Film Data For 1953

The Film Daily's Top Ten Pictures of 1953 (in order of preference)

1) From Here to Eternity- 274 votes
2) Shane- 226
3) The Robe- 210
4) Roman Holiday- 202
5) Moulin Rouge (1952)- 195
6) Lili- 189
7) Stalag 17- 152
8) The Moon is Blue- 129
9) Little Boy Lost- 89
10) The Cruel Sea- 87
                                         

The Honor Roll

11) Call Me Madam- 84
12) The Bad and the Beautiful (1952)- 83
13) Hans Christian Andersen (1952)- 74
14) The Captain's Paradise- 61
15) Man on a Tightrope- 54
16) How to Marry a Millionaire- 53
17) Ivanhoe (1952)- 52
18) Kiss Me Kate- 50
19) Hondo- 48
20) Limelight- 46
21) Titanic- 44
22) A Queen is Crowded- 42
23) Mogambo- 38
24) Young Bess- 37
25) Above and Beyond (1952)- 32
      So Big- 32

27) The Actress- 31
      Gentlemen Prefer Blondes- 31

29) Peter Pan- 30
30) The Bandwagon- 28
31) The Story of Three Loves- 25
32) I Confess- 23
33) Julius Caesar- 22
34) The Four Poster (1952)- 21
      The War of the Worlds- 21
36) The Sea Around Us (1952)- 20
37) Calamity Jane- 16
      My Cousin Rachel- 16
39) House of Wax- 13
40) Gilbert & Sullivan- 12

The Best Performances by a Male Star (no vote count, but listed in the order of preference)
1) Jose Ferrer in Moulin Rouge (1952)
2) Montgomery Clift in From Here to Eternity
3) William Holden in Stalag 17
4) Alan Ladd in Shane
5) Richard Burton in The Robe

The Best Performances by a Female Star
1) Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday
2) Leslie Caron in Lili
3) Jane Wyman in So Big
4) Deborah Kerr in Young Bess
5) Jean Simmons in Young Bess

Best Performances by Supporting Actors
1) Frank Sinatra in From Here to Eternity
2) David Niven in The Moon is Blue
3) Jack Palance in Shane
4) Eddie Albert in Roman Holiday
5) Van Heflin in Shane

Best Performances by Supporting Actresses
1) Gloria Grahame in The Bad and the Beautiful (1952)
2) Donna Reed in From Here to Eternity
3) Thelma Ritter in Titanic
4) Grace Kelly in Mogambo
5) Colette Marchand in Moulin Rouge (1952)
     

Best Performances by Juvenile Actors

1) Brandon de Wilde in Shane
2) Christian Fourcade in Little Boy Lost
3) George Winslow in Mr. Scoutmaster
4) Joey Walsh in The Juggler
5) Bobby Driscoll as the voice of Peter Pan

Best Performances by Juvenile Actresses
1) Natalie Wood in The Star (1952)
2) Kathryn Beaumont as the voice of Wendy in Peter Pan
3) Donna Corcoran in Scandal at Scourie
4) Noreen Corcoran in Young Bess
5) Sherry Jackson in Trouble Along the Way

The Year's Outstanding Directors
1) Fred Zinnemann for From Here to Eternity
2) John Huston for Moulin Rouge (1952)
3) Henry Koster for The Robe
4) George Stevens for Shane
5) William Wyler for Roman Holiday

The Best Photographed Pictures of the Year
1) Oswald Morris for Moulin Rouge (1952)
2) Leon Shamroy for The Robe
3) Loyal Griggs for Shane
4) J. Arthur Rank's camera crew for A Queen is Crowded
5) Harry Stradling for Hans Christian Andersen (1952)

The Best Screenplays for the Year

1) Daniel Taradash for From Here to Eternity
2) F. Hugh Herbert for The Moon is Blue
3) Helen Deutsch for Lili
4) Philip Dunn for The Robe
5) John Dighton and Ian McLellan Hunter for Roman Holiday (story by Dalton Trumbo)

Outstanding "Finds" of the Year
1) Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday
2) Maggie McNamara in The Moon is Blue
3) Christian Fourcade in Little Boy Lost
4) Jack Palance in Shane
5) Richard Burton in The Robe

Outstanding Western Stars
1) Roy Rogers in his television film series
2) Alan Ladd in Shane
3) Rex Allen in Republic's Western series
4) Gene Autry in Columbia Westerns and in television film series
5) Willian Boyd as Hopalong Cassidy in television film series

The New York Film Critics (Winners announced on December 28, 1953. Awards presented on January 23, 1954. Sources: Tom O'Neil's Movie Awards, 2001 and Donald Lyons, "The Lights of New York," Film Comment, March-April, 1993).

Best Picture
From Here to Eternity (11 votes on the ballot II).
Runner-up: The Conquest of Everest (2 votes)
3rd Place: Roman Holiday (1 vote)

Best Director
Fred Zinnemann for From Here to Eternity (10 votes on ballot II)
Runner-up: George Stevens for Shane (3 votes ballot)

Best Actor
Burt Lancaster in From Here to Eternity (11 votes on ballot V)
Runner-up: John Gielgud in Julius Caesar (2 votes)
3rd Place: William Holden in Stalag 17 (1 vote)

Ballot I: Lancaster (7 votes), Holden (2 votes), James Mason in Julius Caesar (2 votes)

Best Actress
Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday (11 votes on ballot III)
Runner-up: Ava Gardner in Mogambo (3 votes)

Best Foreign Film
Justice is Done (1950- France)

The National Board of Review (Results announced in late December 1953. Source; Tom O'Neil's Movie Awards, 2001). 

The Ten Best Pictures (in order of preference)

1) Julius Caesar
2) Shane
3) From Here to Eternity
4) Martin Luther
5) Lili
6) Roman Holiday
7) Stalag 17
8) The Little Fugitive
9) Mogambo
10) The Robe

Best Director
George Stevens for Shane

Best Actor
James Mason in Face to Face, The Desert Rats,
The Man Between, and Julius Caesar
                                                     

Best Actress

Jean Simmons in Young Bess, The Robe, and The Actress

Best Foreign Film (in order of preference)
A Queen is Crowded (U.K.)
Moulin Rouge (1952) (U.K.)
The Little World of Don Camillo (France/Italy)
Strange Deception (Italy)
The Conquest of Everest (U.K.)
  

Golden Globes (Awards presented on January 22, 1954)

Best Drama
The Robe

Best Motion Picture Promoting International Understanding
Little Boy Lost

Best Actor, Drama
Spencer Tracy in The Actress

Best Actress, Drama
Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday

Best Actor, Musical or Comedy
David Niven in The Moon is Blue

Best Actress, Musical or Comedy
Ethel Merman in Call Me Madam

Best Supporting Actor
Frank Sinatra in From Here to Eternity

Best Supporting Actress
Grace Kelly in Mogambo

Best Screenplay
Hellen Deutsch for Lili

World Film Favorites
Alan Ladd
Marilyn Monroe
Robert Taylor

Most Promising Newcomer- Male
Richard Egan
Steve Forrest
Hugh O'Brien

Most Promising Newcomer- Female
Pat Crowley
Bella Darvi
Barbara Rush

Cecil B. DeMille Award
Darryl F. Zanuck

Special Achievement Awards
Jack Cummings
Walt Disney for The Living Desert
Guy Madison
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards (Source: "The BAFTA Film Awards" 1989, edited by Bo Smith). (Winners in bold print).

Best Film from Any Source and Best British Film
The Bad and the Beautiful (U.S.)
Come Back, Little Sheba (U.S.- 1952)
The Cruel Sea (Great Britain)
From Here to Eternity (U.S.)
Genevieve (G.B.)- won for Best British Film
The Heart of the Matter (G.B.)
Julius Caesar (U.S.)
The Kidnappers (G.B.)
Lili (U.S.)
The Little World of Don Camillo (1952- France/Italy)
The Medium (1951- Italy)
Mogambo (U.S.)
Moulin Rouge (1952- U.S.)
Nous Sommes Tous des Assassins (1952- France)
Roman Holiday (U.S.)
The Secret Game (Jeux Interdits- Forbidden Games)(1952)- won for Best Film From Any Source
Shane (U.S.)
The Sun Shines Bright (U.S.)
Two Pennyworth of Hope (Italy)

Best British Actor
John Gielgud in Julius Caesar
Jack Hawkins in The Cruel Sea
Trevor Howard in The Heart of the Matter
Duncan Macrae in The Kidnappers
Kenneth More in Genevieve

Best Britsh Actress
Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday
Celia Johnson in The Captain's Paradise

Best Foreign Actor
Eddie Albert in Roman Holiday
Marlon Brando in Julius Caesar
Van Heflin in Shane
Claude Laydu in Journal D-un Cure de Campagne (1951)
Marcel Mouloudji in Nous Sommes Tous des Assassins (1952)
Gregory Peck in Roman Holiday
Spencer Tracy in The Actress
                                                     
Best Foreign Actress
Shirley Booth in Come Back, Little Sheba (1952)
Leslie Caron in Lili
Marie Powers in The Medium (1951- Italy)
Maria Schell in The Heart of the Matter

Most Promising Newcomer
Colette Marchand in Moulin Rouge
Norman Wisdom in Trouble in Store                                             

Best Documentary

The Conquest of Everest
Crin Blanc (France)
Elizabeth is Queen (G.B.)
Images Medievales (France)
Kumak, The Sleppy Hunter (Canada)
Life in the Arctic (USSR)
Mille Miglia (G.B.)
Operation Hurricane (G.B.)
A Queen is Crowned (G.B.)
Teeth of the Wind (G.B.)
Water Birds (U.S.)
World Without End (G.B.)

Elizabeth is Queen and A Queen is Crowned each received Certificates of Merit as historical records of exceptional quality of the Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Also Awarded Certificates of Merit:
Thomas Stobart for his work as director-cameraman for the first film of the 1953 Everest Expedition

Erich von Stroheim for his great services to film as director and actor, on the occasion of the revival of Greed and other films of his at the National Film Theatre

Special Award
The Dog and the Diamonds (G.B.)
The Figurehead (G.B.)
Full Circle (G.B.)
Johnny on the Run (G.B.)
Little Boy Blew (U.S.)
The Moving Spirit (G.B.)
The Pleasure Garden (G.B.)
The Romance of Transportation (Canada)

United Nations Award
Johnny on the Run (G.B.)
Teeth of the Wind (G.B.)
World Without End (G.B.)

The Academy Awards (Nominations announced on February 15, 1954. Awards presented on March 24, 1954. Sources: Tom O'Neil's Movie Awards, 2001 and Mason Wiley and Damien Bona's Inside Oscar, 1984). (Winners in bold print).

Best Picture
From Here to Eternity, Columbia. Produced by Buddy Adler.
Julius Caesar, MGM. Produced by John Houseman.
The Robe, 20th Century-Fox. Produced by Frank Ross.
Roman Holiday, Paramount. Produced by William Wyler.
Shane, Paramount. Produced by George Stevens.

Best Director
George Stevens for Shane (Paramount).
Charles Walters for Lili (MGM).
Billy Wilder for Stalag 17 (Paramount).
William Wyler for Roman Holiday (Paramount).
Fred Zinnemann for From Here to Eternity (Columbia).

Best Actor

Marlon Brando in Julius Caesar (MGM).
Richard Burton in The Robe (20th Century-Fox).
Montgomery Clift in From Here to Eternity (Columbia).
William Holden in Stalag 17 (Paramount).
Burt Lancaster in From Here to Eternity (Columbia).

Best Actress
Leslie Caron in Lili (MGM).
Ava Gardner in Mogambo (MGM).
Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday
Deborah Kerr in From Here to Eternity (Columbia).
Maggie McNamara in The Moon is Blue (Preminger-Herbert, UA).

Best Supporting Actor
Eddie Albert in Roman Holiday (Paramount).
Brandon de Wilde in Shane (Paramount).
Jack Palance in Shane (Paramount).
Frank Sinatra in From Here to Eternity (Columbia).
Robert Strauss in Stalag 17 (Paramount).

Best Supporting Actress
Grace Kelly in Mogambo (MGM).
Geraldine Page in Hondo (Wayne-Fellows, Warner Bros.).
Marjorie Rambeau in Torch Song (MGM).
Donna Reed in From Here to Eternity (Columbia).
Thelma Ritter in Pickup on South Street (20th Century-Fox).

Best Motion Picture Story
Above and Beyond, MGM. Beirne Lay, Jr.
The Captain's Paradise, London Films, Lopert-UA (British). Alec Coppel.
The Little Fugitive, Burstyn Releasing. Ray Ashley, Morris Engel and Ruth Orkin.
Roman Holiday, Paramount. Dalton Trumbo. (Trumbo was blacklisted at the time, so the story was attributed to Ian McKellan Hunter- Trumbo received the Oscar posthumously, in 1993).

Hondo was deemed ineligible after it was found the story was not an original.

Best Screenplay
The Cruel Sea, Rank-Ealing,  U-I (British). Eric Ambler.
From Here to Eternity, Columbia. Daniel Taradash.
Lili, MGM. Helen Deutsch.

Roman Holiday, Paramount. Ian McLellan Hunter and John Dighton.
Shane, Paramount. A. B. Guthrie, Jr.      

Best Story and Screenplay
The Band Wagon, MGM. Betty Comden and Adolph Green.
The Desert Rats, 20th Century-Fox. Richard Murphy.
The Naked Spur, MGM. Sam Rolfe and Harold Jack Bloom.
Take the High Ground, MGM. Millard Kaufman.
Titanic, 20th Century-Fox. Charles Brackett, Walter Reisch and Richard Breen.

Best Cinematography (Black-and-White)

The Four Poster, Kramer, Columbia. Hal Mohr.

From Here to Eternity, Columbia. Burnett Guffey.

Julius Caesar, MGM. Joseph Rutttenberg.

Martin Luther, Louis de Rochemont Assocs. Joseph C. Brun. 

Roman Holiday, Paramount. Frank Planer and Henry Alekan.

Best Cinematography (Color)

All the Brothers Were Valiant, MGM. George Folsey.

Beneath the 12 Mile Reef, 20th Century-Fox. Edward Cronjager.

Lili, MGM. Robert Plack.

The Robe, 20th Century-Fox. Leon Shamroy.

Shane, Paramount. Loyal Griggs.

Best Art Direction-Set Direction (Black-and-White)

Julius Caesar, MGM. Cedric Gibbons and Edward Carfagno; Edwin B. Willis and Hugh Hunt.

Martin Luther, Louis de Rochemont Assocs. Frtiz Maurischat and Paul Markwitz.

The President's Lady, 20th Century-Fox. Lyle Wheeler and Leland Fuller; Paul S. Fox.

Roman Holiday, Paramount. Hal Pereira and Walter Tyler.

Titanic, 20th Century-Fox. Lyle Wheeler and Maurice Ransford; Stuart Reiss.

                                                            

Best Art Direction-Set Direction (Color)
Knights of the Round Table, MGM. Alfred Junge and Hans Peters; John Jarvis.

Lili, MGM. Cedric Gibbons and Paul Groesse; Edwin B. Willis and Arthur Krams.

The Robe, 20th Century-Fox. Lyle Wheeler and George W. Davis; Walter M. Scott and Paul S. Fox. 

The Story of Three Loves, MGM. Cedric Gibbons, Preston Ames, Edward Carfagno and Gabriel Scognamillo; Edwin B. Willis, Keogh Gleason, Arthur Krams and Jack D. Moore.

Young Bess, MGM. Cedric Gibbons and Urie McCleary; Edwin B. Willis and Jack D. Moore.

Best Sound Recording

Calamity Jane, Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Sound Department; William A. Mueller, sound director.

From Here to Eternity, Columbia. Columbia Sound Department; John P. Livadary. sound director.

Knights of the Round Table, MGM. MGM Sound Department; A.W. Watkins, sound director.

Mississippi Gambler, U-I. Universal-International Sound Department; Leslie I. Carey, sound director.

War of the Worlds, Paramount. Paramount Sound Department; Loren L. Ryder, sound director.

Best Song
"The Moon is Blue" (The Moon is Blue, Preminger-Herbert, UA); Music by Herschel Burke Gilbert. Lyrics by Sylvia Fine.

"My Flaming Heart" (Small Town Girl, MGM); Music by Nicholas Brodszky. Lyrics by Leo Robin.

"Sadie Thompson's Song (Blue Pacific Blues)" (Miss Sadie Thompson, Beckworth, Columbia); Music by Lester Lee. Lyrics by Ned Washington.

"Secret Love" (Calamity Jane, Warner Bros.); Music by Sammy Fain. Lyrics by Paul Francis Webster.

"That's Amore" (The Caddy, Paramount). Music by Harry Warren. Lyrics by Jack Brooks.

Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture

Above and Beyond, MGM. Hugo Friedhofer.

From Here to Eternity, Columbia. Morris Stoloff and George Duning.

Julius Caesar, MGM. Miklos Rozsa.

Lili, MGM. Bronislau Kaper.

This is Cinerama, Cinerama Prods. Corp. Louis Forbes.

                                    
Best Scoring of a Musical Picture

The Band Wagon, MGM. Adolph Deutsch.

Calamity Jane, Warner Bros. Ray Heindorf.

Call Me Madam, 20th Century-Fox. Alfred Newman.

5,000 Fingers of Dr. T., Kramer, Columbia. Frederick Hollander and Morris Stoloff.

Kiss Me Kate, MGM. Andre Previn and Saul Chaplin.

Best Film Editing
Crazylegs, Bartlett, Republic. Irvine (Cotton) Warburton. 

From Here to Eternity, Columbia. William Lyon.

The Moon is Blue, Preminger-Herbert, UA. Otto Ludwig.

Roman Holiday, Paramount. Robert Swink.

War of the Worlds, Paramount. Everett Douglas.

Best Costume Design (Black-and-White)

The Actress, MGM. Walter Plunkett.

Dream Wife, MGM. Helen Rose and Herschel McCoy.

From Here to Eternity, Columbia. Jean Louis.

The President's Lady, 20th Century-Fox. Charles LeMaire and Renie.

Roman Holiday, Paramount. Edith Head.

Best Costume Design (Color)

The Band Wagon, MGM. Mary Ann Nyberg.

Call Me Madam, 20th Century-Fox. Irene Sharaff.

How to Marry a Millionaire, 20th Century-Fox. Charles LeMaire and Travilla.

The Robe, 20th Century-Fox. Charles Le Maire and Emile Santiago.

Young Bess, MGM. Walter Plunkett.

Best Special Effects
War of the Worlds, Pal, Paramount.

Best Short Subject Cartoon

Christopher Crumpet, UPA, Columbia (Jolly Frolics), Stephen Bosustow, executive producer.

From A to Z-Z-Z-Z, Warner Bros. (Looney Tunes). Edward Selzer, producer.

Rugged Bear, Disney, RKO Radio (Donald Duck). Walt Disney, producer.

The Tell-Tale Heart, UPA, Columbia (UPA Cartoon Special), Stephen Bosustow, executive producer.

Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom, Disney, Buena Vista (Special Music Series). Walt Disney, producer.

Best One-Reel Short Subject

Christ Among the Primitives, IFE Releasing Corp. (Italian). Vincenzo Lucci-Chiarissi, producer.

Herring Hunt, National Film Board of Canada, RKO Pathe, Inc. (Canadian). (Canadian Carries On Series).

Joy of Living, Art Films Prods., 20th Century-Fox (Art Film Series). Boris Vermont, producer.

The Merry Wives of Windsor Overturn, MGM. (Overture Series). Johnny Green, producer.

Wee Water Wonders, Paramount (Grantland Rice Sportslights Series). Jack Eaton, producer. 

Best Two-Reel Short Subject
Bear Country, Disney, RKO Radio (True-Life Adventure). Walt Disney, producer.

Ben and Me, Disney, Buena Vista (Cartoon Special Series). Walt Disney, producer.

Return to Glennascaul, Dublin Gate Theatre Prod., Mayer-Kingsley Inc.

Vesuvius Express, 20th Century-Fox (CinemaScope Shorts Series). Otto Lang, producer.

Winter Paradise, Warner Bros. (Technicolor Special). Cedric Francis, producer. 

Best Documentary Short Subject

The Alaskan Eskimo, Disney, RKO Radio. Walt Disney, producer.

The Living City, Encyclopaedia Britannica Films, Inc. John Barnes, producer.

Operation Blue Jay, U.S. Army Signal Corps.

They Planted a Stone, World Wide Pictures, British Information Services (British). James Carr, producer.

The Word, 20th Century-Fox. John Healy and John Adams, producers.

Best Documentary Feature

The Conquest of Everest, Countryman Films Ltd. and Group 3 Ltd, UA (British). John Taylor, Leon Clore and Grahame Tharp, producers.

The Living Desert, Disney, Buena Vista. Walt Disney, producer.

A Queen is Crowned, J. Arthur Rank Organization, Ltd., U-I (British). Castleton Knight, producer.

Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award
George Stevens.

Honorary Awards
Pete Smith for his witty and pungent observations on the American scene in his series of "Pete Smith Specialties" (statuette).

20th Century-Fox Film Corporation in recognition of their imagination, showmanship and foresight in introducing the revolutionary process known as CinemaScope (statuette).

Joseph I. Breen for his conscientious, open-minded and dignified management of the Motion Picture Production Code (statuette).

Bell and Howell Company for their pioneering and basic achievements in the advancement of the motion picture industry (statuette).

Scientific or Technical

Class I (Statuette)

Professor Henri Chretien and Earl Sponable, Sol Halprin, Lorin Grignon, Herbert Bragg and Carl Faulkner of 20th Century-Fox Studios for creating, developing and engineering the equipment, processes and techniques known as CinemaScope.

Fred Waller for designing and developing the multiple photographic systems which culminated in Cinerama.

Class II (Plaque)

Reeves Soundcraft Corp. for their development of a process of applying stripes of magnetic oxide to motion picture film for sound recording and reproduction.

Class III (Citation)

Westrex Corp. for the design and construction of a new film editing machine.

Screen Directors Guild of America (Award for Best Director presented January 24, 1954 at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles. Source: Tom O'Neil's Movie Awards)

Best Director
Fred Zinnemann, From Here to Eternity

Quarterly Winners for Best Director:
George Stevens, Shane

Charles Walters, Lili

Billy Wilder, Stalag 17

William Wyler, Roman Holiday

Other directors mentioned:

Melvin Frank, Norman Panama, Above and Beyond (1952)

Henry Koster, The Robe

Walter Lang, Call Me Madam

Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Julius Caesar

Daniel Mann, Come Back, Little Sheba (1952)

Jean Negulesco, Titanic

George Sidney, Young Bess

Screen Writers Guild of America (Awards were presented on February 25, 1954, at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles. Source: Tom O'Neil's Movie Awards) (Winners in bold print)

Best Written Drama

Above and Beyond (1952), Melvin Frank, Norman Panama, Beirne Lay, Jr.

From Here to Eternity, Daniel Taradash, based on the novel by James Jones.

Little Fugitive, Ray Ashley, Ruth Orkin, Morris Engel.

Martin Luther, Allan Sloane, Lothar Wolff

Shane, A.B. Guthrie, Jr., Jack Sher, based on the novel by Jack Schaefer.

Best Written Comedy

The Actress, Ruth Gordon, based on her play Years Ago.

How to Marry a Millionaire, Nunnally Johnson, based on two plays, The Greeks Had a Word for It by Zoe Akins and Loco by Dale Eunson and Katherine Albert.

The Moon is Blue, F. Hugh Herbert.

Roman Holiday (Award was originally bestowed to Ian McLellan Hunter and John Dighton, although the script was actually written by blacklisted scribe Dalton Trumbo, who received official credit from the guild posthumously in 1991).

Stalag 17, Billy Wilder, Edwin Blum, based on the play by Donald Bevan and Edmund Trzcinski.

Best Written Musical

Lili, Helen Deutsch, based on a short story by Paul Gallico.

The Band Wagon, Betty Comden, Adolph Green.

Call Me Madam, Arthur Sheekman, based on the musical comedy by Howard Lindsey and Russell Crowe.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Charles Lederer, based on the musical book by Joseph Fields and Anita Loos.

Laurel Award

Dudley Nichols

Berlin Film Festival (Source: Film Facts, 1980, edited by Cobbett Steinberg).

Audience Awards:

1) The Wages of Fear (France)

2) The Green Secret (Italy)

3) Sie fanden eine Heimat (The Village)(Switzerland)

Cannes Film Festival (Source: Film Facts, 1980, edited by Cobbett Steinberg).

Best Film:

Wages of Fear (Henri-Georges Clouzot, France)

Best Director:

Walt Disney, for his work as a whole

Best Actor:

Charles Vanel, The Wages of Fear

Best Actress:

Shirley Booth, Come Back, Little Sheba (1952)

Venice Film Festival (Source: Film Facts, 1980, edited by Cobbett Steinberg).

Best Film, Lion of St. Mark:

Not awarded this year

Best Actor:

Henri Vilbert, Absolution Without Confession (France)

Best Actress:

Lili Palmer, The Fourposter (1952)

Silver Prize Winners:

Ugestsu Monogatari (Kenji Mizoguchi, Japan)

I Vitelloni (Federico Fellini, Italy)

The Little Fugitive (R. Ashley, USA)

Moulin Rouge (1952- John Huston, England)

Therese Raquin (Marcel Carne, France)

Bronze Prize Winners:

War of God (Spain)

Les Orgueilleux (France)

Sinha Moca (Brazil)

          

Time Magazine's "Ten Best" of 1953 (in chronological order) (Source: Film Facts, 1980, edited by Cobbett Steinberg).

Lili 

Call Me Madam

Shane

Fanfan the Tulip (1952)

From Here to Eternity

The Cruel Sea

Roman Holiday

The Captain's Paradise 

The Living Desert 

The Conquest of Everest          

The New York Times' "Ten Best" of 1953 (in chronological order) (Source: Film Facts, 1980, edited by Cobbett Steinberg).

Moulin Rouge (1952)

Lili

Shane

Julius Caesar

Man on a Tightrope

Stalag 17

From Here to Eternity

Roman Holiday

Martin Luther

The Conquest of Everest

The Top Box-Office Hits of 1953 (According to Variety, January 13, 1954. Includes actual and estimated domestic rentals to theaters in U.S. and Canada, not box-office takes, which would be higher. If the final first-run rental take for films gaining $4,000,000 or more in rentals varies from the total originally listed in 1953, I'm showing that figure after the 1953 total. Final first-run rentals data comes from Variety's January 9, 1957 "All-Time Top Film Grosses" list (only films taking $4,000,000 or more in rentals were mentioned on the "All-Time" list; unfortunately, I have no data for films with a final gross under $4,000,000 that may have ended up with a higher take than shown below). Occasionally a film will end up on the "All-Time" list with a lower rental box-office take than when the film originally appeared on the yearly list of top box-office films. This is due to the estimated rentals, which were sometimes revised to a lower amount for the All-Time list).

1) The Robe 17,500,000
2) From Here to Eternity $12,500,000
3) Shane $8,000,000
4) How to Marry a Millionaire $7,500,000 (Final first-run rentals of $7,200,000)
5) Peter Pan $7,000,000 (Final first-run rentals of $6,000,000)
6) Hans Christian Andersen $6,000,000

7) House of Wax $5,500,000
8) Mogambo $5,200,000
9) Gentlemen Prefer Blondes $5,100,000
10) Moulin Rouge $5,000,000
11) Salome $4,750,000
12) The Charge at Feather River $3,650,000
13) The Caddy $3,500,000
       Come Back, Little Sheba (1952) $3,500,000
       The Moon is Blue $3,500,000
       Scared Stiff $3,500,000
       The Stooge $3,500,000
18) Stalag 17 $3,300,000
19) Little Boy Lost $3,000,000
      Mississippi Gambler $3,000,000
      Road to Bali $3,000,000
      Roman Holiday $3,000,000

23) Call Me Madam $2,850,000
24) April in Paris $2,750,000
Island in the Sky $2,750,000
26) Bwana Devil $2,700,000
27) Fort Ti $$2,600,000

28) The Band Wagon $2,550,000
29) Above and Beyond $2,500,000
      Easy to Love $2,500,000
      Kiss Me Kate $2,500,000
      Off Limits $2,500,000
      Springfield Rifle $2,500,000
      White Witch Doctor $2,500,000
35) Because You're Mine $2,450,000
      Trouble Along the Way $2,450,000
37) Thunder Bay $2,400,000
38) The Bad and the Beautiful (1952) $2,350,000
      Niagara $2,350,000
40) The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms $2,250,000
      Dangerous When Wet $2,250,000
      The Naked Spur $2,250,000
      Titanic $2,250,000
44) The Kettles on Vacation (1952) $2,200,000
      The Merry Widow (1952) $2,200,000
46) By the Light of the Silvery Moon $2,125,000
47) All the Brothers Were Valiant $2,100,000
      The Prisoner of Zenda (1952) $2,100,000

49) Blowing Wind $2,000,000
      The Desert Song $2,000,000
      Fort Bravo $2,000,000
      I Confess $2,000,000
      The Jazz Singer (1952) $2,000,000
      The Man Behind the Gun $2,000,000
      The Master of Ballantrae $2,000,000
      Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd $2,000,000
      Second Chance $2,000,000
      So Big $2,000,000
      South Sea Woman $2,000,000
      Thunder in the East $2,000,000
      War of the Worlds $2,000,000
62) Botany Bay $1,900,000
      Pickup on South Street $1,900,000
      She's Back on Broadway $1,900,000
65) Young Bess $1,850,000
66) Francis Covers the Big Town $1,800,000
      Houdini $1,800,000
     Return to Paradise $1,800,000
      Sangaree $1,800,000
70) Never Let Me Go $1,750,000
      Ruby Gentry (1952) $1,750,000
      So This is Love $1,750,000
73) Desert Legion $1,650,000
      Ride, Vanquero! $1,650,000
75) Against All Flags $1,600,000
      It Came From Outer Space $1,600,000
      Mr. Scoutmaster $1,600,000
      Never Wave at a WAC $1,600,000
      The Stars are Singing $1,600,000
      The Stranger Wore a Gun $1,600,000
81) Battle Circus $1,525,000
82) The Clown $1,500,00
      Latin Lovers $1,500,000
      Lili $1,500,000
84) Man in the Dark $1,450,000

85) I, the Jury $1,400,000
      Pony Express $1,400,000
      Seminole $1,400,000
88) The Great Sioux Uprising $1,350,000
      The President's Lady $1,350,000
      The Story of Three Loves $1,350,000
91) Everything I Have is Yours $1,325,000
92) Fair Wind to Java $1,300,000
      Gun Smoke $1,300,000
      The Lawless Breed $1,300,000
      Meet Me at the Fair $1,300,000
      My Cousin Rachel (1952)$1,300,000
      Small Town Girl $1,300,000
      Take the High Ground $1,300,000

99) The Big Heat $1,250,000
      Blackbeard the Pirate $1,250,000
      The City Beneath the Sea $1,250,000
      Abbott and Costello Go to Mars $1,250,000
      Hangman's Knot $1,250,000
      The I Don't Care Girl $1,250,000
      I Love Melvin $1,250,000
      Let's Do it Again $1,250,000
107) All I Desire $1,200,000
        Arrowhead $1,200,000
       Destination Gobi $1,200,000
       The Girl Next Door $1,200,000
      Jeopardy $1,200,000
      Abbott & Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde $1,200,000
      Torch Song $1,200,000
      Treasure of the Golden Condor $1,200,000

115) The Farmer Takes a Wife $1,150,000
        Lone Hand $1,150,000
       The Man From the Alamo $1,150,000
118) Column South $1,100,000
        The Desert Rats $1,100,000
        The Redhead From Wyoming $1,100,000
121) Sombrero $1,000,000
        The Devil's Canyon $1,000,000
        Down Among the Sheltering Palms $1,000,000
        The Girl Who Had Everything $1,000,000
        Law & Order $1,000,000
       Moonlighter $1,000,000
       Montana Belle $1,000,000
       Plunder of the Sun $1,000,000
       Powder River $1,000,000
       The Star $1,000,000
       The Sword and the Rose $1,000,000
       Take Me to Town $1,000,000
       Thunderbirds $1,000,000

The Top Ten Box Office Stars of 1953 (according to Quigley Publishing's poll of film exhibitors  found in The Motion Picture Herald)

1) Gary Cooper
2) Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis
3) John Wayne
4) Alan Ladd
5) Bing Crosby
6) Marilyn Monroe
7) James Stewart
8) Bob Hope
9) Susan Hayward
10) Randolph Scott

The Next Fifteen:
11) Doris Day
12) Esther Williams
13) Marjorie Main & Percy Kilbride
14) Gregory Peck
15) Ava Gardner
16) Clark Gable
17) Burt Lancaster
18) Jeff Chandler
19) Jane Wyman
20) Abbott & Costello
21) Stewart Granger
22) Jane Russell
23) Charlton Heston
24) Humphrey Bogart
25) Rita Hayworth

The Stars of Tomorrow (according to Quigley Publishing's poll of film exhibitors).

1) Janet Leigh

2) Gloria Grahame

3) Tony Curtis

4) Terry Moore

5) Rosemary Clooney

6) Julia Adams

7) Robert Wagner

8) Scott Brady

9) Pier Angeli

10) Jack Palance

The Top Western Stars of 1953 (according to Quigley Publishing's poll of film exhibitors).

1) Roy Rogers

2) Gene Autry

3) Rex Allen

4) Bill Elliot

5) Allan Lane

Britain's Top Ten British Box-Office Stars of 1953 (according to Quigley Publishing's poll of Britain's film exhibitors)
1) Jack Hawkins
2) Alec Guinness
3) Ronald Shiner
4) Alastair Sim
5) Dirk Bogarde
6) Dinah Sheridan
7) Jack Warner
8) Nigel Patrick
9) Ralph Richardson
10) Anthony Steel

Britain's Top Ten International Box-Office Stars of 1953 (according to Quigley Publishing's poll of Britain's film exhibitors)
1) Jack Hawkins
2) Bob Hope
3) Alan Ladd
4) Gregory Peck
5) Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis
6) Bing Crosby
7) John Wayne
8) Stewart Granger
9) Doris Day
10) Danny Kaye

Harvard Lampoon's Movie Worst Awards (Source: Film Facts, 1980, edited by Cobbett Steinberg).

Ten Worst:

The Robe

Salome

Beneath the Twelve-Mile Reef

Hondo

Torch Song

Call Me Madam 

How to Marry a Millionaire

Easy to Love

I, the Jury

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

Worst Performances:

Terry Moore, Beneath the Twelve-Mile Reef

Victor Mature, The Robe

Worst Supporting Performances:

Brandon De Wilde, Shane

Zsa Zsa Gabor, Moulin Rouge (1952)

Greatest Setback to Christianity Since Nero:

The Robe

Most Depressing Dotage:

Charles Laughton slavering over Rita Hayworth's abdominal dancing in Salome

Unsung Hero:

Musician who blew the bugle for Montgomery Clift in From Here to Eternity

Most Miscast:

Louis Calhern as a doddering Caesar in Julius Caesar

Silvana Mangano as a nun in Anna

Best Argument for a Stronger Navy:

Paratroopers

Greatest Travesty:

Tony Curtis systematic destruction of a legend in Houdini

Most Unattractive Connotations:

Call Me Madam

Girls in the Night

Most Degrading Moment:

Charles Laughton being hit over the head with a shovel by Lou Costello in Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd

Most Unconvincing Dialogue:

Biff Elliot mouthing "It was easy" to a fading blonde in In the Jury

Grossest Exploitation of Old Material:

Refilming King Solomon's Mines backwards to achieve Mogambo

The Roscoe Award:

Terry Moore, the worst ingenue of 1953