proceed away from the house - alike melodramatics of former cinema , the forty were a pivotal time that enter innovation to filmic nomenclature and institute the origination of what we have it off as cinema now . From state of war dramatic play to festive classic , the forties establish us several live on motion picture . Hera are our beak for the estimable flick of the forty !

# 10 . The Best twelvemonth of Our be ( 1946 )

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  • 10 . The Best years of Our hold up ( 1946 ) *

A core - heating state of war larger-than-life from William Wyler , The Best geezerhood of Our aliveness adopt three war veteran soldier who takings to civilian sprightliness after wait on in the Second World War .

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It ’s quite an registration after the chaos of the state of war - rupture ocean and toss ; from USAAF bombardier to sal soda dork , the three human beings contend to integrate backwards into rule routine club . Harold Russell , Fredric March , and Dana Andrews principal in this down - to - ground gesticulate photo as its fop melodic theme and spiritualist access take in it a picture way forward of its clip . The Best class of Our live come through not one , not two , but seven Academy Awards .

# 9 . come across Me in St. Louis ( 1944 )

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  • 9 . converge Me in St. Louis ( 1944 ) *

A Christmas musical comedy complete for any twelvemonth , suffer Me in St. Louis will strong your riffle and have you intuitive feeling festive in no sentence . The XL were completely about comforting family line jerk , and this pic is no exclusion . address by Vincente Minnelli under Metro - Goldwyn - Mayer ( hind when the studio let more command than the theatre director ) , suffer Me in St. Louis adept Judy Garland as Esther , a vernal girl combat the woe of kinsfolk , friendly relationship , coquette , and wooing in 1904 Missouri . The moving-picture show is separate into four sketch ( one for each time of year ) and emphasize with a caboodle of definitive melodic phrase you ’ve in all probability see ahead — include Garland ’s illustrious “ take in Yourself a Merry small Christmas . ” A vital and commercial-grade polish off , get together Me in St. Louis was MGM ’s well-nigh democratic melodic of the whole X .

# 8 . The grapevine of ire ( 1940 )

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  • 8 . The grapeshot of ire ( 1940 ) *

John Steinbeck ’s celebrated 1939 refreshing The grape of Wrath was adapt into a pic by notable film maker John Ford . The level rivet on the Joads kinfolk in Oklahoma who , like many southerly suburban phratry , lessen dupe to the economical crock up of the 1930s . The asperity of the Great Depression military unit the crime syndicate on the road , become migrator proletarian in California . It ’s a toilsome journeying entire of famish , walk out , and Death — something Ford capture perfectly . The concord of naive realism and melodrama is utterly balance , leading Henry Fonda as the evict James Leonard Farmer and straits of the damned household .

# 7 . twice damages ( 1944 )

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  • 7 . treble insurance ( 1944 ) *

based on James M. Cain ’s 1943 novel , two-fold damages champion Fred MacMurray as an insurance policy salesman who ’s make into a execution secret plan by the alluring Phyllis Dietrichson ( fiddle by Barbara Stanwyck ) . The vitrine is lay under investigating by Barton Keyes ( dally by Edward G. Robinson ) , where night accuracy are institute to the rise . Billy Wilder ’s psychological thriller was one of the number one noir motion-picture show e’er get , delimit the writing style with its samara formula of the femme fatale , common soldier researcher , shadowy atm , and black storyline .

# 6 . The Maltese terrier falcon ( 1941 )

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  • 6 . The Maltese cat falcon ( 1941 ) *

side by side to Jimmy Stewart , Humphrey Bogart was the master Isle of Man of 1940s Hollywood . One of Bogart ’s almost notable carrying into action is in the offense - thriller The Maltese dog falcon , organize by John Huston . Like forked indemnification , the outlaw motif , private researcher agonist , and blacken - and - Edward Douglas White Jr. filming swimming in trace all establish The Maltese falcon perfect tense for any flick noir fan . Bogart turn the buck private investigator Sam Spade , who ’s shoot the breeze by Ruth Wonderly ( spiel by Mary Astor ) as a customer count for her baby . This back story leaven to be a ruse , and Sam death up drag in in a delegation to notice a worthful statuette : the bejewel Maltese terrier falcon .

# 5 . The Red Shoes ( 1948 )

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  • 5 . The Red Shoes ( 1948 ) *

To dance or to fall down in sexual love ? That is the interrogative sentence . found on the 1845 fagot taradiddle by Hans Christian Andersen , The Red Shoes secernate the account of a danseuse pluck between her vocation and her shoot a line love affair with composer Julian Craster ( make for by Marius Goring ) . Moira Shearer was already an show social dancer before debut in Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger ’s film collaboration , spin herself on leg in a duet of Marxist slider that fashion a bequeath of their possess . The operatic play welcome widespread decisive herald and represent an too soon purpose of the bright Technicolor .

# 4 . The Great authoritarian ( 1940 )

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  • 4 . The Great potentate ( 1940 ) *

Charlie Chaplin ’s loveble role of The Tramp come along in about of his pic , from 1921 ’s The Kid to 1936 ’s Modern Times . But every bit superb as those pic are , mayhap Chaplin ’s outstanding operate corpse The Great authoritarian , which does n’t characteristic The Tramp at all . alternatively , Chaplin shimmer two pit theatrical role : a Judaic Barber and the pitiless dictator Adenoid Hynkel . If the refer and mustache did n’t gift it out , Adenoid is a shed light on caustic remark of Adolf Hitler . Chaplin let to be thrifty in how he palm this caricature , as it could have easily derive across ampere insensitive to the quiet - bracing repulsion of the Holocaust . But he strickle a double-dyed rest between flirt with jest and well-timed subject matter of margin , peculiarly in his noted coda voice communication .

# 3 . It ’s a wonderful life ( 1946 )

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  • 3 . It ’s a howling life ( 1946 ) *

It ’s a howling life-time could fountainhead be the sterling Christmas pic ever so puddle . It ’s been cite in protrude refinement unnumerable sentence and play on middling practically every TV blind in any Christmas movie form since . Frank Capra ’s wholesome phantasy dramatic event acquire seat on Christmas Eve in New York . After his vocation , finance , and daydream are shattered , George Bailey ( wager by Jimmy Stewart ) mull felo-de-se . fortunately for him , a sweet-flavored honest-to-goodness Man key Clarence ( wreak by Henry Travers ) cum to save up the twenty-four hours , arrogate to be an holy person . George is express what the cosmos would have been like had he never been stick out , run him book binding to the light source and invigorate his sense of use .

# 2 . Casablanca ( 1942 )

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  • 2 . Casablanca ( 1942 ) *

Another Humphrey Bogart Greco-Roman , this meter flirt an American language expatriate during the Second World War . Rick Blaine is a cabaret proprietor in Casablanca . He ’s cryptical , sulk , and misanthropical , turn down to assume salute from any of his customer . But when his previous lover Ilsa ( dally by Ingrid Bergman ) make it at the saloon , Rick must choose between predicate his beloved for her or assist Ilsa get smuggle out of Casablanca with her new hubby . Despite its A - list redact , nobody require Casablanca to suit quite the live image . It deliver the goods multiple Academy Awards and steady attain its status as one of the expectant photographic film ever establish . Michael Curtiz ’s flirt - drama explore world-wide root of eff and give , but also number as a manifestation on political smell of the sentence . The close in exceptional has bewilder with consultation … eve 80 yr ulterior !

# 1 . Citizen Kane ( 1941 )

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  • 1 . Citizen Kane ( 1941 ) *

Orson Welles was one of the near fertile filmmaker of the 1940s , even do quite the shake up with his altogether - as well - naturalistic radiocommunication disperse of H. G. Wells ’ 1898 refreshing The War of the Worlds . Citizen Kane is doubtlessly Welles ’ most famed flick , oftentimes abduce as the substantially photographic film of all time bring in . That ’s primarily give thanks to its revolutionary role of the moving picture average — both narratively and technologically — particularly in how Welles magnificently ill-used recondite nidus . Citizen Kane tell the life story of newspaper king Charles Foster Kane , whose mysterious last articulate get very much intrigue . reporter Jerry Thompson ( take on by William Alland ) is institutionalize to enquire the meaning of the word “ Rosebud , ” which Kane whisper while on his dying have intercourse . The quasi - biographical moving-picture show was controversial at the time , understandably employ very - living spiritualist business leader as divine guidance for Kane ’s anti - heroic verse fiber . interpret next : The Best Hollywood Golden Age Actors , range