Films of the 50s: 1951

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JimmyJazz
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Films of the 50s: 1951

Post by JimmyJazz »

The rules:

You can post a list of anywhere between 1 and 15 films (or more, but only 15 will be counted) from the year we're covering. The deciding factor in terms of release dates is the RYM list and the top 10 of each year will go on to the final top 100. The deadline is January 31st.

The points scheme is as follows:
1. 50
2. 40
3. 30
4. 20
5. 15
6. 10
7. 9
8. 8
9. 7
10. 6
11. 5
12. 4
13. 3
14. 2
15. 1
However, these are the maximum amounts of points. If you want to put certain films on your list but don't want to give them too many points, you can choose to give these less points than in this scheme (but never more) to decrease the impact on the overall results. If you don't specifically state that you want to give (some of) your films fewer points, I will assume the standard scheme.

Here are some lists to remind you of the films released in 1951:
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/top/bestofrt/?year=1951
http://www.imdb.com/year/1951/

And here is are the top films of 1951 on TSPDT:
1. The River / Jean Renoir
2. Diary of a Country Priest / Robert Bresson (I know they list it as being in 1950, but that is inaccurate)
3. Early Summer / Yasujiro Ozu
4. Strangers on a Train / Alfred Hitchcock
5. Miracle in Milan / Vittorio De Sica
6. The African Queen / John Huston
7. A Place in the Sun / George Stevens
8. Forbidden Games / Rene Clement
9. An American in Paris / Vincente Minnelli
10. A Streetcar Named Desire / Elia Kazan
11. The Thing from Another World / Christian Nyby and Howard Hawks
12. The Day the Earth Stood Still / Robert Wise
13. Ace in the Hole / Billy Wilder

Also, to shed some light on a few hidden gems, here are the films from this year which were once featured on the TSPDT list, but are currently off of it.
- Awaara / Raj Kapoor
- Bellissima / Luchino Visconti
- The Man in the White Suit / Alexander Mackendrick
- Miss Oyu / Kenji Mizoguchi
- Outcast of the Islands / Carol Reed
- Pandora and the Flying Dutchman / Albert Lewin
- Tales of Hoffmann / Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger
Last edited by JimmyJazz on Thu Jan 02, 2014 12:09 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Films of the 50s: 1951

Post by JimmyJazz »

I have to say, although this year is filled quite a few of my all-time favorites, I have always considered it to be the weakest year of the decade for cinema. There doesn't seem to be any big, major classics that stand out immediately upon first glance like in all of the other years.

My list:

1| Diary of a Country Priest / Robert Bresson / France
2| Early Summer / Yasujiro Ozu / Japan
3| The River / Jean Renoir / France-USA-India (I always get confused with which country(s) should be attributed to this one)
4| Ace in the Hole / Billy Wilder / USA
5| Strangers on a Train / Alfred Hitchcock / USA
6| The Thing from Another World / Christian Nyby and Howard Hawks / USA
7| Miracle in Milan / Vittorio De Sica / Italy
8| The Steel Helmet / Samuel Fuller / USA
9| An American in Paris / Vincente Minnelli / USA
10| A Streetcar Named Desire / Elia Kazan / USA
11| The Day the Earth Stood Still / Robert Wise / USA
12| Bellissima / Luchino Visconti / Italy
13| Pandora and the Flying Dutchman / Albert Lewin / USA
Last edited by JimmyJazz on Thu Jan 02, 2014 12:13 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Films of the 50s: 1951

Post by Henrik »

My usual short and unskilled list...

1. Ace in the Hole
2. Strangers on a Train
3. A Streetcar Named Desire, 5p
4. The African Queen, 2p
5. An American in Paris, 1p
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Re: Films of the 50s: 1951

Post by Greg »

1. A Streetcar Named Desire / Elia Kazan / U.S.
2. Diary of a Country Priest / Robert Bresson / France
3. Ace in the Hole / Billy Wilder / U.S.
4. Miracle in Milan / Vittorio de Sica / Italy
5. Strangers on a Train / Alfred Hitchcock / U.S.
6. The Tales of Hoffmann / Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger / U.K.
7. Pandora and the Flying Dutchman / Albert Lewin / U.K.
8. The Idiot / Akira Kurosawa / Japan
9. The Thing from Another World / Christian Nyby & Howard Hawks / U.S.
10. The Steel Helmet / Samuel Fuller / U.S.
11. A Place in the Sun / George Stevens / U.S.
12. Early Summer / Yasujiro Ozu / Japan
13. An American in Paris / Vincente Minnelli / U.S.
14. Awara / Raj Kapoor / India
15. The Day the Earth Stood Still / Robert Wise / U.S.
16. The Browning Version / Anthony Asquith / U.K.

Le plaisir and On Dangerous Ground should be 1952, no?
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Re: Films of the 50s: 1951

Post by JimmyJazz »

Henrik wrote:My usual short and unskilled list...
Ok, I feel the need to apologize to everyone if my last post came off as being offensive to the users who submit smaller lists. I take back everything I said, and did not mean to demean or dismiss people and their tastes in cinema just because of how many movies they have seen in a particular year.
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Re: Films of the 50s: 1951

Post by JimmyJazz »

Greg wrote:Le plaisir and On Dangerous Ground should be 1952, no?
You're right. I'll edit the TSPDT list to reflect those changes, as well as my own list.
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Re: Films of the 50s: 1951

Post by Henrik »

JimmyJazz wrote:
Henrik wrote:My usual short and unskilled list...
Ok, I feel the need to apologize to everyone if my last post came off as being offensive to the users who submit smaller lists. I take back everything I said, and did not mean to demean or dismiss people and their tastes in cinema just because of how many movies they have seen in a particular year.
No need to apologize! I am actually a bit ashamed that I can give my #1-5 as many points as someone who has seen 5 or even 10 times as many films. But I only give a few points to movies I liked but not loved, so for example this year I only gave full points to my #1-2.
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Re: Films of the 50s: 1951

Post by Jirin »

Might do some more watching but in case I forget:

Diary of a Country Priest
Early Summer
The River
Ace In The Hole
Strangers On A Train
A Streetcar Named Desire

I just realized my top 5 are identical to JimmyJazz's.
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Re: Films of the 50s: 1951

Post by Michel »

1. La poison (Sacha Guitry)
2. Ace in the Hole (Billy Wilder)
3. A Streetcar Named Desire (Elia Kazan)
4. The Browning Version (Anthony Asquith)
5. Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (Albert Lewin)
6. Alice in Wonderland (Clyde Geronimi)
7. People Will Talk (Joseph L. Mankiewicz)
8. Journal d'un curé de campagne [Diary of a Country Priest] (Robert Bresson)
9. Strangers on a Train (Alfred Hitchcock)
10. Knock (Guy Lefranc)
11. M (Joseph Losey)
12. The Day the Earth Stood Still (Robert Wise)
13. Westward the Women (William A. Wellman)
14. Édouard et Caroline (Jacques Becker)

Bubbling under :
The African Queen (John Huston)
Bellissima (Luchino Visconti)
Le passe-muraille (Jean Boyer)
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Re: Films of the 50s: 1951

Post by Stephan »

I've only seen Ace in the Hole from 1951.. so I guess give 15 points to that film.
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Re: Films of the 50s: 1951

Post by Petri »

1. A Streetcar Named Desire
2. Ace in the Hole
3. Alice in Wonderland
4. Strangers on a Train
5. Miracolo a Milano [Miracle in Milan]
6. Radio tekee murron
7. The Thing From Another World

The rest I've seen. No points
8. The Day the Earth Stood Still (0 points)
9. An American in Paris (0 points)
Last edited by Petri on Mon Jan 27, 2014 10:14 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Films of the 50s: 1951

Post by Harold »

1. Strangers on a Train
2. A Streetcar Named Desire
3. Diary of a Country Priest
4. Ace in the Hole
5. The African Queen
6. The Thing from Another World
7. The Day the Earth Stood Still
8. An American in Paris
9. A Place in the Sun
10. [tie] The Lavender Hill Mob ; The Man in the White Suit
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Re: Films of the 50s: 1951

Post by bonnielaurel »

1. Strangers on a Train
2. A Streetcar Named Desire
3. Quo Vadis
4. The Lavender Hill Mob
5. Bellissima
6. A Place in the Sun
7. An American in Paris
8. Alice in Wonderland
9. The Thing from Another World
10. The African Queen
11. The Day the Earth Stood Still
12. The Company She Keeps
13. Let's Make It Legal
14. A Christmas Carol
15. Show Boat
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Re: Films of the 50s: 1951

Post by Gillingham »

1. Strangers on a Train (Alfred Hitchcock)
2. The River (Jean Renoir)
3. Ace in the Hole (Billy Wilder)
4. Miracolo a Milano (Vittorio de Sica)
5. Journal d'un Curé de Campagne (Robert Bresson) 10 points
6. A Streetcar Named Desire (Elia Kazan) 5
7. The African Queen (John Huston) 3
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Re: Films of the 50s: 1951

Post by Gillingham »

Stephan wrote:I've only seen Ace in the Hole from 1951.. so I guess give 15 points to that film.
Makes me wonder, did we settle on a minimum number of films to list at all?
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Re: Films of the 50s: 1951

Post by JimmyJazz »

Due to the fact that there seems to be quite a lot of people who haven't seen a lot of films from this decade, I will be more generous with the voters than I would be with the 1960s onwards. That way, they don't have to feel too intimidated about not having seen many films and they can still vote, and like Stephan they can obviously alter their point allotment if they so wish.
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Re: Films of the 50s: 1951

Post by JimmyJazz »

Harold wrote:10. [tie] The Lavender Hill Mob ; The Man in the White Suit
Actually, Harold, could you rank each of these films for me? I probably should have clarified the rules ahead of time (and probably should ask everybody how they feel about it), but I don't think ties should be allowed. It seems unfair to award the same amount of points to two different films. But, I will ask for your preference on this issue, as well as how the rest of you guys feel.
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Re: Films of the 50s: 1951

Post by Henrik »

Gillingham wrote:
Stephan wrote:I've only seen Ace in the Hole from 1951.. so I guess give 15 points to that film.
Makes me wonder, did we settle on a minimum number of films to list at all?
Stephan and I agreed sometime during the '60s poll, that lists with less than 5 films would be ok, but using the following maximum points:

4 films
1. 40
2. 30
3. 20
4. 15

3 films
1. 30
2. 20
3. 15

2 films
1. 20
2. 15

1 films
1. 15

JimmyJazz, of course it's upto you to decide if you allow this during the '50s poll as well.
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Re: Films of the 50s: 1951

Post by JimmyJazz »

Henrik wrote:
Gillingham wrote:
Stephan wrote:I've only seen Ace in the Hole from 1951.. so I guess give 15 points to that film.
Makes me wonder, did we settle on a minimum number of films to list at all?
Stephan and I agreed sometime during the '60s poll, that lists with less than 5 films would be ok, but using the following maximum points:

4 films
1. 40
2. 30
3. 20
4. 15

3 films
1. 30
2. 20
3. 15

2 films
1. 20
2. 15

1 films
1. 15

JimmyJazz, of course it's upto you to decide if you allow this during the '50s poll as well.
Oh, I didn't know this! Thank you for pointing this out, Henrik. This is how we will go about things for smaller lists.

BTW, what are your thoughts on the tie issue? As I said above, I personally think that every film on a list should be ranked and should not be combined together, as I feel it is unfair to award the same points to two different films.
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Re: Films of the 50s: 1951

Post by Henrik »

I've never seen anyone use ties before. I'm sure Harold could separate them if he sees your question. My first thought was to otherwise split the points and give them three points each, but actually they could be given 5 points each which is the worst case scenario for each film, given that Harold would place one film at #10 and the other at #11. Hopefully this isn't crucial for the overall top 10 anyway.
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Re: Films of the 50s: 1951

Post by Gillingham »

Henrik wrote:
Gillingham wrote:
Stephan wrote:I've only seen Ace in the Hole from 1951.. so I guess give 15 points to that film.
Makes me wonder, did we settle on a minimum number of films to list at all?
Stephan and I agreed sometime during the '60s poll, that lists with less than 5 films would be ok, but using the following maximum points:

4 films
1. 40
2. 30
3. 20
4. 15

3 films
1. 30
2. 20
3. 15

2 films
1. 20
2. 15

1 films
1. 15

JimmyJazz, of course it's upto you to decide if you allow this during the '50s poll as well.
Fair enough, Henrik.
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Re: Films of the 50s: 1951

Post by Charlie Driggs »

1. Strangers On A Train (Alfred Hitchcock)
2. Desicion Before Dawn (Anatole Litvak)
3. Der Verlorene (Peter Lorre)
4. African Queen (John Huston)
5. Der Untertan (Wolfgang Staudte)
6. Detective Story (William Wyler)
7. A Streetcar Named Desire (Elia Kazan)
8. L'auberge rouge (Claude Autant-Lara)
9. The Man In The White Suit (Alexander Mackendrick)
10. The Day The Earth Stood Still (Robert Wise)
11. Captain Horatio Hornblower (Raoul Walsh)
12. Das Beil von Wandsbek (Falk Harnak)
13. Ace In The Hole (Billy Wilder)
14. The River (Jean Renoir)
15. Lavender Hill Mob (Charles Crichton)

Bubbling under:
The People Against O'Hara (John Sturges)
Das Haus in Montevideo (Cutz Goetz)
The Red Badge Of Courage (John Huston)
A Place In The Sun (George Stevens)
The Tall Target (Anthony Mann)
La hija del engaño (Luis Bunuel)
Quo Vadis (Mervyn LeRoy)
Double Dynamite (Irvin Cummings)
When World Collide (Rudolph Le Maté)
The Wild North (Andre Marton)

Haven't seen:
Le plaisir (Ophüls)
Bakushû (Ozu)
Miracolo a Milano (De Sica)
An American In Paris (Minnelli)
The Thing From Another World (Hawks)
La poison (Guitry)
Journal d'un curé de campagne (Bresson)
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Re: Films of the 50s: 1951

Post by Harold »

Harold wrote:1. Strangers on a Train
2. A Streetcar Named Desire
3. Diary of a Country Priest
4. Ace in the Hole
5. The African Queen
6. The Thing from Another World
7. The Day the Earth Stood Still
8. An American in Paris
9. A Place in the Sun
10. [tie] The Lavender Hill Mob ; The Man in the White Suit
Sorry, JimmyJazz - didn't see your request until now. I'd thought it would be nice to have the two Ealing comedies tied at #10, but didn't think about the fact that ties weren't a good idea. I slightly prefer The Man in the White Suit, so please make that my #10 and The Lavender Hill Mob #11.
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Re: Films of the 50s: 1951

Post by JimmyJazz »

Harold wrote:
Harold wrote:1. Strangers on a Train
2. A Streetcar Named Desire
3. Diary of a Country Priest
4. Ace in the Hole
5. The African Queen
6. The Thing from Another World
7. The Day the Earth Stood Still
8. An American in Paris
9. A Place in the Sun
10. [tie] The Lavender Hill Mob ; The Man in the White Suit
Sorry, JimmyJazz - didn't see your request until now. I'd thought it would be nice to have the two Ealing comedies tied at #10, but didn't think about the fact that ties weren't a good idea. I slightly prefer The Man in the White Suit, so please make that my #10 and The Lavender Hill Mob #11.
Okay, Harold, done and done. Thanks!
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Re: Films of the 50s: 1951

Post by antonius »

1. The African Queen
2. A Streetcar Named Desire
3. Ace in the Hole
4. Diary of a Country Priest
5. Strangers on a Train
6. The Thing from Another World
7. The Day the Earth Stood Still
8. The Man in the White Suit
9. The Lavender Hill Mob
10. An American in Paris
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Re: Films of the 50s: 1951

Post by JimmyJazz »

Just a quick reminder to those who haven't voted yet: you have one more week to vote until Friday! If you wanted to get a list in, now is the time to do it!
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Re: Films of the 50s: 1951

Post by Petri »

JimmyJazz I edited my list. Miracolo a Milano [Miracle in Milan] is my new #5. I also decided not to give any points to The Day the Earth Stood Still and An American in Paris. They are both quite good movies but there are so many interesting movies from 1951 I haven't seen (and I would probably like more at least some of them than those two).
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Re: Films of the 50s: 1951

Post by Miguel »

1. Ace in the Hole – Billy Wilder (USA)
2. Along the Great Divide – Raouls Walsh (USA)
3. Strangers on a Train – Alfred Hitchcock (USA)
4. The Prowler – Joseph Losey (USA)
5. Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N. – Raoul Walsh (USA)
6. Westward the Women – William Wellman (USA)
7. An American in Paris – Vincente Minelli (USA)
8. The African Queen – John Huston (USA)
9. A Streetcar Named Desire – Elia Kazan (USA)
10. Surcos (Furrows) – José Antonio Nieves Conde (Spain)
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Re: Films of the 50s: 1951

Post by SuperFurry »

1. Ace In The Hole
2. Strangers On A Train
3. The Day The Earth Stood Still
4. Miracolo a Milano [Miracle in Milan]
5. A Streetcar Named Desire
6. The Thing From Another World
7. Alice In Wonderland
8. Journal d'un curé de campagne [Diary of a Country Priest]
9. The African Queen
10. 麥秋 [Early Summer]
11. The River
12. An American In Paris
13. A Place In The Sun
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Re: Films of the 50s: 1951

Post by JimmyJazz »

One more day, everybody! If you haven't gotten a list in, or if you would like to edit your lists to reflect recent viewings, it is highly advisable that you do so now! The deadline is 9:00 USTC.
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Re: Films of the 50s: 1951

Post by JimmyJazz »

The poll is officially closed. I will post the results soon...
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Re: Films of the 50s: 1951

Post by JimmyJazz »

The top 10 films of 1951 according to AMF users are:

1| Ace in the Hole / Billy Wilder / USA / 398 points (13 votes)
2| Strangers on a Train / Alfred Hitchcock / USA / 397 (13)
3| A Streetcar Named Desire / Elia Kazan / USA / 307 (13)
4| Diary of a Country Priest / Robert Bresson / France / 216 (8)
5| The River / Jean Renoir / France-USA-India / 107 (5)
6| The African Queen / John Huston / USA / 106 (8)
7| Early Summer / Yasujiro Ozu / Japan / 90 (4)
8| Miracle in Milan / Vittorio De Sica / Italy / 84 (5)
9| The Day the Earth Stood Still / Robert Wise / USA / 69 (8)
10| The Thing from Another World / Christian Nyby and Howard Hawks / 63 (7)
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Re: Films of the 50s: 1951

Post by JimmyJazz »

For those (like me) who pay attention to these sort of things, the auteur/director scoreboard for the decade currently is:

Wilder
Huston
Tied for 2 films each.
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