1960 - Ben Hur, Won That!
Show notes
Hey Oscar fans! Today we’re looking back at the 1960 Oscars for the films of 1959! In the end, just like with the famous chariot race, Ben Hur demolished his opponents — but what made it a glorious victory was the sheer quality of his competition. From devastating historical dramas to scandalous courtroom battles, from one of the all-time greatest comedy films not even securing a nomination to foreign classics from some of cinema’s masters, this was a year when Hollywood was beginning to head in a new direction. Add in a few lesser-remembered hidden gems and genre pics and you’ve got a year that not only stands the test of time — it aces it. Join Bruce Vilanch and “Tex” as they take a deep dive into swords, sandals, attics and cannibals! As always, thanks for listening!
FILMS DISCUSSED
Ben Hur
The Diary of Anne Frank
The Nun’s Story
Anatomy of a Murder
Room at the Top
Some Like it Hot
Pillow Talk
Porgy and Bess
North by Northwest
Suddenly Last Summer
The Young Philadelphians
Imitation of Life
The Last Angry Man
The Apartment
Compulsion
Carmen Jones
Rio Bravo
The 400 Blows
Wild Strawberries
Pickpocket
Hiroshima Mon Amour
Mrs. Miniver
The Best Years of Our Lives
The Lost Weekend
The Apartment
Double Indemnity
Sunset Boulevard
Stalag 17
Sabrina
Witness for the Prosecution
Giant
Shane
A Place in the Sun
The Ten Commandments
The Story of Louis Pasteur
Operation Petticoat
Ship of Fools
Black Orpheus
Dr. Strangelove
The Poseidon Adventure
Imitation of Life (1934)
Lolita
On the Beach
Sleeping Beauty
Stay One for Me
Lil’ bAner
The Five Pennies
A Hole in the Head
(The Apu Trilogy)
The World of Apu
Pather Panchali
Aparajito
(The Human Condition Trilogy)
The Human Condition Part 1: No Greater Love
Last Year at Marienbad
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