List of the best movies of 1942, with movie trailers when available. These top movies of 1942 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 1942. You can filter this list of films that came out in 1942 for various bits of information, such as who directed the movie and what genre it is. Think the best 1942 movie isn't as high as it should be? Vote up your favorite so it will rise to the top.
Movies on this list include Casablanca and Bambi.
This list answers the questions, "What are the best movies from 1942?" and "What are the most popular movies of 1942?"
1942 was a great year for movies, since a lot of classic films were released in 1942. This is a crowd sourced list that has been voted on by many people, so these top films of 1942 aren't just one persons opinion.
list ordered by
1
42 3
CasablancaIngrid Bergman, Humphrey Bogart, Peter Lorre Casablanca is a 1942 American romantic drama film directed by Michael Curtiz and based on Murray Burnett and Joan Alison's unproduced stage play Everybody Comes to Rick's. The film stars ...more
2
24 3
To Be or Not to BeCarole Lombard, Jack Benny, Robert Stack To Be or Not to Be is a 1942 American comedy directed by Ernst Lubitsch, about a troupe of actors in Nazi-occupied Warsaw who use their abilities at disguise and acting to fool the occupying ...more
3
29 5
Cat PeopleAlan Napier, Simone Simon, Tom Conway Cat People is a 1942 horror film produced by Val Lewton and directed by Jacques Tourneur. DeWitt Bodeen wrote the original screenplay which was based on Val Lewton's short story The Bagheeta ...more
4
24 4
The Palm Beach StoryClaudette Colbert, Mary Astor, Joel McCrea The Palm Beach Story is a 1942 romantic screwball comedy film written and directed by Preston Sturges, and starring Claudette Colbert, Joel McCrea, Mary Astor and Rudy Vallée. Victor ...more
5
22 4
The Major and the MinorGinger Rogers, Ray Milland, Robert Benchley The Major and the Minor is a 1942 American comedy film starring Ginger Rogers and Ray Milland. It was the first American film directed by Billy Wilder, and launched his "incomparable" ...more
6
23 6
The Magnificent AmbersonsOrson Welles, Anne Baxter, Agnes Moorehead The Magnificent Ambersons is a 1942 American period drama, the second feature film produced and directed by Orson Welles. Welles adapted Booth Tarkington's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1918 novel, ...more
7
19 3
Once Upon a HoneymoonCary Grant, Ginger Rogers, Albert Dekker Once Upon a Honeymoon is a 1942 romantic comedy/drama starring Cary Grant, Ginger Rogers, and Walter Slezak, directed by Leo McCarey, and released by RKO Radio Pictures. It was nominated for the ...more
8
20 5
Roxie HartGinger Rogers, Phil Silvers, Adolphe Menjou Roxie Hart is a 1942 American comedy film directed by William A. Wellman and starring Ginger Rogers, Adolphe Menjou, George Montgomery, Nigel Bruce, Phil Silvers, William Frawley, and Spring ...more
9
20 5
Kings RowRonald Reagan, Claude Rains, Ann Sheridan Kings Row is a 1942 film starring Ann Sheridan, Robert Cummings, and Ronald Reagan that tells a story of young people growing up in a small American town at the turn of the twentieth century, ...more
10
18 8
Mrs. MiniverGreer Garson, Teresa Wright, Walter Pidgeon Mrs. Miniver is a 1942 American romantic war drama film directed by William Wyler, and starring Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon. Based on the 1940 novel Mrs. Miniver by Jan Struther, the film ...more
11
18 9
BambiSterling Holloway, Sam Edwards, Cammie King Bambi is a 1942 American animated drama film directed by David Hand, produced by Walt Disney and based on the book Bambi, A Life in the Woods by Austrian author Felix Salten. The film was ...more
12
11 4
Tales of ManhattanRita Hayworth, Henry Fonda, Ginger Rogers Tales of Manhattan is a 1942 American anthology film directed by Julien Duvivier. Thirteen writers, including Ben Hecht, Alan Campbell, Ferenc Molnár, Samuel Hoffenstein, and Donald Ogden ...more
I Married a WitchVeronica Lake, Susan Hayward, Fredric March I Married a Witch is a 1942 fantasy romantic comedy film, directed by René Clair, and starring Veronica Lake as a witch whose plan for revenge goes comically awry, with Fredric March as ...more
14
13 6
This Gun for HireVeronica Lake, Alan Ladd, Robert Preston This Gun for Hire is a 1942 film noir, directed by Frank Tuttle and based on the novel A Gun for Sale by Graham Greene. The film stars Veronica Lake, Robert Preston, Laird Cregar, and Alan
15
9 4
My Favorite BlondeBob Hope, Bing Crosby, Veronica Lake My Favorite Blonde is a 1942 American comedy film directed by Sidney Lanfield and starring Bob Hope and Madeleine Carroll. Based on a story by Melvin Frank and Norman Panama, the film is about a ...more
16
10 5
In This Our LifeBette Davis, Olivia de Havilland, Hattie McDaniel In This Our Life is a 1942 American drama film, the second to be directed by John Huston. The screenplay by Howard Koch is based on the 1941 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same title by ...more
17
11 6
The Glass KeyVeronica Lake, Alan Ladd, William Bendix The Glass Key is a 1942 film noir, directed by Stuart Heisler and based on the novel of the same name by Dashiell Hammett. An earlier film version had been released in 1935.
Now, VoyagerBette Davis, Claude Rains, Paul Henreid Now, Voyager is a 1942 American drama film starring Bette Davis, Paul Henreid, and Claude Rains, and directed by Irving Rapper. The screenplay by Casey Robinson is based on the 1941 novel of the ...more
19
11 7
Road to MoroccoBob Hope, Bing Crosby, Anthony Quinn Road to Morocco is a 1942 American comedy film starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour, and featuring Anthony Quinn and Dona Drake. The film, which was written by Frank Butler and Don ...more
20
10 6
The Glass Key The Glass Key is a novel by Dashiell Hammett, said to be his favorite among his works. It was first published as serial in Black Mask in 1930, then was collected in 1931, and tells the story of ...more
21
8 4
The Black SwanMaureen O'Hara, Anthony Quinn, Tyrone Power The Black Swan is a 1942 American swashbuckler Technicolor film by Henry King, based on a novel by Rafael Sabatini, and starring Tyrone Power and Maureen O'Hara. It was nominated for two Academy ...more
22
13 10
SaboteurAlfred Hitchcock, Robert Mitchum, Norman Lloyd Saboteur is a 1942 Universal spy thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock with a screenplay written by Peter Viertel, Joan Harrison and Dorothy Parker. The film stars Priscilla Lane, Robert ...more
Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of TerrorBasil Rathbone, Reginald Denny, Edgar Barrier Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror is the third film in the Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce series of Sherlock Holmes movies. Made in 1942, the film combines elements of the Arthur Conan Doyle ...more
24
17 15
Yankee Doodle DandyJames Cagney, Joan Leslie, Walter Huston Yankee Doodle Dandy is a 1942 American biographical musical film about George M. Cohan, known as "The Man Who Owned Broadway". It stars James Cagney, Joan Leslie, Walter Huston, and ...more
25
10 8
The Pride of the YankeesBabe Ruth, Gary Cooper, Bill Dickey The Pride of the Yankees is a 1942 American film directed by Sam Wood and starring Gary Cooper, Teresa Wright, and Walter Brennan. It is a tribute to the legendary New York Yankees first baseman ...more
26
7 5
Joan of ParisPaul Henreid, Thomas Mitchell, Michèle Morgan Joan of Paris is a 1942 war film about five Royal Air Force pilots shot down over Nazi-occupied France during World War II and their attempt to escape to England. It starred Michèle ...more
27
7 5
Winning Your WingsJames Stewart, Peter Graves Winning Your Wings is a 1942 Allied propaganda film of World War II produced by Warner Bros. Studios for the US Army Air Forces, starring Jimmy Stewart. It was aimed at young men who were ...more
A Night to RememberLoretta Young, Brian Aherne A Night to Remember is a mystery comedy film starring Loretta Young and Brian Aherne. It was directed by Richard Wallace, and is based on the novel The Frightened Stiff by Kelley Roos. A mystery ...more
29
12 11
Holiday InnBing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Irving Berlin Holiday Inn is a 1942 American musical film directed by Mark Sandrich and starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire. With music by Irving Berlin, the film has twelve songs written expressly for the ...more
30
9 8
Wake IslandAlan Hale, Jr., Robert Preston Wake Island is a 1942 American film written by W. R. Burnett and Frank Butler, and directed by John Farrow. The film tells the story of the United States military garrison on Wake Island and the ...more
31
8 7
Larceny, Inc.Jane Wyman, Anthony Quinn, Edward G. Robinson Larceny, Inc. is an American film. Originally released on May 2, 1942 by Warner Brothers, the film is a cross between the comedy and gangster genres. Directed by Lloyd Bacon, the picture stars ...more
32
8 7
The Wabbit Who Came to SupperMel Blanc, Jim Henson, Frank Oz The Wabbit Who Came to Supper is a 1942 American Warner Brothers Merrie Melodies cartoon featuring early appearances by Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd. The Elmer character is in a transitional state ...more
Street of ChanceBurgess Meredith, Claire Trevor, Sheldon Leonard Street of Chance is a 1942 film noir starring Burgess Meredith as a man who finds he's been suffering from amnesia and Claire Trevor as a woman who protects him from the police, who suspect him ...more
34
7 6
All Through the NightHumphrey Bogart, Jackie Gleason, Peter Lorre All Through the Night is a light-hearted thriller film released by Warner Brothers in 1941, starring Humphrey Bogart, Conrad Veidt and Kaaren Verne, and featuring many of the Warner Bros. ...more
35
6 5
Desperate JourneyRonald Reagan, Errol Flynn, Arthur Kennedy Desperate Journey is a 1942 American World War II action and aviation film starring Errol Flynn and Ronald Reagan, directed by Raoul Walsh. The supporting cast includes Raymond Massey, Alan ...more
36
3 2
We Were DancingNorma Shearer, Melvyn Douglas, Reginald Owen We Were Dancing is a 1942 comedy romance film based on the story by Noel Coward, written by Claudine West, Hans Rameau, George Froeschel and Lenore J. Coffee, and directed by Robert Z. Leonard.
37
11 11
The Man Who Came to DinnerBette Davis, Ann Sheridan, Mary Wickes The Man Who Came to Dinner is a 1942 American comedy film directed by William Keighley, and starring Bette Davis, Ann Sheridan and Monty Woolley as the title character. The screenplay by Julius ...more
Woman of the YearKatharine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, William Bendix Woman of the Year is an American romantic comedy-drama film starring Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn, written by Ring Lardner, Jr., Michael Kanin and John Lee Mahin, directed by George ...more
39
9 9
Rings on Her FingersHenry Fonda, Gene Tierney, Spring Byington Rings on Her Fingers is a 1942 screwball comedy film starring Henry Fonda and Gene Tierney. A poor man gets mistaken for a millionaire and is swindled out of his life savings.
40
9 9
Son of Fury: The Story of Benjamin BlakeGene Tierney, Tyrone Power, George Sanders Son of Fury: The Story of Benjamin Blake is a 1942 adventure film directed by John Cromwell, starring Tyrone Power and Gene Tierney. The film was adapted from Edison Marshall's 1941 historical ...more
41
9 9
Reap the Wild WindJohn Wayne, Susan Hayward, Ray Milland Reap the Wild Wind was a serialized story written by Thelma Strabel in 1940 for The Saturday Evening Post, which was the basis for the 1942 film starring Ray Milland, John Wayne, Paulette ...more
42
9 9
The Male AnimalHenry Fonda, Olivia de Havilland, Hattie McDaniel The Male Animal is a Warner Brothers film starring Henry Fonda, Olivia de Havilland and Joan Leslie. The film was based on a hit 1940 Broadway play of the same name written by James Thurber and ...more
In Which We ServeJohn Mills, Noël Coward, Leslie Howard In Which We Serve is a 1942 British patriotic war film directed by Noël Coward and David Lean. It was made during the Second World War with the assistance of the Ministry of Information. ...more
44
8 8
This Above AllJoan Fontaine, Tyrone Power, Thomas Mitchell This Above All is a 1942 American romance film set in World War II adapted from the Eric Knight novel of the same name, directed by Anatole Litvak, and starring Tyrone Power and Joan Fontaine as ...more
45
8 8
Tortilla FlatHedy Lamarr, Spencer Tracy, John Garfield Tortilla Flat is a 1942 film with Spencer Tracy, Hedy Lamarr, John Garfield, Frank Morgan, Akim Tamiroff, and Sheldon Leonard based on the novel by John Steinbeck. It was directed by Victor
46
7 7
Star Spangled RhythmPaulette Goddard, Dorothy Lamour, Woody Strode Star Spangled Rhythm is a 1942 all-star cast musical film made by Paramount Pictures during World War II as a morale booster. Many of the Hollywood studios produced such films during the war, ...more
47
7 7
CrossroadsHedy Lamarr, Basil Rathbone, William Powell Crossroads is a 1942 mystery film noir directed by Jack Conway and starring William Powell, Hedy Lamarr, Claire Trevor and Basil Rathbone. Powell plays a diplomat whose amnesia about his past ...more
48
7 7
Heart of the Golden WestRoy Rogers Heart of the Golden West is a 1942 American film starring Roy Rogers.
49
7 7
Flying TigersJohn Wayne, Anna Lee, Gordon Jones Flying Tigers is a 1942 black-and-white war film, starring John Wayne and John Carroll as pilots in the mercenary fighter group fighting the Japanese in China prior to the U.S. entry into World ...more
50
7 7
My Sister Eileen My Sister Eileen originated as a series of autobiographical short stories by Ruth McKenney originally published in The New Yorker that eventually evolved into many other works: My Sister Eileen, ...more
