Top 10 Movies of the 1940s
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- This decade saw Hollywood reflect the changes in society and technology in some landmark films. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today, in this installment of our series on the greatest movies of all time, we're counting down our picks for the top 10 movies of the 1940s.
Special thanks to our users Andrew A. Dennison, 14728, Philip Folta and jwiking62 for submitting the idea on our Suggest Page at WatchMojo.com/suggest!
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Box office performance shouldn't have anything to do with the greatness of a movie.
wow what a purist
Ikr.
Barney Os. Citizen Kane was ignored by the public
Louis O. Exactly. Many movies have done well at the box office and aren’t good at all.
It doesnt
I think "Double Indemnity" deserved more than just an honorable mention.
I love that movie. Agreed
ya BABY STRAIGHT DOWN THE LINE
In case you didn't notice the trend ;) - expect:
Top 10 Movies of the 1950s: Sunday
Top 10 Movies of the 1960s: Monday
Top 10 Movies of the 1970s: Tuesday
Top 10 Movies of the 1980s: Wednesday
Top 10 Movies of the 1990s: Thursday
Top 10 Movies of the 2000s: Friday
To then be followed by the ALL-TIME top 10 list afterwards.
Looking Forward to it :)
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? :)
I know you can't satisfy everybody, but there should be at least an honorable mention for Bycicle Thieves ...
Top 10 Claymation movies
Top 10 animated movie battles!
***** in production
I don't envy whoever had to put this list together, it was one hell of a decade for American cinema.
James Stewart, one of my favorite actors.
Jimmy Stewart is my favorite actor!
Same
James Stewart is number 1 with me also.
Hes definitely one of my favorite actors!
Him and Spencer Tracey are #1 in my book
Wow I didn't even realise that Fantasia was that old!
Casablanca would be my number one, it may not have been as innovative as Citizen Kane in its time, but it's just more fun to watch
A lot of Humphry Bogard works were really fun to watch. Check out his film Dark Passage. that was a really good one.
Hope you're enjoying our series on WatchMojo March Madness: Greatest Movies of All Time Series for the first two clips watch
Top 10 Movies of the 1920s
Top 10 Movies of the 1930s
While Citizen Kane was groundbreaking, I still prefer Casablanca over it in terms of watch-ability.
Lmao. No
I mean the both are pretty slow compared to some movies at the time. I think where Casablanca takes the cake is with its end I my opinion. As much as I love citizen Kane I can see where some people might find it... underwhelming
I prefer others to both. Best Years of our lives, Notorious, shadow of a doubt.
Yesterday I watched Casablanca at 2 am in the morning.
I've seen all of these! Also really love Laura, Mildred Pierce, Possessed, Gaslight, Notorious, Spellbound, Rope and Shadow of A Doubt ✨✨✨
I'm missing Hitchcock's underrated classic "Rope", from 1948. Just incredible filmmaking! Highly recommended.
Yeah I think Rope and Arsenic and Old Lace should be on this list if just an honorable mention.
Notorious and Rebbeca
YEp NOtorious and REbecca. Especially Notorious.
Loved that film
ZeppelinBigFan 99999999%
Laura was a great movie from the 40s
That should have at least been an honorable mention.
Some great movies of the 40's not mentioned here:
- Waterloo Bridge
- His Girl Friday
- Suspicion
- Sullivan's Travels
- Sergeant York
- Random Harvest
- Bambi
- The Pride of the Yankees
- Mrs Miniver
- The Magnificent Ambersons
- The Song of Bernadette
- The Ox-Bow Incident
- Laura
- Gaslight
- To Have and Have Not
- Brief Encounter
- Spellbound
- The Lost Weekend
- Matter of Life and Death
- Notorious
- The Big Sleep
- Bycicle Thieves
- Kind Hearts and Coronets
- The Heiress
- White Heat
Thank you for mentioning this!
It’s a top 10 not a top 30
The decade of Humphrey Bogart...
Bogie, Bacall, Welles, and Hayworth... A decade of Film Noirs.
And gene tierney
YoungTheFish And James Stewart
Timothy Raths I was going to comment the same thing lol
And Cary Grant.
let me guess..
Number one is Citizen Kane, right?
Timo J yep
It's A Wonderful Life has got to be one of my favourite movies of all time, so happy it made the list !
Bicycle Thieves should have at least got a mention...
Agreed!
For real
Should have been top 5
@@gaetanoc.3516 watchmojo only knows american/hollywood movies. Shame on them
Is it that good?
The third man is totally underrated. Should be up there with Kane and Casablanca
Here's looking at you kid
.
Amazing decade, Citizen Kane, Casablanca and Rebecca are my favorites
"The Great Dictator" should be much higher for the ending speech alone.
I hate how that film made Americans suspicious and he had to leave the u.s .
No, the speech is disgusting commie propaganda.
@@TheNabOwnzz It talks About Fair Democracy and Human Equality. I don't see how that makes it a Commie propaganda to you.
@@anuragate9282 Democracy and equality are commie concepts.
Y'all mfs should stop watchin crap and watch a good movie like jud süß
Bambi, Dumbo, and Pinnochio.
double indemnity and bicycle thieves should be on the list
More top 10 lists on... Comedies:
Top 10 Cult Classics: Comedies
Top 10 Horror Comedies
Top 10 Stoner Comedies
Top 10 Ensemble Comedy Movie Casts
comedies are the best genre of Movies imo;) please do a top 10 Comedy Movies of the 1920s!
It`s a Wonderful Life deserves the first place for me.
uchihadante77 yes you are right..
I agree. While I like Citizen Kane and Casablanca, I think It's a Wonderful Life is a better film.
I'm also really proud you've included animated Disney films on these lists. A lot of people just blow them off as silly kids movies, but some of them really do need to be recognized among the more iconic films of all time. Though maybe that's just my bias as a Disney nerd
I hate disney now but i have to admit that back then disney did make masterpieces after masterpieces 😍
Knew citizen Kane would get number 1
My Top 10 List
1. Citizen Kane
2. Casablanca
3. it's a Wonderful Life
4. Pinocchio
5. Bicycle Thieves
6. the Maltese Falcon
7. the Grapes of Wrath
8. the third Man
9. the Philadelphia Story
10. the Great Dictator
omg i wish i was even 1/1000th as cool as Humphrey Bogart...
Is there really a point to these? Whenever there's a chance for Citizen Kane to be #1, Citizen Kane is #1
Maybe because it's a great movie and it deserves to be number 1?
Well yes, I don't doubt that, what I meant is that there's never any surprise so they're not very exciting since we know the answer already
orphaeus99
Does it ? Does it really ?
love Orson but I love to hate this film....awful
Orson Welles is so awesome i wish I could be an ounce of the filmmaker he was
Fantasia was my first experience of classical music, so I will always love it!
The Maltese Falcon, nice. It's my favorite movie of that decade, and my favorite John Huston(which means a lot).
Ive never seen it, looking forward to
I think Pinocchio should get an honorable mention.
I feel like Pinocchio and Bambi should have at least gotten an honorable mention. Glad Fantasia's on the list though.
Impossible to pick the best. But the scene in Casablanca after Rick has seen Ilsa, his one true love, and the deep, painful agony he endured while sitting at the piano asking why of all the fun joints in all the world she had to walk into his. Anyone who has ever felt that pain knows exactly the agony and flood of emotions running through Rick and it can't help but dig up that forgotten misery. God that was powerful. And Treasure of Sierra Madre another Bogart gem. I couldn't look away for a second,but most of these films do that. What a decade!
This looks a lot like my film professor's list. :-)
Harrison Strunk You’re even lucky for that. I’m a teen and kids my age only watch movies in the 21st century. The few movies earlier are just Disney movies.
@Harrison Strunk when your twenty you will look back at this comment and laugh
Wow, your list is almost exactly like mine. Throw in "Out of the Past" and switch a couple between the actual list and the honorable mentions, throw in "The Wolf Man" for nostalgia's sake, and you nailed it.
My Picks:
1. Casablanca
2. Citizen Kane
3. The Great Dictator
4. Rebecca
5. Bicycle Thieves
6. Hamlet
7. Rope
8. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
9. The Third Man
10. The Maltese Falcon
My top 10 from the 40s are
1. It's a Wonderful Life
2. The Best Year's of Our Lives
3. Citizen Kane
4. The Grapes of Wrath
5. A Gentleman's Agreement
6. Going My Way
7. The Stratton Story
8. Casablanca
9. The Third Man
10. Miracle on 34th Street
Can you please do top ten best Shakespeare movie adaptations?
Maybe. Meantime,
Top 10 Notes: Romeo and Juliet
Top 10 Notes: Hamlet
I agree. What would be your top ten Shakespeare film adaptations?
I would like that one
1. Hamlet (1948)
2. Henry V (1989)
3. Ran (1985)
4. Lion King (1994)
5. Richard III (1955)
6. Henry V (1946)
7. Romeo + Juliet (1996)
8. Othello (1965)
9. The Merchant of Venice (2004)
10. Julius Caesar (1953)
1. Hamlet (1948)
2. Macbeth (1971)
3. Ran (1985)
4. The Lion King (1994)
5. Romeo and Juliet (1968)
6. Throne of Blood (1957)
7. Macbeth (2015)
8. Henry V (1989)
9. Richard III (1995)
10. The Merchant of Venice (2004)
Always suprises me that Its a wonderful life is considered a feel good movie, when it is one of the very few films that deals with suicide, despair and failure. Also, James Stewart's performance in it is, is absolutely amazing in its emotional realism, precision and charm. Its a wonderful life and Casablanca, Treasure of the Sierra Madre are the films I have watched most often from this list. They will never grow old.
Sergeant York and Pinocchio should have at least been in the honorable mentions.
Man 1940 was a good year for movies!
Are you putting out these decade lists today? I'm such a movie buff and I love that you're doing this!!!
Where's Pinocchio? Not even an honorable mention? :(
Great list, but I would have liked a mention for The Red Shoes, Notorious and His Girl Friday
6:59 when you're slapped, you'll take it and like it....smack smack smack (wow)....
Who’s a teen who hates the 21st century and feels nostalgic here?
You’re not alone my friend
I'm not actually a teen (I'm 20) but I absolutely feel that!
@@hairmetalforlife8019 Same😂
Well I love both eras 40s and 2020s
But I just love the movies the fashion
The cars and the type of era it was.
I feel like I was born in the wrong period. I have discovered that so many of my values are very old style (emphasis on chivalry, family piety , patriotism and nationalism of the old days) but I can’t say it to people because I would be seen as bad or weird. I love studying military history. I am not into modern rebel culture.
I love old era music (classical, opera, and old folk). Obsessed with ancient medieval and Renaissance history.
Brilliant films! "Citizen Kane" deserves the number one spot!
They got this list pretty spot on (would've liked Double Indemnity and Pinocchio to be on there though), but it was great. Way to spoil the meaning of Rosebud, WatchMojo!
What about Sullivans Travels.
I own and seen The Philadelphia Story, Fantasia, The Maltese Falcon, It's A Wonderful Life and Casablanca. I'd probably be more biased about this list since I own and seen only five of these ten films and this would be my top 5 films of the 1940's: 1. It's A Wonderful Life
2. Casablanca
3. The Maltese Falcon
4. Fantasia
5. The Philadelphia Story
Gentleman agreement,The killers,Going my way,The lost weekend
Spoiler: Citizen Kane
no shit
It was initially ignored by the public though !!!
I love The Great Dictator! I memorized the final speech in High school. I bet I can still write it out...
I’m sorry, but I don’t want to be an emperor. That’s not my business. I don’t want to rule or conquer anyone. I should like to help everyone - if possible - Jew, Gentile - black man - white. We all want to help one another. Human beings are like that. We want to live by each other’s happiness - not by each other’s misery. We don’t want to hate and despise one another. In this world there is room for everyone. And the good earth is rich and can provide for everyone. The way of life can be free and beautiful, but we have lost the way.
Greed has poisoned men’s souls, has barricaded the world with hate, has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed. We have developed speed, but we have shut ourselves in. Machinery that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge has made us cynical. Our cleverness, hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery we need humanity. More than cleverness we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost....
The aeroplane and the radio have brought us closer together. The very nature of these inventions cries out for the goodness in men - cries out for universal brotherhood - for the unity of us all. Even now my voice is reaching millions throughout the world - millions of despairing men, women, and little children - victims of a system that makes men torture and imprison innocent people.
To those who can hear me, I say - do not despair. The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed - the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress. The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish. .....
Soldiers! don’t give yourselves to brutes - men who despise you - enslave you - who regiment your lives - tell you what to do - what to think and what to feel! Who drill you - diet you - treat you like cattle, use you as cannon fodder. Don’t give yourselves to these unnatural men - machine men with machine minds and machine hearts! You are not machines! You are not cattle! You are men! You have the love of humanity in your hearts! You don’t hate! Only the unloved hate - the unloved and the unnatural! Soldiers! Don’t fight for slavery! Fight for liberty!
In the 17th Chapter of St Luke it is written: “the Kingdom of God is within man” - not one man nor a group of men, but in all men! In you! You, the people have the power - the power to create machines. The power to create happiness! You, the people, have the power to make this life free and beautiful, to make this life a wonderful adventure.
Then - in the name of democracy - let us use that power - let us all unite. Let us fight for a new world - a decent world that will give men a chance to work - that will give youth a future and old age a security. By the promise of these things, brutes have risen to power. But they lie! They do not fulfil that promise. They never will!
Dictators free themselves but they enslave the people! Now let us fight to fulfil that promise! Let us fight to free the world - to do away with national barriers - to do away with greed, with hate and intolerance. Let us fight for a world of reason, a world where science and progress will lead to all men’s happiness. Soldiers! in the name of democracy, let us all unite!
YAY! Still got it!
Mickey Rooney
Wow you know your stuff.....
Spherical Cube GREAT MOVIE! We should play this in schools...even if just for that speech...
Probably should've included Bicycle Thieves. The Third Man is the GOAT, and I would've liked to see Woman of the Year get some love, but that was always a long shot.
bicycle thieves and woman of the year are 2 of my favs
The Best Years of Our Lives and The Bicycle Thief need to be on the list.
I'm so glad you included the Great Dictator. It's one of my favorites and too often overlooked
And Then There Were None
The Lost Weekend definitely deserved an honorable mention
Dumbo would probably be my favorite. Nostalgic, disturbing, moving, triumphant and just plain strange. Did you ever see an elephant fly?..
Alas, Dumbo has been forever stigmatized for its very un-PC stereotyping of the two crows.
@@rodneydowney2561 what stereotype?
@@miklossalomonlopez7917 Watch the movie (if you can find it) and decide for yourself.
@@rodneydowney2561 I have already seen the movie.
Yes, I have nothing to do in this quarantine.
I do not see any stereotype, at no time are the crows eating watermelon or chicken, or that they speak as the typical stereotype of the black person of that time
(All This and Rabbit Stew, an example). The crows were dubbed by African-Americans (including the famous Hall Johnson Choir, with the exception of the leader who was dubbed by the great Cliff Edwards, and also contributed to the dialogues and the way of dancing.
The crows were more like a parody / tribute to the famous jazz singers of that time.
Nice list! I personally would have put Pinocchio in place of Fantasia, but still a very good list! It's A Wonderful Life, Citizen Kane, and Casablanca all definitely deserved to be here.
The Maltese Falcon was pretty good too.
Well, looks like I'm having a 1940's film marathon this weekend. Thanks, WatchMojo! Can't wait for the '50s & '60s!
Casablanca is my favourite from the list, i'm just in love with that movie
Kinda disappointed that The Wolfman wasn't on the list. It was a pretty great movie.
My Own
10. The Great Dictator
9. Fantasia
8. Rebecca
7. Yankee Doodle Dandy
6. White Heat
5. The Maltese Falcon
4. Hamlet
3. Its a Wonderful Life
2. Casablanca
1. Citizen Kane
this one is nice
My Top 10 Movies of 1940's
10. The Lost Weekend
9. The Third Man
8. Pinocchio
7. Easter Parade
6. Yankee Doodle Dandy
5. The Great Dictator
4. Anchors Aweigh
3. Shadow of a Doubt
2. The Heiress
1. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
Honorable Mentions
Casablanca
Citizen Kanee
Double Indemnity
Fantasia
It's a Wonderful Life
On the Town
The Grapes of Wrath
You hit 8 of my top 12 movies of the 40s (if you include your honorable mentions). Here is my top 12:
1. Casablanca 1942. Coin flip between 1 and 2.
2. Citizen Kane 1941
3. Rebecca 1940. My second favorite Hitchcock, after Vertigo.
4. Gaslight 1944. Very underrated film, but not by me. It put the word "gaslight" in the dictionary.
5. The Maltese Falcon 1941
6. Notorious 1946. My third favorite Hitchcock, and the best Cary Grant film.
7. Double Indemnity 1944
8. Love Letters 1945. Ayn Rand screenplay.
9. The Third Man 1949
10. It’s a wonderful life 1946
11. Noi Vivi 1942 (Outstanding Italian film whose anti-communist message was also seen as anti-fascist).
12. The Great Dictator 1940 #66 (The greatest satire after "Network" & "Dr. Strangelove."
It's a wonderful life is an amazing movie, one of my favorite movies of all time and definatly my favorite from that decade. Rebecca is an odd and creepy movie, but good. Oh My GOSH Yanky Doodle Dandy!!!! That movie just might actually tie with It's a wonderful life for me.
My favourite film from the 40's is Kind Hearts and Coronets from 1949. I was a bit surprised Shadow of a Doubt wasn't mentioned, but I guess since the 40's is such a fantastic decade for films you'd have to make a much much longer video just to do it justice. The 50's probably won't be easier. I can think of at least 20 films from the 50's that I would consider the greatest films of all time.
It's funny because top two films from this list are the ones that my film school professors have brought up the most in class. Casablanca and Citizen Kane. They won't stop talking about them but for good reason!
Hitchcock's Notorious, Lifeboat and Shadow Of A Doubt.
Citizen Kane????? I can't even sit through the first 10 minutes without falling asleep! There are many forties movies which were better than most of the ones you mentioned! "Double Indemnity", "The Lady Eve", "Meet John Doe", "The Song of Bernadette", "His Girl Friday", "Going My Way", "The Bells of St. Mary's", "Meet Me in St. Louis", "The Lost Weekend", "Johnny Belinda", "Since You Went Away", Arsenic and Old Lace", "Bataan", and "Its A Wonderful Life" should have been number One!!!
My favorite Film of 40s is citizen cane . The best year of our lives and Casablanca 👍
So many great movies from that decade. Your list is certainly formidable, but personally I would have put "Best Years of Our Lives" at least in the top 5. I never tire of that film.
Really nice to see how you put Fantasia on this list. Especially considering in your other decade rankings you don’t put animated movies on them.
10. The Third Man (same)
9. Isle of The Dead
8. The Angel and The Bad Man
7. Arsenic and Old Lace
6. The Maltese Falcon (same)
5. Somewhere in The Night
4. The Spiral Staircase
3. Saboteur
2. Casablanca (same)
1. It's a Wonderful Life (same)
Honorable Mentions
Dead Reckoning
The Curse of The Cat People
Shadow of a Doubt
Rebecca (same)
Dishonorable Mention
Citizen Kane
dishonorable mention ?
Donald Trump I just hate that film so much and critics always act like it's so good. Sure the acting, cinematography, and directing are all amazing. But the writing is so painfully bad. It's the most overrated film of all time.
LinkMEP ok
I wouldn't go so far as to call it a dishonorable mention. And I think it has a good screenplay. It's just boring. I appreciate how it influenced storytelling, but I'm personally not a huge fan. It's about this boring rich douchebag(sure he's complex and all) and his miserable(albeit rich) life. It's complex and all but not much conflict there. Sure you could argue that he's at odds with one thing or the other throughout the movie but it didn't impact me much as I was viewing it. Just found it boring. It doesn't exactly have white knuckling moments like the entire movie of 12 angry men. It's just a depressing story of a guy with some issues and it's not as good as Raging Bull in that department. You can't expect everyone to like a seemingly great movie. And I like it, I just don't love it and gush about.
The Watcher Never heard of it.
1 - It's a Wonderful Life
2 - Double Indemnity
3 - Citizen Kane
4 - Casablanca
5 - The Great Dictator
Why is 'White Heat' not on here?
I would've at least given honorable mention to "How Green Was My Valley".
I'm surprised Miracle on 34th Street didn't at least get an honorable mention... I mean I knew it probably wouldn't make the list what with It's a Wonderful Life and all.. but no honorable mention? Oh well.
1 and 2 were always a lock, and even 3 to some extent. The rest of the list was always going to be difficult. I think 'White Heat (1949)' is the only glaring omission in my mind, but overall this list is pretty good.
What about 'Brief Encounters'? Can't help but feel this is more of a 'best american top 10 movies of the 1940s'. Shame really because the reviews of the last two decades were really good.
Some great films, what a decade for mature and interesting films. I think you got it about right and I've seen them all (some several times).
Keep these lists coming : )
So let me get this right: Fantasia makes the list but Dumbo doesn't?! Dumbo is still Disney's best animated feature IMO
Alas, Dumbo has been forever stigmatized for its very un-PC stereotyping of the two crows.
1. Its a Wonderful Life
2. Pinochio
3. Citizen Kane
4. Casablanca
5. Double Indemnity
6. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
7. Miracle on 34th Street
8. The Maltese Falcon
9. Fantasia
10. The Third Man
yeah its a wonderful Life is #1! :) but i Wood put Chaplins the great dictator at #2
I really need to watch more Humphrey Bogart. I've seen Casablanca but I still haven't seen The Maltese Falcon and Treasure of the Sierra Madre.
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Dang so many great movies came out in the '40s do not envy you guys in trying to make a top 10 movies of this decade list. Hepburn and Grant were in so many great movies together. Bringing up Baby and Holiday are two of my favorites. Seeing Dana Andrews in the honorable mentions makes me want to see a Top 10 Dana Andrews Movies list.
Isn't this top 10 "American" movies? Otherwise it's missing some Kurosawa films.
My thought exactly.
Every great Kurosawa film was made in the 50s, your an idiot.
Harkness78
Stray Dog was made in 1949 and is a masterpiece.
TanRu Nomad it's a great film but i woudn't have it in the top 10 or 15 of the 40's top 20 definitely
Even if we leave Kurosawa aside, we could include Bycicle Thieves... So, yes, more films from other countries!
The fact that THREE Bogart movies made the list makes a top 10 Bogie Movies spot a natural
My Top 10 Favourite Movies of the 1940s:
01. Citizen Kane (1941)
02. Casablanca (1942)
03. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
04. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
05. Double Indemnity (1944)
06. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
07. The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
08. The Great Dictator (1940)
09. The Third Man (1949)
10. The Philadelphia Story (1940)
From the 40s I love notorious, shop on the corner, shadow of a doubt, Rebecca, and rope
Dude, they basically said fuck you to foreign films.
They always do.
White Heat (1949) deserves at least a mention, Great Movie.
Excellent list! Foreign Correspondent deserved an honorable mention though
I also quite like Arsenic and Old Lace, The Shop Around the Corner, Great Expectations and Rope.
Missing Otto Preminger's Laura, a quintessential noir...