The MoFo Top 100 of the Fifties: The Countdown

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My #1s for each Countdowns placing:

90's: Unforgiven #12
80's:The King of Comedy #29
Comics: The Dark Knight #1
70's: Taxi Driver #3
TV:The Sopranos #7
Animated: Princess Mononoke #9
60's: Once Upon A Time In The West t#5
Documentaries: Enron: The Smartest Guys In the Room #24
Action: Once Upon A Time In The West #95
50's: The 400 Blows #17
I don't remember what my top picks were for all of the lists, but I know my highest placing #1 choice was Up, which came in at #2 on the Animation Countdown.

My lowest placing #1 was for the 70s list: Charlotte's Web, which failed to make the list at all.



It was actually the Animation Countdown that i first posted my #1s from each Countdown, it randomly came to mind so i copied and pasted them from there and added what has happened since.



I like that idea Camo ...

My #1s for each countdown placing:

60s - 2001: A Space Odyssey #1
50s - 12 Angry Men #1



Hang on though .... that makes me Mister Average



Bright light. Bright light. Uh oh.
Rear Window is Hitch's most-perfect film. I had it at #5. 12 Angry Men was my #11.
I give 12 Angry Men
, but that shouldn't make it sound like I don't think it's a great movie. If I give something that, it's basically equivalent to most people's
. I'm trying to think back to when I first watched the film and how I may have reacted. I was a teenager, but that would have been the early '70s. It was probably my introduction to how a jury might work, especially one where almost everybody sees the case as cut-and-dried. Of course, I understood it was a melodrama where everyone slightly exaggerates their words and acting for dramatic effect. It's still filmed "realistically", so it gets to have it both ways as a realistic drama and a highly-theatrical experience.

The other jurors want Juror #3 to convince them...
The real key to 12 Angry Men's success is Reginald Rose's tightly-wound script, which provides all the jurors with their own flaws and personalities and starts them on a path due east. Then as the film slowly reveals all the flaws and personalities of the people we've never seen (those mentioned at or testifying during the trial), the semblance of doubt begins to take root in more than just one juror's mind, and the path seems to shift ever so subtly until near the end, the jury appears to be heading due west. It's all left to the viewer to decide how they would vote and how they may change their opinion based on the pieces of evidence being examined throughout the film. As far as I'm concerned, the strongest scene in the film the first time I watched it remains the most memorable one to me still: the scene where Juror #8 produces the knife. Besides being the centerpiece of the script, it's also Sidney Lumet's best-directed scene.
My List
1. Alice in Wonderland (#27)
2. The Quiet Man (#51)
3. Paths of Glory (#8)
4. Room at the Top (#73)
5. Rear Window (#2)
6. Some Like It Hot (#11)
7. Friendly Persuasion (Did Not Place)
8. The Caine Mutiny (#80)
9. Sunset Blvd. (#3)
10. The Bridge on the River Kwai (#7)
11. 12 Angry Men (#1)
12. North by Northwest (#5)
13. The Nun’s Story (Did Not Place)
14. People Will Talk (#88)
15. Singin’ in the Rain (#10)
16. The Importance of Being Earnest (Did Not Place)
17. A Streetcar Named Desire (#19)
18. The Trouble with Harry (Did Not Place)
19. Night and Fog (#54)
20. Seven Samurai (#6)
21. Oklahoma! (#97)
22. The King and I (Did Not Place)
23. Guys and Dolls (Did Not Place)
24. The Big Country (#66)
25. Vertigo (#4)
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13. The Nun’s Story (Did Not Place)
22. The King and I (Did Not Place)
23. Guys and Dolls (Did Not Place)
I really liked all those films and all were on my short list but sadly I didn't have the room for them. I thought you might had one of mine on your list Lust for Life.



Ugh. 12 Angry Men won? I hate you all. Even those that didn't vote for it. It's a collective thing.
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Big thanks to raul for running this thing. Great job! It's not your fault an average to slightly above average film got the most points...or is it?



And here's my list:

1. Rashomon
2. Vertigo
3. The Searchers
4. Pickpocket
5. Sunset Boulevard
6. Pather Panchali
7. The Night of the Hunter
8. The Music Room
9. Los Olvidados
10. In a Lonely Place
11. Singin' in the Rain
12. Tokyo Story
13. The Bridge on the River Kwai
14. Throne of Blood
15. Moi un noir
16. North by Northwest
17. Mon Oncle
18. Smiles of a Summer Night
19. Voyage in Italy
20. Paths of Glory
21. The Lavendar Hill Mob
22. The Human Condition I
23. The Sun Legend of the End of the Tokugawa Era
24. Touch of Evil
25. Night and Fog



I had 12 Angry Men on my list (at #22), but I was really rooting for Rear Window to take the #1 spot. For you see, Rear Window was my #1 film, a film where Hitchcock is at the peak of his mastery of suspense and filmmaking, so much so he has to create additional challenges for himself, such as a protagonist confined to a wheelchair and a limited set, seen only from the vantage of our confined hero. Still, #2 is pretty good.

My complete list...

1. Rear Window (Alfred Hitchcock - 1954)
2. North by Northwest (Alfred Hitchcock - 1959)
3. The 400 Blows (François Truffaut - 1959)
4. The Bridge on the River Kwai (David Lean - 1957)
5. Rashomon (Akira Kurosawa - 1951)
6. Pickup on South Street (Samuel Fuller - 1953)
7. Ikiru (Akira Kurosawa - 1952)
8. Mon Oncle (Jacques Tati - 1958)
9. Sunset Boulevard (Billy Wilder - 1950)
10. Paths of Glory (Stanley Kubrick - 1957)
11. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (Don Siegel - 1956)
12. Wages of Fear (Henri-Georges Clouzot - 1955)
13. From Here to Eternity (Fred Zinnemann - 1953)
14. All About Eve (Joseph L. Mankiewicz - 1950)
15. Elevator to the Gallows (Ascenseur pour l'échafaud) (Louis Malle - 1958)
16. Stalag 17 (Billy Wilder - 1953)
17. Journey to Italy (Roberto Rossellini - 1954)
18. La Strada (Federico Fellini - 1954)
19. The Killing (Stanley Kubrick - 1956)
20. Singin’ in the Rain (Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen - 1952)
21. Room at the Top (Jack Clayton - 1959)
22. 12 Angry Men (Sidney Lumet - 1957)
23. Les Diaboliques (Henri Georges Clouzot - 1955)
24. Rio Bravo (Howard Hawks - 1959)
25. Where the Sidewalk Ends (Otto Preminger - 1950)
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here's my list. i had five nicholas ray's, five hitchcock's, two kazans and two welles. bolded films didn't make it.

1. Bigger than Life
2. Vertigo
3. Singin' in the Rain
4. Rear Window
5. The Wrong Man
6. Sweet Smell of Success
7. On the Waterfront
8. Johnny Guitar
9. Pickup on South Street
10. The Night of the Hunter
11. Rebel Without a Cause
12. Othello
13. The Bridge on the River Kwai
14. A Face in the Crowd
15. North By Northwest
16. 12 Angry Men
17. The Big Combo
18. In a Lonely Place
19. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
20. Anatomy of a Murder
21. Strangers on a Train
22. Night and the City
23. Touch of Evil
24. Paths of Glory
25. Bitter Victory

and my next 25 in order, just for fun

ace in the hole (watched after submitting list)
the wages of fear
all about eve
the 400 blows
all that heaven allows
the lusty men
east of eden
pather panchali
caged
party girl (watched after submitting list)
lili
gun crazy
the kiling
on dangerous ground
winchester 73
some like it hot
marty
wild strawberries
tokyo story
the tin star
riot in cell block 11
cat on a hot tin roof
wagon master
nights of cabiria
the hitch-hiker
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Three films from my list didn't make the countdown.

Where the Sidewalk Ends. My 1-pointer. The film noir Laura has many fans, and the film is lauded and will certainly make the 40s list. But Laura has a brother, a brutal and darker brother, and it’s Where the Sidewalk Ends. They share the same director (Otto Preminger) and the same two leads (Dana Andrews and Gene Tierney) and it’s about a cop whose hatred of criminals compels him to cross the line in the name of justice.

Journey to Italy. Roberto Rossellini directed this poignant story of a couple visiting Italy (Ingrid Bergman and George Sanders), whose marriage is in turmoil. Cut off from their home routine, they’re forced to look at each other and question their place in the world, while discovering a connection to the past, and of humanity’s continuous struggles and commonalities. I was really hoping this would make the countdown, and I sort of wish I’d placed it a little higher on my own list.

Elevator to the Gallows. Louis Malle does film noir with a distinct existential style, and Miles Davis provides an experimental, haunting jazz score. I’d seen it a couple times before, but watched it again to see if I wanted it on my list, and obviously it holds up. Maybe I placed it a little high on my list, but it deserved a spot on the countdown for the score, if nothing else.



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Big thanks to raul for running this thing. Great job! It's not your fault an average to slightly above average film got the most points...or is it?
It was on my list, but Rear Window was my number 1



Let the night air cool you off
1. Ikiru (1952; Akira Kurosawa)
2. Ordet (1955; Carl Dreyer)
3. The Human Condition II: Road to Eternity (1959; Masaki Kobayashi)
4. The Human Condition I: No Greater Love (1959; Masaki Kobayashi)
5. Rear Window (1954; Alfred Hitchcock)
6. The Searchers (1956; John Ford)
7. Sansho the Bailiff (1954; Kenji Mizoguchi)
8. Umberto D. (1952; Vittorio De Sica)
9. Bigger Than Life (1956; Nicholas Ray)
10. The Killing (1956; Stanley Kubrick)
11. Elevator to the Gallows (1958; Louis Malle
12. Johnny Guitar (1954; Nicholas Ray)
13. Seven Samurai (1954; Akira Kurosawa)
14. Rio Bravo (1959; Howard Hawks)
15. Sweet Smell of Success (1957; Alexander Mackendrick)
16. Sunset Blvd. (1950; Billy Wilder)
17. The Furies (1950; Anthony Mann)
18. Day of the Outlaw (1959; Andre De Toth)
19. Singin' in the Rain (1952; Stanley Donen)
20. In a Lonely Place (1950; Nicholas Ray)
21. Kanal (1957; Andrzej Wajda)
22. Dial M for Murder (1954; Alfred Hitchcock)
23. Night and Fog (1955; Alain Resnais)
24. On the Waterfront (1954; Elia Kazan)
25. Underworld Beauty (1958; Seijun Suzuki) (On IMDb this is listed as "Ankokugai no bijo")'

My list



Thanks for the time and effort Rauldc. You did great!

I ended up finishing strong, with 8 of the final 10 (all of which I've seen), to hit 24/25.

Seen: 60/100 (+10)
My List: 24/25 (+8)

1. Tokyo Story (21)
2. Ikiru (16)
3. The Seven Samurai (6)
4. Pather Panchali (40)
5. Sunset Blvd. (3)
6. Touch of Evil (20)
7. Vertigo (4)
8. 12 Angry Men (1)
9. Wages of Fear (50)
10. Wild Strawberries (23)
11. Nights of Cabiria (71)
12. Tokyo Twilight (91)
13. H-8 (--)
14. Night of the Hunter (25)
15. Paths of Glory (8)
16. Sansho the Bailiff (34)
17. The 400 Blows (17)
18. Rififi (53)
19. Hiroshima, Mon Amour (75)
20. The Bridge on the River Kwai (7)
21. Singin' in the Rain (10)
22. The Seventh Seal (13)
23. Rear Window (2)
24. Witness for the Prosecution (24)
25. Throne of Blood (38)

I knew H-8 stood no chance - I'd be surprised if anyone else has even seen it.

I feel bummed I wasn't around for the previous polls. Don't have as much viewing experience with the '40s, but I'm planning to participate when it lands...



Here is mine

All About Eve
Anatomy Of A Murder
Streetcar Named Desire
Rear Window
Witness For The Prosecution
Dial M For Murder
12 Angry Men
Sunset Blvd
In A Lonely Place
The Sweet Smell Of Success
Detective Story
On The Waterfront
Vertigo
Smiles Of A Summer Night
Ikiru
High Noon
Mon Oncle
Wild Strawberries
The Big Country
Pather Panchali
I Vitteloni
Touch Of Evil
A Face In The Crowd
The Seventh Seal
East Of Eden
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My number 1's for the countdowns I have done

50's - Seven Samurai
Docs - A Personal Journey through American Cinema with Martin Scorsese (did not place)
60's - Dr Strangelove
Animation - Frozen
70's - Taxi Driver
80's - Blue Velvet
90's - Clerks



Raul laid the ground work on how Countdowns should be run. I know some ,may have wanted the movies listed faster But I think Raul ran this so well and should get an ovation.