Best of the 1950s
What movies, TV series, episodes, etc. which aired between 1950 and 1959 that I love best.
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- StarsJohn DalyArlene FrancisBennett CerfFour panelists must determine guests' occupations - and, in the case of famous guests, while blindfolded, their identity - by asking only "yes" or "no" questions.
- DirectorBilly WilderStarsTyrone PowerMarlene DietrichCharles LaughtonA veteran British barrister must defend his client in a murder trial that has surprise after surprise.
- DirectorBilly WilderStarsWilliam HoldenGloria SwansonErich von StroheimA screenwriter develops a dangerous relationship with a faded film star determined to make a triumphant return.
- StarsHugh DownsJose MelisJack PaarOriginally airing during late-night, Tonight Starring Jack Paar was an American talk show hosted by Jack Paar under the Tonight Show franchise from 1957 to 1962. After 1959, it was officially known as The Jack Paar Show.
- CreatorCharles Marquis WarrenStarsClint EastwoodPaul BrinegarSteve RainesGil Favor is trail boss of a continuous cattle drive. He is assisted by Rowdy Yates. The crew runs into characters and adventures along the way.
- DirectorOtto PremingerStarsJames StewartLee RemickBen GazzaraAn upstate Michigan lawyer defends a soldier who claims he killed an innkeeper due to temporary insanity after the victim raped his wife. What is the truth, and will he win his case?
- StarsLucille BallDesi ArnazVivian VanceThe wife of a band leader constantly tries to become a star - in spite of her having no talent, and gets herself (along with her best friend) into the funniest predicaments.
- CreatorErle Stanley GardnerStarsRaymond BurrBarbara HaleWilliam HopperThe trials of a master criminal defense attorney handling the most difficult cases in support of the innocent.
- StarsGeorge BurnsGracie AllenBea BenaderetNeighbor Blanche Morton frequently joined Gracie in escapades which annoy hubby Harry and provides George with an opportunity to offer a humorous soliloquy.
- DirectorVincent ShermanStarsClark GableAva GardnerBroderick CrawfordEx-President Andrew Jackson sends Texan Devereaux Burke back home on a mission to facilitate Sam Houston's drive for U.S. statehood.
- DirectorByron HaskinStarsEdmond O'BrienDean JaggerForrest TuckerJohn Vickers joins Custer's cavalry regiment seeking private revenge.
- StarsFrank McGrathTerry WilsonRobert HortonStories of the journeys of a wagon train as it leaves post-Civil War Missouri on its way to California through the plains, deserts, and Rocky Mountains.
- DirectorNathan JuranStarsAudie MurphyLori NelsonChill WillsWhen a wagon train is wiped-out by the Yaqui Indians, the surviving guide Jim Harvey is accused of desertion and cowardice but Jim escapes the town jail in search of the truth.
- DirectorNicholas RayStarsRobert WagnerJeffrey HunterHope LangeBiopic loosely based on the last 18 years of Jesse James' life and focused on the relationship between brothers Jesse and Frank James.
- DirectorAnthony MannStarsHenry FondaAnthony PerkinsBetsy PalmerA cynical former sheriff turned bounty hunter helps a young, recently appointed acting sheriff with his advice, his experience and his gun.
- DirectorRaoul WalshStarsClark GableJane RussellRobert RyanTwo brothers discharged from the Confederate Army join a businessman for a cattle drive from Texas to Montana where they run into raiding Jayhawkers, angry Sioux, rough terrain and bad weather.
- DirectorGeorge StevensStarsAlan LaddJean ArthurVan HeflinA weary gunfighter in 1880s Wyoming begins to envision a quieter life after befriending a homestead family with a young son who idolizes him, but a smoldering range war forces him to act.
- DirectorLee SholemStarsMaureen O'HaraAlex NicolWilliam BishopIn Wyoming, Sweetwater town sheriff Stan Blaine finds himself in the middle of a range war between greedy cattle barons and newcomer settlers who compete for public lands and unbranded stray cattle.
- CreatorNick AdamsAndrew J. FenadyStarsNick AdamsChuck HamiltonSid TroyAfter the end of the Civil War, a former Confederate Army private roams the Wild West, and, as a rogue drifter, gets involved in helping out various settlers threatened by various bad guys.
- StarsEdward R. MurrowCharles CollingwoodJayne MeadowsInterviews with figures from public life.
- StarsRichard JoyPaul LambertHelen KleebOf the many anthology series, this is considered the most ambitious with outstanding talent in front of the camera. Attracting top ranked directors and scripts, it was often filmed live including the entire first season.
- 1955–195630mTV-PG9.0 (437)TV EpisodeDirectorFrank SatensteinStarsJackie GleasonArt CarneyAudrey MeadowsRalph sells his bowling ball to get a last-minute Christmas present for Alice.
- CreatorJackie GleasonStarsJackie GleasonArt CarneyAudrey MeadowsA bus driver and his sewer worker friend struggle to strike it rich while their wives look on with weary patience.
- 1950–196530mNot Rated9.1 (76)TV EpisodeDirectorRalph LevyStarsJack BennyEddie 'Rochester' AndersonDon WilsonJack loses to Rochester at gin rummy and has to do Rochester's chores for the day while Rochester plays golf. Jack goes to the market to buy groceries for Christmas dinner.
- StarsJack BennyEddie 'Rochester' AndersonDon WilsonThe comic misadventures of the "skinflint" comedian and his friends.
- DirectorSidney LumetStarsHenry FondaLee J. CobbMartin BalsamThe jury in a New York City murder trial is frustrated by a single member whose skeptical caution forces them to more carefully consider the evidence before jumping to a hasty verdict.
- DirectorJerry HopperStarsCharlton HestonRhonda FlemingJan SterlingBuffalo Bill and Wild Bill Hickock work to establish the Pony Express and fight Indians and California Separatists who seek to destroy it.
- DirectorJames NeilsonStarsJames StewartAudie MurphyDan DuryeaA fired railroad man is re-hired and entrusted to carry a ten thousand dollar payroll in secret, even though he is suspected of being connected to outlaws.
- DirectorEddie DewPaul LandresStarsWillard ParkerMara CordayBarton MacLaneDon Pablo Salazar steals a fortune in jewels from an Indian tribe and an Aztec medicine man puts a curse on the jewels until they are returned. Years later an American insurance man, Breen Mathews (Willard Parker) promises to deliver the Salazar fortune to the rightful heir after Luis Salazar, son of Don Pablo, is killed. Breen heads for Topaz, where he hopes to find the surviving heir, Teresa. He finds instead, Louisa, daughter of Teresa, and is forced to fight a crooked group of townspeople, who are after the Salazar fortune, cursed or otherwise. Included in the group are Judge Cole (Billy House), known as "the Hanging Judge" and Barnum (Barton MacLane), local saloon owner. After defeating all the crooks, Breen is told by Louisa that she, the last of the Salazars, is going to return the treasure to its rightful owners, and lift the curse.
- DirectorAnthony MannStarsJames StewartShelley WintersDan DuryeaA cowboy's obsession with a stolen rifle leads to a bullet-ridden odyssey through the American West.
- DirectorAnthony MannStarsGary CooperJulie LondonLee J. CobbA reformed outlaw becomes stranded after an aborted train robbery with two other passengers and is forced to rejoin his old outlaw band.
- DirectorRay MillandStarsRay MillandMary MurphyWard BondA gunfighter's main hope lies in the trust of a beautiful woman who hides him out when he is wrongly suspected of a stagecoach massacre.
- DirectorJoseph H. LewisStarsRandolph ScottAngela LansburyWarner AndersonMarshal Calem Ware (Randolph Scott) must face unpleasant facts about his past when he attempts to run a criminal gang out of town.
- DirectorDelmer DavesStarsRichard WidmarkFelicia FarrSusan KohnerWagon train survivors of an Apache attack entrust the sheriff's prisoner, scout Comanche Todd, with their lives despite his wanted-for-murder status.
- DirectorGeorge ShermanStarsMaureen O'HaraMacdonald CareyWill GeerWhite settlers plan to defy the agreement between the government and the Comanche in order to mine for silver on Comanche lands, while scout Jim Bowie tries to keep the peace in the territory.
- DirectorRichard BrooksStarsRobert TaylorStewart GrangerLloyd NolanIn 1883 South Dakota, two buffalo hunters start a personal feud over a captured squaw and a stand-off with a Dakota raiding party over some stolen horses.
- DirectorNicholas RayStarsJoan CrawfordSterling HaydenMercedes McCambridgeAfter helping a wounded gang member, a strong-willed female saloon owner is wrongly suspected of murder and bank robbery by a lynch mob.
- DirectorBudd BoetticherStarsRandolph ScottKaren SteelePernell RobertsA bounty hunter (Randolph Scott) escorts a killer (James Best) to be tried for murder, but allows the man's outlaw brother (Lee Van Cleef) to catch up with them to have a showdown over a previous shocking murder.
- DirectorIrving PichelStarsRandolph ScottJanis CarterJerome CourtlandAfter their service in the Civil War, four brothers go their separate ways, but later find themselves on opposite sides of a final showdown.
- DirectorVirgil W. VogelStarsWard BondRobert HortonPatty McCormackMary Ellen is an orphan traveling west to join family, but members of the train reject her due to her surly disposition. Her only friend is Sally Mayhew, another girl traveling west with her family dying of consumption.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsJames StewartKim NovakBarbara Bel GeddesA former San Francisco police detective juggles wrestling with his personal demons and becoming obsessed with the hauntingly beautiful woman he has been hired to trail, who may be deeply disturbed.
- StarsDanny ThomasRusty HamerMarjorie LordDanny is a New York entertainer. Between his co-stars at the nightclub where he performs and his wife and kids, he has dilemmas galore, which he somehow manages to resolve and still laugh.
- DirectorSheldon LeonardStarsDanny ThomasSherry JacksonRusty HamerThe father of Rusty's friend tells Danny that he is not being enough of a pal to Rusty and that may be hurting their relationship.
- DirectorSheldon LeonardStarsDanny ThomasSherry JacksonRusty HamerDanny suspects a down-and-out comic of stealing his material.
- DirectorSheldon LeonardStarsDanny ThomasSherry JacksonRusty HamerDanny wants to portray his songwriter-friend Harry Ruby in a TV special.
- 1953–196530mTV-Y78.4 (23)TV EpisodeDirectorSheldon LeonardStarsDanny ThomasSherry JacksonRusty HamerUncle Tonoose arranges a Lebanese-style marriage for Danny.
- DirectorSheldon LeonardStarsDanny ThomasSherry JacksonRusty HamerKathy is over the measles, which she had caught from Rusty. Danny tries to get her to go on their first date, but she plays hard-to-get. Danny's chauvinism comes into play, while Rusty also has trouble with his girlfriend Ruthie.
- DirectorSheldon LeonardStarsDanny ThomasSherry JacksonRusty HamerRusty has the measles, and Kathy is introduced as his visiting nurse. She won't allow Danny to enter his room because he doesn't remember if he had the measles or not. Terry is staying with friends to avoid exposure, and does not appear.
- DirectorSheldon LeonardStarsDanny ThomasSherry JacksonRusty HamerDanny is unhappy with Terry's firm plans to attend modeling school, but takes a subtle approach when trying to dissuade her.
- DirectorSheldon LeonardStarsDanny ThomasSherry JacksonRusty HamerKathy's young daughter feels threatened by her mother's new relationship with Danny and attempts to sabotage their relationship.
- DirectorBudd BoetticherStarsRandolph ScottCraig StevensBarry KelleyTexan Tom Buchanan is heading back home with enough money to start his own ranch, but when he stops in the crooked town of Agry, he's robbed and framed for murder.
- DirectorJohn FarrowStarsJohn WayneGeraldine PageWard BondArmy dispatch rider Hondo Lane discovers a woman and young son living in the midst of warring Apaches and becomes their protector.
- DirectorRobert D. WebbStarsRichard EganDebra PagetElvis PresleyAt the end of the Civil War, a Confederate team is ordered to rob a Union payroll train but the war ends leaving these men with their Union loot, until the Feds come looking for it.
- DirectorFred ZinnemannStarsGary CooperGrace KellyThomas MitchellA 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.
- DirectorHenry HathawayStarsTyrone PowerSusan HaywardHugh MarloweA stagecoach stop employee and a stranded woman traveller find themselves at the mercy of four desperate outlaws intent on robbing the next day's gold shipment.
- DirectorGeorge ShermanStarsMaureen O'HaraJeff ChandlerJohn McIntireMajor Howell Brady arrives in Indian Territory in hopes of recruiting peaceful, relocated Seminoles to help the army fight rampaging Kiowas.
- DirectorBudd BoetticherStarsRandolph ScottRichard BooneMaureen O'SullivanAn independent former ranch foreman is kidnapped along with an heiress, who is being held for ransom by trio of ruthless outlaws.
- DirectorRichard CarlsonStarsRory CalhounColleen MillerGeorge NaderAn outlaw gang on the lam encounters former associate Simon Bhumer and his gorgeous daughter, who's drawn to their leader Cully.
- DirectorH. Bruce HumberstoneStarsRandolph ScottJocelyn BrandoRichard BooneWhen his ward seeks protection with rival cattleman John Stewart, embittered, jealous rancher Wick Campbell hires ten outlaws to help him seize power in the territory.
- DirectorJesse HibbsStarsAudie MurphyAnne BancroftPat CrowleyAn agent sent from Washington in 1874 takes charge of an Apache reservation and has the oppressive US Army back off, which creates conflicts and causes the Indians to have great respect for him.
- DirectorSheldon LeonardStarsDanny ThomasMarjorie LordRusty HamerDanny is alarmed to learn that Terry has been spurning classmate, Donald Cooper, in order to swoon over Dean Martin. Danny enlists Dean to figure out a way to place his wayward teenager back into the arms of the hapless, but far more suitable, Donald.
- DirectorGeorge ShermanStarsVictor MatureSuzan BallJohn LundThis biography of the famous Lakota Sioux war chief is told entirely from the Indian viewpoint.
- DirectorNathan JuranStarsAudie MurphyWalter BrennanLyle BettgerWhen whites hunger after the gold on Ute Indian land, a bigoted young man finds himself forced into a peacekeeping role.
- DirectorDouglas SirkStarsRock HudsonBarbara RushGregg PalmerWhen peacemaking Apache chief Cochise dies, the Chiricahua Apaches are torn between following Cochise's peace loving son Taza and following the warlike renegade Apache warrior Geronimo.
- DirectorDelmer DavesStarsJames StewartJeff ChandlerDebra PagetTom Jeffords tries to make peace between settlers and Apaches in Arizona territory.
- StarsTennessee Ernie FordThe Top TwentyThe Voices of Walter SchumannHosted by Tennessee Ernie Ford, the likeable singer, comedian, entertainer received his own variety show sponsored by the Ford Motor Company which gave Ernie the venue to entertain millions with his informal friendly manner and talent. His music was a combination of gospel and country and western. His homespun catch phrase "Bless Their Little Pea Pickin' Hearts", endeared him to the nation.
- DirectorGordon DouglasStarsRandolph ScottDorothy MaloneForrest TuckerA mysterious stranger crosses paths with an outlaw bank robber and a greedy rancher.
- DirectorStanley DonenGene KellyStarsGene KellyDonald O'ConnorDebbie ReynoldsA 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.
- CreatorCharles Marquis WarrenClyde WareStarsJames ArnessMilburn StoneAmanda BlakeMarshal Matt Dillon keeps the peace in rough-and-tumble Dodge City.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsCary GrantEva Marie SaintJames MasonA New York City advertising executive goes on the run after being mistaken for a government agent by a group of foreign spies, and falls for a woman whose loyalties he begins to doubt.
- DirectorMichael CurtizStarsBing CrosbyDanny KayeRosemary ClooneyA successful song-and-dance team become romantically involved with a sister act and team up to save the failing Vermont inn of their former commanding general.
- DirectorWilliam D. RussellStarsRaymond BurrBarbara HaleWilliam HopperPerry's client is menaced by a car driven by a hooded man, whom she shoots at with a gun that was planted in her room. When the guy winds up dead from a bullet, Perry confuses matters by firing an identical gun later at the scene.
- 1957–19661hTV-PG8.0 (577)TV EpisodeDirectorWilliam D. RussellStarsRaymond BurrBarbara HaleWilliam HopperA woman is divorcing her husband after she catches him sleepwalking near her bed with a knife. When his stepbrother is found dead, stabbed with the knife, he's charged with the murder and accused of using his sleepwalking as a cover-up.
- DirectorWilliam D. RussellStarsRaymond BurrBarbara HaleWilliam HopperA wealthy woman hires Mason to buy stock in her husband's land company, hoping to force his mistress out. But her plan goes awry when she is charged with the murder of her husband's business partner Mason bought the stock from.
- DirectorWilliam D. RussellStarsRaymond BurrBarbara HaleWilliam HopperPerry Mason, Della Street, and Paul Drake head to a small town to defend a young man who is charged with poisoning a blackmailer. They learn the man's father was executed for killing a man in the same town eighteen years earlier.
- DirectorChristian NybyStarsRaymond BurrBarbara HaleWilliam HopperAn impetuous niece who demands her trust fund be released comes to Perry Mason for help. But it's her boyfriend who needs defending when he is charged with murdering her controlling uncle as Perry learns their real situation.
- DirectorWilliam D. RussellStarsRaymond BurrBarbara HaleWilliam HopperSam Burris awakens his wife Betsy, saying he heard a shot at a neighbor's house. Through binoculars they spy Belle Adrian prowling about the house. Fortunately, Perry Mason on vacation comes to Belle's aid when she is charged with murder.
- DirectorChristian NybyStarsRaymond BurrBarbara HaleWilliam HopperFay Allison and her roommate Anita are found unconscious by Fay's aunt, Louise Marlow, who calls her attorney Perry Mason in desperation. In the girls' apartment Perry and Della discover a key that leads them to the body of Carver Clement.
- DirectorChristian NybyStarsRaymond BurrBarbara HaleWilliam HopperA man picking up a young woman hitchhiking tries to help her but the actions backfire when he finds himself the victim of blackmail. The man's business partner was also involved with the woman and murdered for which he is charged.
- DirectorChristian NybyStarsRaymond BurrBarbara HaleWilliam HopperEd Davenport, on his deathbed, accuses his wife of poisoning him, then he expires. When Tragg arrives to investigate, the corpse has vanished, only to be found later, buried in a slit trench several miles away.
- DirectorChristian NybyStarsRaymond BurrBarbara HaleWilliam HopperWhile on a fishing trip, Perry Mason and Paul Drake pull a beautiful woman out of the ocean. In her possession is a note she retrieved from her employer, accusing him of killing his rich aunt during a storm on their yacht.
- DirectorTed PostStarsRaymond BurrBarbara HaleWilliam HopperPerry and Della are enjoying a quiet dinner at Morey Allen's restaurant when a waitress suddenly runs out and is hit by a car, shots are fired, and Perry is left holding a moth-eaten mink with a pawn ticket hidden in it.
- DirectorChristian NybyStarsRaymond BurrBarbara HaleWilliam HopperPerry is awakened in the middle of the night by the phone. A strange man says someone has been murdered and he has two $1,000 bills as a retainer, as well as half of a $10,000 bill that will serve to introduce Perry's mysterious client.
- DirectorTed PostStarsRaymond BurrBarbara HaleWilliam HopperA gorgeous woman's trailer was stolen while she was sunbathing, so she asks for Perry's help in finding it. She claims it contains her diary, which details the truthful account of a notorious bank heist her father was convicted for.
- DirectorLaslo BenedekStarsRaymond BurrBarbara HaleWilliam HopperElaine is being threatened and blackmailed by her husband, Harry Pitkin, so she consults Perry. In a complex series of moves, Perry is sent on a wild goose chase to Elaine's apartment, Harry ends up dead, and Elaine is charged with murder.
- DirectorLewis AllenStarsRaymond BurrBarbara HaleWilliam HopperDella persuades Perry to take a case where a girl in a car accident is framed for stealing the car and killing the driver of a truck. She claims another man was driving the car. Two murders later Perry is still trying to clear her.
- DirectorLaslo BenedekStarsRaymond BurrBarbara HaleWilliam HopperA lonely heiress, Marylin Clark, looks for a con man who swindled her sister through a lonely hearts magazine, leading to the sister's death. Marylin finds Charles Barnaby, but he winds up dead, and she is charged with murder.
- DirectorLaslo BenedekStarsRaymond BurrBarbara HaleWilliam HopperThe wife of a prominent physician is arrested for drugging her husband, causing him to crash his private plane. But then he turns up alive, living in Mexico with a beautiful nurse after the dead man's identity is revealed.
- DirectorChristian NybyStarsRaymond BurrBarbara HaleWilliam HopperMarian Fargo is being blackmailed and hires Perry Mason to find a solution to her problem. When Marian is suddenly charged with two murders and the evidence is solidly against her, Perry must use all his wits to save his client.
- DirectorAndrew V. McLaglenStarsRaymond BurrBarbara HaleWilliam HopperPerry defends the brother of a woman who returns with a purse containing his gun, who says that in her nightmare she saw her husband shot and found the gun there. Perry must prove the nightmare was real, but why does the woman think it was a dream?
- DirectorAndrew V. McLaglenStarsRaymond BurrBarbara HaleWilliam HopperElston Carr is searching for the heir to the Hocksley fortune, with Alan Neil conducting the preliminary interviews. Miriam Hocksley may be the heiress. Another woman, Doris Hocksley, also has reliable credentials but Carr is found dead.
- DirectorAnton LeaderStarsRaymond BurrBarbara HaleWilliam HopperPerry Mason defends an old wartime buddy, Frank Lawton, who is framed for murder. He is a handy man accused of having an affair with the woman he works for and killing her husband. The evidence is piling up against him en masse.
- DirectorArthur HillerStarsRaymond BurrBarbara HaleWilliam HopperTeenager Doris Bannister is having a fling with Stefan Riker, a shady East German who is a longtime acquaintance of Doris' step-mother, Lisa Bannister. Riker has been murdered, and Doris has general amnesia; or is she faking it?
- DirectorAnton LeaderStarsRaymond BurrBarbara HaleWilliam HopperAn attractive secretary, spying on an oil executive in order to help his rival, is found murdered by the executive who takes the gun. And Perry's star witness is an elevator operator who identifies suspects by their shoes.
- DirectorChristian NybyStarsRaymond BurrBarbara HaleWilliam HopperFred Archer is blackmailed by Kim Lane, who winds up dead. Albert Sanders, Perry's derelict client, is charged with the murder. Perry depends on Kim's friend, Inez Kaylor, to assist in the defense, but she double-crosses him at every turn.
- DirectorAndrew V. McLaglenStarsRaymond BurrBarbara HaleWilliam HopperAn elderly nurse visits Perry for advice but leaves not listening. Later, she arrives at the police station to confess to killing a columnist who is using a book she stole from a doctor to blackmail him into giving her a baby of her own.
- DirectorArthur MarksStarsRaymond BurrBarbara HaleWilliam HopperLouise Gordon believes husband George is having an affair and will not allow him into her room. Only cousin Vicky Braxton and nurse Nora Mae Quincey may see Louise. When Louise dies of arsenic poisoning, Nora Mae is charged with murder.
- DirectorWilliam D. RussellStarsRaymond BurrBarbara HaleWilliam HopperCarl Houser quits his bank job and loads his money-belt with cash as he leaves. He takes his family on a ship cruise where his wife consults Perry about the cash, but when Carl apparently goes overboard, she is charged with murder.
- DirectorAndrew V. McLaglenStarsRaymond BurrBarbara HaleWilliam HopperEnid Griffin overdoses on sleeping pills when her boss, Stewart Brent, unexpectedly got married. Arthur Binney blackmails Brent and his wife Anne to suppress the fact that she has a prison record. Brent is framed for the murder of Binney.
- DirectorArthur MarksStarsRaymond BurrBarbara HaleWilliam HopperWhen Philip Larkin is killed, his stepfather Joseph Harrison, recently divorced from Philip's mother Ethel, is charged. With Joe in serious difficulty, Ethel asks Perry Mason to defend him, then disappears.