Top Movies of the 1950s

This page offers lists of the top movies of the decade as determined by two different metrics. The first list is based on box office and the second is based on critics’ picks.

Box Office: Top 20 of the 1950s These are the top 20 movies of the decade as determined by worldwide box office gross adjusted for inflation. The first number indicates dollars made in millions. See sources for box office figures here.

1) 3731.10: The Ten Commandments (1956) 2) 2970.20: Ben-Hur (1959) 3) 1575.00: Cinderella (1950) 4) 1326.00: The Robe (1953) 5) 1278.20: Quo Vadis? (1951) 6) 664.86: Sleeping Beauty (1959) 7) 591.12: Around the World in 80 Days (1956) 8) 548.90: The Greatest Show on Earth (1952) 9) 519.40: From Here to Eternity (1953) 10) 509.88: Lady and the Tramp (1955) 11) 497.67: The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) 12) 481.70: Giant (1956) 13) 462.28: House of Wax (1953) 14) 460.66: Rear Window (1954) 15) 417.38: Peter Pan (1953) 16) 406.07: The Caine Mutiny (1954) 17) 293.90: Gigi (1958) 18) 231.20: A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) 19) 219.90 :On the Waterfront (1954) 20) 202.90: An American in Paris (1951)

Critics’ Picks: Top 25 of the 1950s These are the top 25 movies of the decade as determined by a combination of the movies’ ratings points and awards points.

1) All About Eve (1950) 2) The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) 3) On the Waterfront (1954) 4) Ben-Hur (1959) 5) Singin’ in the Rain (1952) 6) Sunset Boulevard (1950) 7) 12 Angry Men (1957) 8) From Here to Eternity (1953) 9) Rear Window (1954) 10) Some Like It Hot (1959) 11) A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) 12) Vertigo (1958) 13) The Seven Samurai (Schichinin no Samurai) (1954) 14) North by Northwest (1959) 15) Touch of Evil (1958) 16) Rashômon (1950) 17) An American in Paris (1951) 18) Tokyo Story (Tôkyô Monogatari) (1953) 19) High Noon (1952) 20) The Searchers (1956) 21) Paths of Glory (1957) 22) Gigi (1958) 23) The Ten Commandments (1956) 24) The Night of the Hunter (1955) 25) Marty (1955)

Resources: Dave’s Movie Database: Eras Dave’s Movie Database: Movies of the Year Dave’s Movie Database: Box Office Dave’s Movie Database: Awards Page Dave’s Movie Database: Ratings Page Originally posted 3/8/2025.