1950s Books, Films And TV: The Decade Guide
Ealing comedies, the Coronation on television and the arrival of ITV - plus Narnia, Bond and the Angry Young Men.
Below: the books worth reading from the 1950s, then the films and television year by year from 1950 to 1959.
Useful for a themed night, a reading list, a reminiscence session or working out what someone grew up with.
Shop the cards that go with these
Shop cards Look back to 1950 Look back to 1951 Look back to 1952
Cards and prints, drawn and printed by us
Funny and warm cards and art prints, blank inside, printed in the UK with kraft envelopes. Order on a working day and it usually goes out the same day.
Happy Birthday Papa (Happy Birthday Card) (Multiple designs)
£3.87
Happy Birthday Bab (Happy Birthday Card) (Multiple designs)
£3.87
Yoda Best Multi-Occasion Greeting Card
£3.87
Happy Birthday Handsome (Happy Birthday Card) (Multiple designs)
£3.87
You Old Bastard (Funny Birthday Card)
£3.87
Happy Birthday Card For The World's Best Sister-in-Law
£3.87
Years covered in the 1950s
- 1950 - Petrol came off the ration, the Festival of Britain was being built and there was no chart yet. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1950
- 1951 - The Festival of Britain, a Conservative return and still no singles chart. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1951
- 1952 - A new Queen, the Great Smog and the first ever singles chart in November. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1952
- 1953 - The coronation, Everest, the Matthews final and sweets off the ration. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1953
- 1954 - Rationing finally ended and Roger Bannister ran a mile in under four minutes. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1954
- 1955 - ITV launched, rock and roll arrived and Britain got its first television adverts. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1955
- 1956 - Suez, Elvis arriving in the chart and the start of skiffle. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1956
- 1957 - You've never had it so good, the Munich disaster still to come and skiffle everywhere. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1957
- 1958 - Munich, the first motorway and Cliff Richard's 'Move It'. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1958
- 1959 - The Mini, the M1 and the last year before the sixties. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1959
- That is every 1950s year we have written up so far: 1950 to 1959.
Books of the 1950s
- C. S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950) and the rest of Narnia through to 1956.
- J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings (1954-55).
- Ian Fleming, Casino Royale (1953) - the first Bond novel.
- Dodie Smith, The Hundred and One Dalmatians (1956).
- Kingsley Amis, Lucky Jim (1954).
- John Wyndham, The Day of the Triffids (1951) and The Midwich Cuckoos (1957).
- Laurie Lee, Cider with Rosie (1959).
- Alan Sillitoe, Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1958).
- Michael Bond, A Bear Called Paddington (1958).
Film and television, year by year
- 1950 - Cinema attendance was near its peak, with most people going at least once a week.
- 1951 - The Lavender Hill Mob and The Man in the White Suit were released by Ealing Studios.
- 1952 - Television coverage of the King's funeral drew large audiences.
- 1953 - The coronation was the first mass television event in Britain, watched by an estimated twenty million.
- 1954 - The Nineteen Eighty-Four television adaptation in December caused questions in Parliament.
- 1955 - ITV launched on 22 September; the first advert was for Gibbs SR toothpaste.
- 1956 - Rock Around the Clock in cinemas led to seats being ripped out in some towns.
- 1957 - The Bridge on the River Kwai was the film of the year.
- 1958 - Blue Peter began on 16 October.
- 1959 - Juke Box Jury began on the BBC in June.
More from the screen
- 1950 - Television was a London-and-Midlands luxury with one channel and limited hours.
- 1951 - Television licences passed one million during the year.
- 1952 - Singin' in the Rain and The Greatest Show on Earth were in the cinemas.
- 1953 - The Quatermass Experiment was broadcast live in the summer and emptied the streets.
- 1954 - Doctor in the House and On the Waterfront were in the cinemas.
- 1955 - The Quatermass Experiment film was released after the television serial.
- 1956 - Look Back in Anger opened at the Royal Court in May and the angry young men arrived.
- 1957 - Panorama broadcast the spaghetti harvest hoax on 1 April.
- 1958 - Grandstand and Oh Boy! also started during the year.
- 1959 - Ben-Hur and Carry On Teacher were in the cinemas.
How to use this
- Themed night: one film from the decade, the matching party playlist, and a quiz round from the trivia page.
- Reading list: pick one book from the decade someone was born in and one from the decade they turned eighteen.
- Reminiscence session: read the television lines out and let people finish the theme tunes.
- Anyone born in 1950 turns 50 in 2000, 60 in 2010 and 70 in 2020.
Found your words? Now find the card
Shop cards Look back to 1950 Look back to 1951 Look back to 1952
How to write it so it lands
- Pair one film and one playlist from the same decade for an easy themed night.
- For a card, name the book or programme they grew up with rather than the decade.
- Charity shops are still the cheapest place to find the older titles on this list.
Where to shop next
- Look back to 1950
- Look back to 1951
- Look back to 1952
- Look back to 1953
- Look back to 1954
- Look back to 1955
- Look back to 1956
- Look back to 1957
- Look back to 1958
- Look back to 1959
- 1950s history: events, politics and culture
- 1950s calendar: year by year
- 1950s music: songs, genres and trends
- 1950s films and directors
- 1950s books: novels and authors
- 1950s art: artists and styles
- 1950s fashion: styles, designers and trends
- 1950s food: dishes, restaurants and trends
- 1950s travel: destinations and holidays
- 1950s technology: gadgets and computers
- 1950s shopping guide: what to buy
- 1950s games: board, card and video
- 1950s trivia: fun facts
- 1950s quiz: questions and answers
- 1950s party playlist
- The 1950s: the whole decade
- Retro gift guide: the 1950s
- The decade before: the 1940s
- The decade after: the 1960s
- All decade guides in one place
- Card messages by occasion: every guide in one place
- Card hub: cards, badges and messages by occasion
- Decade history by era
- Decade calendars: every year from 1920
- Decade music: songs, genres and trends
- Decade films: best movies and directors
- Decade books: novels, authors and reading trends
- Decade art: artists, styles and trends
- Decade fashion: styles, designers and trends
- Decade food: dishes, restaurants and eating trends
- Decade travel: destinations and holidays
- Decade technology: gadgets and computers
- Decade shopping guides
- Decade games: board, card and video games by era
- Decade trivia: fun facts by era
- Decade quizzes: questions and answers by era
- Decade trivia game: play for points
- Decade quiz: test your memory
- Shop art prints and posters
- Shop greetings cards
- Shop birthday cards
- Shop funny cards
- Milestone birthday cards
- Nostalgia gift shop
- Retro party supplies
- Wartime and 1950s party games
- Playground games by region
- Clapping games and skipping rhymes
- Seaside and beach games
- Sweets that disappeared
- Decade guides: books, films and TV by era
- Guess the year quiz
- Care home reminiscence quiz
- Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
- How to make a balloon arch
- Photo booth prop ideas
- Sympathy and bereavement cards
- Sympathy cards guide
- Pin badges
- All guides
Frequently asked questions
What are the best books of the 1950s?
The list above names real titles published between 1950 and 1959, with their years - a mix of the novels that defined the decade and the children's books that have stayed in print since.
What films and TV shows were popular in the 1950s?
The year-by-year list above gives the screen highlights for each year of the decade. For the full picture of any single year, open that year's page.
Where do these come from?
The film and television lines use the same checked facts as our year pages. The book lists are our own picks - real titles with real publication years, nothing invented.
Do you sell books or films?
No. We make greeting cards, art prints and pin badges in the UK. This page is free to read and free to copy.