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    Home/Browse/1950s Movies/1950s Action Movies

    1950s Action Movies

    The 40 most popular 1950s action movies, ranked. Click any film for ratings, reviews, trailers, and where to watch.

    40films
    1rated by members
    Top ratedSeven Samurai5.0
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    Seven Samurai
    TMDB4.2
    FF5.0

    Seven Samurai

    1954 · 3h 27m

    country: Japan

    A samurai answers a village's request for protection after he falls on hard times. The town needs protection from bandits, so the samurai gathers six others to help him teach the people how to defend themselves, and the villagers provide the soldiers with food.

    The War of the Worlds
    TMDB3.4

    The War of the Worlds

    1953 · 1h 25m

    country: United States

    The residents of a small town are excited when a flaming meteor lands in the hills, until they discover it is the first of many transport devices from Mars bringing an army of invaders invincible to any man-made weapon, even the atomic bomb.

    The Vikings
    TMDB3.5

    The Vikings

    1958 · 1h 55m

    country: United States

    Einar, brutal son of the viking Ragnar and future heir to his throne, tangles with clever slave Eric, for the hand of a beautiful English maiden.

    A Night to Remember
    TMDB3.8

    A Night to Remember

    1958 · 2h 3m

    country: United Kingdom

    The sinking of the Titanic is presented in a highly realistic fashion in this tense British drama. The disaster is portrayed largely from the perspective of the ocean liner's second officer, Charles Lightoller. Despite numerous warnings about ice, the ship sails on, with Capt. Edward John Smith keeping it going at a steady clip. When the doomed vessel finally hits an iceberg, the crew and passengers discover that they lack enough lifeboats, and tragedy follows.

    The Hidden Fortress
    TMDB4.0

    The Hidden Fortress

    1958 · 2h 19m

    country: Japan

    In feudal Japan, during a bloody war between clans, two cowardly and greedy peasants, soldiers of a defeated army, stumble upon a mysterious man who guides them to a fortress hidden in the mountains.

    Godzilla Raids Again
    TMDB3.0

    Godzilla Raids Again

    1955 · 1h 22m

    country: Japan

    Two fishing scout pilots make a horrifying discovery when they encounter a second Godzilla alongside a new monster named Anguirus. Without the weapon that killed the original, authorities attempt to lure Godzilla away from the mainland. But Anguirus soon arrives and the two monsters make their way towards Osaka as Japan braces for tragedy.

    The Young Lions
    TMDB3.4

    The Young Lions

    1958 · 2h 47m

    country: United States

    The lives of three young men, a German and two Americans, during WWII.

    Ghost Captain
    TMDB3.0

    Ghost Captain

    1953 · 1h 30m

    country: Italy

    A disgraced member of the Spanish Navy must redeem his family's honor after his father betrays his country to the French.

    The 7th Voyage of Sinbad
    TMDB3.5

    The 7th Voyage of Sinbad

    1958 · 1h 28m

    country: United States

    When the lovely Princess Parisa is shrunken by wicked Sokurah the Magician, Sinbad must embark on a quest to an island of monsters to cure her and prevent a war.

    Secret of the Incas
    TMDB3.0

    Secret of the Incas

    1954 · 1h 40m

    country: United States

    Harry Steele (Charlton Heston) is a tourist guide determined to make his fortune by finding the Sunburst, an Inca treasure.

    Huracán Ramírez
    TMDB2.9

    Huracán Ramírez

    1953 · 1h 43m

    country: Mexico

    Family comedy and family melodrama involving father and son wrestlers, little brothers, little sisters, girlfriends, waitresses...

    The Sea Chase
    TMDB3.2

    The Sea Chase

    1955 · 1h 57m

    country: United States

    As the Second World War breaks out, German freighter captain Karl Ehrlich is about to leave Sydney, Australia with his vessel, the Ergenstrasse. Ehrlich, an anti-Nazi but proud German, hopes to outrun or out-maneuver the British warship pursuing him. Aboard his vessel is Elsa Keller, a woman Ehrlich has been ordered to return to Germany safely along with whatever secrets she carries. When Ehrlich's fiercely Nazi chief officer Kirchner commits an atrocity, the British pursuit becomes deadly.

    The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel
    TMDB3.4

    The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel

    1951 · 1h 28m

    country: United States

    The life and career of Erwin Rommel and his involvement in the plot to assassinate Hitler.

    Earth vs. the Flying Saucers
    TMDB3.0

    Earth vs. the Flying Saucers

    1956 · 1h 23m

    country: United States

    Test space rockets exploding at liftoff and increased reporting of UFO sightings culminate in a direct attempt by alien survivors of a dead, extra-galactic civilization to invade Earth from impervious flying saucers, using ray-weapons of mass destruction.

    Thunder Road
    TMDB3.0

    Thunder Road

    1958 · 1h 32m

    country: United States

    Unrepentant Tennessee moonshine runner Luke Doolin makes dangerous high-speed deliveries for his liquor-producing father, Vernon, but won't let his younger brother Robin join the family business. Under pressure from both out-of-town gangster Kogan, who wants a piece of the local action, and Treasury agent Barrett, who wants to destroy the moonshine business, Luke fights for his fast-fading way of life.

    White Feather
    TMDB3.4

    White Feather

    1955 · 1h 42m

    country: United States

    The story of the peace mission from the US cavalry to the Cheyenne Indians in Wyoming during the 1870s. The mission is threatened when a civilian surveyor befriends the chief's son and falls for the chief's daughter.

    The Bridges at Toko-Ri
    TMDB3.0

    The Bridges at Toko-Ri

    1954 · 1h 42m

    country: United States

    A U.S. Navy pilot and his squad are assigned to bomb a group of heavily defended bridges deep behind enemy lines during the Korean War.

    The Hunters
    TMDB2.9

    The Hunters

    1958 · 1h 48m

    country: United States

    With its electrifying flight sequences and high-powered cast, The Hunters is a mesmerizing film based on the best-selling novel by veteran fighter pilot James Salter. Set during the height of the Korean War, the story centers on Major Cleve Saville (Robert Mitchum), a master of the newly operational F-86 Sabre fighter jets. But adept as he is at flying, Saville¹s personal life takes a nosedive when he falls in love with his wingman¹s (Lee Philips) beautiful wife (May Britt). To make matters worse, Saville must cope with a loud-mouthed rookie (Robert Wagner) in a daring rescue mission that threatens all their lives in this well-crafted war drama.

    Emergency Hospital
    TMDB3.7

    Emergency Hospital

    1956 · 1h 22m

    country: United States

    About the lives and loves of the staff of an emergency hospital as reflected in a single frenetic night of business-as-usual.

    Pony Express
    TMDB2.9

    Pony Express

    1953 · 1h 41m

    country: United States

    Buffalo Bill and Wild Bill Hickok join forces to establish a mail route that can get mail from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California, in ten days. Along the way they must battle bad weather, hostile Indians and outlaws intent on robbing the mail and shutting down the entire operation.

    Son of Ali Baba
    TMDB2.8

    Son of Ali Baba

    1952 · 1h 15m

    country: United States

    In ancient Persia the son of Ali Baba (of forty thieves fame), Kashma Baba is a military cadet by day and a party goer by night. He falls for a girl who he later finds is an escaped slave girl belonging to the wicked Caliph. They flee to his father's palace. But alas, there's more to her than meets the eye. Will the evil schemers succeed? The sons of the Forty Thieves to the rescue!

    Blood Alley
    TMDB3.0

    Blood Alley

    1955 · 1h 50m

    country: United States

    An American Merchant Marine captain, rescued from a Chinese Communist jail by local villagers, is "shanghaied" into transporting the entire village to Hong Kong on an ancient paddle steamer.

    Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto
    TMDB3.6

    Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto

    1954 · 1h 34m

    country: Japan

    Struggling to elevate himself from his low caste in 17th century Japan, Miyamoto trains to become a mighty samurai warrior.

    Bob le Flambeur
    TMDB3.6

    Bob le Flambeur

    1956 · 1h 43m

    country: France

    In Paris, Bob Montagne is practically synonymous with gambling -- and winning. He is kind, classy and well-liked by virtually everyone in town, including police inspector Ledru. However, when Bob's luck turns sour, he begins to lose friends and makes the most desperate gamble of his life: to rob the Deauville casino during Grand Prix weekend, when the vaults are full. Unfortunately, Bob soon learns that the game is rigged and the cops are on to him.

    Action of the Tiger
    TMDB2.4

    Action of the Tiger

    1957 · 1h 33m

    country: United Kingdom

    A woman hires soldier-of-fortune Carson to smuggle her into Albania by way of Greece. Their trouble is just beginning when they get there.

    The Desert Rats
    TMDB3.2

    The Desert Rats

    1953 · 1h 28m

    country: United States

    In North Africa, German Field Marshal Rommel and his troops have successfully fended off British forces, and now intend to take Tobruk, an important port city. A ramshackle group of Australian reinforcements sent to combat the Germans is put under the command of British Captain MacRoberts. The unruly Aussies immediately clash with MacRoberts, a gruff, strict disciplinarian, however this unorthodox team must band together to protect Tobruk from the German forces.

    King Solomon's Mines
    TMDB3.2

    King Solomon's Mines

    1950 · 1h 43m

    country: United States

    Fortune hunter Allan Quatermain teams up with a resourceful woman to help her find her missing husband lost in the wilds of 1900s Africa while being pursued by hostile tribes and a rival German explorer.

    Superman and the Mole Men
    TMDB2.7

    Superman and the Mole Men

    1951 · 58m

    country: United States

    Reporters Clark Kent and Lois Lane arrive in the small town of Silsby to witness the drilling of the world's deepest oil well. The drill, however, has penetrated the underground home of a race of small, furry people who then come to the surface at night to look around. The fact that they glow in the dark scares the townfolk, who form a mob, led by the vicious Luke Benson, intent on killing the strange people. Only Superman has a chance to prevent this tragedy.

    Hell and High Water
    TMDB3.0

    Hell and High Water

    1954 · 1h 43m

    country: United States

    A privately-financed scientist and his colleagues hire an ex-Navy officer to conduct an Alaskan submarine expedition in order to prevent a Red Chinese anti-American plot that may lead to World War III. Mixes deviously plotted schoolboy fiction with submarine spectacle and cold war heroics.

    Al Capone
    TMDB3.3

    Al Capone

    1959 · 1h 44m

    country: United States

    In this unusually accurate biography, small-time hood Al Capone comes to Chicago at the dawn of Prohibition to be the bodyguard of racketeer Johnny Torrio. Capone's rise in Chicago gangdom is followed through murder, extortion, and political fraud. He becomes head of Chicago's biggest "business," but moves inexorably toward his downfall and ignominious end.

    To Hell and Back
    TMDB3.3

    To Hell and Back

    1955 · 1h 46m

    country: United States

    The true WWII story of Audie Murphy, the most decorated soldier in U.S. history. Based on the autobiography of Audie Murphy who stars as himself in the film.

    Operation Pacific
    TMDB3.0

    Operation Pacific

    1951 · 1h 51m

    country: United States

    During WWII, Duke E. Gifford is second in command of the USS Thunderfish, a submarine which is firing off torpedoes that either explode too early or never explode at all. It's a dilemma that he'll eventually take up personally. Even more personal is his quest to win back his ex-wife, a nurse; but he'll have to win her back from a navy flier who also happens to be his commander's little brother.

    Chain Lightning
    TMDB3.2

    Chain Lightning

    1950 · 1h 34m

    country: United States

    Former World War II flying ace Matt Brennan takes a position as a test pilot for a commercial aircraft corporation and bumps into his old girlfriend, Jo Holloway, who now works as a receptionist for the company.

    Decision Before Dawn
    TMDB3.4

    Decision Before Dawn

    1951 · 1h 59m

    country: United States

    WWII is entering its last phase: Germany is in ruins, but does not yield. The US army lacks crucial knowledge about the German units operating on the opposite side of the Rhine, and decides to send two German prisoners to gather information. The scheme is risky: the Gestapo retains a terribly efficient network to identify and capture spies and deserters. Moreover, it is not clear that "Tiger", who does not mind any dirty work as long as the price is right, and war-weary "Happy", who might be easily betrayed by his feelings, are dependable agents. After Tiger and another American agent are successfully infiltrated, Happy is parachuted in Bavaria. His duty: find out the whereabouts of a powerful German armored unit moving towards the western front.

    The Guns of Fort Petticoat
    TMDB3.1

    The Guns of Fort Petticoat

    1957 · 1h 22m

    country: United States

    Opposing his commanding officer's decision to attack a group of innocent Indians and wipe them out, Lt. Frank Hewitt leaves his post and heads home to Texas. He knows that the attack will send all of the tribes on the warpath and he wants to forewarn everyone. He gets a chilly reception back home however. With most of the men away having enlisted in the Confederate army Frank, a Union officer, is seen by the local women as a traitor. He convinces them of the danger that lies ahead and trains them to repel the attack that will eventually come.

    Hercules Unchained
    TMDB2.5

    Hercules Unchained

    1959 · 1h 38m

    country: France

    En route to Thebes for an important diplomatic mission, Hercules drinks from a magic spring and loses his memory. He spends most of the movie in the pleasure gardens of Queen Omphale of Lydia. While young Ulysses tries to help him regain his memory, political tensions escalate in Thebes, and Hercules' new wife Iole finds herself in mortal danger.

    Congo Crossing
    TMDB2.8

    Congo Crossing

    1956 · 1h 25m

    country: United States

    Congotanga, West Africa, has no extradition laws; the government is controlled by foreign gangsters, headed by Carl Rittner. The latest plane from Europe carries lovely Louise Whitman, fleeing a French murder charge, and Mannering, who pays resident hit man O'Connell to kill her. Through a chain of circumstances Louise, O'Connell, and heroic surveyor David Carr end up alone in the jungle on Carr's mission to determine the true border of Congotanga... in which Rittner is keenly interested.

    Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island
    TMDB3.6

    Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island

    1956 · 1h 45m

    country: Japan

    A humble and simple Takezo abandons his life as a knight errant. He's sought as a teacher and vassal by Shogun, Japan's most powerful clan leader. He's also challenged to fight by the supremely confident and skillful Sasaki Kojiro. Takezo agrees to fight Kojiro in a year's time but rejects Shogun's patronage, choosing instead to live on the edge of a village, raising vegetables. He's followed there by Otsu and later by Akemi, both in love with him. The year ends as Takezo assists the villagers against a band of brigands. He seeks Otsu's forgiveness and accepts her love, then sets off across the water to Ganryu Island for his final contest.

    The Great Locomotive Chase
    TMDB3.2

    The Great Locomotive Chase

    1956 · 1h 25m

    country: United States

    During the Civil War, a Union spy, Andrews, is asked to lead a band of Union soldiers into the South so that they could destroy the railway system. However, things don't go as planned when the conductor of the train that they stole is on to them and is doing everything he can to stop them. Based on a true story.

    Prince Valiant
    TMDB3.0

    Prince Valiant

    1954 · 1h 40m

    country: United States

    A young Viking prince strives to become a knight in King Arthur's Court and restore his exiled father to his rightful throne.

    About 1950s Action Movies

    The 1950s

    1950s cinema fought television with everything it had: widescreen formats, colour, and spectacle. Underneath the scale, it was also the decade of Japanese cinema's international breakthrough and the birth of the modern art film.

    Action

    Action cinema runs from the stunt-driven spectacle of Hollywood blockbusters to the choreographed precision of Hong Kong and Korean thrillers. The best of it treats physical performance as storytelling — chases, fights, and set pieces that reveal character rather than pause for it.

    In this list

    Best reviewed
    Seven Samurai (8.5)
    Often also
    Drama, Adventure, War

    Common questions

    What are the best 1950s action movies?
    By popularity across Flickfolio and TMDB, the top picks right now are Seven Samurai, The War of the Worlds, and The Vikings. The full ranked list of 40 sits above — open any movie for ratings, reviews, and streaming availability.
    How is this list ranked?
    1950s action movies are ordered by overall popularity, which blends how often a title is viewed, searched, and logged. It updates as viewing habits shift, so the list reflects what people are actually watching rather than a fixed critical canon.
    Where can I watch these movies?
    Every movie page lists current streaming, rental, and purchase options for your region, alongside community ratings and reviews from Flickfolio members.

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