The Best American Films of the 1930s

The 1930's was a great time for American film. Hollywood was entering into its Golden Age and film was establishing itself as a truly worthy medium. The 1930's was a time of great change (synchronized sound being chief among those changes), as well as a time of great bursts of creativity. Though it's difficult to single out just ten great films from the 30's, these stand out above the rest.

Best Films of the 30's: Bride of Frankenstein (1935)James Whale's Bride of Frankenstein, the sequel to 1931's Frankenstein is considered by many critics to be one of the best early horror films, surpassing even the original film. What makes Bride of Frankenstein such a masterpiece of 30's film? Easy: the jaw-dropping cinematography and camera work, in addition to the wonderful range of emotion on display, which gives this gothic horror movie extra weight.

Best Films of the 30's: Stagecoach (1939)When you have a director like John Ford (directing his first sound Western) and an actor like the young John Wayne (in the role which would jump-start his career), you are bound to have a masterpiece of the Western genre. Stagecoach certainly doesn't disappoint and even transcends the boundaries of its genre to become one of the more influential American films.

Best Films of the 30's: All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)When one thinks of American films of the 1930's, war movies and epics probably don't come immediately to mind. All Quiet on the Western Front fits squarely in both categories, and is a really sophisticated look (especially considering it was made in 1930) at how war affects those in the trenches.

Best Films of the 30's: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)Given the current domination of animated films in theaters, it's difficult to imagine a time when animated movies (especially Disney pictures) weren't common. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is notable not just for its massive amount of influence on film, but also because it's just a really good film.

Best Films of the 30's: Grand Hotel (1932)If you want to see a huge collection of classic Hollywood stars all in one place, look no further than Edmund Goulding's Grand Hotel, which stars (among countless others) Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Lionel Barrymore, Wallace Beery and John Barrymore. Grand Hotel weaves several individual plots together to form a cohesive whole that's just mesmerizing to watch.

Best Films of the 30's: Freaks (1932)Considered shocking at the time (and, truly, a little bit still today), Tod Browning's masterpiece takes viewers into a world where few films have followed. With a cast composed of real sideshow performers and a story that's simultaneously heart-breaking and genuine, Freaks is one cult classic that's bound to stick with you long after you've finished watching it.

Best Films of the 30's: Bringing Up Baby (1938) If I were forced to single out one genre of film that signifies American movies of the 30's, it would have to be screwball comedy. Bringing Up Baby, starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant, is one of the all-time best examples of the form. Both the plot and the dialog hums along at a break-neck speed, and few movies (even today) can produce as many laugh-out-loud moments.

Best Films of the 30's: City Lights (1931)By the 1930's Charlie Chaplin seemed like a remnant of another time. In 1931, sound pictures were dominating movie theaters, and silent films were already mostly a thing of the past. That's why the silent City Lights was such a gamble, and part of the reason why the gamble paid off. At times both heart-wrenching and hilarious, City Lights proved that silent films could still be both profitable and entertaining.

Best Films of the 30's: It Happened One Night (1934)The 1930's was the decade of the screwball comedy (as we've already seen with Bringing up Baby), so it's no surprise that another one makes this list. Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert star in It Happened One Night, which manages to inject a bit of real pathos and romance into its hilarious plot.

Best Films of the 30's: The Thin Man (1934)There are few films quite as all-around entertaining as 1934's The Thin Man part murder-mystery, part screwball comedy, and part ode to martinis, The Thin Man is one of those films that hits every note perfectly. Who wouldn't love the pitch-perfect dialog (provided, of course, by Myrna Loy and William Powell in their most memorable and best roles) and compelling plot?

Sources:
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