The Best Movies of 1938

Ranker Film
Updated September 23, 2019 3.9k votes 125 voters

List of the best movies of 1938, with movie trailers when available. These top movies of 1938 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 1938. You can filter this list of films that came out in 1938 for various bits of information, such as who directed the movie and what genre it is. Think the best 1938 movie isn't as high as it should be? Vote up your favorite so it will rise to the top.

The list you're viewing has a variety of movies, like The Adventures of Robin Hood and Bringing up Baby, in it.

This list answers the questions, "What are the best movies from 1938?" and "What are the most popular movies of 1938?"

1938 was a great year for movies, since a lot of classic films were released in 1938. This is a crowd sourced list that has been voted on by many people, so these top films of 1938 aren't just one persons opinion.
Photo: Movies in LA
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  • The Adventures of Robin Hood
    1

    The Adventures of Robin Hood

    Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone
    40 votes
    • Released: 1938
    • Directed by: Michael Curtiz, William Keighley
    When King Richard the Lionheart is captured, his scheming brother Prince John (Claude Rains) plots to reach the throne, to the outrage of Sir Robin of Locksley (Errol Flynn), the bandit king of ...more

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  • Bringing Up Baby
    2

    Bringing Up Baby

    Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, Charlie Ruggles
    46 votes
    • Released: 1938
    • Directed by: Howard Hawks
    Harried paleontologist David Huxley (Cary Grant) has to make a good impression on society matron Mrs. Random (May Robson), who is considering donating one million dollars to his museum. On the day ...more

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  • Just Around the Corner
    3

    Just Around the Corner

    Shirley Temple, Joan Davis, Charles Farrell
    23 votes
    • Released: 1938
    • Directed by: Irving Cummings
    During the Great Depression, young Penny Hale (Shirley Temple) lives with her once-successful father (Charles Farrell) in a hotel where he works as a janitor in order to scrape by. Their humble life ...more

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  • Boys Town
    4

    Boys Town

    Spencer Tracy, Mickey Rooney, Henry Hull
    28 votes
    • Released: 1938
    • Directed by: Norman Taurog
    The devout but iron-willed Father Flanagan (Spencer Tracy) leads a community called Boys Town, a different sort of juvenile detention facility where, instead of being treated as underage criminals, ...more

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  • The Lone Ranger
    5

    The Lone Ranger

    Clayton Moore, Jay Silverheels, Michael Ansara
    24 votes
    • Released: 1956
    • Directed by: William Witney, Stuart Heisler, John English, Lesley Selander
    The Lone Ranger is a Warnercolor Western film based on The Lone Ranger television series, starring Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels. The Lone Ranger was the first of two theatrical features based on ...more
  • Angels with Dirty Faces
    6

    Angels with Dirty Faces

    James Cagney, Pat O'Brien, Humphrey Bogart
    37 votes
    • Released: 1938
    • Directed by: Michael Curtiz
    Rocky Sullivan (James Cagney) and Jerry Connolly (Pat O'Brien) were brought up in one of New York's toughest neighborhoods, Hell's Kitchen. While his buddy Rocky gets caught up in racketeering in ...more