AWARDS 1950

1950
Lucille Ball stars in a movie called, The Fuller Brush Girl in one of the 434 releases for 1950. Jane Wyman, who looks like my mother in that era, plays the lead in The Glass Menagerie. A movie called the Sundowners is not to be confused with another movie by the same name, this one, is a western. Is G.I. Jane of 1950 the same as the one from the nineties starring Demi Moore? Esther Williams was on the scene making B movies, later she would make her splash. Audie Murphy was making westerns. Francis the Talking mule pictures begin.

*All About Eve, Anne Baxter and Bette Davis, nominated. George Sanders wins, Best supporting actress goes to Thelma Ritter. Aspiring actress Eve Harrington maneuvers her way into the lives of Broadway star Margo Channing, playwright Lloyd Richards and director Bill Sampson. This classic story of ambition and betrayal has become part of American folklore. Bette Davis claims to have based her character on the persona of film actress Talullah Bankhead. Davis' line "Fasten your seat belts, it's going to be a bumpy night" is legendary, but, in fact, all of the film's dialog sparkles with equal brilliance


Born Yesterday, Judy Holliday wins honors.Uncouth, loud-mouth junkyard tycoon Harry Brock descends upon Washington D.C. to buy himself a congressman or two, bringing with him his mistress, ex-showgirl Billie Dawn. Brock hires newspaperman Paul Verrall to see if he can soften her rough edges and make her more presentable in capital society. But Harry gets more than he bargained for as Billie absorbs Verall's lessons in U.S. history and not only comes to the realization that Harry is nothing but a two-bit, corrupt crook, but in the process also falls in love with her handsome tutor. Remade in 1993

Father of the Bride, Spencer Tracy, nominated, also stars Elizabeth Taylor. Proud father Stanley Banks remembers the day his daughter, Kay, got married. Starting when she announces her engagement through to the wedding itself, we learn of all the surprises and disasters along the way. Remade in 1993 starring Steve Martin and Diane Keaton.

King Solomon's Mines, Stars Stewart Granger and Deborah Kerr. Guide Allan Quatermain helps a young lady (Beth) find her lost husband somewhere in Africa. It's a spectacular adventure story with romance, because while they fight with wild animals and cannibals, they fall in love. Will they find the lost husband and finish the nice connection?

Sunset Boulevard, Gloria Swanson, nominated, William Holden also stars. The story, set in '50s Hollywood, focuses on Norma Desmond, a silent-screen goddess whose pathetic belief in her own indestructibility has turned her into a demented recluse. The crumbling Sunset Boulevard mansion where she lives with only her butler, Max who was once her director and husband has become her self-contained world. Norma dreams of a comeback to pictures and she begins a relationship with Joe Gillis, a small-time writer who becomes her lover, that will soon end with murder and total madness

The Magnificent Yankee, Louis Calhern, nominated. 1950 biographical film about Supreme Court judge, Oliver Wendell Holmes.

Cyrano de Bergerac, France, 1640: Cyrano, the charismatic swordsman-poet with the absurd nose, hopelessly loves the beauteous Roxane; she, in turn, confesses to Cyrano her love for the handsome but tongue-tied Christian. The chivalrous Cyrano sets up with Christian an innocent deception, with tragic results. 1950 version stars Jose Ferrer. Remade in 1990

The Asphalt Jungle, Sam Jaffe, nominated, also stars Marilyn Monroe. 'Doc' Riedenschneider, legendary crime 'brain' just out of prison, has a brilliant plan for a million-dollar burglary. To pull it off, he recruits safe cracker Louis, driver Gus, financial backer Emmerich, and strong-arm man Dix Handley. At first the plan goes like clockwork, but little accidents accumulate and each partner proves to have his own fatal weakness. In the background is a pervasive, grimy urban malaise.

Samson and Delilah, Stars Hedy Lamar and Victor Mature. Though his people, the Israelites, are enslaved by the Philistines, Samson, strongest man of the tribe of Dan, falls in love with the Philistine Semadar, whom he wins by virtue of a contest of strength. But Semadar betrays him, and Samson engages in a fight with her real love, Ahtur, and his soldiers. Semadar is killed, and her sister Delilah, who had loved Samson in silence, now vows vengeance against him. She plans to seduce Samson into revealing the secret of his strength and then to betray him to the Philistine leader, the Saran. Remade in 1996 .

Harvey, James Stewart, nominated. Josephine Hull best supporting actress. This whimsical fantasy about a local drunks 6' 3 1/2 imaginary rabbit pal was a smash hit (and a Pulitzer Prize winner) on Broadway and was then adapted into this like able farce that's also an allegory about tolerance. James Stewart stars as Elwood P. Dowd, a wealthy tippler whose sunny philosophy…


The Fuller Brush Girl stars Lucille Ball and Eddie Albert. Scatterbrained Sally Elliott gets a job as a Fuller brush girl and, as expected, her attempts at selling cosmetics door-to-door are disastrous.


The Glass Menagerie, 1950 Version stars Jane Wyman as a slightly crippled, mental tender being. Amanda is obsessed with finding a suitor for Laura, who spends most of her time with her glass collection. Remade with Katherine Hepburn starring as the mother. Classic Tennessee Williams work.

Let's take a look at the Francis the Talk Mule pictures, which started with Francis tomorrow.

Happy viewing.

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