Dan Sallitt’s Favorite Films of the 1930s, by International Release Date

1939

  1. ONLY ANGELS HAVE WINGS (Howard Hawks, USA)
  2. THE RULES OF THE GAME (Jean Renoir, France)
  3. DRUMS ALONG THE MOHAWK (John Ford, USA)
  4. WHEN TOMORROW COMES (John Stahl, USA)
  5. THE SPY IN BLACK (Michael Powell, UK)
  6. LOVE AFFAIR (Leo McCarey, USA)
  7. NINOTCHKA (Ernst Lubitsch, USA)
  8. THE WHOLE FAMILY WORKS (Mikio Naruse, Japan)
  9. A NIGHT IN SEPTEMBER (Boris Barnet, USSR)
  10. STAGECOACH (John Ford, USA)
  11. EARTH (Tomu Uchida, Japan)
  12. FRONTIER MARSHAL (Allan Dwan, USA)
  13. MUD AND SOLDIERS (Tomotaka Tasaka, Japan)
  14. FIVE CAME BACK (John Farrow, USA)
  15. BEL AMI (Willi Forst, Germany)
  16. A BROTHER AND HIS YOUNGER SISTER (Yasujirô Shimazu, Japan)

MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON (Frank Capra, USA)
BACK DOOR TO HEAVEN (William K. Howard, USA)
FIFTH AVENUE GIRL (Gregory La Cava, USA)
BOEFJE (Douglas Sirk, Netherlands)

1938

  1. BRINGING UP BABY (Howard Hawks, USA)
  2. HOLIDAY (George Cukor, USA)
  3. THE LADY VANISHES (Alfred Hitchcock, UK)
  4. WERTHER (Max Ophuls, France)
  5. THREE COMRADES (Frank Borzage, USA)
  6. THE DRUM (Zoltan Korda, UK)
  7. SONG OF THE SCARLET FLOWER (Teuvo Tulio, Finland)
  8. SUBMARINE PATROL (John Ford, USA)
  9. FIVE SCOUTS (Tomotaka Tasaka, Japan)
  10. MARIE ANTOINETTE (W. S. Van Dyke, USA)
  11. SHANGHAI DRAMA (G.W. Pabst, France)
  12. TEST PILOT (Victor Fleming, USA)
  13. THE SHINING HOUR (Frank Borzage, USA)
  14. QUADRILLE (Sacha Guitry, France)
  15. LA BETE HUMAINE (Jean Renoir, France)
  16. THE DAWN PATROL (Edmund Goulding, USA)

SUEZ (Allan Dwan, USA)
TSURUHACHI AND TSURUJIRÔ (Mikio Naruse, Japan)

1937

  1. ANGEL (Ernst Lubitsch, USA)
  2. HISTORY IS MADE AT NIGHT (Frank Borzage, USA)
  3. MAKE WAY FOR TOMORROW (Leo McCarey, USA)
  4. HUMANITY AND PAPER BALLOONS (Sadao Yamanaka, Japan)
  5. THE AWFUL TRUTH (Leo McCarey, USA)
  6. EASY LIVING (Mitchell Leisen, USA)
  7. THE YOUNG (Shiro Toyoda, Japan)
  8. STAGE DOOR (Gregory La Cava, USA)
  9. GUEULE D’AMOUR (Jean Gremillon, France)
  10. YOUNG AND INNOCENT (Alfred Hitchcock, UK)
  11. GRAND ILLUSION (Jean Renoir, France)
  12. WEE WILLIE WINKIE (John Ford, USA)
  13. GREEN FIELDS (Edgar G. Ulmer and Jacob Ben-Ami, USA)
  14. VIRGINITY (Otakar Vavra, Czechoslovakia)
  15. THE THIRTEEN (Mikhail Romm, USSR)
  16. SLAVE SHIP (Tay Garnett, USA)
  17. SOMETHING TO SING ABOUT (Victor Schertzinger, USA)
  18. A STAR IS BORN (William Wellman, USA)

1936

  1. REMBRANDT (Alexander Korda, UK)
  2. MY MAN GODFREY (Gregory La Cava, USA)
  3. COME AND GET IT (Howard Hawks and William Wyler, USA)
  4. SABOTAGE (Alfred Hitchcock, UK)
  5. THE ROAD TO GLORY (Howard Hawks, USA)
  6. CAMILLE (George Cukor, USA)
  7. CEILING ZERO (Howard Hawks, USA)
  8. THE CRIME OF MONSIEUR LANGE (Jean Renoir, France)
  9. BURGTHEATER (Willi Forst, Austria)
  10. STORY OF A CHEAT (Sacha Guitry, France)
  11. SÔSHUN KÔCHIYAMA (Sadao Yamanaka, Japan)
  12. MORNING’S TREE-LINED STREET (Mikio Naruse, Japan)
  13. A DAY IN THE COUNTRY (Jean Renoir, France)
  14. ROMEO AND JULIET (George Cukor, USA)
  15. FAISONS UN REVE (Sacha Guitry, France)
  16. THE MILKY WAY (Leo McCarey, USA)
  17. SECRET AGENT (Alfred Hitchcock, UK)
  18. THE TEXAS RANGERS (King Vidor, USA)
  19. MARY OF SCOTLAND (John Ford, USA)
  20. SCHLUSSAKKORD (Douglas Sirk, Germany)
  21. BY THE BLUEST OF SEAS (Boris Barnet, USSR)
  22. MON PÈRE AVAIT RAISON (Sacha Guitry, France)
  23. THE PLAINSMAN (Cecil B. DeMille, USA)
  24. CESAR (Marcel Pagnol, France)
  25. FURY (Fritz Lang, USA)

SUTTER’S GOLD (James Cruze, USA)

1935

  1. RUGGLES OF RED GAP (Leo McCarey, USA)
  2. THE GIRL IN THE RUMOR (Mikio Naruse, Japan)
  3. SYLVIA SCARLETT (George Cukor, USA)
  4. THE DEVIL IS A WOMAN (Josef von Sternberg, USA)
  5. A POT WORTH A MILLION RYO (Sadao Yamanaka, Japan)
  6. THE WEDDING NIGHT (King Vidor, USA)
  7. THE GOOD FAIRY (William Wyler, USA)
  8. THE GIRL FROM THE MARSH CROFT (Douglas Sirk, Germany)
  9. RECKLESS (Victor Fleming, USA)
  10. LIVES OF A BENGAL LANCER (Henry Hathaway, USA)
  11. THE 39 STEPS (Alfred Hitchcock, UK)
  12. WIFE! BE LIKE A ROSE! (Mikio Naruse, Japan)
  13. DIVINE (Max Ophuls, France)
  14. THREE SISTERS WITH MAIDEN HEARTS (Mikio Naruse, Japan)
  15. TONI (Jean Renoir, France)
  16. MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION (John M. Stahl, USA)
  17. HANDS ACROSS THE TABLE (Mitchell Leisen, USA)
  18. SO RED THE ROSE (King Vidor, USA)
  19. SHE MARRIED HER BOSS (Gregory La Cava, USA)
  20. THE FARMER TAKES A WIFE (Victor Fleming, USA)
  21. BONNE CHANCE (Sacha Guitry, France)
  22. MARY BURNS, FUGITIVE (William K. Howard, USA)
  23. THE HIGHWAY (Sun Yu, China)
  24. THE PHANTOM LIGHT (Michael Powell, UK)
  25. PRIVATE WORLDS (Gregory La Cava, USA)
  26. LA KERMESSE HEROIQUE (Jacques Feyder, France)
  27. APRIL, APRIL! (Douglas Sirk, Germany)
  28. A SEVERE YOUNG MAN (Abram Room, USSR)
  29. STEAMBOAT ROUND THE BEND (John Ford, USA)
  30. ANNIE OAKLEY (George Stevens, USA)

MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY (Frank Lloyd, USA)
ALICE ADAMS (George Stevens, USA)

1934

  1. TWENTIETH CENTURY (Howard Hawks, USA)
  2. LA SIGNORA DI TUTTI (Max Ophuls, Italy)
  3. LITTLE MAN, WHAT NOW? (Frank Borzage, USA)
  4. MASKERADE (Willi Forst, Austria)
  5. ONE MORE RIVER (James Whale, USA)
  6. LE GRAND JEU (Jacques Feyder, France)
  7. A STORY OF FLOATING WEEDS (Yasujiro Ozu, Japan)
  8. IMITATION OF LIFE (John Stahl, USA)
  9. IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (Frank Capra, USA)
  10. THE THIN MAN (W. S. Van Dyke, USA)
  11. A MODERN HERO (G. W. Pabst, USA)
  12. THE MERRY WIDOW (Ernst Lubitsch, USA)
  13. STREET WITHOUT END (Mikio Naruse, Japan)
  14. QUEEN OF SPORTS (Sun Yu, China)
  15. AMOK (Fyodor Otsep, France)
  16. L’ATALANTE (Jean Vigo, France)
  17. LE ROI DES CHAMPS-ELYSEES (Max Nosseck, France)
  18. DAVID HARUM (James Cruze, USA)

THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (Alfred Hitchcock, UK)
MANHATTAN MELODRAMA (W. S. Van Dyke, USA)

1933

  1. THE TESTAMENT OF DR. MABUSE (Fritz Lang, Germany)
  2. POLICEMAN (Tomu Uchida, Japan)
  3. THE PRIVATE LIFE OF HENRY VIII (Alexander Korda, UK)
  4. LIEBELEI (Max Ophuls, Germany)
  5. OKRAINA (Boris Barnet, USSR)
  6. DON QUIXOTE (G. W. Pabst, France/UK)
  7. MORNING GLORY (Lowell Sherman, USA)
  8. NIGHTLY DREAMS (Mikio Naruse, Japan)
  9. ONLY YESTERDAY (John Stahl, USA)
  10. LA MATERNELLE (Jean Benoit-Levy, France)
  11. GALLANT LADY (Gregory La Cava, USA)
  12. DESIGN FOR LIVING (Ernst Lubitsch, USA)
  13. JOFROI (Marcel Pagnol, France)
  14. BLOOD MONEY (Rowland Brown, USA)
  15. HIS DOUBLE LIFE (Arthur Hopkins, USA)
  16. HER FIRST MATE (William Wyler, USA)
  17. PILGRIMAGE (John Ford, USA)
  18. THE STRANGER’S RETURN (King Vidor, USA)
  19. APART FROM YOU (Mikio Naruse, Japan)
  20. DOUBLE HARNESS (John Cromwell, USA)
  21. DON’T BET ON LOVE (Murray Roth, USA)
  22. UNFINISHED SYMPHONY (German-language version) (Willi Forst, Austria/Germany)
  23. REUNION IN VIENNA (Sidney Franklin, USA)

I COVER THE WATERFRONT (James Cruze, USA)
ZERO DE CONDUITE (Jean Vigo, France)
THE PRIZEFIGHTER AND THE LADY (W. S. Van Dyke, USA)
THE COCKTAIL HOUR (Victor Schertzinger, USA)
BROADWAY THROUGH A KEYHOLE (Lowell Sherman, USA)
TODAY WE LIVE (Howard Hawks, USA)
THE WATER MAGICIAN (Kenji Mizoguchi, Japan)
THE DANCING GIRL OF IZU (Heinosuke Gosho, Japan)

1932

  1. SHANGHAI EXPRESS (Josef von Sternberg, USA)
  2. I WAS BORN, BUT… (Yasujiro Ozu, Japan)
  3. A FAREWELL TO ARMS (Frank Borzage, USA)
  4. BACK STREET (John Stahl, USA)
  5. FALSE FACES (Lowell Sherman, USA)
  6. TROUBLE IN PARADISE (Ernst Lubitsch, USA)
  7. SCARFACE (Howard Hawks, USA)
  8. THE OLD DARK HOUSE (James Whale, USA)
  9. FORBIDDEN (Frank Capra, USA)
  10. MARIE, A HUNGARIAN LEGEND (Pal Fejos, Hungary)
  11. LA NUIT DU CARREFOUR (Jean Renoir, France)
  12. BLONDE VENUS (Josef von Sternberg, USA)
  13. TIGER SHARK (Howard Hawks, USA)
  14. HELL’S HIGHWAY (Rowland Brown, USA)
  15. WHERE NOW ARE THE DREAMS OF YOUTH? (Yasujiro Ozu, Japan)
  16. RED DUST (Victor Fleming, USA)
  17. AIR MAIL (John Ford, USA)
  18. THE CROWD ROARS (Howard Hawks, USA)
  19. AFTER TOMORROW (Frank Borzage, USA)
  20. SERVICE FOR LADIES (Alexander Korda, UK)
  21. BOUDU SAUVE DES EAUX (Jean Renoir, France)
  22. THE GREEKS HAD A WORD FOR THEM (Lowell Sherman, USA)
  23. THE IMPATIENT MAIDEN (James Whale, USA)
  24. L’ATLANTIDE (G. W. Pabst, Germany)
  25. MOVIE CRAZY (Clyde Bruckman, USA)
  26. RAIN (Lewis Milestone, USA)
  27. ONE HOUR WITH YOU (Ernst Lubitsch and George Cukor, USA)
  28. A BLONDE DREAM (Paul Martin, Germany)
  29. LADIES OF THE JURY (Lowell Sherman, USA)
  30. WEDDING REHEARSAL (Alexander Korda, UK)

THE MAN I KILLED (Ernst Lubitsch, USA)

1931

  1. AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY (Josef von Sternberg, USA)
  2. LA CHIENNE (Jean Renoir, France)
  3. M (Fritz Lang, Germany)
  4. KAMARADSCHAFT (G. W. Pabst, Germany)
  5. DIRIGIBLE (Frank Capra, USA)
  6. THE MIRACLE WOMAN (Frank Capra, USA)
  7. THE CHAMP (King Vidor, USA)
  8. THE MURDERER DMITRI KARAMAZOV (Fyodor Otsep, Germany)
  9. THE THREEPENNY OPERA (G. W. Pabst, Germany)
  10. QUICK MILLIONS (Rowland Brown, USA)
  11. WATERLOO BRIDGE (James Whale, USA)
  12. SEED (John Stahl, USA)
  13. MARIUS (Alexander Korda, France)
  14. THE FRONT PAGE (Lewis Milestone, USA)
  15. LITTLE CAESAR (Mervyn LeRoy, USA)
  16. CORSAIR (Roland West, USA)
  17. HIGH STAKES (Lowell Sherman, USA)
  18. TOKYO CHORUS (Yasujiro Ozu, Japan)
  19. PARLOR, BEDROOM AND BATH (Edward Sedgwick, USA)
  20. FRANKENSTEIN (James Whale, USA)
  21. TARNISHED LADY (George Cukor, USA)
  22. PLATINUM BLONDE (Frank Capra, USA)
  23. BACHELOR APARTMENT (Lowell Sherman, USA)
  24. THE STRUGGLE (D. W. Griffith, USA)
  25. TABU (F. W. Murnau, USA)
  26. BERLIN-ALEXANDERPLATZ (Piel Jutzi, Germany)
  27. THE ROYAL BED (Lowell Sherman, USA)
  28. FRIENDS AND LOVERS (Victor Schertzinger, USA)

RICH AND STRANGE (Alfred Hitchcock, UK)
JIROKICHI THE RAT (Daisuke Ito, Japan)
THE SMILING LIEUTENANT (Ernst Lubitsch, USA)
DISHONORED (Josef von Sternberg, USA)
PRIVATE LIVES (Sidney Franklin, USA)
GIRLS ABOUT TOWN (George Cukor, USA)
LIMITE (Mario Peixoto, Brazil)

1930

  1. MOROCCO (Josef von Sternberg, USA)
  2. MONTE CARLO (Ernst Lubitsch, USA)
  3. WESTFRONT 1918 (G. W. Pabst, Germany)
  4. THE ROYAL FAMILY OF BROADWAY (George Cukor and Cyril Gardner, USA)
  5. THE GHOST THAT DOES NOT RETURN (Abram Room, USSR)
  6. THE BIG TRAIL (Raoul Walsh, USA)
  7. PART TIME WIFE (Leo McCarey, USA)
  8. CITY GIRL (F. W. Murnau, USA)
  9. ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT (Lewis Milestone, USA)
  10. MURDER (Alfred Hitchcock, UK)
  11. THE DAWN PATROL (Howard Hawks, USA)
  12. LADIES OF LEISURE (Frank Capra, USA)
  13. ANNA CHRISTIE (Clarence Brown, USA)
  14. BORDERLINE (Kenneth Macpherson, UK)
  15. JOURNEY’S END (James Whale, UK/USA)
  16. LA PETITE LISE (Jean Gremillon, France)
  17. HER MAN (Tay Garnett, USA)
  18. FEET FIRST (Clyde Bruckman, USA)

L’AGE D’OR (Luis Bunuel, France)