Up-from-poverty Montgomery Clift gets intimate with working-class Shelley Winters but falls for rich Taylor, leading to a moral flashpoint (offscreen, Taylor stayed close friends with Clift until his death). The actress’ first film for George Stevens, based on both Theodore Dreiser’s An American Tragedy and Patrick Kearney’s stage adaptation, elevated the careers of all concerned; this potent drama’s six Oscars included ones for Stevens and composer Franz Waxman.