40 Classic Movies From The 1940s For Cinema Fans Everywhere

Forbes

19 hours ago

Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant and James Stewart in a scene from the movie: "The Philadelphia Story."
By the 1940s, Hollywood was solidly in its Golden Age. And the 1940s weren't just a boon for American films. France was about to enter the New Wave. Italy was crafting the neorealist movement. Even under American occupation, Japanese master directors continued to produce films. The 1940s were an essential decade for film history. The best 1940s movies don't feel dated even 80 years later. While many are heartbreaking romances or twisty film noirs, the best '40s films come from many genres, from laugh-out-loud comedies to Christmas movies. Exploring the world of classic cinema can feel daunting; however, you can't go wrong with these 40 movies from the 1940s.
Some of the best directors of all time made some of their best films in the 1940s, including Howard Hawks, John Huston, Alfred Hitchcock, William Wyler and John Ford. Add stars like Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, James Stewart, Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman and Gene Tierney, and it is no wonder how many iconic films come from the 1940s.
This list tries to celebrate films from multiple markets and genres; however, film noirs (and especially American noirs) are somewhat overrepresented. The genre of film noir hit its peak in the 1940s and 1950s, and it is hard to talk about the cinema of the era without its inclusion. Screwball comedies, women's films and musicals were also popular genres during the 1940s. It is hard to rank a list like this. Most of the films on this list are beloved classics. While the ranking seeks to reflect quality, it is also shaped by the tastes of this reviewer to a certain extent.
It Happened On 5th Avenue lobbycard featuring Don DeFore and Gale Storm, 1947.
The 1940s saw the release of many Christmas classics. Arguably, even this spot should be taken by 1940's The Shop Around the Corner. It Happened on 5th Avenue isn't as popular as some others from the decade, but it feels like a bit of a hidden gem, especially for those who can't get enough Christmas rom-coms. It follows a recently homeless man who finds himself squatting with a drifter and an heiress in an empty mansion. The film is surprisingly anti-capitalist and pro-affordable housing while still being a goofy romantic comedy.
Directed by Roy Del Ruth, it stars Don DeFore, Ann Harding, Charles Ruggles, Victor Moore and Gale Storm. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Story but lost to Miracle on 34th Street. Notably, the story was initially optioned to Frank Capra and Liberty Films; however, Capra instead decided to direct It's a Wonderful Life. Here's where you can find It Happened on 5th Avenue.
Gary Cooper in the 1942 film "The Pride of the Yankees."
The Pride of the Yankees tells the story of the legendary Yankees' first baseman Lou Gehrig, who died of 'Lou Gehrig's disease' or ALS, a year before the film's release at the age of 37. Gary Cooper portrays Gehrig, while several of his teammates, including Babe Ruth, Bob Meusel, Mark Koenig and Bill Dickey, play themselves.
The film was nominated for 10 Oscars and is a sports movie classic. The Pride of the Yankees is a loving epitaph that focuses more on Gehrig's life than his baseball career. Here's where you can find The Pride of the Yankees.
Joan Crawford in "Mildred Pierce."
Mildred Pierce is a melodrama that follows a woman who struggles to raise her children after her husband leaves her for another woman. Directed by Michael Curtiz, the film stars Joan Crawford, Jack Carson, Zachary Scott, Eve Arden, Ann Blyth and Bruce Bennett.
Out of all the films on this list, Mildred Pierce may have received the worst reviews (both upon its release and more recently). However, it has gained a cult audience, especially with gay men. Many people don't understand the genre of melodrama, and Mildred Pierce is a fixture of that genre. It might not be for everyone, but it is an interesting film with an excellent performance by Crawford. It was nominated for five Oscars. Here's where you can find Mildred Pierce.
La Terra Trema is a brutal Italian film about the lives of impoverished Sicilian fishermen. It was only partially scripted and thus often feels like a documentary. Directed by Luchino Visconti, the film stars Antonio Arcidiacono in his only role.
La Terra Trema embodies what makes Italian Neorealism great and is an essential film of the movement. It is also a deeply communist film that isn't afraid of its own Marxist Ideology. This film won't be for everyone. It is long and deeply soul-crushing. It's even upsetting on purpose, but it's an important part of Italian film history and, arguably, history more generally. Here's where you can find La Terra Trema.
A poster for John Huston's 1948 crime film "Key Largo" starring Humphrey Bogart, Edward G. Robinson, ... More Lauren Bacall, Lionel Barrymore and Claire Trevor.
While the film noir genre was born in the 1930s, the 1940s saw the explosion of dark mystery/drama films. The genre flourished throughout the 1950s before shifting into the Neo-noir genre. It is challenging to discuss 1940s films without an understanding and appreciation of film noir. Many great noirs appear on this list, and Key Largo is one of them.
The last of four films starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, Key Largo follows six guests stuck in a Florida hotel during hurricane season, and one of them is a notorious Cuban refugee-turned-gangster. The film suffers from some racial stereotypes and white actors playing Latino characters (a common affliction in the Miami gangster genre and 1940s films, unfortunately). However, it is a masterclass in claustrophobia and a great example of the genre. Here's where you can find Key Largo.
A publicity handout for 1941's "Ball of Fire" with Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck.
Ball of Fire is a screwball rom-com and a very loose retelling of Snow White. It follows a linguistics professor whose work on an encyclopedia gets him entangled with a nightclub singer hiding from the law.
Directed by Howard Hawks, it stars Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck. It is a fast-paced comedy that feels wonderfully '40s. Ball of Fire was nominated for four Oscars, including the now-defunct Best Story category. It was also preserved in the Library of Congress in 2016. Here's where you can find Ball of Fire.
Lena Horne and Bill Robinson in the 1943 film "Stormy Weather."
Stormy Weather is a difficult film to discuss for several reasons. First, it is a product of its time and features Black stereotypes and elements of minstrelsy. Second, it is a musical that is essentially just performance numbers (there are 20 in the 77-minute run of the film) with very light plot elements.
That said, Stormy Weather is a historically significant musical featuring some of the best performances ever recorded on film. It features performances from Lena Horne, Bill 'Bojangles' Robinson, Cab Calloway, Fats Waller, Dooley Wilson and the Nicholas Brothers. Stormy Weather has a complex legacy, but it is worth watching for sequences like the Nicholas Brothers' 'Jumpin' Jive' dance number. The scene was a favorite of Fred Astaire, who called it "the greatest movie musical number' he had ever seen. Here's where you can find Stormy Weather.
A screen from 1940's "Gaslight."
Gaslight is unsurprisingly where the slang term 'gaslighting' comes from, or at least it comes from the 1938 play that the film was based on. The 1940 British version is one of two film versions of the play from the 1940s; there is also a 1944 American version. Both versions are good. The American version is more visually lavish, while the British version creates a spookier mood.
Gaslight follows a couple who move into a house where a murder was committed 20 years before. Directed by Thorold Dickinson, the film stars Anton Walbrook and Diana Wynyard. Here's where you can find Gaslight.
Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall in "The Big Sleep," 1946.
Another noir, The Big Sleep, is arguably the best 'Bogie and Bacall" film. It follows a PI who is hired to clear up some gambling debts, but gets sucked into a murder investigation. Directed by Howard Hawks, the film stars Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall and Martha Vickers.
There are two cuts of the film, one screened to troops in 1945 and another with reshoots released in American theaters in 1946. Both are good, and many actually prefer the second cut. Although it initially received middling reviews, it has since been reevaluated as a classic of the film noir genre. Here's where you can find The Big Sleep.
Bette Davis and Paul Henreid in "Now, Voyager."
Now, Voyager follows a Boston Heiress who escapes the control of her domineering mother after a brief stay at a sanatorium and falls for a married man on a boat. Directed by Irving Rapper, it stars Bette Davis, Paul Henreid and Galdys Cooper. It is based on the novel of the same name by Olive Higgins Prouty.
The film's themes butt up against the Hays Code. It is almost impressive that a movie about psychiatry and extramarital affairs was made at the time. The film was met with mixed reviews, as much of women's fiction often is. However, there is much to love about this melodrama. It was nominated for three Oscars, and it has an excellent central performance by Davis. Here's where you can find Now, Voyager.
Jean Marais and Josette Day on the set of "La Belle et la Bête."
La Belle et la Bête (or Beauty and the Beast) is a beautiful French version of Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont's beloved 1700s story. The film follows a damsel whose love can save a cursed prince.
Directed by Jean Cocteau, La Belle et la Bête is full of extravagantly dark visuals that capture the magic and romance of the source material. For 1946, and arguably today, the practical effects of this film are impressive. La Belle et la Bête often feels more like art than a 'movie.' Here's where you can find La Belle et la Bête.
"Fantasia" lobbycard, 1940.
Fantasia isn't a typical narrative film. Instead, it consists of eight pieces of classical music conducted by Leopold Stokowski and interpreted by Disney's animators. Each piece contains no dialogue and is accompanied by the Philadelphia Orchestra. It is a truly interesting and impressively beautiful work of animation that feels like it wouldn't be made today.
While Fantasia is regarded as a classic by many, it is also a source of controversy. While early controversies included a plagiarism suit and anger over scientific depictions of the birth of the universe, later critics have focused on racism. Walt Disney personally oversaw the removal of a racially insensitive centaur character in the 1960s so that the film could be re-released. Since the late 1960s, the edited version has been the only one to be released. Fantasia is probably best remembered now for its version of The Sorcerer's Apprentice by Paul Dukas, featuring magical brooms and Mickey Mouse. Here's where you can find Fantasia.
Cary Grant And Rosalind Russell in "His Girl Friday," 1940.
His Girl Friday is a screwball comedy about a woman who hopes to leave her career as a journalist to get married, but her ex-husband has other plans to keep her at the paper. Directed by Howard Hawks, the film stars Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell, Ralph Bellamy and Gene Lockhart.
The film is incredibly fast-moving. The jokes come at a rapid-fire pace. It was adapted from a 1920s play called The Front Page, which was also made into the 1931 film of the same name. At the time, 1931's The Front Page held the record for fastest film dialogue, a record that Hawks was determined to break with His Girl Friday. It's an iconic comedy that holds up surprisingly well 85 years later. Here's where you can find His Girl Friday.
Margaret O'Brien and Judy Garland in "Meet Me In St. Louis."
One of six films directed by Vincente Minnelli and starring Judy Garland, Meet Me in St. Louis is a Technicolor musical classic. The film follows a family's life from 1903 to 1904. The slice-of-life musical culminates in the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis, Missouri.
While not everything ages well (one number, Under the Bamboo Tree, may be especially uncomfortable for modern audiences), many of the songs are now iconic. Maybe none more so than 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,' which was introduced in the film. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards. Here's where you can find Meet Me in St. Louis.
Dana Andrews and Harold Russel in "The Best Years of Our Lives."
The Best Years of Our Lives is a film about three veterans re-entering civilian life after World War II. It is a heartbreaking drama about the struggles of reintegration, disability and the American Dream. Directed by William Wyler, the film stars Myrna Loy, Fredric March, Dana Andrews, Teresa Wright, Harold Russell and Virginia Mayo.
The film won seven Oscars, including Best Picture. Notably, Russell also won for Best Supporting Actor. However, because he was not a professional actor (he was cast in the film because he, like the character he portrayed, lost both of his hands during military service), he was considered a long shot to win. The Academy gave him an Academy Honorary Award "for bringing hope and courage to his fellow veterans through his appearance," thinking that he would lose the acting category. However, upon winning, he became the only person to win two Oscars for the same role. The Best Years of Our Lives was selected as one of the first 25 films for preservation in the Library of Congress. Here's where you can find The Best Years of Our Lives.
Charlie Chaplin in "The Great Dictator."
The Great Dictator is the first true sound film from the silent era star Charlie Chaplin. In it, he plays a dictator named Adenoid Hynkel and a Jewish Barber making his way home from World War I. The black comedy/satire is a harsh critique of Adolph Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Fascism and antisemitism from the part-Romani comedian.
The film was nominated for five Academy Awards and was added to the National Film Registry in 1997. The film stars Chaplin, Paulette Goddard, Jack Oakie and Henry Daniell. Here's where you can find The Great Dictator.
Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson in a scene from "Brief Encounter."
Brief Encounter is a British romance film about two married people whose lives are changed when they meet by chance. Directed by David Lean, the film is based on Noël Coward's 1936 play Still Life. The film stars Celia Johnson, Trevor Howard, Stanley Holloway, Joyce Carey and Cyril Raymond.
The film was nominated for three Oscars. In 1999, the British Film Institute ranked it the second-greatest British film of all time (the number one ranked film, 1949's The Third Man, also appears on this list). Brief Encounter is a beautiful and quiet film about roads not taken. Here's where you can find Brief Encounter.
Spring in a Small Town is a classic of Chinese Cinema. In 2005, the Hong Kong Film Awards named it the best Chinese film ever made. Directed by Fei Mu, the film follows a newly impoverished married couple as the wife's former lover visits their family compound. There are only five characters in the film, making it feel incredibly intimate and desolate. It is also notable for opening with an iconic elongated narration from actress Wei Wei as Zhou Yuwen.
While Spring in a Small Town is now a beloved classic, it was met with controversy upon its release. It was rejected by the Communist Party, which would come to power the following year in 1949. It was rediscovered when the China Film Archive released a new print of the film in the 1980s, and it has since become an enduring classic of mainland Chinese cinema. Here's where you can find Spring in a Small Town.
Tim Holt, Humphrey Bogart and Pat McCormick in the film "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre."
The genre of Westerns has declined over the years, but they were a staple of Hollywood in the 1940s. While the genre reached its peak in the 1950s, 1940s Westerns like Red River and My Darling Clementine have become classics of the genre. Arguably, the best from this period is The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.
Directed by John Huston, the film follows a down-on-their-luck crew who team up with a prospector to find gold in the Mexican mountains. It stars Humphrey Bogart, Walter Huston, Tim Holt and Bruce Bennett. The film is one of the first Hollywood films to be shot largely outside the U.S., with many scenes shot in Mexico. The film was nominated for four Oscars, winning three. It was also selected for preservation by the Library of Congress in 1990. Here's where you can find The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.
Jane Randolph in a still from the film, "Cat People," directed by Jacques Tourneur, 1942.
Cat People is a cult classic. The 1940s saw many B-horror movies, and many of the best came from RKO and producer Val Lewton, including Cat People. The film follows a Serbian newlywed who becomes obsessed with the idea that she comes from a line of women who turn into black panthers when aroused, and her new husband, who starts to show interest in a girl from work.
The brilliance of Cat People comes from its exploration of female sexuality and procession in surprisingly nuanced ways. Notably, it was also edited by Mark Robson, who pioneered a cut now known as the Jump Scare in the film. Directed by Jacques Tourneur, it stars Simone Simon and Kent Smith. In 1993, the Library of Congress selected the film for preservation. Here's where you can find Cat People.
"The Grapes of Wrath," 1940.
The Grapes of Wrath is based on the 1939 John Steinbeck novel of the same name. The film follows a sharecropping family who must leave Oklahoma to become migrant workers due to the harsh Dust Bowl conditions that destroyed farming during the Great Depression.
Directed by John Ford, the film stars Henry Fonda, Jane Darwell, John Carradine, Shirley Mills, John Qualen and Eddie Quillan. The film is an American classic often cited as one of the best movies ever made. It was nominated for seven Oscars, winning for Best Director and Best Supporting Actress (Darwell). It was one of the first 25 films selected for preservation by the National Film Registry in 1989. Here's where you can find The Grapes of Wrath.
Vincent Price and Gene Tierney in "Laura," directed by Otto Preminger.
Laura is one of the greatest mystery films ever made. The classic film noir follows a detective tasked with solving the murder of the beautiful and successful Laura Hunt. Directed by Otto Preminger, the film stars Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews, Clifton Webb, Vincent Price and Judith Anderson.
It is a well-crafted murder mystery, but it is also more than that. It drips with tact and style as it explores the nature of obsession. Laura was nominated for five Oscars, winning for Best Cinematography – Black-and-White. Here's where you can find Laura.
A poster for Orson Welles' 1942 drama film "The Magnificent Ambersons."
The Magnificent Ambersons follows two generations of a wealthy Midwestern family as their fortune declines after personal tragedies. Directed by Orson Welles, the film stars Joseph Cotten, Dolores Costello, Anne Baxter, Tim Holt, Agnes Moorehead, Ray Collins and Erskine Sanford.
The film was generally well-received and was nominated for four Oscars. However, it has only become more impressive upon revisits. It is full of superb acting and impressive mise-en-scène. It was selected for preservation by the Library of Congress in 1991 and often appears on 'best films' lists. Here's where you can find The Magnificent Ambersons.
Director Akira Kurosawa might be better known for his samurai epics, but Drunken Angel is his take on the film noir genre. The film follows a doctor after he treats a small-time Yakuza injured in a gunfight. It stars Takashi Shimura and longtime Kurosawa collaborator Toshiro Mifune.
It is a dark film that examines Japan's underworld through the lenses of alcoholism, tuberculosis and domestic abuse. It captures much of the melancholy of postwar Japan, and is a difficult film to watch, but also deeply beautiful. Here's where you can find Drunken Angel.
A poster for Robert Siodmak's 1946 film noir "The Killers."
The Killers is another beautiful example of the film noir genre that dominated the 1940s. It follows an insurance adjuster's investigation into the death of a boxer by hired guns. The film stars Edmond O'Brien, Ava Gardner, Albert Dekker, Sam Levene and Burt Lancaster, in his debut film.
The film was a critical success, earning four Oscar nominations. The Killers has been called 'the Citizen Kane of noir,' and director Robert Siodmak, 'a master of the genre.' The film was based on an Earnest Hemingway story of the same name. Hemingway famously said of the film, "It is a good picture and the only good picture ever made of a story of mine." Here's where you can find The Killers.
French actors Jean-Louis Barrault and Arletty on the set of "Les Enfants du Paradis."
Les Enfants du Paradis has been called the 'French Gone with the Wind.' It is an epic about an actress pursued by four suitors: an actor, a criminal, a count and a mime. Directed by Marcel Carné, the film stars Arletty, Jean-Louis Barrault, Pierre Brasseur, Marcel Herrand and Pierre Renoir. French director François Truffaut once said of the film, "I would give up all my films to have directed Les Enfants du Paradis.'
The film also had an extremely interesting production. It was produced under wartime conditions in Vichy France and Occupied France. Due to Nazi-era laws about the length of films that could be shown, the film had to be made in two parts, and Jewish members of the production team, including the composer and designer, had to work on the film in secret. Here's where you can find Les Enfants du Paradis.
Humphrey Bogart and Elisha Cook, Jr. pose for a publicity still for the Warner Bros film "The ... More Maltese Falcon' in 1941."
The Maltese Falcon is another iconic film noir from the 1940s and is sometimes even cited as the first 'film noir.' It follows a San Francisco private investigator on the hunt for a jewel-encrusted statue of a falcon. It was the first feature-length film directed by John Huston and stars Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Gladys George, Peter Lorre, Barton MacLane, Lee Patrick and Sydney Greenstreet (in his first film role).
The film was especially important for Bogart's career, as he would be cast again and again as hard-boiled detective types ala his role in The Maltese Falcon. It was nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and was one of the first 25 films selected for preservation at the Library of Congress. Here's where you can find The Maltese Falcon.
A scene from Alfred Hitchcock's "Rope."
While Alfred Hitchcock's best films are arguably from the 1950s and '60s, he was prolific in the 1940s with films like 1940's Rebecca and 1941's Suspicion. One of his best from the decade is 1948's Rope. Rope is based on the 1929 play of the same name (which was said to be inspired by a real-life murder committed by Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb). The film stars James Stewart, John Dall and Farley Granger.
The film follows two young men who try to commit the perfect murder and hide the body in a large chest before a dinner party. It is the first of Hitchcock's Technicolor films and the second to happen in a limited setting. The film happens in real time with long takes, making it extremely tense. It is a surprisingly experimental film, considering it is a star-studded production from a major director. The film is also notable for its gay subtext, and many have speculated that both the writer Arthur Laurents and star Dall were homosexual. Granger was bisexual and the long-term partner of producer Robert Calhoun. Here's where you can find Rope.
Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck in the film "Double Indemnity," directed by Billy Wilder, 1944. ... More
Double Indemnity is one of the best film noirs ever made. From director Billy Wilder, the film follows an insurance salesman who hatches a plot with a woman to kill her husband and take the life insurance payout. The film stars Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck and Edward G. Robinson.
The film was initially met with generally positive reviews; however, its long runtime and controversial content were often cited as drawbacks. Since its release, it has become a tentpole of the film noir genre. It was also nominated for seven Oscars. Here's where you can find Double Indemnity.
A poster for George Cukor's 1940 romantic comedy "The Philadelphia Story."
The Philadelphia Story is a classic romantic comedy about an heiress whose wedding weekend is interrupted by her controlling ex-husband and a flirtatious newspaperman. Directed by George Cukor, the film stars Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, James Stewart and Ruth Hussey.
The 1930s and 1940s saw many rom-coms about divorced couples getting back together due to the Hays Code banning the depiction of affairs in Hollywood films. The Philadelphia Story is easily one of the best examples of these kinds of comedies. It was nominated for six Academy Awards, winning two: Best Actor (for Stewart) and Best Adapted Screenplay. It has a great script that is elevated by performances from some of the best actors of the 1940s. It is a must-watch for those who haven't seen it. Here's where you can find The Philadelphia Story.
John Payne, Maureen O'Hara, Edmund Gwenn and Natalie Wood in "Miracle on 34th Street."
Miracle on 34th Street is another classic Christmas movie. It follows a career woman who hires the real Santa Claus to work as a department store Santa at Macy's in New York City. Directed by George Seaton, the film stars Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Natalie Wood and Edmund Gwenn.
Miracle on 34th Street effectively combines a magical Christmas story with a romantic comedy, an anti-commercialism message and a courtroom drama. Miracle on 34th Street won three Oscars but lost Best Picture to Gentleman's Agreement. Although the film has been colorized and remade over the years, the original can't be beat. Here's where you can find Miracle on 34th Street.
Late Spring is the first part of legendary Japanese director Yasujirō Ozu's "Noriko trilogy." The trilogy also includes 1951's Early Summer and 1953's Tokyo Story. While the films are unconnected in plot, they each feature actress Setsuko Hara as an unmarried woman named Noriko and the theme of women's lives in postwar Japan. Late Spring follows a woman and her widowed father as her aunt hatches a match-making plot.
The film is a classic shomin-geki, a Japanese genre that focuses on ordinary characters and their daily lives. It is a quietly heartbreaking film. Roger Ebert said of the film in 2005, 'Late Spring tells a story that becomes sadder the more you think about it. There is a tension in the film between Noriko's smile and her feelings.' Here's where you can find Late Spring.
Alida Valli and Joseph Cotten in "The Third Man."
The Third Man is another noir masterpiece. The film follows an American pulp writer who travels to early Cold War Vienna to visit a friend, only to discover that the friend died the day before under mysterious circumstances, prompting a twisting investigation.
Directed by Carol Reed, the film stars Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles and Trevor Howard. The Third Man was nominated for three Oscars, winning Best Cinematography – Black and White. The film's score is also iconic and performed on a zither by Anton Karas. The Third Man is a great first watch for anyone hoping to dip their toes into film noir. It is a wonderfully acted and visually interesting film that captures so much of what makes the genre great. Here's where you can find The Third Man.
"Rome, Open City" lobbycard, 1945.
Roberto Rossellini's Rome, Open City is more than a war drama. It is an iconic film in the history of Italian cinema. The film follows a resistance leader who is pursued by a German intelligence officer who is dead set on exposing the underground during the Nazi Occupation of Rome in 1944. The film stars Aldo Fabrizi, Marcello Pagliero and Anna Magnani.
World War II had destroyed the Italian film industry, and Rome, Open City represents a new era in Italy and Italian cinema. It wasn't well received by contemporary Italian audiences, who were looking for escapism rather than the realism offered by the Italian neorealist movement. However, it gained popularity abroad, winning the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and being nominated for an Academy Award for Best Writing, Screenplay. Since its release, it has been heralded as a classic of world cinema. Here's where you can find Rome, Open City..
Veronica Lee and Joel McCrea in "Sullivan's Travels."
Sullivan's Travels feels a bit like a hidden gem, which feels odd to say about a film preserved in the Library of Congress. The film is wonderful satire about Hollywood and filmmaking. Directed by Preston Sturges, the film stars Joel McCrea and Veronica Lake.
Sullivan's Travels follows a director known for light comedies who leaves his comfortable life in search of inspiration for his next project, a film about suffering called 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?' The film has a great message and a lot of heart, but more than that, it is really funny. It has impressively dense and fast jokes that largely still work 80 years later. Here's where you can find Sullivan's Travels.
James Stewart and Donna Reed "It's a Wonderful Life."
'What do you want? You want the moon? Just say the word, and I'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down.' If you have ever had the TV on in December, there is a good chance you have seen at least part of It's a Wonderful Life. It is a Christmas classic about a man who considers jumping off a bridge on Christmas Eve and the angel who has been sent to stop him. Directed by Frank Capra, it stars Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed.
Even those who haven't seen it will likely be familiar with It's a Wonderful Life, given how often it is referenced in other media. However, it is usually remembered for just the final 20 minutes or so, and there is a lot more in its over 2-hour runtime: anti-capitalism, war and the American dream. The movie was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture. However, it received mixed reviews, and some, including the FBI, thought it was too communist in its messaging. Here's where you can find It's a Wonderful Life.
Moira Shearer performs a macabre ballet sequence from the film "The Red Shoes."
The Red Shoes is a beautifully colored tragedy about a ballerina torn between love and her career. It is loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale of the same name. The film stars Moira Shearer in her film debut and features other well-established ballet dancers such as Robert Helpmann, Léonide Massine and Ludmilla Tchérina.
Directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, The Red Shoes is perhaps best remembered for its 17-minute ballet sequence, which blends the narrative of the film with that of the ballet it centers on. It was nominated for five Academy Awards. The Red Shoes later received a digital restoration by the UCLA Film and Television Archive. The restoration corrected significant damage to the original negatives and was screened at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. Here's where you can find The Red Shoes.
Orson Welles in "Citizen Kane," 1941.
Citizen Kane really is that good. The film has received a lot of hype over the years, but it lives up to it all. Even those who haven't seen this film probably have seen references made to it. The sweeping biographical drama follows a reporter tasked with discovering the meaning of a wealthy man's dying words. Directed by and starring Orson Welles, the film was controversial upon its release.
The film's plot was loosely based on the life of William Randolph Hearst. Welles was highly protective of the pre-release of the film, knowing that Hearst would take action against it. Many theaters refused to show the film, leading to a small box office. MGM's Louis B. Mayer even offered to pay RKO $842,000 in cash if the studio would destroy the negative and all prints of Citizen Kane. However, the film was saved and even nominated for nine Academy Awards. The film has a wonderful plot and message, but it is also notable for its technical advances, especially the extended use of deep focus (a technique where the fore, mid and background are all in sharp focus). Here's where you can find Citizen Kane.
"The Bicycle Thief" lobbycard.
Bicycle Thieves is an Italian classic. The neorealist film follows an impoverished father and son as they track down a stolen bicycle in postwar Rome. Directed by Vittorio De Sica, it stars Lamberto Maggiorani and Enzo Staiola. Like most Italian neorealist films, Bicycle Thieves used non-professional actors, and it was both Maggiorani's and Staiola's first film.
The Italian name of the film was Ladri di biciclette; however, it is also sometimes called The Bicycle Thief after Bosley Crowther mistranslated the name in a 1949 New York Times article. Whatever name it goes by, it is a profoundly influential film that appears on many Best Film lists. The film predates the Best International Feature Film Oscar but was awarded an Academy Honorary Award. Here's where you can find Bicycle Thieves.
Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman on the set of "Casablanca," directed by Michael Curtiz.
'We'll always have Paris.' Casablanca is an endlessly quotable and iconic film, even if no one ever actually says, 'Play it again, Sam." The film follows Rick, a nightclub owner whose life is complicated when he decides to help a leader of the Czechoslovak Resistance, Victor Laszlo, escape Morocco and the Nazis even though Laszlo is traveling with an old flame of Rick's, Ilsa Lund.
Directed by Michael Curtiz, Casablanca stars Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. Roger Ebert said of Casablanca, 'This is a movie that has transcended the ordinary categories. It has outlived the Bogart cult, survived the revival circuit, shrugged off those who would deface it with colorization, leaped across time to win audiences who were born decades after it was made.' Here's where you can find Casablanca.
Bottom Line
Whether you are a dedicated noir scholar or brand new to the films of the 1940s, you can't go wrong with these classic films.
What Are Great Movies From the 1930s?
Just like the 1940s, the 1930s produced many iconic films. When it comes to comedies, 1934's It Happened One Night is a must-watch. The rom-com follows an heiress who makes a deal with a newspaperman to escape her overbearing father. Directed by Frank Capra, it stars Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert.
Fred Astaire did much of his best work in the 1930s for musical lovers. 1935's Top Hat stars Astaire and Ginger Rogers and follows a tap dancer who hopes to win over a beautiful woman. For fans of horror, the Universal Monster movies are classics of the 1930s. 1935's Bride of Frankenstein and 1931's Dracula are especially not to be missed.
What Are Great 1940s Christmas Movies?
Several great Christmas movies made this list. The highest-ranked was 1946's It's a Wonderful Life. The film follows the life of a man in the lead-up to a suicide attempt on Christmas Eve. Directed by Frank Capra, it stars James Stewart and Donna Reed.
While it came up just shy of this list, The Shop Around the Corner is another 1940's Christmas classic. Also starring Stewart, it follows two shop workers who don't like each other in person but fall in love as pen pals. Directed by Ernst Lubitsch, The Shop Around the Corner also stars Margaret Sullavan and Frank Morgan.
What Are Great Black And White Movies Of The '40s?
While some 1940s films were shot in Technicolor, the vast majority of films from the 1940s were made in black and white. It wouldn't be until the late 1960s when more films would be made in color than in black and white.
Some of the best black and white films of the 1940s include classics like Casablanca, Citizen Kane and Bicycle Thieves. Most film noirs of the 1940s were also shot in black and white. Some 1940s have notably been colorized (including Christmas films like It's a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street). However, colorization often takes some of the beauty away from these old films.
What Are Great 1940s Romance Movies?
The Philadelphia Story is a great place to start for anyone interested in 1940s romance films. The 1940 film follows an heiress, her ex-husband and two reporters over a messy wedding weekend. Directed by George Cukor, the film stars Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, James Stewart and Ruth Hussey.
If you are looking for something a little less 'com' and a little more 'rom,' 1945's Brief Encounter is a must-watch. It is a masterclass in yearning. Directed by David Lean, the film follows two married people who meet by chance at a train station. It stars Celia Johnson, Trevor Howard, Stanley Holloway, Joyce Carey and Cyril Raymond.