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Best Adventure Movies of the 1950s

Adventure films released 1950–1959, ranked by TMDB rating among titles with at least 500 votes.

1. 
   #1 North by Northwest (1959) · ★ 8.0 · 4,632 votes · 2h 17m · adventure, thriller, mystery

   Advertising man Roger Thornhill is mistaken for a spy, triggering a deadly cross-country chase.…

2. 
   #2 The Wages of Fear (1953) · ★ 8.0 · 1,134 votes · 2h 34m · adventure, thriller, drama

   In a run-down South American town, four men are paid to drive trucks loaded with nitroglycerin into the jungle through to the oil field. Friendships are tested and rivalries develo…

3. 
   #3 The Hidden Fortress (1958) · ★ 8.0 · 731 votes · 2h 19m · action, adventure, drama

   In feudal Japan, during a bloody war between clans, two cowardly and greedy peasants, soldiers of a defeated army, stumble upon a mysterious man who guides them to a fortress hidde…

4. 
   #4 Ben-Hur (1959) · ★ 7.9 · 3,277 votes · 3h 32m · action, adventure, drama

   In ancient Judea, a Jewish aristocrat opposing Roman occupation of his homeland reunites with his childhood friend, now a Roman commander — setting in motion a saga of betrayal, ad…

5. 
   #5 The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957) · ★ 7.5 · 588 votes · 1h 21m · fantasy, adventure, horror

   A dangerous combination of radiation and insecticide causes the unfortunate Scott Carey to shrink, slowly but surely, until he is only a few inches tall. His home becomes a wildern…

6. 
   #6 Forbidden Planet (1956) · ★ 7.3 · 1,102 votes · 1h 38m · fantasy, adventure, romance

   Starship C57D travels to planet Altair 4 in search of the crew of spaceship "Bellerophon," a scientific expedition that has been missing for twenty years. They find themselves unwe…

7. 
   #7 The African Queen (1952) · ★ 7.3 · 1,097 votes · 1h 45m · adventure, romance, drama

   At the start of the First World War, in the middle of Africa’s nowhere, a gin soaked riverboat captain is persuaded by a strong-willed missionary to go down river and face-off a Ge…

8. 
   #8 Alice in Wonderland (1951) · ★ 7.2 · 6,377 votes · 1h 15m · fantasy, adventure, animation

   On a golden afternoon, wildly curious young Alice tumbles into the burrow and enters the merry, madcap world of Wonderland full of whimsical escapades.…

9. 
   #9 Peter Pan (1953) · ★ 7.2 · 5,832 votes · 1h 17m · fantasy, adventure, animation

   Leaving the safety of their nursery behind, Wendy, Michael and John follow Peter Pan to a magical world where childhood lasts forever. But while in Neverland, the kids must face Ca…

10. 
    #10 Lady and the Tramp (1955) · ★ 7.1 · 5,738 votes · 1h 16m · comedy, adventure, romance

    Lady, a golden cocker spaniel, meets up with a mongrel dog who calls himself the Tramp. He is obviously from the wrong side of town, but happenings at Lady's home make her decide t…

11. 
    #11 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) · ★ 7.1 · 1,020 votes · 2h 7m · fantasy, adventure, science-fiction

    A ship sent to investigate a wave of mysterious sinkings encounters the advanced submarine, the Nautilus, commanded by Captain Nemo.…

12. 
    #12 Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959) · ★ 6.9 · 530 votes · 2h 12m · fantasy, adventure, family

    An Edinburgh professor and assorted colleagues follow an explorer's trail down an extinct Icelandic volcano to the earth's center.…

13. 
    #13 Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) · ★ 6.8 · 884 votes · 1h 19m · adventure, horror, science-fiction

    When scientists exploring the Amazon River stumble on a “missing link” connecting humans and fish, they plan to capture it for later study. But the Creature has plans of his own, a…

14. 
    #14 Around the World in 80 Days (1956) · ★ 6.7 · 604 votes · 3h 2m · comedy, fantasy, adventure

    Based on the famous book by Jules Verne the movie follows Phileas Fogg on his journey around the world. Which has to be completed within 80 days, a very short period for those days…

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