1. Cinema in the 1950’s THE POST-WAR DECADE  IN THE MID-1940S, 90 MILLION AMERICANS WENT TO THE MOVIES EACH WEEK – BY THE LATE 1950S, THAT FIGURE HAD DWINDLED TO 16 MILLION.

3. 1950’s Culture Post -WWII affluence More time and money for leisure activities Rise of fast food restaurants and drive-ins The Baby Boom begins Youth rebellion ‘perfect” American family – a myth?

4. Youth-oriented films become popular BIRTH OF TEEN FILMS Attractive young stars Rock music backgrounds Theme of rebellion in some James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause (1955) Marlon Brando in The Wild One (1954) “What are you rebelling against?” “Whaddya got?” Gidget movies popular by 1959

5. McCarthyism, The Cold War, and The Nuclear Age Anti-communism “witch hunt,”radiation, and the arms race impact films Science fiction films The Thing From Another World (1951) The Thing From Another World The Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954) The Creature From the Black Lagoon Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) Godzilla (1954) Godzilla

6. Other popular film genres The Western ◦High Noon (1952) ◦Shane (1953) The Musical Cinderella (1950) ◦Singin’ in the Rain (1952) ◦White Christmas (1954) *White Christmas ◦Guys and Dolls (1955) ◦Lady and the Tramp (1955) ◦Oklahoma! (1955) *According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the version of “White Christmas” sung by Bing Crosby is the best-selling single of all time, with estimated sales in excess of 50 million copies worldwide. Expensive, Extravagant Epics ◦The Ten Commandments (1956) ◦Around the World in Eighty Days (1956) ◦Ben Hur(1959) Best Dance Routines Singin’ In The Rain

7. Comedies The Ma and Pa Kettle series Abbott and Costello moviesAbbott and Costello Harvey (1950)Harvey The Quiet Man (1952) Mr. Roberts (1955) Some Like It Hot (1959) – American Film Industy’s selection for top comedy honors Bob Hope continues to be a major comedy star

8. TelevisionTelevision vs. Movies: The Battle Begins TV grows rapidly during the decade and even begins to show movies Almost all homes have at least one television by 1955 The Wizard of Oz begins its annual showing in 1956 Film fights back ◦Cinerama: 3 screens as one ◦3-D movies ◦Smell-o-vision ◦Widescreen cinemas

9. Major Stars of the Decade Bob Hope Grace Kelly

10. Major Stars Continued Audrey Hepburn James Dean

11. The Iconic Norma Jean