List of the best movies of 1956, with movie trailers when available. Movie legends Michael Caine and Leslie Nielsen made their debuts in 1956. These top movies of 1956 are listed by popularity, so the movies with the most votes are at the top. This list consists of all different movie genres, but each film was released in 1956. You can filter this list of films that came out in 1956 for various bits of information, such as who directed the movie and what genre it is. Think the best 1956 movie isn't as high as it should be? Vote up your favorite so it will rise to the top.
Examples of movies on this list include The Searchers and The Ten Commandments.
This list answers the questions, "What are the best movies from 1956?" and "What are the most popular movies of 1956?"
1956 was a great year for movies, since a lot of classic films were released in 1956. This is a crowd sourced list that has been voted on by many people, so these top films of 1956 aren't just one persons opinion.
list ordered by
1
44 13
The SearchersJohn Wayne, Natalie Wood, Vera Miles The Searchers is a 1956 American Technicolor VistaVision Western film directed by John Ford, based on the 1954 novel by Alan Le May, set during the Texas–Indian Wars, and starring John Wayne as ...more
2
37 15
The Ten CommandmentsCharlton Heston, Vincent Price, Yul Brynner The Ten Commandments is a 1956 American religious epic film produced and directed by Cecil B. DeMille, shot in VistaVision, and released by Paramount Pictures. It dramatizes the biblical story ...more
3
28 8
Invasion of the Body SnatchersDana Wynter, Sam Peckinpah, Carolyn Jones Invasion of the Body Snatchers is a 1956 American black-and-white science fiction film produced by Walter Wanger, directed by Don Siegel, and starring Kevin McCarthy and Dana Wynter. The film ...more
4
25 6
The King and IDeborah Kerr, Yul Brynner, Rita Moreno The King and I is a 1956 musical film made by 20th Century Fox, directed by Walter Lang and produced by Charles Brackett and Darryl F. Zanuck. The screenplay by Ernest Lehman is based on the ...more
5
29 10
The Man Who Knew Too MuchJames Stewart, Doris Day, Alfred Hitchcock The Man Who Knew Too Much is a 1956 suspense thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring James Stewart and Doris Day. The film is a somewhat altered remake in widescreen VistaVision and ...more
6
22 5
The Wrong ManHenry Fonda, Alfred Hitchcock, Tuesday Weld The Wrong Man is a 1956 docu-drama by Alfred Hitchcock which stars Henry Fonda and Vera Miles. The film was drawn from the true story of an innocent man charged with a crime, as described in the ...more
7
24 7
The KillingSterling Hayden, Coleen Gray, Vince Edwards The Killing is a 1956 film noir produced by James B. Harris and directed by Stanley Kubrick. It was written by Kubrick and Jim Thompson and based on the novel Clean Break by Lionel White. The ...more
8
21 5
Lust for LifeKirk Douglas, Anthony Quinn, Marion Ross Lust for Life is a MGM biographical film about the life of the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh, based on the 1934 novel by Irving Stone and adapted by Norman Corwin. It was directed by Vincente ...more
9
34 16
GiantElizabeth Taylor, James Dean, Dennis Hopper Giant is a 1956 American drama film, directed by George Stevens from a screenplay adapted by Fred Guiol and Ivan Moffat from the novel by Edna Ferber. The film stars Elizabeth Taylor, Rock ...more
10
22 6
Friendly PersuasionGary Cooper, Anthony Perkins, Dorothy McGuire Friendly Persuasion is a 1956 Civil War film starring Gary Cooper, Dorothy McGuire, Anthony Perkins, Richard Eyer, Robert Middleton and Phyllis Love. The screenplay was adapted by Michael Wilson ...more
11
19 5
GervaiseMaria Schell, François Périer, Jany Holt Gervaise is a 1956 French film directed by René Clément based on the novel L'Assommoir by Émile Zola. It depicts a working-class woman in the mid-nineteenth century trying ...more
12
21 7
Somebody Up There Likes MePaul Newman, Robert Duvall, Steve McQueen Somebody Up There Likes Me is a 1956 American drama film based on the life of middleweight boxing legend Rocky Graziano. Joseph Ruttenberg was awarded a 1956 Oscar in the category of Best ...more
13
18 6
Seven Men from NowLee Marvin, Gail Russell, Randolph Scott Seven Men from Now is a 1956 Western film directed by Budd Boetticher and starring Randolph Scott, Gail Russell, and Lee Marvin. The film was written by Burt Kennedy and produced by John Wayne's ...more
14
18 6
Bigger Than LifeWalter Matthau, Barbara Rush, Kipp Hamilton Bigger Than Life is an American DeLuxe Color CinemaScope film made in 1956 directed by Nicholas Ray and starring James Mason, who also co-wrote and produced the film, about a school teacher and ...more
15
18 6
Helen of TroyBrigitte Bardot, Stanley Baker, Harry Andrews Helen of Troy is a 1956 Warner Bros. epic film, based on Homer's Illiad and Odyssey. It was directed by Robert Wise, from a screenplay by Hugh Gray and John Twist, adapted by Hugh Gray and N. ...more
16
15 4
The Eddy Duchin StoryKim Novak, Tyrone Power, James Whitmore The Eddy Duchin Story is a 1956 Technicolor film biopic of band leader and pianist Eddy Duchin. It was directed by George Sidney, written by Samuel A. Taylor, and starred Tyrone Power and Kim ...more
17
16 5
The Last HuntRobert Taylor, Stewart Granger, Debra Paget The Last Hunt is a 1956 MGM western film directed by Richard Brooks and produced by Dore Schary. The screenplay was by Richard Brooks from the novel The Last Hunt by Milton Lott. The music score ...more
18
17 6
The Burning HillsNatalie Wood, Tab Hunter, Earl Holliman The Burning Hills is a 1956 Warner Bros. CinemaScope Western based on a 1956 novel by Louis L'Amour. The film features young stars popular with the teenagers of the time such as Tab Hunter and ...more
19
17 7
AttackLee Marvin, Jack Palance, Eddie Albert Attack, also known as Attack!, is a 1956 American war film. It was directed by Robert Aldrich and starred Jack Palance, Eddie Albert, Lee Marvin, William Smithers, Robert Strauss, Richard ...more
20
17 7
AnastasiaIngrid Bergman, Yul Brynner, Helen Hayes Anastasia is a 1956 drama history film written by Arthur Laurents, Marcelle Maurette and Guy Bolton and directed by Anatole Litvak.
21
18 8
High SocietyFrank Sinatra, Grace Kelly, Bing Crosby High Society is a 1956 American musical comedy film directed by Charles Walters and starring Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, and Frank Sinatra. The film was produced by Sol C. Siegel for ...more
22
25 15
Forbidden PlanetLeslie Nielsen, Anne Francis, Walter Pidgeon Forbidden Planet is a 1956 American science fiction film from MGM, produced by Nicholas Nayfack, directed by Fred M. Wilcox and starring Walter Pidgeon, Anne Francis, Leslie Nielsen, Warren ...more
23
13 4
The King and Four QueensClark Gable, Eleanor Parker, Jo Van Fleet The King and Four Queens is a 1956 American Western adventure comedy/mystery film starring Clark Gable and Eleanor Parker. Directed by Raoul Walsh, the film is based on a story written by ...more
24
14 5
The Catered AffairBette Davis, Debbie Reynolds, Ernest Borgnine The Catered Affair, also known as Wedding Party, is a family drama film made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed by Richard Brooks and produced by Sam Zimbalist from a screenplay by Gore ...more
25
15 6
Autumn LeavesJoan Crawford, Vera Miles, Cliff Robertson Autumn Leaves is a 1956 Columbia Pictures drama film starring Joan Crawford and Cliff Robertson in an older woman/younger man tale of mental illness. The screenplay was written by Jean Rouverol ...more
26
15 6
The Harder They FallHumphrey Bogart, Rod Steiger, Jersey Joe Walcott The Harder They Fall is a 1956 film noir directed by Mark Robson, featuring Humphrey Bogart in his last film. It was written by Philip Yordan and based on the 1947 novel of the same name by Budd ...more
27
17 8
Run Silent, Run DeepClark Gable, Burt Lancaster, Don Rickles Run Silent, Run Deep is a 1958 film starring Clark Gable and Burt Lancaster, based on the novel of the same name by Commander Edward L. Beach, Jr.. The title refers to "silent ...more
28
19 10
Moby DickOrson Welles, Gregory Peck, John Huston Moby Dick is a 1956 film adaptation of Herman Melville's novel Moby-Dick. It was directed by John Huston with a screenplay by Huston and Ray Bradbury. The film starred Gregory Peck, Richard ...more
29
20 11
Written on the WindLauren Bacall, Rock Hudson, Robert Stack Written on the Wind is a 1956 American drama film directed by Douglas Sirk and starring Rock Hudson, Lauren Bacall, Robert Stack and Dorothy Malone. The screenplay by George Zuckerman was based ...more
30
14 6
Duel at Ganryu IslandToshiro Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Rentarō Mikuni Samurai III: Duel At Ganryu Island is a 1956 color Japanese film directed by Hiroshi Inagaki starring Toshirō Mifune. It is the third film of the Samurai Trilogy. The film is adapted from Eiji ...more
31
16 8
1984Donald Pleasence, Michael Redgrave, Edmond O'Brien 1984 is a 1956 film, based freely on the novel of the same name by George Orwell, depicting a totalitarian future society. This is the first cinema rendition of the story, directed by Michael ...more
32
16 8
The Hunchback of Notre DameGina Lollobrigida, Anthony Quinn, Alain Cuny The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a 1956 French film version of Victor Hugo's novel of the same name, directed by Jean Delannoy and produced by Raymond Hakim and Robert Hakim. The film is the first ...more
33
16 8
Baby DollEli Wallach, Rip Torn, Karl Malden Baby Doll is a 1956 American black comedy and drama film directed by Elia Kazan, and starring Carroll Baker, Karl Malden and Eli Wallach. The film also features Mildred Dunnock and Rip Torn. It ...more
34
18 10
The Man in the Gray Flannel SuitGregory Peck, Jennifer Jones, Lee J. Cobb The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit, by Sloan Wilson, is a 1955 novel about the American search for purpose in a world dominated by business. Tom and Betsy Rath share a struggle to find contentment ...more
35
18 10
The ConquerorJohn Wayne, Susan Hayward, Agnes Moorehead The Conqueror is a 1956 CinemaScope epic film produced by Howard Hughes and starring John Wayne as the Mongol conqueror Genghis Khan. Other performers included Susan Hayward, Agnes Moorehead, ...more
36
11 4
Sissi - The Young EmpressRomy Schneider, Karlheinz Böhm, Magda Schneider Sissi - The Young Empress is a 1956 drama history film written and directed by Ernst Marischka.
37
12 5
DavidPousak added Around the World in 80 DaysFrank Sinatra, Shirley MacLaine, Marlene Dietrich Around the World in 80 Days is a 1956 Technicolor epic action adventure comedy film starring David Niven and Cantinflas, produced by the Michael Todd Company and released by United Artists. The ...more
38
13 6
DianeRoger Moore, Lana Turner, Cedric Hardwicke Diane is a 1956 American historical film drama about the life of Diane de Poitiers, distributed by MGM, directed by David Miller, and produced by Edwin H. Knopf from a screenplay by Christopher ...more
39
14 7
The Red BalloonRenaud Séchan, Georges Sellier, Vladimir Popov The Red Balloon is a 1956 fantasy featurette directed by French filmmaker Albert Lamorisse. The thirty-four minute short, which follows the adventures of a young boy who one day finds a ...more
40
15 8
The RainmakerKatharine Hepburn, Burt Lancaster, Lloyd Bridges The Rainmaker is an American 1956 film directed by Joseph Anthony and adapted by N. Richard Nash from his play The Rainmaker. The film tells the story of a middle-aged woman, suffering from ...more
41
15 8
The Opposite SexJoan Collins, Leslie Nielsen, Joan Blondell The Opposite Sex is a 1956 American musical romantic comedy film shot in Metrocolor. The film was directed by David Miller and stars June Allyson, Joan Collins, Dolores Gray, Ann Sheridan, Ann ...more
42
16 9
RodanAkihiko Hirata, Yumi Shirakawa, Kenji Sahara Rodan, released in Japan as Sora no Daikaijū Radon, is a 1956 Kaiju film produced by Toho Studios. It was the studio's first Kaiju movie filmed in color. It is one of a series of "giant ...more
43
16 9
Earth vs. the Flying SaucersPaul Frees, Hugh Marlowe, Joan Taylor Earth vs. the Flying Saucers is a 1956 American science fiction film from Columbia Pictures, produced by Charles H. Schneer and Sam Katzman, directed by Fred F. Sears, and starring Hugh Marlowe ...more
44
11 5
Back from EternityAnita Ekberg, Rod Steiger, Robert Ryan Back from Eternity is a 1956 drama film about a planeload of people stranded in the South American jungle and subsequently menaced by headhunters. It is a remake of an earlier 1939 film, Five ...more
45
13 7
The Battle of the River PlateChristopher Lee, Patrick Macnee, Peter Finch The Battle of the River Plate is a 1956 British war film by director-writer team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, starring John Gregson, Anthony Quayle and Peter Finch. In the United ...more
46
14 8
Beyond a Reasonable DoubtJoan Fontaine, Dana Andrews, Joyce Taylor Beyond a Reasonable Doubt is a 1956 film noir directed by Fritz Lang and written by Douglas Morrow. The film stars Dana Andrews, Joan Fontaine, Sidney Blackmer, and Arthur Franz, and was the ...more
47
14 8
The Fastest Gun AliveGlenn Ford, Jeanne Crain, Broderick Crawford The Fastest Gun Alive is a 1956 western film starring Glenn Ford, Jeanne Crain and Broderick Crawford.
48
9 4
Foreign IntrigueRobert Mitchum, Ingrid Thulin, Lauritz Falk Foreign Intrigue is a 1956 film starring Robert Mitchum The film is written, produced and directed by Sheldon Reynolds, who had produced a television series called Foreign Intrigue in 1951. ...more
49
11 6
SerenadeVincent Price, Joan Fontaine, Mario Lanza Serenade, a 1956 Warner Bros. release, was tenor Mario Lanza's fifth film, and his first on-screen appearance in four years. Directed by Anthony Mann and based on the 1937 novel of the same name ...more
50
12 7
JulieDoris Day, Louis Jourdan Julie is a 1956 film noir written and directed by Andrew L. Stone and starring Doris Day.
