Movies of the 50s

From film noir to grandiose musicals, blonde bombshells to UFOs: the movies of the 1950s heralded a new era in filmmaking. This compendium presents the most influential and successful films of a time when conical bras, sideburns, and 3D movies were all the rage. Whether you’re a rebel without a cause or a gentleman who might prefer blondes, this is a must-have for any film fan.

At a time when people were terrified of UFOs and Communism, the film industry was busy producing movies that ranged from film noir to grandiose musicals. The paranoid public in the 1950s apparently craved family entertainment and dark, brooding pictures in equal doses.

The result is a decade’s worth of truly monumental cinema, from Hitchcock masterpieces (Vertigo, Psycho, Rear Window) to comedy classics (Tati’s Mr. Hulot’s Holiday, Billy Wilder’s Some Like It Hot), from groundbreaking Nouvelle Vague films (Truffaut’s The 400 Blows) to profound, innovative dramas like Antonioni’s L’avventura, Fellini’s La Strada, John Huston’s Misfits, and Kubrick’s Paths of Glory. Though censorship kept sex safely offscreen, the smoldering James Dean, Marlon Brando, and Marilyn Monroe provided plenty of heat.

This survey of the most important films of the fabulous fifties covers the wholesome, subversive, artistic, thrilling, and mysterious trends in cinema across the globe. This encyclopedia profiles each movie masterpiece through stills, a synopsis, and cast, crew, and technical listings. Whether you’re a rebel without a cause or a gentleman who prefers blondes, this is a must-have for any film fan.

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Since we started our work as cultural archaeologists in 1980, TASCHEN has become synonymous with accessible, open-minded publishing. Bibliotheca Universalis brings together more than 100 of our all-time favorite titles in a neat new format so you can curate your own affordable library of art, anthropology, and aphrodisia.
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The editor

Jürgen Müller holds the chair of Early Modern and Modern Art History at the Technical University of Dresden. He studied art history at the universities of Bochum, Mu¨nster, Pisa, Paris and Amsterdam, and has worked as an art critic and curated numerous exhibitions. He is also the editor for TASCHEN’s movies by decade series.