The Best Comedies of the 1940s

Updated July 8, 2019 3.0k votes 500 voters 19.9k views61 items

List RulesVote up your favorite film comedies that were released in the 1940s.

The comedy films of the 1940s are a diverse group of films, running the gamut from social commentary, slapstick comedy, comedies of manners, and everything in between. While comedy stalwarts like Charlie Chaplin continued doing significant work in the ‘40s, new faces emerged and old ones reemerged.

The 1940 film The Philadelphia Story might top your list of the best ‘40s comedy movies. Starring Katherine Hepburn in her first role after a series of disastrous box office flops, the film was a massive hit, receiving six Oscar nominations. Jimmy Stewart won the Academy Award for Best Actor. Charlie Chaplin’s film The Great Dictator is another significant ‘40s comedy movie. A satirical takedown of Adolph Hitler, the film helped turn the tide of public opinion in the United States, and it remains one of Chaplin’s most iconic roles.

Also on this list of the greatest ‘40s comedy movies, you’ll find other classic titles like His Girl Friday and Arsenic and Old Lace. Vote up the best 1940s comedies below, and be sure to let us know what you think in the comment section.

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Arsenic and Old Lace
Cary Grant, Peter Lorre
Released: 1944
Directed by: Frank Capra
Arsenic and Old Lace is a 1944 American dark comedy film directed by Frank Capra, starring... more
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His Girl Friday
Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell
Released: 1940
Directed by: Howard Hawks
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His Girl Friday is a 1940 American screwball comedy film directed by Howard Hawks, from an... more
More His Girl Friday
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The Philadelphia Story
Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant
Released: 1940
Directed by: George Cukor
The Philadelphia Story is a 1940 American romantic comedy film directed by George Cukor,... more
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The Shop Around the Corner
James Stewart, Frank Morgan
Released: 1940
Directed by: Ernst Lubitsch
The Shop Around the Corner is a 1940 American romantic comedy film produced and directed by... more
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The Lady Eve
Henry Fonda, Barbara Stanwyck
Released: 1941
Directed by: Preston Sturges
The Lady Eve is a 1941 American screwball comedy film written and directed by Preston Sturges... more
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Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House
Cary Grant, Myrna Loy
Released: 1948
Directed by: H. C. Potter
Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House is an American comedy film directed by H. C. Potter and... more
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The Bishop's Wife
Cary Grant, David Niven
Released: 1947
Directed by: Henry Koster
The Bishop's Wife, also known as Cary and the Bishop's Wife, is a Samuel Goldwyn romantic... more
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Christmas in Connecticut
Barbara Stanwyck, Sydney Greenstreet
Released: 1945
Directed by: Peter Godfrey
Christmas in Connecticut is a 1945 American Christmas film and romantic comedy directed by... more
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The Great Dictator
Charlie Chaplin, Paulette Goddard
Released: 1940
Directed by: Charlie Chaplin
The Great Dictator is a 1940 American satirical political comedy-drama film starring, written,... more
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Shadow of the Thin Man
Ava Gardner, Myrna Loy
Released: 1941
Directed by: W. S. Van Dyke
Shadow of the Thin Man is the fourth of the six The Thin Man films. It was released in 1941... more
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The Major and the Minor
Ginger Rogers, Ray Milland
Released: 1942
Directed by: Billy Wilder
The Major and the Minor is a 1942 American comedy film starring Ginger Rogers and Ray Milland.... more
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The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer
Cary Grant, Shirley Temple
Released: 1947
Directed by: Irving Reis
The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer is a 1947 American comedy, directed by Irving Reis and... more
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Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein
Vincent Price, Bela Lugosi
Released: 1948
Directed by: Charles Barton
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein, or Bud Abbott Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein... more
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Sullivan's Travels
Veronica Lake, Preston Sturges
Released: 1941
Directed by: Preston Sturges
Sullivan's Travels is a 1942 American comedy film written and directed by Preston Sturges. It... more
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To Be or Not to Be
Carole Lombard, Jack Benny
Released: 1942
Directed by: Ernst Lubitsch
To Be or Not to Be is a 1942 American comedy directed by Ernst Lubitsch, about a troupe of... more
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Holiday Inn
Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire
Released: 1942
Directed by: Mark Sandrich
Holiday Inn is a 1942 American musical film directed by Mark Sandrich and starring Bing Crosby... more
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Ball of Fire
Barbara Stanwyck, Gary Cooper
Released: 1941
Directed by: Howard Hawks
This film is a 1941 American screwball comedy film directed by Howard Hawks and starring Gary... more
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The Thin Man Goes Home
Myrna Loy, William Powell
Released: 1945
Directed by: Richard Thorpe
The Thin Man Goes Home is a 1945 motion picture directed by Richard Thorpe. It is the fifth of... more
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Adam's Rib
Katharine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy
Released: 1949
Directed by: George Cukor
Adam's Rib is a 1949 American romantic comedy film directed by George Cukor. Domestic and... more
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A Night in Casablanca
Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx
Released: 1946
Directed by: Archie Mayo
A Night in Casablanca is the twelfth Marx Brothers movie, starring Groucho Marx, Chico Marx,... more
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The Palm Beach Story
Claudette Colbert, Mary Astor
Released: 1942
Directed by: Preston Sturges
The Palm Beach Story is a 1942 romantic screwball comedy film written and directed by Preston... more
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Hold That Ghost
Lou Costello, Bud Abbott
Released: 1941
Directed by: Arthur Lubin
Hold That Ghost is a 1941 comedy horror film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello... more
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Anchors Aweigh
Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly
Released: 1945
Directed by: George Sidney
Anchors Aweigh is a 1945 American Technicolor musical comedy film directed by George Sidney... more

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The Man Who Came to Dinner
Bette Davis, Ann Sheridan
Released: 1942
Directed by: William Keighley
The Man Who Came to Dinner is a 1942 American comedy film directed by William Keighley, and... more
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I Married a Witch
Veronica Lake, Susan Hayward
Released: 1942
Directed by: René Clair
I Married a Witch is a 1942 fantasy romantic comedy film, directed by René Clair, and starring... more