9 Best Picture Winners From the 1950s, Ranked by Today’s Critics

Oscar voters in the 1950s and critics today don’t always agree. Some winners from that decade still look sharp, and a few have slipped quietly down the rankings.

This list uses Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer scores as a measure of modern critical opinion. It covers nine winners by film year, so Marty and All the King’s Men aren’t included. Scores can shift slightly between sources, and I’ve noted where they do.

1. On the Waterfront (1954)

On the Waterfront sits near the very top of the Tomatometer for Best Picture winners. Rotten Tomatoes lists it at 99 percent, which puts it in the same range as the best reviewed winners ever.

The story follows a former boxer turned longshoreman who struggles to stand up to his corrupt union bosses. The film earned Marlon Brando his first Oscar, and it won Best Picture too. Elia Kazan directed.

2. All About Eve (1950)

All About Eve shares the 99 percent mark with On the Waterfront. The critics’ consensus calls it smart, sophisticated and devastatingly funny, a classic that improves with age. That’s a rare thing to say about a film that’s now more than seventy years old.

The plot centers on a seemingly timid ingénue who insinuates herself into the life of an aging Broadway star. It’s known for four female acting nominees, a feat that remains unmatched, and it took home six awards in total.

3. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)

David Lean’s war drama holds a score of 96 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics praise how it asks hard questions and resists easy answers.

It adapts Pierre Boulle’s novel about prisoners of war in Burma who are forced to build a bridge for their Japanese captors. Alec Guinness’s performance is often singled out as a career highlight.

4. An American in Paris (1951)

This Technicolor musical lands at 95 percent on the Tomatometer. It’s the only musical in the top half of this list, and it holds up well against the dramas.

George Gershwin wrote the music, with songs like I Got Rhythm and ‘S Wonderful, and critics especially loved the final dance sequence. Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron star under Vincente Minnelli’s direction.

5. Gigi (1958)

Gigi sits at 90 percent in Rotten Tomatoes’ own Best Picture ranking. An older CBS News list showed it at 80 percent, so the score has clearly moved over time.

The story follows Gigi, raised in turn of the century Paris to join her family’s business and become a courtesan. It’s a lavish, light musical, and critics tend to treat it as charming rather than essential.

6. From Here to Eternity (1953)

The WWII drama scores 88 percent on the Tomatometer. That’s still comfortably fresh, though it’s well below the top four.

It follows soldiers stationed in Hawaii in the months leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor. The critics’ consensus admits it has perhaps aged poorly, with a languid pace, but praises Burt Lancaster and Montgomery Clift.

7. Ben-Hur (1959)

Ben-Hur comes in at 87 percent. It’s the one entry here that won at the ceremony held in 1960, since the film itself came out in 1959.

With 11 Academy Awards, it shares the record for most Oscars with Titanic and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Modern critics respect the scale more than they adore the storytelling.

8. Around the World in 80 Days (1956)

This is where scores drop noticeably. Rotten Tomatoes lists it at 72 percent. That’s still fresh, but it’s a long way from the leaders.

The consensus calls it undeniably shallow, yet charmingly lighthearted thanks to its grand scale and star packed cast. Cameos from names like Red Skelton, Marlene Dietrich and Frank Sinatra were even bigger than the leads, David Niven and Shirley MacLaine.

9. The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)

The Greatest Show on Earth ranks last, and it isn’t close. Movieweb lists it at 49 percent, which makes it rotten by Rotten Tomatoes standards.

Cecil B. DeMille directed this behind the scenes look at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus. It beat the Gary Cooper Western High Noon for Best Picture in 1952, a result that critics have questioned ever since.