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    Home/Browse/1950s Movies/1950s War Movies

    1950s War Movies

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

    40films
    1rated by members
    Top ratedThe Caine Mutiny4.0
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    Paths of Glory
    TMDB4.1

    Paths of Glory

    1957 · 1h 28m

    country: United States

    A commanding officer defends three scapegoats on trial for a failed offensive that occurred within the French Army in 1916.

    The Bridge on the River Kwai
    TMDB3.9

    The Bridge on the River Kwai

    1957 · 2h 42m

    country: United Kingdom

    The classic story of English POWs in Burma forced to build a bridge to aid the war effort of their Japanese captors. British and American intelligence officers conspire to blow up the structure, but Col. Nicholson, the commander who supervised the bridge's construction, has acquired a sense of pride in his creation and tries to foil their plans.

    War and Peace
    TMDB3.3

    War and Peace

    1956 · 3h 28m

    country: Italy

    The love story of young Countess Natasha Rostova and Count Pierre Bezukhov is interwoven with the Great Patriotic War of 1812 against Napoleon's invading army.

    From Here to Eternity
    TMDB3.6

    From Here to Eternity

    1953 · 1h 58m

    country: United States

    In 1941 Hawaii, a private is cruelly punished for not boxing on his unit's team, while his captain's wife and second in command are falling in love.

    The Caine Mutiny
    TMDB3.6
    FF4.0

    The Caine Mutiny

    1954 · 2h 4m

    country: United States

    When a US Naval captain shows signs of mental instability that jeopardize his ship, the first officer relieves him of command and faces court martial for mutiny.

    The Horse Soldiers
    TMDB3.5

    The Horse Soldiers

    1959 · 1h 55m

    country: United States

    A Union Cavalry outfit is sent behind confederate lines in strength to destroy a rail supply center. Along with them is sent a doctor who causes instant antipathy between him and the commander. The secret plan for the mission is overheard by a southern belle who must be taken along to assure her silence.

    A Farewell to Arms
    TMDB3.0

    A Farewell to Arms

    1957 · 2h 32m

    country: United States

    An English nurse and an American soldier on the Italian front during World War I fall in love, but the horrors surrounding them test their romance to the limit.

    The Enemy Below
    TMDB3.6

    The Enemy Below

    1957 · 1h 37m

    country: United States

    The crew of the American destroyer escort, the USS Haynes, detects a German U-Boat—resulting in a prolonged, deadly battle of wits.

    Friendly Persuasion
    TMDB3.3

    Friendly Persuasion

    1956 · 2h 17m

    country: United States

    The story of a family of Quakers in Indiana in 1862. Their religious sect is strongly opposed to violence and war. It's not easy for them to meet the rules of their religion in everyday life but when Southern troops pass the area they are in real trouble. Should they fight, despite their peaceful attitude?

    Helen of Troy
    TMDB3.1

    Helen of Troy

    1956 · 2h 1m

    country: United States

    Prince Paris of Troy, shipwrecked on a mission to the king of Sparta, meets and falls for Queen Helen before he knows who she is. Rudely received by the royal Greeks, he must flee...but fate and their mutual passions lead him to take Helen along. This gives the Greeks just the excuse they need for much-desired war.

    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.

    The Human Condition I: No Greater Love
    TMDB4.0

    The Human Condition I: No Greater Love

    1959 · 3h 24m

    country: Japan

    After handing in a report on the treatment of Chinese colonial labor, Kaji is offered the post of labour chief at a large mining operation in Manchuria, which also grants him exemption from military service. He accepts and moves with his newlywed wife Michiko, but when he tries to put his ideas of more humane treatment into practice, he finds himself at odds with scheming officials, cruel foremen, and the military police.

    Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N.
    TMDB3.5

    Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N.

    1951 · 1h 57m

    country: United Kingdom

    Captain Horatio Hornblower leads his ship HMS Lydia on a perilous transatlantic voyage, during which his faithful crew battle both a Spanish warship and a ragged band of Central American rebels.

    Emergency Landing
    TMDB2.9

    Emergency Landing

    1952 · 1h 40m

    country: Norway

    An American bomber is shot down on the Norwegian coast during World War II. The airmen bail out and land at different locations. In spite of the German search for them, the Norwegian resistance picks them up and hides them in the attic of the local church, a center of operations. Things become tense, however, when the hideout is spotted by a notorious collaborator, and soon the protagonist, Hans, has to get the airmen to Sweden.

    Run Silent, Run Deep
    TMDB3.5

    Run Silent, Run Deep

    1958 · 1h 33m

    country: United States

    The captain of a submarine sunk by the Japanese during WWII is finally given a chance to skipper another sub after a year of working a desk job. His singleminded determination for revenge against the destroyer that sunk his previous vessel puts his new crew in unneccessary danger.

    The Human Condition II: Road to Eternity
    TMDB4.1

    The Human Condition II: Road to Eternity

    1959 · 2h 58m

    country: Japan

    Kaji, sent to the Japanese army labeled Red, witnesses cruelties in the army and revolts against the abusive treatment against a fellow recruit. He also sees his friend Shinjô defecting to the Russian border, and he ends in the front to fight a lost battle against the Russian tanks division.

    Ashes and Diamonds
    TMDB3.7

    Ashes and Diamonds

    1958 · 1h 43m

    country: Poland

    A young academy soldier, Maciek Chelmicki, is ordered to shoot the secretary of the KW PPR. A coincidence causes him to kill someone else. Meeting face to face with his victim, he gets a shock. He faces the necessity of repeating the assassination. He meets Krystyna, a girl working as a barmaid in the restaurant of the "Monopol" hotel. His affection for her makes him even more aware of the senselessness of killing at the end of the war. Loyalty to the oath he took, and thus the obligation to obey the order, tips the scales.

    The Cranes Are Flying
    TMDB4.0

    The Cranes Are Flying

    1957 · 1h 37m

    country: Soviet Union

    Veronika and Boris come together in Moscow shortly before World War II. Walking along the river, they watch cranes fly overhead, and promise to rendezvous before Boris leaves to fight. Boris misses the meeting and is off to the front lines, while Veronika waits patiently, sending letters faithfully. After her house is bombed, Veronika moves in with Boris' family, into the company of a cousin with his own intentions.

    The Battle of the River Plate
    TMDB3.2

    The Battle of the River Plate

    1956 · 1h 59m

    country: United Kingdom

    In the early years of the World War II, the Royal Navy is fighting a desperate battle to keep the Atlantic convoy routes open to supply the British Isles, facing the great danger posed by the many German warships, such as the Admiral Graf Spee, which are scouring the ocean for cargo ships to sink.

    Mister Roberts
    TMDB3.5

    Mister Roberts

    1955 · 2h 3m

    country: United States

    Mr. Roberts is a Navy officer who's yearning for battle but is stuck in the backwaters of World War II on a non-commissioned ship run by the bullying Captain Morton.

    Ballad of a Soldier
    TMDB4.0

    Ballad of a Soldier

    1959 · 1h 29m

    country: Soviet Union

    During World War II, earnest young Russian soldier Alyosha Skvortsov is rewarded with a short leave of absence for performing a heroic deed on the battlefield. Feeling homesick, he decides to visit his mother. Due to his kindhearted nature, however, Alyosha is repeatedly sidetracked by his efforts to help those he encounters, including a lovely girl named Shura. In his tour of a country devastated by war, he struggles to keep hope alive.

    Operation Petticoat
    TMDB3.6

    Operation Petticoat

    1959 · 2h 4m

    country: United States

    A World War II submarine commander finds himself stuck with a damaged sub, a con-man executive officer, and a group of army nurses.

    The Bridge
    TMDB3.8

    The Bridge

    1959 · 1h 43m

    country: Germany

    A group of German boys are ordered to protect a small bridge in their home village during the waning months of the second world war. Truckloads of defeated, cynical Wehrmacht soldiers flee the approaching American troops, but the boys, full of enthusiasm for the "blood and honor" Nazi ideology, stay to defend the useless bridge. The film is based on a West German anti-war novel of the same name, written by Gregor Dorfmeister.

    Never So Few
    TMDB2.8

    Never So Few

    1959 · 2h 5m

    country: United States

    A U.S. military troop takes command of a band of Burmese guerillas during World War II.

    The Great War
    TMDB4.0

    The Great War

    1959 · 2h 17m

    country: France

    Italy, 1916. Oreste Jacovacci and Giovanni Busacca are called, as all the Italian youths, to serve the army in the WWI. They both try in every way to avoid serving the army.

    The Dam Busters
    TMDB3.5

    The Dam Busters

    1955 · 2h 4m

    country: United Kingdom

    The story of the conception of a new British weapon for smashing the German dams in the Ruhr industrial complex and the execution of the raid by 617 Squadron 'The Dam Busters'.

    Solomon and Sheba
    TMDB3.2

    Solomon and Sheba

    1959 · 2h 19m

    country: United States

    Near death, King David has a vision that his poet son, Solomon, should succeed him, rather than hot-headed Adonijah. Furious, Adonijah departs the court, swearing he will become king. Other rulers are concerned that Solomon's benevolent rule and interest in monotheism will threaten their tyrannical, polytheistic kingdoms. The Queen of Sheba makes an agreement with the Egyptian pharaoh to corrupt Solomon for their mutual benefit.

    Forbidden Games
    TMDB3.9

    Forbidden Games

    1952 · 1h 27m

    country: France

    Orphaned after a Nazi air raid, Paulette, a young Parisian girl, runs into Michel, an older peasant boy, and the two quickly become close. Together, they try to make sense of the chaotic and crumbling world around them, attempting to cope with death as they create a burial ground for Paulette's deceased pet dog. Eventually, however, Paulette's stay with Michel's family is threatened by the harsh realities of wartime.

    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.

    The Wings of Eagles
    TMDB3.2

    The Wings of Eagles

    1957 · 1h 50m

    country: United States

    The story of Frank W. "Spig" Wead - a Navy-flyer turned screenwriter.

    South Pacific
    TMDB3.1

    South Pacific

    1958 · 2h 37m

    country: United States

    Can a girl from Little Rock find happiness with a mature French planter she got to know one enchanted evening away from the military hospital where she is a nurse? Or should she just wash that man out of her hair? Bloody Mary is the philosopher of the island and it's hard to believe she could be the mother of Liat who has captured the heart of Lt. Joseph Cable USMC. While waiting for action in the war in the South Pacific, sailors and nurses put on a musical comedy show. The war gets closer and the saga of Nellie Forbush and Emile de Becque becomes serious drama.

    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.

    Napoleon
    TMDB3.1

    Napoleon

    1955 · 3h 10m

    country: France

    The film follows the life of Napoleon from his early life in Corsica to his death at Saint Helena. The film is notable for its use of location shooting for numerous scenes, especially at the French estates of Malmaison and Fontainebleau, the Palace of Versailles, and sites of Napoleonic battles including Austerlitz and Waterloo.

    Stalag 17
    TMDB3.8

    Stalag 17

    1953 · 2h

    country: United States

    After two American prisoners are killed by guards in the act of escaping from a German POW camp in World War II, barracks black marketeer J.J. Sefton is suspected of being an informer.

    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.

    The Man Who Never Was
    TMDB3.5

    The Man Who Never Was

    1956 · 1h 43m

    country: United Kingdom

    The true story of a British effort to trick the Germans into weakening Sicily's defenses before the 1943 attack. A dead soldier is dressed as a British officer and outfitted with faked papers showing that the Allies were intending to invade occupied Greece. His body is put into the sea where it will ultimately drift ashore and the papers be passed along to German Intelligence.

    Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison
    TMDB3.5

    Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison

    1957 · 1h 48m

    country: United States

    A Roman Catholic nun and a hard-bitten US Marine are stranded together on a Japanese-occupied island in the South Pacific during World War II. Under constant threat of discovery by a ruthless enemy, they hide in a cave and forage for food together. Their forced companionship and the struggle for survival forge a powerful emotional bond between them.

    The Journey
    TMDB3.1

    The Journey

    1959 · 2h 6m

    country: United States

    A Communist officer falls hard for a married woman trying to escape from Hungary.

    Sands of Iwo Jima
    TMDB3.2

    Sands of Iwo Jima

    1950 · 1h 40m

    country: United States

    Haunted by personal demons, Marine Sgt. John Stryker is hated and feared by his men, who see him as a cold-hearted sadist. But when their boots hit the beaches, they begin to understand the reason for Stryker's rigid form of discipline.

    About 1950s War 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.

    War

    War films range from combat spectacle to anti-war argument, and often try to be both at once. The genre is a reliable index of how a country understands its own history.

    In this list

    Best reviewed
    Paths of Glory (8.3)
    Often also
    Drama, History, Romance

    Common questions

    What are the best 1950s war movies?
    By popularity across Flickfolio and TMDB, the top picks right now are Paths of Glory, The Bridge on the River Kwai, and War and Peace. The full ranked list of 40 sits above — open any movie for ratings, reviews, and streaming availability.
    How is this list ranked?
    1950s war 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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