Top, L-R: U.S. Marines engaged in street fighting during the
Korean War, circa 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, is shown here; In 1959,
Fidel Castro overthrows
Fulgencio Batista in the
Cuban Revolution, resulting in the creation of the first communist government in the Western hemisphere;
Elvis Presley becomes the leading figure of rock and roll in the mid-1950s. Bottom, L-R: Smoke rises from oil tanks on Port Said following the invasion of
Egypt as part of the
Suez Crisis in late 1956; The Hungarian flag with the Communist coat of arms cut out during the
Hungarian Revolution, 1957; The
Soviet Union launches Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite to orbit the earth, in October 1957.
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.
The Antarctic Treaty and related agreements, collectively known as the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS), regulate
international relations with respect to
Antarctica, Earth's only
continent without a native human population. It was the first
arms control agreement established during the
Cold War, designating the continent as a scientific preserve, establishing freedom of scientific investigation, and banning
military activity; for the purposes of the treaty system, Antarctica is defined as all the land and
ice shelves south of
60°S latitude. Since September 2004, the
Antarctic Treaty Secretariat, which implements the treaty system, is headquartered in
Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The main treaty was opened for signature on 1 December 1959, and officially
entered into force on 23 June 1961. The original signatories were the 12 countries active in Antarctica during the
International Geophysical Year (IGY) of 1957–58: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Chile, France, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, the
Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States. These countries had established over 55
Antarctic research stations for the IGY, and the subsequent promulgation of the treaty was seen as a diplomatic expression of the operational and scientific cooperation that had been achieved. , the treaty has 57 parties. (Full article...)
These are
Good articles, which meet a core set of high editorial standards.
Image 1
Missamma (
transl. Miss Madam) is a 1955 Indian
Telugu-language
romantic comedy film directed by
L. V. Prasad. It was produced by
Nagi Reddi and
Chakrapani on Vijaya Productions banner. The film stars
N. T. Rama Rao,
Savitri,
Akkineni Nageswara Rao and
Jamuna. The script was adapted by Chakrapani from Rabindranath Maitra's
Bengali play Manmoyee Girls' School. It revolves around two unemployed people — M. T. Rao and Mary — who pose as a married couple to obtain employment in a high school founded by Gopalam, a
zamindar. As Rao and Mary fall in love, Gopalam's nephew A. K. Raju learns that Mary is Gopalam's missing elder daughter Mahalakshmi; she is unaware of her true identity.
Production began in early 1954 with
P. Bhanumathi cast as the female lead, though she would eventually be replaced by Savitri. The film was
simultaneously shot in
Tamil as Missiamma, with an altered cast.
Principal photography ended that December; filming was delayed because of Bhanumathi's exit after filming a few reels, and the difficulty of managing two casts simultaneously. C. P. Jambulingam and Kalyanam edited the film;
Marcus Bartley was the cinematographer, and
S. Rajeswara Rao composed the music. Missamma focused on social issues such as
unemployment,
corruption, and
freedom of worship. (Full article...)
Tiga Dara (Indonesian for Three Maidens) is a 1957 Indonesian
musicaldrama 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...)
Image 4
The Hideous Sun Demon (sometimes billed as The Sun Demon, or in the UK as Blood on His Lips) is a 1958 American
science fictionhorror 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 filmWrath 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...)
Ben-Hur had the largest budget ($15.175 million), as well as the largest sets built, of any film produced at the time.
Costume designerElizabeth Haffenden oversaw a staff of 100 wardrobe fabricators to make the costumes, and a workshop employing 200 artists and workmen provided the hundreds of
friezes and statues needed in the film. Filming commenced on May 18, 1958, and
wrapped on January 7, 1959, with shooting lasting for 12 to 14 hours a day and six days a week.
Pre-production began in Italy at
Cinecittà around October 1957, and
post-production took six months. Under cinematographer
Robert L. Surtees, executives at
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer made the decision to produce the film in a
widescreen format. Over 200 camels and 2,500 horses were used in the shooting of the film, with some 10,000 extras. The sea battle was filmed using miniatures in a huge tank on the back lot at the
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios in
Culver City, California. The nine-minute chariot race has become one of cinema's most famous
action sequences, and the score, composed and conducted by
Miklós Rózsa, was at the time the longest ever composed for a film, and was highly influential on cinema for over 15 years. (Full article...)
Image 6
Ashes and Diamonds (Polish: Popiół i diament) is a 1958
Polishdrama film directed by
Andrzej Wajda, based on the 1948
novel by Polish writer
Jerzy Andrzejewski. Starring
Zbigniew Cybulski and
Ewa Krzyżewska, it completed Wajda's war films trilogy, following A Generation (1954) and Kanal (1956). The action of Ashes and Diamonds takes place in 1945, shortly after World War II. The main protagonist of the film, former
Home Army soldier Maciek Chełmicki, is acting in the
anti-Communist underground. Maciek receives an order to kill Szczuka, the local secretary of the
Polish Workers' Party. Over time, Chełmicki increasingly doubts if his task is worth doing.
Ashes and Diamonds, although based on the novel that directly supported the postwar
Communist system in Poland, was subtly modified in comparison with the source material. Wajda sympathized with the soldiers of the Polish independence underground; thus, he devoted most of the attention to Chełmicki. During the three-month development of Ashes and Diamonds, the director made drastic changes to the baseline scenario, thanks to his assistant director
Janusz Morgenstern, as well as Cybulski, who played the leading role. The film received permission from the authorities to be distributed only through Andrzejewski's intercession. The film did not receive permission to be screened at the main competition at the
Cannes Film Festival. However, Ashes and Diamonds appeared at the
Venice Film Festival, where it won the
FIPRESCI award. (Full article...)
Image 7
Madhumati is a 1958 Indian
Hindi-language
paranormal romance film directed and produced by
Bimal Roy, and written by
Ritwik Ghatak and
Rajinder Singh Bedi. The film stars
Vyjayanthimala and
Dilip Kumar in lead roles, with
Pran and
Johnny Walker in supporting roles. The plot focuses on Anand, a modern man who falls in love with a tribal woman named Madhumati. But they face challenges in their relationship finally leading to a paranormal consequence. The film was ranked 11th in the
Outlook Magazine's 25 leading Indian directors' poll for selecting Bollywood's greatest films in 2003.
Madhumati was filmed in various Indian locations, including
Ranikhet,
Ghorakhal,
Vaitarna Dam and
Aarey Milk Colony. The soundtrack album was composed by
Salil Chowdhury and the lyrics were written by
Shailendra. The film was released on 12 September 1958. It earned ₹40 million in India and became the
highest-grossing Indian film of the year, and one of the most commercially successful and influential Indian films of its time. It received highly positive reviews from critics, who praised the technicality, soundtrack, and performance of the cast. (Full article...)
Pelli Chesi Choodu deals with the negative effects of the
dowry system in India through the marital life of Venkata Ramana (Rama Rao) and Ammadu (Varalakshmi). The film's production began after the release of Vijaya Productions' Pathala Bhairavi (1951).
Marcus Bartley was recruited as the cinematographer and the film was edited by C. P. Jambulingam and M. S. Money.
Ghantasala composed the film's music. (Full article...)
The film's storyline concerns a newlywed woman who believes she is being haunted by the
ghost of her new husband's previous wife. The simplistic musical score centres on the
dies irae. (Full article...)
In 1955, Edmund Goldman acquired the 1954 film from Toho and enlisted the aid of Paul Schreibman, Harold Ross,
Richard Kay, and
Joseph E. Levine to produce a revised version for American audiences. This version
dubbed most of the Japanese dialogue into English, and altered and removed key plot points and themes. New footage was produced with Burr interacting with body doubles and Japanese-American actors in an attempt to make it seem like Burr was part of the original Japanese production. (Full article...)
Image 11
Darah dan Doa ([daˈrahˈdandoˈa]; 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...)
Presley later indicated that of all the characters he portrayed throughout his acting career, the role of Danny Fisher in King Creole was his favorite. To make the film, Presley was granted a 60-day deferment from January to March 1958 for beginning
his military service. Location shooting in
New Orleans was delayed several times by crowds of fans attracted by the stars, particularly Presley. (Full article...)
Image 13
Mallishwari is a 1951 Indian
Telugu-language
historical romance film produced and directed by
B. N. Reddy under his banner
Vauhini Studios.
N. T. Rama Rao and
P. Bhanumathi star as a couple – Nagaraju and Mallishwari – who are separated by Mallishwari's greedy mother. Mallishwari is sent to the king's palace according to the custom of "Rani Vasam", a tradition during the
Vijayanagara Empire wherein young women were fetched to the palace with an offering of gold and jewellery to their parents. The rest of the film focuses on the consequences faced by Nagaraju when he, against all rules, surreptitiously enters the palace to meet Mallishwari.
Reddy wanted to make a film based on Krishnadevaraya's character ever since his visit to
Hampi for the filming of his debut film Vandemataram (1939). He employed
Devulapalli Krishnasastri to write the film's script and took inspiration from
Buchibabu's play "Rayalavari Karunakruthyamu" and Devan Sharar's short story "The Emperor and the Slave Girl". He also incorporated into the script a few incidents from his childhood for the pranks between Nagaraju and Mallishwari.
S. Rajeswara Rao composed the film's music, Adi M. Irani and B. N. Konda Reddy provided the cinematography, H. R. Narayana and Vasu edited the film, and A. K. Shekhar was the film's production designer. (Full article...)
Warning from Space (
Japanese: 宇宙人東京に現わる,
Hepburn: Uchūjin Tōkyō ni arawaru,
lit.'Spacemen Appear in Tokyo') is a Japanese tokusatsuscience fiction film directed by
Koji Shima. Produced and distributed by
Daiei Film, it was the first Japanese science fiction film to be produced in color and predates Daiei's most iconic tokusatsu characters,
Gamera and
Daimajin. In the film's plot,
starfish-like
aliens disguised as humans travel to Earth to warn of the imminent collision of a
rogue planet and Earth. As the planet rapidly accelerates toward Earth, a
nuclear device is created at the last minute and destroys the approaching world.
The film was one of many early Japanese monster films quickly produced after the success of
Toho's Godzilla in 1954. After release, the film was met with negative reviews, with critics calling it "bizarre" and accusing it of using science fiction
clichés. Warning from Space influenced many other Japanese science fiction films, such as Gorath. The film, along with other 1950s tokusatsu science fiction films, influenced director
Stanley Kubrick, who would later direct 2001: A Space Odyssey. (Full article...)
Khrushchev was born in 1894 in a village in western Russia. He was employed as a
metal worker during his youth, and he was a
political commissar during the
Russian Civil War. Under the sponsorship of
Lazar Kaganovich, Khrushchev worked his way up the Soviet hierarchy. He originally supported
Stalin's purges and approved thousands of arrests. In 1938, Stalin sent him to govern the
Ukrainian SSR, and he continued the purges there. During what was known in the Soviet Union as the
Great Patriotic War, Khrushchev was again a commissar, serving as an intermediary between Stalin and his generals. Khrushchev was present at the
defense of Stalingrad, a fact he took great pride in throughout his life. After the war, he returned to Ukraine before being recalled to Moscow as one of Stalin's close advisers. (Full article...)
The following are images from various 1950s-related articles on Wikipedia.
Image 1Elvis 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)
Image 2Motorcycle clubs became more prominent in the 1950s. Pictured is a vintage 1950s motorcycle toy. (from 1950s)
Image 3Pez candies were released in the 1950s, and became well known in pop culture. (from 1950s)
Image 14The 1950s was the beginning period of rapid television ownership. In their infancy, television screens existed in many forms, including round. (from 1950s)
Image 15Top, 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)
Image 16Harry Belafonte in 1954, whose breakthrough album Calypso (1956) was the first million-selling LP by a single artist. (from 1950s)
Image 17Leading figures of the Nepali Congress and King Tribhuvan (from 1950s)
Image 18Liz Taylor in the 1950s, a fashion icon of the era (from 1950s)
Image 21In the 1950s lengthy
poodle skirts were popular with women, as were
leather jackets with men. Pictured is a 1950s leather jacket label. (from 1950s)
Image 28Castle 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)
Image 30Israeli troops preparing for combat in the Sinai peninsula during the
Suez Crisis. (from 1950s)
Image 31The creation and expansion of many multinational restaurant chains still in existence today, including the likes of
McDonald's (as a franchise),
IHOP,
Pizza Hut and
Burger King, all occurred in the 1950s. (from 1950s)
Image 32The
jukebox was particularly popular in the 1950s, and was used as entertainment in public establishments such as diners and
malt/soda shops. (from 1950s)
More Did you know (auto generated)
... that on the 1950s game show Across the Board, crossword answers were clued by both a phrase and an image?
... that Patricia Banks-Edmiston was prevented from becoming a flight attendant during the 1950s because she was black?
You are invited to participate in
WikiProject Years, a WikiProject dedicated to developing and improving articles about years, decades, centuries, and millennia.
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the
help page).
Top, L-R: U.S. Marines engaged in street fighting during the
Korean War, circa 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, is shown here; In 1959,
Fidel Castro overthrows
Fulgencio Batista in the
Cuban Revolution, resulting in the creation of the first communist government in the Western hemisphere;
Elvis Presley becomes the leading figure of rock and roll in the mid-1950s. Bottom, L-R: Smoke rises from oil tanks on Port Said following the invasion of
Egypt as part of the
Suez Crisis in late 1956; The Hungarian flag with the Communist coat of arms cut out during the
Hungarian Revolution, 1957; The
Soviet Union launches Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite to orbit the earth, in October 1957.
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.
The Antarctic Treaty and related agreements, collectively known as the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS), regulate
international relations with respect to
Antarctica, Earth's only
continent without a native human population. It was the first
arms control agreement established during the
Cold War, designating the continent as a scientific preserve, establishing freedom of scientific investigation, and banning
military activity; for the purposes of the treaty system, Antarctica is defined as all the land and
ice shelves south of
60°S latitude. Since September 2004, the
Antarctic Treaty Secretariat, which implements the treaty system, is headquartered in
Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The main treaty was opened for signature on 1 December 1959, and officially
entered into force on 23 June 1961. The original signatories were the 12 countries active in Antarctica during the
International Geophysical Year (IGY) of 1957–58: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Chile, France, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, the
Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States. These countries had established over 55
Antarctic research stations for the IGY, and the subsequent promulgation of the treaty was seen as a diplomatic expression of the operational and scientific cooperation that had been achieved. , the treaty has 57 parties. (Full article...)
These are
Good articles, which meet a core set of high editorial standards.
Image 1
Missamma (
transl. Miss Madam) is a 1955 Indian
Telugu-language
romantic comedy film directed by
L. V. Prasad. It was produced by
Nagi Reddi and
Chakrapani on Vijaya Productions banner. The film stars
N. T. Rama Rao,
Savitri,
Akkineni Nageswara Rao and
Jamuna. The script was adapted by Chakrapani from Rabindranath Maitra's
Bengali play Manmoyee Girls' School. It revolves around two unemployed people — M. T. Rao and Mary — who pose as a married couple to obtain employment in a high school founded by Gopalam, a
zamindar. As Rao and Mary fall in love, Gopalam's nephew A. K. Raju learns that Mary is Gopalam's missing elder daughter Mahalakshmi; she is unaware of her true identity.
Production began in early 1954 with
P. Bhanumathi cast as the female lead, though she would eventually be replaced by Savitri. The film was
simultaneously shot in
Tamil as Missiamma, with an altered cast.
Principal photography ended that December; filming was delayed because of Bhanumathi's exit after filming a few reels, and the difficulty of managing two casts simultaneously. C. P. Jambulingam and Kalyanam edited the film;
Marcus Bartley was the cinematographer, and
S. Rajeswara Rao composed the music. Missamma focused on social issues such as
unemployment,
corruption, and
freedom of worship. (Full article...)
Tiga Dara (Indonesian for Three Maidens) is a 1957 Indonesian
musicaldrama 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...)
Image 4
The Hideous Sun Demon (sometimes billed as The Sun Demon, or in the UK as Blood on His Lips) is a 1958 American
science fictionhorror 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 filmWrath 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...)
Ben-Hur had the largest budget ($15.175 million), as well as the largest sets built, of any film produced at the time.
Costume designerElizabeth Haffenden oversaw a staff of 100 wardrobe fabricators to make the costumes, and a workshop employing 200 artists and workmen provided the hundreds of
friezes and statues needed in the film. Filming commenced on May 18, 1958, and
wrapped on January 7, 1959, with shooting lasting for 12 to 14 hours a day and six days a week.
Pre-production began in Italy at
Cinecittà around October 1957, and
post-production took six months. Under cinematographer
Robert L. Surtees, executives at
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer made the decision to produce the film in a
widescreen format. Over 200 camels and 2,500 horses were used in the shooting of the film, with some 10,000 extras. The sea battle was filmed using miniatures in a huge tank on the back lot at the
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios in
Culver City, California. The nine-minute chariot race has become one of cinema's most famous
action sequences, and the score, composed and conducted by
Miklós Rózsa, was at the time the longest ever composed for a film, and was highly influential on cinema for over 15 years. (Full article...)
Image 6
Ashes and Diamonds (Polish: Popiół i diament) is a 1958
Polishdrama film directed by
Andrzej Wajda, based on the 1948
novel by Polish writer
Jerzy Andrzejewski. Starring
Zbigniew Cybulski and
Ewa Krzyżewska, it completed Wajda's war films trilogy, following A Generation (1954) and Kanal (1956). The action of Ashes and Diamonds takes place in 1945, shortly after World War II. The main protagonist of the film, former
Home Army soldier Maciek Chełmicki, is acting in the
anti-Communist underground. Maciek receives an order to kill Szczuka, the local secretary of the
Polish Workers' Party. Over time, Chełmicki increasingly doubts if his task is worth doing.
Ashes and Diamonds, although based on the novel that directly supported the postwar
Communist system in Poland, was subtly modified in comparison with the source material. Wajda sympathized with the soldiers of the Polish independence underground; thus, he devoted most of the attention to Chełmicki. During the three-month development of Ashes and Diamonds, the director made drastic changes to the baseline scenario, thanks to his assistant director
Janusz Morgenstern, as well as Cybulski, who played the leading role. The film received permission from the authorities to be distributed only through Andrzejewski's intercession. The film did not receive permission to be screened at the main competition at the
Cannes Film Festival. However, Ashes and Diamonds appeared at the
Venice Film Festival, where it won the
FIPRESCI award. (Full article...)
Image 7
Madhumati is a 1958 Indian
Hindi-language
paranormal romance film directed and produced by
Bimal Roy, and written by
Ritwik Ghatak and
Rajinder Singh Bedi. The film stars
Vyjayanthimala and
Dilip Kumar in lead roles, with
Pran and
Johnny Walker in supporting roles. The plot focuses on Anand, a modern man who falls in love with a tribal woman named Madhumati. But they face challenges in their relationship finally leading to a paranormal consequence. The film was ranked 11th in the
Outlook Magazine's 25 leading Indian directors' poll for selecting Bollywood's greatest films in 2003.
Madhumati was filmed in various Indian locations, including
Ranikhet,
Ghorakhal,
Vaitarna Dam and
Aarey Milk Colony. The soundtrack album was composed by
Salil Chowdhury and the lyrics were written by
Shailendra. The film was released on 12 September 1958. It earned ₹40 million in India and became the
highest-grossing Indian film of the year, and one of the most commercially successful and influential Indian films of its time. It received highly positive reviews from critics, who praised the technicality, soundtrack, and performance of the cast. (Full article...)
Pelli Chesi Choodu deals with the negative effects of the
dowry system in India through the marital life of Venkata Ramana (Rama Rao) and Ammadu (Varalakshmi). The film's production began after the release of Vijaya Productions' Pathala Bhairavi (1951).
Marcus Bartley was recruited as the cinematographer and the film was edited by C. P. Jambulingam and M. S. Money.
Ghantasala composed the film's music. (Full article...)
The film's storyline concerns a newlywed woman who believes she is being haunted by the
ghost of her new husband's previous wife. The simplistic musical score centres on the
dies irae. (Full article...)
In 1955, Edmund Goldman acquired the 1954 film from Toho and enlisted the aid of Paul Schreibman, Harold Ross,
Richard Kay, and
Joseph E. Levine to produce a revised version for American audiences. This version
dubbed most of the Japanese dialogue into English, and altered and removed key plot points and themes. New footage was produced with Burr interacting with body doubles and Japanese-American actors in an attempt to make it seem like Burr was part of the original Japanese production. (Full article...)
Image 11
Darah dan Doa ([daˈrahˈdandoˈa]; 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...)
Presley later indicated that of all the characters he portrayed throughout his acting career, the role of Danny Fisher in King Creole was his favorite. To make the film, Presley was granted a 60-day deferment from January to March 1958 for beginning
his military service. Location shooting in
New Orleans was delayed several times by crowds of fans attracted by the stars, particularly Presley. (Full article...)
Image 13
Mallishwari is a 1951 Indian
Telugu-language
historical romance film produced and directed by
B. N. Reddy under his banner
Vauhini Studios.
N. T. Rama Rao and
P. Bhanumathi star as a couple – Nagaraju and Mallishwari – who are separated by Mallishwari's greedy mother. Mallishwari is sent to the king's palace according to the custom of "Rani Vasam", a tradition during the
Vijayanagara Empire wherein young women were fetched to the palace with an offering of gold and jewellery to their parents. The rest of the film focuses on the consequences faced by Nagaraju when he, against all rules, surreptitiously enters the palace to meet Mallishwari.
Reddy wanted to make a film based on Krishnadevaraya's character ever since his visit to
Hampi for the filming of his debut film Vandemataram (1939). He employed
Devulapalli Krishnasastri to write the film's script and took inspiration from
Buchibabu's play "Rayalavari Karunakruthyamu" and Devan Sharar's short story "The Emperor and the Slave Girl". He also incorporated into the script a few incidents from his childhood for the pranks between Nagaraju and Mallishwari.
S. Rajeswara Rao composed the film's music, Adi M. Irani and B. N. Konda Reddy provided the cinematography, H. R. Narayana and Vasu edited the film, and A. K. Shekhar was the film's production designer. (Full article...)
Warning from Space (
Japanese: 宇宙人東京に現わる,
Hepburn: Uchūjin Tōkyō ni arawaru,
lit.'Spacemen Appear in Tokyo') is a Japanese tokusatsuscience fiction film directed by
Koji Shima. Produced and distributed by
Daiei Film, it was the first Japanese science fiction film to be produced in color and predates Daiei's most iconic tokusatsu characters,
Gamera and
Daimajin. In the film's plot,
starfish-like
aliens disguised as humans travel to Earth to warn of the imminent collision of a
rogue planet and Earth. As the planet rapidly accelerates toward Earth, a
nuclear device is created at the last minute and destroys the approaching world.
The film was one of many early Japanese monster films quickly produced after the success of
Toho's Godzilla in 1954. After release, the film was met with negative reviews, with critics calling it "bizarre" and accusing it of using science fiction
clichés. Warning from Space influenced many other Japanese science fiction films, such as Gorath. The film, along with other 1950s tokusatsu science fiction films, influenced director
Stanley Kubrick, who would later direct 2001: A Space Odyssey. (Full article...)
Khrushchev was born in 1894 in a village in western Russia. He was employed as a
metal worker during his youth, and he was a
political commissar during the
Russian Civil War. Under the sponsorship of
Lazar Kaganovich, Khrushchev worked his way up the Soviet hierarchy. He originally supported
Stalin's purges and approved thousands of arrests. In 1938, Stalin sent him to govern the
Ukrainian SSR, and he continued the purges there. During what was known in the Soviet Union as the
Great Patriotic War, Khrushchev was again a commissar, serving as an intermediary between Stalin and his generals. Khrushchev was present at the
defense of Stalingrad, a fact he took great pride in throughout his life. After the war, he returned to Ukraine before being recalled to Moscow as one of Stalin's close advisers. (Full article...)
The following are images from various 1950s-related articles on Wikipedia.
Image 1Elvis 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)
Image 2Motorcycle clubs became more prominent in the 1950s. Pictured is a vintage 1950s motorcycle toy. (from 1950s)
Image 3Pez candies were released in the 1950s, and became well known in pop culture. (from 1950s)
Image 14The 1950s was the beginning period of rapid television ownership. In their infancy, television screens existed in many forms, including round. (from 1950s)
Image 15Top, 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)
Image 16Harry Belafonte in 1954, whose breakthrough album Calypso (1956) was the first million-selling LP by a single artist. (from 1950s)
Image 17Leading figures of the Nepali Congress and King Tribhuvan (from 1950s)
Image 18Liz Taylor in the 1950s, a fashion icon of the era (from 1950s)
Image 21In the 1950s lengthy
poodle skirts were popular with women, as were
leather jackets with men. Pictured is a 1950s leather jacket label. (from 1950s)
Image 28Castle 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)
Image 30Israeli troops preparing for combat in the Sinai peninsula during the
Suez Crisis. (from 1950s)
Image 31The creation and expansion of many multinational restaurant chains still in existence today, including the likes of
McDonald's (as a franchise),
IHOP,
Pizza Hut and
Burger King, all occurred in the 1950s. (from 1950s)
Image 32The
jukebox was particularly popular in the 1950s, and was used as entertainment in public establishments such as diners and
malt/soda shops. (from 1950s)
More Did you know (auto generated)
... that on the 1950s game show Across the Board, crossword answers were clued by both a phrase and an image?
... that Patricia Banks-Edmiston was prevented from becoming a flight attendant during the 1950s because she was black?
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