1950s Oscar Best Picture Winners, Ranked

Collider has ranked every Oscar Best Picture winner of the 1950s in a list of ten films, placing The Bridge on the River Kwai at No. 1.

The Bridge on the River Kwai is listed as the decade's top winner; the film won seven Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor, was largely shot on location in Sri Lanka, and was directed by David Lean. It is based on Pierre Boulle's novel and stars Alec Guinness, and the piece notes difficult production conditions and frequent clashes between Lean and Guinness.

The list places other notable winners from the decade as well: All About Eve is ranked No. 2 and is highlighted for its record 14 nominations and six wins, including the distinction of having all four acting nominees be women. All the King's Men is No. 3, On the Waterfront No. 4, and From Here to Eternity No. 5; the article notes the latter films' multiple Oscars and their impact on realism and social themes. At the lower end of the list, The Greatest Show on Earth appears at No. 10 amid ongoing controversy over its Best Picture win.

The piece was published as the Oscars ceremony nears and notes that the 2026 Academy Awards will be the 98th; it also mentions potential Best Picture contenders such as One Battle After Another, Hamnet and Sinners.

Key Topics

Culture, All About Eve, Gigi, Marty, Alec Guinness, David Lean