Top Movies of 1940s


The top movies of 1940s list is calculated by community movie ratings and members' "Top Movies List". Lists are updated daily.

91. She Wore a Yellow Ribbon

Year of Release: 1949
Overall Rating: 2.9 out of 4 stars
Language: English
Genre: Western
MPAA Rating: NR
Director: John Ford
Actors: John Wayne, Joanne Dru, John Agar, Ben Johnson, Harry Carey Jr., Victor McLaglen
Plot: In the 19th century a man is retiring from the U.S. cavalry in a few days. But first, he must escort a family to another fort.

92. On the Town

Year of Release: 1949
Overall Rating: 2.9 out of 4 stars
Language: English
Genre: Comedy/Musical
MPAA Rating: NR
Director: Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly
Actors: Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Ann Miller, Betty Garrett, Alice Pearce, Vera-Ellen
Plot: Three sailors on a day of shore leave in New York City look for fun and
romance before their twenty-four hours are up.

93. The Snake Pit

Year of Release: 1948
Overall Rating: 2.9 out of 4 stars
Language: English
Genre: Drama/Mystery
MPAA Rating: NR
Director: Anatole Litvak
Actors: Olivia de Havilland, Mark Stevens, Leo Genn, Celeste Holm, Glenn Langan, Helen Craig
Plot: Virginia Cunningham wakes up in state mental asylum with no memory of how she got there. Through flashbacks, we see her relationship with her husband, Robert, and early symptoms to her current plight. Dr. Mark Kik attempts to get the root of the problem while fear and the regimental attitude keep Virginia in a constant state of misery.

94. Holiday Inn

Year of Release: 1942
Overall Rating: 2.9 out of 4 stars
Language: English
Genre: Comedy/Drama
MPAA Rating: NR
Director: Mark Sandrich
Actors: Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Marjorie Reynolds, Virginia Dale, Walter Abel, Louise Beavers
Plot: At a country estate that is open to guests only on the holidays a crooner and a dancer vie for the affections of a new performer.

95. Larceny, Inc.

Year of Release: 1942
Overall Rating: 3.2 out of 4 stars
Language: English
Genre: Comedy/Crime
MPAA Rating: NR
Director: Lloyd Bacon
Actors: Edward G. Robinson, Jane Wyman, Broderick Crawford, Jack Carson, Anthony Quinn, Harry Davenport
Plot: A gangster buys a luggage store to break into the bank next door but
decides not to after the store starts making a profit

96. The Lady from Shanghai

Year of Release: 1948
Overall Rating: 2.9 out of 4 stars
Language: English
Genre: Mystery/Crime
MPAA Rating: R
Director: Orson Welles
Actors: Orson Welles, Rita Hayworth, Everett Sloane, Ted de Corsia, Glenn Anders, Gus Schilling
Plot: A sailer gets mixed up with a gorgeous woman and a murder plot in which he may or may not be involved in.

97. Ball of Fire

Year of Release: 1941
Overall Rating: 2.9 out of 4 stars
Language: English
Genre: Comedy/Romance
MPAA Rating: NR
Director: Howard Hawks
Actors: Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck, Oskar Homolka, Henry Travers, S.Z. Sakall, Tully Marshall
Plot: What happens when sexy nightclub singer in trouble with the mob meet up with a group of lexicographers looking to build up their slang knowledge?

98. Fort Apache

Year of Release: 1948
Overall Rating: 2.8 out of 4 stars
Language: English
Genre: Western
MPAA Rating: NR
Director: John Ford
Actors: John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Shirley Temple, Pedro Armendáriz, Ward Bond, George O'Brien
Plot: Owen Thursday is a man who believes he is destined for great things. Posted at the lonesome, desolate Fort Apache, his arrogance and obsession leads him to forming a plan to destroy the Apache chief Cochise across the Mexican border, against the better judgement of his subordinates.

99. The Fallen Idol

Year of Release: 1949
Overall Rating: 2.9 out of 4 stars
Language: English
Genre: Drama/Thriller
MPAA Rating: NR
Director: Carol Reed
Actors: Ralph Richardson, Michèle Morgan, Sonia Dresdel, Bobby Henrey, Denis O'Dea, Jack Hawkins
Plot: Events of the story are scene through the eyes of an impressionable, young son of a diplomat who, though he wants to protect his friends and his butler, Baines, his actions almost certainly mean Baines will be charged with the murder of his wife.

100. The Spiral Staircase

Year of Release: 1946
Overall Rating: 2.9 out of 4 stars
Language: English
Genre: Drama/Horror
MPAA Rating: NR
Director: Robert Siodmak
Actors: Dorothy McGuire, George Brent, Ethel Barrymore, Rhonda Fleming, Elsa Lanchester, Rhys Williams
Plot: A killer is stalking women. There's a creepy house, a mute servant girl and some questionable residents.

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