Dan Sallitt's Favorite Films of
the 1940s, by International Release Date
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1949
1. THE RECKLESS MOMENT
(Max Ophuls, USA)
2. THE
SMALL BACK ROOM (Michael Powell and
Emeric Pressburger, UK)
3. LATE
SPRING (Yasujiro Ozu, Japan)
4. I WAS
A MALE WAR BRIDE (Howard Hawks,
USA)
5. SHE
WORE A YELLOW RIBBON (John
Ford, USA)
6. ONLY
A MOTHER (Alf Sjoberg, Sweden)
7. THE
SPIDER AND THE FLY (Robert
Hamer, UK)
8. RENDEZ-VOUS
DE JUILLET (Jacques Becker,
France)
9. CAUGHT
(Max Ophuls, USA)
10. PATTES
BLANCHES (Jean Gremillon,
France)
11.
WHITE HEAT (Raoul Walsh, USA)
12.
THE BIG STEAL (Don Siegel, USA)
13.
THEY LIVE BY NIGHT (Nicholas Ray,
USA)
14.
SANDS OF IWO JIMA (Allan Dwan,
USA)
15. LE SANG DES BÊTES (Georges Franju, France)
16. WHISKY
GALORE (Alexander Mackendrick,
UK)
17.
EASY LIVING (Jacques Tourneur,
USA)
18.
WHIRLPOOL (Otto Preminger, USA)
19.
ALIAS NICK BEAL (John Farrow,
USA)
20.
THE FILE ON THELMA JORDON (Robert
Siodmak, USA)
21. KIND
HEARTS AND CORONETS (Robert
Hamer, UK)
22.
SHOCKPROOF (Douglas Sirk, USA)
23.
TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME
(Busby Berkeley, USA)
24. MANON (Henri-Georges Clouzot, France)
25.
CRISS CROSS (Robert Siodmak,
USA)
26. THE UNDERCOVER MAN (Joseph H. Lewis, USA)
EL GRAN CALAVERA (Luis
Bunuel, Mexico)
THE FOUNTAINHEAD (King
Vidor, USA)
1948
1. FORT APACHE (John Ford,
USA)
2. GOOD
SAM (Leo McCarey, USA)
3. PITFALL (Andre de Toth,
USA)
4.
LETTER FROM AN UNKNOWN WOMAN (Max
Ophuls, USA)
5. THREE GODFATHERS (John
Ford, USA)
6. SLEEP
MY LOVE (Douglas Sirk, USA)
7. RED
RIVER (Howard Hawks, USA)
8. RAW
DEAL (Anthony Mann, USA)
9. MACBETH
(90-minute version) (Orson Welles,
USA)
10. CRY
OF THE CITY (Robert Siodmak,
USA)
11.
GERMANY YEAR ZERO (Roberto Rossellini,
Italy)
12. THE
BIG CLOCK (John Farrow, USA)
13.
THE WALLS OF JERICHO (John Stahl, USA)
14. EASTER
PARADE (Charles Walters,
USA)
UNFAITHFULLY YOURS (Preston
Sturges, USA)
THE RED SHOES (Michael
Powell and Emeric Pressburger,
UK)
OLIVER TWIST (David Lean, UK)
1947
1. DAISY KENYON (Otto
Preminger, USA)
2. BLACK
NARCISSUS (Michael Powell and Emeric
Pressburger, UK)
3. ANTOINE
AND ANTOINETTE (Jacques Becker,
France)
4.
THE PARADINE CASE (Alfred Hitchcock,
USA)
5.
THE PRIVATE AFFAIRS OF BEL AMI (Albert
Lewin, USA)
6.
GOOD NEWS (Charles Walters, USA)
7. IT
ALWAYS RAINS ON SUNDAY (Robert Hamer,
UK)
8.
THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI (Orson Welles, USA)
9. LE SILENCE DE
LA MER (Jean-Pierre Melville,
France)
10.
THE MACOMBER AFFAIR (Zoltan Korda,
USA)
11.
THAT'S MY MAN (Frank Borzage, USA)
12.
LE SILENCE EST D'OR (Rene Clair,
France/USA)
13.
T-MEN (Anthony Mann, USA)
14.
THE SIN OF HAROLD DIDDLEBOCK (Preston
Sturges, USA)
15.
OUT OF THE PAST (Jacques Tourneur,
USA)
16.
QUAI DES ORFEVRES (Henri-Georges
Clouzot, France)
17.
DRIFTWOOD (Allan Dwan, USA)
18. THE SCOUT'S EXPLOIT (Boris Barnet, USSR)
19.
LIVING IN A BIG WAY (Gregory La Cava,
USA)
20.
CALCUTTA (John Farrow, USA)
1946
1. NOTORIOUS (Alfred
Hitchcock, USA)
2.
CLUNY BROWN (Ernst Lubitsch, USA)
3.
IRIS AND THE LIEUTENANT (Alf
Sjoberg, Sweden)
4.
THE BIG SLEEP (Howard Hawks,
USA)
5.
DIARY OF A CHAMBERMAID (Jean
Renoir, USA)
6.
MY DARLING CLEMENTINE (John Ford,
USA)
7.
PAISA (Roberto Rossellini, Italy)
8. HUMORESQUE
(Jean Negulesco, USA)
9. CANYON
PASSAGE (Jacques Tourneur,
USA)
10. I'VE ALWAYS
LOVED YOU (Frank Borzage, USA)
11. LA BATAILLE DU RAIL (Rene
Clement, France)
12. IT'S
A WONDERFUL LIFE (Frank Capra,
USA)
13. THE
STRANGER (Orson Welles, USA)
14. TWO
YEARS BEFORE THE MAST (John Farrow,
USA)
15. ROME,
OPEN CITY (Roberto Rossellini,
Italy)
16. THE
DARK CORNER (Henry Hathaway,
USA)
17. CALIFORNIA
(John Farrow, USA)
18. HER
SISTER'S SECRET (Edgar G. Ulmer, USA)
A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH
(Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger,
UK)
THE STRANGE LOVE OF
MARTHA IVERS (Lewis Milestone,
USA)
1945
1. FALBALAS (Jacques
Becker, France)
2. THE
CLOCK (Vincente Minnelli,
USA)
3. LEAVE HER TO HEAVEN (John
Stahl, USA)
4.
THEY WERE EXPENDABLE (John Ford,
USA)
5.
I KNOW WHERE I'M GOING! (Michael
Powell and Emeric Pressburger,
UK)
6.
A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN (Elia
Kazan, USA)
7. LES
DAMES DU BOIS DE BOULOGNE (Robert
Bresson, France)
8.
MY NAME IS JULIA ROSS (Joseph H. Lewis,
USA)
9.
FALLEN ANGEL (Otto Preminger,
USA)
10. YOU
CAME ALONG (John Farrow, USA)
11. HANGOVER
SQUARE (John Brahm, USA)
12. THE
BODY SNATCHER (Robert Wise, USA)
13. CONFIDENTIAL AGENT (Herman
Shumlin, USA)
14. DETOUR (Edgar G. Ulmer,
USA)
15. PERFECT STRANGERS (Alexander
Korda, UK)
16. THE BELLS OF ST.
MARY'S (Leo McCarey, USA)
PINK STRING AND SEALING
WAX (Robert Hamer, UK)
1944
1. TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT
(Howard Hawks, USA)
2. THE
MIRACLE OF MORGAN'S CREEK (Preston
Sturges, USA)
3. LIFEBOAT
(Alfred Hitchcock, USA)
4.
THE MASK OF DIMITRIOS (Jean Negulesco,
USA)
5.
MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS (Vincente Minnelli,
USA)
6. HOME
IN INDIANA (Henry Hathaway,
USA)
7. TORMENT (Alf Sjoberg,
Sweden)
8.
SUMMER STORM (Douglas Sirk, USA)
9. GOING
MY WAY (Leo McCarey, USA)
10. HENRY V (Laurence Olivier,
UK)
11. HAIL THE CONQUERING HERO
(Preston Sturges, USA)
12. A CANTERBURY TALE (Michael
Powell and Emeric Pressburger,
UK)
13. THE GREAT MOMENT (Preston
Sturges, USA)
14. UNCERTAIN GLORY (Raoul
Walsh, USA)
15.
ON APPROVAL (Clive Brook, UK)
16. THE WAY YOU WANTED ME (Teuvo Tulio, Finland)
17.
THE FIGHTING SEABEES (Edward
Ludwig, USA)
TILL WE MEET AGAIN (Frank Borzage, USA)
IN THE MEANTIME, DARLING
(Otto Preminger, USA)
MIYAMOTO MUSASHI (Kenji
Mizoguchi, Japan)
1943
1. I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE
(Jacques Tourneur, USA)
2. HOLY
MATRIMONY (John Stahl, USA)
3. AIR
FORCE (Howard Hawks, USA)
4. LE
CORBEAU (Henri-Georges Clouzot,
France)
5. DAY
OF WRATH (Carl Dreyer, Denmark)
6. MUNCHHAUSEN (Josef von
Baky, Germany)
7. THIS
LAND IS MINE (Jean Renoir,
USA)
8. NORTHERN
PURSUIT (Raoul Walsh, USA)
9. SHADOW
OF A DOUBT (Alfred Hitchcock,
USA)
10. LES
ANGES DU PECHE (Robert Bresson,
France)
11. BATAAN
(Tay Garnett, USA)
12. THE
GHOST SHIP (Mark Robson, USA)
13. FIRES
WERE STARTED (Humphrey Jennings,
UK)
THE LIFE AND TIMES OF
COLONEL BLIMP (Michael Powell and
Emeric Pressburger, UK)
THE OUTLAW (Howard
Hughes and Howard Hawks, USA)
HEAVEN CAN WAIT (Ernst
Lubitsch, USA)
THE LEOPARD MAN (Jacques
Tourneur, USA)
HIS BUTLER'S SISTER
(Frank Borzage, USA)
ROMANCE IN A MINOR
KEY (Helmut Kautner, Germany)
1942
1. GENTLEMAN JIM (Raoul
Walsh, USA)
2. TO
BE OR NOT TO BE (Ernst Lubitsch,
USA)
3. THE
MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS (Orson Welles,
USA)
4. CAT
PEOPLE (Jacques Tourneur, USA)
5. LISTEN
TO BRITAIN (Humphrey Jennings,
UK)
6. SULLIVAN'S
TRAVELS (Preston Sturges, USA)
7.
LADY IN A JAM (Gregory La Cava,
USA)
8.
THE PALM BEACH STORY (Preston
Sturges, USA)
9.
THE MOON AND SIXPENCE (Albert
Lewin, USA)
10. ONCE
UPON A HONEYMOON (Leo McCarey, USA)
11. SABOTEUR
(Alfred Hitchcock, USA)
SEVEN SWEETHEARTS (Frank
Borzage, USA)
NOW, VOYAGER (Irving
Rapper, USA)
1941
1. CITIZEN KANE (Orson
Welles, USA)
2. UNFINISHED
BUSINESS (Gregory La Cava,
USA)
3.
FORTY-NINTH PARALLEL (Michael
Powell, UK)
4.
THE SHANGHAI GESTURE (Josef von
Sternberg, USA)
5. THE
LADY EVE (Preston Sturges,
USA)
6. A WOMAN'S
FACE (George Cukor, USA)
7. TOBACCO ROAD
(John Ford, USA)
8. THAT UNCERTAIN FEELING (Ernst
Lubitsch, USA)
9.
THE 47 RONIN (Kenji Mizoguchi, Japan)
10.
THAT HAMILTON WOMAN (Alexander Korda,
USA)
11.
WORDS FOR BATTLE (Humphrey Jennings,
UK)
12.
BROTHERS AND SISTERS OF THE
TODA FAMILY (Yasujiro Ozu, Japan)
13.
BALL OF FIRE (Howard Hawks, USA)
14.
THEY DIED WITH THEIR BOOTS ON (Raoul
Walsh, USA)
15.
H. M. PULHAM, ESQ. (King Vidor,
USA)
16. SUSPICION (Alfred Hitchcock,
USA)
SWAMP WATER (Jean
Renoir, USA)
OUR WIFE (John M.
Stahl, USA)
1940
1. HIS GIRL FRIDAY (Howard
Hawks, USA)
2. THE
SHOP AROUND THE CORNER (Ernst Lubitsch,
USA)
3. REMEMBER
THE NIGHT (Mitchell Leisen, USA)
4. THE
GREAT MCGINTY (Preston Sturges,
USA)
5. CHRISTMAS
IN JULY (Preston Sturges, USA)
6. THE
MORTAL STORM (Frank Borzage,
USA)
7.
FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT (Alfred
Hitchcock, USA)
8. TRAVELLING
ACTORS (Mikio Naruse, Japan)
9. SPRING ON THE ISLANDS
(Shiro Toyoda, Japan)
10. FLIGHT
COMMAND (Frank Borzage, USA)
THE PHILADELPHIA STORY
(George Cukor, USA)
THE MARK OF ZORRO (Rouben
Mamoulian, USA)
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