1951 Humphrey Bogart - The African Queen as "Charlie Allnut"

1952 Gary Cooper - High Noon as "Will Kane"

1953 William Holden - Stalag 17 as "Sergeant J.J. Sefton"

1954 Marlon Brando - On the Waterfront as "Terry Malloy"

1955 Ernest Borgnine - Marty as "Marty Piletti"

1956 Yul Brynner - The King and I as "King Mongkut of Siam"

1957 Alec Guinness - The Bridge on the River Kwai as "Lieutenant-Colonel Nicholson"

1958 David Niven - Separate Tables as "Major Angus Pollock"

1959 Charlton Heston - Ben-Hur as "Judah Ben-Hur"

1960 Burt Lancaster - Elmer Gantry as "Elmer Gantry"