Dan Sallitt’s Favorite Films of the 1950s, by International Release Date

1959

  1. RIO BRAVO (Howard Hawks, USA) 
  2. ANATOMY OF A MURDER (Otto Preminger, USA) 
  3. DAY OF THE OUTLAW (Andre de Toth, USA) 
  4. NAZARIN (Luis Bunuel, Mexico) 
  5. THE 400 BLOWS (Francois Truffaut, France) 
  6. THE HORSE SOLDIERS (John Ford, USA) 
  7. LES COUSINS (Claude Chabrol, France) 
  8. NORTH BY NORTHWEST (Alfred Hitchcock, USA) 
  9. GENERAL DELLA ROVERE (Roberto Rossellini, Italy) 
  10. THE SCARFACE MOB (Phil Karlson, USA) 
  11. PICKPOCKET (Robert Bresson, France) 
  12. LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES (Roger Vadim, France) 
  13. ASK ANY GIRL (Charles Walters, USA) 
  14. TRAIN WITHOUT A TIMETABLE (Veljko Bulajic, Yugoslavia)
  15. FACE OF A FUGITIVE (Paul Wendkos, USA) 
  16. TOUS LES GARCONS S’APPELLENT PATRICK (Jean-Luc Godard, France) 
  17. WHEN ANGELS FALL (Roman Polanski, Poland)
  18. WOMAN OBSESSED (Henry Hathaway, USA)
  19. UNE SIMPLE HISTOIRE (Marcel Hanoun, France)
  20. CHIKAMATSU’S LOVE IN OSAKA (Tomu Uchida, Japan)
  21. THE LAMP (Roman Polanski, Poland)

THE INDIAN TOMB (Fritz Lang, Germany)
BLIND DATE (Joseph Losey, UK)
RIDE LONESOME (Budd Boetticher, USA)
THE WORLD OF APU (Satyajit Ray, India)
FLOATING WEEDS (Yasujiro Ozu, Japan)
EDGE OF ETERNITY (Don Siegel, USA)
I MAGLIARI (Francesco Rosi, Italy)

1958

  1. VERTIGO (Alfred Hitchcock, USA) 
  2. WIND ACROSS THE EVERGLADES (Nicholas Ray, USA) 
  3. THE LINE-UP (Don Siegel, USA) 
  4. UNE VIE (Alexandre Astruc, France) 
  5. FROM HELL TO TEXAS (Henry Hathaway, USA) 
  6. GUNMAN’S WALK (Phil Karlson, USA)
  7. BUCHANAN RIDES ALONE (Budd Boetticher, USA) 
  8. LA PREMIERE NUIT (Georges Franju, France) 
  9. LE BEAU SERGE (Claude Chabrol, France)
  10. GIDEON OF SCOTLAND YARD (John Ford, UK/USA) 
  11. THE LAST HURRAH (John Ford, USA) 
  12. AN AMERICAN (Alain Cavalier, France)
  13. THE GIFT OF LOVE (Jean Negulesco, USA)
  14. THE NAKED AND THE DEAD (Raoul Walsh, USA)
  15. EQUINOX FLOWER (Yasujiro Ozu, Japan)
  16. POEM OF THE SEA (Yuliya Solntseva, USSR) 
  17. BONJOUR TRISTESSE (Otto Preminger, USA) 
  18. THE CHASE (Yoshitaro Nomura, Japan) 
  19. MACHINE-GUN KELLY (Roger Corman, USA)
  20. NIGHT DRUM (Tadashi Imai, Japan) 
  21. A TIME TO LOVE AND A TIME TO DIE (Douglas Sirk, USA) 
  22. ANZUKKO (Mikio Naruse, Japan)
  23. SUMMER CLOUDS (Mikio Naruse, Japan)
  24. VERONIQUE ET SON CANCRE (Eric Rohmer, France)
  25. MAN OF THE WEST (Anthony Mann, USA) 

THE GYPSY AND THE GENTLEMAN (Joseph Losey, UK)
THE STRAW MAN (Pietro Germi, Italy)
BENTEN KOZO (Daisuke Ito, Japan)

1957

  1. MEN IN WAR (Anthony Mann, USA) 
  2. TIME WITHOUT PITY (Joseph Losey, UK) 
  3. MISTER CORY (Blake Edwards, USA) 
  4. IL GRIDO (Michelangelo Antonioni, Italy) 
  5. SNOW COUNTRY (Shiro Toyoda, Japan) 
  6. AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER (Leo McCarey, USA) 
  7. FUNNY FACE (Stanley Donen, USA) 
  8. RUN OF THE ARROW (Samuel Fuller, USA)
  9. YELLOW CROW (Heinosuke Gosho, Japan) 
  10. UNTAMED (Mikio Naruse, Japan)
  11. THE TALL T (Budd Boetticher, USA) 
  12. THE WRESTLER AND THE CLOWN (Boris Barnet, USSR)
  13. SAIT-ON JAMAIS… (Roger Vadim, France)
  14. THE GLASS TOWER (Harald Braun, West Germany)
  15. JET PILOT (Josef von Sternberg, USA) 
  16. THE HORSE BOY (Tomu Uchida, Japan) 
  17. POET (Boris Barnet, USSR)
  18. GUENDALINA (Alberto Lattuada, Italy)
  19. SHITAMACHI (Yasuki Chiba, Japan) 
  20. MAN ON THE TRACKS (Andrzej Munk, Poland) 
  21. SLIM CARTER (Richard Bartlett, USA)
  22. TOKYO TWILIGHT (Yasujiro Ozu, Japan) 
  23. ON THIS EARTH (Kimisaburo Yoshimura, Japan) 
  24. JOE DAKOTA (Richard Bartlett, USA) 
  25. NIGHT OF THE DEMON (Jacques Tourneur, UK) 
  26. CRIME OF PASSION (Gerd Oswald, USA)
  27. THE TIN STAR (Anthony Mann, USA) 
  28. LOVE IN THE AFTERNOON (Billy Wilder, USA)
  29. THE RIVER’S EDGE (Allan Dwan, USA)
  30. LES MISTONS (Francois Truffaut, France) 

THE CRANES ARE FLYING (Mikhael Kalatozov, USSR)
BABY FACE NELSON (Don Siegel, USA)
MURDER (Roman Polanski, Poland)

1956

  1. THE SEARCHERS (John Ford, USA) 
  2. FLOWING (Mikio Naruse, Japan) 
  3. WRITTEN ON THE WIND (Douglas Sirk, USA) 
  4. A WIFE’S HEART (Mikio Naruse, Japan)
  5. THE WRONG MAN (Alfred Hitchcock, USA) 
  6. THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (Alfred Hitchcock, USA) 
  7. A MAN ESCAPED (Robert Bresson, France) 
  8. NIGHTFALL (Jacques Tourneur, USA) 
  9. THE KURODA AFFAIR (Tomu Uchida, Japan) 
  10. BANDIDO (Richard Fleischer, USA) 
  11. NIGHT AND FOG (Alain Resnais, France) 
  12. WAR AND PEACE (King Vidor, Italy/USA) 
  13. ATTACK! (Robert Aldrich, USA) 
  14. BEATRICE CENCI (Riccardo Freda, Italy)
  15. CELA S’APPELLE L’AURORE (Luis Bunuel, France/Italy) 
  16. BEYOND OBLIVION (Hugo del Carril, Argentina)
  17. TOUTE LA MEMOIRE DU MONDE (Alain Resnais, France) 
  18. THE RAILROAD MAN (Pietro Germi, Italy) 
  19. HOLD BACK THE NIGHT (Allan Dwan, USA)
  20. THE KREUTZER SONATA (Eric Rohmer, France)
  21. SUDDEN RAIN (Mikio Naruse, Japan)

THE KILLING (Stanley Kubrick, USA)
AND GOD CREATED WOMAN (Roger Vadim, France)
WHILE THE CITY SLEEPS (Fritz Lang, USA)
I’LL BUY YOU (Masaki Kobayashi, Japan)
INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (Don Siegel, USA)
SCREEN DIRECTORS PLAYHOUSE: “High Air” (Allan Dwan, USA)

1955

  1. FLOATING CLOUDS (Mikio Naruse, Japan) 
  2. ORDET (Carl Dreyer, Denmark) 
  3. REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE (Nicholas Ray, USA) 
  4. FRENCH CANCAN (Jean Renoir, France) 
  5. A HOLE OF MY OWN MAKING (Tomu Uchida, Japan)
  6. ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWS (Douglas Sirk, USA) 
  7. LOLA MONTES (Max Ophuls, France/Germany) 
  8. GROWING UP (Heinosuke Gosho, Japan) 
  9. THE MAN FROM LARAMIE (Anthony Mann, USA) 
  10. THE PHENIX CITY STORY (Phil Karlson, USA) 
  11. LYANA (Boris Barnet, USSR)
  12. LES GRANDES MANOEUVRES (Rene Clair, France) 
  13. MARITAL RELATIONS (Shiro Toyoda, Japan) 
  14. THE LADYKILLERS (Alexander Mackendrick, UK) 
  15. THE GIRL IN THE RED VELVET SWING (Richard Fleischer, USA) 
  16. MR. ARKADIN (2006 restoration) (Orson Welles, France/Spain/Switzerland) 
  17. THE LAST FRONTIER (Anthony Mann, USA) 
  18. PATHER PANCHALI (Satyajit Ray, India) 
  19. STRANGER ON HORSEBACK (Jacques Tourneur, USA) 
  20. THE TENDER TRAP (Charles Walters, USA) 
  21. TENNESSEE’S PARTNER (Allan Dwan, USA) 
  22. THERE’S ALWAYS TOMORROW (Douglas Sirk, USA)
  23. IT HAPPENED ON JULY 20TH (G. W. Pabst, West Germany) 
  24. DADDY LONG LEGS (Jean Negulesco, USA) 
  25. ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS: “Revenge” (Alfred Hitchcock, USA) 
  26. VIOLENT SATURDAY (Richard Fleischer, USA)
  27. WICHITA (Jacques Tourneur, USA) 
  28. SMILES OF A SUMMER NIGHT (Ingmar Bergman, Sweden) 
  29. LES MAITRES FOUS (Jean Rouch, France) 
  30. RUN FOR COVER (Nicholas Ray, USA)
  31. THE KISS: “WOMEN’S WAYS” (Mikio Naruse, Japan)
  32. YANG KWEI FEI (Kenji Mizoguchi, Japan) 

LAND OF THE PHAROAHS (Howard Hawks, USA)
THE COURT-MARTIAL OF BILLY MITCHELL (Otto Preminger, USA)
TALES OF THE TAIRA CLAN (Kenji Mizoguchi, Japan)

1954

  1. DRIVE A CROOKED ROAD (Richard Quine, USA) 
  2. THE RAID (Hugo Fregonese, USA)
  3. TOUCHEZ PAS AU GRISBI (Jacques Becker, France) 
  4. YOUNG AT HEART (Gordon Douglas, USA) 
  5. SOUND OF THE MOUNTAIN (Mikio Naruse, Japan) 
  6. VOYAGE IN ITALY (Roberto Rossellini, Italy) 
  7. REAR WINDOW (Alfred Hitchcock, USA) 
  8. BLACK TUESDAY (Hugo Fregonese, USA) 
  9. DIAL M FOR MURDER (Alfred Hitchcock, USA) 
  10. TIEFLAND (Leni Riefenstahl, Germany) (shot 1943) 
  11. THE SEVEN SAMURAI (Akira Kurosawa, Japan) 
  12. PRIVATE HELL 36 (Don Siegel, USA) 
  13. ANOTHER SKY (Gavin Lambert, UK)
  14. UNA DONNA LIBERA (Vittorio Cottafavi, Italy)
  15. THE BEACH (Alberto Lattuada, Italy) 
  16. RIOT IN CELL BLOCK 11 (Don Siegel, USA) 
  17. A LESSON IN LOVE (Ingmar Bergman, Sweden) 
  18. SILVER LODE (Allan Dwan, USA) 
  19. DAYS OF LOVE (Giuseppe de Santis, Italy) 
  20. THE RIVER AND DEATH (Luis Bunuel, Mexico) 
  21. THE PURPLE PLAIN (Robert Parrish, USA)
  22. FATHER BROWN (Robert Hamer, UK)
  23. THEY RODE WEST (Phil Karlson, USA) 
  24. THE SILENT RAIDERS (Richard Bartlett, USA)

LATE CHRYSANTHEMUMS (Mikio Naruse, Japan)
KARIN MANSDOTTER (Alf Sjoberg, Sweden)
WUTHERING HEIGHTS (Luis Bunuel, Mexico)

1953

  1. GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES (Howard Hawks, USA) 
  2. ANGEL FACE (Otto Preminger, USA) 
  3. WHERE CHIMNEYS ARE SEEN (Heinosuke Gosho, Japan) 
  4. TOKYO STORY (Yasujiro Ozu, Japan) 
  5. THE WAGES OF FEAR (Henri-Georges Clouzot, France/Italy) 
  6. ALL I DESIRE (Douglas Sirk, USA)
  7. OLDER BROTHER, YOUNGER SISTER (Mikio Naruse, Japan) 
  8. GENEVIEVE (Henry Cornelius, UK)
  9. TRAVIATA ’53 (Vittorio Cottafavi, Italy)
  10. DANGEROUS WHEN WET (Charles Walters, USA) 
  11. EL BRUTO (Luis Bunuel, Mexico) 
  12. 99 RIVER ST. (Phil Karlson, USA) 
  13. WIFE (Mikio Naruse, Japan)
  14. EL (Luis Bunuel, Mexico) 
  15. QUAND TU LIRAS CETTE LETTRE (Jean-Pierre Melville, France)
  16. LILI (Charles Walters, USA)
  17. LOVE IN THE CITY: “TENTATO SUICIDIO” (Michelangelo Antonioni, Italy)
  18. HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE (Jean Negulesco, USA) 
  19. BARABBAS (Alf Sjoberg, Sweden) 
  20. CRIME WAVE (Andre de Toth, USA)
  21. THE EARRINGS OF MADAME DE… (Max Ophuls, France) 
  22. ESCAPE FROM FORT BRAVO (John Sturges, USA) 
  23. THE NAKED SPUR (Anthony Mann, USA) 
  24. BLOWING WILD (Hugo Fregonese, USA) 
  25. I LOVE MELVIN (Don Weis, USA)
  26. WILD GEESE (Shiro Toyoda, Japan)
  27. SEMINOLE (Budd Boetticher, USA)
  28. L’AMOUR D’UNE FEMME (Jean Gremillon, France)
  29. THE HITCH-HIKER (Ida Lupino, USA)
  30. THE SUN SHINES BRIGHT (John Ford, USA)
  31. THE GREAT ADVENTURE (Arne Sucksdorff, Sweden)

THE MAN BETWEEN (Carol Reed, UK)
UGETSU (Kenji Mizoguchi, Japan)
THE BIG HEAT (Fritz Lang, USA)
BREAD, LOVE AND DREAMS (Luigi Comencini, Italy)
THE CHARGE AT FEATHER RIVER (Gordon Douglas, USA)
THE LITTLE FUGITIVE (Morris Engel, USA)
BATTLE CIRCUS (Richard Brooks, USA)
THUNDER OVER THE PLAINS (Andre de Toth, USA)

1952

  1. LIGHTNING (Mikio Naruse, Japan) 
  2. THE BIG SKY (Howard Hawks, USA) 
  3. MY SON JOHN (Leo McCarey, USA) 
  4. CASQUE D’OR (Jacques Becker, France) 
  5. THE GOLDEN COACH (Jean Renoir, France) 
  6. SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN (Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly, USA)
  7. THE YOUTH OF CHOPIN (Aleksander Ford, Poland)
  8. SCANDAL SHEET (Phil Karlson, USA) 
  9. THE QUIET MAN (John Ford, USA) 
  10. RETREAT, HELL! (Joseph H. Lewis, USA) 
  11. MOTHER (Mikio Naruse, Japan)
  12. SPRINGFIELD RIFLE (Andre de Toth, USA) 
  13. WAY OF A GAUCHO (Jacques Tourneur, USA) 
  14. THE LIFE OF OHARU (Kenji Mizoguchi, Japan) 
  15. THE IRON MISTRESS (Gordon Douglas, USA)
  16. OTHELLO (English Cannes version)(Orson Welles, USA/Italy/Morocco/France)
  17. ROME 11 O’CLOCK (Giuseppe De Santis, Italy)
  18. CARSON CITY (Andre de Toth, USA)

EUROPA ’51 (Roberto Rossellini, Italy)
THE LUSTY MEN (Nicholas Ray, USA)
LIMELIGHT (Charles Chaplin, USA)
LE PLAISIR (Max Ophuls, France)
THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH (Cecil B. DeMille, USA)
NO ROOM FOR THE GROOM (Douglas Sirk, USA)
THE CIMARRON KID (Budd Boetticher, USA)

1951

  1. DIARY OF A COUNTRY PRIEST (Robert Bresson, France) 
  2. THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD (Howard Hawks and Christian Nyby, USA) 
  3. THE MAN IN THE WHITE SUIT (Alexander Mackendrick, UK) 
  4. THE PROWLER (Joseph Losey, USA) 
  5. ROYAL WEDDING (Stanley Donen, USA) 
  6. THE TALL TARGET (Anthony Mann, USA) 
  7. MISS JULIE (Alf Sjoberg, Sweden)
  8. APACHE DRUMS (Hugo Fregonese, USA) 
  9. REPAST (Mikio Naruse, Japan)
  10. THE BULLFIGHTER AND THE LADY (Budd Boetticher, USA) 
  11. THE FIRST LEGION (Douglas Sirk, USA)
  12. EDOUARD ET CAROLINE (Jacques Becker, France)
  13. STRANGERS ON A TRAIN (Alfred Hitchcock, USA) 
  14. THE SINNER (Willi Forst, West Germany) 
  15. ON DANGEROUS GROUND (Nicholas Ray, USA)
  16. THE BIG NIGHT (Joseph Losey, USA) 
  17. PANDORA AND THE FLYING DUTCHMAN (Albert Lewin, UK)
  18. CRY, THE BELOVED COUNTRY (Zoltan Korda, UK)
  19. EARLY SUMMER (Yasujiro Ozu, Japan) 
  20. THE THIRTEENTH LETTER (Otto Preminger, USA) 
  21. THE MOB (Robert Parrish, USA)
  22. MISS OYU (Kenji Mizoguchi, Japan) 
  23. MARK OF THE RENEGADE (Hugo Fregonese, USA)
  24. GINZA COSMETICS (Mikio Naruse, Japan)
  25. CIRCLE OF DANGER (Jacques Tourneur, USA)

DANCING GIRL (Mikio Naruse, Japan)
FLYING LEATHERNECKS (Nicholas Ray, USA)
THE RIVER (Jean Renoir, France)

1950

  1. STORY OF A LOVE AFFAIR (Michelangelo Antonioni, Italy) 
  2. GONE TO EARTH (Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, UK) 
  3. THE FURIES (Anthony Mann, USA) 
  4. A LIFE OF HER OWN (George Cukor, USA)
  5. PANIC IN THE STREETS (Elia Kazan, USA) 
  6. WINCHESTER ’73 (Anthony Mann, USA) 
  7. KISS TOMORROW GOODBYE (Gordon Douglas, USA) 
  8. STARS IN MY CROWN (Jacques Tourneur, USA) 
  9. LA RONDE (Max Ophuls, France) 
  10. LOS OLVIDADOS (Luis Bunuel, Mexico) 
  11. THE BREAKING POINT (Michael Curtiz, USA) 
  12. LES PREMIERES ARMES (Rene Wheeler, France) 
  13. STROMBOLI (Roberto Rossellini, Italy) 
  14. TO JOY (Ingmar Bergman, Sweden) 
  15. RIO GRANDE (John Ford, USA) 
  16. WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS (Otto Preminger, USA) 
  17. A LADY WITHOUT PASSPORT (Joseph H. Lewis, USA) 
  18. SUMMER STOCK (Charles Walters, USA) 
  19. SADDLE TRAMP (Hugo Fregonese, USA) 

THE BOLD ONES (Konstantin Yudin, USSR)