Highly Recommended - 1940s

This page lists 88 movies released between 1940 and 1949 that are highly recommended. Click on a title to go to a page of basic movie information, including links to reviews and a place for your own notes and annotations. Also see our list of external links to top movie lists for this category.

Thumbnails Titles 1 Column

Thumbnail for 49th Parallel (1941)

49th Parallel (1941)

Thumbnail for A Matter of Life and Death (1946)

A Matter of Life and Death (1946)

Thumbnail for Adam's Rib (1949)

Adam's Rib (1949)

Thumbnail for All My Sons (1948)

All My Sons (1948)

Thumbnail for All the King's Men (1949)

All the King's Men (1949)

Thumbnail for Beauty and the Beast (1946)

Beauty and the Beast (1946)

Thumbnail for Black Narcissus (1947)

Black Narcissus (1947)

Thumbnail for Born to Kill (1947)

Born to Kill (1947)

Thumbnail for Brief Encounter (1945)

Brief Encounter (1945)

Thumbnail for Broadway Melody of 1940 (1940)

Broadway Melody of 1940 (1940)

Thumbnail for Call Northside 777 (1948)

Call Northside 777 (1948)

Thumbnail for Citizen Kane (1941)

Citizen Kane (1941)

Thumbnail for Deception (1946)

Deception (1946)

Thumbnail for Detour (1945)

Detour (1945)

Thumbnail for Double Indemnity (1944)

Double Indemnity (1944)

Thumbnail for Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet (1940)

Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet (1940)

Thumbnail for Five Graves to Cairo (1943)

Five Graves to Cairo (1943)

Thumbnail for Fort Apache (1948)

Fort Apache (1948)

Thumbnail for Great Expectations (1946)

Great Expectations (1946)

Thumbnail for Hamlet (1948)

Hamlet (1948)

Thumbnail for Hangmen Also Die! (1943)

Hangmen Also Die! (1943)

Thumbnail for Hangover Square (1945)

Hangover Square (1945)

Thumbnail for High Sierra (1941)

High Sierra (1941)

Thumbnail for Holiday Inn (1942)

Holiday Inn (1942)

Thumbnail for House of Strangers (1949)

House of Strangers (1949)

Thumbnail for How Green Was My Valley (1941)

How Green Was My Valley (1941)

Thumbnail for I Know Where I'm Going! (1945)

I Know Where I'm Going! (1945)

Thumbnail for In Which We Serve (1942)

In Which We Serve (1942)

Thumbnail for Johnny Belinda (1948)

Johnny Belinda (1948)

Thumbnail for Key Largo (1948)

Key Largo (1948)

Thumbnail for Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)

Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)

Thumbnail for Kiss of Death (1947)

Kiss of Death (1947)

Thumbnail for Laura (1944)

Laura (1944)

Thumbnail for Le Corbeau (1943)

Le Corbeau (1943)

Thumbnail for Let There Be Light (1946)

Let There Be Light (1946)

Thumbnail for Man Hunt (1941)

Man Hunt (1941)

Thumbnail for Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

Thumbnail for My Darling Clementine (1946)

My Darling Clementine (1946)

Thumbnail for National Velvet (1944)

National Velvet (1944)

Thumbnail for Nightmare Alley (1947)

Nightmare Alley (1947)

Thumbnail for Notorious (1946)

Notorious (1946)

Thumbnail for Oliver Twist (1948)

Oliver Twist (1948)

Thumbnail for Panic (1946)

Panic (1946)

Thumbnail for Rebecca (1940)

Rebecca (1940)

Thumbnail for Red River (1948)

Red River (1948)

Thumbnail for Road House (1948)

Road House (1948)

Thumbnail for Rope (1948)

Rope (1948)

Thumbnail for Sahara (1943)

Sahara (1943)

Thumbnail for Shadow of a Doubt (1943)

Shadow of a Doubt (1943)

Thumbnail for Tension (1949)

Tension (1949)

Thumbnail for The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)

The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)

Thumbnail for The Big Clock (1948)

The Big Clock (1948)

Thumbnail for The Body Snatcher (1945)

The Body Snatcher (1945)

Thumbnail for The Children Are Watching Us (1944)

The Children Are Watching Us (1944)

Thumbnail for The Fountainhead (1949)

The Fountainhead (1949)

Thumbnail for The Grapes of Wrath (1940)

The Grapes of Wrath (1940)

Thumbnail for The Great Dictator (1940)

The Great Dictator (1940)

Thumbnail for The Heiress (1949)

The Heiress (1949)

Thumbnail for The Killers (1946)

The Killers (1946)

Thumbnail for The Lady from Shanghai (1947)

The Lady from Shanghai (1947)

Thumbnail for The Major and the Minor (1942)

The Major and the Minor (1942)

Thumbnail for The Maltese Falcon (1941)

The Maltese Falcon (1941)

Thumbnail for The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942)

The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942)

Thumbnail for The Mark of Zorro (1940)

The Mark of Zorro (1940)

Thumbnail for The Naked City (1948)

The Naked City (1948)

Thumbnail for The Ox-Bow Incident (1943)

The Ox-Bow Incident (1943)

Thumbnail for The Razor's Edge (1946)

The Razor's Edge (1946)

Thumbnail for The Red Shoes (1948)

The Red Shoes (1948)

Thumbnail for The Rocking Horse Winner (1949)

The Rocking Horse Winner (1949)

Thumbnail for The Sea Hawk (1940)

The Sea Hawk (1940)

Thumbnail for The Search (1948)

The Search (1948)

Thumbnail for The Set-Up (1949)

The Set-Up (1949)

Thumbnail for The Silence of the Sea (1949)

The Silence of the Sea (1949)

Thumbnail for The Small Back Room (1949)

The Small Back Room (1949)

Thumbnail for The Southerner (1945)

The Southerner (1945)

Thumbnail for The Stranger (1946)

The Stranger (1946)

Thumbnail for The Third Man (1949)

The Third Man (1949)

Thumbnail for The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)

Thumbnail for The Westerner (1940)

The Westerner (1940)

Thumbnail for The Window (1949)

The Window (1949)

Thumbnail for The Wolf Man (1941)

The Wolf Man (1941)

Thumbnail for The Woman in the Window (1945)

The Woman in the Window (1945)

Thumbnail for The Yearling (1946)

The Yearling (1946)

Thumbnail for They Live by Night (1948)

They Live by Night (1948)

Thumbnail for Thieves' Highway (1949)

Thieves' Highway (1949)

Thumbnail for To Have and Have Not (1944)

To Have and Have Not (1944)

Thumbnail for Twelve O'Clock High (1949)

Twelve O'Clock High (1949)

Thumbnail for White Heat (1949)

White Heat (1949)