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1940 Movies

Take a nostalgic look back at the top movies of 1940, celebrating the films, directors and actors that defined the year and left a lasting legacy in the world of entertainment.

1940 Academy Awards

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The Great Dictator
Written by: Charles Chaplin
Directed by: Charles Chaplin
Starring: Charles Chaplin, Paulette Goddard, Jack Oakie, Henry Daniell, Reginald Gardiner, Billy Gilbert, Maurice Moscovich
Country: United States of America
Outline: A Jewish barber, after serving in World War I, returns to his neighborhood unaware of the rise of a fascist dictator who bears his resemblance. The barber becomes involved in a rebellion against the dictator's oppressive regime.
source: imdb.com
Rebecca
Written by: Robert E. Sherwood, Joan Harrison
Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
Starring: Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine, Judith Anderson, George Sanders, Reginald Denny, Gladys Cooper, C. Aubrey Smith
Country: United States of America
Outline: A young woman becomes the second wife of a wealthy widower, only to find herself haunted by the memory of his first wife, Rebecca, whose presence looms over their lives.
source: imdb.com
The Philadelphia Story
Written by: Donald Ogden Stewart
Directed by: George Cukor
Starring: Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, James Stewart, Ruth Hussey, John Howard, Roland Young, Mary Nash, Henry Daniell, John Halliday, Leo G. Carroll
Country: United States of America
Outline: A wealthy socialite's wedding plans are complicated when her ex-husband and a tabloid magazine reporter arrive just before the ceremony.
source: imdb.com
Boom Town
Written by: John Lee Mahin, James Edward Grant
Directed by: Jack Conway
Starring: Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy, Claudette Colbert, Hedy Lamarr, Frank Morgan, Lionel Atwill, Leonid Kinskey, Edgar Buchanan, Charles Bickford, Charles Middleton
Country: United States of America
Outline: Two friends strike it rich in the oil business, but their friendship is tested by love and ambition.
source: imdb.com
Strike Up the Band
Written by: John Monks Jr., Fred Finklehoffe
Directed by: Busby Berkeley
Starring: Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland, Paul Whiteman, June Preisser, Harlan Briggs
Country: United States of America
Outline: A high school boy aspires to become a professional musician, and his friend aims to be his leading lady. Together, they organize big band shows with classmates, hoping to achieve success.
source: imdb.com
Kitty Foyle
Written by: Dalton Trumbo, John B. Hymer
Directed by: Sam Wood
Starring: Ginger Rogers, Dennis Morgan, James Craig, Eduardo Ciannelli, Edmund Gwenn, Gladys Cooper, Reginald Owen, Henry Travers, Mary Philips, Leon Ames
Country: United States of America
Outline: A young woman from a working-class background falls in love with a wealthy man, leading to a complex love triangle.
source: imdb.com
The Fighting 69th
Written by: Norman Reilly Raine, Fred Niblo Jr., Dean Riesner
Directed by: William Keighley
Starring: James Cagney, Pat O'Brien, George Brent, Dennis Morgan, Alan Hale Sr.
Country: United States of America
Outline: The film portrays the experiences of the 69th Infantry Regiment during World War I, focusing on the transformation of Private Jerry Plunkett from a brash individual to a courageous soldier.
source: imdb.com
Andy Hardy Meets Debutante
Written by: Katherine Albert, Dale Van Every
Directed by: George B. Seitz
Starring: Mickey Rooney, Lewis Stone, Cecilia Parker, Fay Holden, Ann Rutherford
Country: United States of America
Outline: Andy Hardy returns home from college and finds himself entangled in romantic complications when he meets a sophisticated debutante, leading to humorous and heartfelt situations.
source: imdb.com
Santa Fe Trail
Written by: Robert Buckner
Directed by: Michael Curtiz
Starring: Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Ronald Reagan, Raymond Massey, Van Heflin
Country: United States of America
Outline: The film dramatizes the events leading up to the American Civil War, focusing on the experiences of soldiers and civilians along the Santa Fe Trail.
source: imdb.com
The Shop Around the Corner
Written by: Samson Raphaelson
Directed by: Ernst Lubitsch
Starring: James Stewart, Margaret Sullavan, Frank Morgan, Sara Haden, Felix Bressart
Country: United States of America
Outline: Two employees at a gift shop in Budapest develop a contentious relationship at work, unaware that they are secret pen pals in love with each other.
source: imdb.com
The Grapes of Wrath
Written by: Nunnally Johnson
Directed by: John Ford
Starring: Henry Fonda, Jane Darwell, John Carradine, Charley Grapewin, Dorris Bowdon
Country: United States of America
Outline: The Joad family, displaced by the Dust Bowl, migrates to California in search of a better life, facing numerous hardships along the way.
source: en.wikipedia.org
His Girl Friday
Written by: Charles Lederer, Ben Hecht
Directed by: Howard Hawks
Starring: Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell, Ralph Bellamy, Gene Lockhart, Porter Hall
Country: United States of America
Outline: A newspaper editor uses every trick in the book to keep his ace reporter ex-wife from remarrying, leading to comedic situations.
source: imdb.com
The Mortal Storm
Written by: F. Hugh Herbert, Jerome Cady
Directed by: Frank Borzage
Starring: Margaret Sullavan, James Stewart, Robert Young, Frank Morgan, Maria Ouspenskaya
Country: United States of America
Outline: A German family is torn apart by the rise of Nazism, leading to personal and political conflicts.
source: imdb.com
Waterloo Bridge
Written by: S. K. Lauren, Benn Levy
Directed by: Mervyn LeRoy
Starring: Vivien Leigh, Robert Taylor, Lucile Watson, Maria Ouspenskaya, Edmund Gwenn
Country: United States of America
Outline: A ballerina falls in love with a soldier during World War I, leading to a tragic and poignant romance.
source: imdb.com
The Sea Hawk
Written by: Howard Koch, Seton I. Miller
Directed by: Michael Curtiz
Starring: Errol Flynn, Brenda Marshall, Claude Rains
Country: United States of America
Outline: Geoffrey Thorpe, a British privateer, is hired by Queen Elizabeth I to disrupt the Spanish Armada. He surprises the Armada with attacks on their galleons, showcasing his swordsmanship.
source: imdb.com
Charlie Chan in Panama
Written by: John L. Balderston, Robert Ellis, Helen Logan
Directed by: Norman Foster
Starring: Sidney Toler, Sen Yung, Lionel Atwill
Country: United States of America
Outline: Detective Charlie Chan investigates the murder of a man who was about to testify against a spy ring. The film is set in Panama and involves espionage and intrigue.
source: imdb.com
The Letter
Written by: W. Somerset Maugham, Howard Koch
Directed by: William Wyler
Starring: Bette Davis, Herbert Marshall, James Stephenson
Country: United States of America
Outline: A woman is accused of murdering her lover and claims self-defense, but the discovery of a letter complicates the case. The film delves into themes of guilt, betrayal, and justice.
source: imdb.com
Ein Robinson
Written by: Arnold Fanck, Rolf Meyer
Directed by: Arnold Fanck
Starring: Herbert A.E. Böhme, Marieluise Claudius, Claus Clausen
Country: Germany
Outline: A sailor returns to Chile after World War I and lives a solitary life until he hears promising news about a new government in Germany. The film explores themes of isolation and hope.
source: imdb.com
All This, and Heaven Too
Written by: Casey Robinson
Directed by: Anatole Litvak
Starring: Bette Davis, Charles Boyer, Barbara O'Neil
Country: United States of America
Outline: In 19th-century France, governess Henriette Deluzy-Desportes becomes entangled in a tragic scandal involving her employer, the Duc de Praslin, and his wife. The film explores themes of love, betrayal, and societal expectations.
source: imdb.com
Christmas in July
Written by: Preston Sturges
Directed by: Preston Sturges
Starring: Dick Powell, Ellen Drew, Raymond Walburn
Country: United States of America
Outline: A young man enters a slogan-writing contest, believing he has won a large cash prize, leading to a series of comedic events. The film is a satire on the American dream and the pursuit of happiness.
source: imdb.com
Foreign Correspondent
Written by: Charles Bennett, Joan Harrison, John Palmer
Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
Starring: Joel McCrea, Laraine Day, Herbert Marshall
Country: United States of America
Outline: A New York reporter is sent to Europe to cover the pre-World War II unrest, only to find himself embroiled in espionage and murder. The film is a suspenseful tale of intrigue and danger.
source: imdb.com
The Mark of Zorro
Written by: Johnston McCulley, Garrett Fort
Directed by: Rouben Mamoulian
Starring: Tyrone Power, Linda Darnell, Basil Rathbone
Country: United States of America
Outline: In Spanish California, the masked avenger Zorro defends the oppressed against corrupt officials and landowners. The film is a swashbuckling adventure of heroism and romance.
source: imdb.com