List of the best movies of 1941, with movie trailers when available. These top movies of 1941 are listed by popularity, so the movies with the most votes are at the top. This list consists of all different movie genres, but each film was released in 1941. You can filter this list of films that came out in 1941 for various bits of information, such as who directed the movie and what genre it is. Think the best 1941 movie isn't as high as it should be? Vote up your favorite so it will rise to the top.
List features movies like Citizen Kane, The Maltese Falcon, and many more
This list answers the questions, "What are the best movies from 1941?" and "What are the most popular movies of 1941?"
1941 was a great year for movies, since a lot of classic films were released in 1941. This is a crowd sourced list that has been voted on by many people, so these top films of 1941 aren't just one persons opinion.Most divisive: The Little Foxes
Over 200 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The 70+ Best Movies of 1941
- 1Citizen Kane is a riveting drama, directed by Orson Welles. The film delves into the life of Charles Foster Kane (Orson Welles), a wealthy newspaper magnate. Told through the memories of those who knew him, the narrative unfolds like a jigsaw puzzle. It's a tale of ambition, power, and the quest for love. Kane's life is revealed in fragments from his humble beginnings to his opulent adulthood. The film, notable for its innovative techniques and narrative structure, won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. Its distinctive storytelling style keeps audiences engrossed till the end.
- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Orson Welles
2In this noir classic, detective Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) gets more than he bargained for when he takes a case brought to him by a beautiful but secretive woman (Mary Astor). As soon as Miss Wonderly shows up, trouble follows as Sam's partner is murdered and Sam is accosted by a man (Peter Lorre) demanding he locate a valuable statuette. Sam, entangled in a dangerous web of crime and intrigue, soon realizes he must find the one thing they all seem to want: the bejeweled Maltese falcon.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: John Huston
3Huw Morgan (Roddy McDowall), the academically inclined youngest son in a proud family of Welsh coal miners, witnesses the tumultuous events of his young life during a period of rapid social change. At the dawn of the 20th century, a miners' strike divides the Morgans: the sons demand improvements, and the father (Donald Crisp) doesn't want to rock the boat. Meanwhile, Huw's eldest sister, Angharad (Maureen O'Hara), pines for the new village preacher, Mr. Gruffydd (Walter Pidgeon).- Released: 1941
- Directed by: John Ford
4When his brother dies, Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney) returns to Wales and reconciles with his father (Claude Rains). While there, he visits an antique shop and, hoping to impress Gwen (Evelyn Ankers), the attractive shopkeeper, buys a silver walking cane. That same night he kills a wolf with it, only to later learn that he actually killed a man (Bela Lugosi). A gypsy (Maria Ouspenskaya) explains that it was her son, a werewolf, that he killed, and that Larry is now one himself.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: George Waggner
5A reporter writes a fictitious column about a man named "John Doe," who claims to despair at America's neglect of the little people and plans to kill himself. The newspaper then hires a ballplayer-turned-hobo to pose as John Doe. In a series of radio addresses written by a publisher with fascist leanings, Doe captures the public's imagination. When he finally realizes he has been used, Doe comes to his senses and becomes the man he never knew he could be.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Frank Capra
6Gentle Dr. Jekyll (Spencer Tracy) experiments with human nature, believing that each person has both good and evil sides that can be brought forth chemically. Jekyll tests a serum on himself, releasing his vicious alter ego, Mr. Hyde, on 19th-century London. Prowling the town, Hyde ventures to a music hall and encounters Ivy (Ingrid Bergman), whom he takes forcibly as his mistress. When the serum's effects wear off, Jekyll vows never to take it again. But Hyde is not gone for good.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Victor Fleming
7Aging mobster Big Mac (Donald MacBride) is looking to pull off one more heist before he retires. With his sights set on robbing a California casino, Big Mac breaks one of his former associates, Roy Earle (Humphrey Bogart), out of prison to mastermind the job. When the robbery goes awry, Earle is forced to go on the lam and settles for the night in the hills of the nearby Sierra Nevadas. But, with the cops on his tail, Earle is soon forced to fend off the law from the mountains.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Raoul Walsh
8It's no accident when wealthy Charles (Henry Fonda) falls for Jean (Barbara Stanwyck). Jean is a con artist with her sights set on Charles' fortune. Matters complicate when Jean starts falling for her mark. When Charles suspects Jean is a gold digger, he dumps her. Jean, fixated on revenge and still pining for the millionaire, devises a plan to get back in Charles' life. With love and payback on her mind, she re-introduces herself to Charles, this time as an aristocrat named Lady Eve Sidwich.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Preston Sturges
9Successful movie director John L. Sullivan (Joel McCrea), convinced he won't be able to film his ambitious masterpiece until he has suffered, dons a hobo disguise and sets off on a journey, aiming to "know trouble" first-hand. When all he finds is a train ride back to Hollywood and a beautiful blonde companion (Veronica Lake), he redoubles his efforts, managing to land himself in more trouble than he bargained for when he loses his memory and ends up a prisoner on a chain gang.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Preston Sturges
10Charming scoundrel Johnnie Aysgarth (Cary Grant) woos wealthy but plain Lina McLaidlaw (Joan Fontaine), who runs away with him despite the warnings of her disapproving father (Cedric Hardwicke). After their marriage, Johnnie's risky financial ventures cause Lina to suspect he's becoming involved in unscrupulous dealings. When his dear friend and business partner, Beaky (Nigel Bruce), dies under suspicious circumstances on a business trip, she fears her husband might kill her for her inheritance.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
11Prize-winning Tennessee marksman Alvin York (Gary Cooper), a recent convert to Christianity, finds himself torn between his non-violent beliefs and his desire to serve his country when recruited to fight in World War I. Kindly Major Buxton (Stanley Ridges) convinces York to engage in battle, where the pacifist's prowess with a rifle earns him honors as he continues to struggle with his decision to kill. Howard Hawks directs this adaptation of the real York's memoirs.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Howard Hawks
12A young circus elephant is born with comically large ears and given the cruel nickname Dumbo. One day at a show, he is taunted by a group of kids, inciting his mother into a rage that gets her locked up. After Dumbo's ears cause an accident that injures many of the other elephants, he is made to dress like a clown and perform dangerous stunts. Everything changes when Dumbo discovers that his enormous ears actually allow him to fly, and he astounds everyone at the circus with his new talent.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Ben Sharpsteen
13Hoping to update his chapter on modern slang, encyclopedia writer Professor Bertram Potts (Gary Cooper) ventures into a chic nightclub. Inside, he meets the snarky burlesque performer "Sugarpuss" O'Shea (Barbara Stanwyck). Fascinated by her command of popular jargon, Potts invites her to stay with him. But, unknown to Potts, she is the fiancée of a mobster (Dana Andrews) and wanted by the police. In the ensuing mayhem, Potts must stay on his toes or be swallowed up by bigger fish.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Howard Hawks
14Since marrying Roger Adams (Cary Grant), Julie (Irene Dunne) has wanted to start a family. An accident while she's visiting Japan causes a miscarriage and makes Julie incapable of having children. After they adopt a little girl, Trina (Eva Lee Kuney), Roger's small newspaper folds, and the couple has to fight in court to keep her. Even though they succeed, another tragedy strikes out of nowhere. The Adams' marriage looks headed for divorce, unless something brings them close again.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: George Stevens
15Excited at the idea of producing a film about a children's book, humorist Robert Benchley visits the Walt Disney Studio to offer the idea. At the studio, Benchley evades an enthusiastic young tour guide and, wandering about the lot, goes into a drawing class. He then visits a soundstage, where he watches a couple recording a song, unaware they provide voices for famous cartoon characters. Benchley later visits the camera stage and then the animation department, where he discovers a surprise.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Alfred L. Werker
16Hold That Ghost is a 1941 comedy horror film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello and featuring Joan Davis, Evelyn Ankers, and Richard Carlson. On August 1, 1941, Abbott and Costello performed a live version of the film for radio audiences on Louella Parsons' Hollywood Premiere.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Arthur Lubin
17When small-town courtesan Emma Hart (Vivien Leigh) suddenly finds herself married to British Ambassador Sir William Hamilton (Alan Mowbray), her little world is turned upside down. Just as Emma is finally settling into her new life as the eponymous Lady Hamilton, she meets British naval hero Horatio Nelson (Laurence Olivier) and the two fall madly in love. However, their forbidden romance is soon threatened by the ever-growing shadow of the Napoleonic Wars.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Alexander Korda
18In San Francisco, retired Detective Nick Charles (William Powell) and his attractive wife, Nora (Myrna Loy), learn from police Lt. Abrams of the murder of a race jockey, but Nick refuses to get involved. Approached later by athletics commission head Maj. Jason Scully and reporter Paul Clarke (Barry Nelson), Nick still declines to investigate. When another reporter is murdered and Paul is arrested, Nick gives way to Nora's plea and, with their fox terrier Asta, sets out to solve the murders.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: W. S. Van Dyke
19Tired of working the traveling sideshow circuit in Africa, con men Chuck Reardon (Bing Crosby) and Hubert "Fearless" Frazier (Bob Hope) get tangled up with tycoon Charles Kimble (Eric Blore), who fleeces them with the deed to a worthless diamond mine. After swindling someone else with the same mine deed, the boys rescue a pair of seemingly innocent young cuties in peril, Donna (Dorothy Lamour) and Julia (Una Merkel), not realizing that the girls are confidence tricksters themselves.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Victor Schertzinger
20Mr. & Mrs. Smith is a 1941 screwball comedy film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, written by Norman Krasna, and starring Carole Lombard and Robert Montgomery. It also features Gene Raymond, Jack Carson, Philip Merivale and Lucile Watson. While Hitchcock later claimed he directed the film—the only pure comedy he made in America—as a favor to Lombard, the files at RKO Radio Pictures show that Hitchcock himself pursued the project.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
21In The Navy is a 1941 film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. It was the second service comedy based on the peacetime draft of 1940. The comedy team appeared in two other service comedies in 1941, before the United States entered the war: Buck Privates released in January and Keep 'Em Flying released in November.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Arthur Lubin
22Keep 'Em Flying
Lou Costello, Bud Abbott, Martha RayeKeep 'Em Flying is a 1941 film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. The film was the third service comedy based on the peacetime draft of 1940. The comedy team appeared in two previous service comedies in 1941, before the United States entered the war: Buck Privates released in January, and In the Navy released in May. The movie title is taken from the official motto of the Army Air Force.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Arthur Lubin
23Kathleen
Shirley Temple, Herbert Marshall, Laraine DayTwelve year-old Kathleen Davis (Shirley Temple) finds comfort from the loneliness caused by her neglectful father, John (Herbert Marshall), by daydreaming plots against her hated governess. To Kathleen's dismay, John brings home haughty Lorraine Bennett (Gail Patrick) and announces she will be Kathleen's new mother. A medical specialist advises John to have Kathleen see psychologist Dr. Angela Kent (Laraine Day), who immediately sides with Kathleen and concludes that it is John who needs help.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Harold S. Bucquet
24Minnie wants Mickey to clean up her yard - or else he won't get any of her just-out-of-the-oven cake. Mickey cleans the yard, but then wrecks it trying to get rid of a pesky tornado.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Riley Thomson
25During the 1920s, three New York girls pursue careers performing in the iconic Ziegfeld Follies. Susan (Judy Garland) is a vaudeville performer who desires nothing more than a shot at the big time. Sheila (Lana Turner), who works as an elevator girl, is granted an audition with Flo Ziegfeld himself. And Sandra (Hedy Lamarr) draws the eye of a dance director after her husband auditions for a position in the orchestra. However, their career ambitions soon complicate their romantic relationships.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Robert Z. Leonard
26George Armstrong Custer (Errol Flynn) is a rebellious but ambitious soldier, eager to join the Civil War. During the war, Custer has numerous successes to his credit, even though he disobeys orders. After the war concludes, he marries Libby Bacon (Olivia de Havilland) and is assigned to the Dakota Territory. Custer negotiates honestly with the Sioux on land, but due to corruption from others, a battle with Sitting Bull's forces occurs at Little Big Horn.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Raoul Walsh
27After being expelled from his academy, wealthy youngster Chris Winters (John Payne) lives it up with his socialite girlfriend, Helene Hunt (Nancy Kelly). But soon his military hero father forces Chris to enlist in the marines. There Chris must overcome his reputation as a spoiled brat to earn the respect of iron-willed Sgt. Dixie Smith (Randolph Scott). Meanwhile, the new recruit struggles to impress Mary Carter (Maureen O'Hara), a beautiful nurse who outranks him.- Released: 1942
- Directed by: H. Bruce Humberstone
28Tortoise Beats Hare
Mel BlancTortoise Beats Hare is a 1941 Merrie Melodies animated short directed by Tex Avery. The short stars Bugs Bunny and, in his first appearance, Cecil Turtle.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Tex Avery
29Investment adviser Francis Warren (Errol Flynn) moonlights secretly as the author of detective novels. When a client who wants to cash in a stash of jewels is murdered, Francis believes that -- with his insight into the criminal world -- he can solve the case. His first suspect, however, meets a mysterious end. As the investigation grows more complicated than Francis imagined, he is unexpectedly accused of infidelity by his wife, Rita (Brenda Marshall), and also suspected by the police.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Lloyd Bacon
- 30Boxer Joe Pendleton (Robert Montgomery) is killed in a plane crash on the way to a championship fight. Unfortunately, Joe wasn't supposed to die and is brought up to heaven too soon by an overeager angel (Edward Everett Horton). The angel's boss, Mr. Jordan (Claude Rains), sends Joe back to earth in the body of a murdered playboy to straighten out his life and resume his boxing career. Along the way, he meets an idealistic young woman (Evelyn Keyes) and falls head over heels in love.
- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Alexander Hall
31A happily married architect, Steve (William Powell), and his wife, Susan (Myrna Loy), plan a romantic celebration for their fourth anniversary, but their evening is interrupted when Susan's meddling mother, Mrs. Cooper (Florence Bates), stops by for a visit. Later, when Mrs. Cooper eavesdrops on Steve talking with an old flame, Isobel (Gail Patrick), she tells Susan, who files for divorce. Steve, still in love with Susan, decides he must feign insanity to stop the divorce proceedings.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Jack Conway
32The Heckling Hare is a Merrie Melodies cartoon, released on July 5, 1941 and featuring Bugs Bunny and a dopey dog named Willoughby. The cartoon was directed by Tex Avery, written by Michael Maltese, animated by soon-to-be director Bob McKimson, and with musical direction by Carl Stalling. In style that was becoming typical of the Bugs character, he easily outwitted and tormented his antagonist through the short, his only concern being what to do next to the dog. This is the second-to-last Bugs Bunny cartoon directed by Tex Avery to be released. The last, All This and Rabbit Stew, was produced before this film. Additionally, it was the fifth cartoon for Bugs and the 55th cartoon Avery directed at Warner Bros. The Merrie Melodies opening sequence also featured the first usage of the Warner Bros. shield logo zooming in with a carrot-munching Bugs Bunny lying on top of it. For the first time, the "Warner Bros." and "Present" graphics are already on the screen when the title card is shown before the shield zooms in. Here, after the zoom-in and a couple of bites of his carrot, Bugs pulls down the Merrie Melodies title screen like it is a shade.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Tex Avery
33Regina Hubbard Giddens (Bette Davis) and her scheming brothers, Oscar (Carl Benton Reid) and Ben (Charles Dingle), plan to get rich from a cotton mill, but first they must tap into the wealth of Regina's sickly husband, Horace Giddens (Herbert Marshall). The trio attempts to marry Regina's daughter Alexandra (Teresa Wright) to Oscar's son Leo (Dan Duryea). When that plan fails, their schemes devolve into theft and blackmail, driving an irreparable wedge between family members.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: William Wyler
34Two-Faced Woman
Greta Garbo, Melvyn Douglas, Constance BennettTwo-Faced Woman is a 1941 American romantic comedy film directed by George Cukor and starring Greta Garbo, Melvyn Douglas, Constance Bennett, and Roland Young. Fashion magazine editor Larry Blake (Melvyn Douglas) marries ski instructor Karin Borg (Greta Garbo) on impulse, but she soon learns he expects her to be a dutiful wife, and not the independent woman she was when they met.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: George Cukor
35Great Guns
Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Sheila RyanOverjoyed to escape his overprotective aunts when he receives a draft notice, wealthy young Dan Forrester (Dick Nelson) goes to training camp, followed by his faithful chauffeur, Oliver (Oliver Hardy), and gardener, Stan (Stan Laurel). Although Dan takes to the grueling routine, Oliver and Stan are run ragged but nobly continue to believe that Dan needs their help. When Dan falls for photographer Ginger Hammond (Sheila Ryan), the boys do everything they can to break up the budding romance.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Monty Banks
36Martin Cortland (Robert Benchley), a philandering Broadway producer, is caught by his wife buying a gift for a chorus dancer, Sheila Winthrop (Rita Hayworth). To save his marriage, Martin insists that dancer Bob Curtis (Fred Astaire) bought the gift, and sets the two up on date. Soon after, Bob is drafted into World War II and sent to boot camp. When Sheila travels to the camp to perform for the troops and visit her real boyfriend, Tom (John Hubbard), she and Bob fall in love.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Sidney Lanfield
37The third installment in the "Backyard Musical" trilogy, "Babes on Broadway" follows restaurant singer Tommy Williams (Mickey Rooney) on his quest to make it to Broadway. Penny Morris (Judy Garland), also a singer, teams up with Tommy to produce a show that will benefit orphaned children. What Penny doesn't know is that Tommy is actually the only one who will benefit from the show. Tommy struggles to maintain his friendships and his morals as he strives for fame and fortune in the big city.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Busby Berkeley
38The family of wealthy, elderly Henrietta Winslow (Cecilia Loftus) gathers for an advance reading of her will. Believing Henrietta is near death, her nephew, Montague (Basil Rathbone), has brought along realtor Gil Smith (Broderick Crawford). Dismayed that the family anticipates her demise, Henrietta reads her will and stuns everyone by adding that no one can inherit until the estate guardian, Abigail (Gale Sondergaard), dies. When Henrietta is murdered, Abigail fears her own life is in danger.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Albert Rogell
- The Little Foxes is a 1939 play by Lillian Hellman, considered a classic of 20th century drama. Its title comes from Chapter 2, Verse 15 of the Song of Solomon in the King James version of the Bible, which reads, "Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes." Set in a small town in Alabama in 1900, it focuses on the struggle for control of a family business. Tallulah Bankhead starred in the original production as Regina Hubbard Giddens.
- Released: 1941
- Directed by: William Wyler
40After the Civil War, Union troops catch Belle Shirley (Gene Tierney), a Southern belle, harboring the wanted Confederate guerrilla fighter Sam Starr (Randolph Scott). In retribution, Union major and old friend Thomas Crail (Dana Andrews) must follow orders by burning down their home and arresting Shirley's brother (John Shepperd). Incensed, Shirley springs Starr from jail and joins his rebels. But after marrying Starr, Shirley discovers the outlaw life is not what she thought it would be.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Irving Cummings
41Lovely refugee Johnny Jones (Hedy Lamarr) is having an affair with publisher Barton Kendrick (Ian Hunter), but he is married to Diana (Verree Teasdale). When Johnny finds she has a week to either marry or be deported, she settles on struggling novelist Bill Smith (James Stewart), who agrees to marry her for a $17.80 weekly salary. When Barton proposes to divorce his wife and marry her, Johnny breaks the news that she is already married. All four lovers must decide whom they truly love.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Clarence Brown
42All the World's a Stooge
Larry Fine, Moe Howard, Curly HowardAll the World's a Stooge is the 55th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Del Lord
43John P. Merrick, the world's richest man, is annoyed to hear workers at one of his stores are trying to form a union. Getting a menial job, he's determined to root out the troublemakers, but soon finds their grievances are genuine through Miss Jones, Merrick's co-worker and O'Brien's girlfriend. Eventually, Merrick leads the fight for decent rights and also finds a girl of his own.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Sam Wood
44Private detectives Wolf J. Flywheel, Wacky and Ravelli (The Marx Brothers) are hired by the officious Martha Phelps (Margaret Dumont), co-owner of the Phelps Department Store. Her beloved nephew, Tommy (Tony Martin), has been assaulted, shortly after he announced plans to sell his share of the store. Unbeknownst to Martha, the culprit is her fiancé, sleazy store manager Mr. Grover (Douglas Dumbrille), who wants Tommy dead before the sale exposes his years of fraud and theft.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Charles Reisner
45As a surefire way to receive good press, bandleader Phil Corey (Glenn Miller) and his ensemble decide to adopt a war refugee. When it turns out that their adoptee isn't a child, but a pretty Scandinavian woman named Karen Benson (Sonja Henie), it leads to a flirtatious relationship with the group's pianist, Ted Scott (John Payne), who is already involved with singer Vivian Dawn (Lynn Bari). As the band heads to snowy Idaho for a gig, romantic drama, skiing, ice skating and musical numbers ensue.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: H. Bruce Humberstone
46In the 1880s, con man Candy Johnson (Clark Gable) settles in Yellow Creek after meeting the town's beautiful and smart resident Elizabeth Cotton (Lana Turner) on a train. Candy recognizes Elizabeth's father, Judge Cotton (Frank Morgan) as a one-time con man, but the judge has turned his life around and hopes to keep Candy away from his daughter. With tips from old flame "Gold Dust" (Claire Trevor), Candy gradually takes control of the town but is brought up short by Elizabeth's plans.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Jack Conway
47Never Give a Sucker an Even Break
W.C. Fields, Gloria Jean, Margaret DumontFilmmaker Bill Fields (W.C. Fields) and his lovely niece, Gloria (Gloria Jean), are determined to sell a script to a producer (Franklin Pangborn). As they read the story, it comes to life, and Bill and Gloria are traveling by airplane. They fall out of the plane and land in the mansion of a strange woman, Mrs. Hemogloben (Margaret Dumont) and her equally strange daughter, Ouilotta (Susan Miller). Battling his rival (Leon Errol) and a love-sick gorilla, Bill makes it back to civilization.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Edward F. Cline
48All This and Rabbit Stew
Mel BlancAll This and Rabbit Stew is a one-reel animated cartoon short subject in the Merrie Melodies series, produced in Technicolor and released to theatres on September 20, 1941 by Warner Bros. and Vitaphone. It was produced by Leon Schlesinger and directed by an uncredited Tex Avery, with musical supervision by Carl W. Stalling The cartoon was the final Avery-directed Bugs Bunny short to be released. Although it was produced before The Heckling Hare, it was released afterwards. The title is a parody of that of All This and Heaven Too. Because the cartoon was released after Avery left Warner Bros., Avery's name does not appear in the credits. After copyright on All This and Rabbit Stew expired in 1969, the film fell into the public domain. The cartoon has been considered highly controversial due to racial stereotyping, which prompted United Artists to withhold this cartoon from syndication a year before it entered the public domain, making it one of the infamous Censored Eleven. The plot has Bugs Bunny hunted by a slow-witted African American hunter who sounds and looks like Stepin Fetchit.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Tex Avery, Bob Clampett
49Impressionable teacher Emmy (Olivia de Havilland) is swept off her feet when she meets Georges (Charles Boyer) in a Mexican border town. Unaware that Georges is a gigolo looking for a woman who will unwittingly help him get a green card, Emmy marries him after only a few days. While carrying out the charade, Georges begins to fall for Emmy, angering his girlfriend, Anita (Paulette Goddard). As his scheme is jeopardized, Georges learns keeping Emmy may be more important than his green card.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Mitchell Leisen
50Farmer Jabez Stone (James Craig), about to lose his land, agrees to sell his soul to the devil (Walter Huston), known as Mr. Scratch, who gives Jabez seven years to enjoy the fruits of his sale before he collects. Over that time, Jabez pays off his debts and helps many neighboring farmers, then becomes an advocate for the upstanding Sen. Daniel Webster (Edward Arnold). When Jabez's contract with Mr. Scratch concludes, he desperately turns to Webster to represent him in a trial for his soul.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: William Dieterle
51Affectionately Yours
Merle Oberon, Dennis Morgan, Rita HayworthTired of being ignored while her husband, Rick (Dennis Morgan), circles the globe -- and eyes the ladies -- as a war correspondent, Sue Marberry (Merle Oberon) obtains a quick and easy divorce. Rick returns to New York, hoping to win Sue back, which looks impossible since she has a new fiancé, Owen Wright (Ralph Bellamy). Undeterred, Rick pretends to date fellow scribe Irene Malcom (Rita Hayworth) so he can get Sue jealous and back into his arms. There's just one problem: Irene falls for Rick.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Lloyd Bacon
52After Johnny Eager (Robert Taylor) is released from jail, the unreformed gangster fools his parole officer (Henry O'Neill) into believing his ways are changed. In actuality, Eager wants to return to racketeering by opening a dog-racing track, but the man who put him behind bars (Edward Arnold) is in the way. When that man's stepdaughter (Lana Turner) falls for Eager, the crook uses her as leverage to get what he wants. In this world of deceit, Jeff Hartnett (Van Heflin) is Eager's only friend.- Released: 1942
- Directed by: Mervyn LeRoy
53Brash young Spanish peasant Juan Gallardo (Tyrone Power) aspires to follow his dead father's footsteps into the bullring, despite his mother's fears. Bidding his childhood sweetheart Carmen (Linda Darnell) farewell, Juan and his friends travel to Madrid to learn the bullfighting craft. Years later, when Juan's fame as a matador soars, he returns to Seville to marry Carmen. Soon, Juan's head is turned by the elegant temptress Doña Sol De Muira (Rita Hayworth), and his career takes a turn.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Rouben Mamoulian
54Ladies in Retirement
Ida Lupino, Louis Hayward, Evelyn KeyesBased on the play by Reginald Denham and Edward Percy, this drama focuses on Ellen Creed (Ida Lupino), a housekeeper who looks after Leonora Fiske, a retired actress living in the English countryside. When Ellen's eccentric sisters (Edith Barrett, Elsa Lanchester) visit their sibling at Leonora's home, tensions soon lead to murder. Though the death is carefully covered up, will the murderess get away with her crime, or will she be brought to justice?- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Charles Vidor
55In 1941, 15-year-old Londoner Ronald Mittsby (George Cole) evacuates to a small Scottish village and is placed in the home of inventor John Barrington (Leslie Banks) and his eccentric wife. The nosy Ronald discovers that John is working on a secret weapon. With the arrival of wounded but ominous RAF pilot George Perry (John Mills), quirky boarder Charles Dimble (Alastair Sim) and John's distracted assistant, Ronald is certain that he has uncovered a dastardly spy plot.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Anthony Asquith
56Engineer Edward Creighton (Dean Jagger) is part of a vast enterprise: stringing a telegraph line across America. When he has an accident in the field, Creighton is saved by bank robber Vance Shaw (Randolph Scott). Creighton later hires Shaw as a scout, despite his criminal past. As Western Union starts construction of the telegraph line through American Indian territory, Shaw's criminal past resurfaces when an old criminal cohort makes an appearance.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Fritz Lang
57Tarzan's Secret Treasure is a 1941 Tarzan film based on the character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs. It is the fifth in the MGM Tarzan series to star Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O'Sullivan.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Richard Thorpe
58Adventures of Captain Marvel
Jack Mulhall, Reed Hadley, Kenne DuncanAdventures of Captain Marvel is a 1941 twelve-chapter Republic Pictures film serial directed by John English and William Witney, adapted from the popular Captain Marvel comic book character then appearing in Fawcett Comics publications such as Whiz Comics and Captain Marvel Adventures. It starred Tom Tyler in the title role of Captain Marvel and Frank Coghlan, Jr. as his alter ego, Billy Batson. This serial was the twenty-first of the sixty-six serials produced by Republic and their first comic book adaptation, not counting comic strips. The serial featured an adaptation of the Fawcett Comics superhero, placed within an original story. He fights a masked criminal mastermind called The Scorpion who is determined to gain control of a powerful ray weapon, which takes the form of a large metallic scorpion with removable lenses that must be aligned in order to activate the ray.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: William Witney, John English
59Charlie Chan in Rio
Mary Beth Hughes, Sheila Ryan, Ethel GriffiesCharlie Chan in Rio is a 1941 film featuring the Asian detective Charlie Chan. It was the tenth film to feature Sidney Toler as the title character, who is called upon to investigate the death of a suspected murderer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Harry Lachman
60Glamorous starlet Vicky Lynn (Carole Landis) is murdered, and the cops want to pin the killing on her manager, fast-talking Frankie Christopher (Victor Mature). But the more Vicky's sensible sister, Jill (Betty Grable), finds out about Frankie, the less she suspects him of the crime. As Jill and Frankie fall in love, the detective in charge of the case (Laird Cregar) develops a morbid obsession with punishing Frankie, leading to a shocking conclusion.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: H. Bruce Humberstone
61Week-End in Havana is a 1941 Fox Technicolor musical film directed by Walter Lang. The movie stars Alice Faye and Carmen Miranda. It was the second of three pictures the two stars made together and the second Faye film to have a Latin-American theme, typical for Fox musicals of the early 1940s. Faye was pregnant during filming.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Walter Lang
62Time Out for Rhythm
Rudy Vallee, Ann Miller, Rosemary LaneTalent agents Danny Collins (Rudy Vallee) and Mike Armstrong (Richard Lane) run a successful partnership, until Mike is approached by ambitious singer and former college friend Frances Lewis (Rosemary Lane). Playing on Mike's attraction to her, Frances demands that she star in their new show. When Danny discovers that Frances' maid, Kitty (Ann Miller), is a talented dancer, he hires her too -- provoking Frances' determination to break up both the business and the partners' friendship.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Sidney Salkow
63Smilin' Through
Jeanette MacDonald, Brian Aherne, Gene RaymondAfter his wife, Moonyean (Jeanette MacDonald), is murdered on their wedding day, John Carteret (Brian Aherne) is determined to live a life of solitude, only communing with his wife through the spirit world. He soon hears of his wife's orphaned niece, Kathleen (also MacDonald) and agrees to take her in. As she grows older she resembles Moonyean more and more. John is shocked, however, to find she's fallen in love with the son of Moonyean's murderer, and he tries to keep her from him.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Frank Borzage
64Bad Man of Deadwood
Roy Rogers, Monte Blue, George "Gabby" HayesBad Man of Deadwood is a 1941 American film directed by Joseph Kane and starring Roy Rogers.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Joseph Kane
65Vacuum cleaner salesmen Homer Smith (Jimmy Durante) and Brewster Jones (Phil Silvers) offend technophobic Col. Dobson while trying to sell him a vacuum. Determined to make a sale, Homer pitches to a recruitment officer -- and inadvertently enlists himself and Brewster in the army. The two are attached to Dobson's cavalry unit, where they are assigned to sell Dobson on the value of tanks with the aid of Dobson's daughter, Bliss (Jane Wyman), and her fiancé, Capt. Joe Radcliffe (Regis Toomey).- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Lewis Seiler
66The death of their wounded pilot friend during surgery recommended by Dr. Doug Lee (Errol Flynn) earns him the wrath of Navy fliers Joe Blake (Fred MacMurray) and Tim Griffin (Regis Toomey). To their dismay, Doug enrolls in a pilot training course in order to better study the effects of flying on pilots, and both fliers end up participating in his experiments. Joined by flight surgeon Lance Rogers (Ralph Bellamy), the men sacrifice everything to make the skies safer for military aviators.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Michael Curtiz
67Quiet Wedding
David Tomlinson, Athene Seyler, Jean CadellQuiet Wedding is a 1941 British comedy film directed by Anthony Asquith and starring Margaret Lockwood, Derek Farr and Marjorie Fielding. The screenplay was written by Terence Rattigan and Anatole de Grunwald based on the play Quiet Wedding by Esther McCracken which was later remade as Happy is the Bride.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Anthony Asquith
68The Ghost Train
Arthur Askey, Richard Murdoch, Kathleen HarrisonAfter his hat flies out the window of a speeding train, passenger and music-hall performer Tommy Gander (Arthur Askey) yanks the emergency brake, causing the train to stop. All the passengers are stuck in rural Cornwall, England that night, unable to get a connecting train for hours. The stationmaster, Saul Hodgkin (Herbert Lomas), wants them gone for mysterious reasons, so he tells them a scary story about a ghost train that passes through every night, hoping that will do the trick.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Walter Forde
69Glamour Boy
Jackie Cooper, Susanna FosterGlamour Boy is a 1941 film is directed by Ralph Murphy.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Ralph Murphy
70Electric company foreman Hank McHenry (Edward G. Robinson) works with his friend Johnny Marshall (George Raft). Upon the death of an older worker in an accident, Hank and Johnny visit the man's daughter, Fay (Marlene Dietrich), who has just been released from jail. Johnny takes an instant dislike to the jaded Fay, but Hank begins courting her and, despite not loving him, Fay eventually marries him. Later, when Hank brings Johnny home for care when he is ill, Fay falls in love and sparks fly.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Raoul Walsh
71Frøken Kirkemus
Marguerite VibyFrøken Kirkemus is a 1941 Danish family film directed by Lau Lauritzen, Jr. and Alice O'Fredericks.- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Lau Lauritzen, Jr., Alice O'Fredericks
