Highly Recommended Mystery/Noir/Thriller Movies Through the 1950s


This page lists 97 very good and excellent mystery, noir, suspense, and thriller movies released before 1960. Click on a title to go to a page of basic movie information, including links to reviews and a place for your own notes and annotations. Also see our list of external links to top movie lists for this category.

Thumbnail for 49th Parallel (1941)

49th Parallel (1941)

Thumbnail for 5 Fingers (1952)

5 Fingers (1952)

Thumbnail for A Man Escaped (1956)

A Man Escaped (1956)

Thumbnail for Ace in the Hole (1951)

Ace in the Hole (1951)

Thumbnail for All My Sons (1948)

All My Sons (1948)

Thumbnail for All the King's Men (1949)

All the King's Men (1949)

Thumbnail for Anatomy of a Murder (1959)

Anatomy of a Murder (1959)

Thumbnail for Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)

Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)

Thumbnail for Born to Kill (1947)

Born to Kill (1947)

Thumbnail for Call Northside 777 (1948)

Call Northside 777 (1948)

Thumbnail for Citizen Kane (1941)

Citizen Kane (1941)

Thumbnail for Compulsion (1959)

Compulsion (1959)

Thumbnail for Crime Wave (1954)

Crime Wave (1954)

Thumbnail for Deception (1946)

Deception (1946)

Thumbnail for Decision Before Dawn (1951)

Decision Before Dawn (1951)

Thumbnail for Detective Story (1951)

Detective Story (1951)

Thumbnail for Detour (1945)

Detour (1945)

Thumbnail for Dial M for Murder (1954)

Dial M for Murder (1954)

Thumbnail for Double Indemnity (1944)

Double Indemnity (1944)

Thumbnail for Drive a Crooked Road (1954)

Drive a Crooked Road (1954)

Thumbnail for Elevator to the Gallows (1958)

Elevator to the Gallows (1958)

Thumbnail for Five Graves to Cairo (1943)

Five Graves to Cairo (1943)

Thumbnail for Freaks (1932)

Freaks (1932)

Thumbnail for Fury (1936)

Fury (1936)

Thumbnail for Gun Crazy (1950)

Gun Crazy (1950)

Thumbnail for Hangmen Also Die! (1943)

Hangmen Also Die! (1943)

Thumbnail for Hangover Square (1945)

Hangover Square (1945)

Thumbnail for High Sierra (1941)

High Sierra (1941)

Thumbnail for House of Strangers (1949)

House of Strangers (1949)

Thumbnail for I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932)

I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932)

Thumbnail for In a Lonely Place (1950)

In a Lonely Place (1950)

Thumbnail for Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

Thumbnail for Kansas City Confidential (1952)

Kansas City Confidential (1952)

Thumbnail for Key Largo (1948)

Key Largo (1948)

Thumbnail for Kiss Me Deadly (1955)

Kiss Me Deadly (1955)

Thumbnail for Kiss of Death (1947)

Kiss of Death (1947)

Thumbnail for Laura (1944)

Laura (1944)

Thumbnail for Le Corbeau (1943)

Le Corbeau (1943)

Thumbnail for Les Diaboliques (1955)

Les Diaboliques (1955)

Thumbnail for Little Caesar (1931)

Little Caesar (1931)

Thumbnail for M (1931)

M (1931)

Thumbnail for Man Hunt (1941)

Man Hunt (1941)

Thumbnail for Night and the City (1950)

Night and the City (1950)

Thumbnail for Nightfall (1957)

Nightfall (1957)

Thumbnail for Nightmare Alley (1947)

Nightmare Alley (1947)

Thumbnail for No Way Out (1950)

No Way Out (1950)

Thumbnail for North by Northwest (1959)

North by Northwest (1959)

Thumbnail for Notorious (1946)

Notorious (1946)

Thumbnail for Odds Against Tomorrow (1959)

Odds Against Tomorrow (1959)

Thumbnail for On the Waterfront (1954)

On the Waterfront (1954)

Thumbnail for Panic (1946)

Panic (1946)

Thumbnail for Rear Window (1954)

Rear Window (1954)

Thumbnail for Rebecca (1940)

Rebecca (1940)

Thumbnail for Rififi (1955)

Rififi (1955)

Thumbnail for Road House (1948)

Road House (1948)

Thumbnail for Rope (1948)

Rope (1948)

Thumbnail for Run Silent, Run Deep (1958)

Run Silent, Run Deep (1958)

Thumbnail for Scandal Sheet (1952)

Scandal Sheet (1952)

Thumbnail for Shadow of a Doubt (1943)

Shadow of a Doubt (1943)

Thumbnail for Stalag 17 (1953)

Stalag 17 (1953)

Thumbnail for Strangers on a Train (1951)

Strangers on a Train (1951)

Thumbnail for Tension (1949)

Tension (1949)

Thumbnail for The Asphalt Jungle (1950)

The Asphalt Jungle (1950)

Thumbnail for The Big Clock (1948)

The Big Clock (1948)

Thumbnail for The Big Knife (1955)

The Big Knife (1955)

Thumbnail for The Body Snatcher (1945)

The Body Snatcher (1945)

Thumbnail for The Damned Don't Cry! (1950)

The Damned Don't Cry! (1950)

Thumbnail for The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

Thumbnail for The Defiant Ones (1958)

The Defiant Ones (1958)

Thumbnail for The Desperate Hours (1955)

The Desperate Hours (1955)

Thumbnail for The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)

The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)

Thumbnail for The Invisible Man (1933)

The Invisible Man (1933)

Thumbnail for The Killers (1946)

The Killers (1946)

Thumbnail for The Killing (1956)

The Killing (1956)

Thumbnail for The Lady from Shanghai (1947)

The Lady from Shanghai (1947)

Thumbnail for The Maltese Falcon (1941)

The Maltese Falcon (1941)

Thumbnail for The Naked City (1948)

The Naked City (1948)

Thumbnail for The Narrow Margin (1952)

The Narrow Margin (1952)

Thumbnail for The Night of the Hunter (1955)

The Night of the Hunter (1955)

Thumbnail for The Petrified Forest (1936)

The Petrified Forest (1936)

Thumbnail for The Set-Up (1949)

The Set-Up (1949)

Thumbnail for The Small Back Room (1949)

The Small Back Room (1949)

Thumbnail for The Stranger (1946)

The Stranger (1946)

Thumbnail for The Tall T (1957)

The Tall T (1957)

Thumbnail for The Third Man (1949)

The Third Man (1949)

Thumbnail for The Wages of Fear (1953)

The Wages of Fear (1953)

Thumbnail for The War of the Worlds (1953)

The War of the Worlds (1953)

Thumbnail for The Window (1949)

The Window (1949)

Thumbnail for The Woman in the Window (1945)

The Woman in the Window (1945)

Thumbnail for They Live by Night (1948)

They Live by Night (1948)

Thumbnail for They Won't Forget (1937)

They Won't Forget (1937)

Thumbnail for Thieves' Highway (1949)

Thieves' Highway (1949)

Thumbnail for To Catch a Thief (1955)

To Catch a Thief (1955)

Thumbnail for Touch of Evil (1958)

Touch of Evil (1958)

Thumbnail for Touchez Pas au Grisbi (1954)

Touchez Pas au Grisbi (1954)

Thumbnail for White Heat (1949)

White Heat (1949)

Thumbnail for Witness for the Prosecution (1957)

Witness for the Prosecution (1957)


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