Skip to content

Top 100 movies from the 1930s

Topics

Top 100 List

  1. "City Lights" (1931) - Directed by Charlie Chaplin, a silent film that showcases the Tramp's love for a blind flower girl.
  2. "M" (1931) - Directed by Fritz Lang, a German thriller that explores the hunt for a child murderer.
  3. "Frankenstein" (1931) - Directed by James Whale, a landmark horror film featuring Boris Karloff as the monster.
  4. "The Blue Angel" (1930) - Directed by Josef von Sternberg, starring Marlene Dietrich in the film that propelled her to stardom.
  5. "All Quiet on the Western Front" (1930) - Directed by Lewis Milestone, a powerful anti-war film based on Erich Maria Remarque's novel.
  6. "Scarface" (1932) - Directed by Howard Hawks, a gangster film that helped define the genre.
  7. "King Kong" (1933) - Directed by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, a monster adventure film that became an icon of cinema.
  8. "Duck Soup" (1933) - Directed by Leo McCarey, a Marx Brothers comedy classic.
  9. "It Happened One Night" (1934) - Directed by Frank Capra, a romantic comedy that won five major Academy Awards.
  10. "The Thin Man" (1934) - Directed by W.S. Van Dyke, introducing Nick and Nora Charles in a blend of comedy and mystery.
  11. "Bride of Frankenstein" (1935) - Directed by James Whale, a sequel that many consider superior to the original.
  12. "Top Hat" (1935) - Directed by Mark Sandrich, featuring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in one of their most famous musicals.
  13. "Modern Times" (1936) - Directed by Charlie Chaplin, a critique of the industrial age featuring the Tramp.
  14. "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (1937) - Directed by David Hand, Disney's first full-length animated feature.
  15. "The Adventures of Robin Hood" (1938) - Directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley, a Technicolor adventure starring Errol Flynn.
  16. "Bringing Up Baby" (1938) - Directed by Howard Hawks, a screwball comedy starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant.
  17. "Gone with the Wind" (1939) - Directed by Victor Fleming, a sweeping epic of the American South during the Civil War.
  18. "The Wizard of Oz" (1939) - Directed by Victor Fleming, a musical fantasy that became a cultural touchstone.
  19. "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" (1939) - Directed by Frank Capra, a political drama starring James Stewart.
  20. "Stagecoach" (1939) - Directed by John Ford, a Western that elevated John Wayne to stardom.
  21. "The Public Enemy" (1931) - A landmark gangster film starring James Cagney.
  22. "Dracula" (1931) - The iconic vampire film starring Bela Lugosi.
  23. "Grand Hotel" (1932) - A star-studded drama that won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
  24. "Trouble in Paradise" (1932) - A sophisticated comedy directed by Ernst Lubitsch.
  25. "42nd Street" (1933) - A pre-Code musical that helped define the genre.
  26. "Gold Diggers of 1933" (1933) - A musical drama famous for its Busby Berkeley choreographed numbers.
  27. "The 39 Steps" (1935) - A classic Alfred Hitchcock thriller.
  28. "A Night at the Opera" (1935) - Another Marx Brothers comedy masterpiece.
  29. "Swing Time" (1936) - A Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers musical with memorable dance sequences.
  30. "Camille" (1936) - A romantic drama starring Greta Garbo.
  31. "The Great Ziegfeld" (1936) - A biographical musical that won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
  32. "Captains Courageous" (1937) - A sea adventure film starring Spencer Tracy.
  33. "Lost Horizon" (1937) - A fantasy adventure film directed by Frank Capra.
  34. "The Awful Truth" (1937) - A screwball comedy starring Cary Grant and Irene Dunne.
  35. "Alexander Nevsky" (1938) - A historical drama directed by Sergei Eisenstein.
  36. "You Can't Take It with You" (1938) - A romantic comedy directed by Frank Capra.
  37. "La Grande Illusion" (1937) - A French war film directed by Jean Renoir.
  38. "Boys Town" (1938) - A biographical drama starring Spencer Tracy.
  39. "Jezebel" (1938) - A romantic drama starring Bette Davis.
  40. "The Lady Vanishes" (1938) - A British mystery thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
  41. "Wuthering Heights" (1939) - A romantic drama based on Emily Brontë's novel.
  42. "Ninotchka" (1939) - A romantic comedy directed by Ernst Lubitsch, starring Greta Garbo.
  43. "Of Mice and Men" (1939) - A drama based on John Steinbeck's novel.
  44. "Gunga Din" (1939) - An adventure film inspired by Rudyard Kipling's poem.
  45. "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (1939) - A drama featuring Charles Laughton.
  46. "Beau Geste" (1939) - An adventure film starring Gary Cooper.
  47. "Destry Rides Again" (1939) - A Western comedy starring Marlene Dietrich and James Stewart.
  48. "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" (1939) - A drama based on James Hilton's novel.
  49. "The Women" (1939) - A comedy-drama with an all-female cast.
  50. "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" (1939) - Featuring Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes. Continuing the journey through the 1930s cinema, we'll expand our list to include a variety of genres, countries, and filmmakers that contributed to the richness of the decade. Here's a continuation to complete the top 100 movies from the 1930s:

  51. "Holiday" (1938) - A romantic comedy starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant.

  52. "Angels with Dirty Faces" (1938) - A crime film starring James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart.
  53. "The Roaring Twenties" (1939) - A gangster film featuring James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart.
  54. "Only Angels Have Wings" (1939) - An adventure drama directed by Howard Hawks.
  55. "The Rules of the Game" (1939) - A French comedy-drama directed by Jean Renoir.
  56. "Stage Door" (1937) - A drama featuring Katharine Hepburn and Ginger Rogers.
  57. "Mutiny on the Bounty" (1935) - A maritime adventure based on the true story of the HMS Bounty.
  58. "The Informer" (1935) - A drama set in the Irish War of Independence.
  59. "Little Women" (1933) - An adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's novel.
  60. "The Old Dark House" (1932) - A horror comedy directed by James Whale.
  61. "The Invisible Man" (1933) - A science fiction horror film directed by James Whale.
  62. "I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang" (1932) - A crime drama based on a true story.
  63. "Freaks" (1932) - A horror film directed by Tod Browning.
  64. "Love Me Tonight" (1932) - A musical comedy directed by Rouben Mamoulian.
  65. "The Sign of the Cross" (1932) - A pre-Code historical epic directed by Cecil B. DeMille.
  66. "Vampyr" (1932) - A horror film directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer.
  67. "The Scarlet Empress" (1934) - A historical drama starring Marlene Dietrich.
  68. "It's a Gift" (1934) - A comedy film starring W.C. Fields.
  69. "The Black Cat" (1934) - A horror film starring Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi.
  70. "The Thin Man Goes Home" (1934) - A detective comedy with William Powell and Myrna Loy.
  71. "Captain Blood" (1935) - An adventure film starring Errol Flynn.
  72. "A Tale of Two Cities" (1935) - An adaptation of Charles Dickens' novel.
  73. "David Copperfield" (1935) - Another Dickens adaptation directed by George Cukor.
  74. "The Bride Comes Home" (1935) - A romantic comedy starring Claudette Colbert.
  75. "Les Misérables" (1935) - An adaptation of Victor Hugo's novel.
  76. "Peter Ibbetson" (1935) - A romantic fantasy drama.
  77. "The Lives of a Bengal Lancer" (1935) - An adventure film set in British India.
  78. "Sabotage" (1936) - A spy thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
  79. "The Charge of the Light Brigade" (1936) - A historical adventure starring Errol Flynn.
  80. "Dodsworth" (1936) - A drama based on Sinclair Lewis' novel.
  81. "My Man Godfrey" (1936) - A screwball comedy starring William Powell and Carole Lombard.
  82. "The Petrified Forest" (1936) - A drama starring Leslie Howard, Bette Davis, and Humphrey Bogart.
  83. "Libeled Lady" (1936) - A screwball comedy featuring Jean Harlow, William Powell, Myrna Loy, and Spencer Tracy.
  84. "The Great Ziegfeld" (1936) - A musical drama that won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
  85. "Pépé le Moko" (1937) - A French crime film starring Jean Gabin.
  86. "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (1937) - Disney's first full-length animated feature.
  87. "The Life of Emile Zola" (1937) - A biographical film about the famous French writer.
  88. "The Awful Truth" (1937) - A screwball comedy starring Cary Grant and Irene Dunne.
  89. "Stella Dallas" (1937) - A drama starring Barbara Stanwyck.
  90. "Dead End" (1937) - A crime drama featuring Humphrey Bogart.
  91. "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" (1938) - An adaptation of Mark Twain's novel.
  92. "Pygmalion" (1938) - A British film adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's play.
  93. "The Lady Vanishes" (1938) - A British mystery thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
  94. "Alexander's Ragtime Band" (1938) - A musical film featuring Irving Berlin's music.
  95. "Boys Town" (1938) - A drama starring Spencer Tracy.
  96. "The Adventures of Robin Hood" (1938) - An adventure film starring Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland.
  97. "You Can't Take It with You" (1938) - A romantic comedy directed by Frank Capra.
  98. "Gunga Din" (1939) - An adventure film inspired by Rudyard Kipling's poem.
  99. "Ninotchka" (1939) - A romantic comedy directed by Ernst Lubitsch, starring Greta Garbo.
  100. "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" (1939) - A drama based on James Hilton's novel.