10 Films From 1939, the Year Often Called Hollywood’s Strongest

Ask a film historian to name the greatest single year in Hollywood history, and 1939 comes up more often than any other. The studio system was at full strength, and the major companies were turning out ambitious pictures in every genre. The Academy Awards for that year, held in early 1940, had an unusually crowded field of Best Picture nominees.

Here are ten films from that year, each one still watched, studied and restored today. They’re listed in no particular ranking, just a walk through a remarkable twelve months.

Gone with the Wind

Directed principally by Victor Fleming and produced by David O. Selznick, this Civil War epic was adapted from Margaret Mitchell’s bestselling novel. It won the Academy Award for Best Picture, and Vivien Leigh took Best Actress for playing Scarlett O’Hara. Hattie McDaniel won Best Supporting Actress, becoming the first Black performer to win an Oscar.

The film remains one of the highest grossing releases in history once ticket prices are adjusted for inflation. It is also a contested work, because of its romanticized portrayal of the antebellum South and slavery. Its streaming and broadcast presentations have since carried historical context to address that.

The Wizard of Oz

MGM’s Technicolor adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s novel starred Judy Garland as Dorothy. Several directors worked on it, with Victor Fleming receiving credit. It was nominated for Best Picture and won two Oscars, for Best Original Score and Best Original Song, the latter for “Over the Rainbow.”

It wasn’t a huge profit maker on first release, given its large budget. Its cultural reach grew enormously once television broadcasts began in the 1950s. The Library of Congress later chose it for the National Film Registry in its first years of selections.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Frank Capra directed this political drama starring James Stewart as an idealistic appointed senator. It earned a Best Picture nomination, and Lewis R. Foster won the Oscar for Best Original Story. The film’s depiction of a Senate filibuster is among the most remembered in American cinema.

Its portrayal of corruption in government caused some discomfort in Washington at the time of release. Even so, audiences responded warmly, and the film has stayed a reference point in conversations about civic ideals on screen.

Stagecoach

John Ford’s western brought the genre to a new level of seriousness and put John Wayne in a starring role. Much of it was filmed in Monument Valley, a location Ford would return to repeatedly. Thomas Mitchell won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role as the drunken doctor.

The film was nominated for Best Picture. Many critics see it as the work that restored respect for westerns as major studio productions.

Wuthering Heights

Directed by William Wyler, this adaptation of Emily Brontë’s novel starred Laurence Olivier as Heathcliff and Merle Oberon as Cathy. It covers only part of the book’s story, ending after the first generation of characters. Gregg Toland won the Oscar for Best Cinematography for his black and white work.

The film was also nominated for Best Picture. Olivier’s performance helped establish his reputation with American audiences.

Goodbye, Mr. Chips

Robert Donat starred as a gentle schoolmaster in this British production, released through MGM. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor, beating Clark Gable for Gone with the Wind and James Stewart, among others. Greer Garson, in an early screen role, was nominated for Best Actress.

Based on James Hilton’s novella, the story follows a teacher across decades at an English boys’ school. It was nominated for Best Picture too, which shows how deep that year’s field really was.

Ninotchka

Ernst Lubitsch directed this comedy with Greta Garbo as a stern Soviet envoy sent to Paris. It was marketed with the famous line that Garbo laughs, a nod to her serious screen image. The film earned Oscar nominations including Best Picture and Best Actress.

Its screenplay, with Billy Wilder among the writers, balances political satire and romance with a light touch. It is often cited as one of Lubitsch’s most polished works.

Dark Victory

Bette Davis starred as a socialite who learns she has a terminal brain condition, in this melodrama directed by Edmund Goulding. Davis received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress, and the film was nominated for Best Picture. Humphrey Bogart and Ronald Reagan appeared in supporting roles.

Davis herself considered it among her favorite performances. The picture helped cement her status as one of Warner Bros.’ leading stars.

Of Mice and Men

Lewis Milestone directed this adaptation of John Steinbeck’s novella, with Burgess Meredith and Lon Chaney Jr. as George and Lennie. It stayed close to the source material and earned Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. Aaron Copland’s score was nominated as well, one of his early film credits.

Chaney’s portrayal of Lennie is often counted among his strongest dramatic work. The film showed that Hollywood could handle somber, literary material in that period.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Charles Laughton played Quasimodo in this RKO adaptation of Victor Hugo’s novel, with Maureen O’Hara in her American film debut as Esmeralda. William Dieterle directed. The production built a large replica of medieval Paris and the cathedral for the screen.

Laughton’s makeup and physical performance drew wide praise. The film is generally ranked among the best screen versions of the story.