The year 1953 in film involved some significant events.

Top-grossing films (U.S.)

The top ten 1953 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows:

Events

* January 16 – A new Warner Bros. Pictures Inc. is incorporated following a Consent Judgment to divest their Stanley Warner Theaters. * February 5 –

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...

's production of

J.M. Barrie Sir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, (; 9 May 1860 19 June 1937) was a Scottish novelist and playwright, best remembered as the creator of Peter Pan. He was born and educated in Scotland and then moved to London, where he wrote several succe ...

's ''

Peter Pan Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythi ...

'', starring

Bobby Driscoll Robert Cletus Driscoll (March 3, 1937 – March 30, 1968) was an American actor known for his film and television performances from 1943 to 1960. He starred in some of the Walt Disney Studios' best-known live-action pictures of that period ...

and

Kathryn Beaumont Kathryn Beaumont Levine (born 27 June 1938) is a British-American former actress, singer and school teacher. She is best known for voicing Alice in ''Alice in Wonderland'' (1951) and Wendy Darling in ''Peter Pan'' (1953), for which she was name ...

, premieres to astounding acclaim from critics and audiences and quickly becomes one of the most beloved Disney films. This is the last Disney animated movie released in partnership RKO Pictures, becoming the last ever smash hit movie of the later company before it bankrupted in 1959. * July 1 – ''

Stalag 17 ''Stalag 17'' is a 1953 American war film which tells the story of a group of American airmen confined with 40,000 prisoners in a World War II German prisoner of war camp "somewhere on the Danube". Their compound holds 630 Sergeants representi ...

'', directed by

Billy Wilder Billy Wilder (; ; born Samuel Wilder; June 22, 1906 – March 27, 2002) was an Austrian-American filmmaker. His career in Hollywood spanned five decades, and he is regarded as one of the most brilliant and versatile filmmakers of Classic Hol ...

and starring

William Holden William Holden (born William Franklin Beedle Jr.; April 17, 1918 – November 12, 1981) was an American actor, and one of the biggest box-office draws of the 1950s. Holden won the Academy Award for Best Actor for the film ''Stalag 17'' (1953) ...

, premieres and is considered by the critics and audiences to be one of the greatest

WWII World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

Prisoner of War A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of w ...

films ever made. Holden wins the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in the film. * August 5 –

Fred Zinnemann Alfred ''Fred'' Zinnemann (April 29, 1907 – March 14, 1997) was an Austrian Empire-born American film director. He won four Academy Awards for directing and producing films in various genres, including thrillers, westerns, film noir and pla ...

's romantic and war masterpiece ''

From Here to Eternity ''From Here to Eternity'' is a 1953 American drama romance war film directed by Fred Zinnemann, and written by Daniel Taradash, based on the 1951 novel of the same name by James Jones. The picture deals with the tribulations of three U.S. A ...

'', starring

Burt Lancaster Burton Stephen Lancaster (November 2, 1913 – October 20, 1994) was an American actor and producer. Initially known for playing tough guys with a tender heart, he went on to achieve success with more complex and challenging roles over a 45-yea ...

Montgomery Clift Edward Montgomery Clift (; October 17, 1920 – July 23, 1966) was an American actor. A four-time Academy Award nominee, he was known for his portrayal of "moody, sensitive young men", according to ''The New York Times''. He is best remembered ...

, Deborah Kerr,

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...

, and

Donna Reed Donna Reed (born Donna Belle Mullenger; January 27, 1921 – January 14, 1986) was an American actress. Her career spanned more than 40 years, with performances in more than 40 films. She is well known for her portrayal of Mary Hatch Bailey in ...

, premieres. * August 27 –

William Wyler William Wyler (; born Willi Wyler (); July 1, 1902 – July 27, 1981) was a Swiss-German-American film director and producer who won the Academy Award for Best Director three times, those being for '' Mrs. Miniver'' (1942), ''The Best Years of ...

's immortal romantic tale of ''

Roman Holiday ''Roman Holiday'' is a 1953 American romantic comedy film directed and produced by William Wyler. It stars Audrey Hepburn as a princess out to see Rome on her own and Gregory Peck as a reporter. Hepburn won an Academy Award for Best Actress f ...

'', starring Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn, premieres and propels Hepburn to super stardom. * September 16 – Religious epic ''

The Robe ''The Robe'' is a 1942 historical novel about the Crucifixion of Jesus, written by Lloyd C. Douglas. The book was one of the best-selling titles of the 1940s. It entered the ''New York Times'' Best Seller list in October 1942, four weeks later ...

'', starring

Richard Burton Richard Burton (; born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr.; 10 November 1925 – 5 August 1984) was a Welsh actor. Noted for his baritone voice, Burton established himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s, and he gave a memorable pe ...

and Jean Simmons, debuts as the first widescreen anamorphic film in cinema history, filmed in CinemaScope grossing a record $36,000 for a single theatre in its first day. It went on to gross a record (for a single theater) $264,428 in its first week. * November 21 – Monogram Pictures, which had stopped releasing pictures under that banner from the start of the year, changes its name to

Allied Artists Pictures Corporation An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

Awards

Notable films released in 1953

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

unless stated

#

*'' 99 River Street'', starring John Payne and

Evelyn Keyes Evelyn Louise Keyes (November 20, 1916 – July 4, 2008) was an American film actress. She is best known for her role as Suellen O'Hara in the 1939 film ''Gone with the Wind''. Early life Evelyn Keyes was born in Port Arthur, Texas, to Omar Do ...

*'' The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T'', starring

Tommy Rettig Thomas Noel Rettig (December 10, 1941 – February 15, 1996) was an American child actor, computer software engineer, and author. He is remembered for portraying the character "Jeff Miller" in the first three seasons of CBS's ''Lassie'' te ...

, screenplay by

Dr. Seuss Theodor Seuss Geisel (;"Seuss"
'' Abbott and Costello Go to Mars ''Abbott and Costello Go to Mars'' is a 1953 American science fiction comedy film starring the comedy team of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello and directed by Charles Lamont. It was produced by Howard Christie and made by Universal-International. D ...

'' *'' Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'' *'' Act of Love'' (Un acte d'amour), starring Kirk Douglas – ( US/

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

) *''

The Actress ''The Actress'' is a 1953 American comedy-drama film based on Ruth Gordon's autobiographical play ''Years Ago''. Gordon herself wrote the screenplay. The film was directed by George Cukor and stars Jean Simmons, Spencer Tracy, and Teresa Wrigh ...

'', starring

Spencer Tracy Spencer Bonaventure Tracy (April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967) was an American actor. He was known for his natural performing style and versatility. One of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, Tracy was the first actor to win two cons ...

and Jean Simmons *'' Albert R.N.'', directed by

Lewis Gilbert Lewis Gilbert (6 March 1920 – 23 February 2018) was an English film director, producer and screenwriter who directed more than 40 films during six decades; among them such varied titles as ''Reach for the Sky'' (1956), ''Sink the Bismarck!'' ...

, starring Anthony Steel, Jack Warner,

Robert Beatty Robert Rutherford Beatty (19 October 1909 – 3 March 1992) was a Canadian actor who worked in film, television and radio for most of his career and was especially known in the UK. Early years Beatty was born in Hamilton, Ontario, the son of ...

William Sylvester William Sylvester (January 31, 1922 – January 25, 1995) was an American television and film actor. His most famous film credit was Dr. Heywood Floyd in Stanley Kubrick's '' 2001 A Space Odyssey'' (1968). Life and career William Sylve ...

– ( GB) *'' The All-American'', starring

Tony Curtis Tony Curtis (born Bernard Schwartz; June 3, 1925September 29, 2010) was an American actor whose career spanned six decades, achieving the height of his popularity in the 1950s (Kansas Raiders, 1950) and early 1960s. He acted in more than 100 f ...

*''

All I Desire ''All I Desire'' is a 1953 American drama romance film directed by Douglas Sirk and starring Barbara Stanwyck, Richard Carlson, Lyle Bettger, Marcia Henderson, Lori Nelson, and Maureen O'Sullivan. It is based on Carol Ryrie Brink's 1951 novel ...

'', starring Barbara Stanwyck *'' All the Brothers Were Valiant'', starring Ann Blyth *'' Anarkali'' – (

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

) *''

Appointment in Honduras ''Appointment in Honduras'' is a 1953 American adventure film directed by Jacques Tourneur and starring Glenn Ford, Ann Sheridan, and Zachary Scott. Plot Taking place in 1910, during a fictional revolution in Honduras, Jim Corbett (Glenn For ...

'', directed by

Jacques Tourneur Jacques Tourneur (; November 12, 1904 – December 19, 1977) was a French film director known for the classic film noir ''Out of the Past'' and a series of low-budget horror films he made for RKO Studios, including ''Cat People (1942 film), Cat ...

, starring

Ann Sheridan Clara Lou "Ann" Sheridan (February 21, 1915 – January 21, 1967) was an American actress and singer. She is best known for her roles in the films ''San Quentin'' (1937) with Humphrey Bogart, ''Angels with Dirty Faces'' (1938) with James Cagne ...

and

Glenn Ford Gwyllyn Samuel Newton "Glenn" Ford (May 1, 1916 – August 30, 2006) was a Canadian-American actor who often portrayed ordinary men in unusual circumstances. Ford was most prominent during Classical Hollywood cinema, Hollywood's Golden Age as ...

*''

Arrowhead An arrowhead or point is the usually sharpened and hardened tip of an arrow, which contributes a majority of the projectile mass and is responsible for impacting and penetrating a target, as well as to fulfill some special purposes such as sign ...

'', starring

Charlton Heston Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923April 5, 2008) was an American actor and political activist. As a Hollywood star, he appeared in almost 100 films over the course of 60 years. He played Moses in the epic film ''The Ten C ...

and

Jack Palance Jack Palance ( ; born Volodymyr Palahniuk ( uk, Володимир Палагню́к); February 18, 1919 – November 10, 2006) was an American actor known for playing tough guys and villains. He was nominated for three Academy Awards, all fo ...

B

*'' Baaz'', directed by and starring

Guru Dutt Vasanth Kumar Shivashankar Padukone (9 July 1925 – 10 October 1964), better known as Guru Dutt, was an Indian film director, producer, actor, choreographer, and writer.Rajadhyaksha, Ashish, and Paul Willemen. 9941998''Encyclopedia of Indian ...

– (

) *''

The Band Wagon ''The Band Wagon'' is a 1953 American musical romantic comedy film directed by Vincente Minnelli, starring Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse. It tells the story of an aging musical star who hopes a Broadway show will restart his career. However, th ...

'', starring

Fred Astaire Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz; May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) was an American dancer, choreographer, actor, and singer. He is often called the greatest dancer in Hollywood film history. Astaire's career in stage, film, and tele ...

Cyd Charisse Cyd Charisse (born Tula Ellice Finklea; March 8, 1922 – June 17, 2008) was an American actress and dancer. After recovering from polio as a child and studying ballet, Charisse entered films in the 1940s. Her roles usually featured her abilit ...

, Jack Buchanan, Nanette Fabray, Oscar Levant *''The Bandit of Brazil'' (O Cangaceiro) – (Brazilian films of the 1950s, Brazil) *''Barabbas (1953 film), Barabbas'', directed by Alf Sjöberg – (List of Swedish films of the 1950s, Sweden) *''The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms'', starring Paula Raymond and Cecil Kellaway *''Beat the Devil (film), Beat the Devil'', directed by John Huston, starring Humphrey Bogart, Jennifer Jones, Gina Lollobrigida – (Italian films of 1953, Italy/GB/ US) *''The Beggar's Opera (film), The Beggar's Opera'', starring Laurence Olivier and Dorothy Tutin – ( GB) *''Belinsky (film), Belinsky'' – (Soviet films of 1953, U.S.S.R.) *''Ben and Me'', featuring the voices of Sterling Holloway and Charles Ruggles *''Beneath the 12-Mile Reef'', starring Robert Wagner *''Welcome Mr. Marshall!, Bienvenido Mr. Marshall'', directed by Luis García Berlanga, starring Fernando Rey – (Spanish films of 1953, Spain) *''The Big Heat'', directed by Fritz Lang, starring

, Gloria Grahame, Lee Marvin *''Big Leaguer'', starring Edward G. Robinson *''The Bigamist (1953 film), The Bigamist'', directed by and starring Ida Lupino, with Joan Fontaine, Edmond O'Brien * ''Black Ermine'' – (List of Argentine films of 1953, Argentina) *''Blowing Wild'', starring Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck *''The Blue Gardenia'', starring Anne Baxter and Raymond Burr *''A Blueprint for Murder'', starring Joseph Cotten and Jean Peters *''Bread, Love and Dreams'' (Pane, amore e fantasia), starring Vittorio De Sica and Gina Lollobrigida – (Italian films of 1953, Italy) *''Bright Road'', the first feature-film appearance of Harry Belafonte (List of American films of 1953#A-B, US) *''The Brute (1953 film), The Brute'' (El Bruto), directed by Luis Buñuel, starring Pedro Armendáriz and Katy Jurado – (Mexican films of 1953, Mexico) *''By the Light of the Silvery Moon (film), By the Light of the Silvery Moon'', starring Doris Day and Gordon MacRae

C

*''The Caddy'', starring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis *''Calamity Jane (film), Calamity Jane'', starring Doris Day *''Call Me Madam (film), Call Me Madam'', starring Ethel Merman *''The Captain's Paradise'', starring Alec Guinness – ( GB) *''Cease Fire (1953 film), Cease Fire'' *''The Charge at Feather River'', starring Guy Madison *''City Beneath the Sea (1953 film), City Beneath the Sea'', starring Robert Ryan, Anthony Quinn, Mala Powers *''City That Never Sleeps'', starring Gig Young, William Talman (actor), William Talman, Paula Raymond, Mala Powers *''The Clown (1953 film), The Clown'', starring Red Skelton *''Confidentially Connie'', starring Van Johnson and Janet Leigh *''The Conquest of Everest'' – (documentary) – (GB) *''The Cruel Sea (1953 film), The Cruel Sea'', starring Jack Hawkins and Denholm Elliott – ( GB) *''Cry of the Hunted'', starring Vittorio Gassman, Barry Sullivan (actor), Barry Sullivan, Polly Bergen

D

*''Dangerous Crossing'', starring Jeanne Crain and Michael Rennie *''Dangerous When Wet'', starring Esther Williams *''Decameron Nights'', starring Joan Fontaine and Louis Jourdan *''The Desert Rats (film), The Desert Rats'', starring

and James Mason *''Desperate Moment'', starring Dirk Bogarde and Mai Zetterling – ( GB) *''Devdas (1953 Telugu film), Devdas'' – (Telugu films of the 1950s, India) *''Do Bigha Zamin'' (Two Acres of Land), directed by Bimal Roy – (

) *''Donovan's Brain (film), Donovan's Brain'', starring Lew Ayres and Nancy Reagan, Nancy Davis *''Down Among the Sheltering Palms (film), Down Among the Sheltering Palms'', starring Mitzi Gaynor, Gloria DeHaven, Jane Greer *''Dream Wife'', starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr

E

*''Él (film), Él'' (Him), directed by Luis Buñuel, starring Arturo de Córdova – (Mexican films of 1953, Mexico) *''The Earrings of Madame de...'', directed by Max Ophüls, starring Charles Boyer – (

/Italian films of 1953, Italy) *''East of Sumatra'', starring Anthony Quinn and Jeff Chandler (actor), Jeff Chandler *''Easy to Love (1953 film), Easy to Love'', starring Esther Williams *''Easy Years'' (Anni facili), directed by Luigi Zampa – (Italian films of 1953, Italy) *''The Eddie Cantor Story'', starring Keefe Brasselle *''Entotsu no mieru basho'' (The Four Chimneys) – (Japanese films of 1953, Japan) *''Esa pareja feliz'' (That Happy Couple), directed by Juan Antonio Bardem and Luis García Berlanga – (Spanish films of 1953, Spain) *''Escape by Night (1953 film), Escape By Night'', starring Bonar Colleano and Sid James – ( GB) *''Escape from Fort Bravo'', directed by John Sturges, starring

, Eleanor Parker, John Forsythe

F

*''Fair Wind to Java'', starring Fred MacMurray and Vera Ralston *''The Farmer Takes a Wife (1953 film), The Farmer Takes a Wife'', starring Betty Grable *''Fast Company (1953 film), Fast Company'', starring Howard Keel and Polly Bergen *''Fear and Desire'', directed by Stanley Kubrick *''The Final Test'', directed by Anthony Asquith, starring Jack Warner (GB) *''Folly to Be Wise'', directed by Frank Launder, starring Alastair Sim – ( GB) *''Footpath (1953 film), Footpath'', starring Dilip Kumar – (

) *''

'', directed by

, starring

, Deborah Kerr,

– winner of 8 26th Academy Awards, Oscars

G

*''Gate of Hell (film), Gate of Hell'' (Jigokumon) – (Japan) *''A Geisha'' (Gion Bayashi), directed by Kenji Mizoguchi – (Japanese films of 1953, Japan) *''Genevieve (film), Genevieve'', starring Dinah Sheridan, John Gregson, Kay Kendall – ( GB) *''Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953 film), Gentlemen Prefer Blondes'', directed by Howard Hawks, starring Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe *''The Girl Next Door (1953 film), The Girl Next Door'', starring June Haver and Dan Dailey *''The Girl Who Had Everything'', starring Elizabeth Taylor, William Powell, Fernando Lamas, Gig Young *''Give a Girl a Break'', directed by Stanley Donen, starring Debbie Reynolds, Marge Champion, Gower Champion *''The Glass Wall'', starring Vittorio Gassman and Gloria Grahame *''The Golden Blade'', starring Rock Hudson and Piper Laurie *''The Great Adventure (1953 film), The Great Adventure'' (Det stora äventyret), directed by Arne Sucksdorff – (Swedish films of the 1950s, Sweden) *''The Great Sioux Uprising'', starring Jeff Chandler (actor), Jeff Chandler *''Gun Fury'', starring Rock Hudson and

H

*''The Heart of the Matter (film), The Heart of the Matter'', starring Trevor Howard – ( GB) *''The Hitch-Hiker (1953 film), The Hitch-Hiker'', directed by Ida Lupino, starring Edmond O'Brien and William Talman (actor), William Talman *''Hondo (film), Hondo'', starring John Wayne and Geraldine Page in her film debut *''Houdini (1953 film), Houdini'', starring (husband and wife)

and Janet Leigh *''House of Wax (1953 film), House of Wax'', starring Vincent Price *''How to Marry a Millionaire'', starring Marilyn Monroe, Betty Grable, Lauren Bacall (Grable, Fox's top star of the 1940s, with Monroe, Fox's top star of the 1950s)

I

*''I Confess (film), I Confess'', directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring

and Anne Baxter *''The I Don't Care Girl'', starring Mitzi Gaynor *''I Love Lucy (film), I Love Lucy'', starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz *''I, the Jury (1953 film), I, the Jury'', starring Biff Elliot and Peggie Castle *''Inferno (1953 film), Inferno'', starring Robert Ryan *''Interim (film), Interim'', directed by Stan Brakhage, short film (25 ½ minutes); music by James Tenney) *''The Intruder (1953 film), The Intruder'', starring Jack Hawkins – ( GB) *''Is Your Honeymoon Really Necessary?'', starring Bonar Colleano and Diana Dors – ( GB) *''Island in the Sky (1953 film), Island in the Sky'', starring John Wayne *''It Came from Outer Space'', directed by Jack Arnold (director), Jack Arnold, starring Richard Carlson (actor), Richard Carlson

J

*''Jennifer (1953 film), Jennifer'', starring Ida Lupino and Howard Duff *''Jeopardy (film), Jeopardy'', starring Barbara Stanwyck, Barry Sullivan (actor), Barry Sullivan, Ralph Meeker *''Julius Caesar (1953 film), Julius Caesar'', directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, starring Marlon Brando, James Mason, John Gielgud, Louis Calhern, Greer Garson, Deborah Kerr

K

*''The Kidnappers'', starring Jon Whiteley – ( GB) *''King of the Khyber Rifles (film), King of the Khyber Rifles'', starring Tyrone Power *''Kiss Me Kate (film), Kiss Me Kate'', starring Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel, Ann Miller, released in 2-D and 3-D

L

*''The Lady Without Camelias'' (La signora senza camelie), directed by Michelangelo Antonioni – (Italian films of 1953, Italy) *''The Landowner's Daughter'' (Sinhá Moça), starring Anselmo Duarte – (Brazilian films of the 1950s, Brazil) *''Lagu Kenangan'' (), starring Titien Sumarni and AN Alcaff (Indonesia) *''Latin Lovers (1953 film), Latin Lovers'', starring Lana Turner *''Law and Order (1953 film), Law and Order'', a western starring Ronald Reagan *''The Lawless Breed'', starring Rock Hudson *''Lili'', starring Leslie Caron *''The Limping Man (1953 film), The Limping Man'', starring Lloyd Bridges – (GB) *''A Lion Is in the Streets'', starring James Cagney, Barbara Hale, Anne Francis *''Little Boy Lost (1953 film), Little Boy Lost'', starring Bing Crosby *''Little Fugitive (1953 film), Little Fugitive'' *''The Living Desert'', winner of Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature *''Love in the City (1953 film), Love in the City'' (L'Amore in Città), an anthology film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni, Dino Risi, Federico Fellini and others – (Italian films of 1953, Italy) *''Love Letter (1953 film), Love Letter'' (Koibumi) – (Japanese films of 1953, Japan)

M

*''Malta Story'', directed by Brian Desmond Hurst, starring Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins, Anthony Steel, Muriel Pavlow – ( GB) *''Man in the Attic'', starring

and Constance Smith *''The Man Between'', starring James Mason and Claire Bloom – ( GB) *''Man in the Dark'', starring Edmond O'Brien and Audrey Totter *''Man on a Tightrope'', starring Fredric March and Gloria Grahame *''Martin Luther (1953 film), Martin Luther'' – ( US/List of German films 1945–1959, West Germany) *''The Master of Ballantrae (film), The Master of Ballantrae'', directed by William Keighley, starring Errol Flynn, Roger Livesey, Anthony Steel, Beatrice Campbell – (British films of 1953, U.K.) *''Meet Me at the Fair'', starring Dan Dailey and Diana Lynn *''Miss Sadie Thompson'', starring Rita Hayworth *''The Mississippi Gambler (1953 film), The Mississippi Gambler'', starring Tyrone Power and Piper Laurie *''Mogambo'', starring Clark Gable, Ava Gardner, Grace Kelly (remake of 1932's ''Red Dust (1932 film), Red Dust'' which starred Gable with Jean Harlow) *''Money from Home'', starring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis *''Monsieur Hulot's Holiday'' (Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot), directed by and starring Jacques Tati – (

) *''La montaña sin ley'' *''The Moon Is Blue (film), The Moon Is Blue'', first U.S. movie to use the words "pregnant" and "virgin", directed by Otto Preminger, starring

, David Niven, Maggie McNamara *''The Moonlighter'', starring Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray

N

*''The Naked Spur'', starring James Stewart, Robert Ryan and Janet Leigh *''The Net (1953 film), The Net'', directed by Anthony Asquith – ( GB) *''Niagara (1953 film), Niagara'', starring Marilyn Monroe and Joseph Cotten *''No Way Back (1953 film), No Way Back'' (Weg Ohne Umkehr) – (List of German films 1945–1959, West Germany)

P

*''Patita (1953 film), Patita'', starring Dev Anand and Usha Kiran – (

) *''

'', a

animation featuring the voice of

*''The Phantom Stockman'', starring Chips Rafferty – (Australian films of the 1950s, Australia) *''Pickup on South Street'', directed by Sam Fuller, starring Richard Widmark, Jean Peters, Thelma Ritter *''Plunder of the Sun'', starring

*''Pony Express (film), Pony Express'', starring

(as Buffalo Bill) *''The President's Lady'' (

's first turn at Andrew Jackson before ''The Buccaneer (1958 film), The Buccaneer'')

R

*''Remains to Be Seen (film), Remains to Be Seen'', starring June Allyson and Van Johnson *''Reportaje (1953 film), Report News'' (Reportaje), starring Arturo de Córdova and Dolores del Río – (Mexican films of 1953, Mexico) *''Return to Paradise (1953 film), Return to Paradise'', starring Gary Cooper *''Ride, Vaquero!'', starring Robert Taylor (American actor), Robert Taylor and Ava Gardner *''

'', the first movie filmed in CinemaScope, starring

and Jean Simmons *''Rogue's March (film), Rogue's March'', starring Peter Lawford, Janice Rule *''

'', directed by

, starring Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn in her Oscar-winning first leading role *''Rosanna (film), Rosanna (La Red) – (Mexican films of 1953, Mexico)

S

*''Salome (1953 film), Salome'', starring Rita Hayworth *''Sawdust and Tinsel'' (Gycklarnas afton), directed by Ingmar Bergman – (Swedish films of the 1950s, Sweden) *''Scared Stiff (1953 film), Scared Stiff'', starring Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Lizabeth Scott and Carmen Miranda *''Sea Devils (1953 film), Sea Devils'', starring Rock Hudson and Yvonne De Carlo – ( GB/ US) *''Seminole (film), Seminole'', starring Rock Hudson and Anthony Quinn *''Shane (film), Shane'', directed by George Stevens, starring Alan Ladd, Jean Arthur (in her final film role), Brandon deWilde, Ben Johnson (actor), Ben Johnson,

*''Siamo Donne'' (We, the Women), starring Alida Valli and Ingrid Bergman – (Italian films of 1953, Italy) *''Small Town Girl (1953 film), Small Town Girl'', starring Jane Powell and Ann Miller *''So Big (1953 film), So Big'', directed by Robert Wise, starring Jane Wyman, Sterling Hayden, Steve Forrest (actor), Steve Forrest *''So This Is Love (film), So This Is Love'', starring Kathryn Grayson and Merv Griffin *''South Sea Woman'', starring

and Virginia Mayo *''Split Second (1953 film), Split Second'', starring Alexis Smith and Jan Sterling *''

'', directed by

, starring

(in his Oscar-winning role), Don Taylor (actor/director), Don Taylor, Harvey Lembeck, Robert Strauss (actor), Robert Strauss, Otto Preminger, Peter Graves *''Stars of the Russian Ballet'' (Mastera russkogo baleta), starring Galina Ulanova – (Soviet films of 1953, USSR) *''The State Department Store'' (Állami Áruház) – (List of Hungarian films 1948-1989, Hungary) *''The Steel Lady'', starring Rod Cameron (actor), Rod Cameron and Tab Hunter *''The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan'', starring Robert Morley and Maurice Evans (actor), Maurice Evans – ( GB) *''Die Geschichte vom kleinen Muck, The Story of Little Muck'' (Die Geschichte vom kleinen Muck) – (List of East German films#1950s, East Germany) *''The Story of Three Loves'', trilogy starring James Mason, Leslie Caron, Kirk Douglas *''Summer with Monika'' (Sommaren med Monika), directed by Ingmar Bergman, starring Harriet Andersson – (Swedish films of the 1950s, Sweden) *''The Sun Shines Bright'', directed by John Ford, starring Charles Winninger

T

*''Take Me to Town'', directed by Douglas Sirk, starring

and Sterling Hayden *''Take the High Ground!'', starring Richard Widmark and Karl Malden *''Thérèse Raquin (1953 film), Thérèse Raquin'', directed by Marcel Carné, starring Simone Signoret – (

) *''Las Tres perfectas casadas, Three Perfect Wives'' (Las Tres perfectas casadas), starring Arturo de Córdova – (Mexican films of 1953, Mexico) *''Thunder Over the Plains'', starring Randolph Scott *''Titanic (1953 film), Titanic'', starring Barbara Stanwyck, Clifton Webb, Thelma Ritter, Brian Aherne, Robert Wagner *''The Titfield Thunderbolt'', directed by Charles Crichton, starring Stanley Holloway – ( GB) *''Tokyo Story'' (Tōkyō Monogatari), directed by Yasujirō Ozu – (Japanese films of 1953, Japan) *''Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom'' *''Torch Song (1953 film), Torch Song'', starring Joan Crawford *''Treasure of the Golden Condor'', directed by Delmer Daves, starring Cornel Wilde *''Trouble Along the Way'', starring John Wayne *''Trouble in Store'', starring Norman Wisdom – (GB) *''Tumbleweed (film), Tumbleweed'', starring Audie Murphy *''Twice Upon a Time (1953 film), Twice Upon a Time'', directed by Emeric Pressburger – ( GB)

U

*''Ugetsu Monogatari (film), Ugetsu Monogatari'', directed by Kenji Mizoguchi – (Japan)

V

*''I Vinti, The Vanquished'' (I Vinti), directed by Michelangelo Antonioni – (Italian films of 1953, Italy) *''I Vitelloni'', directed by Federico Fellini – (

/Italian films of 1953, Italy)

W

*''The Wages of Fear'' (Le Salaire de la Peur), directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot, starring Yves Montand – winner of Golden Bear and Palme d'Or awards – (

) *''Walking My Baby Back Home (film), Walking My Baby Back Home'', starring Janet Leigh and Donald O'Connor *''War Arrow'', starring Maureen O'Hara and Jeff Chandler (actor), Jeff Chandler *''The War of the Worlds (1953 film), The War of the Worlds'', starring Gene Barry *''White Lightning (1953 film), White Lightning'', starring Stanley Clements and Steve Brodie (actor), Steve Brodie *''White Mane'' (Crin Blanc, Cheval Sauvage) – (

) *''White Witch Doctor (film), White Witch Doctor'', starring Robert Mitchum and Susan Hayward *''The Wild One'', starring Marlon Brando

Y

*''Young Bess'', starring Jean Simmons, Deborah Kerr, Charles Laughton

Serials

*''Canadian Mounties vs Atomic Invaders'', starring William Henry (actor), Bill Henry *''The Great Adventures of Captain Kidd'', starring Richard Crane (actor), Richard Crane *''Jungle Drums of Africa'', starring Clayton Moore and Phyllis Coates *''The Lost Planet'', starring Judd Holdren

Short film series

*''Mickey Mouse'' (1928 in film, 1928)-(''1953'') *''Looney Tunes'' (1930 in film, 1930–1969 in film, 1969) *''Terrytoons'' (1930 in film, 1930–1964 in film, 1964) *''Merrie Melodies'' (1931 in film, 1931–1969 in film, 1969) *''Popeye'' (1933 in film, 1933–1957 in film, 1957) *''Donald Duck'' (1934 in film, 1934)-(1956 in film, 1956) *''The Three Stooges'' (1934 in film, 1934–1959 in film, 1959) *''Goofy'' (1939 in film, 1939)-(1953) *''Tom and Jerry'' (1940 in film, 1940–1958 in film, 1958) *''Bugs Bunny'' (1940 in film, 1940)-(1962 in film, 1962) *''Chip and Dale'' (1943 in film, 1943–1956 in film, 1956) *''Droopy'' (1943 in film, 1943–1958 in film, 1958) *''Sylvester the Cat'' (1944 in film, 1944–1966 in film, 1966) *''Yosemite Sam'' (1945 in film, 1945–1963 in film, 1963) *''Speedy Gonzales'' (1953–1968)

Births

*January 7: John Dugan (actor), American actor *January 8: Tonita Castro, Mexican-born American actress (died 2016) *January 11: John Sessions, British actor and comedian (died 2020) *January 27: Richard Bremmer, English actor *January 28: Susan Buckner, American former actress *January 30: Steven Zaillian, director *February 8: Mary Steenburgen, American actress *February 9: Vito Antuofermo, Italian-American actor *February 11: Philip Anglim, actor *February 19: Massimo Troisi, actor (died 1994 in film, 1994) *February 21: Christine Ebersole, American actress and singer *March 2: Ezra Swerdlow, film producer (died 2018) *March 4: **Scott Hicks (director), Scott Hicks, director **Agustí Villaronga, Spanish director *March 15: Frances Conroy, American actress *March 16: Isabelle Huppert, French actress *March 24: Louie Anderson, American stand-up comedian and actor (died 2022) *April 6: Patrick Doyle, Scottish film composer *April 13: Harry Waters Jr., American actor and singer *April 16: Jay O. Sanders, actor *April 18: Rick Moranis, Canadian actor & comedian *April 23: James Russo, American actor *May 9: Amy Hill, American stand-up comedian, actress and voice actress *May 16: Pierce Brosnan, Irish actor *May 24: Alfred Molina, English actor *May 30: Colm Meaney, Irish actor *June 5: Kathleen Kennedy (producer), American producer *June 7: Colleen Camp, American character actress and producer *June 12: David Thornton (actor), American actor *June 13: Tim Allen, American actor *June 19: Ken Davitian, American character actor and comedian *June 21: Michael Bowen (actor), American actor *June 26: **Robert Davi, American actor, singer, writer and director **Peng Xiaolian, director (died 2019) *July 1: David Gulpilil, Indigenous-Australian actor (died 2021) *July 5: Harish Patel, Indian actor *July 11: Mindy Sterling, actress *July 13: Gil Birmingham, American actor *July 20: Lee Garlington, American actress *August 9: Alf Humphreys, Canadian actor (died 2018) *August 11: Hulk Hogan, wrestler *August 12: Selina Cadell, English actress *August 13: Victor Colicchio, American actor, screenwriter, musician and songwriter *August 14: James Horner, composer (died 2015) *August 27: Peter Stormare, Swedish actor *August 28: Dee Dee Rescher, American actress *August 30: Robin Harris, American comedian and actor (died 1990) *September 6: Anne Lockhart (actress), American actress *September 10: Amy Irving, actress *September 16: Kurt Fuller, American character actor *September 18: Anna Thomson, American actress *October 4: **Christopher Fairbank, English actor **Tchéky Karyo, French actor *October 9: Tony Shalhoub, actor *October 11: **David Morse, American actor, singer, director and writer **Bill Randolph, American actor *October 12: David Threlfall, English actor and director *October 15: Larry Miller (comedian), Larry Miller, American comedian, actor, news podcaster and columnist *October 20: Bill Nunn, American actor (died 2016) *October 26: Maureen Teefy, actress *October 27: Peter Firth, English actor *October 30: Charles Martin Smith, American actor, writer and director *October 31: Michael J. Anderson, actor *November 3: Kate Capshaw, American actress *November 6: Ron Underwood, director *November 13: Tom Villard, American actor (died 1993) *November 24: Glenn Withrow, American actor, director, producer and writer *November 27: Curtis Armstrong, American actor and singer *November 28: Pamela Hayden, American actress and voice actress *December 6 **Gina Hecht, American actress **Tom Hulce, American actor *December 8 **Kim Basinger, American actress **Sam Kinison, stand-up comedian (died 1992) *December 9: John Malkovich, American actor *December 11: Richard Carter (actor), Richard Carter, Australian actor and voice-over artist (died 2019) *December 14: Vijay Amritraj, Indian sports commentator and actor *December 17: Bill Pullman, actor *December 18: Melanie Kinnaman, American dancer and actress *December 22: Gregor Fisher, Scottish comedian and actor *December 23: John Callahan (actor), John Callahan, actor (died 2020) *December 24: Timothy Carhart, American actor *December 29: Charlayne Woodard, American playwright and actress *December 31: James Remar, actor

Deaths

*January 19: Arthur Hoyt, 78, American actor, ''Her Private Affair'', ''Goldie Gets Along'' *February 2: Alan Curtis (American actor), Alan Curtis, 43, American actor, ''High Sierra (film), High Sierra'', ''Buck Privates'' *February 27: Jessie Coles Grayson, 66, African-American contralto and actress, ''Cass Timberlane'' *March 5: Herman J. Mankiewicz, 55, American screenwriter, ''Citizen Kane'', ''The Pride of the Yankees'', ''Dinner at Eight (1933 film), Dinner at Eight'', ''Man of the World (film), Man of the World'' *March 19: Irene Bordoni, 68, Corsican-American actress and singer, ''Paris (1929 film), Paris'', ''Louisiana Purchase (film), Louisiana Purchase'' *April 26: Rian James, 53, American screenwriter, ''42nd Street (film), 42nd Street'', ''The Housekeeper's Daughter'' *May 30: Dooley Wilson, 67, American actor, ''Casablanca (film), Casablanca'', ''Stormy Weather (1943 film), Stormy Weather'' *June 5: Roland Young, 65, British actor, ''Topper (film), Topper'', ''Ruggles of Red Gap'', ''The Philadelphia Story (film), The Philadelphia Story'', ''And Then There Were None (1945 film), And Then There Were None'' *June 27: Chris-Pin Martin, 59, American actor, ''The Gay Caballero (1940 film), The Gay Caballero'', ''Ride on Vaquero'', ''Robin Hood of Monterey'', ''King of the Bandits'' *June 30: Vsevolod Pudovkin, Soviet film director (born 1893) *July 3: Irving Reis, 47, American director, ''The Big Street'', ''All My Sons (film), All My Sons'' *August 6 **John Reinhardt (director), John Reinhardt, Austrian director, ''Sofia (1948 film), Sofia'', ''Chicago Calling'' **Houseley Stevenson, American actor, ''Dark Passage (film), Dark Passage'', ''Kidnapped (1948 film), Kidnapped'' *August 9: Henri Étiévant, French actor, director (born 1870) *September 12: Lewis Stone, American actor (born 1879), ''Andy Hardy, Andy Hardy film series'', ''The Prisoner of Zenda (1922 film), The Prisoner of Zenda'', ''Grand Hotel (1932 film), Grand Hotel'' *October 6: Porter Hall, American actor (born 1888), ''Double Indemnity'', ''Mr. Smith Goes to Washington'', ''Going My Way'', ''Miracle on 34th Street'' *October 8: Nigel Bruce, British actor (born 1895), ''Sherlock Holmes (1939 film series), Sherlock Holmes film series'', ''Suspicion (1941 film), Suspicion'', ''Rebecca (1940 film), Rebecca'', ''The Rains Came'', ''Treasure Island (1934 film), Treasure Island'' *October 13: Millard Mitchell, American character actor (born 1903), ''Singin' in the Rain'', ''Winchester '73'', ''The Gunfighter'', ''The Naked Spur'', ''Twelve O'Clock High'' *November 29: Sam De Grasse, Canadian actor (born 1875), ''Robin Hood (1922 movie), Robin Hood'', ''Blind Husbands'' *December 29: Violet MacMillan, American actress (born 1887), ''The Magic Cloak of Oz'', ''Violet's Dreams''

Debuts

*Carroll Baker – ''Easy to Love (1953 film), Easy to Love'' *Harry Belafonte – ''Bright Road'' *Stanley Kubrick (director) – ''Fear and Desire'' *Steve McQueen – ''Girl on the Run (1953 film), Girl on the Run'' *Geraldine Page – ''Hondo (film), Hondo'' *Anthony Perkins – ''

'' *Harry Shearer – ''

Abbott and Costello Go to Mars ''Abbott and Costello Go to Mars'' is a 1953 American science fiction comedy film starring the comedy team of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello and directed by Charles Lamont. It was produced by Howard Christie and made by Universal-International. D ...

'' *Maureen Stapleton – ''Main Street to Broadway''

Notes

{{1953 films 1953 in film, Film by year