Best movies of the 1930s

The 1930s: all 311 films TOPICAL scores from these years, best first. The top three are Gone with the Wind (1939), The Wizard of Oz (1939), It Happened One Night (1934). The last column is each film's rank among all 6,624 films.

Rank	Film	Year	Score	All-time rank
1	Gone with the Wind	1939	96.4	17
2	The Wizard of Oz	1939	90.5	93
3	It Happened One Night	1934	90.3	96
4	Modern Times	1936	89.6	109
5	City Lights	1931	88.2	138
6	Stagecoach	1939	87.5	151
7	Mr. Smith Goes to Washington	1939	86.6	172
8	All Quiet on the Western Front	1930	85.5	200
9	Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs	1937	85.3	203
10	The Adventures of Robin Hood	1938	84.1	234
11	The Awful Truth	1937	79.1	387
12	Ninotchka	1939	74.8	543
13	Mutiny on the Bounty	1935	74.5	552
14	Wuthering Heights	1939	74.4	559
15	Grand Illusion	1937	73.9	576
16	Bride of Frankenstein	1935	73.8	580
17	M	1931	73.3	603
18	Freaks	1932	73.2	607
19	King Kong	1933	72.8	623
20	The Thin Man	1934	72.8	624
21	Angels with Dirty Faces	1938	72.7	627
22	Top Hat	1935	72.1	653
23	The Public Enemy	1931	72.0	654
24	Bringing Up Baby	1938	71.5	678
25	Grand Hotel	1932	71.0	697
26	Jezebel	1938	71.0	699
27	Frankenstein	1931	70.8	707
28	You Can't Take It with You	1938	70.3	731
29	My Man Godfrey	1936	68.6	809
30	The Life of Emile Zola	1937	67.9	839
31	I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang	1932	67.3	870
32	Scarface	1932	66.3	917
33	Young Mr. Lincoln	1939	65.7	948
34	Mr. Deeds Goes to Town	1936	64.7	996
35	The Invisible Man	1933	64.2	1,025
36	Dodsworth	1936	63.3	1,070
37	Duck Soup	1933	63.2	1,076
38	A Star Is Born	1937	63.1	1,081
39	The Informer	1935	63.0	1,090
40	Only Angels Have Wings	1939	62.0	1,144
41	A Night at the Opera	1935	61.9	1,145
42	Captain Blood	1935	61.9	1,147
43	Dracula	1931	60.8	1,206
44	Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde	1931	60.3	1,238
45	The Lady Vanishes	1938	59.2	1,298
46	Fury	1936	59.1	1,302
47	Morocco	1930	59.0	1,311
48	Goodbye, Mr. Chips	1939	58.1	1,362
49	Lost Horizon	1937	58.0	1,370
50	Captains Courageous	1937	57.0	1,426
51	Shanghai Express	1932	56.6	1,453
52	Tabu: A Story of the South Seas	1931	56.2	1,476
53	Little Women	1933	55.2	1,538
54	Make Way for Tomorrow	1937	54.5	1,586
55	The Blue Angel	1930	53.4	1,654
56	Boys Town	1938	52.6	1,706
57	42nd Street	1933	52.3	1,726
58	The 39 Steps	1935	52.1	1,736
59	Holiday	1938	51.9	1,753
60	Stage Door	1937	51.5	1,779
61	Dark Victory	1939	51.4	1,784
62	The Rules of the Game	1939	51.2	1,797
63	Pygmalion	1938	51.1	1,802
64	A Farewell to Arms	1932	50.9	1,818
65	L'Atalante	1934	50.6	1,838
66	The Story of Louis Pasteur	1936	49.8	1,892
67	The Hunchback of Notre Dame	1939	49.0	1,950
68	Trouble in Paradise	1932	48.8	1,959
69	The Women	1939	48.7	1,966
70	Imitation of Life	1934	48.6	1,979
71	The Great Ziegfeld	1936	48.1	2,008
72	San Francisco	1936	48.0	2,015
73	The Private Life of Henry VIII	1933	47.9	2,025
74	She Done Him Wrong	1933	47.3	2,065
75	The Lives of a Bengal Lancer	1935	47.1	2,082
76	The Good Earth	1937	46.7	2,108
77	After the Thin Man	1936	46.6	2,115
78	Ruggles of Red Gap	1935	46.4	2,133
79	The Gay Divorcee	1934	45.8	2,177
80	Little Caesar	1931	45.6	2,192
81	Gunga Din	1939	45.0	2,235
82	The Citadel	1938	44.6	2,265
83	Destry Rides Again	1939	44.1	2,301
84	The Champ	1931	44.0	2,307
85	The Petrified Forest	1936	43.7	2,330
86	Camille	1936	43.6	2,337
87	Swing Time	1936	43.4	2,358
88	Alexander Nevsky	1938	43.2	2,372
89	Of Mice and Men	1939	43.2	2,373
90	The Front Page	1931	43.1	2,380
91	Port of Shadows	1938	42.8	2,397
92	A Free Soul	1931	42.7	2,404
93	Gold Diggers of 1933	1933	42.7	2,405
94	The Prisoner of Zenda	1937	42.7	2,407
95	Alice Adams	1935	42.5	2,423
96	Love Affair	1939	42.4	2,434
97	Sons of the Desert	1933	40.8	2,553
98	Dead End	1937	39.6	2,646
99	The Barretts of Wimpole Street	1934	39.6	2,653
100	Baby Face	1933	38.7	2,720
101	Test Pilot	1938	38.5	2,735
102	Les Misérables	1935	38.4	2,750
103	The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex	1939	38.1	2,769
104	Lady for a Day	1933	38.0	2,781
105	Beau Geste	1939	37.9	2,787
106	Drácula	1931	37.3	2,833
107	Skippy	1931	37.3	2,835
108	Come and Get It	1936	37.0	2,857
109	L'Âge d'or	1930	36.9	2,866
110	State Fair	1933	36.5	2,904
111	Triumph of the Will	1935	36.4	2,911
112	Footlight Parade	1933	36.2	2,925
113	Bad Girl	1931	36.2	2,928
114	One Night of Love	1934	36.1	2,931
115	The Big Trail	1930	36.0	2,945
116	The Big House	1930	35.9	2,956
117	Cavalcade	1933	35.6	2,973
118	Olympia Part One: Festival of the Nations	1938	35.4	2,992
119	Red Dust	1932	35.1	3,020
120	Arrowsmith	1931	35.1	3,023
121	The Mummy	1932	34.7	3,055
122	Tarzan and His Mate	1934	34.6	3,063
123	Of Human Bondage	1934	34.2	3,095
124	A Midsummer Night's Dream	1935	34.2	3,098
125	Cleopatra	1934	33.7	3,136
126	David Copperfield	1935	33.6	3,146
127	A Tale of Two Cities	1935	33.3	3,169
128	Cimarron	1931	32.8	3,213
129	Midnight	1939	32.3	3,257
130	À Nous la Liberté	1931	32.2	3,270
131	Vivacious Lady	1938	32.2	3,273
132	The Divorcee	1930	32.0	3,285
133	Way Out West	1937	31.7	3,309
134	One Hundred Men and a Girl	1937	31.7	3,313
135	Tarzan the Ape Man	1932	31.6	3,318
136	Dinner at Eight	1933	31.6	3,326
137	Four Daughters	1938	31.5	3,328
138	Morning Glory	1933	31.3	3,346
139	Conquest	1937	31.1	3,368
140	Dangerous	1935	30.9	3,388
141	Naughty Marietta	1935	30.3	3,433
142	Romance	1930	30.1	3,454
143	Love Me Tonight	1932	30.0	3,465
144	Young and Innocent	1937	29.7	3,492
145	Union Pacific	1939	29.4	3,519
146	Intermezzo: A Love Story	1939	29.3	3,527
147	In Old Chicago	1937	28.6	3,593
148	Alexander's Ragtime Band	1938	28.3	3,618
149	Anna Christie	1930	28.1	3,635
150	Romeo and Juliet	1936	27.8	3,661
151	The Lost Patrol	1934	27.6	3,685
152	The Great Waltz	1938	27.5	3,692
153	Juarez	1939	27.1	3,726
154	The Four Feathers	1939	27.0	3,740
155	These Three	1936	26.8	3,753
156	Queen Christina	1933	26.8	3,761
157	Topper	1937	26.8	3,762
158	Babes in Arms	1939	26.5	3,784
159	It's a Gift	1934	26.3	3,805
160	Stella Dallas	1937	26.2	3,812
161	Flirtation Walk	1934	26.1	3,823
162	Earth	1930	26.0	3,829
163	Twentieth Century	1934	25.9	3,846
164	Drums Along the Mohawk	1939	25.6	3,866
165	The Rogue Song	1930	25.3	3,894
166	Viva Villa!	1934	24.9	3,932
167	King of Jazz	1930	24.8	3,948
168	Min and Bill	1930	24.3	3,995
169	Three Comrades	1938	24.2	4,000
170	Algiers	1938	24.1	4,016
171	Whoopee!	1930	24.0	4,020
172	Marie Antoinette	1938	24.0	4,024
173	Hell's Angels	1930	23.8	4,040
174	The Merry Widow	1934	23.7	4,055
175	Theodora Goes Wild	1936	23.5	4,075
176	The Dark Angel	1935	23.4	4,079
177	The Sin of Madelon Claudet	1931	22.8	4,140
178	Wild Boys of the Road	1933	22.7	4,153
179	Golden Boy	1939	21.7	4,244
180	Anthony Adverse	1936	21.3	4,282
181	The Gorgeous Hussy	1936	21.1	4,302
182	Barbary Coast	1935	21.1	4,304
183	The General Died at Dawn	1936	20.8	4,334
184	Svengali	1931	20.7	4,346
185	Becky Sharp	1935	20.4	4,371
186	Three Smart Girls	1936	20.4	4,376
187	The Sign of the Cross	1932	20.4	4,377
188	Eskimo	1933	20.2	4,396
189	Kentucky	1938	19.8	4,439
190	The Rains Came	1939	19.5	4,468
191	Night Must Fall	1937	19.3	4,482
192	Our Daily Bread	1934	19.3	4,490
193	Murder!	1930	19.1	4,504
194	The Charge of the Light Brigade	1936	19.1	4,506
195	Tevye	1939	18.3	4,588
196	The Royal Family of Broadway	1930	18.3	4,592
197	Gulliver's Travels	1939	18.0	4,615
198	Love Finds Andy Hardy	1938	18.0	4,623
199	The Affairs of Cellini	1934	17.8	4,640
200	Of Human Hearts	1938	17.6	4,655
201	The Hurricane	1937	17.6	4,656
202	Berkeley Square	1933	17.3	4,694
203	The Cowboy and the Lady	1938	16.9	4,733
204	Holiday	1930	16.8	4,740
205	Maytime	1937	16.6	4,763
206	The Guardsman	1931	15.6	4,866
207	Escape Me Never	1935	15.6	4,867
208	Carefree	1938	15.1	4,924
209	Block-Heads	1938	15.1	4,925
210	A Damsel in Distress	1937	14.8	4,947
211	Employees' Entrance	1933	14.6	4,977
212	When Tomorrow Comes	1939	14.5	4,984
213	Show Boat	1936	14.5	4,987
214	The Crusades	1935	14.3	5,008
215	Jamaica Inn	1939	14.2	5,015
216	Chapayev	1934	13.7	5,063
217	The Power and the Glory	1933	13.7	5,065
218	Street of Chance	1930	13.7	5,070
219	With Byrd at the South Pole	1930	13.2	5,117
220	The White Parade	1934	13.2	5,120
221	The Big Pond	1930	13.2	5,121
222	If I Were King	1938	12.9	5,151
223	Emperor Jones	1933	11.9	5,264
224	The Devil's Holiday	1930	11.8	5,268
225	Sarah and Son	1930	11.8	5,270
226	Merrily We Live	1938	11.7	5,283
227	The Criminal Code	1930	11.6	5,291
228	The Adventures of Tom Sawyer	1938	11.6	5,296
229	Private Worlds	1935	11.6	5,297
230	The Buccaneer	1938	11.4	5,314
231	Raffles	1930	11.1	5,352
232	Under Western Stars	1938	10.9	5,370
233	Little Miss Marker	1934	10.9	5,375
234	The Young in Heart	1938	10.8	5,385
235	Emma	1932	10.6	5,401
236	The Garden of Allah	1936	10.4	5,426
237	The Green Goddess	1930	10.1	5,458
238	Wee Willie Winkie	1937	10.0	5,467
239	Suez	1938	10.0	5,470
240	Something to Sing About	1937	10.0	5,474
241	Quality Street	1937	9.9	5,481
242	Peter Ibbetson	1935	9.8	5,496
243	Daughter of Shanghai	1937	9.6	5,511
244	Winterset	1936	9.5	5,522
245	Black Fury	1935	9.5	5,523
246	Eternally Yours	1939	9.5	5,529
247	White Banners	1938	9.5	5,531
248	Sweethearts	1938	8.2	5,668
249	The Goldwyn Follies	1938	8.1	5,677
250	Souls at Sea	1937	7.9	5,706
251	Pigskin Parade	1936	7.7	5,724
252	Lloyd's of London	1936	7.6	5,733
253	Just Imagine	1930	7.5	5,751
254	When Ladies Meet	1933	7.0	5,803
255	The Mikado	1939	6.9	5,813
256	Transatlantic	1931	6.6	5,846
257	First Love	1939	6.6	5,849
258	Blockade	1938	6.2	5,894
259	The Man in the Iron Mask	1939	6.1	5,907
260	Mad About Music	1938	6.0	5,916
261	Operator 13	1934	5.8	5,947
262	Banjo on My Knee	1936	5.7	5,952
263	Reunion in Vienna	1933	5.4	5,991
264	That Certain Age	1938	5.2	6,014
265	The Vagabond King	1930	5.1	6,020
266	Lady of the Tropics	1939	4.7	6,070
267	The Song of the Flame	1930	4.6	6,086
268	The Texas Rangers	1936	4.5	6,088
269	Valiant Is the Word for Carrie	1936	4.5	6,095
270	The Forgotten Frontier	1931	4.4	6,099
271	The City	1939	4.1	6,134
272	Walter Wanger's Vogues of 1938	1937	4.1	6,142
273	Man of Conquest	1939	4.1	6,143
274	Verbena trágica	1939	3.6	6,196
275	Topper Takes a Trip	1938	3.6	6,199
276	The Case of Sergeant Grischa	1930	3.4	6,222
277	They Shall Have Music	1939	3.4	6,226
278	General Spanky	1936	3.3	6,232
279	Captain Fury	1939	3.2	6,243
280	Balalaika	1939	3.0	6,263
281	Nurse Edith Cavell	1939	2.9	6,285
282	The Right to Love	1930	2.8	6,288
283	The Middleton Family at the New York World's Fair	1939	2.5	6,327
284	Wells Fargo	1937	2.5	6,328
285	Army Girl	1938	2.5	6,329
286	Make a Wish	1937	2.4	6,333
287	I Dream Too Much	1935	2.4	6,340
288	Tropic Holiday	1938	2.1	6,371
289	There Goes My Heart	1938	2.0	6,385
290	The Magnificent Brute	1936	1.9	6,396
291	Wings Over Honolulu	1937	1.9	6,399
292	Thanks a Million	1935	1.8	6,406
293	The Great Victor Herbert	1939	1.8	6,413
294	$1,000 a Minute	1935	1.8	6,414
295	Every Day's a Holiday	1937	1.6	6,433
296	The Girl Said No	1937	1.5	6,443
297	The Revenge of Pancho Villa	1936	1.4	6,454
298	Love Me Forever	1935	1.3	6,469
299	Pacific Liner	1939	1.1	6,488
300	Hitting a New High	1937	1.1	6,498
301	You're a Sweetheart	1937	0.9	6,521
302	George Washington Carver at Tuskegee Institute	1937	0.6	6,556
303	Manhattan Merry-Go-Round	1937	0.5	6,560
304	That Girl from Paris	1937	0.5	6,563
305	Girls' School	1938	0.4	6,580
306	Storm Over Bengal	1938	0.4	6,582
307	Portia on Trial	1937	0.3	6,585
308	Hell-Bound Train	1930	0.3	6,592
309	Way Down South	1939	0.2	6,602
310	Breaking the Ice	1938	0.2	6,603
311	She Married a Cop	1939	0.1	6,610