Movies Of 1953

From Henri-Georges Clouzot, starring Yves Montand, Charles Vanel, Peter van Eyck, Folco Lulli
Rated Not Rated

The Wages of Fear is a French-Italian thriller directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot. The movie follows a group of desperate laborers in a South American village who are offered a dangerous job – to transport four truckloads of highly volatile nitroglycerin over hundreds of miles of treacherous terrain. The men take on the job, hoping to make enough money to escape their dire situation and start a new life. As they traverse the treacherous roads, the danger becomes increasingly real and the men must battle their fears and each other to survive their journey. With suspenseful action and a compelling story, The Wages of Fear is a classic film that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats.

From William Wyler, starring Gregory Peck, Audrey Hepburn, Eddie Albert, Hartley Power
Rated Passed

Roman Holiday is a romantic comedy starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck. The film follows the story of Princess Ann (Hepburn), a modern-day princess from a European country who escapes her royal duties for a day and embarks on an adventure around Rome with an American reporter, Joe Bradley (Peck). As the two explore the city together, they fall in love, but the princess must eventually return to her royal life. The film is noted for its stunning cinematography and for Hepburn's remarkable performance, for which she won an Academy Award for Best Actress.

From Billy Wilder, starring William Holden, Don Taylor, Otto Preminger, Robert Strauss
Rated Not Rated

Stalag 17 is a 1953 American black comedy-drama war film directed by Billy Wilder and starring William Holden set in a German POW camp during World War II. The film focuses on two American sergeants, J.J. Sefton (William Holden) and Duke (Don Taylor) who are suspected by the camp's German commandant to be allies of the Resistance. Sefton soon discovers that a spy is hiding among the Allied prisoners, and sets out to expose the traitor and clear his name. Along the way, he must also deal with his fellow inmates, who are suspicious of his motives and gradually come to appreciate his courage and capacity for leadership. The film won the Academy Award for Best Picture and Holden won the Academy Award for Best Actor.

From Federico Fellini, starring Alberto Sordi, Franco Fabrizi, Franco Interlenghi, Leopoldo Trieste
Rated Not Rated

I Vitelloni is Federico Fellini's semi-autobiographical comedy-drama about five young men living in a small Italian town. The film follows their misadventures and attempts to escape their small-town lives and find their own place in the world. The main characters are Moraldo, Fausto, Riccardo, Alberto and Leopoldo. While all of them have dreams and ambitions, they seem content to drift through life avoiding any kind of responsibility. As the film progresses, it becomes clear that this attitude is preventing them from finding true fulfillment, and they are all forced to confront their own limitations. The film ends with each of the five characters embracing their own individual paths, accepting adulthood and the responsibilities that come with it.

From Fred Zinnemann, starring Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Deborah Kerr, Donna Reed
Rated Passed

From Here to Eternity is a 1953 American drama war film directed by Fred Zinnemann and starring Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Deborah Kerr, Donna Reed, Frank Sinatra, and Ernest Borgnine. Set in 1941 on the island of Oahu, the film focuses on the conflicts between five different individuals in the months leading up to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Sergeant Warden (Lancaster) is an Army non-commissioned officer stationed at Schofield Barracks and is having an affair with Karen (Kerr), the wife of Captain Holmes (Philip Ober). Private Robert E. Lee Prewitt (Clift) is a bugler and boxer who has been transferred to the same unit, and is treated with disdain by the unit's commanding officer, Captain Dana "Dynamite" Holmes. Prewitt refuses to fight in the ring, defying the orders of the company's first sergeant, Milton Warden. Meanwhile, Private Angelo Maggio (Sinatra) is a young Italian-American who befriends Prewitt and is beaten up by the sadistic Sergeant "Fatso" Judson (Borgnine). Maggio eventually dies from his injuries. The film culminates with

From George Stevens, starring Alan Ladd, Jean Arthur, Van Heflin, Brandon De Wilde
Rated Not Rated

Shane is a 1953 film directed by George Stevens about a mysterious gunslinger-for-hire, Shane (Alan Ladd). He rides into an isolated valley in Wyoming to help the Starrett family, who are being terrorized by the ruthless cattle baron Ryker, who wants to buy their land and run them off the range. After a series of violent confrontations, Shane and the Starretts come together and fight off Ryker and his hired guns. In the end, Shane rides off, but his spirit will remain with the people of the valley, who have been forever changed by his courage and sacrifice.

From Directors: Ray Ashley, Morris Engel, Ruth Orkin, starring Richard Brewster, Winifred Cushing, Jay Williams, Will Lee
Rated Not Rated

Little Fugitive is an award-winning 1953 American film directed and co-written by Morris Engel, Ray Ashley, and Ruth Orkin. The film follows a young boy, Joey, who runs away from home and takes refuge on Coney Island after he is told by his brother that he has killed a man. Joey spends his days exploring the beach and the amusement park, befriending a group of bums, and avoiding the police who are searching for him. The film is noted for its use of non-professional actors and naturalistic cinematography. At the 1954 Academy Awards, Little Fugitive was nominated for best writing, story, and screenplay. It was also the inspiration for the French New Wave classic The 400 Blows.

From Vincente Minnelli, starring Fred Astaire, Cyd Charisse, Oscar Levant, Nanette Fabray
Rated Passed

From Directors: Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske, Jack Kinney, starring Bobby Driscoll, Kathryn Beaumont, Hans Conried, Bill Thompson
Rated G

From Alfred Hitchcock, starring Montgomery Clift, Anne Baxter, Karl Malden, Brian Aherne
Rated Not Rated

From John Farrow, starring John Wayne, Geraldine Page, Ward Bond, Michael Pate
Rated PG