The Ultimate Film Archive is a hand-picked chronology of films from each decade (starting with the 1940s), all of which I highly recommend you seeking out. Not an exhaustive list but it’s a start as further films are added.
Have I missed any out? Any further suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Either leave a comment or email me at classicfilmshow@gmail.com.
The Maltese Falcon (1941
1940s
1940 The Grapes Of Wrath (USA, John Ford)
1940 Fantasia (USA, Walt Disney Productions)
1940 The Great Dictator (USA, Charlie Chaplin)
1940 Rebecca (USA, Alfred Hitchcock)
1940 The Fighting 69th (USA, William Keighley)
1940 His Girl Friday (USA, Howard Hawks)
1940 The Philadelphia Story (USA, George Cukor)
1940 Pinocchio (USA, Hamilton Luske, Ben Sharpsteen)
1940 The Mortal Storm (USA, Frank Borzage)
1940 The Bank Dick (USA, Edward F. Cline)
1940 Foreign Correspondent (USA, Alfred Hitchcock)
1940 The Great McGinty (USA, Preston Sturges)
1940 The Sea Hawk (USA, Michael Curtiz)
1940 The Shop Around the Corner (USA, Ernst Lubitsch)
1941 Citizen Kane (USA, Orson Welles)
1941 Sullivan’s Travels (USA, Preston Sturges)
1941 The Maltese Falcon (USA, John Huston)
1941 The Lady Eve (USA, Preston Sturges)
1941 Dumbo (USA, Ben Sharpsteen)
1941 High Sierra (USA, Raoul Walsh)
1941 How Green Was My Valley (USA, John Ford)
1941 The Little Foxes (USA, William Wyler)
1941 Sergeant York (USA, William Wyler)
1941 Meet John Doe (USA, Frank Capra)
1942 The Magnificent Ambersons (USA, Orson Welles)
1942 Went The Day Well? (USA, Alberto Cavalcanti)
1942 The Palm Beach Story (USA, Preston Sturges)
1942 To Be Or Not To Be (USA, Ernst Lubitsch)
1942 Casablanca (USA, Michael Curtiz)
1942 Now, Voyager (USA, Irving Rapper)
1942 Mrs. Miniver (USA, William Wyler)
1942 Bambi
1942 Cat People (USA, Jacques Tourneur)
1943 The Life And Death Of Colonel Blimp (USA, Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger)
1943 I Walked With A Zombie (USA, Jacques Tourneur)
1943 The Ox-Bow Incident (USA, William A. Wellman)
1943 Shadow Of A Doubt (USA, Alfred Hitchcock)
1943 Heaven Can Wait (USA, Ernst Lubitsch)
1943 Stormy Weather (USA, Andrew L. Stone)
1944 Meet Me In St. Louis (USA, Vincent Minnelli)
1944 Laura (USA, Otto Preminger)
1944 Double Indemnity (USA, Billy Wilder)
1944 To Have And Have Not (USA, Howard Hawks)
1944 Gaslight (USA, George Cukor)
1945 Les Enfants Du Paradise (USA, Marcel Carné)
1945 Brief Encounter (USA, David Lean)
1945 Roma Città Apreta (Rome, Open City) (USA, Roberto Rossellini)
1945 I Know Where I’m Going (USA, Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger)
1945 Les Dames Du Bois De Boulogne (USA, Robert Bresson)
1945 Mildred Pierce (USA, Michael Curtiz)
1945 Detour (USA, Edgar G. Ulmer)
1945 Spellbound (USA, Alfred Hitchcock)
1945 Anchors Aweigh (USA, George Sidney)
1945 The Lost Weekend (USA, Billy Wilder)
1946 La Belle Et La Bête (USA, Jean Cocteau)
1946 The Big Sleep (USA, Howard Hawks)
1946 My Darling Clementine (USA, John Ford)
1946 The Best Years Of Our Lives (USA, William Wyler)
1946 A Matter Of Life And Death (USA, Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger)
1946 Leave Her To Heaven (USA, John M. Stahl)
1946 Great Expectations (USA, David Lean)
1946 The Stranger (USA, Orson Welles)
1946 The Killers (USA, Robert Siodmak)
1946 It’s A Wonderful Life (USA, Frank Capra)
1946 Gilda (USA, Charles Vidor)
1946 Notorious (USA, Alfred Hitchcock)
1947 Black Narcissus (USA, Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger)
1947 Red River (USA, Howard Hawks)
1947 Monsieur Verdoux (USA, Charles Chaplin)
1947 Out Of The Past (USA, Jacques Tourneur)
1947 Dark Passage (USA, Delmer Daves)
1948 Letter From An Unknown Woman (USA, Max Ophuls)
1948 Fort Apache (USA, John Ford)
1948 The Red Shoes (USA, Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger)
1948 The Bicycle Thief (Ladri Di Biciclette, Italy, Vittorio De Sica)
1948 Rope (USA, Alfred Hitchcock)
1948 The Lady From Shanghai (USA, Orson Welles)
1948 The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (USA, John Huston)
1948 Easter Parade (USA, Charles Walters)
1948 Key Largo (USA, John Huston)
1948 The Naked City (USA, Jules Dassin)
1949 White Heat (USA, Raoul Walsh)
1949 Gun Crazy (USA, Joseph H. Lewis)
1949 Kind Hearts And Coronets (USA, Robert Hamer)
1949 The Third Man (USA, Carol Reed)
1949 Adam’s Rib (USA, George Cukor)
1949 The Reckless Moment (USA, Max Ophüls)
1949 On The Town (USA, Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly)
1949 Orphée (France, Jean Cocteau)
1949 The Window (USA, Ted Tetzlaff)
1949 The Stratton Story (USA, Sam Wood)
The Classic Film Show 
10 comments
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January 14, 2009 at 2:44 am
Raquelle
I’ve seen 39! I’m so impressed with myself.
Why did they start with the ’40s when there are so many great ’20s and ’30s films?
January 14, 2009 at 10:08 pm
Christian Hayes
39 is very good-going. I should practically hand out prizes to whoever has seen the most. For movies of the 1930s, 1920s and even the 1910s, it’s all coming up… Any movies that you feel would be a crime to leave out, let me know.
January 14, 2009 at 7:52 am
Thomas Caldwell
What a fabulous list! You’ve covered all countries and all genres beautifully – I am most happy to have stumbled across your blog and can’t wait to see the other decades you list.
I think the only essential film that you’ve overlooked is The Postman Always Rings Twice. Other than that I would also suggest The Palm Beach Story, Thieves’ Highway and Jour de fête for consideration.
Also, I thought Orphée was 1950 – or is imdb lying to me again?
January 14, 2009 at 10:15 pm
Christian Hayes
Those three suggestions are terrific and shall be shortly added to the list. Looks like imdb does list Orphée as 1950 – other sources seem to say 1949, Criterion for example. Imdb believes that it’s earliest showing was at Cannes in 1950, which would make it a 1950 film, but as we know imdb isn’t always correct. Fact checking required…
February 9, 2009 at 10:00 pm
AJ Fraser
I’m pleasantly surprised by the number of film noire’s in your list
February 14, 2009 at 6:34 pm
Karin
I am especially glad to see that you included “A Matter Of Life And Death,” which is perhaps my favorite Michael Powell film. Are you strictly interested in films that would be considered “essential” viewing? I can think of a number of titles to include, each of which is perhaps a lesser-known title. I hope this is what you had in mind:
Ball Of Fire (1942), The Lady Has Plans (1942), Ministry of Fear (1944)
The Woman in the Window (1944), Scarlet Street (1945), The Dark Corner (1946), The Locket (1946), The Strange Loves Of Martha Ivers (1946),
The Big Clock (1947), Kiss Of Death (1947), Road House (1948), A Letter To Three Wives (1949), Alias Nick Beal (1949), Slattery’s Hurricane (1949)
April 29, 2009 at 6:27 pm
Jack
Your list of outstanding films of the 1940s was excellent. Keep up the good work on your interesting site.
July 10, 2009 at 5:31 pm
Maggie
This is a great list! As a Gingerphile, I would love to see The Major and the Minor from 1942 on this list. This is a really great but largely forgotten film (hopefully its recent DVD release will help with its exposure). Also it’s the American directorial debut of Billy Wilder. The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941) shoud also be on the list.
January 18, 2010 at 5:40 pm
Replay Ray
very good list. i thought Karin’s additions were excellent. when i saw “Heaven Can Wait” on your list, i immediately looked for”Here Comes Mr. Jordan, surely a far superior film. some confusion has been caused by Warren Beatty’s remake which took the title of the former and the story of the latter. i am sure YOU know the difference.”Here Comes Mr. Jordan” is one of the most delightful movies of all time, don’t you think?
August 9, 2010 at 11:26 pm
mauro Motta
I think “Standing room Only” is one of the best comedies of the
1940s.