Favorite Movies 1950s
AMC Movie List

Favorite Movies 1950s

Whether you consider the '50s Hitchcock's heyday, Brando's heyday or James Dean's heyday, this decade has no shortage of hits. How would you rate your favorites?

rank title points votes your vote
1 Rear Window
Voyeurism comes with a twist in this Hitchock thriller starring a wheelchair-bound James Stewart and Grace Kelly. 118 238
2 North by Northwest
Cary Grant's character gets chased by a cropdusting plane in this Hitchcock classic co-starring Eva Marie Saint. 105 225
3 12 Angry Men
The quintessential courtroom drama features a jury peopled by none other than Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, and Jack Klugman. 93 217
4 Ben-Hur
The famed chariot scene of this biblical epic has ensured its lead actor Charlton Heston legendary status. 78 210
5 The Bridge on the River Kwai
A sadistic Japanese commander uses every means at his disposal to get a British colonel (Alec Guiness) to break. 77 213
6 Singin' in the Rain
This musical rendition of the advent of the talkies finds Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds in top form. 72 222
7 Some Like It Hot
Billy Wilder's glorious comedy about two guys on the lam has three leading ladies: Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis and Marilyn Monroe. 71 211
8 High Noon
Often cited as the greatest Western ever made, this movie stars Gary Cooper as the Marshall and Grace Kelly as his wife. 66 196
9 The Ten Commandments
This biblical biopic finds Moses (Charlton Heston) butting heads with Rameses (Yul Brynner) then parting the Red Sea. 65 229
10 The African Queen
In this John Huston adventure pic, a missionary (Katherine Hepburn) gets stuck on a steamer with a boozy captain (Humphrey Bogart). 63 229
11 The Quiet Man
Director John Ford and actor John Wayne team up again but this time it's not a Western. It's a romance set in Ireland. 58 196
12 The War of the Worlds
This great scifi flick transports the H.G. Wells story of the same name to Southern California. (Post- Orson Welles; Pre- Steven Spielberg) 49 195
13 On the Waterfront
Marlon Brando plays a second-rate boxer who takes a stand against the mob after he falls for a dead guy's sister (Eva Marie Saint). 49 187
14 Rebel Without a Cause
Herein James Dean establishes iconic status for his haircut, his leather jacket and his antiestablishment attitude. 48 194
15 Sunset Boulevard
Billy Wilder's quintessential noir found aging Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson) ready for her closeup. 46 172
16 Sabrina
Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart and William Holden helm Billy Wilder's fairy tale of a romantic comedy. 36 188
17 A Streetcar Named Desire
Marlon Brando screams "Stella!" in Tennessee Williams' tragedy about the ill-fated Blanche DuBois (Vivien Leigh). 35 177
18 All About Eve
Bette Davis in her most celebrated role: an actress about to get doublecrossed by an upstart (Anne Baxter). 33 165
19 Giant
An all-star cast heads this sprawling soap set in Texas: Elizabeth Taylor, James Dean, Rock Hudson and Dennis Hopper among them. 29 157
20 Pillow Talk
Doris Day couldn't be perkier; Rock Hudson couldn't be more suave. Their chemistry likewise is tops in this prototypical romcom. 5 161
21 An American in Paris
Leslie Caron dances with Gene Kelly in this Parisian musical with unforgettable tunes from George Gershwin. 2 156
22 The High and the Mighty
When a plane loses an engine, John Wayne and Robert Stack are the two copilots who must save the day. 1 145
23 A Place in the Sun
Shelley Winters learns the hard way that you can't compete with Elizabeth Taylor for Montgomery Clift's affections. 1 143
24 Jailhouse Rock
Elvis is in peak form in this musical in which his prisonmates learn to rock right alongside the iconic singer. 1 155
25 The Desert Rats
This underrated war pic from Robert Wise features Richard Burton as a British officer in charge of an Aussie unit in WW2. 0 122