The Violent Years
1956 · USA · 57m
Obscurity: cult. watchable legallyA girl gang robs, kidnaps and worse. Written by Ed Wood, which explains everything.
Exploitation films of the 1950s
reelscum catalogues 13 exploitation films from the 1950s. They were released between 1953 and 1959. The subgenres that appear most often are Euro-gothic (3 films), Juvenile delinquent (3 films) and Peplum (3 films).
The countries credited most often are Italy (4), USA (4) and France (2). Directors with more than one entry in the decade include Ishirō Honda (2), Mario Bava (2) and Pietro Francisci (2).
Entries include The Violent Years (1956), El Vampiro (1957) and The Fellowship of the Frog (1959). Each links to its own page with a verdict, rating axes and where to watch.
El Vampiro
1957 · Mexico · 95m
Obscurity: cultMexico's caped vampire, fanged on screen a year before Hammer got there.
The Fellowship of the Frog
1959 · West Germany/Denmark · 90m
Obscurity: cult. watchable legallyThe first Rialto Wallace krimi, and the reason the other thirty exist.
High School Confidential
1958 · USA · 85m
Obscurity: cult. watchable legallyAn undercover cop infiltrates a high school drug ring. Reefer, hot rods and Jerry Lee Lewis.
The Immoral Mr. Teas
1959 · USA · 63m
Obscurity: cultHistorically pivotal, formally inert. Watch ten minutes and read about the rest.
I Vampiri
1957 · Italy · 79m
Obscurity: knownFreda walked off Italy's first sound horror; Bava finished it. The whole euro-gothic shelf starts here.
The Giant of Marathon
1959 · France/Italy · 84m
Obscurity: known. watchable legallyReeves again, with underwater battle scenes Bava shot uncredited.
Rodan
1956 · Japan · 82m
Obscurity: known. watchable legallyToho's first colour kaiju. A supersonic pterosaur levels a city with its wingblasts.
Hercules Unchained
1959 · France/Italy · 105m
Obscurity: known. watchable legallyThe sequel that turned one Hercules hit into an entire industry.
Hercules
1958 · Spain/Italy · 90m
Obscurity: known. watchable legallySteve Reeves, a Mr Universe title, and the start of the Italian genre machine.
The Curse of Frankenstein
1957 · UK · 82m
Obscurity: known. watchable legallyThe film that built Hammer, in blood-red colour the censors hated.
The Wild One
1953 · USA · 79m
Obscurity: canon. watchable legally. banned somewhereBrando's motorcycle gang takes over a town. The film that invented teenage cool and terrified parents.
Godzilla
1954 · Japan · 100m
Obscurity: canon. watchable legallyNot a monster romp. A sober film about nuclear annihilation, made nine years after.