1940s

The 1940s can be divided between the pre-War and post-War eras. The second World War brought death and tragedy with it. For Hollywood, the second half of the decade was a chance to return to normal. Many of the studios had joined the war effort, making propaganda films or selling war bonds. Some of the stars of the age even joined the fight.

Here are a handful of the Hollywood names who served during the second World War:

James Arness – Harry Belafonte – Ernest Borgnine – Mel Brooks – Douglas Fairbanks Jr. – Henry Ford – Don Knotts

Lee Marvin – Glenn Miller – Audie Murphy – Sidney Poitier – Jimmy Stewart – Peter Ustinov

The post-War years were very productive for Hollywood as they sought to bring a people back to theaters for something other than the newsreels. Once again movies could be a happy distraction for people. Surprisingly, this was also a time when a number of war films were made, relatively soon after the conflict.

The 1940s were an eventful decade with some wonderful movies made despite the World War. Here are the movies I’ve reviewed:

The Philadelphia Story (1940) – Nominated for six Oscars, winning two, including Best Actor for Jimmy Stewart
The Grapes of Wrath (1940) – Nominated for seven Oscars, winning two, including Best Director for John Ford
Rebecca (1940) – Nominated for 11 Oscars, winning for Best Cinematography (B&W) and Best Picture
His Girl Friday (1940)
How Green Was My Valley (1941) – Nominated for 10 Academy Awards, winning five, including Best Picture and Best Director
The Maltese Falcon (1941) – Nominated for 3 Oscars, including Best Picture
Pot O’ Gold (1941)
Sullivan’s Travels (1941)
Suspicion (1941) – Nominated for 3 Oscars, winning Best Actress
Sergeant York (1941) – Nominated for 11 Oscars, winning Best Actor and Best Film Editing
Mr. and Mrs. Smith (1941)
Citizen Kane (1941) – Nominated for nine Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director, winning one for Best Screenplay
Dr. Broadway (1942)
Mrs. Miniver (1942) – Winner of six Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay
Casablanca (1942) – Nominated for eight Academy Awards, winning for Best Picture and Best Director
The Pride of the Yankees (1942) – Nominated for eleven Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress and Best Actor
The Palm Beach Story (1942)
Holiday Inn (1942) – Nominated for 3 Oscars, winning for Best Original Song
Yankee Doodle Dandy (1943) – Nominated for eight Oscars, winning three, including Best Actor
The Ox-Bow Incident (1943) – Nominated for Best Picture
Going My Way (1944) – Nominated for ten Oscars, winning seven, including Best Picture and Best Director
Double Indemnity (1944) – Nominated for seven Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director
Ministry of Fear (1944)
Gaslight (1944) – Nominated for seven Oscars, winning Best Actress and Best Production Design
Mildred Pierce (1945) – Nominated for six Oscars, including Best Picture. Won Best Actress for Joan Crawford
The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945) – Nominated for eight Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director
The Lost Weekend (1945) – Won four Oscars out of seven nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor
Rome, Open City (1945) – Nominated for Best Writing, Screenplay
It’s A Wonderful Life (1946) – Nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor
My Darling Clementine (1946)
The Yearling (1946) – Nominated for 7 Oscars, winning Best Cinematography and Best Production Design
The Big Sleep (1946)
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) – Won seven Academy Awards out of eight nominations, including Best Picture
Magic Town (1947)
The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947) – Won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay
Deep Valley (1947)
Brute Force (1947)
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947) – Nominated for Best Cinematography.
Gentleman’s Agreement (1947) – Won three Oscars out of eight nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director
Miracle on 34th Street (1947) – Won one Academy Award out of four nominations
Anna Karenina (1948)
Key Largo (1948) – Won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress
Call Northside 777 (1948)
Red River (1948) – Oscar nominated for Best Writing and Best Film Editing
Rope (1948)
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) – Nominated for four Academy Awards, winning Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Adapted Screenplay
You Gotta Stay Happy (1948)
The Bicycle Thief (1948) – Won an honorary Oscar for the most outstanding foreign language film during 1949
The Stratton Story (1949) – Won an Oscar for Best Writing
Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) – Won an Oscar for Best Cinematography, Color
Twelve O’Clock High (1949) – Nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director
Take Me Out to the Ball Game (1949)
All the King’s Men (1949) – Won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Supporting Actress
Flaxy Martin (1949)
Battleground (1949) – Nominated for six Oscars, winning Best Original Screenplay and Best Cinematography (B&W)
The Third Man (1949) – Won an Academy Award for Best Cinematography, Black and White