Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956)

Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956)

[6] Paul Newman headlines this Robert Wise biopic about real-life boxing champ Rocky Graziano. Ernest Lehman's smart, well-paced script sees Rocky through several youthful indiscretions that threaten to ruin him just as the lightweight championship comes within reach. Though he…
The Rainmaker (1956)

The Rainmaker (1956)

[5] Burt Lancaster stars as a conman promising rain for dollars to struggling farmers in the drought-ridden South. He almost gets away with his latest swindle, but burgeoning feelings for one of the farmer's daughters (Katharine Hepburn) threatens to make…
The Creature Walks Among Us (1956)

The Creature Walks Among Us (1956)

[3] The Gill Man's second sequel starts off okay and gets progressively worse. It's cool enough while a team of scientists are hunting the Creature, especially when they catch him on fire (the highlight scene of the movie), but once…
Around the World in 80 Days (1956)

Around the World in 80 Days (1956)

[4] Around the World in 80 Days is a three-hour-long, episodic adventure that's high on spectacle and low on story or character. I wager it played better to a 1950s audience interested in seeing a cliche-ridden "It's a Small World"-like…
The Werewolf (1956)

The Werewolf (1956)

[5] A car crash victim (Steven Ritch) is injected with wolf serum by experimenting scientists and before long, hirsute hijinks ensue. This werewolf flick from prolific B-movie producer Sam Katzman plays up the emotional and psychological angles better than most,…
The Teahouse of the August Moon (1956)

The Teahouse of the August Moon (1956)

[6] An American colonel (Glenn Ford) is tasked with enforcing democracy in a small Okinawan village but slowly begins to embrace the villagers' hedonistic lifestyle in this off-kilter comedy based on the play by John Patrick. It's a sweet and…
Friendly Persuasion (1956)

Friendly Persuasion (1956)

[9]

William Wyler directs this story about an Indiana Quaker family trying hard to keep their pacifist faith while the Civil War creeps up on their doorstep. The screenplay makes the period setting completely accessible, skillfully blending comedy and drama with character and substance. I quickly invested in the family, especially Gary Cooper as the father, a man who enjoys horse racing his neighbor to church on Sunday mornings. Dorothy McGuire is beautiful and endearing as his stalwart wife, and Anthony Perkins makes a memorable turn as their oldest son.