The 1960s may not have been the greatest decade for memorable movies, but it ranks among the best. The following are five Oscar winning best pictures from that period.

1960 Best Picture: The Apartment

  • Jack Lemmon plays an insurance office desk jockey who hopes to move up the corporate ladder by lending his apartment out to various higher-ups for their illicit liaisons. Filled with Billy Wilder’s sardonic and acerbic wit, this comedy drama has been panned by some critics, both then and today, as unrealistic and supposedly devoid of likable characters. However, the general public at the time responded well to the film and, although somewhat outdated, is still worth watching today.
  • This is the film that catapulted a pixie-like Shirley MacLaine, who plays a young woman caught in the middle, to stardom.

1961 Best Picture: West Side Story