Movie Picks by Year - 1940s

I posed a challenge to myself. If I were only able to pick one movie from each year since 1930, which ones would I choose? I went through each and every year and I managed to select one per year, although there are some honorable mentions from each decade.

This is all about personal preference; in the end there is some variation but it’s all about what movie from each year do I enjoy the most.

If you’re a movie fan I highly recommend this fun little exercise. It’s a good way to pass the time and learn more about movie history. Plus, in your research, you might find some interesting patterns in the movies that you like. You might surprise yourself.

I started with the year 1930 and went all the way into this year. Here are my picks 1940 – 1949:

1940. His Girl Friday - Directed by Howard Hawks and starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell have great comedic chemistry. The finest example of snappy, witty dialogue in cinema.

1941. Citizen Kane - The best movie ever made. I love it. End of story.

1942. Casablanca - If I had to pick my favorite movie, it would probably be Casablanca. This movie has everything; an amazing cast, some of the greatest lines in cinema, romance, action, and even some comedy. This is how movies should be made.

1943. Sahara - Great ensemble war movie. Bogart heads up a diverse cast on a unique adventure-within-a-war movie.

1944. Arsenic and Old Lace - A Capra classic. At times hilarious, Cary Grant stars as a man whose Aunts have a very dark habit, and he must hide this to protect them. A great comedy and lots of fun.

1945. Caesar and Cleopatra - A great, old-fashioned epic movie. Standout performances by Claude Rains and Vivien Leigh as the title characters. This movie is just a great example of old style Hollywood filmmaking.

1946. It's a Wonderful Life - One of Frank Capra's best. Masterfully acted by Jimmy Stewart, this story of the significance of life is one of the most uplifting movies of all time. "Merry Christmas Movie House!"

1947. The Bishop's Wife - Another Cary Grant appearance, this time with David Niven and Loretta Young. It tends to get overlooked, but it is a very good movie.

1948. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre - A John Huston film with his father Walter as one of the lead roles. Humphrey Bogart also stars in this wonderful western that has some great intrigue and twists. "Badges... we don't need no stinking badges."

1949. White Heat - Arguably James Cagney's best performance of his career, his character is fierce and unrelenting. A very powerful performance, a necessary gangster film. "Made it, Ma! Top of the world!"

Honorable Mention:

1941. The Maltese Falcon - Bogart again. This time as Sam Spade. Peter Lorre, Sydney Greenstreet, and Mary Astor round out a stellar cast in this classic film-noir about greed. If it weren't going up against Citizen Kane it would definitely make the list. "It's the stuff that dreams are made of."