10 Best Movie Casts of the ’50s, Ranked

The Nineteen Fifties was far again sufficient in time that most individuals related to the movie trade at the moment (and earlier) have lengthy since retired or handed away, however the movies they made reside on. It’s one of many issues pushed dwelling in Babylon, amongst all of the partying, dangerous habits, and customarily alarming stuff, and it actually does ring true.

To give attention to the Nineteen Fifties, although, it was a time towards the tip of what’s thought-about Hollywood’s Golden Age, and a decade that noticed tv being a real competitor for most of the people’s time and a focus. So, numerous films within the Nineteen Fifties went massive, and loads of them had star-studded/attention-grabbing casts. Essentially the most noteworthy in that regard are lined beneath, with such movies having quite a few well-known folks giving largely compelling performances.

10

‘North by Northwest’ (1959)

Starring: Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason

There are many Alfred Hitchcock films that stand out due to their casts, even when the director was legendary sufficient to the purpose that he was typically the primary star (and no, not due to his cameos). North by Northwest is one in every of his biggest movies surely, taking a “incorrect man” premise and getting wild with it, in turn working as an action/adventure movie, a thriller, and one thing of a comedy, too.

The forged is admittedly simply the icing on prime, however nonetheless price noting, with North by Northwest starring the likes of Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason, and Martin Landau. Everybody’s well-cast right here, the movie strikes at a brisk tempo, and the set items rank among the many greatest Hitchcock ever helmed, so it’s a profitable film throughout.

9

‘Witness for the Prosecution’ (1957)

Starring: Tyrone Energy, Marlene Dietrich, Charles Laughton

Charles Laughton was way more prolific as an actor than a director… unsurprisingly, contemplating he famously only directed one movie (which was a basic, no less than). Witness for the Prosecution was one in every of his best-known movies as an actor, and he was joined right here by Tyrone Energy, Marlene Dietrich, Elsa Lanchester (his spouse), and John Williams (no, not the composer).

As for the plot of Witness for the Prosecution? It’s not too surprisingly a courtroom drama, and one which revolves round a highly-publicized homicide trial that originally seems stunning and strange, and solely turns into extra so with each revelation. On prime of getting an amazing forged, there was additionally a remarkable director helming the whole thing: Billy Wilder, who made his justifiable share of outstanding films all through the Nineteen Fifties.

8

‘Mister Roberts’ (1955)

Starring: Henry Fonda, James Cagney, William Powell

John Ford made numerous classic American movies, with Mister Roberts being one of the vital well-known that didn’t star Ford’s frequent collaborator, John Wayne. However you don’t actually discover Wayne’s absence on this comedic battle movie, contemplating the 4 top-billed actors listed here are Henry Fonda, James Cagney, William Powell, and Jack Lemmon.

All are powerhouse actors on their very own, and greater than able to helming a movie as the one actual star, so seeing all of them throughout the one film is maybe the obvious purpose to take a look at Mister Roberts. The remainder of the movie can also be fairly good, it ought to be famous, with it happening throughout World Conflict II however emphasizing the tedium some troopers felt when not in energetic fight, and exploring such a factor in a means that was normally humorous, however often a bit extra dramatic, too.

7

‘Seven Samurai’ (1954)

Starring: Toshirō Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Yoshio Inaba

To take a bit break from Hollywood, right here’s a Japanese film that has a exceptional forged, alongside exceptional every thing else: Seven Samurai. Okay, that’s placing issues a bit clunkily, however Seven Samurai has earned the stellar fame it has after which some, being a quintessential motion/epic film a few city hiring a collection of warriors to defend itself from bandit assaults.

Each character right here is well-cast and well-realized, which is what you come to anticipate after watching a handful of Akira Kurosawa films, certain… however even then, the performing nonetheless stands out right here. It’s laborious to withstand a film that sees each Toshirō Mifune and Takashi Shimura at their greatest, in spite of everything, and much more spectacular that there’s additionally so much more to talk about past the performing in terms of Seven Samurai.

6

‘Rio Bravo’ (1959)

Starring: John Wayne, Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson

Okay, so there was a point out earlier than of John Ford films that didn’t star John Wayne, and right here’s the inverse: a John Wayne film that wasn’t directed by John Ford: Rio Bravo. That is additionally fairly simply definable as one in every of the best Westerns of the 1950s, telling a simple and thrilling story about an unlikely band of individuals getting collectively to fight a gang of criminals making an attempt to take one in every of their very own from a jail cell.

Wayne’s the plain star right here, however he’s supported by an immense forged that additionally consists of Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson, Angie Dickinson, and Walter Brennan, amongst others. Just about everybody will get an opportunity to shine, and all of the actors play a job in making Rio Bravo entertaining and nonetheless oddly contemporary in its model, even all these a long time later.

Rio Bravo

Launch Date

April 4, 1959

Runtime

141 Minutes

Director

Howard Hawks

Writers

Jules Furthman, Leigh Brackett, B.H. McCampbell

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5

‘Singin’ within the Rain’ (1952)

Starring: Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor, Debbie Reynolds

What could be mentioned about Singin’ in the Rain that hasn’t already been mentioned? It’s most likely a standard choose for the title of “best musical of all time,” and is nice sufficient that it’s genuinely up there with the best films of all time, full cease, and no matter style. It’s the last word film about filmmaking, too, discovering humor and coronary heart in a narrative about Hollywood’s transition from silent cinema to talkies.

It’s the movie for which Gene Kelly is greatest remembered, and that’s saying one thing, contemplating how massive of a star he was. Additionally nice are Donald O’Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Jean Hagen, Cyd Charisse, and Rita Moreno (in a small position; she’d later star in West Side Story, amongst different massive musicals). Singin’ within the Rain is charmingly written, directed, and acted, being fairly laborious to fault on most fronts, actually.

4

‘Sundown Boulevard’ (1950)

Starring: William Holden, Gloria Swanson, Erich von Stroheim

Launched a short time earlier than Singin’ within the Rain, Sunset Boulevard additionally unpacks Hollywood and silent cinema, however in a extra cynical means. It’s form of a drama, but it surely’s additionally darkly humorous at instances, following the chaotic occasions that unfold when a struggling screenwriter crosses paths with an actress who nonetheless pines for her glory days, and has satisfied herself it’s time to mount some kind of grand comeback.

Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond is the standout right here, however you additionally can’t overlook others right here, like William Holden, Erich von Stroheim, Nancy Olson, and Fred Clark. Additionally, there are some cameos which can be admittedly simpler to miss; particularly, a number of legends of silent cinema taking part in themselves, most notably Buster Keaton, whose silent movies can largely stand toe-to-toe with Charlie Chaplin’s.

3

‘On the Waterfront’ (1954)

Starring: Marlon Brando, Karl Malden, Lee J. Cobb

If a movie stars Marlon Brando, then it’s just about assured to comprise no less than some good performing in consequence (properly, 9 instances out of 10). That is the case for On the Waterfront, however Brando is much from the one actor giving a career-best efficiency right here, because the movie additionally has Eva Marie Saint, Karl Malden, Lee J. Cobb, and Rod Steiger in completely prime type.

Narratively, On the Waterfront works as a drama, a criminal offense movie, and one thing of a romance film , with its story centered on standing as much as corruption and coping with the implications that may come from doing the correct factor. It’s all very uncooked and fairly naturalistic for a movie from 1954, and that’s largely because of the performing; a lot of the performances right here forestall On the Waterfront from wading into melodramatic or cleaning soap opera-like territory.

On The Waterfront

Launch Date

June 22, 1954

Runtime

108 Minutes

Director

Elia Kazan

Writers

Budd Schulberg

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2

‘The Ten Commandments’ (1956)

Starring: Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner, Anne Baxter

Like Jurassic Park (properly, based on its mastermind), The Ten Commandments spared no expense, being one of the vital epic of all of the Hollywood epics. The strategy taken was becoming, although, contemplating the story right here is without doubt one of the greatest and most eventful present in your complete Bible: that of the E book of Exodus, specializing in Moses and beginning when he was a baby, then persevering with on to the position he performed when it got here to these titular commandments (certainly, all 10 of them).

Starring as Moses was Charlton Heston, after which, so far as the remainder of the forged goes, there are too many individuals to say all of them… however an assortment consists of Yul Brynner, Anne Baxter, Edward G. Robinson, Debra Paget, Cedric Hardwicke, Vincent Value, and John Carradine. The Ten Commandments undoubtedly has room for a big forged, too, contemplating its beefy runtime of three hours and 40 minutes.

The Ten Commandments

Launch Date

October 5, 1956

Runtime

220 Minutes

Director

Cecil B. DeMille

Writers

Jeanie Macpherson, Dorothy Clarke Wilson, A.E. Southon, Æneas MacKenzie, Jesse Lasky Jr., Jack Gariss

1

‘Large’ (1956)

Starring: Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, James Dean

Although James Dean’s tragically brief life meant he solely starred in a small number of movies, these films are all classics, and Large – his ultimate one general – is definitely his greatest. It’s so massive that Dean’s actually just one a part of a large forged, stealing many scenes however not all of them, which feels form of odd to say about an actor as magnetic as he was.

However he does should share the display with the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, Carroll Baker, Jane Withers, Mercedes McCambridge, Dennis Hopper, Sal Mineo, and Rod Taylor, amongst others, so possibly that is not the strangest factor on the planet in spite of everything. Additionally, as an epic, Large is fairly nice and incessantly visually gorgeous, working immensely well as an unconventional Western of kinds.

Giant

Launch Date

November 24, 1956

Runtime

201 minutes

Director

George Stevens

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  Elizabeth Taylor

  Leslie Lynnton Benedict

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  Rock Hudson

  Jordan Bick Benedict Jr.

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  Carroll Baker

  Luz Benedict II

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