List of films based on actual events (before 1970)

List of films based on actual events (before 1970)
This is a list of films and miniseries that are based on actual events. All films on this list are from American production unless indicated otherwise.
Not all films have remained true to the genuine history of the event or the characters they are portraying, often adding action and drama to increase the substance and popularity of the film. This list should only include films supported by a Wikipedia article.
1890s
The Execution of Mary Stuart (1895) – historical short film portraying the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots
King John (1899) – British drama short film about the life of John, King of England
Major Wilson's Last Stand (1899) – British silent short war film dramatizing the final engagement of the Shangani Patrol and the death of Major Allan Wilson and his men in Rhodesia in 1893
The Dreyfus Affair (French: L'affaire Dreyfus) (1899) – French biographical short film reconstructing episodes from the trial of Alfred Dreyfus
1900s
Joan of Arc (French: Jeanne d'Arc) (1900) – French silent film based on the life of Joan of Arc
Capital Execution (Danish: Henrettelsen) (1903) – Danish silent film telling the true story of a French woman who is condemned to death for killing her two children
The Story of the Kelly Gang (1906) – Australian bushranger film following the life of the legendary bushranger Ned Kelly, often cited as the first full-length feature film
Eureka Stockade (1907) – Australian silent film about the Eureka Rebellion
The Unwritten Law (1907) – crime drama film, about Harry Kendall Thaw's killing of Stanford White over his involvement with model and actress Evelyn Nesbit.
The Assassination of the Duke of Guise (French: La Mort du duc de Guise) (1908) – French historical film about the murder of Henry I, Duke of Guise, in 1588
The Boston Tea Party (1908) – silent historical drama film about the Boston Tea Party of 1773
The Life of Moses (1909) – silent epic christian film telling the story of the life of Moses
1910s
1910
Davy Crockett (1910) – silent Western film loosely based on the frontiersman Davy Crockett
Peg Woffington (1910) – silent historical film about the actress Peg Woffington
Peter the Great (Russian: Pyotr Velikiy) (1910) – Russian short film showing the main events in the life of Peter the Great
1911
The Life and Deeds of the Immortal Leader Karađorđe(Serbian: Живот и дела бесмртног вожда Карађорђа) (1911) – Serbian silent film depicting the eponymous rebel leader Karađorđe, who led the First Serbian Uprising of 1804–1813
Sweet Nell of Old Drury (1911) – Australian silent film about the relationship between Nell Gwynne and King Charles II
1912
Custer's Last Fight (1912) – silent Western film about George Armstrong Custer and his final stand at the Battle of the Little Bighorn
From the Manger to the Cross (1912) – Christian drama film telling the story of Jesus' life, interspersed with verses from The Bible
Saved from the Titanic (1912) – silent drama film about the sinking of the RMS Titanic
1913
David Garrick (1913) – silent film about the actor David Garrick
Sixty Years a Queen (1913) – silent hisorical film about the life and reign of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom
1914
The Higher Law (1914) – silent drama film about François Villon
Home, Sweet Home (1914) – silent biographical film about John Howard Payne and his creation of the song Home! Sweet Home!
The Indian Wars Refought (1914) – silent Western film depicting several historical battles of The Indian Wars
Judith of Bethulia (1914) – silent drama film about the life of Judith
The Life of General Villa (1914) – silent biographical action–drama film incorporating both staged scenes and authentic live footage from real battles during the Mexican Revolution, around which the plot of the film revolves
The Oubliette (1914) – silent historical drama film about François Villon
1915
Barbara Frietchie (1915) – silent war drama film based on the life of Barbara Fritchie
Florence Nightingale (1915) – British silent historical film portraying the life of Florence Nightingale, particularly her innovations in nursing during the Crimean War
Jane Shore (1915) – British silent historical film based on the life of Jane Shore
Mistress Nell (1915) – silent historical adventure film about Nell Gwyn
The Prince and the Pauper (1915) – silent lost film about King Edward VI of England
The Raven (1915) – biographical film based on the life of Edgar Allan Poe
Regeneration (1915) – silent biographical crime drama based on the 1903 memoir My Mamie Rose, by Owen Frawley Kildare
1916
The Blacklist (1916) – silent drama film based on the 1915 Colorado miners strike
David Garrick (1916) – silent historical film based on the life of the eighteenth century British actor David Garrick
Davy Crockett (1916) – silent film telling the story of the famous Tennessee frontiersman, soldier, scout Davy Crockett
Disraeli (1916) – British silent biographical film telling the story of mid-Victorian statesman Benjamin Disraeli manages to thwart the plans of Britain's rival Great Powers and gain control of the strategically important Suez Canal
Joan the Woman (1916) – silent epic drama film about Joan of Arc
The Mutiny of the Bounty (1916) – Australian-New Zealander silent film about the mutiny aboard
Nurse Cavell (1916) – Australian lost film about the execution of Nurse Edith Cavell in the previous year
1917
Betsy Ross (1917) – silent historical film depicting the story of Revolutionary War heroine Betsy Ross who finds herself in competition with her sister for the affections of a British soldier
The Black Stork (1917) – drama film depicting a fictionalized account of his eugenic infanticide of the child John Bollinger
Cleopatra (1917) – silent historical drama film telling the story of Cleopatra
The Conqueror (1917) – silent biographical Western film depicting he life of Sam Houston; soldier, statesman, patriot, and one of the founders of the Republic of Texas
The Fall of the Romanoffs (1917) – silent drama film taking place during the final days of Rasputin's influence on the Imperial Family shortly before the Russian Revolution
Her Country's Call (1917) – silent drama film depicting Abraham Lincoln as the American president and the Civil War up to Lincoln's assassination
The Lincoln Cycle (1917) – silent film portraying the life of American president Abraham Lincoln
Rasputin, the Black Monk (1917) – lost silent drama film depicting the rise and fall of Rasputin, the so-called "mad monk" who dominated the court of the Russian czar in the period prior to the Russian Revolution
The Trooper of Troop K (1917) – drama war film based on a black U.S. Army cavalry unit in the early 1900s
1918
Casanova (1918) – Hungarian biographical film about Giacomo Casanova
Ferdinand Lassalle (1918) – German silent historical film portraying the life of Ferdinand Lassalle
Het proces Begeer (1918) – Dutch silent drama film and based on the true story of three criminals who prepare a robbery on the diamond company of the firm Begeer in Amsterdam
The Life Story of David Lloyd George (1918) – British silent biopic film about David Lloyd George, British Prime Minister from 1916 to 1922
Men Who Have Made Love to Me (1918) – silent biographical feminist film based on Mary MacLane's experiences with six different men
My Four Years in Germany (1918) – silent war drama film based on the experiences of real life U. S. Ambassador to Germany James W. Gerard
Nelson (1918) – British historical film based on the biography of Admiral Horatio Nelson
Private Peat (1918) – lost silent biographical drama film recalling Harold Peat's experiences as one of the first Americans to enlist in WW1
The Woman the Germans Shot (1918) – silent war biographical film about the life and career of Nurse Edith Cavell
1919
Deliverance (1919) – silent film which tells the story of the life of Helen Keller and her teacher, Annie Sullivan
The Fighting Roosevelts (1919) – biographical film about Theodore Roosevelt
Giuliano l'Apostata (1919) – Italian historical drama film about the Roman Emperor Julian, known as Julian the Apostate for his rejection of Christianity
Madame DuBarry (1919) – German silent film based on the life of Madame Du Barry
Nocturne of Love (German: Nocturno der Liebe) (1919) – German silent historical film portraying the life of the composer Frederic Chopin
Ravished Armenia (1919) – silent drama film about the Armenian genocide based on the account of survivor Aurora Mardiganian, who also played the lead role in the film
1920s
1920
Anna Boleyn (1920) – German historical film about Anne Boleyn
Catherine the Great (1920) – German historical film about Catherine the Great, empress of Russia
Countess Walewska (1920) – German historical film about Napoleon and Marie Walewska
The Dancer Barberina (1920) – German historical film about Frederick the Great and Barberina Campanini
Headin' Home (1920) – silent biographical sports film about the life of baseball player Babe Ruth
If I Were King (1920) – silent drama film about François Villon
The Tragedy of a Great (German: Die Tragödie eines Großen) (1920) – German silent historical film depicting the life of the painter Rembrandt
Within Our Gates (1920) – silent race film portrays the contemporary racial situation in the United States during the early twentieth century, the years of Jim Crow, the revival of the Ku Klux Klan, the Great Migration of blacks to cities of the North and Midwest, and the emergence of the "New Negro"
1921
Disraeli (1921) – silent historical drama film depicting the story of British prime minister Benjamin Disraeli and the purchase by England of the Suez Canal
The Gunsaulus Mystery (1921) – silent race film inspired by events and figures in the 1913-1915 trial of Leo Frank for the murder of Mary Phagan
Jánošík (1921) – Slovak historical film about the popular legend of the highwayman Juraj Jánošík
Orphans of the Storm (1921) – silent drama film set in late-18th-century France, before and during the French Revolution
The Queen of Shebe (1921) – silent drama film about the story of the ill-fated romance between Solomon, King of Israel, and the Queen of Sheba
1922
A Prince of Lovers (1922) – British silent biographical film portraying the life of the British writer Lord Byron
A Stage Romance (1922) – silent historical drama film portraying the adventures of the British actor Edmund Kean
Cocaine (1922) – British crime film depicting the distribution of cocaine by gangsters through a series of London nightclubs and was reportedly based on real-life criminal Brilliant Chang
Dick Turpin's Ride to York (1922) – British silent historical film telling the story of the famous 18th-century highwayman Dick Turpin and his legendary overnight ride from London to York on his mount Black Bess
The Earl of Essex (German: Der Graf von Essex) (1922) – German silent historical film about Graf Essex
The Loves of Pharaoh (German: Das Weib des Pharao) (1922) – German historical epic film about Pharaoh Amenemope
Nanook of the North (1922) – silent docudrama film following the lives of an Inuk, Nanook, and his family as they travel, search for food, and trade in the Ungava Peninsula of northern Quebec, Canada
Nero (1922) – American-Italian silent historical film portraying the life of the Roman Emperor Nero
Peter the Great (German: Peter der Große) (1922) – German silent historical film depicting the life of the reformist Russian Tsar Peter the Great
Rob Roy (1922) – British silent historical film depicting the life of the early 18th century outlaw Rob Roy MacGregor
1923
Bonnie Prince Charlie (1923) – British silent historical film depicting the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745 and its aftermath when the Jacobite pretender Charles Edward Stuart evaded capture by the forces loyal to the Hanoverians
Christopher Columbus (1923) – German silent historical film depicting the Discovery of America by the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus in 1492
Franz Lehár (1923) – Austrian silent biographical film portarying the life of the composer Franz Lehár
Friedrich Schiller (1923) – German silent historical film about the life of the eighteenth century writer Friedrich Schiller
Guy Fawkes (1923) – British silent historical film depicting the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 in which a group of plotters planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament
I.N.R.I. (1923) – German silent religious epic film depicting a retelling of the events leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ
The Little Napoleon (German: Der kleine Napoleon) (1923) – German silent historical comedy film depicting the life and amorous adventures of Jérôme Bonaparte, the younger brother of Napoleon, who installed him as King of Westphalia
The Loves of Mary, Queen of Scots (1923) – British silent historical film depicting the life of Mary, Queen of Scots, and her eventual execution
Our Hospitality (1923) – silent comedy film displaying satire of the real-life Hatfield–McCoy feud
Paganini (1923) – German silent historical film about Niccolò Paganini
Richard the Lion-Hearted (1923) – silent historical adventure film about Richard I of England
1924
Abraham Lincoln (1924) – biographical film featuring the presidency and assassination of Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War
America (1924) – Silent historical war romance film based on the heroic story of the events during the American Revolutionary War, in which filmmaker D. W. Griffith created a film adaptation of Robert W. Chambers' 1905 novel The Reckoning
Beau Brummel (1924) – Silent historical drama film depicting the life of the British Regency dandy Beau Brummell
Becket (1924) – British silent drama film depicting the fatal encounter between Henry II and the Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Becket
Claude Duval (1924) – British silent adventure film based on the historical story of Claude Duval
Diego Corrientes (1924) – Spanish silent historical film portraying the life of the eighteenth century highwaymen Diego Corrientes Mateos
1925
Battleship Potemkin (Russian: Броненосец Потёмкин) (1925) – Soviet silent drama film presenting a dramatization of the mutiny that occurred in 1905 when the crew of the Russian battleship Potemkin rebelled against its officers
The Goose Woman (1925) – silent drama film based in part on the then already sensational Hall-Mills murder case
The Hussar of Death (Spanish: El Húsar de la Muerte) (1925) – Chilean silent biographical film based on the adventures of the guerrilla leader Manuel Rodríguez during the Reconquista, until his death in 1818
Karel Havlíček Borovský (1925) – Czechoslovak biographical drama film about Karel Havlíček Borovský and is set during the 1848 revolutions
Livingstone (1925) – British silent biographical film depicting the life of the African missionary David Livingstone including his efforts to end slavery and bring education in Africa and his celebrated meeting with Henry Morton Stanley
Prem Sanyas (The Light of Asia) (1925) – Weimar-Indian silent film based on the life of Prince Siddhartha Gautama, who founded Buddhism by becoming the Buddha or the "Enlightened one"
Tumbleweeds (1925) – silent Western film depicting the Cherokee Strip land rush of 1893
1926
The Captain from Köpenick (German: Der Hauptmann von Köpenick) (1926) – German silent film based on the case of Wilhelm Voigt
The General (1926) – silent film inspired by the Great Locomotive Chase, a true story of an event that occurred during the American Civil War
The Great K & A Train Robbery (1926) – silent Western film based on the actual foiling of a train robbery by Dick Gordon
The Johnstown Flood (1926) – Silent epic drama film that addresses the Great Flood of 1889 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Nell Gwyn (1926) – British silent romance film following the life of Nell Gwynne, the mistress of Charles II
Nelson (1926) – British historical film about Admiral Horatio Nelson
Secrets of a Soul (German: Geheimnisse einer Seele) (1926) – German silent drama film based on the works and theories of Sigmund Freud
With Davy Crockett at the Fall of the Alamo (1926) – silent Western film focusing on Davy Crockett before & during his time at the Alamo as one of the defenders, and ultimately, one of those who gave their lives
1927
The Beloved Rogue (1927) – silent romantic adventure film loosely based on the life of the 15th century French poet, François Villon
The Chess Player (French: Le Joueur d'échecs) (1927) – French silent film based on the story of the chess-playing automaton known as The Turk
Chicago (1927) – silent film inspired by the stories of Belva Gaertner and Beulah Annan, jazz babies on death row
The Club of the Big Deed (Russian: Союз Великого дела) (1927) – Soviet silent historical drama film about the 1825 Decembrist revolt
The End of St. Petersburg (Russian: Конец Санкт-Петербурга) (1927) – Soviet silent film depicting the Bolsheviks' rise to power in 1917
The King of Kings (1927) – silent epic film depicting the last weeks of Jesus before his crucifixion
The Loves of Casanova (1927) – French historical drama film portraying the life and adventures of Giacomo Casanova
Madame Pompadour (1927) – British silent historical drama film depicting the life of Madame Pompadour, mistress of Louis XV of France
Mata Hari (German: Mata Hari, die rote Tänzerin) (1927) – German silent drama film depicting the life and death of the German World War I spy Mata Hari
Napoléon (1927) – French silent epic historical film telling the story of Napoleon's early years
October: Ten Days That Shook the World (Russian: Октябрь (Десять дней, которые потрясли мир)) (1927) – Soviet silent historical film depicting a dramatization of the 1917 October Revolution commissioned for the tenth anniversary of the event
1928
The Charge of the Gauchos (Spanish: Una nueva y gloriosa nación) (1928) – Argentine-American silent historical film about Manuel Belgrano, one of the leaders of the 1810 May Revolution
Dawn (1928) – British silent war film based on the story of World War I martyr Edith Cavell
The Divine Woman (1928) – silent film loosely based on stories of the early life of the French actress Sarah Bernhardt
Dream of Love (1928) – silent biographical drama film depicting the story of Prince Maurice de Saxe and Adrienne Lecouvreur, a Gypsy performer
Luther (1928) – German silent film about the life of Martin Luther, father of the Protestant Reformation
Madame Récamier (1928) – French silent film about the life of Juliette Récamier
Maria Marten (1928) – British silent drama film based on the real story of the Red Barn Murder in the 1820s
The Old Fritz (German: Der alte Fritz) (1928) – German silent historical drama film telling the story of Frederick the Great
The Passion of Joan of Arc (French: La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc) (1928) – French silent historical film based on the actual record of the trial of Joan of Arc
The Patriot (1928) – biographical film telling the story of Emperor Paul I of Russia
1929
Atlantic (1929) – British drama film based on the
Cagliostro (1929) – German silent drama film based on the life of the eighteenth century Italian occultist Alessandro Cagliostro
Disraeli (1929) – pre-code historical film revolving around the British plan to buy the Suez Canal and the efforts of two spies to stop it
The Divine Lady (1929) – pre-code drama film telling the story of the love affair between Horatio Nelson and Emma Hamilton
The Miraculous Life of Thérèse Martin (French: La Vie miraculeuse de Thérèse Martin) (1929) – French silent film depicting biographical account of the late 19th century Discalced Carmelite nun who died at age 24 from tuberculosis and was canonized in 1925
Ludwig II, King of Bavaria (German: Ludwig der Zweite, König von Bayern) (1929) – German silent historical film portraying the life and reign of the monarch Ludwig II who ruled Bavaria from 1864 to 1886
The Queen's Necklace (French: Le collier de la reine) (1929) – French historical drama film about the Affair of the Diamond Necklace which occurred before the French Revolution
The Royal Box (German: Die Königsloge) (1929) – historical film about the life of the British actor Edmund Kean
1930s
1930
A Lady's Morals (1930) – pre-code biographical film offering a highly fictionalized account of opera singer Jenny Lind
Abraham Lincoln (1930) – pre-code biographical film about Abraham Lincoln
Billy the Kid (1930) – pre-code Western film about the relationship between frontier outlaw Billy the Kid and lawman Pat Garrett
Dreyfus (1930) – German drama film chronicling the Dreyfus affair
The Loves of Robert Burns (1930) – British historical musical film depicting the life of the Scottish poet Robert Burns
Ludwig II, King of Bavaria (German: Ludwig der Zweite, König von Bayern) (1930) – German silent historical film portraying the life and reign of the monarch Ludwig II who ruled Bavaria from 1864 to 1886
1931
Alexander Hamilton (1931) – pre-code biographical film about Alexander Hamilton
Comradeship (German: Kameradschaft) (1931) – French-German drama film concerning a mine disaster where German miners rescue French miners from an underground fire and explosion. The story takes place in the Lorraine–Saar regions, along the border between France and Germany
Dreyfus (1931) – British drama film depicting the Dreyfus affair
Mata Hari (1931) – pre-code drama film based on the life of Mata Hari, an exotic dancer and courtesan executed for espionage during World War I
Road to Life (Russian: Putyovka v zhizn) (1931) – Soviet drama film in which hundreds of orphans are sent to a labor commune
The Theft of the Mona Lisa (German: Der Raub der Mona Lisa) (1931) – German drama film based on the 1911 real robbery
Yorck (1931) – German war film portraying the life of the Prussian General Ludwig Yorck von Wartenburg, particularly his refusal to serve in Napoleon's army during the French Invasion of Russia in 1812
1932
I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932) – pre-code crime-drama film based on the story of a wrongfully convicted man on a chain gang who escapes to Chicago
Jenny Lind (1932) – pre-code musical film about opera singer Jenny Lind
Pergolesi (1932) – Italian historical musical film portraying the brief life of the eighteenth century Italian composer Giovanni Battista Pergolesi
Rasputin and the Empress (1932) – pre-code film set in Imperial Russia during the last years of the reign of Czar Nicholas II and the Czarina Alexandra
The Revenge of Pancho Villa (Spanish: La Venganza de Pancho Villa) (1932) – bilingual war film depicting the celebrated Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa (1878–1923)
Silver Dollar (1932) – pre-code biographical film depicting the story of the rise and fall of Horace Tabor (renamed Yates Martin), a silver tycoon in 19th century Colorado
1933
The Bowery (1933) – pre-code epic historical drama film inspired by the real life exploits of Chuck Connors and Steve Brodie in 1890s New York
Hans Westmar (German: Hans Westmar. Einer von vielen. Ein deutsches Schicksal aus dem Jahre 1929) (1933) – Nazi German propaganda film depicting a partially fictionalized biography of the Nazi martyr Horst Wessel
The Hymn of Leuthen (German: Der Choral von Leuthen) (1933) – German biographical drama film depicting the life of Frederick the Great
In the Wake of the Bounty (1933) – Australian action drama film about the 1789 Mutiny on the Bounty
The Man Who Dared (1933) – pre-code drama film based on Anton Cermak, the Chicago mayor killed in an assassination attempt on Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933
Night Flight (1933) – pre-code aviation drama film based on Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's personal experiences while flying on South American mail routes
The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933) – British drama film focusing on the marriages of King Henry VIII of England
Queen Christina (1933) – pre-code biographical film portraying the life of Queen Christina of Sweden, who became monarch at the age of six in 1632 and grew to be a powerful and influential leader
Voltaire (1933) – pre-code biographical film about Voltaire, an 18th-century French writer and philosopher
1934
The Barretts of Wimpole Street (1934) – romantic drama film based on the real-life romance between poets Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning, despite the opposition of her abusive father
Chapaev (1934) – Soviet war film depicting the life of Vasily Ivanovich Chapayev (1887–1919), a Red Army notable commander of the Russian Civil War
Cleopatra (1934) – epic film depicting a retelling of the story of Cleopatra VII of Egypt
Ferdowsi (Persian: فردوسی) (1934) – Iranian biography drama film about the famous Iranian poet Ferdowsi, author of the Shahnameh book of epic poems
The House of Rothschild (1934) – pre-code historical drama film chronicling the rise of the Rothschild family of European bankers
The Iron Duke (1934) – British historical film depicting the story Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington in the events leading up to the Battle of Waterloo and beyond
Love Time (1934) – historical drama film about the nineteenth century Austrian composer Franz Schubert
Madame Du Barry (1934) – historical film portraying the life of Madame Du Barry, the last mistress of King Louis XV of France
The Man They Could Not Hang (1934) – Australian drama film about the life of John Babbacombe Lee
The Mighty Barnum (1934) – comedy biographical film about P.T. Barnum
Nell Gwynn (1934) – British historical drama film portraying the historical romance between Charles II of England and the actress Nell Gwyn
The Rise of Catherine the Great (1934) – British historical film about the rise to power of Catherine the Great
The Scarlet Empress (1934) – historical drama film about the life of Catherine the Great
Unfinished Symphony (1934) – British-Austrian musical drama film based on the story of Franz Schubert who, in the 1820s left his symphony unfinished after losing the love of his life
Viva Villa! (1934) – pre-code Western film about Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa
Waltzes from Vienna (1934) – British biographical film depicting the story of Johann Strauss, the Elder and the Younger
Willem van Oranje (1934) – Dutch biographical film portraying the life of William the Silent, and the origins of the Dutch Revolt
1935
Annie Oakley (1935) – Western film based on the life of Annie Oakley
Casta Diva (1935) – Italian musical drama film concerning Italian composer Vincenzo Bellini and his problems with his opera Norma
Clive of India (1935) – historical biographical film about the life of Robert Clive
Diamond Jim (1935) – biographical film depicting the life of legendary entrepreneur James Buchanan Brady, including his romance with entertainer Lillian Russell
Drake of England (1935) – British drama film depicting the life of Francis Drake and the events leading up to the defeat of the Armada in 1588
Golgotha (1935) – French drama film about the death of Jesus Christ
Harmony Lane (1935) – biographical drama film based upon the life of Stephen Foster
Joan of Arc (German: Das Mädchen Johanna) (1935) – Nazi German historical drama film depicting the life of Joan of Arc, and is the first female embodiment of the Nazi Führer figure in film
Maria Marten, or The Murder in the Red Barn (1935) – British melodrama film based on the true story of the 1827 Red Barn Murder where a 25-year-old mother is shot dead by her lover and her stepmother claims to have dreamt of the murder the night of the event, before the young woman's body was discovered
Murder in Harlem (1935) – race film about the 1913 trial of Leo Frank for the murder of Mary Phagan
Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) – drama film depicting the mutiny-at-sea tale
Royal Cavalcade (1935) – British drama film portraying a dramatised pastiche of great events that occurred during the reign of George V
Together We Live (1935) – drama film about the 1934 West Coast waterfront strike
Toni (1935) – French drama film based on a true story about migrant workers in Martigues
1936
Augustus the Strong (German: August der Starke) (1936) – German-Polish biographical film depicting the life of Augustus the Strong, the Eighteenth Century ruler of Saxony and Poland
Beethoven's Great Love (French: Un grand amour de Beethoven) (1936) – French historical musical drama film depicting the career of the composer Ludwig van Beethoven
Daniel Boone (1936) – western historical drama film telling the story of Daniel Boone settling Kentucky
The Emperor of California (German: Der Kaiser von Kalifornien) (1936) – Nazi German Western film following the life story of Johann Augustus Sutter, the owner of Sutter's Mill, famous as the birthplace of the great California Gold Rush of 1849
The Great Ziegfeld (1936) – musical drama film portraying the ups and downs of Florenz Ziegfeld Jr., famed producer of extravagant stage revues
Hearts Divided (1936) – musical film about the real-life marriage between American Elizabeth 'Betsy' Patterson and Jérôme Bonaparte, brother of Napoleon
Journey to Arzrum (Russian: Путешествие в Арзрум) (1936) – Soviet drama film depicting Alexander Pushkin's eponymous travel account of his journey to the Caucasus, Armenia, and Arzrum (modern Erzurum) in eastern Turkey during the Russo-Turkish War (1828–29)
Mary of Scotland (1936) – biographical drama film about the 16th-century ruler Mary, Queen of Scots
The Plainsman (1936) – Western drama film presenting a highly fictionalized account of the adventures and relationships between Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane, Buffalo Bill Cody, and General George Custer
The Prisoner of Shark Island (1936) – drama film loosely based on the life of Maryland physician Samuel Mudd, who treated the injured presidential assassin John Wilkes Booth and later spent time in prison after his controversial conviction for being one of Booth's accomplices
Rembrandt (1936) – British biographical drama film about the life of 17th-century Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn
Rhodes of Africa (1936) – British biographical film charting the life of Cecil Rhodes
Robin Hood of El Dorado (1936) – Western film about real-life Mexican folk hero Joaquin Murrieta
San Francisco (1936) – musical-drama disaster film based on the April 18, 1906 San Francisco earthquake
Sant Tukaram (Marathi: Sant Tukārām) (1936) – Indian Marathi-language film based on the life of Tukaram (1608–50), a prominent Varkari saint and spiritual poet of the Bhakti movement in India
The Story of Louis Pasteur (1936) – biographical film about the renowned scientist who developed major advances in microbiology, which revolutionized agriculture and medicine
Sutter's Gold (1936) – Western film depicting a fictionalized version of the aftermath of the discovery of gold on Sutter's property, spurring the California Gold Rush of 1849
Whom the Gods Love (1936) – British biographical film portraying the life of the Eighteenth Century Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
The White Angel (1936) – historical drama film depicting Florence Nightingale's pioneering work in nursing during the Crimean War
1937
Auld Lang Syne (1937) – British historical drama film based on the life of the eighteenth century Scottish poet Robert Burns
Chintamani (1937) – Indian Tamil-language film based on the life story of a Sanskrit poet named Bilwamangal
Fire Over England (1937) – British drama film set during the reign of Elizabeth I focusing on England's victory over the Spanish Armada
The Great Garrick (1937) – historical comedy film about the famous eighteenth-century British actor David Garrick, who travels to France for a guest appearance at the Comédie-Française
John Ericsson, Victor of Hampton Roads (Swedish: John Ericsson - segraren vid Hampton Roads) (1937) – Swedish historical drama film based on the life of the nineteenth century Swedish engineer and inventor John Ericsson, known for his work in Britain and the United States
Lenin in October (Russian: Ленин в Октябре) (1937) – Soviet biographical drama film, made as Soviet-realist propaganda, portraying the activities of Lenin at the time of the October Revolution
The Life of Emile Zola (1937) – biographical drama film about the 19th-century French author Émile Zola
Parnell (1937) – biographical romantic drama film based on the life of Irish politician and Home Rule activist, Charles Stewart Parnell
Peter the Great (Russian: Пётр Первый) (1937) – Soviet biographical drama film based on the life and activity of the Russian Emperor Peter I
Pugachev (1937) – Soviet biographical drama film telling the story of Yemelyan Pugachev who pretended to be Peter III of Russia; he was one of several dozen impostors posing as Peter, and the most famous of them
Purandaradasa (1937) – Indian Kannada-language biographical film about Purandara Dasa
The Toast of New York (1937) – biographical comedy drama film depicting a fictionalized account of the lives of financiers James Fisk and Edward S. Stokes
Victoria the Great (1937) – British historical film telling the story of Queen Victoria from her coronation, focused on her meeting and marriage to Prince Albert and the way they established shared responsibilities until his death
Young Pushkin (Russian: Юность поэта) (1937) – Soviet biographical drama film portraying the youth of the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin
1938
Adrienne Lecouvreur (1938) – French-German biographical drama film about the life of the eighteenth century actress Adrienne Lecouvreur
The Adventures of Marco Polo (1938) – biographical adventure film telling the story of Marco Polo who travels to China, where he finds the Emperor Kublai Khan, court intrigue, danger, and unexpected love
Alexander Nevsky (Russian: Александр Невский) (1938) – Soviet historical drama film depicting the attempted invasion of Novgorod in the 13th century by the Teutonic Knights of the Holy Roman Empire and their defeat by Prince Alexander, known popularly as Alexander Nevsky
Boys Town (1938) – biographical drama film based on Father Edward J. Flanagan's work with a group of underprivileged boys in a home/educational complex that he founded and named "Boys Town" in Nebraska
The Buccaneer (1938) – biographical adventure film based on Jean Lafitte and the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812
The Childhood of Maxim Gorky (Russian: Детство Горького) (1938) – Soviet biographical film depicting Soviet writer Maxim Gorky's inauspicious early years as an orphan raised by conniving relatives
Friends (Russian: Друзья) (1938) – Soviet biographical war film based on the life of Sergey Kirov
Giuseppe Verdi (1938) – Italian biographical film portraying the life of the composer Giuseppe Verdi
The Great Waltz (1938) – biographical film loosely based on the life of Johann Strauss II
If I Were King (1938) – biographical historical film about medieval poet François Villon
In Old Chicago (1938) – disaster musical drama film depicting the Great Chicago Fire of 1871
Life of St. Paul (1938) – biographical adventure miniseries about Paul the Apostle
Marie Antoinette (1938) – historical drama film based on the life of Marie Antoinette, from her betrothal to Louis XVI, through her reign as the last queen of France, to her execution
Pietro Micca (1938) – Italian historical war film portraying the life and death of Pietro Micca, who was killed in 1706 at the Siege of Turin while fighting for the Duchy of Savoy against France in the War of the Spanish Succession
Rasputin (French: La Tragédie impériale) (1938) – French historical drama film depicting the rise and fall of the Russian mystic Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin, the advisor to the Romanov royal family
Sixty Glorious Years (1938) – British biographical drama film depicting the life and reign of Queen Victoria
Spirit of Youth (1938) – biographical sport film telling the story of the rise of boxer Joe Louis
Suez (1938) – romantic drama film based on events surrounding the construction, between 1859 and 1869, of the Suez Canal, planned and supervised by French diplomat Ferdinand de Lesseps
That Mothers Might Live (1938) – drama short film depicting a brief account of Hungarian physician Ignaz Semmelweis and his discovery of the need for cleanliness in 19th-century maternity wards
Thayumanavar (1938) – Indian Tamil-language biographical drama film depicting the life story of Hindu Saint and Philosopher Thayumanavar who lived in the 18th century
1939
Drums Along the Mohawk (1939) – historical drama film portraying settlers on the New York frontier during the American Revolution
The Empress Wu Tse-tien (Chinese: 武則天) (1939) – Chinese historical film based on the life of Wu Zetian, the only female emperor in Chinese history
The Flying Irishman (1939) – biographical drama film about Douglas Corrigan's 1938 unofficial transatlantic flight in a dilapidated Curtiss Robin light aircraft
Frontier Marshal (1939) – Western drama film depicting the life of Wyatt Earp
Gjest Baardsen (1939) – Norwegian comedy drama film based on the life of the outlaw Gjest Baardsen
Gorky 2: My Apprenticeship (Russian: В людях) (1939) – Soviet biographical film depicting Soviet writer Maxim Gorky's early adulthood and the struggles he faced
The Great Victor Herbert (1939) – biographical musical film depicting the story of famous opera composer Victor Herbert
Immortal Waltz (German: Unsterblicher Walzer) (1939) – Nazi German historical drama film portraying the lives the Austrian composer Johann Strauss I and family
Jesse James (1939) – Western film loosely based on the life of Jesse James, the outlaw from whom the film derives its name
Juarez (1939) – historical drama film depicting the story of Mexican President Benito Juarez
Lenin in 1918 (Russian: Ленин в 1918 году) (1939) – Soviet biographical drama film about the Russian Civil War after the October Revolution
Let Us Live (1939) – crime drama film adapted from the 1936 Harper's Magazine story "Murder in Massachusetts" by Joseph F. Dinneen about a real criminal case
The Life of Carlos Gardel (Spanish: La vida de Carlos Gardel) (1939) – Argentine musical film portraying the life of the French-born tango singer Carlos Gardel who became a popular film star in Argentina and the United States
The Mad Empress (1939) – historical drama film depicting the 3-year reign of Maximilian I of Mexico and his struggles against Benito Juarez
Man of Conquest (1939) – Western war film about the politician Sam Houston, focusing on his relationship with Andrew Jackson and his role during the Texas Revolution
Manickavasagar (1939) – Indian Tamil-language film depicting the life story of Saint Manikkavacakar
Nurse Edith Cavell (1939) – biographical war film depicting the story of Edith Cavell who went to German-occupied Brussels after the onset of the First World War
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939) – historical romantic drama film based on the historical relationship between Queen Elizabeth I and Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex
Robert Koch (German: Robert Koch, der Bekämpfer des Todes) (1939) – Nazi German biographical propaganda film about the German pioneering microbiologist Robert Koch
Shchors (Russian: Щорс) (1939) – Soviet biographical war film about the partisan leader and Ukrainian Bolshevik Nikolai Shchors
The Star Maker (1939) – biographical musical film based on the life of vaudevillian Gus Edwards
The Story of Alexander Graham Bell (1939) – biographical drama film about Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone
The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939) – biographical musical comedy based on the story of the dancing team (Vernon and Irene Castle) who taught the world to two-step
Swanee River (1939) – biographical musical film about Stephen Foster, a songwriter from Pittsburgh who falls in love with the South, marries a Southern girl, then is accused of sympathizing when the Civil War breaks out
Thiruneelakantar (1939) – Indian Tamil-language film based on the life of Tirunilakanta Nayanar
Tower of London (1939) – historical film based on the traditional depiction of Richard rising to become King of England in 1483 by eliminating everyone ahead of him
Young Mr. Lincoln (1939) – biographical drama film about the early life of President Abraham Lincoln
1940s
1940
A Dispatch from Reuters (1940) – biographical drama film about Paul Reuter, the man who built the famous news service that bears his name
Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940) – biographical historical drama film depicting the life of Abraham Lincoln from his departure from Kentucky until his election as President of the United States
Bismarck (1940) – Nazi German historical film depicting the life of the Prussian statesman Otto von Bismarck, a German nationalist and lonely genius who withstands the Reichstag to act on behalf of the people
Brigham Young (1940) – biographical western film depicting Brigham Young's succession to the presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after founder Joseph Smith was assassinated in 1844
Confucius (Mandarin: 孔夫子) (1940) – Chinese biographical historical drama film depicting Confucius's later life, as he traveled across a China divided by war and strife in an ultimately futile effort to teach various warlords and kings his particular philosophy
Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet (1940) – biographical drama film based on the true story of the German doctor and scientist Dr. Paul Ehrlich
Edison, the Man (1940) – biographical drama film depicting the life of inventor Thomas Edison
Eternal Melodies (Italian: Melodie eterne) (1940) – Italian historical drama film depicting a heavily fictionalized account of the life of the Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
The Fighting 69th (1940) – action-adventure war film based upon the actual exploits of New York City's 69th Infantry Regiment during World War I
Gorky 3: My Universities (Russian: Мои университеты) (1940) – Soviet drama film depicting the continued life of Maxim Gorky as he reaches maturity with an insatiable desire for personal and artistic freedom
The Heart of a Queen (German: Das Herz der Königin) (1940) – Nazi German biographical drama film making selective use of the life story of Mary, Queen of Scots, and her execution by Queen Elizabeth I for anti-English and pro-Scottish propaganda, in the context of the Second World War going on at the time
Kit Carson (1940) – Western film about the life of Kit Carson
Knute Rockne, All American (1940) – biographical drama film telling the story of Knute Rockne, Notre Dame's legendary football coach
Lady with Red Hair (1940) – historical drama film telling the story of Leslie Carter's rise to fame on Broadway through collaborations with impresario David Belasco
Lillian Russell (1940) – biographical historical drama film based on the life of singer and actress Lillian Russell
Little Old New York (1940) – historical drama film depicting the story of the hardships of the engineer Robert Fulton in financing and building the first successful steam-powered ship in America, which would revolutionize river transportation and then ocean commerce around the world
Northwest Passage (1940) – Western film telling a partly fictionalized version of the real-life St. Francis Raid by Rogers' Rangers, led by Robert Rogers
Parole Fixer (1940) – action drama crime film based on the 1938 book called Persons in Hiding, an exposé of corruption within the American parole system
Pastor Hall (1940) – British drama film based on the true story of the German pastor Martin Niemöller who was sent to Dachau concentration camp for criticizing the Nazi Party
Rembrandt (1940) – Dutch biographical historical drama film portraying the life of the Dutch artist Rembrandt
The Return of Frank James (1940) – Western film following the life of Frank James following the death of his outlaw brother, Jesse James, at the hands of the Ford brothers
The Rothschilds (German: Die Rothschilds) (1940) – Nazi German historical propaganda film depicting the role of the Rothschild family in the Napoleonic wars. The Jewish Rothschilds are depicted in a negative manner, consistent with the anti-Semitic policy of Nazi Germany
Sant Dnyaneshwar (Hindi: संत ज्ञानेश्वर) (1940) – Indian Hindi-language biographical drama film about the life of Jñāneśvar, a 13th-century Marathi poet, philosopher, sant and yogi of the Nath tradition
Santa Fe Trail (1940) – Western-drama film depicting the story of J.E.B. Stuart and his mission to stop John Brown
The Three Codonas (German: Die drei Codonas) (1940) – Nazi German drama film based on the life of the circus performer Alfredo Codona
The Westerner (1940) – Western film concerning a self-appointed hanging judge in Vinegaroon, Texas, who befriends a saddle tramp who opposes the judge's policy against homesteaders
Yakov Sverdlov (Russian: Яков Свердлов) (1940) – Soviet biographical drama film about the life and work of the Chairman of the Central Executive Committee Yakov Sverdlov
Young Tom Edison (1940) – biographical drama film about the early life of inventor Thomas Edison
1941
The 47 Ronin (Japanese: 元禄 忠臣蔵) (1941) – Japanese jidaigeki film depicting the legendary forty-seven Ronin and their plot to avenge the death of their lord, Asano Naganori, by killing Kira Yoshinaka, a shogunate official responsible for Asano being forced to commit seppuku
Beatrice Cenci (1941) – Italian historical drama film portraying the story of the sixteenth century Italian noblewoman Beatrice Cenci
Belle Starr (1941) – Western film loosely based on the life of 19th-century American outlaw Belle Starr
Billy the Kid (1941) – Western biographical drama film about the relationship between frontier outlaw Billy the Kid and lawman Pat Garrett
Blossoms in the Dust (1941) – biographical drama film telling the true story of Edna Gladney, who helped orphaned children find homes and began a campaign to remove the word "illegitimate" from Texas birth certificates, despite the opposition of "good" citizens
Carl Peters (1941) – Nazi German anti-British propaganda film portraying the titular German colonial leader while he is under investigation by the Reichstag for unnecessary brutality
The Comedians (German: Komödianten) (1941) – Nazi German historical drama film set in the eighteenth century, portraying the development of German theatre
The Great Awakening (1941) – historical musical drama film telling the story of Franz Schubert as he flees from Vienna to avoid conscription, ending up in Hungary where he falls in love
Harmon of Michigan (1941) – biographical sport drama film about University of Michigan football player Tom Harmon's post-collegiate career as a coach
Hudson's Bay (1941) – adventure historical western film about a pair of French-Canadian explorers, Pierre-Esprit Radisson and Médard des Groseilliers, whose findings lead to the formation of the Hudson's Bay Company
Men of Boys Town (1941) – drama film about how Father Flanagan founded a home for homeless boys in Omaha, Nebraska called Boys Town
One Foot in Heaven (1941) – biographical drama film depicting an episodic look at the life of a minister and his family as they move from one parish to another based on the autobiography by Hartzell Spence
The Prime Minister (1941) – British historical drama film detailing the life and times of Benjamin Disraeli, who became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Salavat Yulayev (Russian: Салават Юлаев) (1941) – Soviet biographical action drama film about Bashkir national hero, poet Salawat Yulayev and Pugachev's Rebellion
Sergeant York (1941) – biographical drama film about Alvin C. York, one of the most decorated American soldiers of World War I
The Swedish Nightingale (German: Die schwedische Nachtigall) (1941) – Nazi German musical biographical film about the romance between the writer Hans Christian Andersen and the opera singer Jenny Lind
That Hamilton Woman (1941) – historical film telling the story of the rise and fall of Emma Hamilton, dance-hall girl and courtesan, who married Sir William Hamilton, British ambassador to the Kingdom of Naples, and later became Admiral Horatio Nelson's mistress
They Died with Their Boots On (1941) – Western biographical drama film depicting a highly fictionalized account of the life of Gen. George Armstrong Custer, from the time he enters West Point military academy through the American Civil War and finally to his death at the Battle of the Little Bighorn
Uncle Kruger (German: Ohm Krüger) (1941) – Nazi German biographical propaganda film depicting the life of the South African politician Paul Kruger and his eventual defeat by the British during the Boer War
You Will Remember (1941) – British musical drama film portraying the life of the composer Leslie Stuart
1942
Alexander Parkhomenko (Russian: Александр Пархоменко) (1942) – Soviet adventure film telling the story of the life of Alexander Parkhomenko, the commander who served in times of civil war, which goes to Tsaritsyn and there, leading the "Red" battalions, forcing the enemy to leave the city
Apache Trail (1942) – Western film about Tom O'Folliard
Le Destin fabuleux de Désirée Clary (1942) – French historical drama comedy film depicting the life of Désirée Clary, the daughter of a Marseilles merchant, who became Queen of Sweden and the founder of a dynasty
Diesel (1942) – Nazi German historical biographical film about the life of Rudolf Diesel, the German inventor of the diesel engine
The Dismissal (German: Die Entlassung) (1942) – Nazi German historical drama film about the dismissal of Otto von Bismarck
The First of the Few (1942) – British biographical drama film about R. J. Mitchell, the designer of the Supermarine Spitfire fighter aircraft
For Me and My Gal (1942) – musical film inspired by a true story about vaudeville actors Harry Palmer and Jo Hayden, when Palmer was drafted into World War I
General von Döbeln (1942) – Swedish historical drama film about Lieutenant General and war hero Georg Carl von Döbeln
Gentleman Jim (1942) – sport drama film about heavyweight boxing champion James J. Corbett
The Great Mr. Handel (1942) – British historical drama film about the 18th-century German-British composer Georg Friedrich Händel, focusing in particular on the years leading up to his 1741 oratorio Messiah
In Which We Serve (1942) – British drama war film inspired by the exploits of Captain Lord Louis Mountbatten, who was in command of the destroyer when it was sunk during the Battle of Crete
Kotovsky (1942) – Soviet biographical propaganda film about Grigory Kotovsky, a famous participant in the Civil War, who several times managed to escape from prison and never lost on the battlefield
The Loves of Edgar Allan Poe (1942) – biographical drama film about Edgar Allan Poe, examining his romantic relationships with Sarah Elmira Royster and Virginia Clemm
My Gal Sal (1942) – musical film about 1890s composer and songwriter Paul Dresser and singer Sally Elliot
The Pride of the Yankees (1942) – sport drama film depicting the life and career of the legendary New York Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig
Race (Spanish: Raza) (1942) – Spanish propaganda war film about Francisco Franco, in favour of the regime and against the supporters of the deposed Second Spanish Republic
Rembrandt (1942) – Nazi German historical drama film depicting the life of the Dutch painter Rembrandt
Rossini (1942) – Italian musical drama film depicting adult life events of Italian composer Gioachino Rossini
Simón Bolívar (1942) – Mexican historical drama film about the revolutionary Simón Bolívar who fought to end Spanish rule over much of Latin America
La Symphonie fantastique (1942) – French biographical drama film based upon the life of the French composer Hector Berlioz
Tennessee Johnson (1942) – biographical drama film about Andrew Johnson, the 17th president of the United States
They Flew Alone (1942) – British biographical drama film about aviator Amy Johnson
Tombstone, the Town Too Tough to Die (1942) – Western film about the Gunfight at the OK Corral
The Vanishing Virginian (1942) – biographical drama film based on the true story of turn-of-the-century Robert Yancey, lawyer and ever-popular politician in Virginia
Whom the Gods Love (German: Wen die Götter lieben) (1942) – Austrian historical musical film about the Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) – biographical musical film about George M. Cohan, known as "The Man Who Owned Broadway"
The Young Mr. Pitt (1942) – British biographical drama film of the life of William Pitt the Younger and in particular his struggle against revolutionary France and Napoleon
1943
Bhakta Potana (Telugu: భక్త పోతన) (1943) – Indian Telugu-language biographical drama film based on the life of poet-saint Potana who translated Bhagavatham into Telugu language
Dixie (1943) – biographical film about songwriter Daniel Decatur Emmett
The Endless Road (German: Der Unendliche Weg) (1943) – Nazi German biographical drama film depicting the life of Friedrich List, a German who emigrated to the United States in the nineteenth century
Guadalcanal Diary (1943) – war drama film recounting the fight of the United States Marines in the Battle of Guadalcanal
Hitler's Madman (1943) – war drama film depicting a fictionalized account of the 1942 assassination of Nazi official Reinhard Heydrich and the resulting Lidice massacre, which the Germans committed as revenge
The Iron Major (1943) – biographical film about the famed college football coach and World War I hero, Frank Cavanaugh
Jack London (1943) – biographical war film based on the life of the writer-adventurer Jack London who was, among other things, oyster pirate, hobo, sailor, prospector and war correspondent
Madame Curie (1943) – biographical drama film telling the story of Polish-French physicist Marie Curie in 1890s Paris as she begins to share a laboratory with her future husband, Pierre Curie
Maria Malibran (1943) – Italian historical drama film based on the life of the Spanish singer Maria Malibran
Mission to Moscow (1943) – propaganda film chronlincling the experiences of the second American ambassador to the Soviet Union, Joseph E. Davies, and was made in response to a request by Franklin D. Roosevelt
The Outlaw (1943) – revisionist Western film about Billy the Kid
Paracelsus (1943) – Nazi German drama film based on the life of Paracelsus
The Powers Girl (1943) – musical comedy film about women employed by John Robert Powers' modeling agency
Rita of Cascia (Italian : Rita da Cascia) (1943) – Italian historical film portraying the life of the Catholic saint Rita of Cascia
Sivakavi (1943) – Indian Tamil-language biographical drama film based on the life story of Poyyamozhi Pulavar
The Song of Bernadette (1943) – biographical drama film portraying the story of Bernadette Soubirous, who reportedly experienced eighteen visions of the Blessed Virgin Mary from February to July 1858 and was canonized in 1933
Titanic (1943) – Nazi German historical propaganda film depicting the catastrophic sinking of in 1912
Vienna 1910 (German: Wien 1910) (1943) – Nazi German biographical drama film based on the life of Mayor of Vienna Karl Lueger
The Woman of the Town (1943) – Western drama film loosely based on the true stories of Dora Hand and Bat Masterson
1944
The Adventures of Mark Twain (1944) – biographical drama film depicting the dramatized life of immortal humorist Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, from his days as a riverboat pilot on the Mississippi River until his death in 1910 shortly after Halley's Comet returned
Buffalo Bill (1944) – Western drama film about the life of the frontiersman Buffalo Bill Cody
Champagne Charlie (1944) – British musical film loosely based on the rivalry between the popular music hall performers George Leybourne, who was called "Champagne Charlie" because he was the first artist to perform the song of that title, and Alfred Vance, who was known as "The Great Vance"
David Bek (Armenian: Դավիթ Բեկ) (1944) – Soviet biographical adventure drama film about Davit Bek, an Armenian nobleman and revolutionary
Dreaming (German: Träumerei) (1944) – Nazi German historical musical drama film portraying the lives of the pianist Clara Schumann and her composer husband Robert Schumann
Enemy of Women (1944) – anti-Nazi propaganda film about Joseph Goebbels
The Fighting Sullivans (1944) – biographical war film depicting the lives of five Irish-American Sullivan brothers, who grew up in Iowa during the days of the Great Depression and served together in the United States Navy during World War II
The Great Moment (1944) – biographical drama film telling the story of Dr. William Thomas Green Morton, a 19th-century Boston dentist who discovered the use of ether for general anesthesia
Henry V (1944) – British historical drama film, based on William Shakespeare's play of the same title, about King Henry V of England and the Battle of Agincourt in 1415
His Best Student (Spanish: Su mejor alumno) (1944) – Argentine biographical drama film based on the life of Domingo Sarmiento, the son of a former president of Argentina and the father of public education in the country, Domingo Faustino Sarmiento
The Hitler Gang (1944) – pseudo-documentary film which traces the political rise of Adolf Hitler
Ivan the Terrible (Russian: Иван Грозный) (1944) – Soviet epic historical drama film depicting Ivan IV of Russia during the early part of his reign, as he faces betrayal from the aristocracy and even his closest friends as he tries to unite the Russian people
Lisinski (1944) – Croatian biographical drama film about the life of Croatian composer Vatroslav Lisinski
Porfirio Díaz (1944) – Mexican historical adventure film portraying the life of the nineteenth century Mexican soldier and President Porfirio Díaz
Ramshastri (1944) – Indian Marathi-language biographical film based on the life of Ramshastri Prabhune, the judge who had to decide on Raghoba's culpability in Narayanrao Peshwa's murder
The Rats of Tobruk (1944) – Australian action drama film based on the siege of the Libyan city of Tobruk in North Africa by Rommel's Afrika Korps
Roger Touhy, Gangster (1944) – biographical gangster film based on the life of Chicago mob figure Roger Touhy
Saint Francis of Assisi (Spanish: San Francisco de Asís) (1944) – Mexican historical drama film portraying the life of the Italian Saint Francis of Assisi
Shine On, Harvest Moon (1944) – musical–biographical film about the vaudeville team of Nora Bayes and Jack Norworth who wrote the popular song "Shine On, Harvest Moon"
Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944) – war drama film about Captain Ted W. Lawson who was a pilot on the historic Doolittle Raid, America's first retaliatory air strike against Japan, four months after the December 7, 1941, Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
Wilson (1944) – biographical drama film about the 28th American President Woodrow Wilson
Wing and a Prayer, The Story of Carrier X (1944) – war drama film about the heroic crew of an American aircraft carrier in the desperate early days of World War II in the Pacific Ocean
1945
A Royal Scandal (1945) – comedy-drama film about the lovelife of Russian empress Catherine the Great
A Song to Remember (1945) – biographical film which tells a fictionalised life story of Polish pianist and composer Frédéric Chopin
Back in the Seventies (Spanish: Allá en el setenta y tantos) (1945) – Argentine historical drama film depicting the story of Élida Paso, an Argentine pharmacist who became the first woman from South America to graduate from a university
Caesar and Cleopatra (1945) – British biographical drama film about how, at the height of the Roman Civil War, a young Cleopatra meets a middle-aged Julius Caesar, who teaches her how to rule Egypt
Captain Eddie (1945) – biographical drama film based on the life of Edward Vernon Rickenbacker, from his experiences as a flying ace during World War I to his later involvement as a pioneering figure in civil aviation, and his iconic status as a business leader who was often at odds with labour unions and the government
Captain Kidd (1945) – adventure film depicting the fictionalized adventures of pirate William Kidd
Dillinger (1945) – gangster film telling the story of John Dillinger
The Dolly Sisters (1945) – biographical drama film about the Dolly Sisters, identical twins who became famous as entertainers on Broadway and in Europe
God Is My Co-Pilot (1945) – biographical war film recounting Robert Scott's service with the Flying Tigers and the United States Army Air Forces in China and Burma during World War II
The Great John L. (1945) – biographical drama film about the women in the life of prizefighter John L. Sullivan
The House on 92nd Street (1945) – Film noir spy based on the life of William G. Sebold, who becomes a double agent for the FBI in a Nazi spy ring
Incendiary Blonde (1945) – musical drama film about 1920s nightclub star Texas Guinan
José do Telhado (1945) – Portuguese historical adventure film portraying the life of the nineteenth century bandit José do Telhado
Objective, Burma! (1945) – action war film loosely based on the six-month raid by Merrill's Marauders in the Burma Campaign during the Second World War
Pride of the Marines (1945) – biographical war film telling the story of U.S. Marine Al Schmid in World War II, his heroic stand against a Japanese attack during the Battle of Guadalcanal, in which he was blinded by a grenade, and his subsequent rehabilitation
Rhapsody in Blue (1945) – biographical musical film about composer and musician George Gershwin
Stairway to Light (1945) – short drama film depicting the story of Philippe Pinel and his efforts in pointing out that the mentally ill should not be treated as animals
The Story of G.I. Joe (1945) – biographical war film telling the stort of the American infantryman during World War II, told through the eyes of Pulitzer Prize-winning war correspondent Ernie Pyle
Viennese Girls (German: Wiener Mädeln) (1945) – Austrian historical musical film about composer Carl Michael Ziehrer who produced twenty two operettas during his career
1946
Anna and the King of Siam (1946) – biographical drama film based on the fictionalized diaries of Anna Leonowens, an Anglo-Indian woman who claimed to be British and became governess in the Royal Court of Siam (now modern Thailand) during the 1860s
Camões (1946) – Portuguese drama film portraying the life of Luís de Camões
Devotion (1946) – biographical drama film depicting a highly fictionalized account of the lives of the Brontë sisters
Dr. Kotnis Ki Amar Kahani (1946) – Indian film based on the life of Dwarkanath Kotnis, an Indian doctor who worked in China during the Japanese invasion in World War II
Gallant Journey (1946) – historical drama film based on the life of the early U.S. aviation pioneer John Joseph Montgomery
The Great Glinka (Russian: Глинка) (1946) – Soviet biographical film about Mikhail Glinka, a Russian composer of the 19th century
The Jolson Story (1946) – biographical musical film based on the life of singer Al Jolson
The Magic Bow (1946) – British biographical musical film based on the life and loves of the Italian violinist and composer Niccolò Paganini
Magnificent Doll (1946) – historical drama film about how in the late eighteenth century Dolley Payne Madison is wooed by Aaron Burr and James Madison
My Darling Clementine (1946) – Western film about Wyatt Earp during the period leading up to the gunfight at the O.K. Corral
Night and Day (1946) – biographical musical film depicting a fictionalized account of the life of American composer and songwriter Cole Porter
Sister Kenny (1946) – biographical drama film about Sister Elizabeth Kenny, an Australian bush nurse, who fought to help people who suffered from polio, despite opposition from the medical establishment
Smithy (1946) – Australian adventure film about pioneering Australian aviator Sir Charles Kingsford Smith and his 1928 flight across the Pacific Ocean, from San Francisco, California, United States to Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
So Goes My Love (1946) – comedy-drama film based on a true story, A Genius in the Family, the memoir of Hiram Percy Maxim, which focuses on the relationship between Maxim and his father, Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim
Till the Clouds Roll By (1946) – biographical musical film portraying the life of composer Jerome Kern
Valmiki (1946) – Indian Tamil-language drama film based on the story of the Hindu sage Valmiki, who starts as a bandit and eventually undergoes spiritual transformation into a religious mendicant
1947
Admiral Nakhimov (Russian: Адмирал Нахимов) (1947) – Soviet biographical drama film based on the life of Russian Admiral Pavel Nakhimov (1802-1855)
Albéniz (1947) – Argentine biographical drama film based on the life of Spanish composer and pianist, Isaac Albéniz
Alisher Navoi (Russian: Алишер Навои) (1947) – Soviet biographical drama film about the life of the famous poet and statesman Alisher Navoi
The Beginning or the End (1947) – biographical drama film about the development of the atomic bomb in World War II
Bohemian Rapture (Czech: Housle a sen) (1947) – Czech historical drama film portraying the life of the Czech violinist Josef Slavík, a contemporary of Frédéric Chopin, and a rival of Niccolò Paganini
Boomerang (1947) – crime film based on the true story of a vagrant accused of murder who is found not guilty through the efforts of the prosecutor
Captain Boycott (1947) – British historical drama film about Captain Charles Boycott
Eleonora Duse (1947) – Italian biographical film portraying the life of the celebrated Italian actress Eleonora Duse
The Fabulous Dorseys (1947) – musical biographical film telling the story of the brothers Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, from their boyhood in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania through their rise, their breakup, and their personal reunion
It's Only Love (German: Seine einzige Liebe) (1947) – Austrian historical musical film portraying the life of the composer Franz Schubert
The Love of Sumako the Actress (Japanese: 女優須磨子の恋) (1947) – Japanese drama film portraying the life story of actress Sumako Matsui
Monsieur Vincent (1947) – French biographical drama film about the life of Vincent de Paul, the 17th-century priest and charity worker
My Wild Irish Rose (1947) – biographical musical film depicting the life of Chauncey Olcott and traces the rise of an Irish-American tenor to stardom at the end of the 19th century and start of the 20th
The Peanut Man (1947) – biographical drama film about the life of George Washington Carver
The Perils of Pauline (1947) – comedy film depiciting a fictionalized account of silent film star Pearl White's rise to fame
Pirogov (Russian: Пирогов) (1947) – Soviet biographical drama film based on the life of Russian scientist and doctor Nikolay Ivanovich Pirogov
The Road to Hollywood (1947) – musical biographical film depicting the life of Bing Crosby
Song of Love (1947) – biographical film about the relationship between renowned 19th-century musicians Clara Wieck Schumann and Robert Schumann
Song of Scheherazade (1947) – musical biographical film depicting the life of the Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov in 1865, when he was a young naval officer on shore leave in Morocco
Trail Street (1947) – Western film about the legendary Bat Masterson who brings law and order to the town of Liberal, Kansas, and defends the local farmers against a murderous cattle baron
Without Prejudice (Russian: Миклухо-Маклай) (1947) – Soviet biographical drama film depictung the famous Russian ethnographer Nicholas Miklouho-Maclay and his travels to Australia and Oceania, where he watched the natives
1948
A Toast for Manolete (Spanish: Brindis a Manolete) (1948) – Spanish drama film about the celebrated Spanish bullfighter Manolete, who had been killed the previous year
The Babe Ruth Story (1948) – biographical sport drama film about professional baseball player Babe Ruth, who achieved fame as a slugging outfielder for the New York Yankees
Bonnie Prince Charlie (1948) – British biographical drama film depicting the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion and the role of Bonnie Prince Charlie within it
Call Northside 777 (1948) – crime drama film based on Joseph Majczek, who was wrongly convicted of the murder of a Chicago policeman in 1932, one of the worst years of organized crime during Prohibition
Du Guesclin (1948) – French biographical film about Bertrand du Guesclin, a baron, Constable of France, and high-ranked officer in the French Army of the 14th Century, who fights in the Hundred Years' War
Fighting Father Dunne (1948) – biographical crime film about the life of Father Peter Dunne, and the creation of his News Boys Home in St. Louis, Missouri
He Walked by Night (1948) – police procedural film noir loosely based on the real-life actions of Erwin "Machine-Gun" Walker, a former Glendale, California police department employee and World War II veteran who unleashed a crime spree of burglaries, robberies and shootouts in the Los Angeles area in 1945 and 1946
The Iron Curtain (1948) – crime thriller film based on the story of Soviet cypher-clerk Igor Gouzenko who was posted to the Soviet Embassy in Ottawa,Canada in 1943 and defected in 1945 to reveal the extent of Soviet espionage activities directed against Canada
Joan of Arc (1948) – hagiographic epic film depicting the life of Joan of Arc, the French religious icon and war heroine
The Lame Devil (French: Le Diable boiteux) (1948) – French historical drama film depicting the life of the titular French diplomat Talleyrand
Macbeth (1948) – historical drama film telling the story of the Scottish general who becomes the King of Scotland through treachery and murder, loosely based on Macbeth, King of Scotland
Man to Men (French: D'homme à hommes) (1948) – French-Swiss biographical drama film depicting Henri Dunant and the founding of the Red Cross in the nineteenth century after he had witnessed the suffering of troops at the Battle of Solferino
Michurin (Russian: Мичурин) (1948) – Soviet biographical film about the life of Russian practitioner of selection Ivan Michurin
The Mozart Story (1948) – Austrian-American biographical drama film depicting the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Operation Swallow: The Battle for Heavy Water (Norwegian: Kampen om tungtvannet) (1948) – Norwegian-French action drama film based on the best known commando raid in Norway during World War II, where the resistance group Norwegian Independent Company 1 destroyed the heavy water plant at Vemork in Telemark in February 1943
Saraband for Dead Lovers (1948) – British biographical drama film depicting the doomed romance between Philip Christoph von Königsmarck and Sophia Dorothea of Celle, the wife of the elector of Hanover
Scott of the Antarctic (1948) – British biographical adventure film telling the story of Robert Falcon Scott in his ill-fated attempt to reach the South Pole
Up in Central Park (1948) – musical comedy film about a newspaper reporter and the daughter of an immigrant maintenance man who help expose political corruption in New York City in the 1870s
Words and Music (1948) – biographical musical film based on the creative partnership of the composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist Lorenz Hart
1949
Alexander Popov (Russian: Александр Попов) (1949) – Soviet biographical drama film about the life and work of Alexander Stepanovich Popov, who was a notable physicist and electrical engineer and an early developer of radio communication
Almafuerte (1949) – Argentine drama film about the Argentine poet Pedro Bonifacio Palacios
The Bad Lord Byron (1949) – British historical drama film about the life of Lord Byron
Battleground (1949) – war drama film following a company in the 327th Glider Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division as they cope with the siege of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge, in World War II
Christopher Columbus (1949) – Cinema of the United Kingdom biographical adventure film about Christopher Columbus and his four Spanish-based voyages across the Atlantic Ocean sponsored by the Catholic Monarchs, opening the way for the widespread European exploration and European colonization of the Americas
Come to the Stable (1949) – comedy drama film telling the true story of the Abbey of Regina Laudis and the two French religious sisters who come to a small New England town and involve the townsfolk in helping them to build a children's hospital
Doctor Laennec (French: Docteur Laennec) (1949) – French historical drama film portraying the work of René Laennec, the inventor of the stethoscope
Eroica (1949) – Austrian biographical drama film depicting composer Ludwig van Beethoven's life and work
Eureka Stockade (1949) – British historical drama meat pie Western film telling the story surrounding Irish-Australian rebel and politician Peter Lalor and the gold miners' rebellion of 1854 at the Eureka Stockade in Ballarat
The Farm of Seven Sins (French: La Ferme des sept péchés) (1949) – French historical drama film depicting the story of Paul-Louis Courier's murder at the farm where he had retired
The Fight Against Injustice (Danish: Kampen mod uretten) (1949) – Danish drama film about Peter Sabroe's fight for the well-being of children
The Great Dan Patch (1949) – sport drama film about the pacing horse Dan Patch
Heaven over the Marshes (Italian: Cielo sulla palude) (1949) – Italian historical drama film portraying the life of the saint Maria Goretti
I Shot Jesse James (1949) – Western film about the murder of Jesse James by Robert Ford and Robert Ford's life afterwards
Ivan Pavlov (Russian: Академик Иван Павлов) (1949) – Soviet biographical drama film portraying the life of the Russian scientist Ivan Pavlov, known for his Pavlov's dog experiments
Jolson Sings Again (1949) – biographical musical film based on the life of singer Al Jolson
Look for the Silver Lining (1949) – biographical musical film portraying the life of Broadway singer-dancer Marilyn Miller
Lost Boundaries (1949) – drama film telling the story of Dr. Albert C. Johnston and his family, who passed for white while living in New England in the 1930s and 1940s
Loyola, the Soldier Saint (Spanish: El capitán de Loyola) (1949) – Spanish biographical drama film portraying the life of Ignatius of Loyola
Oh, You Beautiful Doll (1949) – biographical musical film showcasing a fictionalized biography of Fred Fisher, a German-born American writer of Tin Pan Alley songs
Samson and Delilah (1949) – romantic drama film depicting the biblical story of Samson, a strongman whose secret lies in his uncut hair, and his love for Delilah, the woman who seduces him, discovers his secret, and then betrays him to the Philistines
The Secret of Mayerling (French: Le secret de Mayerling) (1949) – French historical drama film about the 1889 Mayerling Incident when the crown prince of the Austrian Empire was found having apparently committed suicide with his lover
Special Agent (1949) – film noir crime film loosely based on the DeAutremont Brothers' 1923 train robbery
The Stratton Story (1949) – biographical drama film telling the true story of Monty Stratton, a Major League Baseball pitcher who pitched for the Chicago White Sox from 1934 to 1938
Twelve O'Clock High (1949) – war drama film based on the novel of the same name by Sy Bartlett and Beirne Lay Jr., who drew deeply on their own wartime experiences
1950s
1950
Annie Get Your Gun (1950) – comedy drama film loosely based on the life of sharpshooter Annie Oakley
The Baron of Arizona (1950) – Western crime drama film based on the case of James Reavis whose attempted use of false documents to lay claim to the territory of Arizona late in the 19th century came close to success
The Bells of Nagasaki (Japanese: 長崎の鐘) (1950) – Japanese romance film portraying the experiences of Takashi Nagai as a survivor of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki
Cheaper by the Dozen (1950) – comedy drama film based upon the autobiographical book Cheaper by the Dozen (1948) by Frank Bunker Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey describing growing up in a family with twelve children, in Montclair, New Jersey
Cyrano de Bergerac (1950) – adventure comedy film about poet and supreme swordsman Cyrano de Bergerac
Fangio, the Demon of the Tracks (Spanish: Fangio, el demonio de las pistas) (1950) – Argentine sport drama film about the life of legendary Argentine motor racer Juan Manuel Fangio
The Flowers of St. Francis (Italian: Francesco, giullare di Dio) (1950) – Italian biographical drama film based on the life and work of St. Francis and the early Franciscans
Guilty of Treason (1950) – anti-Soviet biographical drama film about the story of József Mindszenty, a Roman Catholic cardinal from Hungary
Highway 301 (1950) – crime drama film telling the story of a gang of career criminals, modeled on the real life Tri-State Gang, terrorizing and robbing banks and payrolls in North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland
The Jackie Robinson Story (1950) – sport drama film focusing on Robinson's struggle with the abuse of bigots as he becomes the first African-American Major League Baseball player of the modern era
Julius Caesar (1950) – historical drama film about Julius Caesar, based on the play of the same name by William Shakespeare
Madeleine (1950) – British crime drama film based on a true story of Madeleine Smith, a young Glasgow woman from a wealthy family who was tried in 1857 for the murder of her lover, Emile L'Angelier
The Magnificent Yankee (1950) – biographical drama film examining the life of United States Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.
Mussorgsky (Russian: Мусоргский) (1950) – Soviet biographical drama film about the emergence of Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky
Never Fear (1950) – drama film based on the true story of dancer who is about to embark on a major career and is devastated to learn that she has contracted polio, she is sent to Kabat-Kaiser Institute for rehabilitation, where she meets fellow patients in recovery. By allowing others to share her grief, Carol is able to pull herself together and go on with her life
Over the Waves (Spanish: Sobre las olas) (1950) – Mexican biographical musical film portraying the life of the composer Juventino Rosas
The Petty Girl (1950) – biographical musical film about painter George Petty who falls for Victoria Braymore, the youngest professor at Braymore College who eventually becomes "The Petty Girl"
Sending of Flowers (French: Envoi de fleurs) (1950) – French historical drama film portraying the life of the composer Paul Delmet
The Sound of Fury (1950) – crime drama film based on events that occurred in 1933 when two men were arrested in San Jose, California for the kidnapping and murder of Brooke Hart
Three Came Home (1950) – war drama film depicting Agnes Newton Keith's life in North Borneo in the period immediately before the Japanese invasion in 1942, and her subsequent internment and suffering, separated from her husband Harry, and with a young son to care for
Three Little Words (1950) – biographical musical film about the Tin Pan Alley songwriting partnership of Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby
Two Suspects (Norwegian: To mistenkelige personer) (1950) – Norwegian crime drama film about the murder of two sheriffs in Norway and the subsequent hunt for the criminals, loosely based on a real incident that happened in Ådal in 1926
The Wooden Horse (1950) – British war drama film depicting the true events of an escape attempt made by POWs in the German prison camp Stalag Luft III
Young Daniel Boone (1950) – Western drama film based on the life of Daniel Boone
Young Man with a Horn (1950) – musical drama film inspired by the life of jazz cornetist Bix Beiderbecke
Zhukovsky (Russian: Жуковский) (1950) – Soviet biographical film based on the life of Russian scientist Nikolai Zhukovsky, founding father of modern aero- and hydrodynamics
1951
A Place in the Sun (1951) – drama film inspired by the real-life murder of Grace Brown by Chester Gillette in 1906, which resulted in Gillette's conviction and execution by electric chair in 1908
Air Cadet (1951) – war drama film about United States Air Force (USAF) pilots in training
Al Jennings of Oklahoma (1951) – Western drama film based on the story of Al Jennings, a former train robber turned attorney
Appointment with Venus (1951) – British war drama film based on the evacuation of Alderney cattle from the Channel Island during World War II
The Basketball Fix (1951) – sport drama film based on the CCNY point shaving scandal
Casabianca (1951) – French war drama film telling the story of the French submarine in World War Two
The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel (1951) – biographical war film based on the book Rommel: The Desert Fox by Brigadier Desmond Young, who served in the British Indian Army in North Africa
David and Bathsheba (1951) – historical epic film following King David's life and his relationship with Uriah's wife Bathsheba
Dick Turpin's Ride (1951) – adventure romance film following the career of the eighteenth century highwaymen Dick Turpin
Follow the Sun (1951) – biographical sport drama film about the life of golf legend Ben Hogan
Fourteen Hours (1951) – drama film based on an article by Joel Sayre in The New Yorker describing the 1938 suicide of John William Warde
The Franchise Affair (1951) – British mystery thriller film based on the true story of the investigation of a mother and daughter accused of kidnapping a local young woman
The Frogmen (1951) – adventure drama film based on operations by United States Navy Underwater Demolition Teams, popularly known as "frogmen", against the Japanese Army and naval forces
Go for Broke! (1951) – war drama film depicting the real-life story of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, which was composed of Nisei (second-generation Americans born of Japanese parents) soldiers
The Great Caruso (1951) – biographical drama film about the life of famous operatic tenor Enrico Caruso
The Great Missouri Raid (1951) – Western drama film about the James–Younger Gang
I Was an American Spy (1951) – war drama film dramatizing the true story of Claire Phillips, an American expat who spied on the Japanese during World War II and was captured, tortured, and sentenced to death before being rescued
I'd Climb the Highest Mountain (1951) – biographical drama film based on Corra Harris' biographical book of a Methodist minister, called to a north-Georgia mountain-community in 1910 who, with his gently-bred new bride, meets the problems and crises of his circuit-riding congregation fearlessly and honestly
I'll See You in My Dreams (1951) – biographical musical film about lyricist Gus Kahn
Jim Thorpe – All-American (1951) – biographical drama film about Jim Thorpe, the great Native American athlete who won medals at the 1912 Olympics and distinguished himself in various sports, both in college and on professional teams
The Lady with a Lamp (1951) – British historical drama film depicting the life of Florence Nightingale and her work with wounded British soldiers during the Crimean War
The Living Christ Series (1951) – drama miniseries about the life of Jesus Christ
The Magic Box (1951) – British biographical drama film about William Friese-Greene, who designed and patented one of the earliest working cinematic cameras
Monsieur Fabre (1951) – French historical comedy film based on the life of the entomologist Jean-Henri Fabre and his total devotion to studying insect behavior, travelling from Avignon to Paris, from Paris to his death in Sérignan
Our Lady of Fatima (Spanish: La señora de Fátima) (1951) – Spanish drama film telling the story of the 1917 miracle of Fatima, in which the Virgin Mary supposedly appeared to three children—two girls and one boy
Quo Vadis (1951) – biographical drama film set in ancient Rome during the final years of Emperor Nero's reign
The Red Inn (French: L'auberge rouge) (1951) – French comedy crime film based on the actual crime case of the inn l'Auberge rouge in Peyrebeille, where the innkeeper confesses to a number of serious sins
Taras Shevchenko (Russian: Тарас Шевченко) (1951) – Soviet biographical film about the Ukrainian writer Taras Shevchenko
Valentino (1951) – biographical drama film about Rudolph Valentino
Warsaw Premiere (Polish: Warszawska premiera) (1951) – Polish historical film portraying the life of the Polish composer Stanisław Moniuszko, particularly focusing on the composition of his 1848 opera Halka
Wherever She Goes (1951) – Australian drama film depicting the early part of the life story of pianist Eileen Joyce
The Young Caruso (Italian: Enrico Caruso: leggenda di una voce) (1951) – Italian biographical drama film about Enrico Caruso
1952
5 Fingers (1952) – film noir spy film based on the true story of Albanian-born Elyesa Bazna, a spy with the code name of Cicero who worked for the Nazis in 1943–44 while he was employed as valet to the British ambassador to Turkey, Sir Hughe Montgomery Knatchbull-Hugessen
Above and Beyond (1952) – biographical war drama film about Lt. Col. Paul W. Tibbets Jr., the pilot of the aircraft that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima in August 1945
Anand Math (Hindi: आनंद मठ) (1952) – Indian Hindi-language historical drama film set in the events of the Sannyasi Rebellion, which took place in the late 18th century in Bengal
Angels One Five (1952) – British war drama film telling the story of an RAF fighter squadron at the height of the Battle of Britain
Blackbeard the Pirate (1952) – adventure film about Blackbeard, an English pirate who operated around the West Indies and the eastern coast of Britain's North American colonies
Bwana Devil (1952) – adventure film based on the true story of the Tsavo maneaters
Carbine Williams (1952) – biographical drama film following the life of David Marshall Williams who invented the operating principle for the M1 Carbine while in a North Carolina prison
The Composer Glinka (Russian: Композитор Глинка) (1952) – Soviet biographical film about the Russian composer Mikhail Glinka
Gift Horse (1952) – British war drama film based on HMS Campbeltown and the St Nazaire Raid
The Girl in White (1952) – biographical drama film based on the memoirs of the pioneering female surgeon Emily Dunning Barringer
Golden Helmet (French: Casque d'Or) (1952) – French historical drama film loosely based on an infamous love triangle between the prostitute Amélie Élie and the Apache gang leaders Manda and Leca, which was the subject of much sensational newspaper reporting during 1902
Hans Christian Andersen (1952) – musical film about Hans Christian Andersen, the 19th-century Danish author of many world-famous fairy tales
Hoodlum Empire (1952) – film noir crime film inspired by the Kefauver Committee hearings dealing with organized crime
I Dream of Jeanie (1952) – historical musical film based on the songs and life of Stephen Foster who wrote the 1854 song "Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair"
Immortal Melodies (Italian: Melodie immortali) (1952) – Italian biographical musical film based on real life events of classical composer Pietro Mascagni
The Immortal Song (Marathi: अमर गाणे) (1952) – Indian Marathi-language biographical film telling the true story about Honaji Bala, a simple cow herder, who has an innate gift of poetry, set in the waning days of the Maratha confederacy
In the Name of the Law (Turkish: Kanun namina) (1952) – Turkish drama film based on real events regarding a love triangle that led to homicide, that took place in Istanbul, in the following years of World war II
The Iron Mistress (1952) – Western biographical film based on the life of Jim Bowie
Kalle Karlsson of Jularbo (Swedish: Kalle Karlsson från Jularbo) (1952) – Swedish musical drama film based on the life and music of the accordion player Carl Jularbo
Little Aurore's Tragedy (French: La petite Aurore: l'enfant martyre) (1952) – Canadian French-language biographical drama film based on a true story of Aurore Gagnon, an abused child
Million Dollar Mermaid (1952) – biographical drama film about the life of Australian swimming star Annette Kellerman
The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima (1952) – historical drama film about the events surrounding the apparitions of Our Lady of Fátima, in Portugal, in 1917
The Mistress of Treves (Italian: La Leggenda di Genoveffa) (1952) – Italian historical drama film based on the legend of Genevieve of Brabant and is set during the time of the Crusades
Moulin Rouge (1952) – British historical romantic drama film following artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in 19th-century Paris's bohemian subculture in and around the Moulin Rouge, a burlesque palace
No Greater Love (German: Herz der Welt) (1952) – West German historical drama film based on the life of Alfred Nobel
The Novel of My Life (Italian: Il romanzo della mia vita) (1952) – Italian biographical film depicting real life events of singer-actor Luciano Tajoli
The Pride of St. Louis (1952) – biographical sport drama film based on the life of Major League Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Dizzy Dean
Red Shirts (Italian: Camicie rosse) (1952) – Italian historical drama film portraying the life of Anita Garibaldi, the wife of Italian unification leader Giuseppe Garibaldi
Rome 11:00 (Italian: Roma, ore 11) (1952) – Italian drama film based on the real story of an accident that happened on 15 January 1951 on Via Savoia in Rome when a staircase collapsed because of the weight of two hundred women waiting for a job interview.
The Secret Conclave (Italian: Gli uomini non guardano il cielo) (1952) – Italian drama film tells the story of Pope Pius X as he makes every effort to prevent the outbreak of the First World War
Somebody Loves Me (1952) – comedy drama musical film focusing on the careers of entertainers Blossom Seeley and Benny Fields
Stars and Stripes Forever (1952) – biographical musical film about the late-19th-/early-20th-century composer and band leader John Philip Sousa
The Story of Will Rogers (1952) – Western comedy film depicting the life of humorist and movie star Will Rogers
Viva Zapata! (1952) – Western drama film about the life of Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata from his peasant upbringing through his rise to power in the early 1900s and his death in 1919
Walk East on Beacon (1952) – film noir drama film about the meeting of German physicist and atomic spy Klaus Fuchs and American chemist Harry Gold as well as of the Soviet espionage network in the United States
The Winning Team (1952) – biographical sport drama film based on the life of major league pitcher Grover Cleveland Alexander
With a Song in My Heart (1952) – biographical musical drama film telling the story of actress and singer Jane Froman, who was crippled by an airplane crash on February 22, 1943, when the Boeing 314 Pan American Clipper flying boat she was on suffered a crash landing in the Tagus River near Lisbon
Youth of Chopin (Polish: Młodość Chopina) (1952) – Polish biographical drama film telling the story of Frédéric Chopin's life between 1825 and 1830 (ages 15 to 21)
1953
The Actress (1953) – comedy drama film based on Ruth Gordon's autobiographical play Years Ago
Admiral Ushakov (Russian: Адмирал Ушаков) (1953) – Soviet historical war film portraying the career of Feodor Ushakov, a celebrated naval officer and contemporary of Horatio Nelson
Albert R.N. (1953) – British war drama film based on the true story of a dummy constructed in Marlag O used by prisoners of war in bids to escape
Anatahan (Japanese: アナタハン) (1953) – Japanese war drama film inspired by the World War II Japanese holdouts on Anatahan
Attack from the Sea (Russian: Корабли штурмуют бастионы) (!953) – Soviet war drama film about the career of the Russian naval officer Fyodor Ushakov and the Siege of Corfu (1798–99)
Barabbas (1953) – Swedish drama film about Barabbas who was released and pardoned instead of Jesus
Belinsky (Russian: Белинский) (1953) – Soviet biographical film based on the life of Russian literary critic Vissarion Belinsky
Calamity Jane (1953) – Western musical drama film loosely based on the life of Wild West heroine Calamity Jane and explores an alleged romance between her and Wild Bill Hickok
Crazylegs (1953) – biographical sport drama film about Elroy Hirsch's football career
The Dark World (Turkish: Karanlık Dünya) (1953) – Turkish biographical drama film depicting a realistic account of the life of the bard Veysel, shot in his native village
The Desert Rats (1953) – war film concerning the Siege of Tobruk in 1941 North Africa during World War II
The Eddie Cantor Story (1953) – musical drama film based on the life of Eddie Cantor
Flight Nurse (1953) – war drama film based on the life of Lillian Kinkella Keil, one of the most decorated women in American military history
Franz Schubert (German: Franz Schubert – Ein Leben in zwei Sätzen) (1953) – Austrian biographical drama film depicting composer Franz Schubert's life and work
The Great Warrior Skanderbeg (Albanian: Luftëtari i madh i Shqipërisë Skënderbeu; Russian: Великий воин Албании Скандербег) (1953) – Albanian-Soviet biographical film about George Kastriot Skanderbeg, widely known as Skanderbeg, a 15th-century Albanian lord who defended his land against the Ottoman Empire for more than two decades
Hell Raiders of the Deep (Italian: I sette dell'Orsa maggiore) (1953) – Italian war drama film based on the events of the Raid on Alexandria in 1941 by frogmen of the Decima Flottiglia MAS human torpedoes
The Hitch-Hiker (1953) – film noir thriller film depicting a fictionalized version of the Billy Cook murder spree
Hostile Whirlwinds (Russian: Вихри враждебные) (1953) – Soviet historical film portraying the first years of Soviet government, in particular the role of Felix Dzerzhinsky in 1918–1921
Houdini (1953) – biographical drama film based upon the life of magician and escape artist Harry Houdini
The I Don't Care Girl (1953) – biographical musical film about the entertainer Eva Tanguay
Jhansi Ki Rani (Hindi: झाँसी की रानी) (1953) – Indian Hindi-language historical drama film about the bravery of queen Lakshmibai, Rani of Jhansi, who took up arms and led her army against the British in the Mutiny of 1857
The Joe Louis Story (1953) – film noir sport drama film about the story of boxer Joe Louis and his rise from poverty to becoming heavyweight champion of the world
The Lawless Breed (1953) – biographical crime Western film based on the life of outlaw John Wesley Hardin
Martin Luther (1953) – American-West German biographical drama film depicting the life of German priest Martin Luther
Melba (1953) – British biographical musical film depicting the life of Australian-born soprano Nellie Melba
The President's Lady (1953) – biographical drama film based on the life of American president Andrew Jackson and his marriage to Rachel Donelson Robards
Puccini (1953) – Italian biographical musical film about the life of Giacomo Puccini
Rimsky-Korsakov (Russian: Римский-Корсаков) (1953) – Soviet biographical drama film portraying the life of the Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue (1953) – adventure film about Rob Roy MacGregor
The Secret of Blood (Czech: Tajemství krve) (1953) – Czech biographical drama film about Czech doctor Jan Janský who discovered and classified the four different blood types
Serpent of the Nile (1953) – historical adventure film tells the story of the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra and her relationship with the Roman general Mark Antony from the time of assassination of Julius Caesar until their mutual suicide in 30 BC
So This Is Love (1953) – musical drama film based on the life of singer Grace Moore
The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan (1953) – British musical drama film about the collaboration between Gilbert and Sullivan
Titanic (1953) – drama film about fictional passengers on the ill-fated maiden voyage of the , which took place in April 1912
The Unconquerables (German: Die Unbesiegbaren) (1953) – East German biographical drama film based on the 1889 Westphalia miners strike
Verdi, the King of Melody (Italian: Tragedia y Triunfo de Verdi) (1953) – Italian biographical drama film based on adult life events of the composer Giuseppe Verdi
The Wild One (1953) – crime drama film inspired by sensationalistic media coverage of an American Motorcyclist Association motorcycle rally that got out of hand on the Fourth of July weekend in 1947 in Hollister, California
William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar (1953) – historical drama film about Julius Caesar, based on the play of the same name by William Shakespeare
Young Bess (1953) – biographical drama film about the early life of Elizabeth I, from her turbulent childhood to the eve of her accession to the throne of England
1954
Beau Brummell (1954) – British biographical drama film based on the life of Beau Brummell
The Bob Mathias Story (1954) – sport drama film telling the story of Bob Mathias, the first man to win two consecutive Olympic Gold Medals in the Decathlon in London in 1948 and in Helsinki in 1952
Canaris (1954) – West German drama film portraying real events during the Second World War when Wilhelm Canaris the head of German military intelligence was arrested and executed for his involvement with the 20 July Plot to overthrow Adolf Hitler
Casta Diva (1954) – Italian biographical melodrama film based on the story of the famous musician Vincenzo Bellini
Deep in My Heart (1954) – biographical musical film about the life of operetta composer Sigmund Romberg, who wrote the music for The Student Prince, The Desert Song, and The New Moon, among others
Désirée (1954) – historical romance film depicting the rise and fall of Napoleon Bonaparte and his romance with Désirée Clary
Drum Beat (1954) – Western adventure drama film using elements of the 1873 Modoc War in its narrative, with Ladd playing a white man asked by the U.S. Army to attempt negotiations with Native Modocs who are about to wage war
Ernst Thälmann - Son of his Class (German: Ernst Thälmann - Sohn seiner Klasse) (1954) – biographical drama film about the life of Ernst Thälmann, leader of the Communist Party of Germany during much of the Weimar Republic
The Eternal Waltz (German: Ewiger Walzer) (1954) – West German drama film dramatizing the life of Johann Strauss II
The Glenn Miller Story (1954) – biographical drama film about the American band-leader Glenn Miller
His Majesty O'Keefe (1954) – biographical adventure film telling the story of Captain David O'Keefe
House of Ricordi (Italian: Casa Ricordi) (1954) – Italian historical biographical film based on the early history of the Italian music publishing house Casa Ricordi
Joan of Arc at the Stake (Italian: Giovanna d'Arco al rogo) (1954) – Italian biographical drama film based on the oratorio Jeanne d'Arc au bûcher by Paul Claudel and Arthur Honegger
John Wesley (1954) – British historical biographical film depicting the life of the father of Methodism, John Wesley
King Richard and the Crusaders (1954) – historical drama film about the life of Richard I of England
The Law vs. Billy the Kid (1954) – Western drama film based on the life of Billy the Kid
The Life of Surgeon Sauerbruch (German: Sauerbruch – Das war mein Leben) (1954) – West German biographical drama film about the life of Ferdinand Sauerbruch
Madame du Barry (1954) – French historical drama film depicting the life of Madame du Barry, mistress to Louis XV in the eighteenth century
Mahatma Phule (Marathi: महात्मा फुले) (1954) – Indian Marathi-language biographical film based on the life of social reformer and activist Jyotirao Govindrao Phule
Mirza Ghalib (Hindi: मिर्ज़ा गालिब; Urdu: مرزا غالب) (1954) – Indian Hindi and Urdu language biographical film based on the life of well-known poet Mirza Ghalib
Queen Margot (French: La Reine Margot) (1954) – French adventure historical drama film about the life of Margaret of Valois
Rasputin (French: Raspoutine) (1954) – French historical drama film portraying the rise and fall of the Russian priest and courtier Grigori Rasputin
The Red Prince (German: Der rote Prinz) (1954) – Austrian-West German historical drama film based on the story of Archduke Johann Salvator of Austria
Salt of the Earth (1954) – historical drama film based on the 1951 strike against the Empire Zinc Company in Grant County, New Mexico
Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto (Japanese: 宮本武蔵) (1954) – Japanese biographical adventure film loosely based on the life of the famous Japanese swordsman Miyamoto Musashi
Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (Hindi: श्री चैतन्य महाप्रभु) (1954) – Indian Hindi-language biographical film about the 15th century "medieval Vaishnav poet saint" and social reformer of Bengal, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, whom many considered an Avatar of Krishna
Sign of the Pagan (1954) – historical drama film based on an attack by Attila the Hun and the capture of Marcian
Sitting Bull (1954) – Western film depicting the war between Sitting Bull and the American forces, leading up to the Battle of the Little Bighorn and Custer's Last Stand
War Arrow (1954) – Western drama film based on the Seminole Scouts
When I Leave (Spanish: Cuando me vaya) (1954) – Mexican musical drama film portraying the life of the bolero composer María Grever
The White Rose (Spanish: La rosa blanca) (1954) – Cuban-Mexican drama film portraying the life of the nineteenth-century Cuban poet José Martí, a leading advocate of the country's independence from Spain
1955
A Man Called Peter (1955) – biographical drama film based on the life of preacher Peter Marshall, who served as Chaplain of the United States Senate and pastor of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, D. C., before his early death
Above Us the Waves (1955) – British war drama film about human torpedo and midget submarine attacks in Norwegian fjords against the German battleship Tirpitz
Aces Looking for Peace (Spanish: Los ases buscan la paz) (1955) – Spanish sports drama film portraying the life of the Hungarian footballer Ladislao Kubala
Adriana Lecouvreur (1955) – Italian biographical drama film about 18th-century actress Adrienne Lecouvreur
Beautiful but Dangerous (Italian: La donna più bella del mondo) (1955) – Italian comedy drama film about Italian opera soprano Lina Cavalieri
Cell 2455 Death Row (1955) – biographical crime drama film based on the life of convicted robber, rapist and kidnapper Caryl Chessman
Chief Crazy Horse (1955) – Western biographical drama film about the life of Lakota Sioux Chief Crazy Horse
The Cockleshell Heroes (1955) – British war drama film depicting a heavily fictionalised version of Operation Frankton, the December 1942 raid on German cargo shipping by British Royal Marines Commandos, who infiltrated Bordeaux Harbour using folding kayaks
The Colditz Story (1955) – British war drama film about Pat Reid, a British army officer who was imprisoned in Oflag IV-C, Colditz Castle, in Germany during the Second World War and who was the Escape Officer for British POWs within the castle
The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell (1955) – biographical drama film based on the notorious 1925 court-martial of General Billy Mitchell, who is considered a founding figure of the U.S. Air Force
The Dam Busters (1955) – British epic war film telling the true story of Operation Chastise when in 1943 the RAF's 617 Squadron attacked the Möhne, Eder, and Sorpe dams in Nazi Germany with Barnes Wallis's bouncing bomb
Ernst Thälmann - Leader of his Class (German: Ernst Thälmann - Führer seiner Klasse) (1955) – East German biographical drama film about the life of Ernst Thälmann, leader of the Communist Party of Germany during much of the Weimar Republic
The Eternal Breasts (Japanese: 乳房よ永遠なれ) (1955) – Japanese biographical drama film about the life of tanka poet Fumiko Nakajō
The Eternal Sea (1955) – biographical war film following the career of Captain John Hoskins, who loses his leg at the Battle of Leyte Gulf and resists attempts to retire him and continues his military service after learning to cope with his disability
The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing (1955) – biographical crime drama film telling the story of Evelyn Nesbit, a beautiful showgirl caught in a love triangle with elderly architect Stanford White and eccentric young millionaire Harry Kendall Thaw
I'll Cry Tomorrow (1955) – biographical drama film telling the story of Lillian Roth, a Broadway star who rebels against the pressure of her domineering mother and struggles with alcoholism after the death of her fiancé
Interrupted Melody (1955) – biographical musical film telling the story of Australian soprano Marjorie Lawrence's rise to fame as an opera singer and her subsequent triumph over polio with her husband's help
Land of the Pharaohs (1955) – epic historical drama film depicting an account of the building of the Great Pyramid
The Last Command (1955) – Western film based on the life of Jim Bowie and the Battle of the Alamo
Lola Montès (1955) – French-West German biographical romantic drama film depicting the life of Irish dancer and courtesan Lola Montez and tells the story of the most famous of her many notorious affairs, those with Franz Liszt and Ludwig I of Bavaria
The Long Gray Line (1955) – biographical comedy drama film based on the life of Marty Maher
Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955) – romantic-drama film telling the story of a married, but separated, American reporter Mark Elliot, who falls in love with a Eurasian doctor originally from China, Han Suyin, only to encounter prejudice from her family and from Hong Kong society
Love Me or Leave Me (1955) – romantic musical drama film recounting the life of Ruth Etting, a singer who rose from dancer to movie star
Ludwig II (German: Ludwig II: Glanz und Ende eines Königs) (1955) – West German historical drama film based on the life of the nineteenth century ruler Ludwig II of Bavaria
Magic Fire (1955) – biographical comedy drama film about the life of composer Richard Wagner
Mikhaylo Lomonosov (Russian: Михайло Ломоносов) (1955) – Soviet biographical film about the great Russian scientist Mikhailo Lomonosov, who, after completing his studies in Germany, returns to Russia, where he dreams of creating scientific centers and opening a university
Mozart (1955) – Austrian drama film exploring the mental state of Mozart during production of his final opera The Magic Flute
Music in the Blood (German: Musik im Blut) (1955) – West German biographical musical film portraying the life of the musician Kurt Widmann
Napoléon (1955) – French historical epic film depicting major events in the life of Napoleon
The Night Holds Terror (1955) – film noir crime film based on a true story of the 1953 kidnapping of wealthy family man Gene Courtier
The Night My Number Came Up (1955) – British mystery drama film based on a real incident in the life of British Air Marshal Sir Victor Goddard
The Phenix City Story (1955) – film noir crime film based on the political career of Albert Patterson in Phenix City, Alabama
Piyoli Phukan (Assamese: পিয়োলি ফুকন) (1955) – Indian Assamese-language biographical film based on the life and struggle of a historical character of Assam, Piyoli Phukan, son of Badan Borphukan, who revolted against British occupation
Prince of Players (1955) – biographical drama film about the 19th century American actor Edwin Booth
Richard III (1955) – British historical drama film about the life and reign of Richard III of England
Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple (Japanese: 続宮本武蔵) (1955) – Japanese biographical action film loosely based on the life of the famous Japanese swordsman, Miyamoto Musashi
Sardar (Hindi: सरदार) (1955) – Indian Hindi-language biographical film based on the life of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, one of India's greatest nationalists and the first Home Minister of India
Seven Angry Men (1955) – Western biographical film about the abolitionist John Brown, particularly his involvement in Bleeding Kansas and his leadership of the Raid on Harpers Ferry
Seven Cities of Gold (1955) – historical adventure film telling the story of the eighteenth-century Franciscan priest, Father Junípero Serra and the founding of the first missions in what is now California
The Seven Little Foys (1955) – biographical comedy film telling the story of Eddie Foy Sr.
Swami Vivekananda (Hindi: स्वामी विवेकानंद) (1955) – Indian Hindi-language biographical film based on the biography of Indian Hindu monk Swami Vivekananda
To Hell and Back (1955) – biographical action film about the experiences of Audie Murphy as a soldier in the U.S. Army in World War II
The Virgin Queen (1955) – historical drama film focusing on the relationship between Elizabeth I of England and Sir Walter Raleigh
Wiretapper (1955) – biographical crime drama film based on the true story of Jim Vaus Jr.
1956
A Man Escaped (French: Un condamné à mort s'est échappé ou Le vent souffle où il veut) (1956) – French prison drama film based on a memoir by André Devigny, a member of the French Resistance who was held in Montluc prison during World War II by the occupying Germans
Alexander the Great (1956) – epic historical drama film about the life of Macedonian general and king Alexander the Great
Anastasia (1956) – historical drama film about rumors that the Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia, the youngest daughter of the late Tsar Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, survived the execution of her family in 1918
The Battle of the River Plate (1956) – British war drama film about the Battle of the River Plate, an early World War II naval engagement in 1939 between a Royal Navy force of three cruisers and the German pocket battleship
Beatrice Cenci (1956) – French-Italian historical drama film about Beatrice Cenci, a young Roman noblewoman who murdered her abusive father, Count Francesco Cenci
The Benny Goodman Story (1956) – biographical musical drama film capturing several major moments in Benny Goodman's life
The Best Things in Life Are Free (1956) – biographical musical film about real-life songwriting team Buddy DeSylva, Lew Brown, and Ray Henderson
The Conqueror (1956) – epic historical drama film telling the story of Mongol chief Temujin (later to be known as Genghis Khan) who battles against Tartar armies and for the love of the Tartar princess Bortai
Daniel Boone, Trail Blazer (1956) – historical Western adventure film depicting how frontiersman Daniel Boone and his family had to fight for survival when overtures of peace fail and culminate in a frontal assault on the fort
Death of a Scoundrel (1956) – film noir drama film depicting a fictionalized adaptation of the life and mysterious death of Serge Rubinstein
The Duchess of Plakendia (Greek: Η Δούκισσα της Πλακεντίας) (1956) – Greek historical drama film about the life of Sophie de Marbois-Lebrun, Duchess of Plaisance
The Eddy Duchin Story (1956) – biographical drama film about band leader and pianist Eddy Duchin
The First Texan (1956) – Western biographical film about Sam Houston and the Texas Revolution
The Great Locomotive Chase (1956) – Western adventure film about the Great Locomotive Chase that occurred in 1862 during the American Civil War
The Harder They Fall (1956) – film noir sport drama film based on the tragic tale of true-life fighter Primo Carnera
The King and I (1956) – musical drama film based on memoirs written by Anna Leonowens, who became school teacher to the children of King Mongkut of Siam in the early 1860s
Lust for Life (1956) – biographical drama film about the life of the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh
The Man Who Never Was (1956) – British spy thriller film chronicling Operation Mincemeat, a 1943 British intelligence plan to deceive the Axis powers into thinking the Allied invasion of Sicily would take place elsewhere in the Mediterranean
Marie Antoinette Queen of France (French: Marie-Antoinette reine de France) (1956) – French historical drama film about Marie Antoinette, the last queen of France before the French Revolution
Miracle of the White Suit (Spanish: Un traje blanco) (1956) – Spanish biographical drama film about poor seven year old Marcos who wants his First Communion in a white suit
Podhale on Fire (Polish: Podhale w ogniu) (1956) – Polish historical drama film about the Kostka-Napierski uprising
Reach for the Sky (1956) – British biographical war drama film about aviator Douglas Bader
Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island (Japanese: 宮本武蔵完結編 決闘巌流島) (1956) – Japanese action drama film loosely based on the life of the famous Japanese swordsman, Miyamoto Musashi
Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956) – biographical sport drama film based on the life of middleweight boxing legend Rocky Graziano
Spy for Germany (German: Spion für Deutschland) (1956) – West German spy thriller film depicting the mission of a German spy Erich Gimpel during the Second World War to discover how far the American nuclear programme had progressed
The Ten Commandments (1956) – epic Christian drama film dramatizing the biblical story of the life of Moses, an adopted Egyptian prince who becomes the deliverer of his real brethren, the enslaved Hebrews, and thereafter leads the Exodus to Mount Sinai, where he receives, from God, the Ten Commandments
The Trapp Family (German: Die Trapp-Familie) (1956) – West German comedy drama film about the real-life Austrian musical Trapp Family
The Vicious Circle (German: Der Teufelskreis) (1956) – East German drama film about the Reichstag fire trial
Wakanohana: the Story of Devil of the Dohyō (Japanese: 若ノ花物語 土俵の鬼) (1956) – Japanese sport drama film about sumo wrestler Wakanohana Kanji I
Walk the Proud Land (1956) – Western biographical drama film recounting the first successful introduction of limited self-government by John Clum (1851–1932), Indian agent for the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation in the Arizona Territory
The Wrong Man (1956) – film noir drama film based on the true story of an innocent man charged with a crime, as described in the book The True Story of Christopher Emmanuel Balestrero by Maxwell Anderson
1957
A Dreamer's Journey (Swedish: En drömmares vandring) (1957) – Swedish biographical drama film based on the life of the poet Dan Andersson
A Lesson in History (Russian: Урок истории; Bulgarian: Урокът на историята) (1957) – Soviet-Bulgarian historical drama film about Georgi Dimitrov
The Abductors (1957) – film noir crime drama film about a real life attempt to steal Abraham Lincoln's corpse that took place on 27 October 1876 in Oakridge Cemetery, Springfield Illinois
After the Ball (1957) – British biographical film about the life of the stage performer Vesta Tilley
All Mine to Give (1957) – romantic drama film based on the true story of an immigrant family in 1850's Wisconsin who prosper until tragedy strikes
Baby Face Nelson (1957) – film noir crime drama film based on the real-life 1930s gangster Baby Face Nelson
The Barretts of Wimpole Street (1957) – British historical drama film based on the romance between Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett, and her father's unwillingness to allow them to marry
Battle Hymn (1957) – biographical war drama film about Dean E. Hess, a real-life United States Air Force fighter pilot in the Korean War who helped evacuate several hundred war orphans to safety
Beau James (1957) – biographical drama film about Jimmy Walker, the colorful but controversial Mayor of New York City from 1926–32
The Buster Keaton Story (1957) – biographical drama film following the life of Buster Keaton
The Case of Doctor Laurent (French: Le cas du Docteur Laurent) (1957) – French drama film dedicated to the pioneers of the Psychoprophylactic method of painless childbirth which, in 1952, the method was first applied in France
The Crucible (French: Les Sorcières de Salem) (1957) – French-East German historical drama film depicting a dramatized and partially fictionalized story of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Massachusetts Bay Colony during 1692–93
The Devil Strikes at Night (German: Nachts, wenn der Teufel kam) (1957) – West German crime drama film based on the true story of Bruno Lüdke
Fear Strikes Out (1957) – biographical sport drama film depicting the life and career of American baseball player Jimmy Piersall
The Flying Dutchman (Dutch: De Vliegende Hollander) (1957) – Dutch biographical drama film about the life of famed aviator Anthony Fokker
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957) – Western biographical drama film based on the 1881 gunfight at the O.K. Corral
Guns Don't Argue (1957) – crime drama film about the early achievements of the FBI in defeating the most notorious criminals of the 1930s
The Helen Morgan Story (1957) – biographical drama film based on the life and career of torch singer/actress Helen Morgan
Ill Met by Moonlight (1957) – British action drama film based on events during W. Stanley Moss's service on Crete during World War II as an agent of the Special Operations Executive (SOE)
Jeanne Eagels (1957) – biographical film based on the life of stage star Jeanne Eagels
The Joker Is Wild (1957) – musical drama film about Joe E. Lewis, the popular singer and comedian who was a major attraction in nightclubs from the 1920s to the early 1950s
Kean: Genius or Scoundrel (Italian: Kean - Genio e sregolatezza) (1957) – Italian historical biographical film based on the life of nineteenth century actor Edmund Kean
Man of a Thousand Faces (1957) – biographical drama film detailing the life of silent movie actor Lon Chaney
Monkey on My Back (1957) – biographical drama film about real-life world champion boxer and World War II hero Barney Ross
Nine Lives (Norwegian: Ni Liv) (1957) – Norwegian biographical action film about Jan Baalsrud, a commando and member of the Norwegian resistance during World War II
Omar Khayyam (1957) – historical adventure film about Omar Khayyam, the eponymous Persian poet
The One That Got Away (1957) – British biographical war film chronicling the true exploits of Oberleutnant Franz von Werra, a Luftwaffe pilot shot down over Britain in 1940
Pardesi (Hindi: परदेसी; Russian: Хождение за три моря) (1957) – Indian-Soviet historical adventure film based on the travelogues of Russian traveller Afanasy Nikitin, called A Journey Beyond the Three Seas, which is now considered a Russian literary monument
Paths of Glory (1957) – anti-war drama film loosely based on the true-life affair of four French soldiers who were executed to set an example to the rest of the troops during World War I
Portland Exposé (1957) – film noir drama film inspired by crime boss Jim Elkins and the McClellan Committee's investigation into Portland's underground criminal ventures in the 1940s and 1950s
Queen Louise (German: Königin Luise) (1957) – West German historical drama film depicting the life of Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the wife of Frederick William III of Prussia, and her stand against Napoleon during the Napoleonic Wars
Road to the Stars (Russian: Дорога к звёздам) (1957) – Soviet biographical film depicting mostly the life and scientific contributions of Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, along with the basic principles of rocket propulsion, ballistics, and space flight
Saint Joan (1957) – historical drama film about the life of Joan of Arc
Slaughter on Tenth Avenue (1957) – film noir crime drama film based on the non-fiction book The Man Who Rocked the Boat, an autobiography by William Keating, chronicling Keating's experiences as an assistant district attorney and as counsel to the New York City Anti-Crime Committee
The Spirit of St. Louis (1957) – biographical adventure film focusing on Lindbergh's lengthy preparation for, and accomplishment of, his history-making transatlantic flight in the purpose-built Spirit of St. Louis high-wing monoplane. His takeoff begins at Roosevelt Field and ends 33 hours later on May 21, 1927 when he lands safely at Le Bourget Field in Paris
Story of Tetsuharu Kawakami: number 16 (Japanese: 川上哲治物語 背番号１６) (1957) – Japanese sport drama film about Japanese baseball player Tetsuharu Kawakami
Stresemann (1957) – West German biographical drama film portraying the career of the German Minister for Foreign Affairs Gustav Stresemann in the 1920s
The Three Faces of Eve (1957) – film noir mystery drama film about the life of Chris Costner Sizemore
The Tommy Steele Story (1957) – British drama musical film about Tommy Steele and his rise to fame as a teen idol
The True Story of Jesse James (1957) – Western drama film focusing on the relationship between the two James brothers during the last 18 years of Jesse James' life
The Wings of Eagles (1957) – biographical war drama film based on the life of Frank "Spig" Wead and the history of U.S. Naval aviation from its inception through World War II
Yangtse Incident: The Story of H.M.S. Amethyst (1957) – British war drama film telling the story of the British sloop caught up in the Chinese Civil War and involved in the 1949 Yangtze Incident
1958
A Night to Remember (1958) – British historical disaster film about the final night of RMS Titanic, which sank on her maiden voyage after she struck an iceberg in 1912
A Song Goes Round the World (German: Ein Lied geht um die Welt) (1958) – West German biographical musical film about the life of the singer and film actor Joseph Schmidt
Anarkali (Urdu: انارکلی) (1958) – Pakistani historical drama film revolving around the love of Jahangir for a slave girl Anarkali which creates a serious conflict between Prince Jahangir and his father, Mughal emperor Akbar
Battle of the V-1 (1958) – British war drama film telling the story of a Polish Resistance group, which discovers details of the manufacture of the German V-1 'Flying Bomb' at Peenemünde in 1943
The Bonnie Parker Story (1958) – film noir crime film based on the life of Bonnie Parker, a well-known outlaw of the 1930s
The Buccaneer (1958) – adventure drama film taking place during the War of 1812, telling a heavily fictionalized version of how the privateer Lafitte helped in the Battle of New Orleans and how he had to choose between fighting for America or for the side most likely to win, the United Kingdom
Carve Her Name with Pride (1958) – British war drama film based on the true story of Special Operations Executive agent Violette Szabo, GC, who was captured and executed while serving in Nazi-occupied France
The Case Against Brooklyn (1958) – film noir crime film featuring depictions of American police corruption based on the True Magazine article "I Broke the Brooklyn Graft Scandal" by crime reporter Ed Reid
Confess, Doctor Corda (German: Gestehen Sie, Dr. Corda) (1958) – West German film noir crime film based on a true criminal case from Steyr, Austria, which caused a great stir in 1955
The Csardas King (German: Der Czardas-König) (1958) – West German biographical musical film about the life of the Hungarian operetta composer Emmerich Kalman
Damn Citizen (1958) – film noir crime film telling the true story of a police chief hired to wipe out corruption in the Louisiana State Police
Darby's Rangers (1958) – war drama film about William Orlando Darby, who organizes and leads the first units of United States Army Rangers during World War II
E.A. — Extraordinary Accident (Russian: Ч. П. — Чрезвычайное происшествие) (1958) – Soviet crime drama film based on real events of the capture of the Soviet tanker "Tuapse" on 23 June 1954
H-8 (1958) – Yugoslav thriller drama film based on a true story of a reckless car driver causes the collision of a bus and a truck on a two-lane road between Zagreb and Belgrade, in which the driver that caused a fatal 1957 bus-truck collision was never identified
Herod the Great (Italian: Erode il grande) (1958) – Italian-French epic historical drama film about Herod the Great
I Accuse! (1958) – British historical drama film based on the true story of the Dreyfus affair, in which a Jewish captain in the French Army was falsely accused of treason
I Want to Live! (1958) – film noir biographical film following the life of Barbara Graham, a prostitute and habitual criminal who is convicted of murder and faces capital punishment
I Was Monty's Double (1958) – British biographical war film about M. E. Clifton James, an actor who pretended to be General Bernard Montgomery as a decoy during World War II
Ice Cold in Alex (1958) – British war drama film set during the Western Desert campaign of World War II
The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (1958) – biographical war drama film based on the true story of Gladys Aylward, a tenacious British woman, who became a missionary in China during the Second Sino-Japanese War
Iron Gustav (German: Der eiserne Gustav) (1958) – West German comedy drama film based on the real story of cab driver Gustav Hartmann who drove his droshky from Berlin to Paris
It Happened One Night (Norwegian: I slik en natt) (1958) – Norwegian war drama film telling the true story of a young woman doctor who in 1942, helped several Jewish children escape the gestapo for the border to neutral Sweden
Ivan the Terrible - Part II (Russian: Иван Грозный) (1958) – Soviet epic historical drama film about Ivan the Terrible as he attempts to consolidate his power by establishing a personal army, his political rivals, the Russian boyars, plot to assassinate their Tsar
Jamila, the Algerian (Arabic: جميلة) (1958) – Egyptian historical drama film about one of the most important figures in the history of Algeria, Djamila Bouhired
The Left Handed Gun (1958) – Western film portraying Billy the Kid as a misunderstood youth who got mixed up in a cattle war and was dragged down by the hostile population of New Mexico
Machine-Gun Kelly (1958) – film noir biographical film chronicling the criminal activities of the real-life George "Machine Gun" Kelly
Manhunt in the Jungle (1958) – biographical adventure film about adventurer George Miller Dyott as he is sent out to find a fellow adventurer, Percy Fawcett, who went missing in the Amazon jungle in 1925 while searching for the Lost City of Z
Montparnasse 19 (French: Les Amants de Montparnasse) (1958) – French-Italian drama film based on the last years of the life of Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani, who worked and died in abject poverty in the Montparnasse area of Paris
The Naked Maja (1958) – Italian-American biographical drama film about the romance between the painter Francisco Goya and the Duchess of Alba
On Distant Shores (Azerbaijani: Uzaq Sahillərdə) (1958) – Soviet-era Azerbaijani war drama film portraying the life of the legendary Azerbaijani guerrilla of the Second World War Mehdi Huseynzade, who fought the Nazi forces in the present-day Italy and Slovenia
Orders to Kill (1958) – British war drama film based on a story by Donald Chase Downes, a former American intelligence operative
Rosemary (German: Das Mädchen Rosemarie) (1958) – West German drama film portraying the scandal that surrounded Rosemarie Nitribitt
Sebastian Kneipp (1958) – Austrian historical biographical film about the Bavarian Sebastian Kneipp, one of the pioneers of naturopathic medicine
The Silent Enemy (1958) – British historical action film about Lionel "Buster" Crabb depicting events in Gibraltar harbour during the World War II Italian frogman and manned torpedo attacks
St. Louis Blues (1958) – biographical drama film based on the life of W. C. Handy
Too Much, Too Soon (1958) – biographical drama film about Diana Barrymore who becomes reunited with her father after a ten year estrangement and engages in his self-destructive lifestyle
The Trapp Family in America (German: Die Trapp-Familie in Amerika) (1958) – West German comedy drama film about the real-life Austrian musical Trapp Family
The Two-Headed Spy (1958) – British spy thriller film based upon Alexander Scotland's autobiography, The London Cage, and the military intelligence facility that interrogated captured Germans during the Second World War
Underwater Warrior (1958) – war drama film telling the story of the US Navy's Underwater Demolition Teams between World War II and the Korean War
1959
A Poet's Fate (Russian: Судьба поэта) (1959) – Soviet drama film about the Iranian poet Rudaki, the founder of Persian poetry
Al Capone (1959) – biographical crime drama film depicting a chronicle of the rise and fall of Chicago crime boss Al Capone during the Prohibition era
Anatomy of a Murder (1959) – legal drama based on a 1952 murder case in which Michigan Supreme Court Justice John D. Voelker was the defense attorney
Beloved Infidel (1959) – biographical drama film based on the relationship of F. Scott Fitzgerald and Sheilah Graham)
Bouboulina (Greek: Μπουμπουλίνα) (1959) – Greek biographical drama film featuring the heroine of the Greek Revolutionary of 1821 Laskarina Bouboulina
Compulsion (1959) – biographical crime drama film depicting a fictionalized account of the Leopold and Loeb murder trial
The Diary of Anne Frank (1959) – biographical drama film based on the posthumously published diary of Anne Frank, a German-born Jewish girl who lived in hiding in Amsterdam with her family during World War II
The Five Pennies (1959) – biographical musical film about jazz cornet player and bandleader Loring "Red" Nichols
The Gene Krupa Story (1959) – biographical drama film about American drummer and bandleader Gene Krupa
General Della Rovere (Italian: Il generale Della Rovere) (1959) – Italian-French war drama film based on a story by Indro Montanelli which was in turn based on a true story
The Great St. Louis Bank Robbery (1959) – heist drama film based on a 1953 bank robbery attempt of Southwest Bank in St. Louis
Hannibal (Italian: Annibale) (1959) – Italian historical adventure film based on the life of Hannibal
The Horse Soldiers (1959) – adventure war film depicting a fictionalized version of Grierson's Raid in Mississippi
I, Sinner (Spanish: Yo, pecador) (1959) – Mexican biographical drama film about the life of José Mojica who was a famous Mexican singer and actor before retiring to the religious life
Inside the Mafia (1959) – film noir crime film based on the Albert Anastasia murder and subsequent Apalachin Meeting
Jagajyothi Basveshwara (Kannada: ಜಗಜ್ಯೋತಿ ಬಸವೇಶ್ವರ) (1959) – Indian Kannada-language biographical drama film based on the life Basaveshwar, a philosopher and social reformer from Karnataka who lived in the 12th century
John Paul Jones (1959) – biographical adventure film about the American Revolutionary War naval hero
Kattabomman, the Brave Warrior (Tamil: வீரபாண்டிய கட்டபொம்மன்) (1959) – Indian Tamil-language historical war film based on the story of Veerapandiya Kattabomman, the 18th-century South Indian chieftain who rebelled against the East India Company
Love Now, Pay Later (German: Die Wahrheit über Rosemarie) (1959) – West German biographical drama film inspired by the life and death of Rosemarie Nitribitt
Nie Er (Mandarin: 聂耳) (1959) – Chinese biographical drama film about Chinese Musician Nie Er, a Communist Party member who drowned in Japan during his flight to Russia away from Nationalist oppression
Pork Chop Hill (1959) – war drama film depicting the first fierce Battle of Pork Chop Hill between the U.S. Army's 7th Infantry Division and Chinese and North Korean forces in April 1953
Solomon and Sheba (1959) – epic historical romance film dramatizing events described in The Bible—the tenth chapter of First Kings and the ninth chapter of Second Chronicles
Ten Ready Rifles (Spanish: Diez fusiles esperan) (1959) – Spanish war drama film concerning the Carlist Wars of the 19th century
Vasily Surikov (Russian: Василий Суриков) (1959) – Soviet biographical drama film about the life and work of the great Russian painter Vasily Surikov
The White Warrior (Italian: Agi Murad, il diavolo bianco) (1959) – Italian adventure drama film telling the story of Hadji Murad, a 19th-century Chechen chieftain who led his warriors in a fight against the invading forces of the Russian Czar
1960s
1960
The Alamo (1960) – epic historical war film about the 1836 Battle of the Alamo
Alfonso XII and María Cristina (Spanish: Alfonso XII y María Cristina: ¿Dónde vas triste de ti?) (1960) – Spanish historical drama film about Alfonso XII who is recently widowed from Mercedes of Orléans and is urged to marry again to secure the restored monarchy and a heir to the throne. He chooses Maria Christina of Austria, who makes an excellent yet lonely queen
Bhakta Kanakadasa (Kannada: ಭಕ್ತ ಕನಕದಾಸ) (1960) – Indian Kannada-language depicting the spiritual journey of Kanakadasa, who was a devotee of the Hindu deity Krishna, and a poet belonging to the Dasa sect
Bluebeard's Ten Honeymoons (1960) – British thriller film loosely based on the real-life serial killer Henri Désiré Landru
Cleopatra's Daughter (Italian: Il sepolcro dei re) (1960) – Italian historical drama film set in Egypt during the reign of the pharaoh Khufu
Darkness Fell on Gotenhafen (German: Nacht fiel über Gotenhafen) (1960) – West German war drama film about the sinking of , which was sunk while carrying German servicemen and around 6,000 civilian evacuees
David and Goliath (Italian: David e Golia) (1960) – Italian Christian action drama film based on the Old Testament story from the Book of Samuel
Esther and the King (1960) – epic drama film recounting the origin of the Jewish celebration of Purim
Exodus (1960) – epic historical drama film about the founding of the State of Israel
The Flesh and the Fiends (1960) – British horror film based on the true case of Burke and Hare, who murdered at least 16 people in 1828 Edinburgh, Scotland and sold their bodies for anatomical research
The Gallant Hours (1960) – biographical war drama film about William F. Halsey Jr. and his efforts in fighting against Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto and the Imperial Japanese Navy in the Guadalcanal campaign of World War II
The Great Mughal (Hindi: मुगल आजम) (1960) – Indian Hindi-language epic historical drama film following the love affair between Mughal Prince Salim (who went on to become Emperor Jahangir) and Anarkali, a court dancer wq
Hell to Eternity (1960) – biographical war drama film about the true experiences of Marine hero Pfc. Guy Gabaldon, a Los Angeles Hispanic boy raised in the 1930s by a Japanese American foster family, and his heroic actions during the Battle of Saipan
Her Brother (Japanese: おとうと) (1960) – Japanese drama film containing biographical elements for Kon Ichikawa, who was born in 1915 and was a young boy being raised in the 1920s, spoiled by his mother and sisters
I Aim at the Stars (1960) – biographical drama film telling the story of the life of Wernher von Braun, from his early days in Germany, through Peenemünde, until his work with the U.S. Army, NASA, and the American space program
Inherit the Wind (1960) – biographical drama film fictionalizing the 1925 Scopes "Monkey" Trial as a means to discuss McCarthyism
Murder, Inc. (1960) – biographical gangster film based on the true story of Murder, Inc., a Brooklyn gang that operated in the 1930s
Nader Nimai (Bengali: নাদের নিমাই) (1960) – Indian Bengali-language biographical film based on the life of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
The Night They Killed Rasputin (Italian: L'ultimo zar) (1960) – Italian historical adventure film about Grigori Rasputin
Northern Story (Russian: Северная повесть) (1960) – Soviet biographical drama film taking place on the eve of the Decembrist revolt in 1825 where officer Pavel Bestuzhev, who is sent into exile in the garrison in the North, meets a wounded Decembrist, who is trying to leave Russia
Oscar Wilde (1960) – biographical drama film primarily focusing on the litigation surrounding Wilde's libel suit against the Marquess of Queensberry, and the subsequent accusation of Wilde's homosexuality
Pay or Die (1960) – biographical crime film about the career of New York City police officer Joseph Petrosino, a pioneer in the fight against organized crime in America
Pretty Boy Floyd (1960) – biographical crime drama film based on the career of the notorious 1930s outlaw Charles Arthur "Pretty Boy" Floyd
The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond (1960) – historical crime drama film about small-time New York City criminal, Legs Diamond, whose ambition is to become a big-time crime boss during the Prohibition era
The Siege of Sidney Street (1960) – British historical drama film about the 1909 Tottenham Outrage - a bungled wages-snatch which resulted in the murder of a police officer and a ten-year-old bystander as well as the two armed robbers - and the 1911 Siege of Sidney Street, in which armed police surrounded a house in East End of London occupied by a gang who had killed three police officers during a bungled attempt to break into a jeweller's shop
Sink the Bismarck! (1960) – British war drama film dealing directly with the operations, chase and sinking of the battleship by the Royal Navy during the Second World War
Song Without End (1960) – biographical romance film telling the story of Hungarian pianist Franz Liszt, whose scandalous love affair forced him to abandon his adoring audiences
Spartacus (1960) – epic historical drama film about Spartacus, a slave who leads a rebellion against Rome and the events of the Third Servile War
The Story of Ruth (1960) – Christian historical romance film based on the biblical Book of Ruth
Sunrise at Campobello (1960) – biographical drama film telling the story of the struggles of future President of the United States Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his family when Roosevelt was stricken with paralysis at the age of 39 in August 1921
Sweetheart of the Gods (German: Liebling der Götter) (1960) – West German biographical drama film portraying the life of Renate Müller, a German film actress who died in 1937 in mysterious circumstances
Testament of Orpheus (French: Le testament d'Orphée) (1960) – French biographical fantasy film about Jean Cocteau who looks back over his life and work, recalling his inspirations and obsessions
The Trials of Oscar Wilde (1960) – British historical drama film based on the libel and subsequent criminal cases involving Oscar Wilde and the Marquess of Queensberry
1961
A Story of David (Hebrew: סיפור דוד) (1961) – British-Israeli drama film depicting the life of the Biblical King David and his conflicted relationship with King Saul
Barabbas (1961) – epic religious film expanding on the career of Barabbas, from the Christian Passion narrative in the Gospel of Mark and other gospels
Bridge to the Sun (1961) – war drama film based on the 1957 autobiography Bridge to the Sun by Gwen Terasaki, which detailed events in Terasaki's life and marriage
Constantine and the Cross (Italian: Costantino il grande) (1961) – Italian historical drama film about the early career of the emperor Constantine, who first legalized and then adopted Christianity in the early 4th century as far into his life as the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in AD 312
Darclee (1961) – Romanian drama film based on the life of Hariclea Darclée
Duel of the Titans (Italian: Romolo e Remo) (1961) – Italian action drama film about Romulus and Remus' revolt against tyranny in pre-Roman Italy and how they lead their people toward the founding of a new city, known as Rome
El Cid (1961) – epic historical drama film based on the life of the 11th-century Castilian warlord Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, called "El Cid" (from the Arabic al-sidi, meaning "The Lord")
Francis of Assisi (1961) – biographical drama film about the life of Francis of Assisi
The George Raft Story (1961) – biographical drama film depicting George Raft's turbulent life and career
The Great Impostor (1961) – comedy drama film based on the story of an impostor named Ferdinand Waldo Demara
Greyfriars Bobby (1961) – family drama film based upon an incident in 19th century Edinburgh involving a dog that came to be known as Greyfriars Bobby
The Hoodlum Priest (1961) – drama film based on the life of Father Charles "Dismas" Clark of St. Louis, who ministered to men in prison and men coming out of prison
Judgment at Nuremberg (1961) – epic courtroom drama film depicting a fictionalized version of the Judges' Trial of 1947, one of the twelve Nuremberg Military Tribunals conducted under the auspices of the U.S. military in the aftermath of the Second World War
King of Kings (1961) – epic religious film telling the story of Jesus of Nazareth from his birth and ministry to his crucifixion and resurrection
King of the Roaring '20s: The Story of Arnold Rothstein (1961) – biographical crime drama film telling the story of flamboyant Prohibition-era gangster, gambler and bootlegger Arnold Rothstein
Mad Dog Coll (1961) – biographical crime drama film about the life of Vincent "Mad Dog" Coll Curran, who was born in 1908 in County Donegal
The Moises Padilla Story (Filipino: Ang Kwento ni Moises Padilla) (1961) – Philippine biographical action film about a Negros Occidental mayoral candidate who in 1951, was tortured and murdered by the private army of the provincial governor after he had refused to withdraw his candidacy
The Navigator (Tamil: கப்பலோட்டிய தமிழன்) (1961) – Indian Tamil-language historical drama film about V. O. Chidambaram Pillai who founded the Swadeshi Stream Navigation Company to break the monopoly of the British over maritime trade out of India
The Outsider (1961) – biographical war film about Ira Hayes, a Native American who fought in World War II in the United States Marine Corps and was one of the Marines who raised the flag on Iwo Jima
Portrait of a Mobster (1961) – crime drama film portraying the rise and fall of 1920s gangster Dutch Schultz
Prince Yeonsan (Korean: 연산군) (1961) – South Korean drama film about Yeonsangun of Joseon as a prince trying to restore the status of his mother, the deposed and executed Queen Yun
The Story of Joseph and His Brethren (Italian: Giuseppe venduto dai fratelli) (1961) – Italian biographical drama film telling the story of Joseph and his brothers
Victoria Regina (1961) – historical drama television film depicting the life of Great Britain's Queen Victoria through vignettes starting with her accession to the throne at age 18, covering her romance with Prince Albert, and ending with her time as an elderly widow at age 78
1962
Axel Munthe, The Doctor of San Michele (1962) – biographical drama film based on the memoirs of the Swedish doctor Axel Munthe
Birdman of Alcatraz (1962) – biographical drama film about the life of Robert Stroud, who was sentenced to solitary confinement after having killed a prison guard. A federal prison inmate, he became known as the "Birdman of Alcatraz" because of his studies of birds, which had taken place when he was incarcerated at Leavenworth Prison where he was allowed to keep birds in jail
Caesar the Conqueror (Italian: Giulio Cesare, il conquistatore delle Gallie) (1962) – Italian adventure drama film centering around Julius Caesar's battling the rebels in Gaul
The Collegno Amnesiac (Italian: Lo smemorato di Collegno) (1962) – Italian commedia all'italiana drama film based on the Bruneri-Canella case
Convicts 4 (1962) – neo-noir crime film depicting the story of the life of death row convict John Resko
The Counterfeit Traitor (1962) – spy thriller film about an American-born Swedish citizen who is forced to spy on the Nazis in World War II
Dada Thakur (Bengali: দাদা ঠাকুর) (1962) – Indian Bengali-language based on the life of publisher, editor and satirist Sarat Chandra Pandit (popularly known as Dada Thakur)
Elgar (1962) – British biographical drama film about the life of the English composer Sir Edward Elgar
Escape from East Berlin (1962) – American-German historical drama film taking place in East Berlin soon after the Berlin Wall is built, and is based on an actual escape on January 24, 1962
Everyone Dies Alone (German: Jeder stirbt für sich allein) (1962) – West German political drama television film based on the true story of a working class couple, Otto and Elise Hampel, who committed acts of civil disobedience against the government of Nazi Germany and were executed
Freud: The Secret Passion (1962) – biographical drama film based on the life of Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud
Geronimo (1962) – action drama Western film following the events leading up to the final surrender of Geronimo during the Apache-United States Wars in 1886
Gypsy (1962) – musical biographical drama film about the life and times of burlesque dancer Gypsy Rose Lee and her aggressive stage mother, Mama Rose
Hitler (1962) – biographical war drama film depicting Hitler through the years, beginning with the Beer Hall Putsch of November 1923 and focuses mainly on his private life, in particular, his relationships with niece Geli and longtime companion/wife, Eva Braun
It Happened in Athens (1962) – sport comedy-drama film depicting the story of water-carrier Spyridon Louis
King of Music - Tansen (Hindi: संगीत सम्राट तानसेन) (1962) – Indian Hindi-language historical drama film about the famous court singer musician, Mian Tansen, one of the Navaratnas in Emperor Akbar’s court
Lawrence of Arabia (1962) – epic biographical adventure drama film depicting Lawrence's experiences in the Ottoman provinces of Hejaz and Greater Syria during the First World War, in particular his attacks on Aqaba and Damascus and his involvement in the Arab National Council
The Longest Day (1962) – epic war film about the D-Day landings at Normandy on June 6, 1944
The Magnificent Concubine (Mandarin: 楊貴妃) (1962) – Hong Kong historical drama film telling the story of Yang Guifei, Yang Guozhong and the Fanyang Chief revolt, imperiling the throne
Merrill's Marauders (1962) – adventure crime drama film based on the exploits of the long-range penetration jungle warfare unit of the same name in the Burma campaign, culminating in the Siege of Myitkyina
The Miracle Worker (1962) – biographical drama film about Anne Sullivan, blind tutor to Helen Keller
Mutiny on the Bounty (1962) – historical drama film based on the story of the real-life mutiny led by Fletcher Christian against William Bligh, captain of HMAV Bounty, in 1789
No Man Is an Island (1962) – war drama film about the exploits of George Ray Tweed, a United States Navy radioman who avoided capture and execution by the Japanese during their years-long World War II occupation of Guam
The Password Is Courage (1962) – British comedy-drama war film based on the true story of Sergeant-Major Charles Coward
Pattinathar (Tamil: பட்டினத்தார்) (1962) – Indian Tamil-language biographical film about Pattinathar who became the guru and contemporary of another ascetic philosopher, Pattirakiriyar
Queen Samyuktha (Tamil: ராணி சம்யுக்தா) (1962) – Indian Tamil-language historical romance film about the relationship between Prithvirajan and Samyuktha
The Reluctant Saint (1962) – American-Italian historical comedy-drama film telling the story of Joseph of Cupertino, a 17th-century Italian Conventual Franciscan friar and mystic honored as a saint by the Catholic Church
Salvatore Giuliano (1962) – Italian historical crime drama film following the lives of those involved with the famous Sicilian bandit Salvatore Giuliano
The Silent Raid (Dutch: De Overval) (1962) – war thriller film depicting the raid on Leeuwarden prison of December 8, 1944 in World War II
Sodom and Gomorrah (1962) – Christian epic film based on the Biblical reading of Sodom and Gomorrah In August 1960 Titanus announced it would make the film with Joseph E. Levine and it would star Stewart Granger.
Ten Italians for One German (Italian: Dieci italiani per un tedesco (Via Rasella)) (1962) – Italian historical war drama film about the Fosse Ardeatine massacre
The Trial of Joan of Arc (French: Procès de Jeanne d'Arc) (1962) – French historical drama film about the Trial of Joan of Arc
Tyrant Yeonsan (Korean: 폭군 연산) (1962) – South Korean biographical drama film chronicling the tyrannical reign of King Yeonsangun of Joseon
The Valiant (1962) – British war drama action film based on the Italian manned torpedo attack which seriously damaged the two British battleships Valiant and Queen Elizabeth and the oil tanker Sagona at the port of Alexandria in December 1941
The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm (1962) – biographical fantasy film telling the story of Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm, and three of their stories
1963
Act One (1963) – biographical drama film about the life of Moss Hart
America America (1963) – adventure drama film inspired by the life of Elia Kazan's uncle
The Christine Keeler Story (1963) – biographical drama film about the Profumo affair
Cleopatra (1963) – epic historical drama film chronicling the struggles of Cleopatra, the young queen of Egypt, to resist the imperial ambitions of Rome
Dr. Crippen (1963) – British biographical crime film concerning the real-life Edwardian doctor Hawley Harvey Crippen, who was hanged in 1910 for the murder of his wife
The Great Escape (1963) – epic war thriller film depicting a heavily fictionalized version of the mass escape by British Commonwealth prisoners of war from German POW camp Stalag Luft III during the Second World War
The Great Journey (Czech: Velká cesta) (1963) – Czechoslovak-Soviet biographical drama film about Jaroslav Hašek
Johnny Shiloh (1963) – family adventure television film based on the true story about Johnny Clem, the ten year old drummer boy who became a union officer in the Civil War
Ladybug Ladybug (1963) – drama film about an actual incident at a California elementary school during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis
Landru (1963) – French-Italian biographical crime drama film based on the story of French serial killer Henri Désiré Landru, who murdered and dismembered more than 10 women during World War I
Miracle of the White Stallions (1963) – adventure war film based on the story of Operation Cowboy which was the evacuation of the Lipizzaner horses from the Spanish Riding School in Vienna during World War II
Naked Among Wolves (German: Nackt unter Wölfen) (1963) – East German war drama film telling the story of inmates of Buchenwald concentration camp who hid a Polish child from SS guards
PT 109 (1963) – biographical war drama film depicting the actions of John F. Kennedy as an officer of the United States Navy in command of Motor Torpedo Boat PT-109 in the Pacific theater of World War II
Road to the Stage (Armenian: Ճանապարհ դեպի բեմ) (1963) – Soviet era Armenian war drama film about a young circus artist (Leonid Yengibarov) who becomes a famous star
The Sadist (1963) – horror exploitation film inspired by the real life murder spree of teenage killer Charles Starkweather
Saladin the Victorious (Arabic: الناصر صلاح الدين) (1963) – Egyptian epic film telling the story of Saladin, ruler of the kingdoms surrounding Jerusalem, during the events of the Third Crusade
The Terrorist (Italian: Il terrorista) (1963) – Italian war drama film inspired by real life events of the Italian partisan Otello Pighin
These Are The Paths Of Love (Hindi: ये रास्ते हैं प्यार के) (1963) – romantic crime drama film based on the sensational K.M. Nanavati adultery and murder case in Mumbai
The Windows of Heaven (1963) – Christian drama film about Lorenzo Snow, the fifth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
1964
Arunagirinathar (Tamil: அருணகிரிநாதர்) (1964) – Indian Tamil-language biographical drama film about the poet of the same name
Becket (1964) – British historical drama film about the historic, tumultuous relationship between Henry II of England and his friend-turned-bishop Thomas Becket
Black Like Me (1964) – drama film about white reporter John Howard Griffin who disguised himself to pass as an African-American man for six weeks in 1959 in the Deep South to experience the realities of a black man's life in the segregated South
The Crime of Aldeia Velha (Portuguese: O Crime da Aldeia Velha) (1964) – Portuguese drama film inspired by a real murder that took place in a small village of northern Portugal during the 1930’s
The Enchanted Desna (Ukrainian: Зачарована Десна) (1964) – Soviet era Ukrainian fantasy film based on based on an autobiographical story by a Ukrainian national writer and cinematographer Oleksandr Dovzhenko, depicting his whimsical childhood experiences in a Ukrainian village near the banks of river Desna
The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964) – epic historical drama film focusing the onset of corruption and decadence which led to Rome's demise
The Gospel According to St. Matthew (Italian: Il vangelo secondo Matteo) (1964) – Italian Christian drama film depicting a cinematic rendition of the story of Jesus according to the Gospel of Matthew, from the Nativity through the Resurrection
Island of the Blue Dolphins (1964) – adventure biographical drama film based on the life of a Native American woman who lived 18 years in relative isolation on San Nicolas Island
Lady General Hua Mu-lan (Cantonese: 花木蘭) (1964) – Hong Kong Huangmei opera musical film depicting the story of Hua Mulan
Luther (1964) – biographical drama television film about the life of Luther during the years of 1506–1530
The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964) – comedy musical Western film depiciting a fictionalized account of the life of Margaret Brown, who survived the 1912 sinking of the
Your Cheatin' Heart (1964) – biographical musical drama film about country singer Hank Williams
Zulu (1964) – British epic war film depicting the Battle of Rorke's Drift between the British Army and the Zulus in January 1879, during the Anglo-Zulu War
1965
A Man Named John (Italian: E venne un uomo) (1965) – Italian drama film about Pope John XXIII
The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965) – historical drama film dealing with the conflicts of Michelangelo and Pope Julius II during the 1508-1512 painting of the Sistine Chapel ceiling
As Long As There's Life in Me (German: Solange Leben in mir ist) (1965) – East German biographical war drama film following the life of the German communist leader Karl Liebknecht during the first half of World War I
The Assassination (Czech: Atentát) (1965) – Czechoslovak war film depicting World War II events before and after the assassination of top German leader Reinhard Heydrich in Prague (Operation Anthropoid)
Battle of the Bulge (1965) – epic war drama film depicting a dramatization of Nazi Germany's final Western Front counterattack of World War II
The Debussy Film (1965) – British biographical television film about French composer Claude Debussy
Genghis Khan (1965) – biographical adventure film depicting a fictionalized account of the life and conquests of the Mongol emperor Genghis Khan
The Great Race (1965) – epic slapstick comedy film inspired by the actual 1908 New York to Paris Race
The Great Sioux Massacre (1965) – Western war film depicting Colonel Custer's descent from a defender of the Indians from Federal interference to an incompetent warmonger, and the Indians as his victims, and covers events leading up to the Battle of the Little Bighorn and Custer's Last Stand
The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965) – Christian epic film depicting a retelling of the Biblical account about Jesus of Nazareth, from the Nativity through to the Ascension
Harlow (1965) – biographical drama film based on the life of screen star Jean Harlow
Harlow (1965) – biographical drama film about the life of film star Jean Harlow
Lee Seong-gye King Taejo (Korean: 태조 이성계) (1965) – South Korean biographical drama film based on the life and reign of King Taejo
The Magnificent Yankee (1965) – biographical television film examining the life of United States Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes
Man of Destiny (Tagalog: Iginuhit ng Tadhana) (1965) – Filipino biographical propaganda film telling of the life and exploits of then-Philippine Presidential candidate Senator Ferdinand E. Marcos
Marco the Magnificent (1965) – international co-production about the life of Marco Polo
Murieta (1965) – biographical Western film about Joaquin Murrieta
Nights of Farewell (Russian: Третья молодость) (1965) – Soviet-French drama film about the young dancer Marius Petipa, who is invited to St. Petersburg, which will completely change his life
Operation Crossbow (1965) – British spy drama film concerning an actual series of events where British undercover operatives targeted the German manufacturing facilities for experimental rocket-bombs
Shaheed (Hindi: शहीद) (1965) – Indian Hindi-language biographical drama film based on the life of Bhagat Singh
Shakespeare Wallah (1965) – romantic drama film about a travelling family theatre troupe of English actors in India, who perform Shakespeare plays in towns across India, amidst a dwindling demand for their work and the rise of Bollywood
The Sound of Music (1965) – musical biographical drama film about a young Austrian postulant (Maria von Trapp) who, in 1938, is sent to the villa of a retired naval officer and widower (Captain von Trapp) to be governess to his seven children
The Vampire of Düsseldorf (French: Le Vampire de Düsseldorf) – French crime thriller film based on the life and crimes of German serial killer Peter Kürten
Young Cassidy (1965) – British biographical drama film based upon the life of the playwright Seán O'Casey
1966
A Man for All Seasons (1966) – British historical drama film depicting the final years of Sir Thomas More, the 16th-century Lord Chancellor of England who refused both to sign a letter asking Pope Clement VII to annul Henry VIII of England's marriage to Catherine of Aragon and to take an Oath of Supremacy declaring Henry Supreme Head of the Church of England
Alvarez Kelly (1966) – Western drama film based on the historic Beefsteak Raid of September 1864 led by Confederate Major General Wade Hampton III
Andrei Rublev (Russian: Андрей Рублёв) (1966) – Soviet biographical historical drama film based on the life of Andrei Rublev, a 15th-century Russian icon painter
The Battle of Algiers (Italian: La battaglia di Algeri; Arabic: معركة الجزائر) (1966) – Italian-Algerian war drama film based on events undertaken by rebels during the Algerian War (1954–1962) against the French government in North Africa, the most prominent being the eponymous Battle of Algiers, the capital of Algeria
Black Girl (French: La noire de...) (1966) – French-Senegalese drama film based on a short story from Sembène's 1962 collection Voltaique, which was in turn inspired by a real life incident
Born Free (1966) – British adventure drama film about Joy and George Adamson who raised Elsa the Lioness, an orphaned lion cub, to adulthood and released her into the wilderness of Kenya
Cast a Giant Shadow (1966) – historical drama film based on the life of Colonel Mickey Marcus
Day Stars (Russian: Дневные звёзды) (1966) – Soviet drama film telling about Olga Bergholz, the Soviet poet who achieved the greatest success during the siege of Leningrad
El Greco (1966) – Italian biographical drama film about the painter El Greco
The Fighting Prince of Donegal (1966) – biographical adventure film following the real-life exploits of the 16th-century Irish prince Hugh Roe "Red Hugh" O'Donnell
Isadora Duncan, the Biggest Dancer in the World (1966) – biographical television film based on the life of the American dancer Isadora Duncan
Khartoum (1966) – British epic war film based on historical accounts of Gordon's defence of the Sudanese city of Khartoum from the forces of the Mahdist army, during the 1884–1885 Siege of Khartoum
Mahakavi Kalidas (Tamil: மகாகவி காளிதாஸ்) (1966) – Indian Tamil-language biographical drama film based on the life of the poet Kalidasa
Rasputin the Mad Monk (1966) – biographical horror drama film about Grigori Rasputin, the Russian peasant-mystic who gained great influence with the Tsars prior to the Russian Revolution
Since (1966) – historical drama film about the assassination of the President of the United States, John F. Kennedy
The Singing Nun (1966) – biographical musical drama film about the life of Jeannine Deckers, the nun who recorded the chart-topping song "Dominique"
The Taking of Power by Louis XIV (French: La prise de pouvoir par Louis XIV) (1966) – French historical television film revolving around the French king Louis XIV's rise to power after the death of his powerful advisor, Cardinal Mazarin
Wake Up and Die (Italian: Svegliati e uccidi) (1966) – Italian crime drama film based on the real life of Luciano Lutring, an Italian criminal known as "the machine-gun soloist"
Woman of Darkness (Swedish: Yngsjömordet) (1966) – Swedish historical crime film based on the real Yngsjö murder case of 1889
Year as Long as Life (Russian: Год как жизнь) (1966) – Soviet drama film about the popular uprisings that took place in Europe in the 19th century, as well as the search for truth and the confrontation of Karl Marx and opponents of the revolution
1967
Bonnie and Clyde (1967) – biographical neo-noir crime film about Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker
Cervantes (1967) – French-Italian-Spanish adventure drama film depicting the early life of Miguel de Cervantes
Custer of the West (1967) – Western film presenting a highly fictionalised version of the life and death of George Armstrong Custer
Dacii (1967) – historical drama film about the run up to Domitian's Dacian War, which was fought between the Roman Empire and the Dacians in AD 87-88
The Diary of Anne Frank (1967) – drama television film based on the posthumously published 1947 book The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
Elvira Madigan (1967) – Swedish romantic drama film based on the tragedy of the Danish slackrope dancer Hedvig Jensen, working under the stage name of Elvira Madigan at her stepfather's traveling circus, and her romance with Swedish nobleman lieutenant Sixten Sparre
The Greatest Gamble (Norwegian: Det største spillet) (1967) – Norwegian war drama film telling the story about Norwegian resistance member Gunvald Tomstad, and his experience as a double agent during World War II
The Green Carriage (Russian: Зелёная карета) (1967) – Soviet biographical drama film portraying the life of the nineteenth century stage actress Varvara Asenkova
The Happiest Millionaire (1967) – musical comedy film based upon the true story of Philadelphia millionaire Anthony Drexel Biddle
Hour of the Gun (1967) – Western drama film depicting Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday during their 1881 battles against Ike Clanton and his brothers in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, and the gunfight's aftermath in and around Tombstone, Arizona
I Killed Rasputin (French: J'ai tué Raspoutine) (1967) – French-Italian biographical drama film based on the murder of Rasputin
In Cold Blood (1967) – neo-noir crime film detailing the 1959 murders of four members of the Clutter family in the small farming community of Holcomb, Kansas
Japan's Longest Day (Japanese: 日本のいちばん長い日) (1967) – Japanese epic war film set on August 15, 1945, when Emperor Hirohito's decision to surrender to the Allies in World War II was broadcast to the Japanese people, and the attempted coup d'état to prevent that from happening
The Life of Na Woon-gyu (Korean: 나운규 일생) (1967) – South Korean drama film about life and death of Na Woon-gyu who was film actor and director who struggled for rise of Korean cinema during Japanese rule of Korea
Nawab Sirajuddaula (Bengali: নবাব সিরাজউদ্দৌলা) (1967) – Pakistani Bengali-language biographical film detailing the life of Nawab of Bengal Siraj ud-Daulah and the Battle of Plassey
Robbery (1967) – British crime mystery film depicting a fictionalized version of the 1963 Great Train Robbery
Saint Joan (1967) – biographical drama television film about 15th-century French military figure Joan of Arc
Sofiya Perovskaya (Russian: Софья Перовская) (1967) – Soviet biographical film based on the life of Sofiya Perovskaya, member of Narodnaya Volya, executed for taking part in planning the successful assassination of Alexander II of Russia
The St. Valentine's Day Massacre (1967) – historical gangster film based on the 1929 mass murder of seven members of the Northside Gang (led by George "Bugs" Moran) on orders from Al Capone
1968
Anzio (Italian: Lo sbarco di Anzio) (1968) – American-Italian war drama film about Operation Shingle, the 1944 Allied seaborne assault on the Italian port of Anzio in World War II
Black Jesus (Italian: Seduto alla sua destra) (1968) – Italian drama film inspired by the final days of the first Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Patrice Lumumba
The Boston Strangler (1968) – biographical crime drama film based on the true story of the Boston Strangler
The Caesars (1968) – British historical drama miniseries dealing with the lives of the early emperors of Ancient Rome
The Charge of the Light Brigade (1968) – British epic war drama film depicting parts of the Crimean War and the eponymous charge
The Chronicle of Anna Magdalena Bach (German: Chronik der Anna Magdalena Bach) (1968) – West German historical drama film depicting the life and music of Johann Sebastian Bach as presented by his wife, Anna
The Countess Cosel (Polish: Hrabina Cosel) (1968) – Polish historical romance film based on the true story of the beautiful Anna Constantia von Brockdorff, a German noblewoman who became mistress of Augustus the Strong, King of Poland and Elector of Saxony in 1704
The Devil's Brigade (1968) – war drama film recounting the formation, training, and first mission of the 1st Special Service Force, a joint American-Canadian commando unit, known as the Devil's Brigade
Elizabeth the Queen (1968) – biographical drama television film about the life and reign of Elizabeth I
Emma Hamilton (1968) – historical drama film depicting the love affair between Emma Hamilton and Horatio Nelson
Femme Fatale, Jang Hee-bin (Korean: 요화 장희빈) (1968) – South Korean drama film about Jang Ok-jeong who was publicly executed about conspiring to drive the old queen into exile
Funny Girl (1968) – biographical musical film based on the life and career of Broadway and film star and comedienne Fanny Brice and her stormy relationship with entrepreneur and gambler Nicky Arnstein
I Was Nineteen (German: Ich war neunzehn) (1968) – East German biographical war drama film telling the story of a young German, Gregor Hecker, who fled the Nazis with his parents to Moscow and in early 1945 returned to Germany as a lieutenant in the Red Army
Isadora (1968) – biographical drama film following the life of American pioneering modern contemporary dance artist and choreographer Isadora Duncan, who performed to great acclaim throughout the US and Europe during the 19th century
The Lion in Winter (1968) – historical drama film set at Christmas 1183; it centres on political and personal turmoil among the royal family of Henry II of England, his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine, their three surviving sons, and the French king
Mayerling (1968) – romantic drama film dealing with the real-life Mayerling Incident
The Other Side of Bonnie and Clyde (1968) – crime drama film about Bonnie and Clyde
Prince Daewon (Korean: 대원군) (1968) – South Korean historical drama film depicting power struggles in the last days of the Joseon Dynasty
Song of Summer (1968) – biographical drama film portraying the final six years of Frederick Delius' life, during which Eric Fenby lived with the composer and his wife Jelka as Delius's amanuensis
Star! (1968) – biographical musical film based on the life and career of British performer Gertrude Lawrence
1969
Adalen Riots (Swedish: Ådalen 31) (1969) – Swedish historical drama film depicting the 1931 Ådalen shootings, in which Swedish military forces opened fire against labour demonstrators in the Swedish sawmill district of Ådalen killing five people, including a young girl
Age of Consent (1969) – British-Australian romantic comedy drama film based loosely on Norman Lindsay, who travels to a rural township of New South Wales in search of scenic inspiration, but who meets instead a wild adolescent girl who serves as his model and muse
Alfred the Great (1969) – British epic film portraying Alfred the Great's struggle to defend the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Wessex from a Danish Viking invasion in the 9th century
Anne of the Thousand Days (1969) – British historical drama film based on the life of Anne Boleyn
Battle of Britain (1969) – British historical war film documenting the events of the Battle of Britain, when in the summer and autumn of 1940 the British RAF inflicted a strategic defeat on the Luftwaffe and so ensured the cancellation of Operation Sea Lion, Adolf Hitler's plan to invade Britain
Battle of Neretva (Croatian: Bitka na Neretvi; Serbian: Битка на Неретви) (1969) – Yugoslavian epic partisan film based on the Battle of the Neretva, a combined Axis strategic offensive launched against the Yugoslav Partisans throughout occupied Yugoslavia during World War II
Boy (Japanese: 少年) (1969) – Japanese drama film following the title character, Toshio Omura, across Japan, as he is forced to participate in a dangerous scam to support his dysfunctional family, based on real events reported in Japanese newspapers in 1966
The Bridge at Remagen (1969) – action war film depicting a highly fictionalized version of actual events during the last months of World War II, when the U.S. 9th Armored Division approached Remagen and captured the intact Ludendorff Bridge
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) – Western buddy film based on the story of Wild West outlaws Robert LeRoy Parker, known as Butch Cassidy, and his partner Harry Longabaugh, the "Sundance Kid", who are on the run from a crack US posse after a string of train robberies
Casanova: His Youthful Years (Italian: Infanzia, vocazione e prime esperienze di Giacomo Casanova, veneziano) (1969) – Italian comedy film about the youth of Giacomo Casanova, who, after an unhappy childhood and early ecclesiastical activity in Venice, became an abbot and abandoned his vocation for the love of a countess
Che! (1969) – biographical drama film following Marxist revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara from when he first landed in Cuba in 1956 to his death in Bolivia in 1967
The Color of Pomegranates (Armenian: Նռան գույնը) (1969) – Soviet era Armenian art film depicting a poetic treatment of the life of 18th-century Armenian poet and troubadour Sayat-Nova
The Conspiracy of Torture (Italian: Beatrice Cenci) (1969) – Italian historical drama film depicting the real life events of Francesco Cenci and his daughter Beatrice, emphasizing the more horrific elements of the story
De Sade (German: Das Ausschweifende Leben des Marquis De Sade) (1969) – American-West German drama film based on the life of Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade
Eros + Massacre (Japanese: エロス＋虐殺) (1969) – Japanese experimental drama film about anarchist Sakae Ōsugi, who was murdered by the Japanese military police in 1923
The First Churchills (1969) – British historical drama miniseries about the life of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, and his wife, Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough
Jackal of Nahueltoro (Spanish: El Chacal de Nahueltoro) (1969) – Chilean biographical crime drama film based on the true story of Jorge Valenzuela Torres, a poor farmer who, during a drunken rampage in 1960, murdered his partner and five of her children
The Lady of Monza (Italian: La monaca di Monza) (1969) – Italian historical drama film loosely based on the real life events of Marianna de Leyva, better known as "The Nun of Monza", whose story was made famous by Alessandro Manzoni's novel The Betrothed
Pirosmani (Georgian: ფიროსმანი) (1969) – Soviet era Georgian biographical art drama film about Georgian primitivst painter Niko Pirosmani
The Red Tent (Russian: Красная палатка; Italian: La tenda rossa) (1969) – Soviet-Italian adventure drama film based on the story of the 1928 mission to rescue Umberto Nobile and the other survivors of the crash of the airship Italia
Ring of Bright Water (1969) – British comedy drama film about a Londoner and his pet otter living on the Scottish coast, adapted from the 1960 autobiographical book of the same name by Gavin Maxwell
The Royal Hunt of the Sun (1969) – British-American epic historical drama film dramatizing the relation of two worlds entering in a conflict by portraying two characters: Atahuallpa Inca and Francisco Pizarro
Simón Bolívar (1969) – Spanish drama film about Venezuelan military and political leader Simón Bolívar who helped much of Latin America to achieve independence from Spain
Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here (1969) – Western drama film based on the true story of a Chemehuevi–Paiute Native American named Willie Boy and his run-in with the law in 1909 in Banning, California, United States
Where's Jack? (1969) – British adventure film recounting the exploits of notorious 18th-century criminal Jack Sheppard and London "Thief-Taker General" Jonathan Wild
Z (1969) – French-Algerian political thriller film presenting a thinly fictionalized account of the events surrounding the assassination of the democratic Greek politician Grigoris Lambrakis in 1963
1970–present
See also
Docudrama
List of films about the RMS Titanic
List of historical drama films and series set in Near Eastern and Western civilization
References
External links
History at the Movies: Historical and Period Films
Internet Movie Database list
Films based on historical events and people
1890s–1960s
Actual events
Lists of historical films