cinecrazydc Posted April 20, 2021 Share Posted April 20, 2021 I had to search for the author's list from that decade, which I found -see below. I happen to concur with the author regarding 1955: Night of the Hunter gets my vote over Marty. Also, I think that 1956's award for Around the World in 80 Days was largely due to Mike Todd's marketing. But as we all know, Liz Taylor was the real "winner" when she insisted that Cleopatra be shot in Todd-AO, her late husband's invention and in which she held a controlling interest ! I also tend to agree with the author's take on Singin' In the Rain (1952), and disagree with his choice on Rio Bravo (1959). What Should’ve Won the Best Picture Oscar – 1950 to 1959 In part four of this series we look at the movies that should have won the Best Picture Oscar between 1950 and 1959. The cult of oh-so-sophisticated movie writers love to run down the 50’s, as a decade lost to Eisenhower-era conformity and cinematic bloat crafted by studios desperate to compete with TV. As you’ll see below, nothing could be further from the truth. The 1950s were an embarrassment of movie riches. Let’s begin… 1950 What Did Win: All About Eve What a year for movies. Sunset Boulevard, The Asphalt Jungle, Where the Sidewalk Ends, D.O.A., Broken Arrow, The Third Man, Panic in the Streets… Still, writer-director Joseph Mankiewicz’s timeless tale of ambition, deceit, and getting your just desserts refuses to age. A hoot of a classic filled with amazing dialogue, a Marilyn Monroe appearance, a Bette Davis performance for the ages, and an ending that still offends tight-assed feminists. What Should’ve Won: All About Eve In a perfect world, Sunset Boulevard would have been released two years later and won all the Oscars. 1951 What Did Win: An American in Paris The belief is that Academy voters split their Best Picture votes between A Place in the Sun and A Streetcar Named Desire, which allowed An American in Paris to sneak through. Even if that’s true, nothing changes the fact that, by 1951, those behind the MGM Musical were crafting some of the greatest works of art the world has ever seen, a stunning combination of design, photography, performance, choreography, dance, orchestration, song, direction, and production. An American in Paris is a stunner everyone should see and contains themes more adult than you might remember. What Should’ve Won: A Place in the Sun This is another one that depends on the day you ask. Tomorrow I could choose A Streetcar Named Desire. Today, however it’s George Stevens’ unforgettable story of an ambitious young man (Montgomery Clift) who impregnates a girl (Shelley Winter) he doesn’t love and then meets the girl of his dreams (a never more beautiful Elizabeth Taylor). A gut-wrencher from beginning to end, with a perfectly cast Clift. 1952 What Did Win: The Greatest Show on Earth Thinking this might be their last chance to do so, Hollywood wanted to give director Cecil B. DeMille — the man who literally found Hollywood, the man who took a train out West, stepped off in Hollywood, and set up a movie studio – an Oscar, so everyone bit the bullet and handed him his Little Gold Man for this forgettable stiff. What Should’ve Won: Singin’ in the Rain Pure joy from start to finish, a miracle of a movie that levitates you right out of your seat… 1953 What Did Win: From Here to Eternity Burt Lancaster, Deborah Kerr, Montgomery Clift, Frank Sinatra, and Donna Reed star in one for the ages about a man (Clift) who refuses to be anything other than his own man in an institution (the U.S. military) that demands conformity. This is a theme that will never die and one we could use a whole lot more of today. What Should’ve Won: From Here to Eternity Shane, The Band Wagon, Stalag 17, The Robe, Wages of Fear, Naked Spur, and Pickup on South Street are all all-timers, but Oscar still got this one correct. 1954 What Did Win: On the Waterfront After changing acting forever with Streetcar Named Desire, director Elia Kazan and star Marlon Brando reunited for the story of an everyday man who becomes his own man through the love of a woman. This is also Kazan pouring every ounce of his talent (and he had oceans of it) into an allegory explaining why he named names during the 1950’s blacklist. His muse was justification, and brother did it sing. Brando breaks your heart, mends it, breaks it again, and then leaves you wanting to be a better man. What a movie. What Should’ve Won: On the Waterfront The Country Girl, A Star Is Born, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Caine Mutiny, Rear Window, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and Bridges at Toko-Ri are all Oscar worthy, but don’t even rank a close second. 1955 What Did Win: Marty Writer Paddy Chayefsky’s little story about an everyday man (Ernest Borgnine, who won Best Actor) caught in a world where no one is happy and no one can stand to see anyone else happy. After Marty finds true love with Betsy Blair (Gene Kelly’s wife), everyone does everything they can to run her down. A timeless theme about “well intentioned” bullies who demand conformity in order to justify their own failure and misery, who keep others down so another’s success and happiness does not serve as a reminder that they are at fault for their own misery and failure. A brilliantly written gem that should remind storytellers that Big Drama and Big Emotion can come from within even the most average of people. What Should’ve Won: Night of the Hunter Actor Charles Laughton’s only time behind the camera delivers a stunner of a tale about a deranged preacher (an iconic Robert Mitchum) hunting two children after killing their mother (Shelley Winters). Not a moment of this terrifying thriller has aged a day. Part horror, part fairy tale, and all myth-making, this is the stuff nightmares are made of. See also, Bad Day at Black Rock, Blackboard Jungle, Mister Roberts, Dam Busters, Rose Tattoo, and East of Eden. 1956 What Did Win: Around the World in 80 Days One of the worst Best Picture winners of all time, nothing but a dull travelogue that only proved producer Mike Todd was the best salesman in the world. What Should’ve Won: The Searchers The greatest movie ever made. Period. 1957 What Did Win: Bridge on the River Kwai Director David Lean won a no-brainer Oscar for a piece of movie-making that feels like a miracle in this lazy age of CGI. Rich in theme, performance, and grandeur, this is what everyone means when they say, They can’t make ‘em like this anymore. What Should’ve Won: Bridge on the River Kwai If I was forced to take only one movie to a desert island, I would choose Paths of Glory or Sweet Smell of Success before Bridge, but as I’ve said before, the Best Picture Oscar is its own thing. See also: 12 Angry Men, 3:10 to Yuma, Witness for the Prosecution, and A Face in the Crowd. 1958 What Did Win: Gigi Once the Woke Gestapo get a gander at this one, expect an Oscar revocation. Gigi is an okay movie and one of Oscar’s oddest choices. What Should’ve Won: I Want to Live! Everyone’s screaming Vertigo! Vertigo! Sorry, I’ve given Vertigo plenty of chances and about halfway through find myself bored numb. Susan Hayward won Best Actress for her portrayal of a woman on Death Row driven to humility and decency by her appointment with the executioner. Based on the true story of convicted killer Barbara Graham, I Want to Live! is the first movie since Dodsworth to make you want to crawl under your seat over the actions of a simple telephone. See also: Run Silent, Run Deep; The Fly, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof; Long, Hot Summer, Old Man and the Sea, and The Big Country. 1959 What Did Win: Ben-Hur The movie that saved MGM remains a visual stunner anchored by Charlton Heston’s Oscar-winning portrayal of a man wronged by his “brother” and poisoned by his quest for revenge. What Should’ve Won: Rio Bravo Director Howard Hawks and star John Wayne were so angry over High Noon’s portrayal of everyday Americans as cowards, they made Rio Bravo, a perfect Western where everyone in town wants to help Wayne’s sheriff hold on to a prisoner. So amiable, it’s easy to miss all the themes at work here; a legitimate masterpiece that plays like a Saturday afternoon hang-out movie. If you ask me tomorrow, I could just as easily award this Oscar to North by Northwest. See also: Anatomy of a Murder, Compulsion, Diary of Anne Frank, Last Train from Gun Hill, and Some Like it Hot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Det Jim McLeod Posted April 20, 2021 Share Posted April 20, 2021 1 hour ago, cinecrazydc said: 1950 to 1959 My favorite decade, 3 of the winners are in my top ten favorites of all time (1953-1955) and am still going by the actual nominees for my choices. 1950: Sunset Boulevard 1951: A Place In The Sun 1952: High Noon 1953: From Here To Eternity 1954: On The Waterfront 1955: Marty 1956: Giant 1957: 12 Angry Men 1958: The Defiant Ones 1959: The Nun's Story 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LsDoorMat Posted April 20, 2021 Share Posted April 20, 2021 For the 1950s my choices are: 1950 - Sunset Boulevard 1951 - Ace In the Hole 1952 - Singin In the Rain 1953 - Roman Holiday 1954 - Rear Window 1955 - Night of the Hunter 1956 - The Searchers 1957 - Twelve Angry Men 1958 - Vertigo 1959 - Compulsion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LsDoorMat Posted April 20, 2021 Share Posted April 20, 2021 1 hour ago, cinecrazydc said: I 1958 What Did Win: Gigi Once the Woke Gestapo get a gander at this one, expect an Oscar revocation. Gigi is an okay movie and one of Oscar’s oddest choices. I don't know how the "woke Gestapo" would react, but talk about something that doesn't age well. You have Maurice Chevalier ogling little girls in a park. You have a young woman's older relatives trying to steer her into a life of prostitution. Great big ugh! from me on subject matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopBilled Posted April 20, 2021 Share Posted April 20, 2021 I think we should be told who the author is of these pieces you are posting, OP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopBilled Posted April 20, 2021 Share Posted April 20, 2021 My list: 1. SUNSET BLVD (1950) 2. THE BROWNING VERSION (1951) 3. SUDDEN FEAR (1952) 4. THE EARRINGS OF MADAME DE... (1953) 5. HOBSON'S CHOICE (1954) 6. ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWS (1955) 7. THE CATERED AFFAIR (1956) 8. PATHS OF GLORY (1957) 9. A NIGHT TO REMEMBER (1958) 10. THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK (1959) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LsDoorMat Posted April 20, 2021 Share Posted April 20, 2021 30 minutes ago, TopBilled said: I think we should be told who the author is of these pieces you are posting, OP. You'd be surprised. And furthermore, if people knew the publication it came from, I doubt this bunch would have participated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopBilled Posted April 20, 2021 Share Posted April 20, 2021 1 minute ago, LsDoorMat said: You'd be surprised. And furthermore, if people knew the publication it came from, I doubt this bunch would have participated. Because it's from a political source? Or it's from an adult publication? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LsDoorMat Posted April 20, 2021 Share Posted April 20, 2021 Just now, TopBilled said: Because it's a political source? I shall say no more. At least out here in public I will say no more. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopBilled Posted April 20, 2021 Share Posted April 20, 2021 41 minutes ago, LsDoorMat said: I shall say no more. At least out here in public I will say no more. I figured it was a conservative website, because of the person's comment that THE SEARCHERS was their favorite film of all time. Maybe instead of quoting a political source, the OP should have just started these threads by listing his/her favorite films by decade. Then open it up to others. The fact that the OP had to hide the original author's identity suggests they knew they were treading on thin ice. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peebs Posted April 20, 2021 Share Posted April 20, 2021 By John Nolte on Breitbart: Nolte: What Should’ve Won the Best Picture Oscar – 1931 to 1939 (breitbart.com) Nolte: What Should’ve Won the Best Picture Oscar – 1940 to 1949 (breitbart.com) Nolte: What Should’ve Won the Best Picture Oscar – 1950 to 1959 (breitbart.com) Nolte: What Should’ve Won the Best Picture Oscar – 1960 to 1969 (breitbart.com) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LsDoorMat Posted April 20, 2021 Share Posted April 20, 2021 33 minutes ago, Peebs said: By John Nolte on Breitbart: Nolte: What Should’ve Won the Best Picture Oscar – 1931 to 1939 (breitbart.com) Nolte: What Should’ve Won the Best Picture Oscar – 1940 to 1949 (breitbart.com) Nolte: What Should’ve Won the Best Picture Oscar – 1950 to 1959 (breitbart.com) Nolte: What Should’ve Won the Best Picture Oscar – 1960 to 1969 (breitbart.com) Thanks, the big clue was "woke Gestapo". He uses that term all of the time in his articles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cinecrazydc Posted April 20, 2021 Author Share Posted April 20, 2021 2 hours ago, LsDoorMat said: I don't know how the "woke Gestapo" would react, but talk about something that doesn't age well. You have Maurice Chevalier ogling little girls in a park. You have a young woman's older relatives trying to steer her into a life of prostitution. Great big ugh! from me on subject matter. I think the author was correct in that Gigi was certainly not Oscar-worthy. He suggests "I Want to Live," which certainly packs more punch dramatically - 7 minutes ago, LsDoorMat said: Thanks, the big clue was "woke Gestapo". He uses that term all of the time in his articles. Like I said, I didn't want the publication (Breitbart) to distract from the listing. I take my materials on classic films wherever I can find them !! Good detective work, even after I scrubbed all the links !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopBilled Posted April 20, 2021 Share Posted April 20, 2021 1 minute ago, cinecrazydc said: I think the author was correct in that Gigi was certainly not Oscar-worthy. He suggests "I Want to Live," which certainly packs more punch dramatically - Like I said, I didn't want the publication (Breitbart) to distract from the listing. I take my materials on classic films wherever I can find them !! Good detective work, even after I scrubbed all the links !! You should create a thread on the 1930s. And even go beyond the 1960s, up to the present decade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LsDoorMat Posted April 20, 2021 Share Posted April 20, 2021 3 minutes ago, TopBilled said: You should create a thread on the 1930s. And even go beyond the 1960s, up to the present decade. I agree. Regardless of "his opinion", threads by decade on our own best picture choices are interesting. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopBilled Posted April 20, 2021 Share Posted April 20, 2021 6 minutes ago, LsDoorMat said: I agree. Regardless of "his opinion", threads by decade on our own best picture choices are interesting. And they tend to bring our friend Lawrence out of mothballs. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cinecrazydc Posted April 20, 2021 Author Share Posted April 20, 2021 22 minutes ago, TopBilled said: You should create a thread on the 1930s. And even go beyond the 1960s, up to the present decade. I think Nolte did create a list for the 30s - I'll see if I can post it. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopBilled Posted April 20, 2021 Share Posted April 20, 2021 2 minutes ago, cinecrazydc said: I think Nolte did create a list for the 30s - I'll see if I can post it. Great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cinecrazydc Posted April 20, 2021 Author Share Posted April 20, 2021 You should create a thread on the 1930s. And even go beyond the 1960s, up to the present decade. Since the cat is out of the bag on the author, here's his 1930s list https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2021/04/17/nolte-movies-that-should-have-won-the-best-picture-oscar-part-2/ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bogie56 Posted April 21, 2021 Share Posted April 21, 2021 1. Sunset Blvd. (1950) 2. The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice (1951) 3. The Quiet Man (1952) 4. The Wages of Fear (1953) 5. On the Waterfront (1954) 6. Pather Panchali (1955) 7. The Searchers (1956) 8. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) 9. Touch of Evil (1958) 10. North by Northwest (1959) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomJH Posted April 22, 2021 Share Posted April 22, 2021 1950 Sunset Boulevard 1951 The African Queen 1952 Singin' in the Rain 1953 Shane 1954 Rear Window 1955 The Night of the Hunter 1956 The Searchers 1957 Paths of Glory 1958 Vertigo 1959 Some Like It Hot 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
filmnoirguy Posted April 23, 2021 Share Posted April 23, 2021 Here's my list for my favorite decade for movies: 1950s 1950: Sunset Blvd. (Not only my top film of the decade, but all time favorite) 1951: A Place in the Sun 1952: Singin' in the Rain 1953: Shane 1954: Rear Window 1955: East of Eden 1956: Giant 1957: The Bridge on the River Kwai 1958: The Brothers Karamazov 1959: Ben-Hur 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingrat Posted April 24, 2021 Share Posted April 24, 2021 If I were including foreign films, I'd agree with Bogie about The Wages of Fear and Pather Panchali, and either La Strada or Seven Samurai would win for 1954, and Ashes and Diamonds would make it a three-way tie for 1958. Meanwhile, back in Oscarland: 1950 - Best Film: All About Eve 1951 - Best Film: Cry, the Beloved Country; Best Nominee: Decision Before Dawn 1952 - Best Film: Singin' in the Rain; Best Nominee: High Noon 1953 - Best Film: The Band Wagon; Best Nominee: From Here to Eternity 1954 - Best Film: Rear Window; Best Nominee: On the Waterfront 1955 - Best Film: East of Eden; Best Nominee: Marty 1956 - Best Film: The Searchers; Best Nominee: The Ten Commandments 1957 - Best Film: A Face in the Crowd; Best Nominee: The Bridge on the River Kwai 1958 - Best Film (tie): Bonjour Tristesse and Vertigo; Best Nominee: Gigi 1959 - Best Film: The Nun's Story For this decade, I'm surprised at how often I either agree with or don't mind Oscar's choice out of the five actual nominees. I might easily have chosen An American in Paris rather than Decision Before Dawn, and only 1952 gets a eye-roll. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vidor Posted April 27, 2021 Share Posted April 27, 2021 "Gigi" isn't the worst Best Picture winner ever (that would be "Cimarron") but it's definitely in the bottom ten, and it's definitely the creepiest. There's the little ode to pedophilia that Maurice Chevalier sings in the opening, there's how Gigi's family is literally training her to be a high-priced hooker, and there's Louis Jourdan's character who has a whole song about how being filthy rich is boring. Rarely has a movie character deserved to be punched in the face more than Louis Jourdan did in "Gigi". Man did I hate that movie. Overall the 1950s are one of Oscar's worst decades, with only a couple of years where Oscar picked well and three of the very worst picks in "Gigi", "Around the World in 80 Days", and "The Greatest Show on Earth". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
filmnoirguy Posted April 29, 2021 Share Posted April 29, 2021 On 4/20/2021 at 3:54 PM, TopBilled said: My list: 1. SUNSET BLVD (1950) 2. THE BROWNING VERSION (1951) 3. SUDDEN FEAR (1952) 4. THE EARRINGS OF MADAME DE... (1953) 5. HOBSON'S CHOICE (1954) 6. ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWS (1955) 7. THE CATERED AFFAIR (1956) 8. PATHS OF GLORY (1957) 9. A NIGHT TO REMEMBER (1958) 10. THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK (1959) Who but Joan would hold her hands that way? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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