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
| Some Like it Hot |
| Director: Billy Wilder |
| Lead Roles: Jack Lemmon as Jerry (Daphne), Tony Curtis as Joe (Josephine)/Junior, Marilyn Monroe as Sugar Kane |
| Initial Theatrical Release: March 29, 1959 (Wide) |
| Keywords: Cross-Dressing, Jazz, Mafia, Musicians, Road Trip, Romance, Eloping, Romantic Comedy, Fugitive / On the Run, Remake |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Romantic Comedy, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $25,000,000 |
|
International BO: $38,874 |
3
| Deux hommes dans Manhattan |
| Director: Jean-Pierre Melville |
| Initial Theatrical Release: October 16, 1959 (Wide) (France) |
| Classification: Based on Fiction Book/Short Story, Thriller/Suspense, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
International BO: $2,528 |
4
| 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: $13,426,019 |
|
International BO: $98,751 |
5
| The Scarface Mob |
| Director: Phil Karlson |
| Video Release Date: April 20, 1959 by CBS |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Drama, Live Action, Historical Fiction |
6
| The Gazebo |
| Director: George Marshall |
| Lead Roles: Glenn Ford as Elliot Nash, Debbie Reynolds as Nell Nash |
| Initial Theatrical Release: December 18, 1959 (Limited) |
7
| Les quatre cents coups |
| Director: François Truffaut |
| Initial Theatrical Release: June 3, 1959 (Limited) (France) |
| Classification: Based on Fiction Book/Short Story, Drama, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
International BO: $51,688 |
8
| 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 |
9
| 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 |
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 |
|
International BO: $110 |
11
| Porgy and Bess |
| Director: Otto Preminger |
| Lead Roles: Sidney Poitier as Porgy, Dorothy Dandridge as Bess, Sammy Davis, Jr. as Sportin’ Life |
| Initial Theatrical Release: June 24, 1959 (Limited) by Samuel Goldwyn Films |
| Classification: Based on Musical or Opera, Musical, Live Action, Historical Fiction |
12
| 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 |
13
| The World, The Flesh and the Devil |
| Director: Ranald MacDougall |
| Initial Theatrical Release: May 20, 1959 (Limited) by MGM |
| Classification: Based on Fiction Book/Short Story, Drama, Live Action, Science Fiction |
14
| A Hole in the Head |
| Director: Frank Capra |
| Initial Theatrical Release: July 15, 1959 (Wide) |
|
Domestic BO: $11,000,000 |
15
| Fires on the Plain (野火) |
| Director: Kon Ichikawa |
| Initial Theatrical Release: November 3, 1959 (Limited) (Japan) |
| Classification: Based on Factual Book/Article, Drama, Live Action, Historical Fiction |
16
| Look Back in Anger |
| Director: Tony Richardson |
| Initial Theatrical Release: May 28, 1959 (Limited) (United Kingdom) |
| Classification: Drama |
|
International BO: $7,593 |
17
| On the Beach |
| Initial Theatrical Release: December 17, 1959 (Wide) |
|
Domestic BO: $11,000,000 |
18
| Image of a Mother (母のおもかげ) |
| Director: Hiroshi Shimizu |
| Initial Theatrical Release: March 4, 1959 (Limited) (Japan) |
| Classification: Drama |
|
International BO: $4,822 |
19
| Never so Few |
| Director: John Sturges |
| Lead Roles: Frank Sinatra, Gina Lollobrigida, Steve McQueen |
| Initial Theatrical Release: December 7, 1959 (Limited) by MGM |
| Keywords: World War II |
| Classification: Based on Fiction Book/Short Story, Drama, Live Action, Historical Fiction |
20
| No Name On The Bullet |
| Director: Jack Arnold |
| Initial Theatrical Release: February, 1959 (Limited) by Universal |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Western, Live Action, Historical Fiction |
21
| The Nun's Story |
| Director: Fred Zinnemann |
| Initial Theatrical Release: July 18, 1959 (Wide) |
| Keywords: Religious |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Drama, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $12,800,000 |
22
| 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 |
23
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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 |
24
| Caltiki il mostro immortale |
| Director: Riccardo Freda |
| Initial Theatrical Release: August 8, 1959 (Limited) (Italy) |
| Keywords: Archaeology, Creature Feature, Set in Outer Space |
25
| Pillow Talk |
| Director: Michael Gordon |
| Lead Roles: Doris Day as Jan Morrow, Rock Hudson as Brad Allen |
| Initial Theatrical Release: January 1, 1959 (Wide) |
| Keywords: Romance |
| Classification: Romantic Comedy, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $18,750,000 |