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The Best Kids Movies of the 1940s

Updated July 8, 2019 1.9k votes 291 voters 8.6k views36 items

List RulesVote up your favorite children films that were released in the 1940s

The best 1940s kids movies are iconic, and definitely family friendly. Classic characters, such as Bambi, Dumbo, and Pinocchio, were introduced in the ‘40s, cementing their place in pop culture history. All produced by Disney, these pictures represented a golden age of Disney animation, one that wouldn’t reoccur again until the end of the 20th century.

Also on this list of the greatest 1940s kids movies, you'll find Fantasia, the most legendary Disney animated film. Featuring numerous short sketches set to classical music, Fantasia brought Mickey Mouse, who had declined in popularity, back into the public eye. The movie won numerous awards and is regarded as one of the greatest animated films ever made.

In addition, the 1940s saw the rise of the family-friendly dog movie. Movies like My Pal Wolf and A Boy and His Dog were immensely popular in the ‘40s. Familiar canine pals such as Lassie also had major movie careers in the ‘40s. Paired up with big stars of the day, like Elizabeth Taylor and Roddy McDowell, Lassie appeared in numerous popular children’s films in the decade.

Vote up the best '40s kids movies below, and be sure to let us know what you think in the comment section.

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13
Bambi
Sterling Holloway, Sam Edwards
Released: 1942
Directed by: James Algar, Samuel Armstrong, Paul Satterfield, Bill Roberts, Norman Wright
Bambi is a 1942 American animated drama film directed by David Hand, produced by Walt Disney... more on Wikipedia
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81
21
Fun and Fancy Free
Walt Disney, Dinah Shore
Released: 1947
Directed by: Bill Roberts, Hamilton Luske, William Morgan, Jack Kinney
Fun and Fancy Free is a 1947 animated feature produced by Walt Disney and released by RKO... more on Wikipedia
More Fun and Fancy Free
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78
19
Make Mine Music
Dinah Shore, Benny Goodman
Released: 1946
Directed by: Robert Cormack, Hamilton Luske, Clyde Geronimi, Joshua Meador, Jack Kinney
Make Mine Music is an 1946 American animated anthology film produced by Walt Disney and... more on Wikipedia
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76
19
Fantasia
Walt Disney, Corey Burton
Released: 1940
Directed by: Wilfred Jackson, James Algar, Samuel Armstrong, T. Hee, Ford Beebe
Fantasia is a 1940 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and released by Walt Disney... more on Wikipedia
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66
14
Pinocchio
Mel Blanc, Cliff Edwards
Released: 1940
Directed by: Wilfred Jackson, T. Hee, Bill Roberts, Hamilton Luske, Ben Sharpsteen
Pinocchio is a 1940 American animated musical fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Productions... more on Wikipedia
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Miracle on 34th Street
Natalie Wood, Maureen O'Hara
Released: 1947
Directed by: George Seaton
Miracle on 34th Street is a 1947 Christmas film written and directed by George Seaton and... more on Wikipedia
More Miracle on 34th Street
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50
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The Invisible Mouse
Tom is chasing Jerry as usual, when Jerry dives into a bottle of ink to hide. Not noticing,... more on Wikipedia

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Disney Learning Adventures: Mickey and the Beanstalk
Walt Disney, Billy Gilbert
Released: 1947
Directed by: Bill Roberts, Hamilton Luske
Disney Learning Adventures: Mickey and the Beanstalk is a segment of 1947 animated feature Fun...
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Peter and the Wolf
Sterling Holloway
Released: 1946
Directed by: Clyde Geronimi
Peter and the Wolf is an 1946 animated short based on the 1936 musical composition/fairy tale... more on Wikipedia
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41
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The Secret Garden
Dean Stockwell, Margaret O'Brien
Released: 1949
Directed by: Fred M. Wilcox
The Secret Garden is a 1949 US drama film. It is the second screen adaptation of the classic... more on Wikipedia
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46
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Melody Time
Mel Blanc, Roy Rogers
Released: 1948
Directed by: Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske, Clyde Geronimi, Jack Kinney
Melody Time, a 1948 film, is the 10th theatrically released animated feature produced by Walt... more on Wikipedia
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#135 of 575 The Best Animated Films Ever#117 of 206 Musical Movies With the Best Songs
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The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
Bing Crosby, Basil Rathbone
Released: 1949
Directed by: James Algar, Clyde Geronimi, Jack Kinney
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad is a 1949 animated package film produced by Walt Disney... more on Wikipedia
More The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
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39
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Lassie Come Home
Elizabeth Taylor, Roddy McDowall
Released: 1943
Directed by: Fred M. Wilcox
Lassie Come Home is a 1943 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Technicolor feature film starring Roddy... more on Wikipedia
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36
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Jungle Book
John Qualen, Sabu Dastagir
Released: 1942
Directed by: Zoltan Korda
Jungle Book is a 1942 independent Indian/American Technicolor action-adventure film by the... more on Wikipedia
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#25 of 43 The Best Adventure Movies That Take Place in the Jungle#195 of 525 The Best Fantasy Movies
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Courage of Lassie
Elizabeth Taylor, Frank Morgan
Released: 1946
Directed by: Fred M. Wilcox
Courage of Lassie is a 1946 Technicolor MGM feature film starring Elizabeth Taylor, Frank... more on Wikipedia
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The Red Pony
Robert Mitchum, Myrna Loy
Released: 1949
Directed by: Lewis Milestone
The Red Pony is a 1949 Western drama film based on one of John Steinbeck's short stories... more on Wikipedia
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Dumbo
Sterling Holloway, Cliff Edwards
Released: 1941
Directed by: Wilfred Jackson, Samuel Armstrong, Bill Roberts, Ben Sharpsteen, Norm Ferguson
Dumbo is an American animated film produced by Walt Disney Productions and premiered on... more on Wikipedia
More Dumbo
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Son of Lassie
Peter Lawford, June Lockhart
Released: 1945
Directed by: S. Sylvan Simon
Son of Lassie is a 1945 Technicolor feature film produced by MGM based on characters created... more on Wikipedia
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25
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My Dog Rusty
Dwayne Hickman, John Litel
Released: 1948
Directed by: Lew Landers
My Dog Rusty is a 1948 drama and family film written by Brenda Weisberg, William Sackheim, and...
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A Boy and His Dog
Harry Davenport
Released: 1946
Directed by: LeRoy Prinz
A Boy and His Dog is a 1946 American short drama film directed by LeRoy Prinz. It won an... more on Wikipedia
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Thunderhead, Son of Flicka
Roddy McDowall, James Bell
Released: 1945
Directed by: Louis Eugene King, Louis King
Thunderhead, Son of Flicka is a 1945 Technicolor family film directed by Louis King. It was... more on Wikipedia
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22
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Benjamin Franklin, Jr.
Benjamin Franklin Jr. is a 1943 Our Gang short comedy film directed by Herbert Glazer. It was... more on Wikipedia
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Family Honeymoon
Claudette Colbert, Hattie McDaniel
Released: 1949
Directed by: Claude Binyon
Family Honeymoon is a 1949 domestic comedy film made by Universal International, directed by... more on Wikipedia
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21
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Hills of Home
Janet Leigh, Edmund Gwenn
Released: 1948
Directed by: Fred M. Wilcox
Hills of Home is a 1948 Technicolor drama film, the fourth in a series of seven MGM Lassie... more on Wikipedia
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18
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Bill and Coo
Pinto Colvig, Ken Murray
Released: 1948
Directed by: Dean Riesner
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Bill and Coo is a 1948 film directed by Dean Riesner, filmed in Trucolor, and conceived to... more on Wikipedia

My Dog Rusty

Benjamin Franklin, Jr.