1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 195519561957 1958 1959

1956 Movies

Take a nostalgic look back at the top movies of 1956, celebrating the films, directors and actors that defined the year and left a lasting legacy in the world of entertainment.

1956 Academy Awards

The Ten Commandments
Written by: Aeneas MacKenzie, Jesse L. Lasky Jr., Jack Gariss, Fredric M. Frank, Cecil B. DeMille
Directed by: Cecil B. DeMille
Starring: Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner, Anne Baxter, Edward G. Robinson, Debra Paget, John Derek, Martha Scott, Nina Foch, Vincent Price, John Carradine, Cedric Hardwicke, Judith Anderson
Country: United States of America
Outline: The biblical story of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt and their journey to the Promised Land.
source: imdb.com
Giant
Written by: Fred Guiol, Ivan Moffat, Edna Ferber
Directed by: George Stevens
Starring: Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, James Dean, Carroll Baker, Dennis Hopper, Sal Mineo, Elsa Cárdenas, Earl Holliman, Chill Wills, Mercedes McCambridge, Rod Taylor, Paul Fix
Country: United States of America
Outline: Sprawling epic covering the life of a Texas cattle rancher and his family and associates.
source: imdb.com
The King and I
Written by: Ernest Lehman
Directed by: Walter Lang
Starring: Deborah Kerr, Yul Brynner, Rita Moreno, Martin Benson, Rex Thompson
Country: United States of America
Outline: In 1862, widowed schoolteacher Anna Leonowens travels to Siam to tutor King Mongkut's children, leading to a complex relationship that bridges cultural divides. The film explores themes of cultural exchange and personal growth.
source: imdb.com
High Society
Written by: John Patrick, Philip Barry
Directed by: Charles Walters
Starring: Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Celeste Holm, John Lund
Country: United States of America
Outline: Socialite Tracy Lord is about to remarry when her ex-husband and a reporter arrive to cover her wedding, leading to romantic entanglements and comedic misunderstandings.
source: imdb.com
Trapeze
Written by: Terry Southern, Alexander Mackendrick
Directed by: Carol Reed
Starring: Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis, Gina Lollobrigida, Thomas Gomez, Katy Jurado
Country: United States of America
Outline: A former trapeze artist returns to the circus to train a young protégé, leading to rivalry and romantic entanglements.
source: imdb.com
The Teahouse of the August Moon
Written by: John Patrick
Directed by: Daniel Mann
Starring: Marlon Brando, Glenn Ford, Machiko Kyō, Eddie Albert, Paul Ford
Country: United States of America
Outline: In post-war Okinawa, an American officer attempts to introduce democracy by building a teahouse, leading to cultural clashes and comedic situations.
source: imdb.com
The Eddy Duchin Story
Written by: Samuel A. Taylor
Directed by: George Sidney
Starring: Tyrone Power, Kim Novak, Victoria Shaw, James Whitmore, Edmund Gwenn
Country: United States of America
Outline: A biographical film about the life and career of pianist and bandleader Eddy Duchin, focusing on his rise to fame and personal tragedies.
source: imdb.com
War and Peace
Written by: Bridget Boland, Mario Camerini, Ennio De Concini, Gian Gaspare Napolitano, Ivo Perilli, Mario Soldati, King Vidor, Robert Westerby
Directed by: King Vidor
Starring: Audrey Hepburn, Henry Fonda, Mel Ferrer, Vittorio Gassman, Herbert Lom, Oskar Homolka, Anita Ekberg, Helmut Dantine, Barry Jones, Anna Maria Ferrero, Milly Vitale, Jeremy Brett
Country: Italy
Outline: Set against the backdrop of Napoleon's invasion of Russia, the film follows the intertwined lives of aristocratic families, focusing on the personal and political challenges they face during the tumultuous period.
source: imdb.com
Jagte Raho
Written by: Khwaja Ahmad Abbas
Directed by: Amit Maitra, Sombhu Mitra
Starring: Raj Kapoor, Sumitra Devi, Smriti Biswas, Pahari Sanyal, Sulochana Chatterjee, Daisy Irani, Motilal, Nana Palsikar, Iftekhar, Nargis
Country: India
Outline: A poor villager's quest for water in a city apartment exposes the hypocrisy and corruption of its residents. The film offers a sharp satire on urban life and human nature.
source: imdb.com
The Searchers
Written by: Frank S. Nugent
Directed by: John Ford
Starring: John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles, Ward Bond, Natalie Wood
Country: United States of America
Outline: In 1868, Ethan Edwards returns to his brother's ranch in Texas after the Civil War. When Comanche Indians attack and abduct his niece, Ethan embarks on a relentless quest to rescue her, confronting his own prejudices along the way.
source: rottentomatoes.com
The Killing
Written by: Stanley Kubrick, Jim Thompson
Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
Starring: Sterling Hayden, Coleen Gray, Vince Edwards, Jay C. Flippen, Marie Windsor
Country: United States of America
Outline: A group of criminals plan and execute a racetrack heist, but unforeseen complications arise, leading to a series of misadventures and betrayals.
source: rottentomatoes.com
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Written by: Daniel Mainwaring
Directed by: Don Siegel
Starring: Kevin McCarthy, Dana Wynter, Larry Gates, King Donovan, Carolyn Jones
Country: United States of America
Outline: Residents of a small town discover that their friends and family members are being replaced by emotionless alien duplicates, leading to a widespread panic.
source: rottentomatoes.com
The Catered Affair
Written by: Gore Vidal, Paddy Chayefsky
Directed by: Richard Brooks
Starring: Bette Davis, Ernest Borgnine, Debbie Reynolds, Barry Fitzgerald, Rod Taylor
Country: United States of America
Outline: When Jane Hurley announces her engagement, her mother Agnes plans an elaborate wedding, despite Jane's wishes for simplicity and her father Tom's financial constraints. The ensuing family tensions highlight the clash between personal desires and societal expectations.
source: imdb.com
Bigger Than Life
Written by: Cyril Hume
Directed by: Nicholas Ray
Starring: James Mason, Barbara Rush, Walter Matthau, Robert F. Simon, Richard Anderson
Country: United States of America
Outline: A schoolteacher's life spirals out of control after he becomes addicted to a dangerous drug, leading to a series of personal and family crises.
source: imdb.com
Forbidden Planet
Written by: Cyril Hume
Directed by: Fred M. Wilcox
Starring: Walter Pidgeon, Anne Francis, Leslie Nielsen, Warren Stevens, Jack Kelly
Country: United States of America
Outline: A starship crew travels to a distant planet to investigate the silence of a colony only to discover a deadly secret that challenges the boundaries of human knowledge.
source: imdb.com
The Harder They Fall
Written by: Philip Yordan
Directed by: Mark Robson
Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Rod Steiger, Jan Sterling, Mike Lane, Max Baer Jr.
Country: United States of America
Outline: A cynical press agent exploits a naive boxer, leading to a tragic downfall that exposes the dark underbelly of the sports industry.
source: imdb.com
La tercera palabra
Written by: Alejandro Casona
Directed by: Julián Soler
Starring: Marga López, Pedro Infante, Sara García, Prudencia Griffel
Country: Mexico
Outline: A young man raised in isolation is taught to read and write by a tutor, leading to a transformative journey of self-discovery and love.
source: en.wikipedia.org