Decades
TopTenREVIEWS top Biography movie of all time is I Want to Live!.
Email to a friendTop 1950's Biography Movies
Click on a movie title for more info and reviews
| Movies are ranked according to overall critic score | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
| 1 |  | I Want to Live! (1958) |  3.0108 19 reviews | NA | Drama, Biography, Crime |
$10.65
| Previously convicted of petty crimes like stealing and prostitution, Barbara Graham was accused of ...more about I Want to Live! starring Susan Hayward and Simon Oakland |
| 2 |  | Love Me or Leave Me (1955) | 2.9922 10 reviews | NA | Drama, Biography, Romance, Music |
$8.68
| Story of torch singer Ruth Etting's rise from 1920s taxi dancer to movie star, simultaneously aided ...more about Love Me or Leave Me starring Doris Day and James Cagney |
| 3 |  | Man Called Peter, A (1955) | 2.8661 1 reviews | NA | Drama, Biography, Family |
$6.99
| Based on the true story of a young Scottish lad, Peter Marshall, who dreams of only going to sea ...more about Man Called Peter starring Richard Todd and Jean Peters |
| 4 |  | Eddy Duchin Story, The (1956) | 2.8504 9 reviews | NA | Drama, Biography, Music |
$13.34
| ...more about Eddy Duchin Story starring Tyrone Power and Kim Novak |
| 5 |  | Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel, The (1951) | 2.8314 12 reviews | NA | Action, Drama, War, Biography |
$8.65
| This biopic follows Rommel's career after the Afrika Korps, including his work on the defenses of ...more about Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel starring Cedric Hardwicke and Jessica Tandy |
| 6 |  | Fear Strikes Out (1957) | 2.8311 21 reviews | NA | Drama, Biography, Sports |
$3.90
| Jim Piersall is groomed by his loving but hard-driving father (living vicariously through his son) ...more about Fear Strikes Out starring Anthony Perkins and Karl Malden |
| 7 |  | Lust for Life (1956) | 2.8150 18 reviews | NA | Drama, Biography |
$10.75
| Vincent Van Gogh is the archetypical tortured artistic genius. His obsession with painting, ...more about Lust for Life starring Kirk Douglas and Anthony Quinn |
| 8 |  | Machine-Gun Kelly (1958) | 2.7865 9 reviews | Not Rated | Action, History, Biography, Crime | N/A | Charlie Bronson was 37 when he starred in this potent little gangster picture from King of the Bs ...more about Machine-Gun Kelly starring Charles Bronson and Susan Cabot |
| 9 |  | Glenn Miller Story, The (1953) | 2.7721 13 reviews | NA | Drama, Biography, Music |
$3.92
| The biography of the Bandleader Glenn Miller from his beginnings to his death over the English ...more about Glenn Miller Story starring James Stewart and June Allyson |
| 10 |  | Calamity Jane (1953) | 2.7579 21 reviews | NA | Western, Biography, Musical, Romance, Comedy |
$12.71
| Deadwood, Dakota Territory, is largely the abode of men, where Indian scout Calamity Jane is as ...more about Calamity Jane starring Doris Day and Philip Carey |
| 11 |  | Young Man with a Horn (1950) |  2.7450 13 reviews | NA | Drama, Biography, Music |
$8.68
| Aimless youth Rick Martin learns he has a gift for music and falls in love with the trumpet. ...more about Young Man with a Horn starring Kirk Douglas and Lauren Bacall |
| 12 |  | Inn of the Sixth Happiness, The (1958) | 2.6725 15 reviews | NA | Drama, Biography |
$9.27
| All her life Englishwoman Gladys Aylward knew that China was the place where she belonged. Not ...more about Inn of the Sixth Happiness starring Ingrid Bergman and Robert Donat |
| 13 |  | Man of a Thousand Faces (1957) | 2.6499 8 reviews | NA | Drama, Biography | N/A | Loose biography of actor Lon Chaney. Growing up with deaf parents, he learns what it is like to be ...more about Man of a Thousand Faces starring James Cagney and 'Snub' Pollard |
| 14 |  | To Hell and Back (1955) | 2.6058 7 reviews | NA | Action, Drama, War, Biography |
$9.99
| True-life account of the military career of Audie Murphy, the most decorated soldier in WWII. ...more about To Hell and Back starring Marshall Thompson and Charles Drake |
| 15 |  | Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell, The (1955) | 2.5784 6 reviews | NA | Drama, War, Biography |
$7.24
| The true story of General Billy Mitchell, a pioneering crusader for the Army's fledgling air corp. ...more about Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell starring Gary Cooper and Charles Bickford |
| 16 |  | Alexander the Great (1956) | 2.5463 23 reviews | NA | Drama, Biography |
$9.99
| An epic film that follows the life of Alexander the Great, the macedonian king that united all ...more about Alexander the Great starring Richard Burton and Claire Bloom |
| 17 |  | Five Pennies, The (1959) | 2.5445 7 reviews | NA | Drama, Biography, Music |
$5.97
| Loring "Red" Nichols is a cornet-playing country boy who goes to New York in the 1920s full of ...more about Five Pennies starring Danny Kaye and Barbara Bel Geddes |
| 18 |  | Moulin Rouge (1952) | 2.4893 16 reviews | NA | Drama, Biography |
$4.55
| Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec frequently visits the Moulin Rouge, where he drinks cognac and draws ...more about Moulin Rouge starring José Ferrer and Zsa Zsa Gabor |
| 19 |  | Winning Team, The (1952) | 2.4734 3 reviews | NA | Drama, Biography, Romance, Sports |
$31.85
| Based on a true story, Ronald Reagan stars as Grover Cleveland Alexander, a former worker for the ...more about Winning Team starring Doris Day and Ronald Reagan |
| 20 |  | Houdini (1953) | 2.4582 5 reviews | NA | Drama, Biography | N/A | A romanticized version of the life and times of the legendary escape artist , Harry Houdini. ...more about Houdini starring Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh |
| 21 | | Left Handed Gun, The (1958) | 2.4003 1 reviews | NA | Western, Biography |
$37.01
| William Bonney - Billy the Kid - gets a job with a cattleman known as 'The Englishman,' and is ...more about Left Handed Gun starring Lita Milan and John Dehner |
| 22 | | Million Dollar Mermaid (1952) | 2.3592 6 reviews | NA | Drama, Biography, Musical | N/A | ...more about Million Dollar Mermaid starring Esther Williams and Victor Mature |
| 23 |  | Hans Christian Andersen (1952) | 2.2885 8 reviews | NA | Biography, Musical, Family |
$9.99
| A completely fabricated biography of the famous Danish fairytale writer Hans Christian Andersen ...more about Hans Christian Andersen starring Danny Kaye and Farley Granger |
| 24 |  | Three Little Words (1950) | 2.2816 6 reviews | NA | Biography, Musical, Romance, Comedy |
$12.71
| Song-and-dance man Bert Kalmar can't continue his stage career after an injury for while, so he has ...more about Three Little Words starring Fred Astaire and Red Skelton |
| 25 |  | Seven Little Foys, The (1955) |  2.2360 3 reviews | NA | Drama, Biography, Comedy, Family |
$9.99
| Vaudeville entertainer Eddie Foy, who has vowed to forever keep his act a solo, falls in love with ...more about Seven Little Foys starring Jimmy Conlin and Bob Hope |
| 26 | | Gene Krupa Story, The (1959) | 2.1971 4 reviews | NA | Drama, Biography, Music | N/A | The story of legendary jazz drummer, Gene Krupa. Since his youth, all Gene ever wanted to do is ...more about Gene Krupa Story starring Susan Kohner and James Darren |
| 27 | | Best Things in Life Are Free, The (1956) | 2.1538 1 reviews | NA | Biography, Musical | N/A | Ray Henderson joins Buddy De Sylva and Lew Brown to form a successful 1920s musical show writing ...more about Best Things in Life Are Free starring Gordon MacRae and Dan Dailey |
| 28 |  | Benny Goodman Story, The (1955) | 2.0944 3 reviews | NA | Drama, Biography, Music |
$5.99
| Bio of swing band leader Benny Goodman from age 10 (1919) to his landmark Carnegie Hall band ...more about Benny Goodman Story starring Steve Allen and Donna Reed |
| 29 | | Al Capone (1959) | 2.0716 4 reviews | NA | Drama, Biography, Crime | N/A | In this unusually accurate biography, small-time hood Al Capone comes to Chicago at the dawn of ...more about Al Capone starring Rod Steiger and Fay Spain |
| 30 | | Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956) | 2.0655 7 reviews | NA | Drama, Biography, Sports |
$37.01
| Rocky Granziano is building a career in crime, when he's finally caught and arrested. In jail, he ...more about Somebody Up There Likes Me starring Pier Angeli and Everett Sloane |
| 31 |  | Conqueror, The (1956) | 2.0655 3 reviews | NA | Action, Adventure, Biography |
$16.37
| In ancient times, the Mongolian warlord Temujin must do battle against the rival tribe that killed ...more about Conqueror starring Pedro Armendáriz and John Wayne |
| 32 | | Deep in My Heart (1954) | 2.0625 1 reviews | NA | Drama, Biography, Musical, Comedy | N/A | ...more about Deep in My Heart starring David Burns and José Ferrer |
| 33 |  | Beau James (1957) | 1.9985 1 reviews | NA | Action, Adventure, Drama, Biography, Biopic | N/A | The story of Jimmy Walker who became mayor of New York in the '20s. Used by professional ...more about Beau James starring Bob Hope and Vera Miles |
| 34 |  | Actress, The (1953) | 1.9803 2 reviews | NA | Drama, Biography, Comedy | N/A | Former seaman Clinton Jones now works at a lowly job. His daughter Ruth wants to become an actress. ...more about Actress starring Spencer Tracy and Jean Simmons |
| 35 | | Great Caruso, The (1951) | 1.9620 4 reviews | NA | Drama, Biography, Music | N/A | Loosely traces the life of tenor Enrico Caruso (1873-1921). He loves Musetta, in his home town of ...more about Great Caruso starring Mario Lanza and Ann Blyth |
| 36 |  | Battle Hymn (1956) | 1.9392 5 reviews | NA | Drama, Biography |
$5.74
| Dean Hess, who entered the ministry to atone for bombing a German orphanage, decides he's a failure ...more about Battle Hymn starring Rock Hudson and Anna Kashfi |
| 37 |  | Jackie Robinson Story, The (1950) | 1.8889 4 reviews | NA | Drama, Biography, Sports |
$3.00
| Biography of Jackie Robinson, the first black major league baseball player in the 20th century. ...more about Jackie Robinson Story starring Jackie Robinson and Ruby Dee |
| 38 |  | Above and Beyond (1952) | 1.8707 2 reviews | NA | Action, Drama, Biography | N/A | The story of Colonel Paul Tibbets, the pilot of the Enola Gay, the bomber that dropped the atomic ...more about Above and Beyond starring Eleanor Parker and James Whitmore |
| 39 | | Magnificent Yankee, The (1950) | 1.8661 3 reviews | NA | Drama, Biography | N/A | ...more about Magnificent Yankee starring Louis Calhern and Ann Harding |
| 40 | | Barretts of Wimpole Street, The (1957) | 1.8250 1 reviews | NA | Drama, Biography, Romance | N/A | Elizabeth Barrett's tyrannical father has forbidden any of his family to marry. Nevertheless, ...more about Barretts of Wimpole Street starring Jennifer Jones and John Gielgud |
| 41 | | Pride of St. Louis, The (1952) |  1.7428 2 reviews | NA | Drama, Biography, Sports | N/A | ...more about Pride of St. Louis starring Dan Dailey and Joanne Dru |
| 42 |  | Carbine Williams (1952) | 1.7154 1 reviews | NA | Drama, Biography, Crime | N/A | This is the story of David Marshall 'Marsh' Williams, the real life inventor of the world famous ...more about Carbine Williams starring James Stewart and Jean Hagen |
| 43 | | Joe Louis Story, The (1953) | 1.7154 1 reviews | NA | Drama, Biography, Sports |
$1.99
| ...more about Joe Louis Story starring Coley Wallace and Paul Stewart |
| 44 |  | James Dean Story, The (1957) | 1.6287 3 reviews | NA | Biography, Documentary |
$2.99
| This documentary, which was undertaken soon after 'James Dean (I)' (qv)'s death, looks at Dean's ...more about James Dean Story |
| 45 |  | Magic Box, The (1951) | 1.4186 1 reviews | NA | Drama, Biography | N/A | Now old, ill, poor, and largely forgotten, William Freise-Greene was once very different. As young ...more about Magic Box starring Robert Donat and Margaret Johnston |
| 46 | | Stars and Stripes Forever (1952) | 1.4095 4 reviews | NA | Biography, Music | N/A | In the 1890s, Sgt. Major John Philip Sousa, leader of the Marine Corps Band, meets Private Willie ...more about Stars and Stripes Forever starring Clifton Webb and Debra Paget |
| 47 | | Saint Joan (1957) | 1.3821 6 reviews | NA | Drama, Biography | N/A | Young Joan of Arc comes to the palace in France to make The Dauphin King of France and is appointed ...more about Saint Joan starring Richard Widmark and Richard Todd |
| 48 |  | Jim Thorpe -- All-American (1951) |  1.1356 2 reviews | NA | Drama, Biography, Sports | N/A | True story of Native American Jim Thorpe, who rose from an Oklahoma reservation to become a ...more about Jim Thorpe -- All-American starring Burt Lancaster and Charles Bickford |
| 49 | | So This Is Love (1953) |  No Score 0 reviews | NA | Biography, Musical | N/A | ...more about So This Is Love starring Kathryn Grayson and Merv Griffin |
| 50 | | Reach for the Sky (1956) | No Score 0 reviews | NA | Drama, War, Biography | N/A | The true story of airman Douglas Bader who overcame the loss of both legs in a 1931 flying accident ...more about Reach for the Sky starring Muriel Pavlow and Lyndon Brook |
Copyright ©2008 TopTenREVIEWS, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of TopTenREVIEWS, Inc. is prohibited.
