Vertigo (1958) - From the master of suspense, director Alfred Hitchcock comes one of the best thrillers ever made. John “Scottie” Furgeson (played by the amazing James Stewart) is a detective in San Francisco who is deathly afraid of heights after a rooftop chase causes the death of his partner and a girl he was hired to tail. Later he sees what he believes to be a twin of the dead girl walking around the streets of San Francisco. This leads to a chase that descends into a world of madness, jealousy and betrayal.
W.R. Hearst commanded all of his publications to neither condemn nor promote the film as a gesture towards the friendship between the Hearsts and the Welles families. Since Hearst had a near monopoly on U.S. publications in print across the states, it was perceived as a dud film by the public as they couldn't garner a review either way. Remember now, these were times when people relied on papers for their news and pennies were short. Too short to waste on a film with no review from their only news sources.
The film opened to mixed reviews and exclusive theaters anti-Hearst promotions. It still profited. It was only after W.R. Hearst and Howard Hughes' deaths that the film actually gained any notoriety. It's a good film for the history of its back story. Not for it's exclusive artistry.
Bridge Over The River Kwai. The Sound Of Music. The Best Years Of Our Lives. Stalag 17. The Exorcist. Doctor Zhivago. .... There are so many more that deserve to be on this threads list. Sadly, they're not.