The Best Movies of 1949

List of the best movies of 1949, with movie trailers when available. Bob Hope was the highest paid actor in 1949, earning more money than actors like John Wayne and Bing Crosby. These top movies of 1949 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 1949. You can filter this list of films that came out in 1949 for various bits of information, such as who directed the movie and what genre it is. Think the best 1949 movie isn't as high as it should be? Vote up your favorite so it will rise to the top.

List features movies like The Third Man, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon and more!

This list answers the questions, "What are the best movies from 1949?" and "What are the most popular movies of 1949?"

1949 was a great year for movies, since a lot of classic films were released in 1949. This is a crowd sourced list that has been voted on by many people, so these top films of 1949 aren't just one persons opinion.
Photo: Freebase / Public domain
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  • She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
    1
    John Wayne, Joanne Dru, John Agar
    62 votes
    • Released: 1949
    • Directed by: John Ford
    The last job of Calvary Captain Nathan Brittles (John Wayne) before retirement is to soothe relations with the Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians after Custer's last stand. At the same time, he must ...more

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  • The Fighting Kentuckian
    2
    John Wayne, Vera Ralston, Oliver Hardy
    50 votes
    • Released: 1949
    • Directed by: George Waggner
    Marching with his company across Kentucky, soldier John Breen (John Wayne) meets Fleurette (Vera Ralston), daughter of exiled French general Paul De Marchand (Hugo Haas), who's the leader of a ...more
  • Africa Screams
    3
    Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Hillary Brooke
    39 votes
    • Released: 1949
    • Directed by: Charles Barton
    When the bookish and mild-mannered Stanley Livingston (Lou Costello) agrees to go along with a daft scheme thought up by his friend Buzz Johnson (Bud Abbott), the bumbling duo gets roped into an ...more

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  • Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff
    4
    Boris Karloff, Lou Costello, Bud Abbott
    51 votes
    • Released: 1949
    • Directed by: Charles Barton
    Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff is a 1949 comedy horror film starring Abbott and Costello and Boris Karloff. The full onscreen title is Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet the Killer, ...more
  • The Windblown Hare
    5
    Mel Blanc, Bea Benaderet
    16 votes
    • Released: 1949
    • Directed by: Robert McKimson
    The Windblown Hare is a one-reel Warner Bros. Looney Tunes animated short directed by Robert McKimson. It was originally released on August 27, 1949. The title, another pun on "hair", refers to Bugs ...more
  • Adam's Rib
    6
    Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Judy Holliday
    42 votes
    • Released: 1949
    • Directed by: George Cukor
    A courtroom rivalry finds its way into the household when prosecuting lawyer Adam Bonner (Spencer Tracy) faces off against his wife, Amanda (Katharine Hepburn), who happens to be a defense attorney. ...more

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