40 Favorites of the ‘40s

The 1940s… It was the decade of World War II, which had a huge effect on films throughout the decade. There were patriotic films, comedies, and even films that took a hard look at war. Even Disney wasn’t safe from the war. This decade was the first full decade of films from Disney Animation Studios, but its production schedule got derailed in part by the war. Half of the studio’s output that decade were cheap anthology films instead of the slate of fairy tales planned. Just watch The Reluctant Dragon and you’ll see mock-ups of characters that would come over a decade later.

It was the decade of Bogie and Bacall, Tracy and Hepburn, Abbott and Costello, Barbara Stanwyck, Gary Cooper, more Universal Monsters and more from Cary Grant, Frank Capra, and rising director Billy Wilder. And let’s not forget Powell and Pressburger on the other side of the Atlantic. And comedy directors Ernst Lubitsch and Preston Sturges. And then there was Orson Welles who would create a colossal failure that would be regarded as a seminal work.

The films grew up a bit in the ‘40s. There was more innovation with what could be done, how things could be shot, edited, and even what sort of stories could be written. This was a decade where films like The Great Dictator, Sergeant York, Mrs. Miniver, Leave Her to Heaven, The Lost Weekend, The Best Years of Our Lives, and The Red Shoes could be the highest-grossing films of their years. Yeah, some films spoke to the war in some way, but not all of them. Some were slow-burning dramas, character studies, or hard examinations of issues like alcoholism. Regardless, none of these kinds of films could get financing these days. But these were the stories people went to the movies for.

I’ve seen 70 films from the 1940s - and I’ve got between 5-10 more I’d like to see. But below are my favorites from the decade. May this be a guide for you of riches yet explored.

40. Black Narcissus (1947)

Powell and Pressburger make this list for this fascinating psychological drama about nuns setting up a convent in a palace located high in the Himalayas. Deborah Kerr, Jean Simmons (Guys & Dolls, Howl’s Moving Castle), and Kathleen Byron (The Elephant Man) star. Worth it for Byron’s crazy eyes and the wild climax.

38. White Heat (1949)

One of the most iconic of Cagney’s career. Cagney plays the psychotic leader of a gang of criminals. He trusts nobody except his ma. This was somewhat brutal and edgy in its time. I’m glad I finally caught up with it.

36. The Three Caballeros (1945)

Donald Duck celebrates his 10th “birthday” with his Latin American friends Panchito Pistoles and Jose Carioca in a project commissioned by the government for the Goodwill Neighbor Policy. It preceded Anchors Aweigh by 5 months to become the first film to combine animation with live action. For more on this film read my review.

34. The Lost Weekend (1945)

Billy Wilder’s fifth film, his first after his breakout film noir classic Double Indemnity the year before. This one is the earliest example of movies grappling with alcoholism and maybe even any form of addiction. It is impressive. It also won the Academy Award for Best Picture and is one of only three films to win the highest award at both the Oscars and Cannes Film Festival. Wilder would go on to direct even better films the following 15 years.

32. Melody Time (1948)

One of Walt Disney Animated Studios’ last package films - and the best. It was a bit of a spiritual sequel to Fantasia. This one has ‘The Legend of Johnny Appleseed’, ‘Bumble Boogie’, ‘Little Toot’, and more. Even Donald Duck and Jose Carioca return and the Aracuan bird is introduced. Delightful, underrated fun. Check my review for further thoughts.

30. Woman of the Year (1942)

The first film starring Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy together. It’s surprisingly progressive with a strong feminist and multi-talented woman at the center. Check my review for more thoughts.

28. La Belle et la Bete (a.k.a. Beauty and the Beast) (1946)

Jean Cocteau’s French classic adaptation of the 1757 story. It is widely considered the best version of the story - and you can even see how Disney’s 1991 version took elements from this film. It is quite a wonder with its costume and set designs, makeup effects, and various other practical effects. A lovely film crafted by a Renaissance man of sorts.

26. The Great Dictator (1940)

Charles Chaplin’s first full talkie is a political comedy fable about mistaken identity in a fascist country. Chaplin satirizes Hitler, which was quite brazen at the time even without the public’s knowledge of the Holocaust. For more on this film check out my review.

24. The Lady Eve (1941)

Another Preston Sturges comedy. This one is about a con artist (Barbara Stanwyck) trying to seduce the son (Henry Fonda) of a millionaire, but ends up falling in love for real. But can she leave her old life behind for him? Fonda does a lot of pratfalls. Stanwyck reminds us why she was one of the biggest stars of the time. It’s an absolute delight.

22. Leave Her to Heaven (1945)

An incredibly possessive socialite (Gene Tierney) marries a novelist and slowly removes anyone who would take him away from her. It’s a slow-burn, but Gene Tierney is the sort of beauty you want to spend time with. And there is one scene on the lake that is still chilling to this day.

20. Ball of Fire (1941)

The same year Henry Fonda literally fell for Stanwyck in The Lady Eve, Stanwyck also starred in this excellent Howard Hawks comedy about a lounge singer connected to the mob who hides out with a group of intellectuals writing an encyclopedia. Gary Cooper essentially leads the group of booksmart bachelors and charms Stanwyck’s street smart gal. It also stars Dana Andrews (Laura, The Best Years of Our Lives), Henry Travers (It’s a Wonderful Life), Richard Hadyn (And Then There Were None, Alice in Wonderland), and Dan Duryea (The Pride of the Yankees). It’s my favorite Stanwyck movie.

18. And Then There Were None (1945)

When talking about Agatha Christie movie adaptations most refer to 1974’s Murder on the Orient Express. This is probably my second favorite Christie movie - and it’s considered the best version of this story. A group of individuals are gathered at an estate on a remote island and get bumped off one-by-one for their past transgressions. The film is directed by Rene Clair (I Married a Witch). It stars Barry Fitzgerald (Bringing Up Baby), Walter Huston (The Treasure of Sierra Madre), Richard Haydn (Ball of Fire), among others. It’s clever and one of the best mysteries ever filmed.

16. The Maltese Falcon (1941)

When I first saw this film I was bowled over by Bogart’s Sam Spade. He literally laughed in the face of danger; nothing seemed to faze him. Re-watching it a couple of years ago I realized how twisty and fascinating the central mystery is. And what a cast: Mary Astor (Meet Me in St. Louis), Peter Lorre (Casablanca), Sydney Greenstreet (Casablanca), Elisha Cook, Jr. (The Big Sleep, Shane)!

14. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

A ‘40s movie with a child that doesn’t believe in Santa Claus? Unbelievable. A man is put on trial and must prove he is, in fact, St. Nick. This is a charming movie that won our hearts a few years ago. Maureen O’Hara (The Quiet Man, The Parent Trap) is great, as are Natalie Wood (Rebel Without a Cause), Gene Lockhart (His Girl Friday), and Edmund Gwenn (Lassie Come Home, Them!) as Santa. There’s even an appearance by the great Thelma Ritter (Rear Window)!

12. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)

This is one of the best comedies of the decade and part of one of the most prolific and financially successful franchises ever made. The comedy duo play porters who get caught up in a plot between the Wolf Man (Lon Chaney, Jr.) and Dracula (Bela Lugosi) that involves Frankenstein’s Monster. For more on this read my review.

10. The Grapes of Wrath (1940)

I used to be down on this movie, because it isn’t as good as the John Steinbeck novel, yet received such high praise. I’m surprised it made it this far on the list. The novel is a masterpiece. The movie, re-watching it now 20+ years after my first viewing, is really great. Henry Fonda, John Ford’s direction, and especially Jane Darwell as Ma Joad are superb. This is one of those must-see films.

8. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

This was Frank Capra’s post-WWII movie. It’s very different from the films he made prior to the war. It’s more world-weary and less wide-eyed. It’s a film about a man so beat up by life that he considers throwing himself in the river, unable to see the effect he has on the lives around him. It’s often considered a feel-good Christmas movie and I think that diminishes it. It’s more than a Christmas bauble. It’s one of the greatest films ever made.

6. Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)

This is one of the great forgotten musicals. AFI named it one of the greatest movies ever made - and I’m glad they did or else I probably wouldn’t have discovered it. James Cagney plays George C. Cohan in this musical biopic about one of our greatest composers. Cagney earned the reputation of being a mobster, but he was really a song and dance man. He proves it here. Not simply patriotic fluff.

4. The Treasure of Sierra Madre (1948)

This might be my favorite Humphrey Bogart movie. This was the first of two films by John Huston released in 1948. The second was Key Largo. This one is an excellent character study about how the possibility of wealth can corrupt us, making good men do bad things. Walter Huston, John’s dad, also stars. This is where the ‘badges’ quote comes from. I fell in love with this film immediately.

2. Dumbo (1941)

This film is just over an hour long. Within that time there are moments that are adorable, there are moments that are imaginative, and there are moments that jerk the tears. Yes, there’s a scene of questionable racism before the climax. But this is otherwise a perfect film. For more on this film read my review.

39. Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943)

A sequel to The Wolf Man and the first to cross over the Universal Classic Monsters, Lon Chaney, Jr. literally revives his character to eventually scuffle with Legosi’s version of Frankenstein’s monster. Its plot is a bit silly, but as a kid it was really cool to see these monsters eventually go toe-to-toe.

37. Key Largo (1948)

The only Bogie and Bacall film I really enjoy. This is a single location film with a cast that includes Lionel Barrymore held hostage by Edward G. Robinson and his goons until a hurricane passes. It’s one of Robinson’s best.

35. Sergeant York (1941)

Gary Cooper made a career out of “Aw, shucks” Everyman characters. Here he brings that persona to a biopic about a WWI pacifist war hero. One of a handful of Howard Hawks’s films on this list. Also stars Walter Brennen (The Pride of the Yankees, To Have and Have Not).

33. To Be or Not to Be (1942)

A comedy about a Polish acting troupe that gets caught up in the conflict with Germany as their country is being invaded. Carole Lombard, Jack Benny, and a very young Robert Stack star in this extremely topical farce. It’s unbelievable that they were able to get away with this at the time, but audiences apparently needed a release back then. It’s still often very funny.

31. Make Mine Music (1946)

This is a tougher one to find these days, as it’s not included on Disney+. This anthology “package” film includes ‘Casey at the Bat’, ‘Peter and the Wolf’, and ‘Johnnie Fedora and Alice Bluebonnet’, along with 7 other segments. It barely outranks Melody Time as a favorite.

29. The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek (1944)

Preston Sturges wrote a lot of scripts in the ‘30s, but he was hot in the ‘40s once he started sitting in the director’s chair. He had several hits that decade and this is just one of them. It’s a wacky screwball comedy that was once named by the AFI one of the greatest comedies ever made, but has since been forgotten, I fear. William Demarest and several of Sturges’s regular players appear. And Eddie Bracken (Home Alone 2: Lost in New York) is very silly.

27. State of the Union (1948)

One of several films with Hepburn and Tracy and one of Capra’s last films. This is largely a forgotten political comedy that is even too progressive for some people to this day. For more on this film read my review.

25. Casablanca (1942)

The classic romantic drama with the WWII backdrop set in Morocco. Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Peter Lorre (M, Arsenic & Old Lace), Claude Rains (The Invisible Man, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington), Paul Henreid (Now, Voyager), and Sydney Greenstreet (The Maltese Falcon). That is an incredible cast directed by Michael Curtiz (The Adventures of Robin Hood, Yankee Doodle Dandy). It’s one of the greats for these reasons and more.

23. The Pride of the Yankees (1942)

Gary Cooper stars in one of the most iconic sports biopics of all time. It’s a fairly accurate depiction of events save for a couple of significant departures from reality. But Teresa Wright (Mrs. Miniver, The Best Years of Our Lives), Walter Brennan (Sergeant York), and even Babe Ruth himself do great work. It’s actually a pleasure seeing the Great Bambino on film long after he’s gone and become a legend. But Cooper does well and the whole affair manages to be moving.

21. The Bishop’s Wife (1947)

A lovely Christmas movie about an angel (Cary Grant) sent to help an uptight bishop (David Niven) who is neglecting his family while trying to get a new cathedral built. Grant is classy, as always.

19. Mrs. Miniver (1942)

This was a recent discovery, one I’ve been meaning to see for a couple of years. William Wyler has a way of illustrating the effects of war on people. Here, before he was called to service himself, he directed a film about one family in one English community during the first months of WWII. It takes its time getting to know the central family before the German invasions affect England. It is powerful and impressive. Greer Garson (Julius Caesar) is our anchor with appearances by Teresa Wright, Henry Travers, and more.

17. Citizen Kane (1941)

Orson Welles’s masterpiece. Not only is there a lot for any cinephile to appreciate, not only is it an achievement from the mind and gumption of a 25 year-old, but it’s also often amusing and entertaining. I think people allow its stature and iconography to forget that.

15. Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948)

This comedy starring the great Cary Grant, Myrna Loy, and Melvyn Douglas was remade (although with thorough remodeling) as The Money Pit and Are We Done Yet?. But those films don’t hold a candle to the original. The financials within this movie is remarkable when you calculate inflation. But, more importantly, the chemistry between the three leads is excellent and the endeavor gets more and more amusing as the Blandings’ ideas for a dream home get out of hand. Almost forgotten, despite the AFI naming it one of the greatest comedies of all time, but worth hunting down.

13. Adam’s Rib (1949)

The best of the Hepburn and Tracy movies is the last of the ‘40s and my favorite. Two married lawyers go toe-to-toe on the same case when a woman (Judy Holliday of Born Yesterday) catches her husband (Tom Ewell of The Seven Year Itch) cheating on her and attempts to shoot him. A case of attempted murder becomes a battle of the sexes with a lot of hilarity. Jean Hagen (Singin’ in the Rain) also appears. For more on this film read my review.

11. The Wolf Man (1941)

There are few werewolf movies as good as this film that made the legend largely what we know it to be today. Chaney is brilliant as the stricken title character. For more on this movie read my review.

9. Pinocchio (1940)

I feel like we’ve come all the way around to this film being underrated and underappreciated nowadays. People have taken this film for granted and forgotten how significant it was to the history of the animated form. It’s every bit the masterpiece as any of Hayao Miyazaki’s best work. For more on this film read my review.

7. His Girl Friday (1940)

Another film by Howard Hawks. When people play the fast-talking reporter or career gal they owe something to this film, whether they know it or not. A man’s life is “hanging” at the center of the plot, but I honestly don’t care as much about that as I do Rosalind Russell, Cary Grant, and the rapid-fire dialogue. This is top shelf comedy dialogue writing. I love it.

5. Bambi (1942)

Everyone gets hung up on what happens to Bambi’s mom. But there’s so much more that happens in this film and there’s a lot of beauty to appreciate and its simplicity makes it adorable. This was their last film before the studio was forced to pivot towards anthology films in order to survive (of the early ‘40s films, only Dumbo made a profit). For more on this film read my review.

3. Arsenic & Old Lace (1944)

The 1940s had several great comedies. This is the 12th comedy on this list and it’s apparently my favorite. It’s my 70th favorite movie of all time. It’s definitely one of Cary Grant’s best comedic performances. It’s based on a play and mostly set in one location with people entering and exiting the house. It’s madcap. It’s hilarious. It is still one of the best comedies of all time. I named it my 4th favorite comedy in the podcast. Peter Lorre also stars.

1. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)

William Wyler came back from WWII and went to work on this. With Mrs. Miniver he illustrated the effect the war had on those at home. With this film he illustrated the effect the war had on those returning home - and their struggles readjusting to civilian life. It is my 69th favorite film of all time. It’s one that everyone should see at least once.

So, those are my favorite movies of the 1940s. Every year of the decade is represented. The years 1941 and 1942 made the list the most with 7 films each. The year 1948 came in 2nd with 6 films. There’s no particular type of film in those years that made them special; there’s comedies, animated movies, dramas, film noir, and even monster movies. But most of the comedies on this list came from those years. Directors Frank Capra, Howard Hawks, and John Huston all tie with 3 films each on this list. Cary Grant and Humphrey Bogart are apparently the stars whose work I love the most from this decade with 4 films each on this list.

Again, the best resources for films from this decade are Amazon Prime and HBO Max. You can also rent many films on Amazon. I hope you find some new favorites. What are some of your favorites from the decade already? Feel free to share.