The 40 most popular 1940s family movies, ranked. Click any film for ratings, reviews, trailers, and where to watch.


It's a Wonderful Life
1946 · 2h 11m · US
George Bailey has spent his entire life giving to the people of Bedford Falls. All that prevents rich skinflint Mr. Potter from taking over the entire town is George's modest building and loan company. But on Christmas Eve the business's $8,000 is lost and George's troubles begin.


Pinocchio
1940 · 1h 28m · US
When the gentle woodcarver Geppetto builds a marionette to be his substitute son, a benevolent fairy brings the toy to life. The puppet, named Pinocchio, is not yet a human boy. He must earn the right to be real by proving that he is brave, truthful, and unselfish.


Bambi
1942 · 1h 10m · US
Bambi's tale unfolds from season to season as the young prince of the forest learns about life, love, and friends.


Dumbo
1941 · 1h 4m · US
Dumbo is a baby elephant born with over-sized ears and a supreme lack of confidence. But thanks to his even more diminutive buddy Timothy the Mouse, the pint-sized pachyderm learns to surmount all obstacles.


Fantasia
1940 · 2h 4m · US
Walt Disney's timeless masterpiece is an extravaganza of sight and sound! See the music come to life, hear the pictures burst into song and experience the excitement that is Fantasia over and over again.


The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
1949 · 1h 8m · US
A concise adaptation of Kenneth Grahame's "The Wind in the Willows" about Mr. Toad's motor mania, followed by a short retelling of Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" concerning schoolmaster Ichabod Crane.


Miracle on 34th Street
1947 · 1h 36m · US
Kris Kringle, seemingly the embodiment of Santa Claus, is asked to portray the jolly old fellow at Macy's following his performance in the Thanksgiving Day parade. His portrayal is so complete that many begin to question if he truly is Santa Claus, while others question his sanity.


Little Women
1949 · 2h 1m · US
Four sisters come of age in America in the aftermath of the Civil War.


Two Generations of Women
1943 · CN
No overview available


Fun and Fancy Free
1947 · 1h 13m · US
Jiminy Cricket hosts two Disney animated shorts: Bongo about a circus bear escaping to the wild, and Mickey and the Beanstalk, a take on the famous fairy tale.


Song of the South
1946 · 1h 34m · US
Uncle Remus draws upon his tales of Br'er Rabbit to help little Johnny deal with his confusion over his parents' separation as well as his new life on the plantation.


Melody Time
1948 · 1h 15m · US
In the grand tradition of Disney's great musical classics, Melody Time features seven timeless stories, each enhanced with high-spirited music and unforgettable characters. You'll be sure to tap your toes and clap your hands in this witty feast for the eyes and ears.


The Three Caballeros
1944 · 1h 11m · US
For Donald's birthday he receives a box with three gifts inside. The gifts, a movie projector, a pop-up book, and a pinata, each take Donald on wild adventures through Mexico and South America.


Driftwood
1947 · 1h 28m · US
An orphan helps a doctor fight an epidemic in a small western town, in one of Allan Dwan’s closely observed studies in Americana.


Many Tanks
1942 · 7m · US
Bluto's in the Army; he tries to sneak off base, but can't. Popeye passes by, Bluto invites him in, then swaps uniforms. Popeye ends up in a tank drill.


Make Mine Music
1946 · 1h 15m · US
In the tradition of Fantasia, Make Mine Music is a glorious collection of musically charged animated shorts featuring such fun-filled favorites as "Peter and the Wolf", narrated by the beloved voice behind Winnie the Pooh. In addition you'll enjoy such classic cartoon hits as "Casey at the Bat," "The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met" and "Johnnie Fedora and Alice Bluebonnet."


Meet Me in St. Louis
1944 · 1h 54m · US
A year in the life of a turn-of-the-century middle class family, leading up to the opening of the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair.


The Reluctant Dragon
1941 · 1h 14m · US
Humorist Robert Benchley attempts to find Walt Disney to ask him to adapt a short story about a gentle dragon who would rather recite poetry than be ferocious. Along the way, he is given a tour of Walt Disney Studios, and learns about the animation process.


Double Date
1941 · 1h · US
Penny Kirkland's aunt and Jerry Baldwin's widowed father are attracted to each other. Preventing the pending marriage of the father and the aunt becomes a purpose in life for the two teenagers.


The Night Before Christmas
1941 · 9m · US
It's snowy and cold outside, and warm inside where Jerry squeezes past a mousetrap to cavort under a present-laden Christmas tree. Mistaking the sleeping Tom for a plush toy, Jerry wakes him and a mad chase ensues.


Courage of Lassie
1946 · 1h 32m · US
Bill's separated from his litter, making friends with the wild creatures until he's found and adopted by young Kathie. An accident separates him from her, and he's drafted into K-9 duty in the trenches until battle fatigue takes its toll and he turns vicious. And even though he finds his way back home, he may be condemned as a killer.


Shaggy
1948 · 1h 12m · US
The film follows the story of a rancher's son, Robbie, his dog Shaggy and adventures they have with ranching neighbors and wild animals in the U.S. west.


Polar Pest
1944 · 6m · US
Barney just wants to hibernate for the winter, but his nephew, just in from the North Pole, has other plans.


The Blockhead of the Block
1947 · 1h 30m · SE
The kids on the south side of Stockholm get together to help their friend Kalle out when he's broken a window, by starting a fund-raiser. But some older kids are after the money.


Lassie Come Home
1943 · 1h 28m · US
Hard times come for the Carraclough family and they are forced to sell their dog, Lassie, to the rich Duke of Rudling. Lassie, however, is unwilling to remain apart from young Carraclough son Joe and sets out on a long and dangerous journey to rejoin him.


So Dear to My Heart
1948 · 1h 22m · US
The tale of Jeremiah Kincaid and his quest to raise his 'champion' lamb, Danny. Jeremiah's dream of showing Danny at the Pike County Fair must overcome the obstinate objections of his loving, yet strict, grandmother Granny. Jeremiah's confidant, Uncle Hiram, is the boy's steady ally.
Circus Boy
Circus Boy
1947 · UK
No overview available


The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
1949 · 37m · US
Washington Irving's tale of Ichabod Crane and the headless horseman is brought to life, narrated by Bing Crosby.


The Pride of the Yankees
1942 · 2h 8m · US
The story of the life and career of the baseball hall of famer, Lou Gehrig.


Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble
1944 · 1h 47m · US
Andy is going to Wainwright College as did his father. He sees a pretty blonde on the train and he is alternately winked at or slapped every time he sees her. Andy is clueless. On the train Andy meets Kay and Dr. Standish who are both headed for Wainwright. Andy likes Kay, but Dr. Standish also seems to take an interest in her. Things are going well at College with Kay, but the blonde is nice one minute and ignores Andy the next. When Andy finds out that the blonde is really identical twins, he tries to help them out with their father but gets caught at their rooming house after midnight.


Pluto's Dream House
1940 · 7m · US
Mickey Mouse is about to build Pluto a doghouse when Pluto digs up a magic lamp that speaks in African-American vernacular. It offers to do Mickey's bidding. Mickey's first wish is for a doghouse, and the lamp starts to work. Suddenly, the saw, the planer, the paintbrush and other tools magically begin working on their own. Finally, Pluto has a magnificent doghouse. The second wish? Mickey asks the lamp to give Pluto a bath. But things go awry when Pluto accidentally breaks Mickey's radio. Now, all sorts of conflicting messages are coming out of the speaker as Mickey tries to fix it. The lamp assumes all the voices are Mickey's and obeys them. Pluto is rolled with a rolling pin, punched with boxing gloves, frozen in an aspic and is about to be cut into thin slices before all ends happily.


El casado casa quiere
1948 · 1h 23m · MX
Interfering relatives complicate a couple's attempt to build their dream house.


Corazón
1947 · 1h 35m · AR
Each month a school teacher narrates a new story to his students, with a moral in each of them.


Mickey and the Beanstalk
1947 · 29m · US
A mysterious thief has stolen the prosperous Happy Valley's most prized possession: the musical Singing Harp. Can Mickey, Donald, and Goofy find the answer in the irritable Willie the Giant's magnificent castle up in the blue sky?


Japoteurs
1942 · 9m · US
Superman vs. Japanese spies hijacking a new super-bomber.


Stone Flower
1946 · 1h 18m · SU
Little Danila was the most inquisitive apprentice of old Prokopich, a famous stone-carving master. Like his teacher, the grown-up Danila has learned to feel the soul of his material and became an expert in handling rare precious stones found in the Ural Mountains. One day he met the Mistress of the Copper Mountain, a fairy who ordered for herself an unusual stone flower.


I Married Adventure
1940 · 1h 18m · US
A 1940 Columbia Picture feature film, "I Married Adventure" stars Osa Johnson and closely follows her 1940 best-selling book of the same name. Osa portrays herself in studio-produced scenes which bridge the transition between actual documentary footage segments as the film recounts the Johnson's nine world expeditions to Africa, Borneo, and the South Seas. Jim Bannon, a Hollywod stuntman who lent his voice to many western's including Red Ryder, Don Clark, and Albert Duffy narrate this adventure classic that compiles the very best images from the Johnsons' original feature films.


King of the Wild Horses
1947 · 1h 19m · US
The deep unbreakable bond between a wild stallion and the boy he rescues is chronicled in this children's adventure.


National Velvet
1945 · 2h 3m · US
Mi Taylor is a young wanderer and opportunist who finds himself in the quiet English countryside home of the Brown family. The youngest daughter, Velvet, has a passion for horses and when she wins the spirited steed Pie in a town lottery, Mi is encouraged to train the horse.


The Lost Letter
1945 · 43m · SU
The first Soviet cel-animated feature film, based on the story with the same name by Nikolai Gogol. A messenger is tasked with delivering a letter to the Tsarina, which he tucks into his hat for safekeeping on the road. While resting at night, a band of demons steals the hat, and he must travel to Hell to retrieve it.
1940s cinema is split by the war: propaganda and home-front melodrama, then the darker, more cynical film noir that followed. Italian neorealism emerged from the rubble at the decade's end.
Family films are made to work for two audiences at once, which is a harder brief than it sounds. The enduring ones layer real emotional stakes under the accessibility.