The Best Romance Movies of the 1940s

Updated July 8, 2019 1.8k votes 311 voters 17.1k views48 items

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

With this list of 1940s romance movies ranked from best to worst, you can travel back to a bygone era of cinematic romance. Modern audiences tend to lump classic films together, but '40s romantic movies vary wildly, from the madcap holiday comedy of The Philadelphia Story to the lovesick WWII drama of Casablanca. That's right, Casablanca: the film widely cited as the greatest of all time is a romance movie from the 1940s.

Naturally, it's on this list of '40s romance movies. This heartbreaking tale of star-crossed lovers starred two of the biggest movie stars of the day, Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. This list of the best 1940s romance movies also contains such films as His Girl Friday and Meet Me in St. Louis.

Though he is best known for suspense thrillers, several of Alfred Hitchcock's best movies contain classic love stories. Notorious and Spellbound both feature great suspense as well as timeless romance.

Do you have a favorite 1940s romantic movie? Make it known with your votes, which determine the order of this '40s romance movies list. Vote up the films you love the most, don't hesitate to add any that aren't already accounted for, and rerank the list if you've got the film knowledge.

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Casablanca
Ingrid Bergman, Humphrey Bogart
Released: 1942
Directed by: Michael Curtiz
Casablanca is a 1942 American romantic drama film directed by Michael Curtiz and based on... more
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The Ghost and Mrs. Muir
Natalie Wood, Gene Tierney
Released: 1947
Directed by: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir is a romantic fantasy film starring Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison. It... more
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Rebecca
Laurence Olivier, Alfred Hitchcock
Released: 1940
Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
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Rebecca is a 1940 American psychological thriller-drama film. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, it... more
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Now, Voyager
Bette Davis, Claude Rains
Released: 1942
Directed by: Irving Rapper
Now, Voyager is a 1942 American drama film starring Bette Davis, Paul Henreid, and Claude... more
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Notorious
Ingrid Bergman, Cary Grant
Released: 1946
Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
Notorious is a 1946 American spy thriller film directed and produced by Alfred Hitchcock,... 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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Brief Encounter
Trevor Howard, Celia Johnson
Released: 1945
Directed by: David Lean
Brief Encounter is a 1945 British film directed by David Lean about British suburban life,... more
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That Hamilton Woman
Vivien Leigh, Laurence Olivier
Released: 1941
Directed by: Alexander Korda
That Hamilton Woman, is a 1941 black-and-white historical film drama, produced and directed by... more
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Great Expectations
Alec Guinness, Jean Simmons
Released: 1946
Directed by: David Lean
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Great Expectations is a 1946 British film directed by David Lean, based on the novel by... more
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I'll Be Seeing You
Ginger Rogers, Shirley Temple
Released: 1944
Directed by: William Dieterle, George Cukor
I'll Be Seeing You is a 1944 drama film made by Selznick International Pictures, Dore Schary... more
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Gilda
Rita Hayworth, Glenn Ford
Released: 1946
Directed by: Charles Vidor
Gilda is a 1946 American black-and-white film noir directed by Charles Vidor and starring Rita... more
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To Have and Have Not
Lauren Bacall, Humphrey Bogart
Released: 1944
Directed by: Howard Hawks
To Have and Have Not is a 1944 American romance-adventure film directed by Howard Hawks, and... more
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Letter from an Unknown Woman
Joan Fontaine, Louis Jourdan
Released: 1948
Directed by: Max Ophüls
Letter from an Unknown Woman is a 1948 film directed by Max Ophüls. It was based on the... more

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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 Clock
Judy Garland, Keenan Wynn
Released: 1945
Directed by: Vincente Minnelli
The Clock is a 1945 American romantic drama film starring Judy Garland and Robert Walker and... more
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Laura
Gene Tierney, Clifton Webb
Released: 1944
Directed by: Otto Preminger
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Laura is a 1944 American film noir produced and directed by Otto Preminger. It stars Gene... 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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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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Spellbound
Ingrid Bergman, Gregory Peck
Released: 1945
Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
Spellbound is a 1945 American psychological mystery thriller film directed by Alfred... more
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Waterloo Bridge
Vivien Leigh, Robert Taylor
Released: 1940
Directed by: Mervyn LeRoy
Waterloo Bridge is a 1940 remake of the 1931 American drama film also called Waterloo Bridge,... 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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Out of the Past
Kirk Douglas, Robert Mitchum
Released: 1947
Directed by: Jacques Tourneur
Out of the Past is a 1947 film noir directed by Jacques Tourneur and starring Robert Mitchum,... 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
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The Farmer's Daughter
James Arness, Loretta Young
Released: 1947
Directed by: H. C. Potter
The Farmer's Daughter is a 1947 movie that tells the story of a farmgirl who ends up working... more
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Meet Me in St. Louis
Judy Garland, Mary Astor
Released: 1944
Directed by: Vincente Minnelli
Meet Me in St. Louis is a 1944 musical film from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer which tells the story of... more