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    Home/Browse/1930s Movies/1930s Action Movies

    1930s Action Movies

    The 40 most popular 1930s action movies, ranked. Click any film for ratings, reviews, trailers, and where to watch.

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    The Adventures of Robin Hood
    TMDB3.7

    The Adventures of Robin Hood

    1938 · 1h 42m

    country: United States

    Robin Hood fights nobly for justice against the evil Sir Guy of Gisbourne while striving to win the hand of the beautiful Maid Marian.

    Scarface
    TMDB3.7

    Scarface

    1932 · 1h 33m

    country: United States

    In 1920s Chicago, Italian immigrant and notorious thug, Antonio 'Tony' Camonte, aka Scarface, shoots his way to the top of the mobs while trying to protect his sister from the criminal life.

    The Most Dangerous Game
    TMDB3.5

    The Most Dangerous Game

    1932 · 1h 3m

    country: United States

    When legendary hunter Bob Rainsford is shipwrecked on the perilous reefs surrounding a mysterious island, he finds himself the guest of the reclusive and eccentric Count Zaroff. While he is very gracious at first, Zaroff eventually forces Rainsford and two other shipwreck survivors, brother and sister Eve and Martin Towbridge, to participate in a sadistic game of cat and mouse in which they are the prey and he is the hunter.

    The Son of Kong
    TMDB2.7

    The Son of Kong

    1933 · 1h 10m

    country: United States

    Beleaguered adventurer Carl Denham returns to the island where he found King Kong.

    Gulliver's Travels
    TMDB3.1

    Gulliver's Travels

    1939 · 1h 16m

    country: United States

    Gulliver washes ashore on Lilliput and attempts to prevent war between that tiny kingdom and its equally-miniscule rival, Blefiscu, as well as smooth the way for the romance between the Princess and Prince of the opposing lands. In this he is alternately aided and hampered by the Lilliputian town crier and general fussbudget, Gabby. A life-threatening situation develops when the bumbling trio of Blefiscu spies, Sneak, Snoop, and Snitch, manage to steal Gulliver's pistol.

    Tarzan and His Mate
    TMDB3.3

    Tarzan and His Mate

    1934 · 1h 44m

    country: United States

    Harry Holt returns to Africa with his friend Martin Arlington to head up a large ivory expedition.

    Little Caesar
    TMDB3.4

    Little Caesar

    1931 · 1h 18m

    country: United States

    A small-time hood shoots his way to the top, but how long can he stay there?

    Gunga Din
    TMDB3.3

    Gunga Din

    1939 · 1h 57m

    country: United States

    British army sergeants Ballantine, Cutter and MacChesney serve in India during the 1880s, along with their native water-bearer, Gunga Din. While completing a dangerous telegraph-repair mission, they unearth evidence of the suppressed Thuggee cult. When Gunga Din tells the sergeants about a secret temple made of gold, the fortune-hunting Cutter is captured by the Thuggees, and it's up to his friends to rescue him.

    Hell's Angels
    TMDB3.3

    Hell's Angels

    1930 · 2h 11m

    country: United States

    When the Great War breaks out, brothers Roy and Monte Rutledge, each attending Oxford University, enlist with the Royal Flying Corps.

    Tarzan Escapes
    TMDB3.4

    Tarzan Escapes

    1936 · 1h 29m

    country: United States

    White hunter Captain Fry tries to take Tarzan back to civilization, caged for public display. He arrives in the jungle with Jane's cousins, Eric and Rita, who want Jane's help in claiming a fortune left her.

    China Seas
    TMDB3.1

    China Seas

    1935 · 1h 27m

    country: United States

    Captain Alan Gaskell sails the perilous waters between Hong Kong and Singapore with a secret cargo: a fortune in British gold. That's not the only risky cargo he carries; both his fiery mistress and his refined fiancee are aboard!

    The Eagle and the Hawk
    TMDB3.4

    The Eagle and the Hawk

    1933 · 1h 13m

    country: United States

    The pilots of a Royal Air Force squadron in World War I face not only physical but mental dangers in their struggle to survive while fighting the enemy.

    Tarzan Finds a Son!
    TMDB3.1

    Tarzan Finds a Son!

    1939 · 1h 22m

    country: United States

    A young couple die in a plane crash in the jungle. Their son is found by Tarzan and Jane who name him Boy and raise him as their own. Five years later a search party comes to find the young heir to millions of dollars. Jane agrees, against Tarzan's will, to lead them to civilization.

    Code of the Secret Service
    TMDB2.2

    Code of the Secret Service

    1939 · 58m

    country: United States

    Secret Service agents try to solve the theft of treasury banknote plates.

    Dick Tracy
    TMDB2.6

    Dick Tracy

    1937 · 4h 50m

    country: United States

    Dick Tracy's foe for this serial is the crime boss and Masked Mystery Villain The Spider/The Lame One and his Spider Ring. In the process of various crimes, including using his Flying wing and sound weapon to destroy the Bay Bridge in San Francisco and stealing an experimental "Speed Plane", the Spider captures Dick Tracy's brother, Gordon. The Spider's minion, Dr. Moloch, performs a brain operation on Gordon Tracy to turn him evil, making him secretly part of the Spider Ring and so turning brother against brother.

    The Lost Patrol
    TMDB3.3

    The Lost Patrol

    1934 · 1h 13m

    country: United States

    A World War I British Army patrol is crossing the Mesopotamian desert when their commanding officer, the only one who knows their destination, is killed by the bullet of unseen bandits. The patrol's sergeant keeps them heading north on the assumption that they will hit their brigade. They stop for the night at an oasis and awaken the next morning to find their horses stolen, their sentry dead, the oasis surrounded and survival difficult.

    Allegheny Uprising
    TMDB3.0

    Allegheny Uprising

    1939 · 1h 21m

    country: United States

    South western Pennsylvania area of colonial America, 1760s. Colonial distaste and disapproval of the British government is starting to surface. Many local colonists have been killed by American Indians who are armed with rifles supplied by white traders.

    The Hurricane
    TMDB3.4

    The Hurricane

    1937 · 1h 44m

    country: United States

    A Polynesian sailor is separated from his wife when he's unjustly imprisoned for defending himself against a colonial bully. Members of the community petition the governor for clemency but all pretense of law and order are soon shattered by an incoming tropical storm.

    Cruz Diablo
    TMDB2.9

    Cruz Diablo

    1934 · 1h 23m

    country: Mexico

    16th-century swashbuckler; evil nobleman usurps another man's title and properties and forces his daughter to marry a political ally. But Cruz Diablo will have revenge!

    Dangerous Crossroads
    TMDB3.3

    Dangerous Crossroads

    1933 · 1h 2m

    country: United States

    A railroad detective is having a difficult time stopping or even slowing down a gang that is robbing the merchandise carried on the freight trains, with inside information. However, his son and his son's young friends notice something that helps the railway detective get on the right trail.

    Three Godfathers
    TMDB3.5

    Three Godfathers

    1936 · 1h 21m

    country: United States

    In a town called New Jerusalem, three bandits hold up a bank. After a gun battle with the townspeople, the three robbers retreat into the scorching Arizona desert. There, they happen upon an ill woman stranded with her child. As the mother dies, she begs the men to take care of her infant. The fugitives want to save the baby -- but to do so, they'll have to travel back to New Jerusalem, where they are wanted men. Remade as 3 Godfathers (1949).

    Dugong Hinugasan
    TMDB3.5

    Dugong Hinugasan

    1938

    country: Philippines

    ‏‏‎ ‎ ‏‏‎ ‎ ‏‏‎ ‎ ‏‏‎ ‎ ‏‏‎ ‎ ‏‏‎ ‎ ‏‏‎ ‎ ‏‏‎ ‎ ‏‏‎ ‎ ‏‏‎ ‎

    Born to the West
    TMDB2.5

    Born to the West

    1937 · 59m

    country: United States

    Dare Rudd takes a shine to his cattleman cousin Tom's girlfriend who asks Tom to hire Dare to head the big cattle drive. Dare loses the money for the drive to cardsharps, but Tom wins it back, but Dare must save Tom's life.

    Smashing the Money Ring
    TMDB2.9

    Smashing the Money Ring

    1939 · 57m

    country: United States

    T-Man Brass Bancroft goes undercover in a prison which has a secret counterfeit operation set up in the print shop.

    West of the Divide
    TMDB2.6

    West of the Divide

    1934 · 54m

    country: United States

    Ted Hayden impersonates a wanted man and joins Gentry's gang only to learn later that Gentry was the one who killed his father.

    Tropic Fury
    TMDB2.8

    Tropic Fury

    1939 · 1h 2m

    country: United States

    An investigator checks into the rumors of harsh working conditions on an Amazon rubber plantation.

    The Lawless Frontier
    TMDB2.4

    The Lawless Frontier

    1934 · 59m

    country: United States

    Tobin is after the bandit Zanti who killed his parents. He finds him just as Zanti is about to kill Dusty and kidnap Ruby. Saving the two, he goes after Zanti. He catches him but Zanti escapes the Sheriff's handcuff's and this time Tobin has to chase him into the desert.

    Spawn of the North
    TMDB3.0

    Spawn of the North

    1938 · 1h 50m

    country: United States

    Two Alaskan salmon fisherman find their friendship at risk when one aligns with Russian fish pirates and the other aligns with local vigilantes.

    Blue Steel
    TMDB2.4

    Blue Steel

    1934 · 54m

    country: United States

    When Sheriff Jake sees a man at the safe and then finds the payroll gone, he trails him. Just as he is about to arrest him, the man saves his life. Still suspicious, he joins up with the man and later they learn that Melgrove, the towns leading citizen, is trying to take over the area's ranches by having his gang stop all incoming supply wagons. With the ranchers about to sell to Melgrove, the two newcomers say they will bring in provisions.

    Flash Gordon
    TMDB3.2

    Flash Gordon

    1936 · 4h 5m

    country: United States

    Disaster seems imminent when scientists discover that the planet Mongo is about to crash into Earth. Luckily, heroic young Flash Gordon is on hand to lead an investigative mission into outer space and onto the speedily approaching planet. There, he and his best girl, Dale, who is along for the ride, learn that Ming, the devious ruler of Mongo, has purposely put the planet on a collision course with Earth, and only Flash can stop him.

    Unknown Woman

    TMDB3.3

    Unknown Woman

    1935 · 1h 6m

    country: United States

    A young attorney, Larry Condon, is on a retainer by a nightclub-owning gangster, to carry and deliver what he thinks are legal papers but he is innocently carrying around millions of dollars in stolen bonds. He meets Helen Griffith when she is arrested in a raid on a gambling house and befriends her. She talks him into taking her to the nightclub of the man he is working for and, while there and unobserved by anyone by Larry, he sees her going through the files and desk of the owner. Who is this mystery woman he just got released from jail, and what is she up to?

    Aerograd
    TMDB2.5

    Aerograd

    1935 · 1h 22m

    country: Soviet Union

    A Russian outpost in Eastern Siberia comes under threat of attack by the Japanese. Aerograd is a new town with a strategically located airfield of vital interest to the government. Work on the new outpost is complicated when tensions develop between workers and a religious sect. Relations between the two countries are further strained in the days before World War II, dating back to the Russo-Japanese War of 1905.

    Dick Tracy's G-Men
    TMDB2.6

    Dick Tracy's G-Men

    1939 · 5h 2m

    country: United States

    A mad doctor named Zanoff uses a drug to bring himself back from the dead after his execution in prison. Dick Tracy sets out to capture Zanoff before he can put his criminal gang back together again.

    Transient Lady
    TMDB3.2

    Transient Lady

    1935 · 1h 9m

    country: United States

    A senator's brother turns up murdered, and the senator tries to pin the blame on a man he knows is innocent.

    Army Girl
    TMDB3.4

    Army Girl

    1938 · 1h 20m

    country: United States

    A young captain hoping to replace the U.S. Army's horses with mechanized vehicles faces court-martial after his commanding officer, who's opposed to modern changes, is killed.

    Hunterwali
    TMDB3.5

    Hunterwali

    1935 · 2h 44m

    country: India

    Preceded by a legend describing its heroine as a 'Brave Indian girl who sacrificed royal luxuries to the cause of her people and her country', the story opens with a prologue showing Krishnavati and her infant son being thrown out of the house in a thunderstorm by the wicked Prime Minister Ranamal who also killed her brother. 20 years later the now adult son, Jaswant, is hit by a royal motor car and given a bag of gold in compensation. His refusal of the gift attracts the admiration of Princess Madhuri. When the nasty Ranamal, who wants to marry her, imprisons her father the king, she becomes the masked Hunterwali, 'protector of the poor and punisher of evildoers', and performer of stunts like jumping over a moving cartand fighting 20 soldiers at once. She steals Jaswant's prize horse, Punjab, but returns it later. Jaswant chances upon a nude Hunterwali bathing in the river and after a long duel captures her and takes her to Ranamal to claim his reward.

    The Man from Utah
    TMDB2.4

    The Man from Utah

    1934 · 51m

    country: United States

    The Marshal sends John Weston to a rodeo to see if he can find out who is killing the rodeo riders who are about to win the prize money. Barton has organized the rodeo and plans to leave with all the prize money put up by the townspeople. When it appears that Weston will beat Barton's rider, he has his men prepare the same fate for him that befell the other riders.

    Ridin' Thru
    TMDB4.0

    Ridin' Thru

    1934 · 55m

    country: United States

    Dad Brooks is in financial trouble and needs to sell a lot of horses. But they are being rustled and needing help, he sends for Tom. Tom looks for the rustlers but eventually realizes that someone is using a wild horse to do the rustling. He finds the secret entrance used by the rustlers to hide the horses but soon finds himself a prisoner.

    Riders of Destiny
    TMDB2.6

    Riders of Destiny

    1933 · 55m

    country: United States

    James Kincaid controls the local water supply and plans to do away with the other ranchers. Government agent Sandy Saunders arrives undercover to investigate Kincaid's land swindle scheme, and win the heart of one of his victims, Fay Denton.

    Zorro's Fighting Legion
    TMDB2.7

    Zorro's Fighting Legion

    1939 · 3h 32m

    country: United States

    The mysterious Don Del Oro ("Lord of Gold"), an idol of the Yaqui Indians, plans to take over the gold and become Emperor. Francisco was put in charge of a legion to combat the Yaqui tribe and protect the land, but when attacked Zorro came to his rescue. Francisco's partner recognized Zorro as the hidalgo Don Diego Vega, then ask him to take over the fighting legion as his alter-ego Zorro.

    About 1930s Action Movies

    The 1930s

    The 1930s were the studio system at full power, with sound now fully integrated and the Production Code arriving mid-decade to sharply narrow what films could depict. It's the decade of the Universal monster cycle, screwball comedy, and the first Technicolor spectacles.

    Action

    Action cinema runs from the stunt-driven spectacle of Hollywood blockbusters to the choreographed precision of Hong Kong and Korean thrillers. The best of it treats physical performance as storytelling — chases, fights, and set pieces that reveal character rather than pause for it.

    In this list

    Best reviewed
    The Adventures of Robin Hood (7.5)
    Often also
    Adventure, Drama, Western

    Common questions

    What are the best 1930s action movies?
    By popularity across Flickfolio and TMDB, the top picks right now are The Adventures of Robin Hood, Scarface, and The Most Dangerous Game. The full ranked list of 40 sits above — open any movie for ratings, reviews, and streaming availability.
    How is this list ranked?
    1930s action movies are ordered by overall popularity, which blends how often a title is viewed, searched, and logged. It updates as viewing habits shift, so the list reflects what people are actually watching rather than a fixed critical canon.
    Where can I watch these movies?
    Every movie page lists current streaming, rental, and purchase options for your region, alongside community ratings and reviews from Flickfolio members.

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