Dan Sallitt’s Favorite Films of the 1940s, by International Release Date

1949

  1. THE RECKLESS MOMENT (Max Ophuls, USA)
  2. SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON (John Ford, USA)
  3. THE SMALL BACK ROOM (Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, UK)
  4. ONLY A MOTHER (Alf Sjoberg, Sweden)
  5. LATE SPRING (Yasujiro Ozu, Japan)
  6. I WAS A MALE WAR BRIDE (Howard Hawks, USA)
  7. THE SPIDER AND THE FLY (Robert Hamer, UK)
  8. RENDEZ-VOUS DE JUILLET (Jacques Becker, France)
  9. CAUGHT (Max Ophuls, USA)
  10. WHITE HEAT (Raoul Walsh, USA)
  11. THE BIG STEAL (Don Siegel, USA)
  12. SANDS OF IWO JIMA (Allan Dwan, USA)
  13. LE SANG DES BÊTES (Georges Franju, France)
  14. WHISKY GALORE (Alexander Mackendrick, UK)
  15. EASY LIVING (Jacques Tourneur, USA)
  16. WHIRLPOOL (Otto Preminger, USA)
  17. ALIAS NICK BEAL (John Farrow, USA)
  18. THE FILE ON THELMA JORDON (Robert Siodmak, USA)
  19. KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS (Robert Hamer, UK)
  20. PATTES BLANCHES (Jean Gremillon, France)
  21. LE SILENCE DE LA MER (Jean-Pierre Melville, France)
  22. SHOCKPROOF (Douglas Sirk, USA)
  23. THE MAN ON THE EIFFEL TOWER (Burgess Meredith, USA)
  24. TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME (Busby Berkeley, USA)
  25. MANON (Henri-Georges Clouzot, France)
  26. CRISS CROSS (Robert Siodmak, USA)
  27. THE UNDERCOVER MAN (Joseph H. Lewis, USA)

THE FOUNTAINHEAD (King Vidor, USA)
THE FORBIDDEN STREET (Jean Negulesco, USA)
DOWN TO THE SEA IN SHIPS (Henry Hathaway, USA)

1948

  1. FORT APACHE (John Ford, USA)
  2. GOOD SAM (Leo McCarey, USA)
  3. PITFALL (Andre de Toth, USA)
  4. LETTER FROM AN UNKNOWN WOMAN (Max Ophuls, USA)
  5. THEY LIVE BY NIGHT (Nicholas Ray, USA)
  6. SLEEP MY LOVE (Douglas Sirk, USA)
  7. LES DERNIÈRES VACANCES (Roger Leenhardt, France)
  8. RED RIVER (Howard Hawks, USA)
  9. RAW DEAL (Anthony Mann, USA)
  10. THREE GODFATHERS (John Ford, USA)
  11. THE TRIAL (G. W. Pabst, West Germany)
  12. MACBETH (90-minute version) (Orson Welles, USA)
  13. THE RED SHOES (Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, UK)
  14. PAGES OF LIFE (Boris Barnet, USSR)
  15. CRY OF THE CITY (Robert Siodmak, USA)
  16. GERMANY YEAR ZERO (Roberto Rossellini, Italy)
  17. THE BIG CLOCK (John Farrow, USA)
  18. THE WALLS OF JERICHO (John Stahl, USA)
  19. EASTER PARADE (Charles Walters, USA)
  20. TEMPTATION (Kôzaburô Yoshimura, Japan)
  21. ROSENDA (Julio Bracho, Mexico)
  22. HE WALKED BY NIGHT (Alfred L. Werker and Anthony Mann, USA)

OLIVER TWIST (David Lean, UK)

1947

  1. DAISY KENYON (Otto Preminger, USA)
  2. BLACK NARCISSUS (Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, UK)
  3. ANTOINE AND ANTOINETTE (Jacques Becker, France)
  4. THE PRIVATE AFFAIRS OF BEL AMI (Albert Lewin, USA)
  5. GOOD NEWS (Charles Walters, USA)
  6. THE PARADINE CASE (Alfred Hitchcock, USA)
  7. SPRING’S AWAKENING (Mikio Naruse, Japan)
  8. IT ALWAYS RAINS ON SUNDAY (Robert Hamer, UK)
  9. THE SCOUT’S EXPLOIT (Boris Barnet, USSR)
  10. THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI (Orson Welles, USA)
  11. DRIFTWOOD (Allan Dwan, USA)
  12. GENTE DEL PO (Michelangelo Antonioni, Italy)
  13. THE MACOMBER AFFAIR (Zoltan Korda, USA)
  14. THAT’S MY MAN (Frank Borzage, USA)
  15. LE SILENCE EST D’OR (Rene Clair, France/USA)
  16. THE SIN OF HAROLD DIDDLEBOCK (Preston Sturges, USA)
  17. QUAI DES ORFEVRES (Henri-Georges Clouzot, France)
  18. LIVING IN A BIG WAY (Gregory La Cava, USA)

1946

  1. NOTORIOUS (Alfred Hitchcock, USA)
  2. MY DARLING CLEMENTINE (John Ford, USA)
  3. CLUNY BROWN (Ernst Lubitsch, USA)
  4. IRIS AND THE LIEUTENANT (Alf Sjoberg, Sweden)
  5. THE BIG SLEEP (Howard Hawks, USA)
  6. DIARY OF A CHAMBERMAID (Jean Renoir, USA)
  7. PAISA (Roberto Rossellini, Italy)
  8. CANYON PASSAGE (Jacques Tourneur, USA)
  9. HUMORESQUE (Jean Negulesco, USA)
  10. I’VE ALWAYS LOVED YOU (Frank Borzage, USA)
  11. THAT BRENNAN GIRL (Alfred Santell, USA)
  12. LA BATAILLE DU RAIL (Rene Clement, France)
  13. THE STRANGER (Orson Welles, USA)
  14. TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST (John Farrow, USA)
  15. CALCUTTA (John Farrow, USA)
  16. HER SISTER’S SECRET (Edgar G. Ulmer, USA)
  17. THE DARK CORNER (Henry Hathaway, USA)

THE STRANGE LOVE OF MARTHA IVERS (Lewis Milestone, USA)

1945

  1. THE CLOCK (Vincente Minnelli, USA)
  2. FALBALAS (Jacques Becker, France)
  3. LES DAMES DU BOIS DE BOULOGNE (Robert Bresson, France)
  4. LEAVE HER TO HEAVEN (John Stahl, USA)
  5. THEY WERE EXPENDABLE (John Ford, USA)
  6. I KNOW WHERE I’M GOING! (Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, UK)
  7. A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN (Elia Kazan, USA)
  8. MY NAME IS JULIA ROSS (Joseph H. Lewis, USA)
  9. FALLEN ANGEL (Otto Preminger, USA)
  10. VIA MALA (Josef von Baky, Germany)
  11. YOU CAME ALONG (John Farrow, USA)
  12. HANGOVER SQUARE (John Brahm, USA)
  13. THE BODY SNATCHER (Robert Wise, USA)
  14. ROME, OPEN CITY (Roberto Rossellini, Italy)
  15. CONFIDENTIAL AGENT (Herman Shumlin, USA)
  16. PERFECT STRANGERS (Alexander Korda, UK)
  17. THE BELLS OF ST. MARY’S (Leo McCarey, USA)
  18. A WALK IN THE SUN (Lewis Milestone, USA)
  19. DETOUR (Edgar G. Ulmer, USA)
  20. TWO PEOPLE (Carl Dreyer, Sweden)

PINK STRING AND SEALING WAX (Robert Hamer, UK)

1944

  1. TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT (Howard Hawks, USA)
  2. LIFEBOAT (Alfred Hitchcock, USA)
  3. THE MASK OF DIMITRIOS (Jean Negulesco, USA)
  4. MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS (Vincente Minnelli, USA)
  5. HOME IN INDIANA (Henry Hathaway, USA)
  6. THE GREAT MOMENT (Preston Sturges, USA)
  7. SUMMER STORM (Douglas Sirk, USA)
  8. GOING MY WAY (Leo McCarey, USA)
  9. HENRY V (Laurence Olivier, UK)
  10. HAIL THE CONQUERING HERO (Preston Sturges, USA)
  11. A CANTERBURY TALE (Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, UK)
  12. UNCERTAIN GLORY (Raoul Walsh, USA)
  13. ON APPROVAL (Clive Brook, UK)
  14. THE WAY YOU WANTED ME (Teuvo Tulio, Finland)
  15. MUSASHI MIYAMOTO (Kenji Mizoguchi, Japan)
  16. THE FIGHTING SEABEES (Edward Ludwig, USA)

THIS HAPPY LIFE (Mikio Naruse, Japan)
TILL WE MEET AGAIN (Frank Borzage, USA)
THE EVE OF ST. MARK (John M. Stahl, USA)
TORMENT (Alf Sjoberg, Sweden)

1943

  1. I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE (Jacques Tourneur, USA)
  2. THE MIRACLE OF MORGAN’S CREEK (Preston Sturges, USA)
  3. HOLY MATRIMONY (John Stahl, USA)
  4. AIR FORCE (Howard Hawks, USA)
  5. LE CORBEAU (Henri-Georges Clouzot, France)
  6. MUNCHHAUSEN (Josef von Baky, Germany)
  7. DAY OF WRATH (Carl Dreyer, Denmark)
  8. MEN OF NOVGOROD (Boris Barnet, USSR)
  9. BATAAN (Tay Garnett, USA)
  10. THE GHOST SHIP (Mark Robson, USA)
  11. FIRES WERE STARTED (Humphrey Jennings, UK)
  12. THE HUMAN COMEDY (Clarence Brown, USA)

ANOTHER DAWN (Julio Bracho, Mexico)
LES ANGES DU PÉCHÉ (Robert Bresson, France)
THE LIFE AND DEATH OF COLONEL BLIMP (Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, UK)
THE OUTLAW (Howard Hughes and Howard Hawks, USA)
HEAVEN CAN WAIT (Ernst Lubitsch, USA)
THE LEOPARD MAN (Jacques Tourneur, USA)
HIS BUTLER’S SISTER (Frank Borzage, USA)
ROMANCE IN A MINOR KEY (Helmut Kautner, Germany)

1942

  1. GENTLEMAN JIM (Raoul Walsh, USA)
  2. THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS (Orson Welles, USA)
  3. TO BE OR NOT TO BE (Ernst Lubitsch, USA)
  4. CAT PEOPLE (Jacques Tourneur, USA)
  5. MASHENKA (Yuli Raizman, USSR)
  6. LADY IN A JAM (Gregory La Cava, USA)
  7. THE PALM BEACH STORY (Preston Sturges, USA)
  8. THE MOON AND SIXPENCE (Albert Lewin, USA)
  9. LISTEN TO BRITAIN (Humphrey Jennings, UK)
  10. ONCE UPON A HONEYMOON (Leo McCarey, USA)
  11. SABOTEUR (Alfred Hitchcock, USA)

STORY OF A GREAT LOVE (Julio Bracho, Mexico)
SEVEN SWEETHEARTS (Frank Borzage, USA)
NOW, VOYAGER (Irving Rapper, USA)

1941

  1. UNFINISHED BUSINESS (Gregory La Cava, USA)
  2. CITIZEN KANE (Orson Welles, USA)
  3. FORTY-NINTH PARALLEL (Michael Powell, UK)
  4. THE SHANGHAI GESTURE (Josef von Sternberg, USA)
  5. THE OLD JOCKEY (Boris Barnet, USSR)
  6. A WOMAN’S FACE (George Cukor, USA)
  7. TOBACCO ROAD (John Ford, USA)
  8. HIDEKO THE BUS CONDUCTOR (Mikio Naruse, Japan)
  9. THE LADY EVE (Preston Sturges, USA)
  10. H. M. PULHAM, ESQ. (King Vidor, USA)
  11. THE 47 RONIN (Kenji Mizoguchi, Japan)
  12. WORDS FOR BATTLE (Humphrey Jennings, UK)
  13. A FOND FACE FROM THE PAST (Mikio Naruse, Japan)
  14. BROTHERS AND SISTERS OF THE TODA FAMILY (Yasujiro Ozu, Japan)
  15. SULLIVAN’S TRAVELS (Preston Sturges, USA)
  16. BALL OF FIRE (Howard Hawks, USA)
  17. THAT UNCERTAIN FEELING (Ernst Lubitsch, USA)
  18. THAT HAMILTON WOMAN (Alexander Korda, UK)
  19. THEY DIED WITH THEIR BOOTS ON (Raoul Walsh, USA)
  20. SUSPICION (Alfred Hitchcock, USA)

SWAMP WATER (Jean Renoir, 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 GREAT MCGINTY (Preston Sturges, USA)
  6. THE MORTAL STORM (Frank Borzage, USA)
  7. TRAVELING ACTORS (Mikio Naruse, Japan)
  8. OPERETTA (Willi Forst, Austria/Germany)
  9. FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT (Alfred Hitchcock, USA)
  10. SPRING ON THE ISLANDS (Shiro Toyoda, Japan)
  11. THE PHILADELPHIA STORY (George Cukor, USA)
  12. FLIGHT COMMAND (Frank Borzage, USA)

THE MARK OF ZORRO (Rouben Mamoulian, USA)
THE GRAPES OF WRATH (John Ford, USA)