We at Murder & Mayhem love mystery and thriller movies from any era. But there's just something special about the intrigue from the 1950s.
With a post-war hard-boiled edge and clever vintage charm, these films offer brilliant and groundbreaking plots and an all-consuming atmosphere. And they're built upon the talents of some of the best directors and actors of all time.
So, to satisfy your itch for the best cases, here are the best mystery and thriller movies of the 1950s.
Touch of Evil (1958)
Orson Welles wrote and directed this classic crime noir, starring alongside Charlton Heston, Janet Leigh, Joseph Calleia, Akim Tamiroff and Marlene Dietrich.
Miguel "Mike" Vargas (Heston) is a Mexican special prosecutor honeymooning in a Texas border town with his American wife, Susie (Leigh). Targeted by the crime family he's trying to send to prison, Vargas starts to worry about the questionable tactics of a local detective.
Kiss Me, Deadly (1955)
Private investigator Mike Hammer (Ralph Meeker) gets caught up in a dark and complex mystery after picking up a doomed female hitchhiker. As a domino effect of death and intrigue sets off around him, the stakes in this strange tale seem to get bigger and bigger.
The Big Heat (1953)
Dave Bannion (Glenn Ford) is a gritty, morally loose homicide detective who is tasked with investigating a fellow officer's suicide. Before long, he finds himself going toe to toe with a very powerful crime syndicate.
Dial M for Murder (1954)
Alfred Hitchcock has a plethora of incredible mystery and thriller movies that were released in the 1950s, but a personal favorite of mine is Dial M for Murder.
Tony Wendice (Ray Milland) is a retired tennis player married to wealthy socialite Margot (Grace Kelly). Upon learning that his wife is having an affair, he develops a dastardly plot to murder her.
Diabolique (1955)
Michel Delassalle is the cruel principal of a boys' boarding school. His wife, Christina, is subject to his emotional abuse, while his mistress, Nicole, suffers his physical abuse.
Rather than hating each other, the women form a bond of mutual hatred for Michel. And together they hatch the perfect plan to murder him.
Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
Lawyer Paul Biegler (James Stewart) takes on the defense of US Army Lieutenant Frederick "Manny" Manion (Ben Gazzara) who has been arrested for the murder of an innkeeper. Manny claims he committed the murder in a case of temporary insanity after the man raped his wife, Laura (Lee Remick).
But what is the truth?
The Killing (1956)
This heist film from Stanley Kubrick follows Johnny Clay (Sterling Hayden), a career criminal that just got out of prison. Johnny gets an elite team together to pull off a high-stakes robbery at a racetrack.
