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1959 Movies

Take a nostalgic look back at the top movies of 1959, celebrating the films, directors and actors that defined the year and left a lasting legacy in the world of entertainment.

1959 Academy Awards

Some Like It Hot
Written by: Billy Wilder, I. A. L. Diamond
Directed by: Billy Wilder
Starring: Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon
Country: United States of America
Outline: After witnessing a mob hit, two male musicians disguise themselves as women and join an all-female band, leading to comedic and romantic entanglements.
source: imdb.com
North by Northwest
Written by: Ernest Lehman
Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
Starring: Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason
Country: United States of America
Outline: An innocent man is pursued across the United States by agents of a mysterious organization after being mistaken for a government agent.
source: imdb.com
Anatomy of a Murder
Written by: Wendell Mayes
Directed by: Otto Preminger
Starring: James Stewart, Lee Remick, Ben Gazzara
Country: United States of America
Outline: A Michigan lawyer defends a soldier who claims he killed an innkeeper due to temporary insanity after the victim raped his wife.
source: imdb.com
Ben-Hur
Written by: Karl Tunberg
Directed by: William Wyler
Starring: Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, Haya Harareet
Country: United States of America
Outline: A Jewish prince seeks vengeance after being betrayed and enslaved by his best friend, culminating in a dramatic chariot race.
source: imdb.com
Rio Bravo
Written by: Jules Furthman, Leigh Brackett
Directed by: Howard Hawks
Starring: John Wayne, Dean Martin, Angie Dickinson
Country: United States of America
Outline: A sheriff and his posse hold a murderer in jail while awaiting a U.S. Marshal, facing challenges from the criminal's brother and his gang.
source: imdb.com
Imitation of Life
Written by: Eleanore Griffin, Allan Scott
Directed by: Douglas Sirk
Starring: Lana Turner, John Gavin, Sandra Dee, Susan Kohner, Juanita Moore, Dan O'Herlihy
Country: United States of America
Outline: An aspiring actress and her housekeeper retain a solid friendship despite problems with their teenage daughters.
source: imdb.com
Suddenly, Last Summer
Written by: Gore Vidal
Directed by: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Starring: Elizabeth Taylor, Katharine Hepburn, Montgomery Clift, Albert Dekker, Mercedes McCambridge, Gary Raymond
Country: United States of America
Outline: A young woman is traumatized by the memory of her cousin's death during a vacation in Spain.
source: imdb.com
Pillow Talk
Written by: Russell Rouse, Clarence Greene
Directed by: Michael Gordon
Starring: Doris Day, Rock Hudson, Tony Randall, Thelma Ritter, Nick Adams, Allen Jenkins
Country: United States of America
Outline: An interior decorator and a composer share a telephone party line and develop a mutual attraction.
source: imdb.com
Operation Petticoat
Written by: Edmund Beloin, Henry Garson
Directed by: Blake Edwards
Starring: Cary Grant, Tony Curtis, Dina Merrill, Gene Evans, Gavin MacLeod, Dick Sargent
Country: United States of America
Outline: A submarine captain and his crew are forced to take a newly commissioned submarine on a dangerous mission.
source: imdb.com
The 400 Blows
Written by: François Truffaut, Marcel Moussy
Directed by: François Truffaut
Starring: Jean-Pierre Léaud, Claire Maurier, Albert Rémy, Guy Decomble, Georges Flamant, Patrick Auffay
Country: France
Outline: A young boy in Paris is misunderstood by his parents and teachers, leading him to a life of petty crime. The film is a seminal work of the French New Wave, depicting the struggles of adolescence.
source: en.wikipedia.org
North by Northwest
Written by: Ernest Lehman
Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
Starring: Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason, Jessie Royce Landis
Country: United States of America
Outline: An innocent man is pursued across the United States by agents of a mysterious organization intent on preventing him from blocking their plan to smuggle microfilm out of the country.
source: en.wikipedia.org
The World of Apu
Written by: Satyajit Ray
Directed by: Satyajit Ray
Starring: Soumitra Chatterjee, Sharmila Tagore, Swapan Mukherjee, Alok Chakravarty
Country: India
Outline: Apu, now an adult, faces the challenges of life and love as he pursues his dreams in Calcutta.
source: imdb.com
La grande guerra
Written by: Agenore Incrocci, Mario Monicelli, Furio Scarpelli, Luciano Vincenzoni
Directed by: Mario Monicelli
Starring: Alberto Sordi, Vittorio Gassman, Folco Lulli, Bernard Blier, Romolo Valli, Silvana Mangano
Country: Italy
Outline: Set during World War I, the film follows two soldiers who desert the Italian army and embark on a journey through the war-torn countryside. Blending comedy and drama, it offers a poignant look at the human cost of war.
source: en.wikipedia.org
The 400 Blows
Written by: François Truffaut, Marcel Moussy
Directed by: François Truffaut
Starring: Jean-Pierre Léaud, Claire Maurier, Albert Rémy, Guy Decomble, Georges Flamant, Patrick Auffay
Country: France
Outline: The film follows Antoine Doinel, a misunderstood adolescent in Paris, who struggles with his parents and teachers due to his rebellious behavior. It is widely considered one of the greatest films ever made.
source: en.wikipedia.org
Ballad of a Soldier
Written by: Grigoriy Chukhray, Valentin Ezhov
Directed by: Grigoriy Chukhray
Starring: Vladimir Ivashov, Zhanna Prokhorenko, Anatoli Kuznetsov, Yevdokiya Uralova, Nikolai Kryuchkov, Aleksei Batalov
Country: Russian Federation
Outline: During World War II, a young Soviet soldier is granted a brief leave to visit his mother, leading to a journey that changes his life. The film is a poignant exploration of love and loss during wartime.
source: en.wikipedia.org
Hiroshima Mon Amour
Written by: Marguerite Duras
Directed by: Alain Resnais
Starring: Emmanuelle Riva, Eiji Okada, Stella Dassas, Bernard Fresson, Pierre Barbaud, Michel Audy
Country: France
Outline: A French actress and a Japanese architect have a brief affair in Hiroshima, leading them to confront their pasts and the atomic bombing. The film is a landmark in world cinema for its innovative narrative and style.
source: en.wikipedia.org
Anari
Written by: Inder Raj Anand
Directed by: Hrishikesh Mukherjee
Starring: Raj Kapoor, Nutan, Motilal, Lalita Pawar
Country: India
Outline: Anari is a 1959 Indian Hindi-language comedy film directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee, starring Raj Kapoor, Nutan, Motilal, and Lalita Pawar. The film follows the story of a naive painter who becomes entangled in a complex situation involving love, deceit, and social issues.
source: imdb.com
General Della Rovere
Written by: Cesare Zavattini, Roberto Rossellini
Directed by: Roberto Rossellini
Starring: Vittorio De Sica, Hannes Messemer, Lilla Brignone, Giacomo Furia, Tino Carraro, Franco Interlenghi
Country: Italy
Outline: Set during World War II, the film follows a petty thief who impersonates a general to deceive German soldiers, leading to unexpected consequences. It is a compelling drama about identity and survival.
source: en.wikipedia.org
The Bridge
Written by: Gregor Dorfmeister
Directed by: Bernhard Wicki
Starring: Karl Michael Balzer, Folker Bohnet, Michael Hinz
Country: Germany
Outline: The Bridge is a 1959 West German film directed by Bernhard Wicki, depicting a group of teenage boys who, near the end of World War II, are recruited to defend a bridge in their hometown, leading to tragic consequences. The film is noted for its anti-war message and was one of the first major post-war German films to gain international recognition.
source: criterionchannel.com
Room at the Top
Written by: John Braine
Directed by: Jack Clayton
Starring: Laurence Harvey, Simone Signoret, Heather Sears
Country: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Outline: Room at the Top is a 1959 British film directed by Jack Clayton, based on John Braine's novel, depicting the story of a young man from a working-class background who seeks to climb the social ladder through relationships with two women. The film explores themes of ambition, class, and social mobility.
source: imdb.com