The Best But Forgotten Movies of the 1950s

Though this film featured the infamous Fred Astaire and was considered a commercial success, it remains a hidden gem. Reviewers on IMDB give the film glowing reviews, however, stating that it’s a wonderful musical and highly entertaining.

This movie falls in line with other popular film noir classics at the time. The main character, Detective Mark Dixon (played by Dana Andrews) wants to be a good man but struggles with his temper and often ends up in trouble.

Post-WWII films often exposed curiosities behind new inventions. “The Man in the White Suit” is no different. This movie stars Alec Guinness who plays inventor Sidney Stratton. When Stratton invents a fabric that never gets dirty or wears thin, his idea is met with resistance by garment manufacturers.

In this crime thriller, a bank executive (played by Joseph Cotten) steals a million dollars from the vault. He then attempts to escape to Brazil with his unsuspecting wife, who figures out what he’s done before they make it out of the country.

With the same director and leading actor as “The Steel Trap,” “A Blueprint for Murder” is a murder mystery that also falls into the film noir category. Joseph Cotten plays Whitney Cameron who suspects his sister-in-law of poisoning her step-children. However, he struggles to find proof and must find a way to convict her before she strikes again.

Starring James Stewart at the height of his rise, “The Man from Laramie” tells the tale of Will Lockhart, a cowboy who arrives in small-town Colorado from Laramie, determined to uncover who has been selling rifles to the local tribe of Apaches.

“The Dam Busters” is a British movie based on actual events that occurred in Germany during World War II. During the war, a Royal Air Force squadron worked to destroy several different dams in Germany using a new weapon.

On trend with the drama and mystery films that were produced throughout the 1950s, “The Prowler” is the story of a love affair that results in death. Webb Garwood (played by Van Heflin) engages in devious acts to be with the love of his life, Susan Gilvay (played by Keyes).

Mistrust, lies, and a love triangle affect the main characters in this mid-1950s drama. “Written on the Wind” also won 3 Oscars, two for best-supporting roles, and one for Best Music, Original Song.

In this romantic drama, a married couple, Alex and Katherine Joyce (played by George Sanders and Ingrid Bergman) make a voyage to Italy to sell a villa Mr. Joyce has inherited. Along the way and during their stay in Italy, they realize they’ve grown apart and their marriage is on the rocks. They must decide if their relationship is worth saving, or if it will end in divorce.

Steve Lacey (played by Gene Nelson) has been paroled from prison, beginning a new life with a job and wife. However, he’s under the surveillance of a homicide detective all while his old prison mates pressure him into a bank heist. “Crime Wave” uncovers one man’s difficult decisions.

Featuring James Stewart in another Western thriller, “The Naked Spur” is about a bounty hunter who must use the help of two others while capturing a known killer. But the cash reward for the killer turns the men against each other as greed takes over. This movie was also nominated and won an Oscar for Best Writing, Story, and Screenplay.

This film features Gregory Peck as Jimmy Ringo, a reformed gunslinger who’s seeking to reunite with his long-lost love, Peggy Walsh (played by Helen Westcott). But in an iconic 1950s Western turn of events, Ringo’s past catches up with him, resulting in a showdown in front of the town saloon.

In this crime thriller, the widow of a mob member decides to testify against the evil group. However, she must go undercover to avoid her death. While on a train from Chicago to Los Angeles, she is escorted by two policemen for protection, but the mob isn’t far behind.

Starring Victoria Shaw, Glenn Corbett, and James Shigeta, “The Crimson Kimono” is a mystery and romance thriller about two detectives who once fought together during the Korean War and are now working together to solve a murder. However, a love triangle ensues when both men fall in love with the leading witness. This movie is also known to be one of the first to show race in a new light.

The murder mystery and film noir “While the City Sleeps” has two intersecting storylines. As Walter Kayne (played by Vincent Price) takes over his father’s news company which results in a power struggle, reporter Edward Mobley (played by Dana Andrews) is working to uncover the secret identity of a serial killer attacking young women in New York. Everything comes to a head when Kayne tells his company executives that whoever gets a lead in the case of the mysterious crimes will be his next executive director.

James Stewart teams up with director Anthony Mann again on yet another 1950s Western. Stewart plays Jeff Webster, a cattle owner who decides he can make a fortune in beef by getting his cattle to the Klondike at the height of the gold rush. Along the way, Webster finds both trouble and love.

Andrew Stone both writes and directs this crime drama about a gang of robbers who pillage banks and payroll vehicles throughout Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina. Eventually, the police circle in on the robbers. After one of the gang member’s girlfriends attempts to break up with the man and escape, she becomes the police force’s leading witness, as well as the gang leader’s primary target who isn’t afraid to kill.

In this unique sports film, Mickey Rooney stars as Johnny Casar, an orphan who runs away from the orphanage and ends up pursuing a career as a professional roller skater. Along the way, he ends up falling for Mary Reeves (played by Beverly Tyler) and also has a love interest in Polly (played by Marilyn Monroe). However, Casar’s career is cut short when he is diagnosed with polio.

Set in New York during the 1880s, an editor and journalist forms his own newspaper company. However, this is met with great resistance from the heiress of another hugely successful and popular newspaper company in the same city. While she works to destroy this new company, the editor finds that he has feelings for her. For more entertainment, see this list of old movies that would never be made today.