The 1950s (pronounced nineteen-fifties; commonly abbreviated as the "Fifties" or the "'50s") (among other variants) was a decade that began on January 1, 1950, and ended on December 31, 1959.
Throughout the decade, the world continued its recovery from World War II, aided by the post-World War II economic expansion. The period also saw great population growth with increased birth rates and the emergence of the baby boomer generation.
Despite this recovery, the Cold War developed from its modest beginnings in the late 1940s to a heated competition between the Soviet Union and the United States by the early 1960s. The ideological clash between communism and capitalism dominated the decade, especially in the Northern Hemisphere. (Full article...)
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The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XVI Olympiad and officially branded as Melbourne 1956, were an international multi-sport event held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, from 22 November to 8 December 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which were held in Stockholm, Sweden, in June 1956.
These Games were the first to be staged in the Southern Hemisphere and Oceania, as well as the first to be held outside Europe and North America. Melbourne is the most southerly city ever to host the Olympics. Due to the Southern Hemisphere's seasons being different from those in the Northern Hemisphere, the 1956 Games did not take place at the usual time of year, because of the need to hold the events during the warmer weather of the host's spring/summer (which corresponds to the Northern Hemisphere's autumn/winter), resulting in the only summer games ever to be held in November and December. Australia hosted the Games for a second time in 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, and will host them again in 2032 in Brisbane, Queensland. (Full article...)
These are Good articles, which meet a core set of high editorial standards.
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Image 1Rififi ( French: Du rififi chez les hommes) is a 1955 French crime film adaptation of Auguste Le Breton's novel of the same name. Directed by American blacklisted filmmaker Jules Dassin, the film stars Jean Servais as the aging gangster Tony "le Stéphanois", Carl Möhner as Jo "le Suédois", Robert Manuel as Mario Farrati, and Jules Dassin as César "le Milanais". The foursome band together to commit an almost impossible theft, the burglary of an exclusive jewelry shop in the Rue de la Paix. The centerpiece of the film is an intricate half-hour heist scene depicting the crime in detail, shot in near silence, without dialogue or music. The fictional burglary has been mimicked by criminals in actual crimes around the world. After he was blacklisted from Hollywood, Dassin found work in France where he was asked to direct Rififi. Despite his distaste for parts of the original novel, Dassin agreed to direct the film. He shot Rififi while working with a low budget, without a star cast, and with the production staff working for low wages. ( Full article...)
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Image 2The Hideous Sun Demon (sometimes billed as The Sun Demon, or in the UK as Blood on His Lips) is a 1958 American science fiction horror film produced, directed, and cowritten by Robert Clarke, who also starred in the title role. It also stars Patricia Manning, Nan Peterson, Patrick Whyte, and Fred La Porta. The film focuses on a scientist (portrayed by Clarke) who is exposed to a radioactive isotope and soon finds out that it comes with horrifying consequences. The film was inspired by the financial success of The Astounding She-Monster, in which Clarke had starred earlier that year. The crew was made up of University of Southern California film students, while the cast consisted of unknowns in addition to Clarke's family and friends. Shooting took place under three different cinematographers over 12 consecutive weekends. Originally budgeted at $10,000, the film ended up costing $50,000. Distributed by Clarke's own Pacific International Pictures, The Hideous Sun Demon premiered on August 29, 1958 as part of a double bill with Roger Corman's Attack of the Crab Monsters. The film received mostly negative reviews upon its release, but has since become a cult film and has been referenced and parodied many times. An unauthorized sequel, the 1965 short film Wrath of the Sun Demon, was produced by Donald F. Glut. Two redubbed versions of the original film have been released: the comedic Hideous Sun Demon: Special Edition and What's Up, Hideous Sun Demon (also known as Revenge of the Sun Demon), the latter of which was produced with Clarke's permission. ( Full article...)
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Theatrical release poster is a 1955 Japanese kaiju film directed by Motoyoshi Oda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd., it is the second film in the Godzilla franchise, and a sequel to Godzilla (1954). The film stars Hiroshi Koizumi, Setsuko Wakayama, Minoru Chiaki, and Takashi Shimura, with Haruo Nakajima as Godzilla and Katsumi Tezuka as Anguirus. In the film, Japan struggles to survive the attack of the second Godzilla, as well as its destructive battle against its ancient foe Anguirus. Executive producer Iwao Mori instructed producer Tomoyuki Tanaka to immediately commence production on a second Godzilla film, fearing to lose the momentum of the first film's success. Oda was chosen to direct the film as Ishirō Honda was busy directing Lovetide. ( Full article...)
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Image 5Last Clear Chance is a 1959 American short film produced and directed by Robert Carlisle. Sponsored by the Union Pacific Railroad, Last Clear Chance is a safety film intended to warn young drivers to be careful at railroad crossings. The film's cast consists of William Boyett, Harold Agee, Mrs. Harold Agee, Tim Bosworth, William Agee, Christine Lynch, and Lou Spraker. Written by Leland Baxter, the film was shot in parts of Idaho. Wondsel, Carlisle & Dunphy Inc, based in New York City, served as the film's production company. The film centers on the Dixon family, in particular Alan Dixon, who has recently received his driver's license and is eager to begin driving a car. When local police officer Hal Jackson visits the Dixons and learns that Alan's license has arrived, he sits down and tells Alan ways to drive safely and avoid getting into accidents. Although the film is fictional, it was inspired by a real family who experienced a scenario similar to the film. During production, assistance was provided by staff of the National Safety Council, along with the Idaho State Police and the Colorado State Patrol. ( Full article...)
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Image 6Tenali Ramakrishna is a 1956 Indian Telugu-language political drama film produced and directed by B. S. Ranga based on Ch. Venkataramaiah's stage play of the same name. Produced for the banner Vikram Productions, it stars N. T. Rama Rao, Akkineni Nageswara Rao, V. Nagayya, P. Bhanumathi, and Jamuna in key roles. Ranga handled the cinematography with his brother-in-law B. N. Haridas while P. G. Mohan edited the film. Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy composed the soundtrack and background score. Written by Samudrala Sr., Kannadasan, and Murugadasa, Tenali Ramakrishna narrates the story of the 16th-century Telugu poet and scholar of the same name, and his life as a member of the court of Sri Krishnadevaraya, the king of the Vijayanagara Empire. Using his wits, Ramakrishna manages to save Krishnadevaraya from attacks on his empire by the Bahmani Sultanate. The rest of the film is about Ramakrishna's efforts to save Krishnadevaraya from the courtesan Krishnasani, a spy, and convincing Mughal Emperor Babur against extending support to the Sultanate in the war. ( Full article...)
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Image 7Darah dan Doa ( [daˈrah ˈdan doˈa]; Indonesian for Blood and Prayer, released internationally as The Long March) is a 1950 Indonesian war film directed and produced by Usmar Ismail, telling the story of the Siliwangi Division and its leader Captain Sudarto on a march to West Java. Following Ismail's Dutch-produced Tjitra (1949), Darah dan Doa is often cited as the first 'Indonesian' film, and the film's first day of shooting – 30 March – is celebrated in Indonesia as National Film Day. Produced on a budget of 350,000 rupiah and intended to be screened at the Cannes Film Festival, financial difficulties led production of Darah dan Doa to almost stop before the director received financial backing. After raising controversy for its subject material, the film underwent censorship and was finally released to commercial failure. Retrospective analysis has, however, been more positive, and Ismail has been dubbed the "father of Indonesian film". ( Full article...)
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Image 10Night of the Blood Beast is a 1958 American science-fiction horror film about a team of scientists who are stalked by an alien creature, which implants its embryos in an astronaut's body during a space flight. Produced by exploitation filmmaker Roger Corman and his brother Gene, it was one of the first films directed by Bernard L. Kowalski and was written by first-time screenwriter Martin Varno, who was 21 years old. It starred several actors who had regularly worked with Roger Corman, including Michael Emmet, Ed Nelson, Steve Dunlap, Georgianna Carter and Tyler McVey. Blood Beast was distributed on September 8, 1958 by American International Pictures in the Texas area as a double feature with Corman's She Gods of Shark Reef (1958). The same double feature went into wider release on December 5, 1958 in other markets.. It took Varno six weeks to write the script, the original working title of which was Creature from Galaxy 27. The story was partially influenced by the real-life Space Race and the Howard Hawks film The Thing from Another World (1951). Screenwriters Jerome Bixby and Harold Jacob Smith gave Varno uncredited assistance with the dialogue. With a budget of about $68,000, it was shot over seven days at the Charlie Chaplin Studios, Bronson Canyon and a television station on Mount Lee in Hollywood. ( Full article...)
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Image 11Tiga Dara (Indonesian for Three Maidens) is a 1957 Indonesian musical drama film starring Chitra Dewi, Mieke Wijaya, and Indriati Iskak. Directed by Usmar Ismail for Perfini, the film follows three sisters who live with their father and grandmother. When the eldest sister, Nunung, shows no interest in marrying, her family tries unsuccessfully to find a husband for her. Nunung initially rejects the advances of a young man named Toto, who instead dates her younger sister. However, when he becomes jealous and travels from Jakarta to Bandung to profess his love, she agrees to marry him. Produced using government credit and written in an attempt to cover Perfini's outstanding debts, Tiga Dara was intended to be commercial despite Ismail's disapproval of such works. After it was released on 24 August 1957, the film was an immense popular success, launching the careers of its stars, earning the highest box office returns of any Perfini film, and being screened in first-class cinemas. However, even though Tiga Dara was shown at the 1959 Venice Film Festival and received Best Musical Arrangement at the 1960 Indonesian Film Week, Ismail considered it a compromise of his initial vision for Perfini. ( Full article...)
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Image 13Nadodi Mannan ( transl. The Vagabond and the King) is a 1958 Indian Tamil-language action adventure film directed by M. G. Ramachandran in his debut as a filmmaker. He stars in dual roles alongside P. Bhanumathi, M. N. Rajam and B. Saroja Devi. P. S. Veerappa, M. N. Nambiar, M. G. Chakrapani, T. K. Balachandran and Chandrababu play supporting roles. The film revolves around a king being replaced by a look-alike after getting abducted on the eve of his coronation. The look-alike begins to implement social and economic reforms to uplift the poor which irks the kingdom's high priest, who has kidnapped the very person the look-alike resembles. The rest of the film shows how the look-alike saves the man he impersonates and defeats the high priest. Made on a budget of ₹18 lakh, Ramachandran co-produced the film with Chakrapani and R. M. Veerappan under the banner of Em.Gee.Yar Pictures. C. Kuppusami, K. Srinivasan, and P. Neelakantan were in charge of the screenplay. Kannadasan and Ravindar undertook the responsibility of writing the dialogues. The cinematography was handled by G. K. Ramu while K. Perumal and C. P. Jambulingam did the editing. S. M. Subbaiah Naidu and N. S. Balakrishnan composed the film's soundtrack and score. Songs from the soundtrack like "Thoongathey Thambi Thoongathey", "Thadukkathey", "Summa Kedandha", and "Senthamizhe" became popular hits. ( Full article...)
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Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 feature films, many of which are still widely watched and studied today. Known as the "Master of Suspense", Hitchcock became as well known as any of his actors thanks to his many interviews, his cameo appearances in most of his films, and his hosting and producing the television anthology Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955–65). His films garnered 46 Academy Award nominations, including six wins, although he never won the award for Best Director, despite five nominations.
Hitchcock initially trained as a technical clerk and copywriter before entering the film industry in 1919 as a title card designer. His directorial debut was the British–German silent film The Pleasure Garden (1925). His first successful film, The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1927), helped to shape the thriller genre, and Blackmail (1929) was the first British "talkie". His thrillers The 39 Steps (1935) and The Lady Vanishes (1938) are ranked among the greatest British films of the 20th century. By 1939, he had earned international recognition, and producer David O. Selznick persuaded him to move to Hollywood. A string of successful films followed, including Rebecca (1940), Foreign Correspondent (1940), Suspicion (1941), Shadow of a Doubt (1943) and Notorious (1946). Rebecca won the Academy Award for Best Picture, with Hitchcock nominated as Best Director. He also received Oscar nominations for Lifeboat (1944), Spellbound (1945), Rear Window (1954) and Psycho (1960). (Full article...)
The following are images from various 1950s-related articles on Wikipedia.
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Image 1In 1957, the Soviet Union launches to space Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite (from 1950s)
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Image 3Colonial powers in 1945 (from 1950s)
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Image 4Che Guevara and Fidel Castro. Castro becomes the leader of Cuba as a result of the Cuban Revolution (from 1950s)
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Image 6The MOSFET (MOS transistor) was invented by Mohamed Atalla and Dawon Kahng at Bell Labs in November 1959. It is central to the Digital Revolution, and the most widely manufactured device in history. (from 1950s)
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Image 7The maximum territorial extent of countries in the world under Soviet influence, after the Cuban Revolution. (from 1950s)
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Image 8Francis Crick and James Watson discover the spiral structure of DNA (from 1950s)
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Image 9An American family watching television together in 1958. (from 1950s)
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Image 10Harry Belafonte in 1954, whose breakthrough album Calypso (1956) was the first million-selling LP by a single artist. (from 1950s)
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Image 11TV shows like I Love Lucy, The Honeymooners, Gunsmoke, Dragnet, Lassie, Peter Gunn, The Jack Benny Program, The Ed Sullivan Show, Leave It to Beaver, Father Knows Best, Howdy Doody, and The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet were popular during the original Golden Age of Television era. (from 1950s)
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Image 12Drive-in theaters flourished during the 1950s, offering an affordable and social moviegoing experience for families and teenagers. (from 1950s)
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Image 13The 1950s saw the explosion of rock and roll, led by artists such as Elvis Presley (pictured), Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino, The Everly Brothers, and Bill Haley & His Comets, transforming youth culture and popular music. (from 1950s)
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Image 14W. Sterling Cole, first Director-general of AIEA (from 1950s)
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Image 15Motorcycle clubs became more prominent in the 1950s. Pictured is a vintage 1950s motorcycle toy. (from 1950s)
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Image 17Castle Bravo: A 15 megaton hydrogen bomb experiment conducted by the United States in 1954. Photographed 78 miles (125 kilometers) from the explosion epicenter. (from 1950s)
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Image 19Elvis Presley was the best-selling musical artist of the decade. He is considered as the leading figure of the rock and roll and rockabilly movement of the 1950s. (from 1950s)
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Image 20The successes of The Wild One, Blackboard Jungle (pictured) and Rebel Without a Cause are credited with kicking off the teenage rebellion films of the 1950s (from 1950s)
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Image 21Film icons like James Dean (pictured), Marilyn Monroe, Marlon Brando, Audrey Hepburn, John Wayne, Elizabeth Taylor, Charlton Heston, Grace Kelly, and James Stewart, embodied new ideals of youth rebellion, glamour, and modern style. (from 1950s)
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Image 22Korean War (from 1950s)
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Image 23Colonial powers in 1945 (from 1950s)
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Image 24Cary Grant as Roger O. Thornhill in North by Northwest (1959) (from 1950s)
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Image 25Four Olympic Games were held in the 1950s, Oslo and Helsinki in 1952, Cortina d'Ampezzo and Melbourne in 1956 (all during the Cold War). (from 1950s)
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Image 26Liz Taylor in the 1950s, a fashion icon of the era (from 1950s)
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Image 27The 1950s saw the rise of the Beatnik movement, which had a significant influence on popular culture, and bringing counterculture to the mainstream. (from 1950s)
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Image 28The creation and expansion of many multinational restaurant chains still in existence today, including the likes of McDonald's, IHOP, Pizza Hut, Denny's and Burger King, all occurred in the 1950s. (from 1950s)
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Image 29Paavo Nurmi and the Olympic flame in the opening ceremony of the 1952 Summer Olympics (from 1950s)
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Image 30Disneyland opened in 1955, symbolizing postwar optimism, technological innovation, and the rise of theme parks as a major form of family-oriented entertainment in the United States. (from 1950s)
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Image 31Newspaper clipping on " The Day the Music Died" (from 1950s)
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Image 32The world map of military alliances during the Cold War in 1959 (from 1950s)
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Image 33Many famous children's books released in the 1950s, including The Cat in the Hat, Charlotte's Web and Harold and the Purple Crayon. (from 1950s)
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Image 34Top, L-R: U.S. Marines engaged in street fighting during the Korean War, c. late September 1950; The first polio vaccine is developed by Jonas Salk. Centre, L-R: US tests its first thermonuclear bomb with code name Ivy Mike in 1952. A 1954 thermonuclear test, code named Castle Romeo; In 1959, Fidel Castro overthrows Fulgencio Batista in the Cuban Revolution, which results in the creation of the first and only communist government in the Western Hemisphere; Elvis Presley becomes the leading figure of the newly popular music genre of rock and roll in the mid-1950s. Bottom, L-R: Smoke rises from oil tanks on Port Said following the invasion of Egypt by Israel, United Kingdom and France as part of the Suez Crisis in late 1956; The Hungarian Revolution of 1956; The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth, in October 1957. This starts the Space Race between the Soviet Union and the United States. (from 1950s)
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Image 36Official portrait of Dwight D. Eisenhower, president of the United States for a majority of the 1950s (from 1950s)
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Image 37Israeli troops preparing for combat in the Sinai peninsula during the Suez Crisis. (from 1950s)
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Image 38The 1950s was the beginning period of rapid television ownership. In their infancy, television screens existed in many forms, including round. (from 1950s)
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Image 39Presidents Eduardo Lonardi and Pedro Aramburu, the first and second leader of the "Revolución Libertadora" dictatorship in Argentina. (from 1950s)
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Image 40Popular films of the 1950s included Ben-Hur, Singin' in the Rain, Some Like It Hot, Sunset Boulevard, Rebel Without a Cause, On the Waterfront, The Bridge on the River Kwai, All About Eve, Rear Window, The Searchers, Lady and the Tramp, and Vertigo, many of which remain among the most acclaimed and influential films in cinema history. (from 1950s)
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Image 41Leading figures of the Nepali Congress and King Tribhuvan (from 1950s)
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