D: Thorold Dickinson. John Gielgud, Diana Wynyard, Will Fyffe, Owen Nares, Fay Compton, Pamela Standish, Frederick Leister, Lyn Harding. Episodic account of the life and works of Benjamin Disraeli. Gielgud at 37 ages from a budding novelist of 30 to an elder statesman of 70, painting the Tory leader as a man of noble principle who proves invaluable to Queen Victoria (a credible Compton) and her expanding British Empire. Gielgud is at least equal to George Arliss' 1929 portrayal, but the movie's budget doesn't begin to support the script's intentions.

D: Elia Kazan. Marlon Brando, Vivien Leigh, Kim Hunter, Karl Malden. Stunning production of Tennessee Williams' play, with Brando as the animalistic Stanley Kowalski and Leigh as his wistful, neurotic sister-in-law, Blanche Dubois, pressed together in a grim New Orleans tenement. Oscars went to Leigh, Hunter, and Malden for their flawless performances, as well as for the art direction-set decoration--but it's Brando who left an indelible mark on audiences. Highly influential jazz score by Alex North. Rereleased in 1993 with 4m. of footage that was censored in 1951, playing up the sexual tension between Blanche and Stanley, and Stella's carnal attraction to her husband. Remade twice for TV.

D: William Wyler. Bette Davis, Herbert Marshall, Teresa Wright, Richard Carlson, Patricia Collinge, Dan Duryea, Charles Dingle. Outstanding filmization of Lillian Hellman's play of greed and corruption within a crumbling Southern family on the financial outs, headed by majestic Davis as ruthless Regina. Collinge, Duryea, Dingle, Carl Benton Reid, and John Marriott all recreate their Broadway roles, with Collinge, Duryea, Reid, and Teresa Wright making their film debuts. Scripted by Hellman. Prequel: ANOTHER PART OF THE FOREST.

D: Elia Kazan. James Dean, Julie Harris, Raymond Massey, Jo Van Fleet, Burl Ives, Richard Davalos, Albert Dekker. Emotionally overwhelming adaptation of the John Steinbeck novel about two brothers' rivalry for the love of their father; affects today's generation as much as those who witnessed Dean's starring debut. Van Fleet (in film debut) won Oscar as boys' mother. Screenplay by Paul Osborn. Remade as TV mini-series. CinemaScope.