Movies: 2833

The iconic legal thriller, The Paradine Case (1947), helmed by legendary director Alfred Hitchcock and produced by David O. Selznick, takes place in England and contains elements of film noir. The story revolves around Maddalena Anna Paradine, a stunning and enigmatic young Italian woman who stands accused of poisoning her wealthy retired colonel husband, who is also blind. As the trial unfolds, it becomes unclear whether Mrs. Paradine is a devoted wife unjustly suspected or a cunning femme fatale with ulterior motives. To aid in her defense, her solicitor Sir Simon ...

Notorious (1946) is an American spy film noir directed and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, featuring an all-star cast including Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, and Claude Rains. In April 1946, Alicia Huberman is recruited by government agent T.R. Devlin to infiltrate a group of escaped Nazis in Brazil. Despite initial resistance from Alicia, Devlin persuades her to help by revealing recordings of her heated arguments with her father and professing her love for America. The two ...

Mildred Pierce (1945), an American melodrama/film noir by Michael Curtiz, follows the story of Mildred’s troubled marriage to Monte Beragon. After we witness Monte’s murder, the police inform Mildred that her first husband, Bert Pierce, is the culprit. They base this accusation on the fact that he owned the murder weapon, had a motive, and does not deny his involvement in the crime. However, Mildred strongly protests these allegations and shares her side of the story with the officer through a flashback. In it, we see that Mildred and Bert were not happily married. As Wally Fay ends their partnership in ...

Made by Ealing Studios, Dead of Night (1945) is a black and white British anthology supernatural horror film. It is a rare example from the 1940s, as horror films were prohibited from production in Britain during World War II. Its influence can be seen in subsequent British films of the same genre. John Baines’ stories were reused for later films, while the episode with the ventriloquist dummy was adapted for the pilot episode of CBS radio series Escape. Architect Walter Craig arrives at Elliot Foley’s country cottage in Kent, where he has been invited to consult on renovations. Strangely enough, despite never having met any of them before, Craig claims to ...

The American horror film House of Frankenstein (1944) stars Boris Karloff, directed by Erle C. Kenton. After attempting to replicate Dr. Frankenstein’s experiments, Dr. Gustav Niemann is imprisoned and meets the hunchback Daniel. He convinces him to become his assistant and promises to create a new body for him. During an earthquake, they escape and stumble upon Professor Lampini’s traveling show. Wanting revenge on Burgomaster Hussman, Niemann revives Count Dracula from his corpse in the horror exhibit. The vampire hypnotizes Hussman’s ...

The American horror film, The Invisible Man’s Revenge (1944), directed by Ford Beebe and written by Bertram Millhauser, follows the story of a mentally unstable Robert Griffin. After escaping from a Cape Town institution where he was committed for murdering two orderlies, Griffin becomes fixated on seeking revenge against the Herrick family. One evening, Sir Jasper Herrick and Lady Irene are inspecting their daughter Julie’s new boyfriend, journalist Mark Foster, when Julie and Mark suddenly leave. Left alone in the residence, Robert seizes the opportunity to ...

To Have and Have Not (1944) is a romantic war adventure film directed by Howard Hawks, loosely based on Ernest Hemingway’s 1937 novel of the same name. The story follows Harry Morgan, a world-weary man operating a sport-fishing boat called the Queen Conch in Fort-de-France, Martinique during the summer of 1940. The island is now under the control of pro-German Vichy France after the fall of France. Despite this, Harry continues to make a decent living by chartering his boat to tourists with the help of his friend Eddie, who has fallen into alcoholism. However, ...

Double Indemnity (1944) is a classic American crime thriller film noir helmed by the talented duo of director Billy Wilder and co-writer Raymond Chandler. Injured from a gunshot wound, insurance agent Walter Neff makes his way back to his office in Los Angeles. There, he leaves a recorded confession for claims manager Barton Keyes about an incident that occurred a year prior. During a routine house call regarding her husband’s car insurance, Neff flirts with Phyllis Dietrichson. She then reveals her desire to take out a secret policy on her husband’s life ...

The American horror film, Son of Dracula (1943), was directed by Robert Siodmak and written by his brother Curt Siodmak. Katherine Caldwell invites Count Alucard to come to the United States. She is one of Colonel Caldwell’s daughters, who owns a plantation in New Orleans. Shortly after arriving, the Colonel dies of a supposed heart attack and leaves his fortune to his two daughters. Claire inherits all his money while Katherine receives his estate, known as ‘Dark Oaks’. Unbeknownst to anyone else, Katherine has been secretly dating Alucard and the two ...

Based on Gaston Leroux’s novel and the 1925 film starring Lon Chaney, Phantom of the Opera (1943) is an American romantic horror film directed by Arthur Lubin. After revealing that he is losing the use of his left hand, violinist Erique Claudin is dismissed from the Paris Opera House. Despite facing financial struggles, he secretly funds voice lessons for Christine Dubois, a young soprano to whom he is devoted. Meanwhile, Inspector Raoul Dubert pressures Christine to leave the Opera and marry him, while famous opera ...

In the American horror flick directed by Roy William Neill, Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943), Lon Chaney Jr. and Bela Lugosi star as the two graverobbers who venture into the Talbot family crypt during a full moon. In hopes of reviving Larry Talbot, they remove the wolfsbane that was buried with his body. To their surprise, the full moon’s light transforms Larry back to life. Later that night in Cardiff, he is discovered by police with his apparent fatal head wound and taken to Dr. Mannering for treatment. When ...

Shadow of a Doubt (1943) is an American psychological thriller film noir directed by Alfred Hitchcock, featuring Teresa Wright and Joseph Cotten. Charlotte ‘Charlie’ Newton, a restless teenage girl from Santa Rosa, California, receives exciting news: her mother’s younger brother (her namesake), Charles Oakley, will be visiting. Charlie is thrilled upon his arrival, especially when he presents her with an emerald ring as a token of their affection. However, she soon discovers that the ring has someone ...

Invisible Agent (1942), an American action and spy film directed by Edwin L. Marin with a screenplay written by Curt Siodmak, follows the story of Frank Griffin Jr. He is the grandson of the original Invisible Man, who now operates a print shop in Manhattan using the name Frank Raymond. Late one night, four armed individuals enter his shop and reveal their identities as foreign agents working for the Axis powers. Among them are Conrad Stauffer, an S.S. lieutenant general, and Baron Ikito, a Japanese agent. They demand to obtain the invisibility formula and threaten harm if it is not handed over. Despite managing to flee ...

The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942), directed by Erle C. Kenton and featuring Cedric Hardwicke, Lon Chaney Jr., and Bela Lugosi, is an American horror film. The villagers in Frankenstein’s town believe they are cursed and attribute all their misfortunes to Frankenstein’s creation. As a result, the Mayor allows them to demolish his castle. However, Ygor discovers that the monster has been freed from his sulfuric grave due to the explosions. Although weakened, the ...

In a drama China Girl (1942) an American newsreel photographer named Johnny Williams finds himself in Luzhou, China where he is taken captive by the Japanese military. Despite being offered a large sum of money to photograph the crucial Burma Road that supports the Chinese war effort, Johnny declines. This results in him being returned to his cell where he meets ‘Major’ Bull Weed, a Canadian posing as a Chinese irregular. With the help of their confederate ‘Captain’ Fifi, who sneaks in a gun during her supposed dramatic goodbye, the two men are able to escape captivity. Fifi then reveals that she saw a plane at an abandoned airfield nearby and ...

Casablanca (1942) is a romantic drama film directed by Michael Curtiz. The main characters, played by Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, and Paul Henreid, find themselves in the city of Casablanca during World War II. Rick Blaine, an American expatriate who runs ‘Rick’s Café Américain’, welcomes all types of patrons to his club – Vichy French officials, Nazi Germans, refugees seeking a way to the United States, and those looking to take advantage of ...

The American gothic horror film, The Wolf Man (1941), was both written by Curt Siodmak and produced and directed by George Waggner. Larry Talbot makes his way back to his ancestral home in Llanwelly, Wales, to attend his brother’s funeral and mend his relationship with his distant father, Sir John Talbot. During his time there, he becomes enamored with a local girl named Gwen Conliffe who owns an antique shop. To get closer to her, he purchases a walking stick adorned with a silver wolf’s head. This propels Gwen to tell him about the legend of the werewolf ...

The American science-fiction horror film, Man-Made Monster (1941), directed by George Waggner, tells the story of a tragic accident. A bus collides with a high power line, resulting in the death of all passengers except for Dan McCormick, who miraculously survives due to his immunity to electricity. McCormick becomes known as Dynamo Dan and is presented in a sideshow exhibit. He catches the attention of Dr. John Lawrence, who takes an interest in studying him. However, Dr. Lawrence’s colleague, the mad scientist Dr. Paul Rigas, has darker motives and aims to create an army of electrobiologically-driven zombies. To ...

Citizen Kane (1941) is a gripping American drama that showcases the multi-talented Orson Welles as director, producer, and lead actor. Collaborating with Herman J. Mankiewicz, Welles brought to life a screenplay that would become his first feature film. The story takes place in Xanadu, a magnificent mansion situated on an expansive Florida estate where the wealthy Charles Foster Kane spends his final days. Clutching a snow globe and whispering ‘Rosebud’ as his dying breath, Kane’s death sets off a media ...

Starring John Wayne, Betty Field, and Harry Carey, The Shepherd of the Hills (1941) is an American drama film. Matt Masters, a moonshiner in the Ozark Mountains, harbors great resentment towards his absent father who abandoned his mother. This resentment fuels the widespread hatred in the mountains. When Daniel Howitt, a stranger, arrives in the community, he starts to make a positive impact on the people. His gentle influence helps them let go of their hatred. Despite this change, Matt remains suspicious of Howitt.