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. 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. LETTER FROM AN UNKNOWN WOMAN (Max Ophuls, USA)
4. PITFALL (Andre de Toth, 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. IRIS AND THE LIEUTENANT (Alf Sjoberg, Sweden)
3. CLUNY BROWN (Ernst Lubitsch, USA)
4. DIARY OF A CHAMBERMAID (Jean Renoir, USA)
5. MY DARLING CLEMENTINE (John Ford, USA)
6. PAISA (Roberto Rossellini, Italy)
7. HUMORESQUE (Jean Negulesco, USA)
8. THE BIG SLEEP (Howard Hawks, 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. LEAVE HER TO HEAVEN (John Stahl, USA)
2. FALBALAS (Jacques Becker, France)
3. THE CLOCK (Vincente Minnelli, 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 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. THE PALM BEACH STORY (Preston Sturges, USA)
5. CAT PEOPLE (Jacques Tourneur, USA)
6. LISTEN TO BRITAIN (Humphrey Jennings, UK)
7. SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS (Preston Sturges, USA)
8. LADY IN A JAM (Gregory La Cava, 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)

Return to the main page