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    Home/Browse/1930s Movies/1930s Drama Movies

    1930s Drama Movies

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

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    Gone with the Wind
    TMDB4.0

    Gone with the Wind

    1939 · 3h 58m

    country: United States

    The spoiled daughter of a Georgia plantation owner conducts a tumultuous romance with a cynical profiteer during the American Civil War and Reconstruction Era.

    Modern Times
    TMDB4.1

    Modern Times

    1936 · 1h 27m

    country: United States

    A bumbling tramp desires to build a home with a young woman, yet is thwarted time and time again by his lack of experience and habit of being in the wrong place at the wrong time...

    Wuthering Heights
    TMDB3.6

    Wuthering Heights

    1939 · 1h 44m

    country: United States

    Young orphan Heathcliff is adopted by the wealthy Earnshaw family and moves into their estate, Wuthering Heights. Soon, the new resident falls for his compassionate foster sister, Cathy. The two share a remarkable bond that seems unbreakable until Cathy, feeling the pressure of social convention, suppresses her feelings and marries Edgar Linton, a man of means who befits her stature. Heathcliff vows to win her back.

    All Quiet on the Western Front
    TMDB3.9

    All Quiet on the Western Front

    1930 · 2h 13m

    country: United States

    When a group of idealistic young men join the German Army during the Great War, they are assigned to the Western Front, where their patriotism is destroyed by the harsh realities of combat.

    M
    TMDB4.0

    M

    1931 · 1h 50m

    country: Germany

    In this classic German thriller, Hans Beckert, a serial killer who preys on children, becomes the focus of a massive Berlin police manhunt. Beckert's heinous crimes are so repellant and disruptive to city life that he is even targeted by others in the seedy underworld network. With both cops and criminals in pursuit, the murderer soon realizes that people are on his trail, sending him into a tense, panicked attempt to escape justice.

    Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
    TMDB3.9

    Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

    1939 · 2h 10m

    country: United States

    After the death of a United States Senator, the idealistic Jefferson Smith is appointed as his replacement in Washington. The naive and earnest new senator soon finds himself battling political corruption.

    Frankenstein
    TMDB3.7

    Frankenstein

    1931 · 1h 10m

    country: United States

    Henry Frankenstein pieces together body parts in the hope of bringing a human-like creature to life. The mad scientist’s dreams are shattered by his monstrous creation awakening with rage to a world that hates and fears him.

    Terang Boelan
    TMDB5.0

    Terang Boelan

    1937

    country: Indonesia

    Rohaya (Roekiah) must separate from her lover, Kasim (Rd Mochtar), so that she can marry her father's choice, the disreputable but rich Musa (Eddie T. Effendi). The night before the wedding, Kasim plays the song "Terang Boelan" for Rohaya, and they agree to elope. The following day, Rohaya and Kasim escape from Sawoba Island to Malacca, where Kasim begins work at a drydock and Rohaya keeps busy as a housewife. They discover that Kasim's old friend, Dullah (Kartolo), has lived in Malacca for some time.

    City Lights
    TMDB4.1

    City Lights

    1931 · 1h 27m

    country: United States

    A tramp falls in love with a beautiful blind flower girl. His on-and-off friendship with a wealthy man allows him to be the girl's benefactor and suitor.

    Baby Face
    TMDB3.6

    Baby Face

    1933 · 1h 16m

    country: United States

    A young woman uses her body and her sexuality to help her climb the social ladder, but soon begins to wonder if her new status will ever bring her happiness.

    Freaks
    TMDB3.9

    Freaks

    1932 · 1h 4m

    country: United States

    A circus' beautiful trapeze artist agrees to marry the leader of side-show performers, but his deformed friends discover she is only marrying him for his inheritance.

    The Blue Angel
    TMDB3.6

    The Blue Angel

    1930 · 1h 48m

    country: Germany

    Prim professor Immanuel Rath finds some of his students ogling racy photos of cabaret performer Lola Lola and visits a local club, The Blue Angel, in an attempt to catch them there. Seeing Lola perform, the teacher is filled with lust, eventually resigning his position at the school to marry the young woman. However, his marriage to a coquette -- whose job is to entice men -- proves to be more difficult than Rath imagined.

    Grand Illusion
    TMDB3.9

    Grand Illusion

    1937 · 1h 54m

    country: France

    A group of French soldiers, including the patrician Captain de Boeldieu and the working-class Lieutenant Maréchal, grapple with their own class differences after being captured and held in a World War I German prison camp. When the men are transferred to a high-security fortress, they must concoct a plan to escape beneath the watchful eye of aristocratic German officer von Rauffenstein, who has formed an unexpected bond with de Boeldieu.

    The Hunchback of Notre Dame
    TMDB3.7

    The Hunchback of Notre Dame

    1939 · 1h 57m

    country: United States

    Paris, France, 1482. Frollo, Chief Justice of benevolent King Louis XI, gets infatuated by the beauty of Esmeralda, a young Romani girl. The hunchback Quasimodo, Frollo's protege and bell-ringer of Notre Dame, lives in peace among the bells in the heights of the immense cathedral until he is involved by the twisted magistrate in his malicious plans to free himself from Esmeralda's alleged spell, which he believes to be the devil's work.

    The Defenceless
    TMDB3.3

    The Defenceless

    1939 · 1h 13m

    country: Norway

    Based upon true events and the novel by Gabriel Scott about terrible conditions in a foster family.

    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.

    Young Forest
    TMDB2.9

    Young Forest

    1934 · 1h 11m

    country: Poland

    In the beginning of the 20th century, Polish students are fully aware that the education system is not one in which the truth is taught, but rather one their government wants them to learn. A student contradicts his professor's stance that Suworow was one of Poland's greatest leaders. The argument between the two eventually leads to a wide strike.

    Life on the Hortobagy
    TMDB3.1

    Life on the Hortobagy

    1936 · 1h 19m

    country: Hungary

    Filmed in the Hortobágy region of the Great Hungarian Plain, Hoellering presents three generations of herdsmen and an arresting depiction of societal progress.

    Mutiny on the Bounty
    TMDB3.7

    Mutiny on the Bounty

    1935 · 2h 12m

    country: United States

    Fletcher Christian successfully leads a revolt against the ruthless Captain Bligh on the HMS Bounty. However, Bligh returns one year later, hell bent on revenge.

    Ferdowsi
    TMDB4.0

    Ferdowsi

    1934 · 58m

    country: India

    Biopic on the classic Persian poet of the 11th century Ferdowsi, and the author of Shahnameh, which is one of the world's longest epic poems created by a single poet, and the greatest epic of Persian speaking countries.

    Susan Lenox
    TMDB3.1

    Susan Lenox

    1931 · 1h 16m

    country: United States

    A young woman runs away from an abusive home and pre-arranged marriage only to be frustrated in her attempts to find happiness with a handsome engineer.

    Die Entführung
    TMDB4.0

    Die Entführung

    1936

    country: Germany

    No overview available

    Dreams of Love

    TMDB5.0

    Dreams of Love

    1935 · 1h 32m

    country: Hungary

    The timeless compositions of Franz Liszt are heard throughout the Hungarian historical romance Szerelmi Almok (Love Dreams). Though Liszt himself is a major character, the heroine of the piece is Hungarian countess Maria Duday (Maria Salyok). Leaving her fiancé at the altar, Maria insists upon becoming Liszt's pupil. In addition to her passion for her teacher, Maria also becomes involved with a young orchestra conductor, who ends up being wounded in a duel with her ex-fiancé. In the end, however, Maria and the musician are reunited as she plays a Liszt concerto under his direction. A German-language version of Szerelmi Almok was filmed simultaneously with a different cast.

    Sisters Under the Skin
    TMDB5.0

    Sisters Under the Skin

    1934 · 1h 5m

    country: United States

    Wealthy, aging millionaire John Hunter Yates (Frank Morgan) seeks to recapture his youth by pursuing a young actress, Blossom Bailey (Elissa Landi), leading him from America to Europe, where he finances her and a musician lover, only to realize his mistakes and return to his neglected wife, Elinor, understanding their true connection.

    Foreigner
    TMDB3.5

    Foreigner

    1937 · 24m

    country: Unknown

    A small river separates Soviet lands from the territory of one of the capitalist powers. On the other side, the girl Pebble lives with her peasant father. One morning, after running after a cow across a river, the girl crossed to the Soviet side. She only spends one day in the kindergarten of the border post, but this day remains in her memory for the rest of her life. Seeing the bright, spacious rooms, the beautiful clothes of the children, delicious plentiful food, and many toys, the girl remembers with bitterness her dilapidated hut, where there is not always bread for dinner. Caressed by the Soviet people, in a new dress, with a bunch of donated toys, Pebble goes back home. A rude shout from a gendarme officer brings the girl back to bitter reality.

    The Public Enemy
    TMDB3.6

    The Public Enemy

    1931 · 1h 24m

    country: United States

    Two young Chicago hoodlums, Tom Powers and Matt Doyle, rise up from their poverty-stricken slum life to become petty thieves, bootleggers and cold-blooded killers. But with street notoriety and newfound wealth, the duo feels the heat from the cops and rival gangsters both. Despite his ruthless criminal reputation, Tom tries to remain connected to his family, however, gang warfare and the need for revenge eventually pull him away.

    I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang
    TMDB3.9

    I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang

    1932 · 1h 32m

    country: United States

    A World War I veteran’s dreams of becoming a master architect evaporate in the cold light of economic realities. Things get even worse when he’s falsely convicted of a crime and sent to work on a chain gang.

    Profesor Wilczur
    TMDB4.5

    Profesor Wilczur

    1938 · 1h 28m

    country: Poland

    Profesor Wilczur is a 1938 Polish romantic drama film directed by Michał Waszyński. It is based on the novel by Tadeusz Dolega-Mostowicz.

    The Rules of the Game
    TMDB3.7

    The Rules of the Game

    1939 · 1h 50m

    country: France

    The Marquis de la Chesnaye and his wife host a weekend gala where a variety of complicated romantic and social entanglements between guests and servants lead to tragedy, all against the backdrop of a looming war.

    Dark Victory
    TMDB3.5

    Dark Victory

    1939 · 1h 44m

    country: United States

    Socialite Judith Traherne lives a lavish but emotionally empty life. Riding horses is one of her few joys, and her stable master is secretly in love with her. Told she has a brain tumor by her doctor, Frederick Steele, Judith becomes distraught. After she decides to have surgery to remove the tumor, Judith realizes she is in love with Dr. Steele, but more troubling medical news may sabotage her new relationship, and her second chance at life.

    Queen Christina
    TMDB3.5

    Queen Christina

    1934 · 1h 39m

    country: United States

    Popular monarch Queen Christina of Sweden must choose between love and loyalty to her nation when she unexpectedly falls for a Spanish envoy.

    The Dream
    TMDB5.0

    The Dream

    1931 · 1h 13m

    country: France

    In the snow as bells toll, a hooded figure makes its way through the streets to a church.

    Corner in Madrid
    TMDB4.0

    Corner in Madrid

    1936 · 1h 5m

    country: Spain

    The film tells the story of Rosa, a single mother whose honor is called into question after being abandoned by her lover.

    The Women
    TMDB3.6

    The Women

    1939 · 2h 13m

    country: United States

    A happily married woman lets her catty friends talk her into divorce when her husband strays.

    Only Angels Have Wings
    TMDB3.6

    Only Angels Have Wings

    1939 · 2h 1m

    country: United States

    A traveling performer arrives at a remote South American port town where the head of an air freight service must risk his pilots' lives to earn a major contract.

    Synnöve Solbakken
    TMDB5.0

    Synnöve Solbakken

    1934 · 1h 21m

    country: Sweden

    Swedish version of Norwegian National Author Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson's novel.

    Jezebel
    TMDB3.5

    Jezebel

    1938 · 1h 43m

    country: United States

    In 1850s Louisiana, the willfulness of a tempestuous Southern belle threatens to destroy all who care for her.

    Flying Gold
    TMDB3.5

    Flying Gold

    1932 · 51m

    country: Hungary

    A shipment of gold being flown from Paris to Budapest is robbed in mid-air.

    Blood Brothers

    TMDB3.0

    Blood Brothers

    1935 · 1h 18m

    country: Germany

    An enhanced and sentimentalized story of love, honor, rivalry, and retreat. The traditional laws of the patriarchal environment and severe conflicts of the heart. The action takes place in Herzegovina and Stolac, Bosnia. The film depicts the Bosnjak from a German point of view.

    The Last
    TMDB2.9

    The Last

    1937 · 15m

    country: Spain

    A social drama about alcoholism.

    About 1930s Drama 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.

    Drama

    Drama is cinema's widest category and its default setting — character, conflict, and consequence without genre machinery. It's where most awards conversation lives, and where directors go when the story is the effect.

    In this list

    Best reviewed
    Modern Times (8.3)
    Often also
    Romance, Comedy, Crime

    Common questions

    What are the best 1930s drama movies?
    By popularity across Flickfolio and TMDB, the top picks right now are Gone with the Wind, Modern Times, and Wuthering Heights. The full ranked list of 40 sits above — open any movie for ratings, reviews, and streaming availability.
    How is this list ranked?
    1930s drama 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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