25 Best Movies From The 1950s

By Shaun Davis /

17. 12 Angry Men

The Film: Before this entry on our list hit screens, the courthouse thriller was oddly light in tone €“ Mr Smith Goes To Washington, A Miracle On 24th Street €“ and was more entertaining then mentally engaging. That all changed when director Sidney Lumet enlisted Henry Fonda to star as his Juror 8, in a movie that sticks a bunch of men in a room, all with the singular goal of agreeing on the outcome of a murder trial, and lets the drama unfold to taut effect. Classic Moment: Fonda comes to life as his €˜not guilty€™ verdict upsets the apple cart and forms the film€™s first inciting incident.