Zach’s Favorite Films of the 1940s

1949

  1. SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON (John Ford, USA)
  2. BEGONE DULL CARE (Norman McLaren, Canada)
  3. LATE SPRING (Yasujirō Ozu, Japan)
  4. THE SMALL BACK ROOM (Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, UK)
  5. THE RECKLESS MOMENT (Max Ophüls, USA)
  6. CHRISTMAS U.S.A. (Gregory J. Markopoulos, USA)
  7. REIGN OF TERROR (Anthony Mann, USA)
  8. WHITE HEAT (Raoul Walsh, USA)
  9. PUCE MOMENT (Kenneth Anger, USA)
  10. RENDEZVOUS IN JULY (Jacques Becker, France)
  11. UNDER CAPRICORN (Alfred Hitchcock, UK)
  12. KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS (Robert Hamer, UK)
  13. BORDER INCIDENT (Anthony Mann, USA)
  14. LE SILENCE DE LA MER (Jean-Pierre Melville, France)
  • WHIRLPOOL (Otto Preminger, USA)
  • THE THIRD MAN (Carol Reed, UK)

1948

  1. FORT APACHE (John Ford, USA)
  2. UNFAITHFULLY YOURS (Preston Sturges, USA)
  3. SPRING IN A SMALL TOWN (Fei Mu, China)
  4. THEY LIVE BY NIGHT (Nicholas Ray, USA)
  5. THE BIG CLOCK (John Farrow, USA)
  6. THE RED SHOES (Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, UK)
  7. PITFALL (André De Toth, USA)
  8. EASTER PARADE (Charles Walters, USA)
  9. HE WALKED BY NIGHT (Alfred L. Werker and Anthony Mann, USA)
  10. STRANGE VICTORY (Leo Hurwitz, USA)
  11. RED RIVER (Howard Hawks, USA)
  12. RAW DEAL (Anthony Mann, USA)
  13. THE TREASURE OF SIERRA MADRE (John Huston, USA)
  14. LAFCADIO (Jean Béranger, France)
  15. ROPE (Alfred Hitchcock, USA)
  16. A FOREIGN AFFAIR (Billy Wilder, USA)
  17. MACBETH (Orson Welles, USA)
  18. PORTRAIT OF JENNIE (William Dieterle, USA)
  • KEY LARGO (John Huston, USA)
  • BICYCLE THIEVES (Vittorio De Sica, Italy)

1947

  1. DAISY KENYON (Otto Preminger, USA)
  2. BLACK NARCISSUS (Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, UK)
  3. ANTOINE AND ANTOINETTE (Jacques Becker, France)
  4. MONSIEUR VERDOUX (Charlie Chaplin, USA)
  5. FIREWORKS (Kenneth Anger, USA)
  6. THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI (Orson Welles, USA)
  7. OUT OF THE PAST (Jacques Tourneur, USA)
  8. DRIFTWOOD (Allan Dwan, USA)
  9. RECORD OF A TENEMENT GENTLEMAN (Yasujirō Ozu, Japan)
  10. MOTION PAINTING NO. 1 (Oskar Fischinger, USA)

1946

  1. MY DARLING CLEMENTINE (John Ford, USA)
  2. CLUNY BROWN (Ernst Lubitsch, USA)
  3. NOTORIOUS (Alfred Hitchcock, USA)
  4. THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES (William Wyler, USA)
  5. CANYON PASSAGE (Jacques Tourneur, USA)
  6. IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE (Frank Capra, USA)
  7. THE BIG SLEEP (Howard Hawks, USA)
  8. RITUAL IN TRANSFIGURED TIME (Maya Deren, USA)
  9. THE STRANGER (Orson Welles, USA)
  10. A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH (Michaell Powell and Emeric Pressburger, UK)
  11. I’VE ALWAYS LOVED YOU (Frank Borzage, USA)
  • THE CHASE (Arthur Ripley, USA)
  • LA BELLE ET LA BÊTE (Jean Cocteau, France)

1945

  1. DETOUR (Edgar G. Ulmer, USA)
  2. LEAVE HER TO HEAVEN (John M. Stahl, USA)
  3. THE CLOCK (Vincente Minnelli, USA)
  4. A STUDY IN CHOREOGRAPHY FOR CAMERA (Maya Deren, USA)
  5. BRIEF ENCOUNTER (David Lean, UK)
  6. THEY WERE EXPENDABLE (John Ford, USA)
  7. MY NAME IS JULIA ROSS (Joseph H. Lewis, USA)
  8. HANGOVER SQUARE (John Brahm, USA)
  9. FALLEN ANGEL (Otto Preminger, USA)
  10. MICRO-PHONIES (Edward Bernds, USA)
  11. SCARLET STREET (Fritz Lang, USA)
  • FALBALAS (Jacques Becker, France)
  • ROME, OPEN CITY (Roberto Rossellini, Italy)

1944

  1. AT LAND (Maya Deren, USA)
  2. IVAN THE TERRIBLE, PART I (Sergei Eisenstein, USSR)
  3. MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS (Vincente Minnelli, USA)
  4. TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT (Howard Hawks, USA)
  5. DOUBLE INDEMNITY (Billy Wilder, USA)
  6. THE MASK OF DIMITRIOS (Jean Negulesco, USA)
  7. LIFEBOAT (Alfred Hitchcock, USA)
  8. ADDRESS UNKNOWN (William Cameron Menzies, USA)
  9. LAURA (Otto Preminger, USA)
  • MINISTRY OF FEAR (Fritz Lang, USA)

1943

  1. I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE (Jacques Tourneur, USA)
  2. MESHES OF THE AFTERNOON (Maya Deren, USA)
  3. AIR FORCE (Howard Hawks, USA)
  4. SHADOW OF A DOUBT (Alfred Hitchcock, USA)
  5. DAY OF WRATH (Carl Theodor Dreyer, Denmark)
  6. HOLY MATRIMONY (John M. Stahl, USA)
  7. THE MIRACLE OF MORGAN’S CREEK (Preston Sturges, USA)
  8. THE LEOPARD MAN (Jacques Tourneur, USA)
  9. THE SEVENTH VICTIM (Mark Robson, USA)
  10. HANGMEN ALSO DIE! (Fritz Lang, USA)
  11. IMMORTAL SERGEANT (John M. Stahl, USA)
  • VICTORY THROUGH AIR POWER (James Algar, et al, USA)

1942

  1. THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS (Orson Welles, USA)
  2. THE PALM BEACH STORY (Preston Sturges, USA)
  3. CASABLANCA (Michael Curtiz, USA)
  4. LISTEN TO BRITAIN (Humphrey Jennings and Stewart McAllister, UK)
  5. TO BE OR NOT TO BE (Ernst Lubitsch, USA)
  6. GENTLEMAN JIM (Raoul Walsh, USA)
  7. CAT PEOPLE (Jacques Tourneur, USA)
  8. BAMBI (David Hand, et al, USA)
  9. SABOTEUR (Alfred Hitchcock, USA)
  10. THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY (John Ford, USA)

    1941

    1. CITIZEN KANE (Orson Welles, USA)
    2. HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY (John Ford, USA)
    3. THAT UNCERTAIN FEELING (Ernst Lubitsch, USA)
    4. THE STRAWBERRY BLONDE (Raoul Walsh, USA)
    5. HOLD BACK THE DAWN (Mitchell Leisen, USA)
    6. THE MALTESE FALCON (John Huston, USA)
    7. A WOMAN’S FACE (George Cukor, USA)
    8. DUMBO (Ben Sharpsteen, Norman Ferguson, Wilfred Jackson, William Roberts, Jack Kinney, and Samuel Armstrong, USA)
    9. BALL OF FIRE (Howard Hawks, USA)
    10. SUSPICION (Alfred Hitchcock, USA)
    • THE LADY EVE (Preston Sturges, USA)

    1940

    1. HIS GIRL FRIDAY (Howard Hawks, USA)
    2. THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER (Ernst Lubitsch, USA)
    3. CHRISTMAS IN JULY (Preston Sturges, USA)
    4. REMEMBER THE NIGHT (Mitchell Leisen, USA)
    5. THE MORTAL STORM (Frank Borzage, USA)
    6. DOTS (Norman McLaren, Canada)
    7. FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT (Alfred Hitchcock, USA)
    8. PINOCCHIO (Hamilton Luske and Ben Sharpsteen, USA)
    9. THE GREAT DICTATOR (Charlie Chaplin, USA)
    10. THE PHILADELPHIA STORY (George Cukor, USA)
    • FANTASIA (Samuel Armstrong, James Algar, et al, USA)