The 1930s marked a Golden Age in Hollywood. As the rest of the country suffered through a massive Depression, Hollywood was putting out some amazing movies. The 1930s produced some of the best cinema of all time, and they still stand the test of time today. Many of these black and white classics still don’t feel dated, and many could easily crack anyone’s top movie lists. The 1930’s was also the hey day of the studio system, where studios were superior to stars, and were controlling of virtually every aspect of a film’s production and release. Here’s the best movies by year of the 1930s, an era where sound was just coming in to movies and people were looking for an escape from their hard times.
1930. Hell’s Angels (d. Howard Hughes)
Most of us haven’t really seen too many films about World War I, especially films made that pre-date World War II, which is a far more used war for film purposes. But WWI films offer a lot of quality, and that’s highlighted by the eccentric Howard Hughes’ 1930 epic about the aviation battles of the war. The film was a huge undertaking, and had budget overruns and reshoots much like today’s movies often have. But the end result is a visual stunner with high quality dialogue. This is a pre-code film as well, so there is some language and adult content that is a little stunning to see when you’re watching an old black and white film.
Honorable Mention: All Quiet on the Western Front
1931. The Public Enemy (d. William Wellman)
One of the first gangster movies, this one still is up there with the best. James Cagney gives a terrific performance as Tom Powers, a rising start in the bootlegging and gangster game. The film features some pretty shocking scenes, and was violent enough for the era that it was cut and re-released to fit under the Hollywood production code that was introduced in 1934.
Honorable Mentions: Dracula, Frankenstein, City Lights
1932. Freaks (d. Tod Browning)
This is the film that effectively killed the career of Dracula director Tod Browning. Reviled at the time due to the use of real life sideshow performers, including The Human Torso and Harry Earles of The Doll Family, this film was long banned all over the world. It wasn’t until the 1970’s that the film began to get the popularity it deserved. It’s a classic horror tale, involving great human stories. Browning never exploited the sideshow performers, instead providing a glimpse in to the lives of people that were otherwise used and abused for entertainment.
Honorable Mentions: Scarface, The Mummy
1933. King Kong (d. Merian Cooper, Ernest Shoedsack)
The effects might pale in comparison to the King Kong made by Peter Jackson a few years ago, but the story and charm in this film is far superior. It remains one of the best stories about greed and obsession that we have to date. If you’ve never had the chance to see the original ape terrorizing New York, I highly recommend you check this one out.
Honorable Mentions: 42nd Street, The Invisible Man
1934. Twentieth Century (d. Howard Hawks)
I had never heard of this film until I saw it in college, but I was glad I got to see it afterwards. It’s a screwball comedy starring John Barrymore and Carole Lombard, and centers on an off the wall Broadway producer and his turbulent relationship with the woman he made in to a star. It’s still funny today, with clever writing and great acting.
Honorable Mentions: It Happened One Night, The Thin Man
1935. Bride of Frankenstein (d. James Whale)
This sequel to the 1931 classic represents the best of a large number of superb films from the Universal Horror era. Boris Karloff and Colin Clive reprise their iconic roles, and are joined by other top performances all around. The story of this film is very engaging, and the production and writing are top notch.
Honorable Mentions: Mutiny on the Bounty, Top Hat
1936. Modern Times (d. Charlie Chaplin)
1936 is one of the weaker overall years for the decade, but this Chaplin classic shows him getting in to all sorts of mishaps in an assembly line job. It serves as a great metaphor for the troubling times going on in the world, while still delivering a few good laughs.
Honorable Mention: The Great Ziegfield
1937. Snow White and Seven Dwarfs ( d. David Hand)
This was the first full length animated film produced in the USA, and remains extremely popular to this day. The story centers on a princess who is serving as a maid and living with 7 dwarfs of varying personalities. The evil queen is one of the first great villains of the big screen.
Honorable Mention: Lost Horizon
1938. Angels With Dirty Faces (d. Michael Curtiz)
James Cagney and Pat O’Brien star as two childhood friends who go down different paths, one becoming a career criminal and the other a priest working with kids. The kids idolize the criminal, leading to a conflict of morality amongst the two friends. This has one of the best endings of any movie of the decade. Humphrey Bogart also appears as a gangster in this film.
Honorable Mentions: Boys Town, Robin Hood
1939. Mr Smith Goes To Washington (d. Frank Capra)
In a year that includes Gone With the Wind and The Wizard of Oz, Capra’s classic about an idealistic young man who’s elected to the Senate only to discover all the political corruption around him is the best of the year. James Stewart is brilliant, as is Claude Raine’s as his state’s senior senator. It’s terrific all around, and should be seen by anyone interested in politics. This features the decade’s other great ending.
Honorable Mentions: Gone With The Wind, Stagecoach, Wizard of Oz
SOURCES
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