Some of the most iconic movies Cary Grant ever made came out in the 1950s. From the underrated People Will Talk to the absolutely iconic North By Northwest, Grant has so many films that have stood the test of time, more than 50 years after they were first made.
Below, we’ve compiled a list of the top 10 best movies Cary Grant made in the 1950s. Every movie on this list is a great watch and perfect for those looking to watch the best of the best Cary Grant movies!
The 10 Best 1950s Cary Grant Movies, Ranked
10. Crisis (1950)
- Genre: Crime / Thriller / Drama
- Starring: Cary Grant, José Ferrer, Paula Raymond
- Directed by: Richard Brooks
Coming in at #10, we’ve got 1950’s Crisis. While not the worst movie ever made, Crisis also isn’t the best movie Cary Grant made in the 1950s. However, if you’re a fan of Grant movies, you should still watch this one, as it is still quite enjoyable!
Crisis follows an American doctor (Grant) who is vacationing in a Latin American country with his wife (Paula Raymond). Things become rather difficult when he and his wife find themselves caught in the middle of a revolution when he’s forced to operate on the dictator of the country.
9. Room For One More (1952)
- Genre: Comedy
- Starring: Cary Grant, Betsy Drake
- Directed by: Norman Taurog
Room For One More is notable because Grant starred opposite his real wife at the time, Betsy Drake. This family comedy/drama is enjoyable and interesting to watch, as it’s always fun to see real-life romances play out on the screen! While not the best movie Cary Grant made in the 1950s, this is still a must-watch for any Grant fan.
Room For One More follows a married couple (Grant and Drake) who have three children of their own, yet decide to take in orphans and help them conquer the problems that they are facing. A cute, wholesome film.
8. Houseboat (1958)
- Genre: Drama / Comedy
- Starring: Cary Grant, Sophia Loren
- Directed by: Melville Shavelson
Cary Grant and Sophia Loren together in a movie? It’ll always be a fun time, even if the plot itself fails here and there. Houseboat is one of those films that is so enjoyable to watch because of the actors and their great chemistry!
Houseboat follows a widower (Grant) who is looking for a housekeeper to help him around the house and with his three children. Enter Loren’s character, who is actually an Italian socialite on the run and knows absolutely nothing about cooking, cleaning, or taking care of children… yet agrees to the position anyway. It’s fun!
7. Indiscreet (1958)
- Genre: Romance / Comedy
- Starring: Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman
- Directed by: Stanley Donen
Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman together are always stunning. It’s a shame these dynamic actors only made a few movies together, as I could watch them all day! While Indiscreet isn’t the best of their collaborations, it is still a great movie — and one of the best films that Cary Grant made in the 1950s.
Indiscreet follows a famous theater actress (Bergman) who believes she’s lost out on finding true love. That is, until she meets a tycoon (Grant) with who she feels an instant connection. Problem is, he says he’s married… yet the two embark on a romantic affair.
Related — The Most Popular Ingrid Bergman Movies Today
6. Monkey Business (1952)
- Genre: Comedy / Sci-Fi
- Starring: Cary Grant, Ginger Rogers, Marilyn Monroe, Charles Coburn
- Directed by: Howard Hawks
The wonderful thing about Cary Grant is he can make even the most ridiculous-sounding movies an incredible amount of fun. In Monkey Business, he takes a crazy (yet great!) plot and makes the whole thing enjoyable. Monkey Business proved that Grant, even in the 1950s, could still do crazy comedy perfectly.
Monkey Business follows a chemist (Grant) who works to create a pill that defies the aging process. When a monkey mixes chemicals together and the chemist takes this concoction, he ends up mentally regressing to acting like a child. Eventually, everyone, including his wife (Rogers) is acting like children. It’s great fun!
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5. People Will Talk (1951)
- Genre: Comedy / Romance / Drama
- Starring: Cary Grant, Jeanne Crain
- Directed by: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
While possibly one of the more underrated Cary Grant gems of the 1950s, I really like People Will Talk. It still holds up, it’s very interesting and great fun, and it definitely should get more love from many!
People Will Talk follows a controversial doctor and professor (Grant) who ends up getting mixed up with an unwed pregnant woman (Crain). When a rival learns this, he works to ruin the doctor’s reputation and entire career.
4. Operation Petticoat (1959)
- Genre: War / Romance / Comedy
- Starring: Cary Grant, Tony Curtis
- Directed by: Blake Edwards
Cary Grant made a lot of different types, and genres, of movies throughout his career, especially in the 1950s. Operation Petticoat is possibly the most fun war movie he ever made, mainly because he stars opposite the equally as fun Tony Curtis.
Operation Petticoat follows the crew of a decrepit submarine in World War II as they try to con their way to receiving some much-needed supplies before an oncoming invasion. The crew then find themselves in a situation where they have a team of Army nurses that they can’t seem to get rid of.
3. An Affair to Remember (1957)
- Genre: Romance / Drama
- Starring: Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr
- Directed by: Leo McCarey
An Affair to Remember is one of the most romantic movies ever made. It’s one of the best Cary Grant movies ever made, not just one of the best made in the 1950s. And it also happens to be one of the best movies ever made, period. It’s a great film. If you’re going to watch any of the movies listed here, An Affair to Remember (and the other two movies at the top of this list) should definitely be one of them.
An Affair to Remember follows two people who meet on a cruise from England to New York. They fall in love with each other, even though they both are engaged to other people. They promise to meet in six months later at the top of the Empire State Building in New York City… but will they?
Related — Cary Grant: Top 10 Movies From the 1930s
2. To Catch a Thief (1955)
- Genre: Mystery / Thriller / Romance
- Starring: Cary Grant, Grace Kelly
- Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
To Catch a Thief is amazing. Plain and simple. Cary Grant and Grace Kelly in a movie set on the French Riveria? With directing by Alfred Hitchcock? How could it be anything other than perfect?
To Catch a Thief follows a retired cat burglar (Grant) who has to clear his name when someone starts to steal jewels the same way that he used to. Intent on discovering who this copycat burglar is, the drama of it all begins to threaten his growing romance with Kelly’s character.
Related — Cary Grant: Top 10 Best 1940s Movies
1. North By Northwest (1959)
- Genre: Adventure / Mystery / Thriller
- Starring: Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason
- Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
The best movie Cary Grant made in the 1950s is, without a doubt, North by Northwest. While To Catch a Thief and An Affair to Remember are both iconic movies in their own right, they don’t come close to the wonderfulness that is North By Northwest. It’s one of the best movies — and one of the most iconic suspense films — ever made!
North By Northwest follows an advertising man (Grant) who is mistaken for a government agent and then chased around the country by a ruthless spy (Mason). Enter a mysterious woman (Eva Marie Saint) who could be a friend or foe, and you’ve got a good Hitchcock movie.
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What’s Your Favorite 1950s Cary Grant Movie?
Alright, we’ve talked about our top 10 favorite Cary Grant movies from the 1950s. Now, we want to hear what yours are! Which movies are your favorite on this list? Are there movies that you feel should have been included? Hit the comments below with your thoughts and opinions — we’d love to hear them!
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