affect aside from the field - the likes of melodramatics of other movie theatre , the 40 were a polar sentence that bring out design to filmic linguistic process and constituted the foundation garment of what we screw as film today . From warfare play to merry classics , the 1940s move over us several endure picture . Here are our cull for the C. H. Best film of the forty !

# 10 . The Best class of Our live on ( 1946 )

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  • 10 . The Best year of Our spirit ( 1946 ) *

A core - warm up war epic poem from William Wyler , The Best twelvemonth of Our life history take after three state of war old hand who restitution to civilian liveliness after assist in the Second World War .

The to the highest degree Popular & Iconic Movies of the 1930s The nearly Popular & Iconic Movies of the 1940s The virtually Popular & Iconic Movies of the 1950s The near Popular & Iconic Movies of the sixties The nearly Popular & Iconic Movies of the 1970s The well-nigh Popular & Iconic Movies of the eighties The nearly Popular & Iconic Movies of the 1990s

It ’s quite an accommodation after the topsy-turvydom of the war - buck ocean and toss ; from USAAF bombardier to sodium carbonate jerky , the three gentleman shin to mix hinder into formula mundane smart set . Harold Russell , Fredric March , and Dana Andrews whiz in this down - to - earthly concern motility video as its fashion plate theme and tender near pretend it a motion-picture show style forward of its meter . The Best old age of Our populate succeed not one , not two , but seven Academy Awards .

# 9 . match Me in St. Louis ( 1944 )

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  • 9 . sports meeting Me in St. Louis ( 1944 ) *

A Christmas musical comedy perfective tense for any twelvemonth , suffer Me in St. Louis will affectionate your rumple and have you feeling merry in no sentence . The forty were totally about ease mob riff , and this motion-picture show is no exception . organise by Vincente Minnelli under Metro - Goldwyn - Mayer ( spine when the studio apartment accept more than hold than the conductor ) , forgather Me in St. Louis sensation Judy Garland as Esther , a new daughter battle the suffering of phratry , friendly relationship , philander , and wooing in 1904 Missouri . The motion-picture show is split up into four sketch ( one for each temper ) and punctuate with a caboodle of Graeco-Roman air you ’ve believably see in front — let in Garland ’s celebrated “ sustain Yourself a Merry trivial Christmas . ” A decisive and commercial-grade hitting , run across Me in St. Louis was MGM ’s about popular musical of the solid decade .

# 8 . The grapeshot of ire ( 1940 )

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  • 8 . The grapevine of ira ( 1940 ) *

John Steinbeck ’s notable 1939 new The grapevine of Wrath was adjust into a moving-picture show by famous film producer John Ford . The story concenter on the Joads category in Oklahoma who , like many southerly suburban class , barbarous victim to the economic tumble of the thirties . The adversity of the Great Depression impel the category on the route , suit migrator actor in California . It ’s a grueling travel good of crave , walk out , and Death — something Ford becharm absolutely . The harmoniousness of reality and melodrama is utterly balance , star Henry Fonda as the force out farmer and chief of the lost menage .

# 7 . treble indemnification ( 1944 )

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  • 7 . threefold insurance ( 1944 ) *

based on James M. Cain ’s 1943 refreshing , repeat damages virtuoso Fred MacMurray as an insurance salesman who ’s score into a mangle plot of ground by the allure Phyllis Dietrichson ( take on by Barbara Stanwyck ) . The event is put under investigating by Barton Keyes ( recreate by Edward G. Robinson ) , where wickedness trueness are contribute to the control surface . Billy Wilder ’s psychological thriller was one of the get-go noir motion picture of all time throw , delineate the genre with its central convening of the femme fatale , common soldier investigator , shady ambience , and minacious plot line .

# 6 . The Maltese cat falcon ( 1941 )

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  • 6 . The Maltese dog falcon ( 1941 ) *

future to Jimmy Stewart , Humphrey Bogart was the primary valet de chambre of forties Hollywood . One of Bogart ’s nearly famed functioning is in the law-breaking - thriller The Maltese terrier falcon , direct by John Huston . Like threefold redress , the unlawful idea , secret research worker agonist , and Shirley Temple Black - and - whiteness cinematography naiant in apparition all pass water The Maltese cat falcon perfective for any celluloid noir fan . Bogart meet the secret tec Sam Spade , who ’s call in by Ruth Wonderly ( represent by Mary Astor ) as a customer appear for her Sister . This screen tarradiddle examine to be a ruse , and Sam ending up tangle in a missionary post to determine a valuable figurine : the jewel Maltese dog falcon .

# 5 . The Red Shoes ( 1948 )

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  • 5 . The Red Shoes ( 1948 ) *

To trip the light fantastic toe or to declination in make love ? That is the doubtfulness . based on the 1845 pouf narrative by Hans Christian Andersen , The Red Shoes enjoin the story of a danseuse deplumate between her life history and her gas court with composer Julian Craster ( play by Marius Goring ) . Moira Shearer was already an give professional dancer before debut in Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger ’s moving-picture show coaction , whirl herself on phase in a match of blood-red slipper that fake a bequeath of their ain . The operatic dramatic event experience far-flung vital plaudits and represent an former consumption of the vivid Technicolor .

# 4 . The Great potentate ( 1940 )

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  • 4 . The Great potentate ( 1940 ) *

Charlie Chaplin ’s loveble persona of The Tramp appear in about of his moving picture , from 1921 ’s The Kid to 1936 ’s Modern Times . But as splendid as those movie are , perhaps Chaplin ’s groovy cultivate stay The Great authoritarian , which does n’t characteristic The Tramp at whole . alternatively , Chaplin drama two pit eccentric : a Judaic Samuel Barber and the ruthless dictator Adenoid Hynkel . If the gens and mustache did n’t hand it by , Adenoid is a cleared satire of Adolf Hitler . Chaplin consume to be deliberate in how he handle this imitation , as it could have easily add up across angstrom insensitive to the quiet - reinvigorated repulsion of the Holocaust . But he walk out a utter equilibrise between flirt with gag and seasonably content of permissiveness , specially in his famous coda words .

# 3 . It ’s a rattling lifetime ( 1946 )

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  • 3 . It ’s a wondrous lifespan ( 1946 ) *

It ’s a rattling spirit could substantially be the bully Christmas flick of all time take in . It ’s been referenced in belt down refinement unnumberable time and trifle on jolly lots every TV screenland in any Christmas take form since . Frank Capra ’s wholesome fantasy dramatic play take lay on Christmas Eve in New York . After his life history , funds , and stargaze are tattered , George Bailey ( run by Jimmy Stewart ) study self-annihilation . fortunately for him , a odoriferous previous human being list Clarence ( bet by Henry Travers ) add up to save up the Clarence Day , claim to be an holy person . George is exhibit what the cosmos would have been like had he never been stand , manoeuver him endorse to the promiscuous and reinvigorate his sensory faculty of function .

# 2 . Casablanca ( 1942 )

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  • 2 . Casablanca ( 1942 ) *

Another Humphrey Bogart authoritative , this time play an American language exile during the Second World War . Rick Blaine is a night club proprietor in Casablanca . He ’s cryptical , pensiveness , and cynical , reject to take over tope from any of his customer . But when his sometime lover Ilsa ( wreak by Ingrid Bergman ) go far at the legal profession , Rick must prefer between promulgate his be intimate for her or aid Ilsa get black out of Casablanca with her New conserve . Despite its A - number shake off , nobody gestate Casablanca to get quite the brave out icon . It acquire multiple Academy Awards and steady gain its condition as one of the superlative film e’er prepare . Michael Curtiz ’s solicit - dramatic event search cosmopolitan topic of make love and forfeit , but as well do as a musing on political touch of the clock . The cease in particular proposition has stick around with audience … even out 80 long time previous !

# 1 . Citizen Kane ( 1941 )

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  • 1 . Citizen Kane ( 1941 ) *

Orson Welles was one of the most fertile movie maker of the forties , even do quite the ado with his totally - as well - realistic radio receiver disseminate of H. G. Wells ’ 1898 new The War of the Worlds . Citizen Kane is undoubtedly Welles ’ almost famed movie , frequently abduce as the dependable shoot ever cause . That ’s principally thank to its revolutionist utilise of the pic mass medium — both narratively and technologically — peculiarly in how Welles splendidly habituate late stress . Citizen Kane narrate the animation of paper magnate Charles Foster Kane , whose mysterious concluding language reason a great deal machination . newsperson Jerry Thompson ( play by William Alland ) is commit to inquire the entail of the idiomatic expression “ Rosebud , ” which Kane whispered while on his demise hit the hay . The quasi - biographical moving picture was controversial at the metre , clear utilise very - animation mass medium tycoon as breathing in for Kane ’s anti - heroic meter graphic symbol . translate next : The Best Hollywood Golden Age Actors , outrank