Best of 1940

Best Movies of 1940, Ranked

578 films on the site were released in 1940, and 14 have enough critic or audience ratings to be ranked. Gone with the Wind tops the list, ahead of The Grapes of Wrath and The Shop Around the Corner. Gone with the Wind won Best Picture at the 1940 Oscars. This page covers 1940 alone; the 1940s page ranks the whole decade.

films released in 1940: 578
ranked by rating: 14
award wins: 20
languages: 21

#1 of 1940

What Is the Best Movie of 1940?

Gone with the Wind is the best-rated film of 1940, with a rank value of 92/100 from critics and audiences, ahead of The Grapes of Wrath (91/100). Ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings (Echo Scores start with 2017 releases).

#1 of 14

Best-rated film of 1940

Gone with the Wind

1940 Drama History Romance 3h 58m English

97 Metascore

Directed by George Cukor

About Gone with the Wind

Ranked

Top 14 Movies of 1940, Ranked

The Grapes of Wrath and The Shop Around the Corner follow Gone with the Wind. Romance is the most common genre in the top 14 (10 films). Alfred Hitchcock and George Cukor each have 2 films on the list. Ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings (Echo Scores start with 2017 releases).

Best of the 1940s

2. The Grapes of Wrath 96 Metascore (Metascore 96 out of 100)

1940 · Drama, History · 2h 9m

Dir. John Ford No Echo Score: ranked 91/100 on critics & audiences
3. The Shop Around the Corner 96 Metascore (Metascore 96 out of 100)

1940 · Drama, Comedy · 1h 39m

Dir. Ernst Lubitsch No Echo Score: ranked 91/100 on critics & audiences
4. The Philadelphia Story 96 Metascore (Metascore 96 out of 100)

1940 · Comedy, Romance · 1h 52m

Dir. George Cukor No Echo Score: ranked 89/100 on critics & audiences
5. Pinocchio 99 Metascore (Metascore 99 out of 100)

1940 · Fantasy, Comedy · 1h 28m

Dir. Ben Sharpsteen No Echo Score: ranked 86/100 on critics & audiences
6. Of Mice and Men 89 Metascore (Metascore 89 out of 100 (7 critic reviews))

1940 · Drama · 1h 46m

Dir. Lewis Milestone No Echo Score: ranked 84/100 on critics & audiences
7. Foreign Correspondent 89 Metascore (Metascore 89 out of 100 (18 critic reviews))

1940 · Mystery, Thriller · 2h

Dir. Alfred Hitchcock No Echo Score: ranked 84/100 on critics & audiences
7. Pride and Prejudice 84 Metascore (Metascore 84 out of 100)

1940 · Drama, Romance · 1h 58m

Dir. Robert Z. Leonard No Echo Score: ranked 84/100 on critics & audiences
9. Rebecca 86 Metascore (Metascore 86 out of 100)

1940 · Drama, Mystery · 2h 10m

Dir. Alfred Hitchcock No Echo Score: ranked 84/100 on critics & audiences
10. The Westerner 78 Metascore (Metascore 78 out of 100)

1940 · Drama, Romance · 1h 40m

Dir. William Wyler No Echo Score: ranked 78/100 on critics & audiences
10. Remember the Night 78 Metascore (Metascore 78 out of 100)

1940 · Drama, Comedy · 1h 34m

Dir. Mitchell Leisen No Echo Score: ranked 78/100 on critics & audiences
12. Waterloo Bridge 73 Metascore (Metascore 73 out of 100)

1940 · Drama, Romance · 1h 48m

Dir. Mervyn LeRoy No Echo Score: ranked 76/100 on critics & audiences
13. Road to Singapore 63 Metascore (Metascore 63 out of 100)

1940 · Comedy, Romance · 1h 25m

Dir. Victor Schertzinger No Echo Score: ranked 62/100 on critics & audiences
14. Strike Up the Band 59 Metascore (Metascore 59 out of 100)

1940 · Comedy, Romance · 2h

Dir. Busby Berkeley No Echo Score: ranked 59/100 on critics & audiences

Awards

Which 1940 Movies Won the Most Awards?

Gone with the Wind leads with 9 wins from 14 nominations, then Rebecca, The Grapes of Wrath and The Philadelphia Story with 2 wins each. Gone with the Wind won Best Picture at the 1940 Oscars. In all, 12 films released in 1940 have award nominations on the site, with 20 wins between them.

1941 awards season

Gone with the Wind 9 / 14
1940 · Drama, History · 9 wins from 14 nominations Won at Oscars
Rebecca 2 / 11
1940 · Drama, Mystery · 2 wins from 11 nominations Won at Oscars
The Grapes of Wrath 2 / 7
1940 · Drama, History · 2 wins from 7 nominations Won at Oscars
The Philadelphia Story 2 / 6
1940 · Comedy, Romance · 2 wins from 6 nominations Won at Oscars
Pinocchio 2 / 2
1940 · Fantasy, Comedy · 2 wins from 2 nominations Won at Oscars
The Westerner 1 / 3
1940 · Drama, Romance · 1 win from 3 nominations Won at Oscars
Strike Up the Band 1 / 3
1940 · Comedy, Romance · 1 win from 3 nominations Won at Oscars
Pride and Prejudice 1 / 1
1940 · Drama, Romance · 1 win from 1 nomination Won at Oscars

By genre

What Is the Best 1940 Movie in Each Genre?

The highest-ranked 1940 film of 10 genres, from Drama (Gone with the Wind) to Musical (Road to Singapore). Each film appears once, under its first genre that is still free.

Release months

When Were 1940's Movies Released?

January was the busiest month of 1940 with 59 releases; its best-rated film is Gone with the Wind.

January Best: Gone with the Wind
59
February Best: Pinocchio
34
March Best: The Grapes of Wrath
47
April Best: Rebecca
53
May Best: Waterloo Bridge
47
June
41
July Best: Pride and Prejudice
48
August Best: Foreign Correspondent
49
September Best: The Westerner
52
October
42
November
52
December Best: The Philadelphia Story
54

January (Best: Gone with the Wind): 59
February (Best: Pinocchio): 34
March (Best: The Grapes of Wrath): 47
April (Best: Rebecca): 53
May (Best: Waterloo Bridge): 47
June: 41
July (Best: Pride and Prejudice): 48
August (Best: Foreign Correspondent): 49
September (Best: The Westerner): 52
October: 42
November: 52
December (Best: The Philadelphia Story): 54

Languages

Which Languages Were 1940's Movies In?

86% of 1940's films with a known language are in English (492). Spanish comes next with 17 films, out of 21 languages in all.

Every year

Best Movies by Year

A best-of page for each of 55 years, from 1900 to 2026 (so far). Before 1980 there is one page per decade, for its first year (1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940, 1950, 1960, 1970); from 1980 every year has its own.

2020s

2010s

2000s

1990s

1980s

1900–1970

FAQ

Best Movies of 1940: Questions & Answers

Quick answers about 1940's best-rated films and awards, from the lists above.

What is the best movie of 1940?

Gone with the Wind is the best-rated film of 1940 on What's After the Movie, with a rank value of 92/100 from critics and audiences. The Grapes of Wrath is second and The Shop Around the Corner third. Ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings (Echo Scores start with 2017 releases).

About Gone with the Wind

Which 1940 movie won the Oscar for Best Picture?

Gone with the Wind (1940) won Best Picture at the 1940 Academy Awards.

Gone with the Wind

Which 1940 film won the most awards?

Gone with the Wind has the best award record of the 1940 releases on the site: 9 wins from 14 nominations.

1941 awards season

How many movies were released in 1940?

The site lists 578 films released in 1940. 14 of them are ranked, and January had the most releases with a known day (59).

How are the best movies of 1940 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.