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The Best Movies of 1930

Updated September 21, 2019 2.9k votes 132 voters 4.6k views 203 items

List of the best movies of 1930, with movie trailers when available. These top movies of 1930 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 1930. You can filter this list of films that came out in 1930 for various bits of information, such as who directed the movie and what genre it is. Think the best 1930 movie isn't as high as it should be? Vote up your favorite so it will rise to the top.

This list features All Quiet on the Western Front, Woman Hungry and more.

This list answers the questions, "What are the best movies from 1930?" and "What are the most popular movies of 1930?"

1930 was a great year for movies, since a lot of classic films were released in 1930. This is a crowd sourced list that has been voted on by many people, so these top films of 1930 aren't just one persons opinion.

Data-driven recommendations based on voting from over 40 million monthly visits to Ranker. Try the free app

list ordered by

The Big Trail John Wayne, Tully Marshall, El Brendel

Released: 1930

Directed by: Raoul Walsh

The Big Trail is a 1930 lavish early widescreen movie shot on location across the American West starring John Wayne in his first leading role and directed by Raoul Walsh. In 2006, the United ...more

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Tom Sawyer Jackie Coogan, Jane Darwell, Tully Marshall

Released: 1930

Directed by: John Cromwell

Tom Sawyer is a 1930 American drama film directed by John Cromwell and starring Jackie Coogan. The screenplay by Grover Jones, William Slavens McNutt, and Sam Mintz is based on the 1876 novel ...more

Hog Wild Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Dorothy Granger

Released: 1930

Directed by: James Parrott

Hog Wild is a 1930 sound film starring Laurel and Hardy and directed by James Parrott.

Blotto Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Baldwin Cooke

Released: 1930

Directed by: James Parrott

Blotto is a comedy film starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy

Released: 1930

Directed by: Lewis R. Foster, James Parrott

The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case is a Laurel and Hardy comedy film released in 1930. It is one of a handful of three-reel comedies they made, running 28 minutes. It was directed by James Parrott, ...more

Men Without Women John Wayne, Frank Albertson

Released: 1930

Directed by: John Ford

Men Without Women is an American 1930 drama film directed and written by John Ford, from the script by James Kevin McGuinness. The film also starred Kenneth MacKenna, Frank Albertson, and J. ...more

School's Out Jackie Cooper, Norman Chaney, Creighton Hale

Released: 1930

Directed by: Robert F. McGowan

School's Out is a 1930 Our Gang short comedy film directed by Robert F. McGowan. Produced by Hal Roach and released to theaters by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, it was the 102nd Our Gang short to be

Charlie Chan Carries On

Released: 1930

Charlie Chan Carries On is the fifth novel in the Charlie Chan series by Earl Derr Biggers.

The Little Rascals: Coll... is listed (or ranked) 9 on the list The Best Movies of 1930

The Little Rascals: Collector's Edition III Jackie Cooper, George McFarland, Matthew Beard

Released: 1930

Directed by: Nate Watt, James Parrott

Shivering Shakespeare Jackie Cooper, Edgar Kennedy, Norman Chaney

Released: 1930

Directed by: Robert A. McGowan

Shivering Shakespeare is an Our Gang short film directed by Robert A. McGowan under the pseudonym "Anthony Mack". Produced by Hal Roach and released to theaters by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, ...more

All Quiet on the Western Front Fred Zinnemann, Lew Ayres, ZaSu Pitts

Released: 1930

Directed by: Lewis Milestone

All Quiet on the Western Front is a 1930 American epic film based on the Erich Maria Remarque novel of the same name. It was directed by Lewis Milestone, and stars Louis Wolheim, Lew Ayres, John ...more

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Danger Lights Jean Arthur, Robert Edeson, Robert Armstrong

Released: 1930

Directed by: George B. Seitz

Danger Lights is a 1930 American drama film, directed by George B. Seitz, from a screenplay by James Ashmore Creelman. It stars Louis Wolheim, Robert Armstrong, and Jean Arthur. The plot ...more

Mickey's Champs Mickey Rooney, Billy Barty, Delia Bogard

Released: 1930

Directed by: Albert Herman

Mickey's Champs is a 1930 short film in Larry Darmour's Mickey McGuire series starring a young Mickey Rooney. Directed by Albert Herman, the two-reel short was released to theaters on February ...more

Captain Thunder Fay Wray, Victor Varconi, Charles Judels

Released: 1930

Directed by: Alan Crosland

Captain Thunder is an American all-talking pre-code historical costume drama film which was produced and distributed by Warner Bros. and released late in 1930. The film was directed by Alan ...more

Hook, Line and Sinker Hugh Herbert, Bert Wheeler, Stanley Fields

Released: 1930

Directed by: Edward F. Cline

Hook, Line and Sinker is a 1930 slapstick comedy directed by Edward F. Cline from a screenplay by Ralph Spence and Tim Whelan. It was the third starring vehicle for the comedy team of Wheeler ...more

Soup to Nuts Larry Fine, Moe Howard, Shemp Howard

Released: 1930

Directed by: Benjamin Stoloff

Soup to Nuts is an American feature film written by Rube Goldberg and directed by Benjamin Stoloff, which marks the film debut of the original four members who would later, minus Ted Healy, go ...more

Follow Thru Thelma Todd, Eugene Pallette, Buddy Rogers

Released: 1930

Directed by: Lloyd Corrigan

Follow Thru is a 1930 musical comedy film photographed entirely in Technicolor. It was the second all-color all-talking feature to be produced by Paramount Pictures. The film was based on the ...more

Billy the Kid Johnny Mack Brown, Wallace Beery, Kay Johnson

Released: 1930

Directed by: King Vidor

Billy the Kid is a 1930 American film directed in widescreen by King Vidor about the relationship between frontier outlaw Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett, the man who later killed him.

Another Fine Mess Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Thelma Todd

Released: 1930

Directed by: James Parrott

Another Fine Mess is a 1930 short comedy film starring Laurel and Hardy. It is based on the 1908 play Home From The Honeymoon by Arthur J. Jefferson, Stan Laurel's father, and is a talkie remake ...more

Below Zero Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy

Released: 1930

Directed by: James Parrott

Below Zero is a 1930 short film starring Laurel and Hardy, directed by James Parrott and produced by Hal Roach. The film was the first to use some background music in a portion of the film and ...more

The Blue Angel Marlene Dietrich, Emil Jannings, Roland Varno

Released: 1930

Directed by: Josef von Sternberg

The Blue Angel is a 1930 German tragicomedic film directed by Josef von Sternberg and starring Emil Jannings, Marlene Dietrich and Kurt Gerron. Written by Carl Zuckmayer, Karl Vollmöller ...more

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Animal Crackers Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx, Zeppo Marx

Released: 1930

Directed by: Victor Heerman

Animal Crackers is a 1930 Marx Brothers comedy film, in which mayhem and zaniness ensue when a valuable painting goes missing during a party in honor of famed African explorer Captain Spaulding. ...more

Night Owls Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Edgar Kennedy

Released: 1930

Directed by: James Parrott

Night Owls is a Laurel and Hardy short film. It was filmed in October and November 1929, and released January 4, 1930. The film was also made in two foreign-language versions: Ladrones in ...more

Framed William Holden, Regis Toomey, Evelyn Brent

Released: 1930

Directed by: George Archainbaud

Framed is an 1930 American crime action film, directed by George Archainbaud, based on a screenplay by Paul Schofield and Wallace Smith. It starred Evelyn Brent, William Holden, Regis Toomey, ...more

Hell's Angels Jean Harlow, Ben Lyon, James Hall

Released: 1930

Directed by: Howard Hughes, James Whale, Edmund Goulding

Hell's Angels is a 1930 American war film, directed and produced by Howard Hughes and starring Ben Lyon, James Hall and Jean Harlow. The film, which was written by Harry Behn and Howard ...more