Your favorite 10 films from the 1950s not yet on blu (1 Viewer)

[benbess]

A comment on how death is handled in The Bridges at Toko-Ri. Spoiler alert....

Spoiler

I was struck in watching Bridges at Toko-Ri at how differently death tends to be handled in some of today's movies. At the end of the film, William Holden, Mickey Rooney, and Earl Holliman are shot down behind enemy lines. One by one they are killed, and although they try to fight back and shoot back, it seemed to me comparatively realistic how they were surrounded and outgunned and were killed. They didn't, as with some Tom Cruise or other stars today, amazingly take out dozens and then somehow survive to the end as heroes to the swelling of the soundtrack. Instead they died painfully as humans rather than as superheroes, with William Holden upset but accepting in the end what his superior officer Frederic March said about this war. Having Grace Kelly in the cast, with her luminous presence, as well as their children, shows how much he is giving up.


Several poignant scenes in this seemed somewhat understated, although the movie's screenplay was clearly telegraphing where the film was going almost from the start.


I enjoy John Wayne's performances in many films, and he brings such a presence and range. And so it's not meant as anything against him that William Holden is imho better than JW for this particular role. It's almost like it was a precursor to The Bridge on the River Kwai. In some ways, the roles are similar. Holden is a reluctant hero, but all the more realistic for that.


I'm surprised that this one isn't on blu-ray. And also slightly surprised that fans of the film haven't comment out of the woodwork to comment on it so far. But perhaps that will come. I rate it very highly for this year, and, finally, I'm also surprised that according to wikipedia it didn't make the box office top 10 for this year. But perhaps the rather somber ending that I like so much about it is the reason why it wasn't a big box office hit.

 

[Dr Griffin]

benbess, on 17 Nov 2015 - 2:37 PM, said:benbess, on 17 Nov 2015 - 2:37 PM, said:benbess, on 17 Nov 2015 - 2:37 PM, said:




(Where is the hide spoiler function on this menu bar anyway? If someone can point it out to me I'll try to hide the comment below)

In the reply box it's at the top left directly above underline. A Special BBCodes list will drop down and it's in there.

 

[benbess]

I've been catching up on some of the significant films of the fifties that I've missed. Tonight from 1954 I watched Vera Cruz, starring Gary Cooper and Burt Lancaster. It was a lot of fun, and does probably make my top ten for this year. The blu-ray was released a few years ago. PQ is so-so, in part because it was filmed in SuperScope, but it's certainly watchable. Here's the original trailer:

 

[benbess]

Just watched one of the other big films of 1954. The Last Time I Saw Paris is a Technicolor melodrama from MGM loosely based on an F. Scott Fitzgerald Story, starring Elizabeth Taylor, Van Johnson, Walter Pidgeon, and Donna Reed. It's one of the first films directed by Richard Brooks, who went on to do Blackboard Jungle, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Professionals, In Cold Blood, Bite the Bullet, etc. Liz Taylor is impressive and beautiful, and the rest of the cast is good as well (and this seems to be Van Johnson's most emotionally vulnerable performance). But the story here is to me a bit much to take at times....Although I have to admit I was moved.


There's actually a decent although unrestored print up at Amazon Prime for free viewing. This movie made it to the top 20 in the box office for 1954, and seems to have been a significant step on the road toward making Liz Taylor a superstar. Is that enough to make this one worthy of a blu-ray? I don't know. But I guess I would like to think so.

 

[benbess]

Strangely, due to a mistake in the Roman numerals, The Last Time I Saw Paris was copyrighted 1944 rather than 1954. MGM neglected to renew because of that mistake, and the film entered the public domain in 1972.


The original trailer gives you a taste of the film:

 

[benbess]

Wikipedia's article on 1955 in film has, along with a lot of other things, a list of the top box office hits for the year:


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1955_in_film


Top grossing films in the U.S. for 1955

1. Cinerama Holiday (blu-ray)

2. Mister Roberts

3. Battle Cry

4. Oklahoma! (blu-ray)

5. Guys and Dolls (blu-ray)

6. Lady and the Tramp (blu-ray)

7. Not as a Stranger

8. Strategic Air Command

9. To Hell and Back

10. The Sea Chase

11. The Seven Year Itch (blu-ray)

12. The Tall Men

13. Blackboard Jungle

14. A Man Called Peter


And so we seem to have five blu-rays for the top 14 film at the box office. Perhaps a few of the rest of these deserve blu-rays?

 

[Race Bannon]

And of course I'll go with Not as a Stranger. Mitchum for the win.

 

[LouA]

Many of my favorites from the 1950's have been mentioned or have been released . I agree that the 1950's was a great decade for film.

Here are some of the ones I'd like to see on blu-ray (my apologies if they were already mentioned ).

Legend Of Tom Dooley - Michael Landon

Boy On Dolphin,

Two Women ,

Teacher's Pet ,

Loving You / King Creole - Elvis

Rock Around The Clock / Don't Knock The Rock, Bill Haley And Comets

Last Command ,

Marjorie Morningstar ,

30 Foot Bride Of Candy Rock,

Moby Dick,

Hideous Sun Demon,

Sing Boy Sing ,

Hercules /Hercules Unchained ,

Tom Thumb ,

Great Imposter,

The Vikings ,

The Strip -Mickey Rooney

Pride And The Passion

many others !

 

[benbess]

One suggestion for a film from 1955 that seems worthy of a blu-ray would be Daddy Long Legs, starring Fred Astaire and Leslie Caron. The screenplay for the movie is by the parents of Nora Ephron.

 

[Brian McP]

Any love for "The Rabbit Trap' starring Ernest Borgnine, Kevin Corcoran and Don Rickles, from the writer of "Days of Wine and Roses" and the director of "Side By Side" -- a great little family movie (one could well imagine it to be "Marty II" if it was ever made) -- you can download it from Amazon (if you're in the US) but it deserves a dvd/bluray release, even as a budget title.

 

[Keith Cobby]

One suggestion for a film from 1955 that seems worthy of a blu-ray would be Daddy Long Legs, starring Fred Astaire and Leslie Caron. The screenplay for the movie is by the parents of Nora Ephron.

Available from amazon.de and amazon.fr. I have the French release because I prefer the cover. PQ very good. Also have The Tall Men from amazon.de, PQ also very good.

 

[Matt Hough]

Daddy Long Legs isn't a great musical, but it's a musical with great things in it including two fantastic numbers ("The Slue Foot" and "Something's Gotta Give") that are worth the price of the disc.

 

[Keith Cobby]

Great or not it's one of my favourite Astaire films and Leslie Caron is my second favourite partner of Fred's (after wonderful Vera-Ellen). In addition to the numbers referred to by Matt, I like the final scene with Fred and Leslie dancing to 'Dream' - a great (but short) way to end the film.


Hard to believe this still hasn't had a US release but at least we have the Euopean blu-rays to enjoy.

 

[benbess]

1955 was a very good year for Hollywood films. To me it's almost as good as 1939. And yet there are many significant film from this year that I'm still catching up on. Just yesterday, for instance, I saw for the very first time Oklahoma! at my local theater, which is a wonderful film that makes my top ten for 1955. But can I really pick a top ten for this year? Not yet, because there are several important films from this year that I haven't seen, such as: All that Heaven Allows, Blackboard Jungle, House of Bamboo (just ordered), The Far Country, The Long Grey Line, Night of the Hunter, Battle Cry, Not as as Stranger, The Prisoner, etc. But as of now, my top films for 1955 are:


1. The Man Who Knew Too Much (Mediocre blu-ray that should be re-mastered)

2. Lady and the Tramp (blu-ray)

3. To Catch a Thief (blu-ray)

4. This Island Earth

5. Richard III (blu-ray)

6. East of Eden (blu-ray)

7. The Man from Laramie (blu-ray)

8. Rebel Without a Cause (blu-ray)

9. Oklahoma! (blu-ray)

10. Picnic (blu-ray)

11. Kiss Me Deadly (blu-ray)

12. Artists and Models

13. Daddy Long Legs

14. The Trouble With Harry (blu-ray)

15. The Desperate Hours

16. Lucy Gallant

17. We're No Angels

18. A Man Called Peter

19. Mister Roberts

20. Hit the Deck (blu-ray)

 

[ajabrams]

A BIG vote here for a BD of The Prince and the Showgirl.

 

[LouA]

Any love for "The Rabbit Trap' starring Ernest Borgnine, Kevin Corcoran and Don Rickles, from the writer of "Days of Wine and Roses" and the director of "Side By Side" -- a great little family movie (one could well imagine it to be "Marty II" if it was ever made) -- you can download it from Amazon (if you're in the US) but it deserves a dvd/bluray release, even as a budget title.

Sorry to say I've never heard of this film, but it sounds very interesting. I love Marty ,so I hope Rabbit Trap does get released .

 

[Konstantinos]

i hope i'm not going a lot of off topic here, but since members participating here love 50s movies, do you have any recommendations for 50s movies in color preferably that seem very spring-y with wonderful outdoors shots in green and flowers and generally nature in bloom?
One film that I loved and totally fitted my criteria was The Quiet Man (1952).

Another one I watched recently and quite liked was April Love (1957)

 

[Johnny Angell]

The Thing
This Island Earth
Them
It Came from Outer Space - 3D
Revenge of the Creature - 3D
Deadly Mantis
Monolith Monsters
Tarantula
Incredible Shrinking Man
Valley of Gwangi
War of the Worlds

 

[Robert Crawford]

The Thing
This Island Earth
Them
It Came from Outer Space - 3D
Revenge of the Creature - 3D
Deadly Mantis
Monolith Monsters
Tarantula
Incredible Shrinking Man
Valley of Gwangi
War of the Worlds

I have the following titles on Blu-ray:

Them Region A
Tarantula Region B
The Incredible Shrinking Man Region B

 

[Alan Tully]

Valley of Gwangi

The Valley of Gwangi is 1969!

While I'm here I might as well do a list (although I think I have one or two here already), so, from the top of my head:

The Bad & The Beautiful
Scaramouche
Bend Of The River
Ivanhoe
Helen Of Troy
The Land Of The Pharaohs
Bad Day At Black Rock
Mister Roberts
Brigadoon
Teahouse Of The August Moon.

I could go on, I could list ten westerns at the drop of a hot...& I've just noticed, nine of this list would come from Warner.