Al's Top Rated Films: 1950–1959

Brilliant drama from Sidney Lumet and Reginald Rose. It's a simple story about an 18-year old Puerto Rican boy from the slums with an abused and troubled upbringing who is on trial for murder, and could be sentenced to death if found guilty. After the jury hears the case, they retire to deliberate and reach a verdict, which isn't as simple and clear cut as most of them initially believe. The entire film takes place in the jury deliberation room, and boasts some of the most clever, gripping, dramatic, and intense dialogue I've witnessed in any film. It's simply a perfectly done film all the way around. It's one of the few movies where I would consider all 12 acting jurors to be lead stars of the film. The star-studded cast is fantastic. Henry Fonda delivers arguably his greatest performance, but the other 11 actors arguably deliver just as gripping roles: Lee J. Cobb, Martin Balsam, John Fiedler, E.G. Marshall, Jack Klugman, Edward Binns, Jack Warden, Joseph Sweeney, Ed Begley, George Voskovec, and Robert Webber all deliver superb performances, and arguably the best of their careers. Absolutely my favorite film of the 1950s.

Superb mystery thriller and my favorite from from the "Master of Suspense"—Alfred Hitchcock. Great story that follows a risk-taking photo-journalist named Jeff who's wheelchair-bound after injuring himself on the job. He's stuck in his apartment while he recovers, thanks to visits from his wise-cracking physical therapist Stella, and his gorgeous and alluring girlfriend Lisa. Being confined to his apartment, he starts watching and spying on his neighbors from his rear apartment window, when he witnesses certain events that makes him believe a murder took place, and continues to investigate the mystery with the help of Lisa, Stella, and his friend and police detective Tom. This is definitely my favorite film from Alfred Hitchcock. The most beautifully shot mystery/thriller I've ever seen. All the characters are interesting and well-developed. James Stewart arguably delivers his greatest lead performance of all time. The gorgeous Grace Kelly instantly became one of my favorites actresses with her fantastic performance. Thelma Ritter gave a particularly great supporting performance. Wendell Corey and the wicked Raymond Burr had very nice supporting roles among the great neighboring cast. Perfect film all around.

Superb trial/courtroom mystery written and directed by the great Billy Wilder that follows a well-respected veteran lawyer who's propelled back into the courtroom against his doctor's wishes following a heart attack. It's a murder trial, and the case is too interesting and challenging not to take, and boasts many surprise plot twists along the way. I was immediately hooked by Charles Laughton's brilliant and often times very humorous performance as defending barrister, Sir Wilfrid Robarts. He had the right words and actions for every scene. Just watching his performance throughout is entertainment alone. Tyrone Power and Marlene Dietrich also deliver a couple of their very best performance. I did not see the surprise mystery ending coming, and it was magnificent. I can't image it being wrapped up better than it did. Elsa Lanchester, John Williams, Henry Daniell, Ian Wolfe, Torin Thatcher, Norma Varden, Una O'Connor, and Francis Compton all had great supporting roles.

Billy Wilder's most thrilling film-noir masterpiece. Excellent story that follows a washed up silent film star named Norma Desmond who has dangerous delusions of making a comeback after being forgotten by filmmakers, fans, and critics alike. When a Hollywood screenwriter who's desperate for money and work ends up hiding his car in her garage while trying to escape from creditors, she learns about his profession, and demands that he writes a screenplay that will bring her back to the silver screen. Being broke, he decides to take the job, moves into her mansion, and accepts plenty of money and other luxuries to complete what he soon realizes is an unrealistic goal to meet, and falls knee-deep in her hysteria. Fantastic drama with iconic lead performances from both Gloria Swanson and William Holden. Erich von Stroheim and Nancy Olson also had top-notch supporting roles. Cecil B. DeMille, Jack Webb, Fred Clark, Lloyd Gough, and others also had very nice roles.

Superb film-noir mystery from Nicholas Ray that follows eccentric Hollywood screenwriter Dixon Steele, who invites a restaurant hat check girl to his apartment to tell him the story of a cheap bestselling novel he has the unpleasant task of scripting for a hit movie. That night, she is murdered, and he becomes the prime suspect in the case until his gorgeous neighbor Laurel provides an alibi for his whereabouts. That kicks off a friendship that soon blossoms into a loving relationship. However, Dixon's increasing temper, fascination with murder, and mysterious dark side has the the police and Laurel worried that he may be killer. This is arguably Humphrey Bogart's all-time greatest and most convincing performance. The dramatic complexities to his character are acted out in superb fashion. The same could be said for Gloria Grahame's intricate character and superb role. The chemistry between the two rivals the best of their careers. Frank Lovejoy, Carl Benton Reid, and Art Smith were also great among a stacked supporting cast.

Fantastic courtroom drama/mystery from Otto Preminger. It's one of my absolute favorites in among the genre. The story follows a small-town lawyer from upstate Michigan who takes a murder case involving an army lieutenant who killed a man after claiming the man raped and beat up his wife. They fight for temporary insanity, but there's more mysterious angles lurking as the case moves on. The dialogue was very cutting edge for the time, with uneasy and unsettling questions involving sex and rape. It's still remains gripping dialogue to this day. James Stewart was made for the attorney role, and he arguably delivers the best lead performance of his career. I'd have to say it's my personal favorite of his. Lee Remick and Ben Gazzara also delivered excellent starring performances, along with George C. Scott as the prosecuting attorney—one of his finest performances. Arthur O'Connell, Eve Arden, Kathryn Grant, Brooks West, Murray Hamilton, and many others had great supporting roles. Great score and cameo from Duke Ellington.

Superb action-packed mystery adventure from Alfred Hitchcock that follows a New York City advertising executive who's kidnapped by a group of spies that are convinced he's a government agent by the name of George Kaplan. After questioning him, they fail in a horrifying attempt to murder him. Nobody believes his story about the men trying to kill him (including his mother), and after he's implicated in a murder as this mysterious Kaplan, he goes on the run from these spies trying to kill him, and also from the authorities trying to arrest him. Incredible story with such an epic presence and cinematography. Cary Grant became one of my favorite actors with this film. He delivered his the best lead performance of his career. Eva Marie Saint was also fantastic, as she and Grant have some of the steamiest chemistry for a couple in a Hitchcock film. James Mason, Jessie Royce Landis, Leo G. Carroll, Philip Ober, Martin Landau, Josephine Hutchinson, Adam Williams, and Robert Ellenstein all have nice supporting roles, among many others.

Fantastic drama from Richard Brooks based on Tennessee Williams' original play. The story follows an ex-football player and alcoholic named Brick, who battles increasing drama and depression with his sexually driven wife's wants and needs, and also struggles with deep-rooted family issues after traveling to eastern Mississippi to celebrate his father's 65th birthday with the rest of his meddlesome family. Tensions rise to a boil as he and his father look back to the past to recognize the deep-seated issues that are plaguing them and the rest of the family. Paul Newman delivered one his all-time best lead performances. Elizabeth Taylor matches suit with one of her best and most dramatic lead roles. Burl Ives was superb as Big Daddy. Jack Carson, Judith Anderson, and Madeleine Sherwood also had excellent supporting roles. Classic drama from front to back.

Fantastic crime thriller from Alfred Hitchcock that follows a former tennis star named Tony who meticulously plans to murder his wealthy wife Margot after he learns she's been cheating on him with another man. Margot and her lover know somethings amiss when a letter shared between them goes missing and Margot is blackmailed to get it back, while Tony invites a former college colleague to their apartment while she's away, and blackmails him to murder her so he can collect her inheritance. It's the perfect crime, if everything goes as planned. The whole film was shot in the apartment, which added great to the suspense of the film. I was shocked to see how fantastic Ray Milland's lead performance was here. He stole the show with his witty and bloodthirsty personality. Grace Kelly also arguably delivers her best lead performance. Robert Cummings, Anthony Dawson, and John Williams also had excellent supporting roles. Every player involved was excellent. Classic Hitchcock.

Masterfully done World War I drama from Stanley Kubrick. Fascinating story about how the French army is sent on an impossible mission to invade and take control of a German Nazi anthill circa 1916. Once in the heat of battle, many French soldiers refuse to attack the enemy position since it would prove to be certain death for them all. The unit is accused of cowardice, as three soldiers are picked at random, and face a trial to determine whether they should be executed for their crimes. Meanwhile, their commander works hard to defend their position, as he struggles with the decisions being made by higher powers. Such a simple and profound story and message that still speaks many truths today. Kirk Douglas delivers one of his all-time best and complex performances as Colonel Dax. Ralph Meeker, Adolphe Menjou, George Macready, Wayne Morris, Richard Anderson, and Joe Turkel all had great roles among an excellent supporting cast.

Fantastic adventure/war/romance from John Huston set in 1914 German-occupied East Africa during World War I. The story follows a gin loving Canadian riverboat captain named Charlie who delivers mail and supplies to a British Christian missionary when their village is destroyed by the Germans. Rose survives the attack, and persuades Charlie to take a dangerous and treacherous trip up river in an attempt to destroy a German gunship using makeshift torpedoes on Charlie's boat. Great adventure, and the ending sequence is perfect. The color picture is beautiful, and really adds a lot to the film with the beautiful shots of Africa. Almost all the screen time is devoted to Humphrey Bogart & Katharine Hepburn on the steamboat. Their chemistry and performances are incredible. They both arguably deliver the finest roles of their careers. Robert Morley, Peter Bull, and Theodore Bikel also very nice supporting roles.

Excellent film-noir drama from Billy Wilder that follows a fascinating and mostly true story about a former big-city news journalist who reluctantly takes a job with a small New Mexico newspaper. The job is boring and uneventful until a man gets trapped in an old Indian dwelling. He ends up seizing the opportunity to exploit the story to revitalize his career, by taking every opportunity he can to slow down the rescue effort, which makes huge headlines in the newspapers. But as time passes, the situation changes, which could possibly result in a horrific tragedy. Kirk Douglas' quick desperate unapologetic character fit the role perfectly. He delivered one of his very best performances. Jan Sterling also delivered a superb lead role. Robert Arthur, Porter Hall, Richard Benedict, Ray Teal, John Berkes, and others also had great roles among the excellent supporting cast.

Outstanding and epic historical adventure/drama from William Wyler set in A.D. 26 Jerusalem, and follows a faithful and idealistic Jewish prince and merchant named Judah Ben-Hur who lives with his devoted mother, sister, the family's steward Simonides, and his daughter Esther; whom Judah loves deeply, but has granted her permission to marry another man. He meets with his boyhood friend Messala, who is a commander of the Roman Empire that supports the wiping out of Jewish culture and lives. While they try to find common ground to work together, they soon find there is no hope, and they immediately become enemies. Shorty after, Messala imprisons Judah's mother and sister and sends Judah to the galleys to live out the rest of his short days as a slave. However, Judah is stronger and has more will than any man, and plans to make his may back to Rome where he will take his vengeance on Messala in most epic fashion. This film won 11 Oscars, and its easy to see why. Every part of the film is arguably perfect, from the writing, production, editing, music, and acting. Charlton Heston delivered an outstanding lead performance. Stephen Boyd, Jack Hawkins, and Haya Harareet also had supurb starring roles. Hugh Griffith, Martha Scott, Cathy O'Donnell, Sam Jaffe, Finlay Currie, Frank Thring, Terence Longdon, George Relph, André Morell, and many others had great supporting roles.

Fantastic western from Howard Hawks that follows a small-town southwest Texas sheriff (Chance) who enlists the help of old-timer deputy (Stumpy), the town drunk (Dude), and a young ambitious gun fighter (Colorado) to help keep prisoner and murderer Joe Burdette from being broken out of jail by his brother and a couple dozen gunfighters he's assembled to take them down. Their only hope is to keep them at bay until the marshal arrives to take Joe away. While struggling to keep law and order, Chance also strikes up a dramatic romance with an alluring gambler named Feathers. John Wayne arguably delivers his best lead performance. Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson, and Walter Brennan were the perfect co-stars, and also delivered some of their finest roles. Angie Dickinson, Claude Akins, Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez, Ward Bond, John Russell, Estelita Rodriguez, and others had great roles among an excellent supporting cast.

Outstanding western from William Wyler set in the 1880s, and follows a wealthy New England sea captain named James McKay who travels to the 'big country' of Texas to marry his lovely fiancée Pat Terrill. While McKay plans to build a future with Pat in Texas, he soon learns that her wealthy and powerful father and rancher Major Henry Terrill has built an embittered feud with with working class and less fortunate Hannassey family, involving land that provides the access of water for their cattle. After some drunk Hannassey boys rough up McKay on his first day in town, the Major takes harsh actions which sets off a deadly war between the two families. Rufus (the head of the Hannassey family) and the Major have made their feud very personal, which takes a toll on every other family member and townsman who doesn't want to fight their fight. Fantastic story all around, with excellent acting, dialogue, and superb cast all around. Gregory Peck arguably delivers his all-time greatest lead performance. Burl Ives' (Oscar-winner), Charles Bickford, Jean Simmons, Charlton Heston, Carroll Baker, and Chuck Connors also deliver some of the best starring roles of their careers. Alfonso Bedoya, Chuck Hayward, Buff Brady, and others have very nice supporting roles.

Fantastically epic western drama from George Stevens that follows the lives of a Texas rancher named Bick and his strong and independent wife Leslie. It follows their lives from their first meeting and their surrounding family and friends, which dives into many interesting conflicts and stories. Meanwhile, they employ a man named Jett Rink who has never been welcomed by the family, accept by Bick's sister and ranch manager Luz, who gives Jett a small piece of their 600,000 acres as a token of the family's appreciation when she dies. Conflicts amplify when he discovers massive amounts oil on the land and becomes a rich and powerful business tycoon. Fantastic writing, acting, and cinematography. Not a single dull moment in its near 3.5 hour running time. Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, and James Dean all deliver fantastic lead performances. Carroll Baker, Mercedes McCambridge, Dennis Hopper, Chill Wills, Jane Withers, Sal Mineo, Judith Evelyn, Earl Holliman, Paul Fix, Fran Bennett, Elsa Cárdenas, and many others had excellent supporting roles.

Fantastic crime drama from William Wyler that follows the brash short-fused principal-filled detective James McLeod. The story takes place over the course of a single night in the detective bullpen of New York City's 21st Precinct. He's currently working a case involving an abortionist responsible for the death of several young women, and has a personal vendetta out for him, which adds a plot twisting storyline when his wife becomes involved. There are plenty of other extremely interesting characters who show up throughout the film that add drama and layers to the story that unfolds for a superb ending. Kirk Douglas arguably delivers his all-time best lead performance. He was perfect for the role. Eleanor Parker, William Bendix, Cathy O'Donnell, George Macready, Horace McMahon, Gladys George, Joseph Wiseman, Lee Grant, Gerald Mohr, Frank Faylen, Craig Hill, Michael Strong, Warner Anderson, and others had great roles among an excellent supporting cast.

Excellent drama from Martin Ritt and William Faulkner that follows a wealthy 61 year old hard-headed widower who owns almost everything in the small Mississippi town of Frenchman's Bend. While he wants the best for his children, he struggles with most of them being a disappointment to him. He ends up hiring a man named Ben after being kicked out of another town for allegedly burning a barn. After some time passes, he begins to think Ben would be a great match for his favorite daughter Clara, and works to get new blood into the family as tensions mount with the rest of his children. Paul Newman brings one of his finest performances yet as a young assumed trouble-maker who's looking for a fresh start. Roles by Joanne Woodward and Orson Welles were just as phenomenal. Both arguably delivering their finest performances. Anthony Franciosa, Lee Remick, Angela Lansbury, and Richard Anderson were very good among a nice supporting cast.

Superb drama from Elia Kazan that follows a sophisticated English teacher (Blanche) from an upper class background who is forced to move in with sister (Stella) and brother-in-law (Stanley) who live in a very modest apartment in a middle class area of New Orleans, following her family property in Mississippi being taken over by creditors. Blanche is appalled at the way they live, and doesn't approve of her Stella's brash and vulgar husband, and stirs up plenty of drama in their relationship as she tries to attain some control over her life and living situation. Tensions rise when Stanley feels Blanche is sabotaging their lives. I didn't think Vivien Leigh could've top her performance from Gone with the Wind (1939), but she did so in a bold and dramatic fashion. Marlon Brando's dirty, brash, and sexualized performance was just as superb. Kim Hunter and Karl Malden also had fantastic lead roles. Rudy Bond, Nick Dennis, and Peg Hillias also had very nice supporting roles.

Superb drama from Joseph L. Mankiewicz that follows an aspiring actress Eve Harrington who shows up backstage at the theater to meet her idol—superstar Broadway actress Margo Channing. Eve has fallen on hard times, and shares her life story with Margo, who takes a liking to her and decides to help her break into the industry. What Margo doesn't know is that Eve has ulterior motives, and plans to steal her acting roles and even her husband. Fantastic drama centered around the early days of the theater. The excellent writing and acting that brings all of these characters to life. Bette Davis delivers one of her all time greatest lead performances, along with Anne Baxter. George Sanders, Celeste Holm, Gary Merrill, Marilyn Monroe, Thelma Ritter, Hugh Marlowe, Gregory Ratoff, and Barbara Bates also had excellent supporting roles. There's no wonder why the film won 6 Oscars.

Fantastic World War II drama from David Lean that's set in 1943 Burma, Southeast Asia, and follows British prisoners of war who are forced to build a bridge on the River Kwai to service the the Burma-Siam railway for their Japanese captors. Simultaneously, a 4-man allied unit are sent on a secret mission to blow-up and destroy the bridge. Fascinating story at every turn, with a great ending. The acting was top notch throughout. William Holden and Alec Guinness had excellent lead roles. Sessue Hayakawa was also great as the militant and desperate Japanese leader, Colonel Saito. Geoffrey Horne, Jack Hawkins, James Donald, André Morell, Ann Sears, Peter Williams, and John Boxer also had excellent supporting roles.

Superb film-noir drama from Charles Laughton that takes place in 1932 West Virginia during the Great Depression, and follows follows an evil and maniacal self-proclaimed preacher and bigoted serial killer that marries a naive and innocent woman when he learns her kids know where $10,000 of stolen cash has been hidden after their real father stashed it away when robbing a bank. The film is very uniquely shot and builds excellent suspense throughout the picture. Robert Mitchum arguably delivers his best lead performance. The same could be said for Shelley Winters' excellent role. Billy Chapin was also great as young John. Lillian Gish, Sally Jane Bruce, Gloria Castillo, Peter Graves, Evelyn Varden, Don Beddoe, and James Gleason also had great roles among the supporting cast.

Fantastic drama from Elia Kazan and John Steinbeck that is set in 1917 Monterey, California, and follows a young man named Cal who deeply struggles to win the love and acceptance of his extremely religious father. His brother Aron is clearly their dad's favorite, and they compete in all things. They were led to believe their mother died at childbirth until Cal discover she's alive. Meanwhile, Cal also falls in love with Aron's girlfriend. When his father loses his savings in a failed business venture, he secretly works with their estranged mother to try to win his father's love with money for a new business, which sets off a turbulent series of tragic events for all three of them. This was the first time I've seen James Dean on screen, and his young, innocent, emotional, and dramatic acting fits his character of battling with his bible-thumping father perfectly. Julie Harris, Raymond Massey, Richard Davalos, Jo Van Fleet, Burl Ives, Albert Dekker, and Lois Smith all had great roles among the supporting cast.

Superb film-noir drama centered around a powerful, controlling, and influential New York columnist named J.J. Hunsecker, who persuades a desperate and shameless press agent (Sidney) into breaking up his 19-year-old sister Susan's romance with a jazz musician. Sidney wants nothing more than to get J.J.'s support, and he must complete the brazen task to git it. Meanwhile, tensions rise as Susan and her boyfriend are aware of their plans, and the destructive moves they continue to make to gain power. Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis deliver excellently selfish and cynical lead performances perfectly as the drama unfolds. Very interesting and well done story all around. Susan Harrison, Martin Milner, Sam Levene, Barbara Nichols, Edith Atwater, Jeff Donnell and others also had excellent roles among the supporting cast.

Fantastic western from Henry King that follows an infamous gunfighter named Jimmy Ringo. He's s celebrity of sorts, and many cocky young gunmen want the chance to showdown against the notorious killer to earn fame and respect. But Jimmy is tired of all these egotistical "squirts", and wishes to settle down. He rides into his old home town after eight years looking to reunite with his estranged wife Peggy Walsh, and their 8-year-old son that he's never met. But as soon as he arrives, trouble starts lurking around every corner. It's up to Jimmy's old friend and current town Marshal Mark Strett to quickly help Jimmy reach meet with Peggy and get out of town safely before mayhem breaks out. Beautifully crafted story with a superb cast of powerful characters and a great ending. Gregory Peck delivers one of his best lead performances, and the same could be said for Millard Mitchell's excellent starring role. Helen Westcott, Karl Malden, Skip Homeier, Anthony Ross, Jean Parker, Verna Felton, and several others also delivered great supporting roles.

Fantastic action-packed revenge drama from Akira Kurosawa set in 1586, and follows a village of impoverished Japanese farmers that have been taken over by bandits who terrorize and murder the locals, and steal their barley harvest each season. While most of the farmers are extremely fearful and feel they are doomed to die, they ultimately agree they need to hire a samurai to protect them and their village. They have no money, and can only offer rice as payment. They end up finding a compassionate veteran samurai who's willing to take the job. He then strategically picks 6 more samurai to add to his team, and creates a meticulous plan to ambush the bandits when they arrive next season to terrorize the village. Fantastic story (as evidenced by its several adaptations and remakes), and I feel it's one of the more unique films I've seen. The characters are very layered, and the cinematography, score, and action was excellent. It's also one of the finest foreign language films I've seen yet. Toshirô Mifune and Takashi Shimura both delivered fantastic lead performances. Keiko Tsushima, Kamatari Fujiwara, Daisuke Katô, Isao Kimura, Minoru Chiaki, Seiji Miyaguchi, Yoshio Inaba, Bokuzen Hidari, Yoshio Tsuchiya, Kokuten Kôdô, and many others also had great roles.

Excellent nautical war drama set in 1944 near the end of World War II, and follows a strict, paranoid, and power-hungry U.S. Naval captain that the Executive Officer and the rest of the crew struggle with from the start. When they feel he's made hasty decisions that jeopardize the ship and the crew, the Executive Officer steps up and removes the captain from his position and takes over, which leads to a tense and nerve-racking mutiny. Afterward, the Navy must determine if the mutiny was a criminal act, or if the captain was actually mentally unstable or possibly insane. Humphrey Bogart delivered a unique and varied lead performance that ranks as one of his finest. Van Johnson, Fred MacMurray, and Robert Francis also had excellent starring roles. José Ferrer was also fantastic as the defending attorney in the final segment. Arthur Franz, Lee Marvin, Claude Akins, Tom Tully, E.G. Marshall, May Wynn, and Jerry Paris also had very nice supporting roles.

Fantastic drama from Vincente Minnelli that's presented in flashback format, and examines the rise and descent of driven and demanding film producer Jonathan Shields. The story is told through the eyes of three close accountancies: actress Georgia Lorrison, who was made into a star by Jonathan; director Fred Amiel, who got his big break in the industry thanks to Jonathan; and writer/novelist James Lee Bartlow who was also brought to fame by Jonathan. Even though they have much to credit Jonathan for their careers, they all have reservations about his ruthless and uncompromising methods used against them all to become one of the top directors in Hollywood. Beautifully done story about the classic days of Hollywood movies, and the sacrifices that are made to achieve success. Kirk Douglas delivers another excellent lead performance—one of his very best. Lana Turner, Walter Pidgeon, Dick Powell, Barry Sullivan, Gloria Grahame, and Gilbert Roland were all great among the supporting cast.

Fantastic crime drama/thriller from Stanley Kramer that follows two convicts that escape after a truck that's transporting convicts crashes. John 'Joker' Jackson is a white man and Noah Cullen is a black man. They are chained together, and must put aside their racial differences and hate for each other as they travel north in an attempt to catch a train to freedom. They find some help along the way, and also start to empathize with each others lives. But both are put to the ultimate test if they want to escape from the authorities and be free. Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier arguably bring their finest performances to the table. Both delivered gripping and layered lead roles throughout. Theodore Bikel, Charles McGraw, Lon Chaney Jr., Claude Akins, Cara Williams, Kevin Coughlin, and Carroll O'Connor all had very nice roles among the supporting cast.

Excellent crime drama from William Wyler that follows three desperate escaped convicts who just broke out of prison and decide to invade an extravagant suburban Indianapolis home and savagely hold a family of four hostage until midnight when a car is supposed to arrive with a large sum of money. But when the car doesn't arrive and their stay is extended, tensions soar as their cover is blow, which puts the lives of the family at risk. Humphrey Bogart delivered one of his best and most ruthlessly unapologetic lead performances. Fredric March matched it with a stunning emotion-filled lead performance of his own. Martha Scott, Mary Murphy, Richard Eyer, Arthur Kennedy, Dewey Martin, Gig Young, and others also had great supporting roles.

Excellent mystery/thriller/romance from Alfred Hitchcock that follows a former San Francisco police detective (John) who's lead to an early retirement following a treacherous brush with death, leaving him with an irrational fear of heights and an extreme case of vertigo. Soon after, he reluctantly takes a job to help an old college friend (Gavin) by following his wife (Madeleine) who is mentally unbalanced and may commit suicide after being possessed by a mysterious spirit. Throughout the story, John becomes more fascinated with Gavin's gorgeous blonde wife, which turns to obsession following a dreadful incident that unfolds into an even more mysterious and thrilling story. This film is often cited as being Hitchcock's best film, and it's easy to see why. James Stewart plays a complex, injured, and often times controversial character in this film. It's one of his finest lead performances. The gorgeous Kim Novak also delivered a fantastic and complex performance throughout. Barbara Bel Geddes and Tom Helmore had excellent roles among a great supporting cast.

Excellent dive into the film-noir crime/drama genre from Stanley Kubrick. Nicely structured story that follows an ex-con who was just released from prison after a 5 year stretch and assembles a five-man team to carry out a complex racetrack robbery where they could score $2 million. Every step of the process is carefully and meticulously planned, from the players involved to the secretive rules and timing of the process. Trouble comes in to play one one of them men leaks information about the heist, which puts the entire plan in jeopardy. Sterling Hayden delivers a fantastic lead performance. Coleen Gray, Marie Windsor, and Elisha Cook Jr. also had great starring roles. Vince Edwards, Timothy Carey, Jay C. Flippen, Ted de Corsia, Kola Kwariani, Joe Sawyer, James Edwards, and others also had great supporting roles. A unique film for Stanley Kubrick, and it he absolutely delivered.