Most Popular Movies 1959
This chart shows the 1959 movie releases that have attracted the most interest on The Numbers web site over the past 24 hours. A share of 100 corresponds to 1 percent of the total views for all 1959 releases.
See also: Domestic Release Schedule for 1959 - Top 1959 Worldwide
| Most Popular Overall | 1960 → |
1
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| Ben-Hur |
| Director: William Wyler |
| Initial Theatrical Release: November 18, 1959 (Wide) by MGM |
| Keywords: Heroic Adventure, Religious, Jewish, Slavery, Adopted Family, Dysfunctional Family, Political, Friends turned Enemies |
| Classification: Based on Fiction Book/Short Story, Adventure, Live Action, Historical Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $73,000,000 |
|
International BO: $226,628 |
2
| Ascenseur pour l'échafaud |
| Director: Louis Malle |
| Lead Roles: Jeanne Moreau as Florence Canala, Maurice Ronet as Julien Tavernier |
| Initial Theatrical Release: May 5, 1959 (Wide), released as Fim-de-Semana no Ascensor (Portugal) |
| Keywords: Set in Paris, Set in France, Film Noir, Relationships Gone Wrong, Faked Suicide, 1950s, French New Wave |
| Classification: Based on Fiction Book/Short Story, Drama, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $373,597 |
|
International BO: $6,352 |
Synopsis
Scheming lovers Julien and Florence engineer the “perfect murder” of her husband. But when Julien becomes trapped in the elevator mere floors away from his recent victim, the perfect murder quickly becomes imperfect.
3
| Imitation of Life |
| Director: Douglas Sirk |
| Initial Theatrical Release: April 30, 1959 (Wide) |
| Keywords: Whitewashed Casting, Life Drama, Interracial Child, Widow/Widower, Bigotry, 1940s, 1950s, Aspiring Actress / Actor, Dysfunctional Family, Relationships Gone Wrong, African Americans, Young Child Dealing with the Death of a Parent |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Drama, Live Action, Historical Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $14,000,000 |
|
International BO: $365 |
4
| Des Femmes Disparaissent |
| Director: Edouard Molinaro |
| Initial Theatrical Release: May 1, 1959 (Wide) (France) |
| Classification: Based on Fiction Book/Short Story, Drama, Live Action |
5
| Solomon and Sheba |
| Director: King Vidor |
| Initial Theatrical Release: January 1, 1959 (Wide) |
| Classification: Based on Religious Text |
|
Domestic BO: $11,000,000 |
|
International BO: $16,094 |
6
| The Giant Behemoth |
| Director: Eugene Lourie |
| Lead Roles: Gene Evans as Steven Karnes |
| Initial Theatrical Release: March 3, 1959 (Limited) by Allied Artists |
| Classification: Horror, Live Action, Science Fiction |
7
| The Scarface Mob |
| Director: Phil Karlson |
| Video Release Date: April 20, 1959 by CBS |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Drama, Live Action, Historical Fiction |
8
| Journey to the Center of the Earth |
| Director: Henry Levin |
| Lead Roles: James Mason as Professor Oliver Lindenbrook, Pat Boone as Alec McEwen, Arlene Dahl as Carla Göteborg, Diane Baker as Jenny Lindenbrook |
| Initial Theatrical Release: December 16, 1959 (Wide) |
| Keywords: Chase Adventure, 1880s, Romance, Field Scientists, Explorer, Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs in the Modern World, Underground, Set in Iceland |
| Classification: Based on Fiction Book/Short Story, Adventure, Live Action, Historical Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $10,000,000 |
9
| Maigret et l'affaire Saint-Fiacre |
| Director: Jean Delannoy |
| Initial Theatrical Release: September 2, 1959 (Wide) (France) |
| Classification: Based on Fiction Book/Short Story, Drama, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
International BO: $14,666 |
10
| Sleeping Beauty |
| Director: Clyde Geronimi |
| Initial Theatrical Release: January 29, 1959 (Wide) by Walt Disney |
| Keywords: Prince/Princess, Arranged Marriage, Romance, False Identity, Curses, Fairies, Voiceover/Narration, Love at First Sight, Family Adventure |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Adventure, Hand Animation, Fantasy |
|
Domestic BO: $9,464,608 |
11
| The Alligator People |
| Director: Roy Del Ruth |
| Lead Roles: Beverly Garland, Bruce Bennett, Lon Chaney, George Macready |
| Initial Theatrical Release: July 16, 1959 (Limited) by 20th Century Fox |
| Classification: Adventure, Live Action, Science Fiction |
12
| Rio Bravo |
| Director: Howard Hawks |
| Initial Theatrical Release: March 18, 1959 (Wide) |
| Keywords: Classical Western, Addiction, Redemption, Sheriff, 1880s, Ambush |
| Classification: Based on Fiction Book/Short Story, Western, Live Action, Historical Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $5,800,000 |
|
International BO: $64 |
13
| Nazarin |
| Director: Luis Bunuel |
| Initial Theatrical Release: April 7, 1959 (Wide) (Portugal) |
| Classification: Drama, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
International BO: $1,357 |
14
| Pork Chop Hill |
| Director: Lewis Milestone |
| Initial Theatrical Release: May 29, 1959 (Wide) |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Action, Live Action, Historical Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $3,690,000 |
|
International BO: $6,722 |
15
| It Started With a Kiss |
| Director: George Marshall |
| Lead Roles: Glenn Ford as Sgt. Joe Fitzpatrick, Debbie Reynolds as Maggie Putnam |
| Initial Theatrical Release: August 19, 1959 (Limited) by MGM |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Romantic Comedy, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
16
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| Last Train From Gun Hill |
| Director: John Sturges |
| Lead Roles: Kirk Douglas, Anthony Quinn |
| Initial Theatrical Release: July 9, 1959 (Limited) by Paramount Pictures |
| Classification: Based on Fiction Book/Short Story, Western, Live Action, Historical Fiction |
17
| Gli ultimi giorni di Pompei |
| Director: Mario Bonnard, Sergio Leone |
| Initial Theatrical Release: November 12, 1959 (Wide) (Italy) |
| Classification: Based on Fiction Book/Short Story, Drama, Live Action, Historical Fiction |
|
International BO: $9,572 |
18
| Das indische Grabmal |
| Director: Fritz Lang |
| Initial Theatrical Release: August 7, 1959 (Limited), released as Le tombeau hindou (France) |
| Classification: Based on Fiction Book/Short Story, Adventure, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
19
| Darby O’Gill and the Little People |
| Director: Robert Stevenson |
| Initial Theatrical Release: June 26, 1959 (Limited) |
20
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| Anatomy of a Murder |
| Director: Otto Preminger |
| Lead Roles: James Stewart as Paul Biegler |
| Initial Theatrical Release: 1959 (Limited) by Columbia |
| Classification: Based on Fiction Book/Short Story, Drama, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
International BO: $389 |
21
| North by Northwest |
| Director: Alfred Hitchcock |
| Initial Theatrical Release: January 1, 1959 (Wide) |
| Keywords: Action Thriller, Mistaken Identity, Kidnap, Romance, Set in New York City, Set in Chicago, Set in South Dakota |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Thriller/Suspense, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $13,275,000 |
|
International BO: $98,058 |
22
| Caltiki il mostro immortale |
| Director: Riccardo Freda |
| Initial Theatrical Release: August 8, 1959 (Limited) (Italy) |
| Keywords: Archaeology, Creature Feature, Set in Outer Space |
23
| Tarzan’s Greatest Adventure |
| Director: John Guillermin |
| Initial Theatrical Release: July 8, 1959 (Limited) by Paramount Pictures |
| Classification: Action, Live Action |
24
| A Hole in the Head |
| Director: Frank Capra |
| Initial Theatrical Release: July 15, 1959 (Wide) |
|
Domestic BO: $11,000,000 |
25
| Odds Against Tomorrow |
| Director: Robert Wise |
| Initial Theatrical Release: October 13, 1959 (Limited) (Chicago) |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Drama, Live Action |