10 Best 1950s Musicals, Ranked

Surprisingly, the idea of movies accompanied by music has existed since the silent film era. In fact, silent films were never really silent because theaters would hire theater organists and orchestras in urban areas to play along with the film. However, by the 50s, musicals were a crucial part of Hollywood’s machine. They were among the most critically and commercially successful of the Golden Age, with most remaining certified classics.

Still, the 1950s were a particularly great time for the genre, as musicals became a must-see event. Unsurprisingly, the ’50s was the height of musical cinema, with classic films like Singing In The Rain and White Christmas making audiences forget their favorite television programs and race to the theaters. Among such an embarrassment of riches, these are the best musicals of the decade, bonafide and timeless hits that have stood the test of time.

10 ‘Gigi’ (1958)

DIirector: Vincente Minnelli

This intriguing French period piece about a bored aristocrat who falls in love with a plucky commoner held the record for the highest clean sweep of Oscar nominations until Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King.

Gigi lives and dies on Leslie Caron’s enchanting performance in the title character. This is important because the audience instantly understands why the wealthy Gaston, bored with vapid women, would fall in love with this lovable commoner. On the outside, this film may seem like another love story. However, a closer look reveals Gigi is about men’s and women’s preconceived notions of what the other wants getting in the way of love.

Gigi’s grandaunt and grandmother want her to be more feminine and proper, hoping that Gaston will want to marry her. Meanwhile, Gaston agrees to pamper Gigi with riches because her grandmother convinces him that’s what Gigi needs in a man. Ironically, Gigi and Gaston don’t want either of these things. They love each other for who they already are. Gigi‘s message of authenticity in life and love makes it irresistible and surprisingly progressive, embracing individuality rather than tradition.

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9 ‘Oklahoma!’ (1955)

Director: Fred Zinnemann

Oklahoma! is based on the 1931 play about two cowboys, one good and one sinister, competing for a farm girl’s hand. The film got rave reviews, winning Oscars for scoring and sound recording and a classic song in “Suri With A Fringe On Top.” This film is lovably bizarre, full of quirky characters and songs. Shirley Jones and Gordon MacRae‘s hilariously over-the-top accents only add to the absurdity, but the power of their voices is no joking matter. Interestingly, Jones had already played the part on stage. Meanwhile, MacRae beat out greats like James Dean and Paul Newman for the part of Curly.

This movie feels like a pizza dream with fun and unnerving songs like “I Can’t Say No” about a peculiar character named Ado who can’t turn down men who want to kiss her. Then, the movie grinds to a halt to turn into an art film, with a fifteen-minute dream sequence of nothing but dancing and symbolic imagery about Laurey’s deepest fears. Oklahoma! is a film that demands to be experienced at least once because it is just that, an experience.

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8 ‘White Christmas’ (1954)

Director: Michael Curtiz

Bing Crosby stars in this film, based on Irving Berlin’s song of the same name, about four entertainers who come together to save a retired general’s failing ski lodge. Ironically, Crosby sang White Christmas in the classic film Holiday Inn the previous decade. White Christmas became the highest-grossing film of 1954 and has endured as a timeless Christmas classic.

Crosby and Adam Kaye are hilarious and play off each other like old friends, while his chemistry with Rosemary Clooney also allows for a fun back-and-forth relationship. Meanwhile, Vera-Allen, mostly known as a dancer, shows she was just as talented in comedy, often outdoing Kaye. While most of the film’s music isn’t holiday-themed, when the ex-general’s platoon arrives to support his failing businesses, only then does the solitary Christmas song in the movie replay. Suddenly, the sparsity of holiday music seems strategic and ingenious.

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7 ‘High Society’ (1956)

Director: Charles Walters

The musical adaptation of the 1940 film The Philadelphia Story is about a wealthy woman on the eve of marrying a rich man she’s not in love with when her ex-husband and a new passionate suitor make things more complicated. While originally met with mixed reviews, audiences could not resist its all-star cast, including Grace Kelly, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and Louis Armstrong. High Society was one of the highest-grossing films of 1956 in the US and Canada.

In many ways, High Society is the perfect film for fans who can’t stand musicals. Sinatra and Crosby prove why they’re leading men playing competing suiters from opposite sides of the track, both criminally charming in a unique way. Meanwhile, in her last role before becoming Princess of Monaco, the iconic Grace Kelly completely captivates audiences by playing the emotionally complicated Tracy, who always keeps viewers guessing. High Society warns about judging people without knowing them; as the rich and middle class hilariously judge each other based on assumptions, underneath is a more profound message of the grass always seeming greener.

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6 ‘The Band Wagon’ (1953)

Director: Vincente Minnelli

The Bandwagon is about a working actor who agrees to do a variety show with his friends when an obnoxious director and an antagonistic ballerina threaten to ruin the show. It would mark the first time Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse star together as leads. This film’s memorable choreography and bar fight scene would leave quite the impact, with stars like Michael Jackson paying homage to the movie in videos like “Smooth Criminal.”

Naturally, Astaire is charming, and Cyd Charisse is the perfect elegant classic movie star, but it’s the music scenes that make this such a gem. The pastel set designs and costumes are inspiring; every number has a vastly different theme and feel, from funny to romantic, all coming one after another, like watching a stage musical. Charisse and Astaire’s dance chemistry is so riveting that they often dance for long periods without, making this akin to a ballet. The Bandwagon represents the apex of 1950s musicals, offering the lush and electrifying glee that fans have come to expect from the genre.

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5 ‘Funny Face’ (1957)

Director: Stanley Donen

Funny Face is an adaptation of the Broadway play that also starred Fred Astaire. It is about a magazine photographer who takes a rigid librarian and turns her into a supermodel. Funny Face‘s color coordination is striking and bold, especially in numbers like “Think Pink,” which looks like a moving magazine. Everything, from Audrey Hepburn‘s now-iconic wardrobe to the set design and lighting, makes the film feel vogue and stylish, playing up the magazine angle.

The dance sequences and songs are irresistible and edgy. This includes an epic scene with Hepburn in a dark, smokey bohemian club that almost feels like interpretive dance. Despite the fashion, it never loses sight of the romance. Hepburn and Astaire have a natural chemistry that shows on screen. Funny Face‘s standing has improved with age, with the film’s fashion, production design, and musical numbers influencing cinema for years to come.

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4 ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’ (1953)

Director: Howard Hawks

Marilyn Monroe proves why she was a star in this movie about two vain showgirls followed by a Private Eye hired by a suspicious father-in-law. The timeless song “Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friends” and Monroe’s iconic pink dress still resonate with fans all these years later, with everyone from Madonna to Gossip Girl paying homage to the now-iconic sequence.

While some modern critics suggest Gentlemen Prefer Blondes objectifies Marylin and Jane Russell, the mischievous duo do a fair bit of objectifying themselves, which was uncommon for female characters then. The film is full of cheeky show tunes from a woman’s perspective on relationships, men, and love. In the end, Lorelei asks her wealthy future father-in-law, “If you had a daughter, wouldn’t you rather she didn’t marry a poor man?” In a way, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is a film about female friendships and complicity, a feminist story about women seeking a path of their own and looking fabulous doing it.

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3 ‘A Star Is Born’ (1954)

Director: George Cukor

Judy Garland’s comeback film, about an unknown singer who falls in love with a washed-up theater star who helps her rise to the top, is the second of four adaptations and the first to include music. Although Garland hadn’t been in a film for years and was no longer the baby-faced star America fell in love with, she still had that magical voice audiences couldn’t get enough of.

Despite Garland’s infectious and entertaining numbers, A Star Is Born plays like a Shakespearean tragedy. Garland gives an epic, tearful monologue about her character’s husband, who’s suffering from addiction, giving this film more substance than most musicals. Garland’s performance led to her Esther being the most vulnerable out of all the various adaptations of the character and rightfully being nominated for Best Actress at the Oscars. Benefitting from Garland’s legendary voice and tremendous tour-de-force performance, A Star Is Born is a harrowing yet richly affecting look at fame and the sacrifices that come with it.

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2 ‘An American in Paris’ (1951)

Director: Vincente Minnelli

No matter how good or bad the story is, fans can always depend on Gene Kelly to create breathtaking dance sequences. Kelly stars and choreographs this classic film about the love triangle between an American painter, a wealthy heiress, and a young French woman. Groundbreaking and irresistible, An American in Paris beat out legendary films like A Streetcar Named Desire and A Place In The Sun for Best Picture at the 1952 Oscars, which was no easy feat.

Kelly’s physicality in this film is impressive, evoking greats like Charlie Chaplin. While the story is simple enough, An American in Paris‘ music numbers are very involved and methodically put together to the backdrop of George Gershwin’s hauntingly beautiful music. The high production value is impressive even by today’s standards: the meticulous set design, costumes, and camera work take viewers on a musical odyssey, capping it off with a memorable 17-minute dance routine that has become the stuff of legends.

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1 ‘Singin’ In The Rain’ (1952)

Directors: Gene Kelly, Stanely Donen

Gene Kelly‘s masterpiece about an inspiring actress, who unbeknownst to the world, records voice-overs for one of Hollywood’s most prominent actresses, became the blueprint for all musicals that followed. Despite only being a moderate hit in 52, Singin’ In The Rain was one of the first 25 films selected by the United States Library of Congress and is included in The British Film Institute’s 50 films to be seen by the age of 14.

This movie is for true film lovers as it details the history of cinema with the transition from silent films to talkies, making it feel even more nostalgic. The bright and loud color palette pop evokes a sense of euphoria, and it’s not coincidental: the directors lull the audience into a high from its dreamlike camera movement to the light-hearted singing and dancing. Kelly’s choreography and dancing are animated and acrobatic, leaving viewers in awe; fans also get caught up in the character’s lust for life and optimistic worldview. Singin’ in the Rain sees the best in people, standing as one of the all-time great feel-good movies and a triumph of cinematic musicals.

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NEXT: The 30 Best Musicals of All Time, Ranked