Best Movies of 1952
by terrence-gale | created - 14 Feb 2014 | updated - 28 Feb 2014 | PublicHere are the best movies of 1952 (in order).
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1. Singin' in the Rain (1952)
G | 103 min | Comedy, Musical, Romance
A silent film star falls for a chorus girl just as he and his delusionally jealous screen partner are trying to make the difficult transition to talking pictures in 1920s Hollywood.
Directors: Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly | Stars: Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Jean Hagen
Votes: 260,574 | Gross: $8.82M
2. The Bad and the Beautiful (1952)
Passed | 118 min | Drama, Romance
An unscrupulous movie producer uses an actress, a director and a writer to achieve success.
Director: Vincente Minnelli | Stars: Lana Turner, Kirk Douglas, Walter Pidgeon, Dick Powell
Votes: 16,450
3. Rashomon (1950)
Not Rated | 88 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The rape of a bride and the murder of her samurai husband are recalled from the perspectives of a bandit, the bride, the samurai's ghost and a woodcutter.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Machiko Kyô, Masayuki Mori, Takashi Shimura
Votes: 180,367 | Gross: $0.10M
4. High Noon (1952)
PG | 85 min | Drama, Thriller, Western
A town Marshal, despite the disagreements of his newlywed bride and the townspeople around him, must face a gang of deadly killers alone at "high noon" when the gang leader, an outlaw he "sent up" years ago, arrives on the noon train.
Director: Fred Zinnemann | Stars: Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly, Thomas Mitchell, Lloyd Bridges
Votes: 110,143 | Gross: $9.45M
5. The Quiet Man (1952)
Passed | 129 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A retired American boxer returns to the village of his birth in 1920s Ireland, where he falls for a spirited redhead whose brother is contemptuous of their union.
Director: John Ford | Stars: John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Barry Fitzgerald, Ward Bond
Votes: 42,389 | Gross: $10.55M
6. Come Back, Little Sheba (1952)
Approved | 99 min | Drama, Romance
An emotionally remote recovering alcoholic and his dowdy, unambitious wife face a personal crisis when they take in an attractive lodger.
Director: Daniel Mann | Stars: Burt Lancaster, Shirley Booth, Terry Moore, Richard Jaeckel
Votes: 5,385
7. 5 Fingers (1952)
Approved | 108 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
During WWII the valet to the British Ambassador to Ankara sells British secrets to the Germans while trying to romance a refugee Polish countess.
Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz | Stars: James Mason, Danielle Darrieux, Michael Rennie, Walter Hampden
Votes: 5,467
8. The Lavender Hill Mob (1951)
Approved | 78 min | Comedy, Crime
A meek bank clerk who oversees the shipment of bullion joins with an eccentric neighbor to steal gold bars and smuggle them out of the country as miniature Eiffel Towers.
Director: Charles Crichton | Stars: Alec Guinness, Stanley Holloway, Sidney James, Alfie Bass
Votes: 15,555
9. Forbidden Games (1952)
Not Rated | 86 min | Comedy, Drama, War
A young French girl orphaned in a German air attack is befriended by the son of a poor farmer, and together they try to come to terms with the realities of death.
Director: René Clément | Stars: Georges Poujouly, Brigitte Fossey, Amédée, Laurence Badie
Votes: 13,097 | Gross: $0.01M
10. The Narrow Margin (1952)
Approved | 71 min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
A woman planning to testify against the mob must be protected against potential assassins on the train trip from Chicago to Los Angeles.
Directors: Richard Fleischer, William Cameron Menzies | Stars: Charles McGraw, Marie Windsor, Jacqueline White, Gordon Gebert
Votes: 8,653
11. Sudden Fear (1952)
Approved | 110 min | Film-Noir, Thriller
After an ambitious actor insinuates himself into the life of a wealthy middle-aged playwright and marries her, he plots with his mistress to murder her.
Director: David Miller | Stars: Joan Crawford, Jack Palance, Gloria Grahame, Bruce Bennett
Votes: 7,336
12. Viva Zapata! (1952)
Approved | 113 min | Biography, Drama, History
The story of Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata, who led a rebellion against the corrupt, oppressive dictatorship of President Porfirio Díaz in the early 20th century.
Director: Elia Kazan | Stars: Marlon Brando, Jean Peters, Anthony Quinn, Joseph Wiseman
Votes: 12,456
13. Carrie (1952)
Approved | 118 min | Drama, Romance
A young girl from a provincial town learns the bitter reality of a big city and great love.
Director: William Wyler | Stars: Laurence Olivier, Jennifer Jones, Miriam Hopkins, Eddie Albert
Votes: 2,729
14. The Man in the White Suit (1951)
Approved | 85 min | Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi
An altruistic chemist invents a fabric which resists wear and stain as a boon to humanity, but big business and labor realize it must be suppressed for economic reasons.
Director: Alexander Mackendrick | Stars: Alec Guinness, Joan Greenwood, Cecil Parker, Michael Gough
Votes: 10,804 | Gross: $0.01M
15. The Star (1952)
Passed | 89 min | Drama, Romance
A washed-up movie queen finds romance, but still desires a comeback.
Director: Stuart Heisler | Stars: Bette Davis, Sterling Hayden, Natalie Wood, Warner Anderson
Votes: 4,142
16. Moulin Rouge (1952)
Not Rated | 119 min | Biography, Drama, Music
Fictional account of French artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.
Director: John Huston | Stars: José Ferrer, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Suzanne Flon, Claude Nollier
Votes: 6,519 | Gross: $11.81M
17. My Cousin Rachel (1952)
Approved | 98 min | Drama, Mystery, Romance
A young man plots revenge against the woman he believes murdered his cousin, but his plans are shaken when he comes face to face with the enigmatic beauty.
Director: Henry Koster | Stars: Olivia de Havilland, Richard Burton, Audrey Dalton, Ronald Squire
Votes: 3,394
18. The Promoter (1952)
Approved | 85 min | Comedy
Edward Machin, an Edwardian-era young rogue of lowly origin, decides he must do what he can to raise his living standards in order to see the world and shape his own destiny.
Director: Ronald Neame | Stars: Alec Guinness, Glynis Johns, Valerie Hobson, Petula Clark
Votes: 1,829
19. The Big Sky (1952)
Approved | 140 min | Adventure, Drama, Western
The success of the journey focuses on keeping the Indian girl alive as well as themselves to complete trade with the Blackfeet.
Director: Howard Hawks | Stars: Kirk Douglas, Dewey Martin, Elizabeth Threatt, Arthur Hunnicutt
Votes: 4,746
20. The Member of the Wedding (1952)
TV-G | 93 min | Drama, Family
Her older brother's wedding forces preteen tomboy Frankie to face her own immaturity.
Director: Fred Zinnemann | Stars: Ethel Waters, Julie Harris, Brandon De Wilde, Arthur Franz
Votes: 1,584
21. The Sniper (1952)
Approved | 88 min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
A sniper kills young brunettes as the police attempt to grapple with the psychology of the unknown assailant.
Director: Edward Dmytryk | Stars: Arthur Franz, Adolphe Menjou, Gerald Mohr, Marie Windsor
Votes: 3,740
22. With a Song in My Heart (1952)
Approved | 117 min | Biography, Drama, Music
A talented singer's musical career begins to soar.
Director: Walter Lang | Stars: Susan Hayward, Rory Calhoun, David Wayne, Thelma Ritter
Votes: 1,506
23. The Medium (1951)
84 min | Drama, Music
Madame Flora is terrified when she perceives a supernatural presence during one of her fraudulent séances. Menotti's first international success, "The Medium" is a tragedy in two acts for ... See full summary »
Director: Gian Carlo Menotti | Stars: Marie Powers, Leopoldo Savona, Belva Kibler, Beverly Dame
Votes: 195
24. Pat and Mike (1952)
Not Rated | 95 min | Comedy, Romance, Sport
Pat is a women's sports sensation unless her fiancé is around. Her new shady manager Mike keeps them apart and develops feelings for her.
Director: George Cukor | Stars: Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Aldo Ray, William Ching
Votes: 6,150
25. Son of Paleface (1952)
Passed | 95 min | Comedy, Western
Junior Potter returns to claim his father's gold, which is nowhere to be found. "Mike" is the luscious head of a gang of thieves, and Roy Barton is the federal marshal hot on her trail.
Director: Frank Tashlin | Stars: Bob Hope, Jane Russell, Roy Rogers, Trigger
Votes: 2,508
26. The Sound Barrier (1952)
Approved | 109 min | Adventure, Drama, Romance
Fictionalized story of British aerospace engineers solving the problem of supersonic flight.
Director: David Lean | Stars: Ralph Richardson, Ann Todd, Nigel Patrick, John Justin
Votes: 2,322
27. Hans Christian Andersen (1952)
Passed | 112 min | Biography, Family, Musical
The opening scene of the movie describes it best: "Once upon a time there lived in Denmark a great storyteller named Hans Christian Andersen. This is not the story of his life, but a fairy tale about the great spinner of fairy tales."
Director: Charles Vidor | Stars: Danny Kaye, Farley Granger, Zizi Jeanmaire, Joseph Walsh
Votes: 4,218
28. The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima (1952)
Approved | 102 min | Drama, History
In this story based on true events of 1917, three Portuguese children share a miraculous, prophetic vision of the Virgin Mary.
Director: John Brahm | Stars: Gilbert Roland, Angela Clarke, Frank Silvera, Jay Novello
Votes: 1,450
29. Ivanhoe (1952)
Approved | 106 min | Adventure, Drama, Romance
A knight seeks to free the captive King Richard and put him back on the throne.
Director: Richard Thorpe | Stars: Robert Taylor, Elizabeth Taylor, Joan Fontaine, George Sanders
Votes: 10,221
30. The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)
Passed | 152 min | Drama, Family, Romance
The dramatic lives of trapeze artists, a clown, and an elephant trainer are told against a background of circus spectacle.
Director: Cecil B. DeMille | Stars: James Stewart, Charlton Heston, Betty Hutton, Cornel Wilde
Votes: 16,043 | Gross: $36.00M
31. Affair in Trinidad (1952)
Not Rated | 98 min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
Nightclub singer and her brother-in-law try to find her husband's killer.
Director: Vincent Sherman | Stars: Rita Hayworth, Glenn Ford, Alexander Scourby, Valerie Bettis
Votes: 3,086
32. The Pride of St. Louis (1952)
Unrated | 93 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
The story of Jerome "Dizzy" Dean, a major-league baseball pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs in the 1930s and 1940s.
Director: Harmon Jones | Stars: Dan Dailey, Joanne Dru, Richard Hylton, Richard Crenna
Votes: 782
33. Million Dollar Mermaid (1952)
Approved | 115 min | Biography, Drama, Musical
Biopic of Australian swimming champ and entertainer Annette Kellerman. After overcoming polio, Kellerman achieves fame and creates a scandal when her one-piece bathing suit is considered indecent.
Director: Mervyn LeRoy | Stars: Esther Williams, Victor Mature, Walter Pidgeon, David Brian
Votes: 1,791
34. Plymouth Adventure (1952)
Passed | 105 min | Adventure, Drama, History
Trials and tribulations beset the one hundred odd settlers that journey to Virginia in 1620 including unexpectedly arriving in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
Director: Clarence Brown | Stars: Spencer Tracy, Gene Tierney, Van Johnson, Leo Genn
Votes: 1,651
35. Flat Top (1952)
Approved | 83 min | Drama, War
During the Korean War, aboard the U.S.S. Princeton, Navy Commander Dan Collier reminisces about his first assignment on the same aircraft carrier in the war against Japan.
Director: Lesley Selander | Stars: Sterling Hayden, Richard Carlson, William Phipps, John Bromfield
Votes: 541
36. The Atomic City (1952)
Passed | 85 min | Action, Crime, Drama
An atomic scientist's son is kidnapped by enemy agents.
Director: Jerry Hopper | Stars: Gene Barry, Lydia Clarke, Michael Moore, Nancy Gates
Votes: 520
37. The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1952)
Approved | 114 min | Adventure, Drama, Romance
Writer Harry Street reflects on his life as he lies dying from an infection while on safari in the shadow of Mount Kilamanjaro.
Directors: Henry King, Roy Ward Baker | Stars: Gregory Peck, Susan Hayward, Ava Gardner, Hildegard Knef
Votes: 5,901 | Gross: $18.05M
38. Because You're Mine (1952)
Approved | 103 min | Comedy, Musical
A famous opera singer falls for his sergeant's sister at boot camp.
Director: Alexander Hall | Stars: Mario Lanza, Doretta Morrow, James Whitmore, Dean Miller
Votes: 411
39. Just for You (1952)
104 min | Comedy, Drama, Musical
Jordan Blake (a widower) is a successful Broadway producer who has always been too busy for his children, Barbara and Jerry. His girlfriend Carolina, a musical comedy star, urges Jordan to ... See full summary »
Director: Elliott Nugent | Stars: Bing Crosby, Jane Wyman, Ethel Barrymore, Robert Arthur
Votes: 407
40. The Merry Widow (1952)
Approved | 105 min | Musical, Mystery, Romance
Operating under royal orders, a count must woo a young and wealthy widow in order to save a kingdom from bankruptcy.
Director: Curtis Bernhardt | Stars: Lana Turner, Fernando Lamas, Una Merkel, Richard Haydn
Votes: 667
41. The Jazz Singer (1952)
Approved | 107 min | Drama, Music, Romance
Jerry dreams of becoming a famous jazz singer, but to accomplish that, he must defy his father, a Jewish Cantor who opposes such a dream as a future for a son of his.
Director: Michael Curtiz | Stars: Danny Thomas, Peggy Lee, Eduard Franz, Mildred Dunnock
Votes: 412
42. My Son John (1952)
Approved | 122 min | Drama
The Jeffersons are the ideal picture-perfect all-American family in a small town, but their eldest son John returns home after a long absence spouting views that cause them to worry he may be a Communist.
Director: Leo McCarey | Stars: Robert Walker, Helen Hayes, Van Heflin, Dean Jagger
Votes: 706
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