The 1930s

Best Movies of the 1930s: Top Films Year by Year

5,032 films on the site were released from 1930 to 1939, and 69 are ranked. The Lady Vanishes (1938) leads the decade, ahead of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1938). 7 Best Picture winners were released in the decade.

films released 1930–1939: 5,032
ranked by rating: 69

#1 of 69

Best-rated film of the 1930s

The Lady Vanishes

1938 Mystery Thriller 1h 36m English

98 Metascore

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

About The Lady Vanishes

Ranked

What Are the Best Movies of the 1930s?

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and The Bride of Frankenstein follow The Lady Vanishes. Comedy is the most common genre in the top 20 (10 films). James Whale and Leo McCarey each have 3 films on the list; 2 other directors have two or more. Ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings (Echo Scores start with 2017 releases).

1. The Lady Vanishes 98 Metascore (Metascore 98 out of 100)

1938 · Mystery, Thriller · 1h 36m

Dir. Alfred Hitchcock No Echo Score: ranked 92/100 on critics & audiences
2. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs 96 Metascore (Metascore 96 out of 100)

1938 · Fantasy, Romance · 1h 23m

Dir. Ben Sharpsteen No Echo Score: ranked 91/100 on critics & audiences
3. The Bride of Frankenstein 95 Metascore (Metascore 95 out of 100)

1935 · Drama, Horror · 1h 15m

Dir. James Whale No Echo Score: ranked 90/100 on critics & audiences
4. The Wizard of Oz 92 Metascore (Metascore 92 out of 100)

1939 · Adventure, Fantasy · 1h 42m

Dir. George Cukor No Echo Score: ranked 89/100 on critics & audiences
5. All Quiet on the Western Front 91 Metascore (Metascore 91 out of 100 (16 critic reviews))

1930 · Drama, War · 2h 32m

Dir. Lewis Milestone No Echo Score: ranked 88/100 on critics & audiences
6. Show Boat 88 Metascore (Metascore 88 out of 100)

1936 · Comedy, Drama · 1h 53m

Dir. James Whale No Echo Score: ranked 88/100 on critics & audiences
7. Young Mr. Lincoln 91 Metascore (Metascore 91 out of 100)

1939 · Biography, Drama · 1h 40m

Dir. John Ford No Echo Score: ranked 88/100 on critics & audiences
8. Duck Soup 93 Metascore (Metascore 93 out of 100 (15 critic reviews))

1933 · Comedy, War · 1h 8m

Dir. Leo McCarey No Echo Score: ranked 87/100 on critics & audiences
8. Stagecoach 93 Metascore (Metascore 93 out of 100)

1939 · Adventure, Drama · 1h 36m

Dir. John Ford No Echo Score: ranked 87/100 on critics & audiences
10. Desire 86 Metascore (Metascore 86 out of 100 (7 critic reviews))

1936 · Comedy, Romance · 1h 35m

Dir. Frank Borzage No Echo Score: ranked 86/100 on critics & audiences
11. Bringing Up Baby 91 Metascore (Metascore 91 out of 100 (17 critic reviews))

1938 · Comedy, Romance · 1h 42m

Dir. Howard Hawks No Echo Score: ranked 85/100 on critics & audiences
12. The Awful Truth 87 Metascore (Metascore 87 out of 100)

1937 · Comedy, Romance · 1h 30m

Dir. Leo McCarey No Echo Score: ranked 85/100 on critics & audiences
13. It Happened One Night 87 Metascore (Metascore 87 out of 100 (16 critic reviews))

1934 · Comedy, Romance · 1h 45m

Dir. Frank Capra No Echo Score: ranked 85/100 on critics & audiences
14. Mutiny on the Bounty 87 Metascore (Metascore 87 out of 100 (12 critic reviews))

1935 · Adventure, Biography · 2h 12m

Dir. Frank Lloyd No Echo Score: ranked 84/100 on critics & audiences
15. The 39 Steps 93 Metascore (Metascore 93 out of 100)

1935 · Mystery, Thriller · 1h 26m

Dir. Alfred Hitchcock No Echo Score: ranked 84/100 on critics & audiences
15. King Kong 92 Metascore (Metascore 92 out of 100 (14 critic reviews))

1933 · Adventure, Sci-Fi · 1h 40m

Dir. Ernest B. Schoedsack No Echo Score: ranked 84/100 on critics & audiences
17. The Invisible Man 87 Metascore (Metascore 87 out of 100)

1933 · Horror, Sci-Fi · 1h 11m

Dir. James Whale No Echo Score: ranked 83/100 on critics & audiences
17. Swing Time 91 Metascore (Metascore 91 out of 100)

1936 · Comedy, Romance · 1h 43m

Dir. George Stevens No Echo Score: ranked 83/100 on critics & audiences
19. Top Hat 93 Metascore (Metascore 93 out of 100)

1935 · Comedy, Romance · 1h 41m

Dir. Mark Sandrich No Echo Score: ranked 83/100 on critics & audiences
20. Love Affair 91 Metascore (Metascore 91 out of 100 (8 critic reviews))

1939 · Drama, Comedy · 1h 28m

Dir. Leo McCarey No Echo Score: ranked 83/100 on critics & audiences

Year by year

The 1930s Year by Year: Releases and Best Picture

1937 has the most releases on the site (573). 7 Best Picture winners of the 1930s are recorded, starting with All Quiet on the Western Front (1930). Box office records of this era are mostly later re-releases, so no grosses are quoted. Each year links to its own ranking.

Every year of the 1930s: releases on the site and the Oscar Best Picture winner released that year
Year	Releases	Best Picture winner
1930	Releases: 365	Best Picture winner All Quiet on the Western Front Oscars 1931
1931	Releases: 437	Best Picture winner Cimarron Oscars 1932
1932	Releases: 470	Best Picture winner Grand Hotel Oscars 1933
1933	Releases: 494	Best Picture winner Cavalcade Oscars 1934
1934	Releases: 532	Best Picture winner It Happened One Night Oscars 1935
1935	Releases: 519	Best Picture winner Mutiny on the Bounty Oscars 1936
1936	Releases: 553	Best Picture winner The Great Ziegfeld Oscars 1937
1937	Releases: 573	None recorded
1938	Releases: 552	None recorded
1939	Releases: 537	None recorded

#1 of each year

The Best-Rated Movie of Every Year, 1930–1939

All Quiet on the Western Front (1930), The Public Enemy (1931), Scarface (1932) and 7 more years: the best-rated film of each year of the 1930s. Ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings (Echo Scores start with 2017 releases).

Awards

The Most-Awarded Movies of the 1930s

It Happened One Night (1934) leads the 1930s with 5 wins from 5 nominations, ahead of The Informer (4 wins). Films of the decade won 38 awards in all.

It Happened One Night 5 / 5
1934 · Comedy, Romance · 5 wins from 5 nominations Won at Oscars
The Informer 4 / 6
1935 · Drama, Crime · 4 wins from 6 nominations Won at Oscars
Cimarron 3 / 7
1931 · Drama, Western · 3 wins from 7 nominations Won at Oscars
The Great Ziegfeld 3 / 7
1936 · Drama, Musical · 3 wins from 7 nominations Won at Oscars
Cavalcade 3 / 4
1933 · Drama, Romance · 3 wins from 4 nominations Won at Oscars
A Star Is Born 2 / 8
1937 · Drama · 2 wins from 8 nominations Won at Oscars
Stagecoach 2 / 7
1939 · Adventure, Drama · 2 wins from 7 nominations Won at Oscars
The Wizard of Oz 2 / 5
1939 · Adventure, Fantasy · 2 wins from 5 nominations Won at Oscars

Genres

What Genres Defined the 1930s?

Comedy is the biggest genre of the 1930s with 2,122 films (42% of the decade's films), then Drama (39%) and Romance (22%). A film can have several genres, so the shares add up to more than 100%.

Directors

Who Directed the Most Films of the 1930s?

Michael Curtiz made 24 notable films in the 1930s, the best-rated being Captain Blood; William A. Wellman follows with 15. Counted over feature films with ratings, box office or awards.

Michael Curtiz 24 films
Best: Captain Blood (1935)
William A. Wellman 15 films
Best: The Public Enemy (1931)
Lloyd Bacon 13 films
Best: Footlight Parade (1933)
W.S. Van Dyke 12 films
Best: The Thin Man (1934)
John Ford 12 films
Best: Young Mr. Lincoln (1939)
Alfred Hitchcock 10 films
Best: The Lady Vanishes (1938)
Frank Capra 10 films
Best: It Happened One Night (1934)
William Keighley 10 films
Best: The Green Pastures (1936)

Every decade

Best Movies by Decade

10 decades ranked, from the 1930s to the 2020s. Each has its year-by-year table and its own top films.

FAQ

Best Movies of the 1930s: Questions & Answers

Quick answers about the 1930s' best-rated films and Best Picture winners, from the lists above.

What is the best movie of the 1930s?

The Lady Vanishes (1938) is the best-rated film of the 1930s on What's After the Movie, with a rank value of 92/100 from critics and audiences. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1938) is second and The Bride of Frankenstein (1935) third. Ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings (Echo Scores start with 2017 releases).

About The Lady Vanishes

Which 1930s movies won Best Picture?

All Quiet on the Western Front (1930), Cimarron (1931), Grand Hotel (1932), Cavalcade (1933), It Happened One Night (1934), Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) and The Great Ziegfeld (1936); the site has no Best Picture winner recorded for 1937, 1938 and 1939.

Which 1930s film won the most awards?

It Happened One Night (1934), with 5 wins from 5 nominations recorded on the site.

How many movies from the 1930s are on the site?

5,032 films released from 1930 to 1939, the most in 1937 (573). 69 of them are ranked.

How are the best movies of the 1930s ranked?

Ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings (Echo Scores start with 2017 releases). Only feature films count (60 minutes or longer, no concert recordings), and a film needs enough ratings, box office or award attention to be ranked.