1950s
| Year | Film | Screenwriter(s) | Adapted from |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 (23rd) |
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| All About Eve | Joseph L. Mankiewicz | The short story "The Wisdom of Eve" by Mary Orr | |
| The Asphalt Jungle | Ben Maddow John Huston |
The novel The Asphalt Jungle by W.R. Burnett | |
| Born Yesterday | Albert Mannheimer | The play Born Yesterday by Garson Kanin | |
| Broken Arrow | Albert Maltz (front: Michael Blankfort) | The novel Blood Brother by Elliott Arnold | |
| Father of the Bride | Frances Goodrich Albert Hackett |
The novel Father of the Bride by Edward Streeter | |
| 1951 (24th) |
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| A Place in the Sun | Harry Brown Michael Wilson |
The novel An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser The play An American Tragedy by Patrick Kearney |
|
| The African Queen | James Agee John Huston |
The novel The African Queen by C.S. Forester | |
| Detective Story | Robert Wyler Philip Yordan |
The play Detective Story by Sidney Kingsley | |
| La Ronde | Jacques Natanson Max Ophüls |
The play Reigen by Arthur Schnitzler | |
| A Streetcar Named Desire | Tennessee Williams | The play A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams | |
| 1952 (25th) |
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| The Bad and the Beautiful | Charles Schnee | The story "Tribute to a Badman" by Charles Bradshaw | |
| 5 Fingers | Michael Wilson | The novel Operation Cicero by L.C. Moyzisch | |
| High Noon | Carl Foreman | The story "The Tin Star" by John W. Cunningham | |
| The Man in the White Suit | John Dighton Roger MacDougall Alexander Mackendrick |
The play The Man in the White Suit by Roger MacDougall | |
| The Quiet Man | Frank S. Nugent | The story "Green Rushes" by Maurice Walsh | |
| 1953 (26th) |
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| From Here to Eternity | Daniel Taradash | The novel From Here to Eternity by James Jones | |
| The Cruel Sea | Eric Ambler | The novel The Cruel Sea by Nicholas Monsarrat | |
| Lili | Helen Deutsch | The story "Love of Seven Dolls" by Paul Gallico | |
| Roman Holiday | Ian McLellan Hunter John Dighton |
A story by Dalton Trumbo (front: Ian McLellan Hunter) | |
| Shane | A.B. Guthrie Jr. | The novel Shane by Jack Schaefer | |
| 1954 (27th) |
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| The Country Girl | George Seaton | The play The Country Girl by Clifford Odets | |
| The Caine Mutiny | Stanley Roberts | The novel The Caine Mutiny by Herman Wouk | |
| Rear Window | John Michael Hayes | The story "It Had to Be Murder" by Cornell Woolrich | |
| Sabrina | Billy Wilder Samuel Taylor Ernest Lehman |
The novel Sabrina Fair by Samuel Taylor | |
| Seven Brides for Seven Brothers | Albert Hackett Frances Goodrich Dorothy Kingsley |
The story "The Sobbin' Women" by Stephen Vincent Benét | |
| 1955 (28th) |
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| Marty | Paddy Chayefsky | The teleplay Marty, written by Paddy Chayefsky | |
| Bad Day at Black Rock | Millard Kaufman | The short story "Bad Time at Honda" by Howard Breslin | |
| Blackboard Jungle | Richard Brooks | The novel Blackboard Jungle by Evan Hunter | |
| East of Eden | Paul Osborn | The novel East of Eden by John Steinbeck | |
| Love Me or Leave Me | Daniel Fuchs Isobel Lennart |
A story by Daniel Fuchs | |
| 1956 |
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| Around the World in Eighty Days | John Farrow S. J. Perelman James Poe |
The novel Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne | |
| Baby Doll | Tennessee Williams | The short play Twenty-seven Wagons Full of Cotton by Tennessee Williams The short play The Unsatisfactory Supper by Tennessee Williams |
|
| Friendly Persuasion | Michael Wilson (withdrawn from final ballot) | The novel The Friendly Persuasion by Jessamyn West | |
| Giant | Fred Guiol Ivan Moffat |
The novel Giant by Edna Ferber | |
| Lust for Life | Norman Corwin | The novel Lust for Life by Irving Stone | |
| 1957 |
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| The Bridge on the River Kwai | Pierre Boulle Carl Foreman (front: Pierre Boulle) Michael Wilson (front: Pierre Boulle) |
The novel The Bridge over the River Kwai by Pierre Boulle | |
| Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison | John Huston John Lee Mahin |
The novel Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison by Charles Shaw | |
| Peyton Place | John Michael Hayes | The novel Peyton Place by Grace Metalious | |
| Sayonara | Paul Osborn | The novel Sayonara by James Michener | |
| 12 Angry Men | Reginald Rose | The teleplay Twelve Angry Men, written by Reginald Rose | |
| 1958 (31st) |
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| Gigi | Alan Jay Lerner | The novella Gigi by Colette | |
| Cat on a Hot Tin Roof | Richard Brooks James Poe |
The play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams | |
| The Horse's Mouth | Alec Guinness | The novel The Horse's Mouth by Joyce Cary | |
| I Want to Live! | Nelson Gidding Don Mankiewicz |
Articles by Ed Montgomery Letters by Barbara Graham |
|
| Separate Tables | John Gay Terence Rattigan |
The play Separate Tables by Terence Rattigan | |
| 1959 (32nd) |
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| Room at the Top | Neil Paterson | The novel Room at the Top by John Braine | |
| Anatomy of a Murder | Wendell Mayes | The novel Anatomy of a Murder by Robert Traver | |
| Ben-Hur | Karl Tunberg | The novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ by General Lew Wallace | |
| The Nun's Story | Robert Anderson | The novel The Nun's Story by Kathryn Hulme | |
| Some Like It Hot | Billy Wilder I.A.L. Diamond |
A story suggested by Robert Thoeren and M. Logan |
Read more about this topic: Academy Award For Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay), Winners and Nominees