bully spots him sniffing garlic. The bully pulls out a handy bottle of chlorophyll and douses the garlic, disabling Hercules. He then knocks him into a field of spinach where Hercules discovers a new and better source of strength.
- DirectorChuck JonesStarsMel BlancArthur Q. BryanDaffy Duck tricks Elmer Fudd into believing it's rabbit season; but Bugs Bunny uses a female disguise and faulty pronouns to fight back.
- DirectorMargaret TaitStarsMargaret TaitA short film from Margaret Tait capturing the daily life of her mother, Ga.
- DirectorFriz FrelengStarsMel BlancWhen Bugs calls a cab he doesn't know it's the getaway car for a couple of bankrobbers (he does know the capital of Nevada).
- DirectorChuck JonesStarsMel BlancArthur Q. BryanBugs Bunny gives Elmer Fudd a close shave as they sing and act out Rossini's opera.
- DirectorChuck JonesStarsMel BlancJune ForayDaffy Duck is a detective who is hunting for the Shropshire Slasher.
- StarsKen OwenPaul RotenberryDon BosselerHighlights of thirteen important college football games played during the 1955 season.
- DirectorStanley KubrickStarsDouglas EdwardsNat FleischerWalter CartierAfter a short study of boxing's history, narrated by newscaster Douglas Edwards, we follow a day in the life of a middleweight Irish boxer named Walter Cartier.
- DirectorFriz FrelengStarsMel BlancStan FrebergSpeedy Gonzales comes to the aid of a hungry group of mice trying to get the cheese from a factory guarded by Sylvester.
- DirectorRalph NelsonStarsJack PalanceKeenan WynnKim HunterAn over-the-hill heavyweight boxing champion who suffers from the ravages of years of head trauma is exploited by his manager, despite the efforts of a compassionate young woman who tries to help him recover his self-respect.
- DirectorThomas CarrStarsGeorge ReevesPhyllis CoatesJack LarsonJor-El, Krypton's leading scientist, sends his infant son to Earth in a rocket just as the planet explodes. The rocket is found by Eben and Sarah Kent and Eben gets the infant out before the craft explodes. They raise the child as their own. Years later, after Eben's death and now aware of his super powers, Clark Kent moves to Metropolis. Sarah has made a costume for him, and she tells him that he must use his powers for good. Superman makes his debut saving a man falling from a blimp. As Clark, he hustles the man to the Daily Planet, which scores a scoop. This convinces editor Perry White to hire Clark.
- DirectorFranklin J. SchaffnerStarsEdward R. MurrowBob ConsidineBette DavisEdward R. Murror interviews Bette Davis, a legendary actress.
- DirectorFranklin HellerStarsDorothy KilgallenBennett CerfArlene FrancisThis episodes guests include contestants from San Diego, California; Atlanta, Georgia and Indianapolis, Indiana and mystery guest Bette Davis.
- DirectorAndrew McCulloughStarsOrson WellesNatasha ParryArnold MossAn old king, stepping down from the throne, disinherits his favorite daughter on a mad whim and gives his kingdom to his two older daughters, both of whom prove treacherous.
- StarsRalph EdwardsRuthie DavisBarbara DavisRuth Davis, mother of movie star Bette Davis, is paid tribute by family and longtime friends. This episode was done at the suggestion of Bette Davis, who in 1971 was also paid tribute to by the program.
- DirectorRalph LevyStarsWilliam LundiganMary CostaFredric MarchA mean and miserly proprietor of a counting house in 1840's London is taken by ghosts to Christmas scenes of his youth, contemporary ones involving his family and employee, and lastly, a possible future holiday where he might be dead and forgotten, if he doesn't change his ways.
- DirectorZdenek MilerStarsPetr KyselaViola ZinkováFrantisek FilipovskýHow did my mole come to my pants?
- StarsGiuseppe FarinaLuigi FagioliReg ParnellThe Formula One World Championship began on a hot Saturday in May in the presence of King George VI, Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret, at Silverstone. Farina took the win, just over two seconds clear of his team-mate Luigi Fagioli.
- DirectorCharles Marquis WarrenStarsJames ArnessDennis WeaverMilburn StoneMatt is critically wounded while attempting to arrest super-fast gunman Dan Grat. Grat runs rampant in Dodge while Matt recovers, but is unpleasantly surprised when the recovered marshal challenges him again.
- StarsJean MaraisLia AmandaDaniel IvernelEdmond Dantes is falsely accused by those jealous of his good fortune, and is sentenced to spend the rest of his life in the notorious island prison, Chateau d'If. While imprisoned, he meets the Abbe Faria, a fellow prisoner whom everyone believes to be mad. The Abbe tells Edmond of a fantastic treasure hidden away on a tiny island, that only he knows the location of. After many years in prison, the old Abbe dies, and Edmond escapes disguised as the dead body. Now free, Edmond must find the treasure the Abbe told him of, so he can use the new-found wealth to exact revenge on those who have wronged him.
- StarsOrson WellesChris WertenbakerKenneth TynanIn 1955, Orson Welles directed and hosted a mini series for British television. He leads us through a few famous places of Europe with his inimitable touch. In Paris he introduces us to famous artists such as Juliette Gréco or Jean Cocteau who lived in the Saint Germain Des Pres quarter. In London we meet the Chelsea Pensioners, in Spain we attend a Madrid Bullfight and visit the Basque country (Basque Country 1&2). Somewhere between a home movie and a cinematic essay, these short films have been described by French critics as the missing link in Welles' work.
- CreatorFrank P. BibasStarsBoris KarloffRobert HardyHarry BartellAn anthology of horror stories hosted by actor Boris Karloff.
- StarsHeinz WeissWolfgang BüttnerNikita UljaschkynClemens Forell is sentenced to 25 years of forced labor in the Soviet Union and tries to escape the hopeless way through Siberia.
- DirectorRalph NelsonStarsJulie AndrewsIlka ChaseEdie AdamsAlthough mistreated by her cruel Stepmother (Ilka Chase) and stepsisters Portia (Kaye Ballard) and Joy (Alice Ghostley), Cinderella (Dame Julie Andrews) is able to attend the royal ball through the help of a Fairy Godmother (Edie Adams).
- DirectorJean RenoirStarsJean-Louis BarraultTeddy BilisSylviane MargolléMr. Joly, doctor Cordelier's lawyer, is amazed to discover that his client and friend leaves his possessions to a stranger, Opale, a sadistic criminal. He needs this man to prove that people's behavior can be adjusted at will...
- DirectorHollingsworth MorseStarsRichard CraneScotty BeckettSally MansfieldThis was never released as a feature film but, instead, is comprised of 3 episodes from the TV series, Rocky Jones, Space Ranger (1954) which were edited together and released on video as a feature-length story.
- DirectorFrank CapraStarsRichard CarlsonFrank BaxterMel BlancAn animated documentary about blood and the circulatory system. It was one of a series on bodily systems.
- DirectorPhil KarlsonStarsRobert StackKeenan WynnBarbara NicholsStory of how a group of incorruptible federal lawmen helped put 1920s' Chicago gangster Al Capone in prison.
- StarsMustafa Kemal AtatürkWalter CronkiteA great historical movie about founder of modern Turkey Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
- DirectorPeter GlushanokStarsMiriam ColeMartha GrahamStuart HodesA filmed version of Aaron Copland's most famous ballet, with its original star, who also choreographed.
- StarsGeorge FisherRosemarie StackPaula RaymondIncluded on the DVD release of "A Star is Born" (1954), this is a live television broadcast of the world premiere. Described by various participants as the biggest world premiere in memory, even bigger than the Academy Awards.
- DirectorEdward D. Wood Jr.StarsTom KeeneTom TylerLyle TalbotThis Pilot was about the Adventures of the "Tucson Kid", an insurance investigator who travels to any town where a suspicious insurance claim has appeared.
- DirectorOlga KhodatayevaStarsAleksey KonsovskiyRoza MakagonovaVera PopovaA classic Russian fairy tale about Alyonushka and her naughty brother turned into a goatling.
- DirectorHoward HillStarsHoward HillWestbrook Van VoorhisThis is an expedition/travelogue, disguised as a documentary with a plot. The 'plot' is that this Howard Hill expedition has come to Africa in search of a legendary tribe of "Leopard Men' (a term used in RKO's 1946 "Tarzan and the Leopard Woman", which just happened to be available as a re-release at the time), and the booming voice of narrator Westbrook Van Voorhis would mention 'The Leopard Men' from time to time, but they did not find any 'Leopard Men', and did not expect to find any 'Leopard Men', but they did find tribes of tall natives and a friendly-but-shy tribe of short natives (Pygmies). It allows Mr. Hill to show off his legendary skills as an archer, especially when the jungle denizens menace the members of the expedition, and sometimes even when they didn't. It is a time capsule in that it shows Africa as it was and wasn't, and gets into native food-hunts, life-styles, customs and living-habits.
- StarsBob HiteA look at the dangers and possible causes of gangs and teenage delinquency including over-crowded and under-funded schools with few after-school activities and over-worked parents who have little time to spend with their children.
- DirectorLindsay AndersonDocumentary on a famous amusement park, showing the irony of its manufactured fun.
- DirectorJacques-Yves CousteauLouis MalleStarsFrédéric DumasAlbert FalcoJacques-Yves CousteauA documentary about the undersea explorers and how they penetrate into the underwater world.
- DirectorAlain ResnaisStarsPierre DuxSacha ViernyPoetic and aesthetic visit of a large polystyrene factory.
- DirectorHenri-Georges ClouzotStarsPablo PicassoHenri-Georges ClouzotClaude RenoirA filmed record of Pablo Picasso painting numerous canvases for the camera, allowing us to see his creative process at work.
- DirectorLionel RogosinStarsRay SalyerGorman HendricksFrank MatthewsBy focusing on the lives of three down-and-out alcoholic transients, the film creates a wrenching portrait of the tragic hopelessness of life on "The Bowery" in New York City.
- DirectorJames AlgarStarsWinston HiblerAlthough first glance reveals little more than stones and sand, the desert is alive. Witness moving rocks, spitting mud pots, gorgeous flowers and the never-ending battle for survival between creatures of every shape, size and description.
- StarsJoseph CampanellaRalph ClantonAn angel and a devil try to persuade a borderline wholesale bakery salesman to their side.
- DirectorJean RouchStarsJean RouchA documentary short depicting a Hauka ceremony where young workers are possessed by British colonial officers.
- DirectorBert SternAram AvakianStarsLouis ArmstrongMahalia JacksonChuck BerryThe highlights of the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival.
- DirectorBill JusticeWolfgang ReithermanClyde GeronimiStarsPage Cavanaugh TrioKevin CorcoranJohn DehnerThe true story behind various nursery rhymes is explored.
- StarsDonald E. KeyhoeGabriella LinkeOscar LinkeAn early documentary examining reports and hypotheses about flying saucers.
- DirectorBill ColleranLouis De Rochemont IIIStarsBjørn AmvikArne AndersenPer AntonsenWindjammer, the first presentation in CINEMIRACLE, is the record of a training cruise of the full-rigged S/S Christian Radich from Oslo across the Atlantic, through the Caribbean, to New York and back home again.