BLACHEFAN

On the Bowery (1957) On the Bowery" is Lionel Rogosin's acclaimed, unrelenting docudrama about the infamous New York City zone known as the Bowery. The film focuses on three of its alcoholic skid row denizens and their marginal existence amid the gin mills, missions and flop houses. Bosley Crowther in The New York Times wrote that "this is a dismal exposition to be charging people money to see." Rogosin and his small crew spent months on the Bowery observing and talking with residents. They crafted the film as a "synthesis" of Bowery life, and it remains a wrenching portrait of hopelessness, despair and broken dreams. The film's writer, Mark Sufrin, wrote in an issue of Sight and Sound magazine: "Very few, once they hit the Bowery, ever leave, are reclaimed, or rehabilitated...I had escaped that frightening place. They still remain."

Let's All Go to the Lobby (1957) In probably the best known "snipe" or theatrical movie trailer ever produced, animated refreshments including a pack of chewing gum, a box of popcorn, a soft drink cup, and a box of candy sing and dance across the screen, imploring audiences to get themselves some treats. The expanded essay is below this description. https://www.loc.gov/static/programs/national-film-preservation-board/documents/lobby.pdf

Jailhouse Rock (1957) Showcasing Elvis Presley as the ultimate rebel, "Jailhouse Rock" possesses an edginess that would be toned down considerably in the singer's later movies. The now-iconic title dance number is both ridiculous and infectious. The expanded essay is below this description. https://www.loc.gov/static/programs/national-film-preservation-board/documents/jailhouse_rock.pdf

The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957) This sci-fi classic about a man (Grant Williams) who starts to shrink after being exposed to a strange cloud while on vacation is notable for its intelligent script and imaginative special effects which seem simplistic by modern standards. Jack Arnold's sparse direction and Richard Matheson's poignant script allow the tension to build naturally in a world where a house cat and common spider become the ultimate threat to existence and leave an indelible mark on the audience's consciousness. Part of the film's brilliance is its bad-news ending, a surprising -- but effective -- choice for Universal Studios, and its haunting final line of dialogue "I still exist." The expanded essay is below this description. https://www.loc.gov/static/programs/national-film-preservation-board/documents/shrinking_man.pdf

The Hunters (1957) This ethnographic film documents the efforts of four !Kung men (also known as Ju/'hoansi or Bushmen) to hunt a giraffe in the Kalahari Desert of Namibia. The footage was shot by John Marshall during a Smithsonian-Harvard Peabody sponsored expedition in 1952–53. In addition to the giraffe hunt, the film shows other aspects of !Kung life, including family relationships, socializing and storytelling and gathering plant foods. The film won a Robert J. Flaherty Award for best documentary from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts in 1958.

Glimpse of the Garden (1957) Marie Menken's surprisingly joyful and simple film rates among the more accessible works of avant-garde filmmakers. The beautifully lyrical "Glimpse of the Garden" is a serendipitous visual tour of a flower garden set to a soundtrack of bird songs and calls.

A Face in the Crowd (1957) Before Andy Griffith became a television legend playing a likable small-town sheriff, he portrayed a completely different type of celebrity in this dark look at the corruptability of sudden fame and power. In his film debut, Griffith plays a rural drunk, drifter and country singer who becomes an overnight success when a radio station promoter (Patricia Neal) and her assistant Walter Matthau, who put him on the air. Behind the scenes, he turns into a power-hungry monster who must be exposed. Budd Schulberg, who purportedly modeled the lead character on radio and TV personality Arthur Godfrey, adapted his short story "The Arkansas Traveler" for director Elia Kazan. The film also marks the film debut of Lee Remick.

The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) At the heart of David Lean's antiheroic war epic about a band of British POWs forced to build a bridge in the wilds of Burma is the notion of men clinging to their sanity by clinging to military tradition. The film's cast, which reflects a broad spectrum of acting styles, includes Alec Guinness as the British commanding officer and Sessue Hayakawa as his Japanese counterpart, and William Holden as an American soldier who escapes from the camp and Jack Hawkins as the British major who convinces him to return and help blow up the bridge. Lean elects to keep the musical score to a minimum and instead plays up tension with nature sounds punctuating the action. For many film critics and historians, "Bridge on the River Kwai" signals a shift in Lean's directorial style from simpler storytelling toward the more bloated epics that characterized his later career.

12 Angry Men (1957) In the 1950s, several television dramas acted live over the airways won such critical acclaim that they were also produced as motion pictures; among those already honored by the National Film Registry is "Marty" (1955). Reginald Rose had adapted his original stage play "12 Angry Men" for Studio One in 1954, and Henry Fonda decided to produce a screen version, taking the lead role and hiring director Sidney Lumet, who had been directing for television since 1950. The result is a classic. Filmed in a spare, claustrophobic style—largely set in one jury room—the play relates a single juror's refusal to conform to peer pressure in a murder trial and follows his conversion of one juror after another to his point of view. The story is often viewed as a commentary on McCarthyism, Fascism, or Communism. The expanded essay is below this description. https://www.loc.gov/static/programs/national-film-preservation-board/documents/12_angry_men.pdf

3:10 to Yuma (1957) Considered to be one of the best westerns of the 1950s, "3:10 to Yuma" has gained in stature since its original release as audiences have recognized the progressive insight the film provides into the psychology of its two main characters that becomes vividly exposed during scenes of heightened tension. Frankie Laine sang the film's popular theme song, also titled "3:10 to Yuma." Often compared favorably with "High Noon," this innovative western from director Delmer Daves starred Glenn Ford and Van Heflin in roles cast against type and was based on a short story by Elmore Leonard.

Old Yeller (1957) Stories of boys and their dogs have long been fodder for films and books, but none has ever resonated more strongly with the public than this 1957 adaptation of the Fred Gipson novel. Produced by Disney, which knew how to touch the hearts of moviegoers with both laughter and tears, the beloved film was directed by Robert Stevenson and stars Fess Parker, Dorothy McGuire and Tommy Kirk. Few movie endings have ever proved as emotionally affecting as the conclusion of "Old Yeller."

The Ten Commandments (1956) The film, which covers the life of Moses from the time he was discovered as an infant by pharoah's daughter to his struggle to free the Hebrews from their slavery at the hands of the Egyptians, would be director Cecil B. DeMille's final film and his most epic. Charlton Heston stars as Moses and is joined by the likes of Yul Brynner, Edward G. Robinson, Anne Baxter, Yvonne DeCarlo and Debra Paget. The film's true star is its special effects, including the spectacular parting of the Red Sea, for which it won an Oscar.

The Searchers (1956) Considered by many to be John Ford's best film, it is equal parts majestic spectacle and soul-searching moral examination that anticipated the complex themes and characters that would dominate films of the 1970s. John Wayne, a Confederate soldier, returns after the war to find his niece has been kidnapped by Comanches and sets out to find her – not to rescue her, but to destroy what he sees as a creature no longer human. Is the film intended to endorse the racist attitudes of the main character (John Wayne), or to dramatize and regret them? Today we see it through enlightened eyes, but in 1956 many audiences accepted its harsh view of Indians. "New York" magazine called it the most influential movie in American history.

One Froggy Evening (1956) A cartoon on every short list of the greatest animation, this classic Chuck Jones creation features crooning amphibian Michigan J. Frog, who drives his owner insane by singing only in private, but never in public. The expanded essay is below this description. https://www.loc.gov/static/programs/national-film-preservation-board/documents/chuck_jones.pdf

Modesta (1956) Puerto Rico's Division of Community Education produced approximately 65 short subjects between 1950 and 1975. Designed to inform --and influence -- the citizenry about government policy, the productions featured mostly amateur native performers and artists. Feminist at its heart, the film tells the story of a barrio woman (Antonia Hidalgo) who stands up to her abusive husband. Strongly affected by his earlier work as cinematographer on Robert Flaherty's "Louisiana Story," director Benjamin Doniger echoes his mentor's regard for pastoral poetry employing cinematographer Luis A. Maisonet to capture both the beauty of the countryside and the harshness of its lifestyle, bathing them in the soft light of early morning and dusk, as Doniger matter-of-factly depicts rural Puerto Ricans' struggle against poverty.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) This influential and chilling science fiction tale about small-town residents who are being replaced by emotionless alien "pods" features a subtext borne out of 1950s Red-baiting, atomic-testing paranoia as adapted by Daniel Mainwaring from Jack Finney's novel. Don Siegel directed Kevin McCarthy and Dana Wynter as average citizens trying to come to grips with the unfathomable. Despite the film's lowly exploitation movie roots, Siegel and his writers keenly explore the allegorical depths of their subject. The film's tight plot structure and stark, noir-influenced photography by Ellsworth Fredericks impeccably complements the escalating, suffocating sense of utter terror. The expanded essay is below this description. https://www.loc.gov/static/programs/national-film-preservation-board/documents/invasion_body.pdf

Giant (1956) This monumental film epitomizes the era of the truly "big" Hollywood picture. George Stevens Jr. and a memorable cast bring Edna Ferber's sprawling novel of the Texas plains to life with panoramic visual style and memorable small touches. Though more than three hours long, it was one of the top films of the 1950s and remains a breathtaking example of the American film as spectacle. Faithful to the novel, the Texans on the screen are presented with penetrating realism in a story that pulls no punches, especially in its indictment of racism, whether blatant or subtle. Stars Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson and James Dean deliver performances among the best in their careers, and receive strong support from Mercedes McCambridge, Dennis Hopper, Sal Mineo and Carroll Baker. Stevens won an Oscar as best director, and the film received another eight nominations for its cast and crew.

Forbidden Planet (1956) Directed by Fred M. Wilcox, MGM's "Forbidden Planet" is one of the seminal science-fiction films of the 1950s, a genre that found itself revitalized and empowered after World War II and within America's newly created post-nuclear age. Loosely based upon William Shakespeare's "The Tempest," "Forbidden Planet" is both sci-fi saga and allegory, a timely parable about the dangers of unlimited power and unrestrained technology. Since its production, the movie has proved inspirational to generations of speculative fiction visionaries, including Gene Roddenberry. Along with its literary influence, highly influential special effects and visual style, the film also pushed the boundaries of cinematic science fiction. For the first time, all action happened intergalatically (not on Earth) and humans are depicted as space travelers, regularly jetting off to the far reaches of the cosmos. Additionally, "Forbidden Planet" is remembered for its innovative score—or lack thereof. No music exists on the film's soundtrack; instead, all ambient sounds are "electronic tonalities" created by Louis and Bebe Barren. Walter Pidgeon, Leslie Nielsen, Anne Francis and, in his debut, Robbie the Robot make up the film's cast. The expanded essay is below this description. https://www.loc.gov/static/programs/national-film-preservation-board/documents/forbidden_planet.pdf

Disneyland Dream (1956) The Barstow family films a memorable home movie of their trip to Disneyland. Robbins and Meg Barstow, along with their children Mary, David and Daniel were among 25 families who won a free trip to the newly opened Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., as part of a "Scotch Brand Cellophane Tape" contest sponsored by 3M. Through vivid color and droll narration ("The landscape was very different from back home in Connecticut"), we see a fantastic historical snapshot of Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Catalina Island, Knott's Berry Farm, Universal Studios and Disneyland in mid-1956. Home movies have assumed a rapidly increasing importance in American cultural studies as they provide a priceless and authentic record of time and place. The expanded essay is below this description. https://www.loc.gov/static/programs/national-film-preservation-board/documents/disneyland_dream.pdf

The Court Jester (1956) In this comical adventure parody written and directed by Melvin Frank and Norman Panama, the mercurial Danny Kaye plays a traveling minstrel who is persuaded by a Robin Hood-like hero and his beautiful lieutenant (Glynis Johns) to impersonate the jester of the evil, unlawful king to aid in their quest to restore the true king to the crown. The film is filled with lilting tunes, tongue twisters about "the vessel with the pestle and the brew that is true" and catch phrases like "Get it? Got it? Good." Basil Rathbone is his reliably swashbuckling self as the wicked king's henchman, and Angela Lansbury is Princess Gwendolyn, who falls for the jester.

Rebel Without a Cause (1955) This portrait of youthful alienation spoke to a whole generation and remains wrenchingly powerful, despite some dated elements. The yearning for self-esteem, the parental conflict, the comfort found in friendships, all beautifully orchestrated by director Nicholas Ray, screenwriter Stewart Stern, and a fine cast. This was James Dean's defining performance and an impressive showing for Sal Mineo. The expanded essay is below this description. https://www.loc.gov/static/programs/national-film-preservation-board/documents/rebel.pdf

Oklahoma! (1955) The publicity campaign said it all: "A motion picture as big as all outdoors." In this beloved musical, an idealized vision of a turn-of-the-century small town, chicks and ducks and geese scurry right across the wide screen. The literalized film treatment appeared a dozen years after the Rodgers and Hammerstein Broadway premiere. The film eliminated two songs and substituted breathtaking Technicolor vistas and stereo sound for theatrical innovation. Set shortly before Oklahoma statehood, the movie features such Western-film staples as the cowman/farmer feud (subject of a memorable song sung by Gordon MacRae). As choreographer Agnes de Mille noted: "It's different, but I find it very beautiful to look at." The expanded essay is below this description. https://www.loc.gov/static/programs/national-film-preservation-board/documents/oklahoma2.pdf

The Night of the Hunter (1955) This dark allegory of good versus evil defies conventional genre definition with its occasionally outrageous dark humor, bucolic settings contrasted with gothic images, and an unsettling child's-eye perspective. A deranged preacher (Robert Mitchum) terrorizes two children in possession of stolen loot and eventually coming up against a saintly protector of runaway and abandoned children (Lillian Gish). The expanded essay is below this description. https://www.loc.gov/static/programs/national-film-preservation-board/documents/night_hunter.pdf

Marty (1955) An unremarkable lonely Bronx butcher (Ernest Borgnine) dreams of finding something that will give his life meaning. He meets an equally unremarkable and lonely woman (Betsy Blair) and together they build a relationship not of fairy tale romance but of mutual respect and affection. Directed with touching realism by Delbert Man thanks to the nuanced dialogue of a Paddy Chayevsky screenplay which the writer adapted from his own TV play. Borgnine won an Oscar for his portrayal of a self-described "fat, ugly man."

Kiss Me Deadly (1955) In producer/director Robert Aldrich's "Kiss Me Deadly," the life of private detective Mike Hammer (Ralph Meeker) is turned upside down when he picks up a female hitchhiker (Cloris Leachman) and finds himself catapulted into a hunt for a coveted mystery item. Based on the novel of the same name by Mickey Spillane, "Kiss Me Deadly" blends classic film noir techniques and subjects with Cold War, science fiction-inspired events. The film was initially released with one ending but subsequent releases have occasionally featured an alternative ending. "Kiss Me Deadly" has inspired later filmmakers in the utilization of the "mystery box" as an instigator of action and suspense. The expanded essay is below this description. https://www.loc.gov/static/programs/national-film-preservation-board/documents/kiss_me_deadly.pdf