The Top Ten Movies of the 1950s

1:) Lady and the Tramp (1955)

Released to theaters on June 16, 1955
Lady, a golden cocker spaniel, meets up with Tramp,
a mongrel dog from the other side of the tracks.
Problems at Lady’s home, including an invasion of
nasty Siamese cats, make her decide to run away
with the Tramp,which results in exciting adventures
and an unforgettably romantic Italian dinner.

Theme Song from ~Lady and the Tramp "Bella Notte"
As Lady and the Tramp were seranaded
At their romantic dinner

2:) The Ten Commandments (1956)

Ten Commandments 1956: To escape the edict of Egypt's Pharoah, Rameses I, condemning all first-born Hebrew males, the infant Moses is set adrift on the Nile in a reed basket. Saved by the pharaoh's daughter Bithiah, he is adopted by her and brought up in the court of her brother, Pharaoh Seti. Moses gains Seti's favor and the love of the throne princess Nefertiri, as well as the hatred of Seti's son, Rameses. When his Hebrew heritage is revealed, Moses is cast out of Egypt, and makes his way across the desert where he marries, has a son and is commanded by God to return to Egypt to free the Hebrews from slavery. In Egypt Moses's fiercest enemy proves to be not Rameses, but someone near to him who can 'harden his heart'. Writtenby Ron Kerrigan {mvg@whidbey.com}

Moses leads the slaves from the tyranny of the Egyptian pharaoh and into the desert where he is later given the law of God. Once the pharaoh's chief architect, Moses receives the attentions of the Queen until he rebels and is cast into exile. Written by Keith Loh {loh@sfu.ca}

3:) Peter Pan (1953)

Peter Pan 1953: An adaptation of J. M. Barrie's story about a boy who never grew up. The three children of the Darling family receive a visit from Peter Pan, who takes them to Never Land, where an ongoing war between Peter's gang of rag-tag runaways and the evil Pirate Captain Hook is taking place. Written by Tim Pickett {quetzal@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au}

4:) Ben-Hur (1959)

Ben Hur 1959: When Prince Judah Ben-Hur hears that his childhood friend Messala has been named to command the Roman garrison of Jerusalem, he is thrilled. He soon finds however that his friend has changed and has become an arrogant conqueror, full of the grandeur of Rome. When Judah refuses to divulge the names of Jews who oppose Roman rule, Messala decides to make an example of him and sends him off as a galley slave. Through fate and good fortune, Judah survives the galleys and manages to return to Jerusalem in the hopes of finding his mother and sister, who were also imprisoned, and to seek revenge against his one-time friend. Written by garykmcd

5:) Around the World in 80 Days (1956)

Around the World in 80 Days 1956: When Phileas Fogg is challenged to prove his contention that a man can go around the world in 80 days, he bets his entire fortune and leaves with a new butler on a world tour. This Victorian adventure has a kicker, the bank of England has been robbed. Is this Fogg's way of avoiding arrest? The detective following him believes so, and his butler is becoming unsure. Written by John Vogel {jlvogel@comcast.net}

6:) Sleeping Beauty (1959)

Sleeping Beauty 1959: Adaptation of the fairy tale of the same name. Princess Aurora is cursed by the evil witch Maleficent - who declares that before Aurora reaches her 16th birthday she will die by a poisoned spinning-wheel. To try to prevent this, the king places her into hiding, in the care of three goodnatured - but not too bright - fairies. Written by Tim Pickett {quetzal@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au}

7:) The Robe (1953)

The Robe 1953: Marcellus is a tribune in the time of Christ. He is in charge of the group that is assigned to crucify Jesus. Drunk, he wins Jesus' homespun robe after the crucifixion. He is tormented by nightmares and delusions after the event. Hoping to find a way to live with what he has done, and still not believing in Jesus, he returns to Palestine to try and learn what he can of the man he killed. Written by John Vogel {jlvogel@comcast.net}

8:) The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)

Bridge on the River Kwai 1957: The film deals with the situation of British prisoners of war during World War II who are ordered to build a bridge to accommodate the Burma-Siam railway. Their instinct is to sabotage the bridge but, under the leadership of Colonel Nicholson (Alec Guinness), they are persuaded that the bridge should be constructed as a symbol of British morale, spirit and dignity in adverse circumstances. At first, the prisoners admire Nicholson when he bravely endures torture rather than compromise his principles for the benefit of the Japanese commandant Saito (Sessue Hayakawa). He is an honorable but arrogant man, who is slowly revealed to be a deluded obsessive. He convinces himself that the bridge is a monument to British character, but actually is a monument to himself, and his insistence on its construction becomes a subtle form of collaboration with the enemy. Unknown to him, the Allies have sent a mission into the jungle, led by Warden (Jack Hawkins) and an American, Shears (William Holden), to blow up the bridge. Written by alfiehitchie

9:) South Pacific (1958)

South Pacific 1958: It is 1943 and the United States Navy has established several bases in the Solomon Islands, in preparation for an invasion towards New Guinea and the Central Pacific. On one such island lives a French planter named Emile de Becque, whom the Navy wishes to employ as a scout to nearby Japanese held islands. To accomplish this task, de Becque is approached by a US Navy nurse named Nellie Forbush. Amidst an outstanding musical score, and breathtaking scenery, the drama of "South Pacific" unfolds. Written by Anthony Hughes {husnock31@hotmail.com}

10:)This is Cinerama (1952)

This is Cinerama 1952: A standard screen B&W prologue during which Lowell Thomas shows how, from the dawn of history, mankind has attempted to create the illusion of depth & movement by artistic, mechanical and photographic means. Cinerama format opens with Rockaway Playland Roller Coaster, then Temple Dance from "Aida", views of Niagra Falls, Long Island Choir - an early test of CineramaSound in B&W -, Canals of Venice, Edinburgh Military Tattoo, bullfight and musical performance in Spain, Act II finale of "AIDA" at La Scala Opera House, Milan. "Intermission 15 minutes" Act II commences with a sound demonstration - "we call it stereophonic sound" says LT. Then to Cypress Gardens, Florida, for trick water skiing and boating scenes. The last half of Act II- "America the Beautiful"- is viewed from the nose of a low flying B-25 aeroplane. Finally, credits. Written by David Coles {mitchell@zeta.org.au}

Movie descriptions Courtesy of The Internet Movie Database

Disclaimer

Song
Bella Notte (1955)
©George Givot

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