Overview: 1940s Films

Some call the 1940s “Hollywood’s greatest decade.” This may very well be true, for across the screen Sonja Henie skated and Esther Williams swam, while Jimmy Cagney raged, Betty Grable danced, and Roy Rogers galloped. A unique assortment of comedies, biopics, light romances, war films, spy and costume pictures were pumped out by the thousands during the decade. There were many fine actors; good directors held the megaphone.

It was during this era that the last of the wholesome films—most of them with morals—were made. As the audience, we witnessed noble-minded men fighting for truth and justice and cheered on the underdog (both often boosted along by Hollywood’s helping hand). We could feel for these characters, even if they were occasionally stereotypically perfect, because they were our heroes. Villains were plainly villains: By the end of the film they were either decidedly reformed or dead—but we never had to cringe at the language when even the roughest of characters started to rant.  

Major studios during the forties were Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Twentieth-Century Fox, Warner Bros., Paramount, Universal, Columbia, and RKO-Radio. These gave us iconic films such as Casablanca, Yankee Doodle Dandy, Citizen Cane, The Best Years of Our Lives, and Sergeant York. Besides A-list films, there were the numerous Bs, cartoons, and newsreels.

Actors were half of a good film. Actors were special not only because of their charisma, but also their trademark styles of acting, dressing, and speaking, which Americans were eager to copy. Although a new name sometimes went up in lights and became a famous box-office attraction literally overnight, many movie-goers would flock to the theater to see a film because it starred a favorite celebrity.

Personalities were a large part of this. Gary Cooper and James Stewart were praised for being able to play themselves on screen. Others, such as gangster favorites Humphrey Bogart and Jimmy Cagney, were admired for their snarling, tough-guy stances. Strong-minded leading women included Bette Davis, Barbara Stanwyck, and Katherine Hepburn. Then there were the steady and sure, dependable leading men, such as Robert Taylor, Walter Pidgeon, and Cary Grant. The swashbucklers were often dominated by Tyrone Power; heavy roles were handled by Spencer Tracy; a war film was sure to involve either Dana Andrews or John Wayne. Audiences were delighted by the antics of Mickey Rooney or Myrna Loy and William Powell (the 1940s gave us the last dose of good, clean humor).

Still, the magic of 1940s films is not only found in the genre, the title, or the first-billed actor, but also that distinctive feeling of quality, which the black-and-white or beautiful Technicolor conjures, even from the opening credits. The films of this period are works of art that have lasted for everyone to enjoy.

Photograph credits: Pinterest.