1954 in film

The year 1954 in film involved some significant events and memorable ones.

Events
A reproduction of "America's First Movie Studio", Thomas Edison's Black Maria, is constructed. May 12 — The Marx Brothers' Zeppo Marx divorces wife Marion Benda. The two were married in 1927. September 29 — A Star is Born premieres and marks Judy Garland's comeback after her termination from her contract at MGM. An astounding success with critics and audiences, A Star is Born not only marked the first time that legendary director George Cukor had made a film musical and film that is in Technicolor and in the anamorphic widescreen format, but also it's been regarded as one of the Garland's best performances in her film career. November 3 — The movie Godzilla premieres in Japan. It became a huge success and became the first in series of Godzilla movies, the longest running film series in history.

Top-grossing films (U.S.)
Rank

Title

Studio

Actors

Gross

1. Rear Window Paramount James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Raymond Burr $36,764,313[1] 2. White Christmas Paramount Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, Vera-Ellen, Dean Jagger $30,000,000[2] 3. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Walt Disney Pictures Kirk Douglas, James Mason, Peter Lorre $28,200,000[3] 4. Demetrius and the Gladiators 20th Century Fox Victor Mature, Susan Hayward, Anne Bancroft, Ernest Borgnine $26,000,000[4] 5. The Caine Mutiny Columbia Humphrey Bogart, Fred MacMurray, Van Johnson, José Ferrer, Robert Francis, E. G. Marshall $21,800,000[5] 6. Vera Cruz United Artists Gary Cooper, Burt Lancaster, Charles Bronson $11,000,000 7. Carmen Jones 20th Century Fox Dorothy Dandridge, Harry Belafonte, Pearl Bailey $9,812,000 8. The Country Girl Paramount Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, William Holden $7,963,000 9. The Barefoot Contessa United Artists Humphrey Bogart, Ava Gardner, Edmond O'Brien $7,298,000 10. A Star Is Born The High and the Mighty Warner Bros. Judy Garland, James Mason John Wayne, Robert Stack $6,850,000 11. River of No Return 20th Century Fox Robert Mitchum, Marilyn Monroe $5,766,025 12. Magnificent Obsession Universal Jane Wyman, Rock Hudson $5,200,000 13. The Long, Long Trailer MGM Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz $5,000,000 14. On the Waterfront Desirée Columbia Marlon Brando, Lee J. Cobb, Rod Steiger, Eva Marie Saint Marlon Brando, Jean Simmons $4,500,000 15. Sabrina Paramount Humphrey Bogart, Audrey Hepburn, William Holden 16. The Last Time I Saw Paris MGM Elizabeth Taylor 17. Dial M for Murder Warner Bros. Ray Milland, Grace Kelly 18. Living It Up Paramount Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis 19. Young at Heart Warner Bros. Frank Sinatra, Doris Day 20. It Should Happen to You Columbia Judy Holliday, Peter Lawford, Jack Lemmon

Awards
Academy Awards: Best Picture: On the Waterfront - Horizon-American, ColumbiaBest Director: Elia Kazan - On The WaterfrontBest Actor: Marlon Brando - On the WaterfrontBest Actress: Grace Kelly - The Country GirlBest Supporting Actor: Edmond O'Brien - The Barefoot ContessaBest Supporting Actress: Eva Marie Saint - On The Waterfront Golden Globe Awards: Drama:Best Picture: On the WaterfrontBest Actor: Marlon Brando - On the WaterfrontBest Actress: Grace Kelly - The Country GirlMusical or comedy:Best Picture: Carmen JonesBest Actor: James Mason - A Star Is BornBest Actress: Judy Garland - A Star Is BornOtherBest Director: Elia Kazan - On the WaterfrontBest Foreign Film: Twenty-Four Eyes (Nijushi no hitomi), JapanBest Foreign Film: No Way Back (de) (Weg Ohne Umkehr), West GermanyBest Foreign Film: The Lady of the Camellias (La Mujer de las camelias), ArgentinaBest Foreign Film: Genevieve, United Kingdom Grand Prix (Cannes Film Festival): Jigokumon 地獄門, (Gate of Hell), directed by Teinosuke Kinugasa, Japan Golden Lion (Venice Film Festival): Romeo and Juliet (Romeo e Giulietta), directed by Renato Castellani, Italy / U.K. Golden Bear (Berlin Film Festival): Hobson's Choice, directed by David Lean, United Kingdom

Top ten money making stars
Rank

Actor/Actress

1. John Wayne 2. (tie) Dean Martin Jerry Lewis 3. Gary Cooper 4. Marilyn Monroe 5. James Stewart 6. Alan Ladd 7. William Holden 8. Bing Crosby 9. Jane Wyman 10. Marlon Brando

Notable films released in 1954

 * 1) White Christmas

Serials
Gunfighters of the Northwest, starring Clayton Moore and Phyllis Coates Man with the Steel Whip, starring Dick Simmons Riding with Buffalo Bill Trader Tom of the China Seas, starring Harry Lauter and Aline Towne

Short film series
Looney Tunes (1930–1969) Terrytoons (1930–1964) Merrie Melodies (1931–1969) Popeye (1933–1957) The Three Stooges (1934–1959) Bugs Bunny (1940–1962) Tom and Jerry (1940–1958) Mighty Mouse (1942–1955) Chip 'n' Dale (1943–1956) Droopy (1943–1958) Barney Bear (1939–1954) Yosemite Sam (1945–1963) Speedy Gonzales (1953–1968) Ranger Don (1953–1956)

Film Debuts
Zbigniew Cybulski - A Generation Angie Dickinson - Lucky Me Jack Lemmon - It Should Happen to You Paul Newman - The Silver Chalice Eva Marie Saint - On the Waterfront Omar Sharif - Devil of the Sahara Godzilla