Dan Sallitt's Favorite Films
of the
1940s, by International Release Date
Return to the main page
1949
1. THE RECKLESS MOMENT (Max Ophuls, USA)
2. THE SMALL BACK ROOM (Michael Powell and Emeric
Pressburger, UK)
3. ONLY A MOTHER (Alf Sjoberg, Sweden)
4. LATE SPRING (Yasujiro Ozu, Japan)
5. I WAS A MALE WAR BRIDE (Howard Hawks, USA)
6. SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON (John Ford, USA)
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.
SLEEP MY
LOVE (Douglas Sirk, USA)
6. RAW DEAL
(Anthony Mann, USA)
7. THREE
GODFATHERS (John Ford, USA)
8. MACBETH
(90-minute version) (Orson Welles, USA)
9. THE RED SHOES (Michael
Powell and Emeric Pressburger, UK)
10. PAGES OF LIFE (Boris
Barnet, USSR)
11. RED RIVER
(Howard Hawks, USA)
12. CRY OF THE
CITY (Robert Siodmak, USA)
13.
GERMANY YEAR ZERO (Roberto
Rossellini, Italy)
14.
THE BIG CLOCK (John Farrow, USA)
15. THE WALLS OF JERICHO (John Stahl, USA)
16.
EASTER
PARADE
(Charles
Walters,
USA)
UNFAITHFULLY YOURS (Preston Sturges, USA)
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 PRIVATE AFFAIRS OF BEL AMI
(Albert Lewin, USA)
5. GOOD NEWS (Charles Walters, USA)
6. THE PARADINE
CASE (Alfred Hitchcock,
USA)
7. SPRING'S AWAKENING
(Mikio
Naruse, Japan)
8. IT
ALWAYS RAINS ON SUNDAY (Robert Hamer, UK)
9. THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI (Orson Welles,
USA)
10. LE SILENCE DE LA MER (Jean-Pierre Melville, France)
11. THE MACOMBER AFFAIR (Zoltan Korda,
USA)
12. THAT'S MY MAN (Frank Borzage, USA)
13. LE SILENCE EST D'OR (Rene Clair,
France/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)
17. TWO PEOPLE (Carl Dreyer, Sweden)
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)
THIS HAPPY LIFE (Mikio Naruse, Japan)
TILL WE MEET AGAIN (Frank Borzage, USA)
IN THE MEANTIME, DARLING (Otto Preminger, USA)
MIYAMOTO MUSASHI (Kenji Mizoguchi, Japan)
THE EVE OF ST. MARK (John M. Stahl, USA)
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. NORTHERN
PURSUIT (Raoul Walsh, USA)
8. SHADOW OF A
DOUBT (Alfred Hitchcock, USA)
9. MEN OF NOVGOROD (Boris
Barnet, USSR)
10. BATAAN (Tay
Garnett, USA)
11. THE GHOST
SHIP (Mark Robson, USA)
12. FIRES WERE
STARTED (Humphrey Jennings, UK)
LES ANGES DU PÉCHÉ (Robert Bresson, France)
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. A WOMAN'S FACE (George Cukor, USA)
6. TOBACCO
ROAD (John Ford, USA)
7. HIDEKO THE BUS CONDUCTOR (Mikio Naruse, Japan)
8. THE
LADY EVE (Preston Sturges, USA)
9. THAT
UNCERTAIN FEELING (Ernst Lubitsch, USA)
10. THE 47 RONIN (Kenji Mizoguchi,
Japan)
11. THAT HAMILTON WOMAN (Alexander
Korda, USA)
12. WORDS FOR BATTLE (Humphrey Jennings,
UK)
13. BROTHERS AND SISTERS OF THE TODA
FAMILY (Yasujiro Ozu, Japan)
14. BALL OF FIRE (Howard Hawks, USA)
15. THEY DIED WITH THEIR BOOTS ON (Raoul
Walsh, USA)
16. H. M. PULHAM, ESQ. (King Vidor, USA)
17. 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. THE OLD JOCKEY (Boris Barnet, USSR)
8. FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT (Alfred
Hitchcock, USA)
9. TRAVELLING ACTORS (Mikio Naruse, Japan)
10. SPRING ON THE ISLANDS (Shiro Toyoda, Japan)
11. FLIGHT COMMAND (Frank Borzage, USA)
THE PHILADELPHIA STORY (George Cukor, USA)
THE MARK OF ZORRO (Rouben Mamoulian, USA)
THE GRAPES OF WRATH (John Ford, USA)
Return to the main page