You've read the title, let's not waste any time. These are my favorite films of 1940, in the order I thought felt right at the time of my posting this. I might try to do more of these moving forward, but I'm terrible at committing to any series of lists, so why even pretend that I'll follow through with that?
10. Pinocchio
While I don't consider myself a fan of Disney in pretty much any capacity, that doesn't mean I don't have an objective appreciation for their classics. That being said, this wasn't my favorite of theirs when I was little, but as I grew up and started to see it as being the risque dark fable that it really is, it's only grown in my estimation over the years. This isn't the most polished or fun thing Disney has ever made, and that's honestly a big part of what I find so appealing about it. The animation is great, the story is bonkers, and there are some genuinely horrific things in this movie if you really stop and think about it for a second. Pretty great combo, if you ask me.
9. The Man With Nine Lives
I have a particular soft spot for Boris Karloff and the classic horror movies of his era, but this isn't one I was raised on, as I only first saw it a few years back. I say this to clarify it isn't a purely nostalgic pick, but it is largely an aesthetic one. I love the ice/cold design of this movie, and of course Karloff carries the rest. It may not be anything mind-blowing, but of his mad scientist movies, this is definitely in my top 2 or 3. It's short, fun, and has a really great atmosphere that I can pretty much throw on and get sucked into and enjoy any time.
8. The Great Dictator
Charlie Chaplin's transition to talkies definitely took him a little longer than most of the rest of the world, but not only was this a huge change for him, but a considerably high-brow risk in a lot of ways. It's weird to think of a time where making an anti-nazi/anti-Hitler movie would be considered controversial in any way, but that's just how things were at the time. Regardless of all that, this is one of Chaplin's most entertaining movies, and has an enjoyable dual lead performance by the man that might have you questioning why he had trouble moving on from the silent era in the first place.
7. Rebecca
The only Oscar winner for Best Picture that Hitchcock ever made, Rebecca is maybe not his most remembered work, but I still consider one of his better films. The performances in this movie are terrific (as any movie led by Laurence Olivier might be), I love the set design, and the mystery and omnipresence of the titular Rebecca must have been an influence on Otto Preminger's Laura from 1944. This is a great mystery/drama/romance that I still recall pretty clearly even 10 years after watching it. That's pretty impressive, especially since I can't remember much at all about 90% of the movies I've seen since then.
6. The Mummy's Hand
And we're back to low brow horror that I can watch again and again. This movie isn't good, and I'm sure that makes me look like an idiot for having it directly higher than Rebecca and The Great Dictator, but to be totally honest I would put The Mummy's Hand on 99% of the time over either of them, and I will stand by that. In a lot of ways, this movie plays out like a slasher (and was perhaps more directly an influence on the Hammer version than the original by Universal), and the way they blacked out the mummy's eyes is actually effectively creepy. This movie is only about an hour long, it's got some cornball humor, and doesn't waste any time getting to the point. Maybe it's not a timeless classic to a lot of people, but I've seen it more times than possibly anything else on this list.
5. Fantasia
And we go directly from fun into completely immersive and not hardly fun at all. Fantasia is one of the most experimental things Disney ever did, and the fact that I can still hear just tiny pieces of classical music and instantly conjure up images from this movie is a testament to how well the project's concept worked out. Some might complain that it moves a little slow, but to me that's just part of the whole experience. This is a weird movie that you can't really compare to others with traditional narrative and pacing. It's because of that that I struggled to find a place for it on my list, but I couldn't have possibly put it anywhere lower than the top 5, I love it that much.
4. The Philadelphia Story
I'm bound to bring it up again in a little bit, but I really can't help but to love James Stewart and Cary Grant, and seeing them together in a movie this well-written is nothing but pure joy for me. This is a lovely little movie that is just as funny and charming to me now as it was when I first saw it close to 20 years ago. Maybe it's not the most narratively dense thing ever made, but there's something about these classic comedies that still are able to stand the test of time that I find absolutely amazing. Making jokes that are still funny over 80 years later is not something I think you can disregard, and this movie does that while providing a fun and satisfying romance plot. Good stuff from everyone involved.
3. The Grapes Of Wrath
And back to something that isn't fun to watch at all. This is one I never used to like as a kid -- but I was a kid, which means I was an idiot. This is a great, classic American film that is not supposed to be a fun watch. The performances across the board are effective (I never used to totally buy Henry Fonda in this one, but I came around on him), the barren landscape and equally stark cinematography does a great job at establishing the desperation of its characters, and the film's disinterest in giving you a happy ending where everything is sunshine and roses just elevates it even more in my eyes. This is a classic, everyone knows that, moving on.
2. The Shop Around The Corner
I very nearly put this movie in the number one spot, but having only seen it once I would have felt a little odd doing that. I think that's a good way of saying I think it's quite good. James Stewart makes his second appearance on my list here, and while his role here is less showy than in The Philadelphia Story (for which he won the Oscar), he's got a lot more of the mellowed out charm you see in some of his later performances here, which I think really helps the story out. This isn't a loud, brash, in your face comedy. This is a lot less aggressive, but equally fun movie that finds plenty of room for some very effective drama and a bit of romance. In time, and after a rewatch, I might very well bump it up, but don't let that take anything away from my #1 pick...
1. His Girl Friday
I want to start off by repeating, I love Cary Grant. Secondly, I would love to see a screenplay for this movie, because I can imagine it being about 300 pages long, as the dialogue in this movie is insane. It's honestly one of the most impressive feats of writing and acting I've ever seen. Watching these actors (mainly Russell and Grant) blast through this movie at a million miles per hour, quipping, shouting, shooting barbs and dodging verbal bullets for an hour and a half is almost exhausting to watch, but I love every minute of it. This movie is still hilarious even after watching it multiple times, and it's still overwhelming to sit through in the best way possible. At this point in time, I had trouble not throwing this on top of the list, and I can't picture it dipping any lower than the top 2 or 3 at any point. Great fun, great movie. Thanks for reading.
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