In the post-war era of the 1950s, the American man had reclaimed his place in both the household and the workplace. Although there was now peace in Europe, in the 1950s America would now go to war in Korea. The citizens had new fears, those of the bomb and communism. As in the decades before, comfort could be found in darkened movie theaters and, now, on flickering television sets. The film industry was still healthy with an average of 60 million people going to the movies per week. This was down from 80 million in the 1940s, but much healthier than the later nadir of 18 million in the 1970s. Just as in the post-World War I era, films about the second World War were still popular in the 1950s. Another genre that was ever popular was the western. Themes in both often included morality and corruption. Let’s take a look at some of the notable Academy Award winners of the 1950s.