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| 1940 |
1940 The Ape Action / Drama / Thriller N/R, 63 Minutes
Director: William Nigh More Info
Starring: Boris Karloff, Maris Wrixon, Gertrude Hoffman, Henry Hall, Gene O'Donnell, Dorothy Vaughan, Selmer Jackson, George Cleveland, Ray Corrigan, Mary Field In need of spinal fluid to cure a young girl's paralysis, Dr. Adrian (Boris Karloff) camouflages himself in an ape skin and murders townsfolk to obtain their spinal fluids for his serum. |
1940 Before I Hang Horror / Thriller N/R, 62 Minutes
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1940 Black Friday Horror / Thriller N/R, 70 Minutes
Director: Arthur Lubin More Info
Starring: Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Stanley Ridges, Anne Nagel, Anne Gwynne, Virginia Brissac, Edmund MacDonald, Paul Fix, Joe King, Jack Mulhall Doctor Ernest Sovac (Boris Karloff) transplants the brain of a criminal into his friend who, in turn, takes on a new personality. |
1940 Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise Mystery / Comedy / Thriller N/R, 75 Minutes
Director: Eugene Forde More Info
Starring: Sidney Toler, Marjorie Weaver, Victor Sen Yung, Lionel Atwill, Leo G. Carroll, Robert Lowery, Don Beddoe, Cora Witherspoon, Kay Linaker, Charles Middleton A Scotland Yard detective is murdered, and Charlie Chan (Sidney Toler) goes aboard a cruise ship sailing from Honolulu to San Francisco to solve the crime when it appears that the killer is one of the ship's passengers. With help from his Number 2 son Jimmy (Victor Sen Yung) and the widow (Kay Linaker) of the murdered Scotland Yard detective, Charlie investigates suspicious passengers who include Dr. Sudermann (Lionel Atwill), Prof. Gordon (Leo G. Carroll), and Mr. Walters (Charles Middleton). This is a remake of the lost Charlie Chan movie of 1931, "Charlie Chan Carries On." |
1940 Dark Eyes of London Horror / Thriller N/R, 73 Minutes
Director: Walter Summers More Info
Starring: Bela Lugosi, Hugh Williams, Greta Gynt, Edmon Ryan, Wilfred Walter, Alexander Field, Arthur E. Owen, Julie Suedo, Gerald Pring, Bryan Herbert Dr. Orloff (Bela Lugosi) runs an institution for the blind. But his real business is selling insurance policies to his patients and then having his disfigured and blind assistant (Wilfred Walter) murder them for the insurance money. As more and more bodies are pulled out of the Thames River, Scotland Yard investigates. |
1940 The Devil Bat Horror / Thriller / Drama / Sci-Fi N/R, 68 Minutes
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1940 Doomed to Die Mystery / Horror / Thriller N/R, 57 Minutes
Director: William Nigh More Info
Starring: Boris Karloff, Grant Withers, Marjorie Reynolds, Melvin Lang, Guy Usher, Tristram Coffin, William Stelling, Catherine Craig, Henry Brandon, Richard Loo With help from reporter Bobby Logan (Marjorie Reynolds), ace detective Mr. Wong (Boris Karloff) investigates the murder of a shipping magnate and finds more than just murder. Fifth in the Mr. Wong series and the last one starring Karloff. One more would follow: "Phantom of Chinatown." |
1940 The Door with Seven Locks Horror / Thriller N/R, 80 Minutes
Director: Norman Lee More Info
Starring: Leslie Banks, Lilli Palmer, Romilly Lunge, Gina Malo, David Horne, Richard Bird, Cathleen Nesbitt, J.H. Roberts, Aubrey Mallalieu, Harry Hutchinson Mad Dr. Manetta (Leslie Banks) lures heirs to a fortune into his mansion and eliminates them through torture. But the latest heir, Judy (Lilli Palmer), might be a little harder to eliminate, and the doctor's days may be numbered. |
1940 Foreign Correspondent Adventure / Drama / Mystery / Thriller / Romance N/R, 119 Minutes
Director: Alfred Hitchcock More Info
Starring: Joel McCrea, Laraine Day, Herbert Marshall, George Sanders, Albert Bassermann, Robert Benchley, Edmund Gwenn, Eduardo Ciannelli, Harry Davenport, Ian Wolfe At the beginning of World War II, American reporter Johnny Jones (Joel McCrea) is sent to Europe where he witnesses the assassination of Dutch diplomat Van Meer (Albert Basserman). Looking into the matter, Johnny finds a huge conspiracy, and, with help from peace advocate Stephen Fisher's (Herbert Marshall) daughter Carol (Laraine Day), he uncovers Nazi plans to conquer Europe. But, discovering the plans will lead to a dangerous journey as Johnny puts together clues to discover who is the leader of the deadly plot. The film received six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Supporting Actor (Basserman). This is one of Alfred Hitchcock's best films. |
1940 The Mummy's Hand Adventure / Comedy / Horror / Thriller N/R, 67 Minutes
Director: Christy Cabanne More Info
Starring: Dick Foran, Peggy Moran, Wallace Ford, Eduardo Ciannelli, George Zucco, Cecil Kellaway, Charles Trowbridge, Tom Tyler, Sig Arno, Leon Belasco Unemployed archeologists Steve (Dick Foran) and Babe (Wallace Ford) receive funding from a magician, The Great Solvani (Cecil Kellaway), and his daughter Marta (Peggy Moran). Steve and Babe join forces in Egypt and find themselves living with the Mummy (Tom Tyler) and threatened by a high priest (George Zucco) in this good comedic horror film. Humor helps relieve the tension. |
1940 Night Train to Munich Action / Thriller N/R, 93 Minutes
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1940 Rebecca Drama / Thriller / Mystery / Romance N/R, 130 Minutes
Director: Alfred Hitchcock More Info
Starring: Joan Fontaine, Laurence Olivier, George Sanders, Judith Anderson, Nigel Bruce, Gladys Cooper, Florence Bates, Reginald Denny, C. Aubrey Smith, Leo G. Carroll In this film, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture, Joan Fontaine plays a naive woman married to a brooding widower (Laurence Olivier). After moving into his country estate, she finds that she must live in the shadow of Rebecca, his first wife. Based on Daphne du Maurier's Gothic novel. The film also won an Academy Award for Best Cinematography and was nominated for nine other awards, including Best Actor (Olivier), Actress (Fontaine), Supporting Actress (Judith Anderson) and Director. |
| 1941 |
1941 Among the Living Horror / Thriller N/R, 67 Minutes
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1941 Charlie Chan in Rio Mystery / Drama / Comedy / Thriller N/R, 60 Minutes
Director: Harry Lachman More Info
Starring: Sidney Toler, Mary Beth Hughes, Victor Jory, Harold Huber, Richard Derr, Victor Sen Yung, Kay Linaker, Truman Bradley, Ann Codee, Eugene Borden Following Warner Oland's untimely death in 1937, Sidney Toler took over the role of Charlie Chan, Honolulu investigator. In this film, Chan travels to Rio with Number 2 son Jimmy (Victor Sen Yung) to bring a murderess, nightclub singer Lola (Jacqueline Dalya) to Hawaii for trial. After Lola is murdered, Chan must solve her murder. |
1941 Dead Men Tell Mystery / Comedy / Thriller N/R, 60 Minutes
Director: Harry Lachman More Info
Starring: Sidney Toler, Robert Weldon, Sheila Ryan, Victor Sen Yung, George Reeves, Donald Douglas, Kay Aldridge, Ethel Griffies, Truman Bradley, Paul McGrath Elderly, eccentric Miss Nodbury (Ethel Griffies) suffers a heart attack and dies while preparing to set out on a hunt for the $60 million family fortune that was inherited from her ancestor, pirate Black Hook. Charlie Chan (Sidney Toler) and #2 son Jimmy (Victor Sen Yung) investigate and learn that Miss Nodbury was frightened to death by a "ghost" that she believed was Black Hook. In fact, the killer was dressed up as Black Hook, and now Charlie must identify the culprit. |
1941 The Devil Commands Horror / Thriller N/R, 65 Minutes
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1941 Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Drama / Horror / Thriller N/R, 114 Minutes
Director: Victor Fleming More Info
Starring: Spencer Tracy, Ingrid Bergman, Lana Turner, Donald Crisp, Ian Hunter, Barton MacLane, C. Aubrey Smith, Sara Allgood, Peter Godfrey, William Tannen The focus of this version of Robert Louis Stevenson's novel is on the psychological problems involved with Jekyll's two personalities. After the good Dr. Jekyll (Spencer Tracy) drinks his potion and the evil Mr. Hyde emerges, his violent and sexual side is drawn to floozy barmaid Ivy Peterson (Ingrid Bergman). Later, when the father (Donald Crisp) of Beatrix (Lana Turner) gives permission for Dr. Jekyll to marry her, Dr. Jekyll decides that he must tell them about his evil side of Mr. Hyde. But, his decision may be too late when he discovers that Mr. Hyde is taking over his personality. |
1941 High Sierra Drama / Thriller N/R, 100 Minutes
Director: Raoul Walsh More Info
Starring: Ida Lupino, Humphrey Bogart, Joan Leslie, Alan Curtis, Arthur Kennedy, Henry Hull, Barton MacLane, Henry Travers, Elisabeth Risdon, Cornel Wilde Ex-con Roy Earle (Humphrey Bogart) heads for a fishing resort in the Sierras, and along the way he meets a farm family on their way to LA in search of work. Their daughter, Velma (Joan Leslie), needs an operation on her club foot, and Roy figures his next robbery will result in money necessary for the surgery. More than a few problems develop, but Roy pays for the operation and, with police in pursuit, takes refuge in the High Sierras. |
1941 The Invisible Ghost Horror / Thriller N/R, 65 Minutes
Director: Joseph H. Lewis More Info
Starring: Bela Lugosi, John McGuire, Polly Ann Young, Clarence Muse, Terry Walker, George Pembroke, Betty Compson, Fred Kelsey, Jack Mulhall, Ernie Adams Gentle Dr. Kessler (Bela Lugosi) lives with his adult daughter Virginia (Polly Ann Young) and household staff in his large mansion. He grieves the loss of his wife (Betty Compson) who was believed killed in an auto accident. But she did not die, and the butler (Clarence Muse) has kept her locked away until she recovers from her amnesia that resulted from the accident. She routinely gets out, and when she looks in the doctor's window, he is put in a trance and kills people he runs across. Cheap, but the good direction helps keep an eerie atmosphere. |
1941 King of the Zombies Horror / Thriller N/R, 67 Minutes
Director: Jean Yarbrough More Info
Starring: Dick Purcell, Joan Woodbury, Mantan Moreland, Henry Victor, John Archer, Patricia Stacey, Guy Usher, Marguerite Whitten, Leigh Whipper, Madame Sul-Te-Wan A U.S. agent, his pilot, and his man-servant are sent to the Caribbean to locate an admiral whose plane crashed. They also crash on a tiny island where a German doctor is making zombies out of the inhabitants through hypnosis. He had also caused the admiral's plane to crash, planning to hypnotize the admiral and then extract secrets from him. But our heroes stop that nonsense in this World War II propaganda film–though the U.S. had not yet entered the war. |
1941 Man Hunt Adventure / Drama / Thriller N/R, 105 Minutes
Director: Fritz Lang More Info
Starring: Walter Pidgeon, Joan Bennett, George Sanders, John Carradine, Roddy McDowall, Ludwig Stossel, Heather Thatcher, Frederick Worlock, Roger Imhof, Holmes Herbert While in the Bavarian Alps, big-game hunter Thorndyke (Walter Pidgeon) has an opportunity to assassinate Hitler. He fails in the attempt and is captured by the Gestapo, beaten, and left for dead. With help from young Vaner (Roddy McDowell), Thorndyke stows away on a steamer where he sees a "Mr. Jones" (John Carradine) who has stolen Thornydyke's identity, including his passport. But "Mr. Jones" is only one problem he must deal with in the coming days. Remade in 1976 as "Rogue Male." |
1941 Man Made Monster Drama / Sci-Fi / Horror / Thriller N/R, 68 Minutes
Director: George Waggner More Info
Starring: Lionel Atwill, Lon Chaney Jr., Anne Nagel, Frank Albertson, Samuel S. Hinds, William B. Davidson, Ben Taggart, Constance Bergen, Ivan Miller, George Meader Lon Chaney Jr. plays "Dynamo" Dan McCormick who is a carnival side-show performer using his immunity from absorbing large volts of electricity as his act. After riding on a bus that crashes into an electric pole, Dan is the sole survivor. Dan recuperates at the home of mad scientist Dr. Paul Rigas (Lionel Atwill) where Rigas uses him for experiments and turns Dan into a "man made monster" controlled by Rigas. When Rigas' colleague Dr. John Lawrence (Samuel S. Hinds) wants him to stop the experiment, Rigas orders Dan to kill him. The deed is done, but Dan is arrested and sentenced to the electric chair where he absorbs the electricity and again becomes a superhuman–now ready to seek revenge. |
1941 Paper Bullets Drama / Thriller N/R, 72 Minutes
Director: Phil Rosen More Info
Starring: Joan Woodbury, Jack La Rue, Linda Ware, John Archer, Vince Barnett, Alan Ladd, Gavin Gordon, William Halligan, George Pembroke, Selmer Jackson Rita Adams (Joan Woodbury) had been raised in an orphanage with fellow orphans Bob Elliot and Mickey Roma (John Archer and Jack La Rue). As an adult, Rita takes the rap for wealthy playboy Harold's (Phillip Trent) hit-and-run crime and ends up in jail. When she is released from prison, Rita determines to get vengeance against Harold's father Clarence (George Pembroke) who was responsible for her being sent to prison. Meanwhile, her childhood friend Bob is now an undercover agent trying to snare mobster Mickey, and Rita is the key to his investigation. Rita rises to power in the criminal world but ends up back in prison; however, this time her childhood sweetheart Bob promises to be waiting when she is released. |
1941 Suspicion Mystery / Thriller N/R, 99 Minutes
Director: Alfred Hitchcock More Info
Starring: Cary Grant, Joan Fontaine, Cedric Hardwicke, Nigel Bruce, Dame May Whitty, Isabel Jeans, Heather Angel, Reginald Sheffield, Leo G. Carroll, Constance Worth Timid Lina (Joan Fontaine) marries Johnnie Aysgarth (Cary Grant). Although deeply in love with Johnnie, Lina begins to piece together evidence that she is her husband's intended murder victim. Joan Fontaine won the Best Actress Academy Award for her performance in this film, and a nomination was received for Best Picture. |
| 1942 |
1942 Black Dragons Horror / Thriller / Sci-Fi N/R, 61 Minutes
Director: William Nigh More Info
Starring: Bela Lugosi, Joan Barclay, Clayton Moore, George Pembroke, Robert Frazer, Edward Peil Sr., Robert Fiske, Frank Melton, Irving Mitchell, Kenneth Harlan Doctor Melcher (Bela Lugosi) performs plastic surgery on the "Black Dragons," a group of Japanese who are potential saboteurs in the U.S. during World War II. Disguised as Caucasians, they hope to infiltrate American cities. |
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Full listing of Thriller movies from the 1940's | 13 Rue Madeleine (1946)
Adventures of Tartu (1943)
Amazing Mr. X, The (1948)
Among the Living (1941)
And Then There Were None (1945)
Ape Man, The (1943)
Ape, The (1940)
Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
Background to Danger (1943)
Batman (1943)
Beast with Five Fingers (1946)
Bedlam (1946)
Before I Hang (1940)
Big Clock, The (1948)
Big Sleep, The (1946)
Black Dragons (1942)
Black Friday (1940)
Blood on the Sun (1945)
Bluebeard (1944)
Body Snatcher (1945)
Boogie Man Will Get You (1942)
Bowery at Midnight (1942)
Brute Man (1946)
Castle in the Desert (1942)
Cat People (1942)
Charlie Chan in Rio (1941)
Charlie Chan in the Secret Service (1944)
Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise (1940)
Chinese Ring, The (1947)
Climax (1944)
Cloak and Dagger (1946)
Corpse Vanishes, The (1942)
Dangerous Passage (1944)
Dark Eyes of London (1940)
Dark Waters (1944)
Day of Wrath (1943)
Dead Men Tell (1941)
Dead Men Walk (1943)
Dead of Night (1945)
Detour (1945)
Devil Bat, The (1940)
Devil Commands (1941)
Dick Tracy (1945)
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Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome (1947)
Doomed to Die (1940)
Door with Seven Locks (1940)
Double Indemnity (1944)
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941)
Dragonwyck (1946)
Dressed to Kill (1946)
Drunken Angel (1948)
Face of Marble (1946)
Flying Serpent (1946)
Foreign Correspondent (1940)
Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943)
Gaslight (1944)
Ghost of Frankenstein, The (1942)
Ghost Ship, The (1943)
Golden Eye, The (1948)
Great Lover (1949)
Greed of William Hart (1948)
High Sierra (1941)
House of Dracula (1945)
House of Frankenstein (1944)
I Live on Danger (1942)
I Wake Up Screaming (1942)
I Walked with a Zombie (1943)
Invisible Ghost, The (1941)
Isle of the Dead (1945)
Key Largo (1948)
King of the Zombies (1941)
Lady and the Monster (1944)
Lady from Shanghai (1948)
Laura (1944)
Leopard Man (1943)
Lifeboat (1944)
Living Ghost (1942)
Lodger, The (1944)
Mad Monster (1942)
Man Hunt (1941)
Man in Half Moon Street, The (1945)
Man Made Monster (1941)
Man on the Eiffel Tower (1949)
Man with Two Lives (1942)
Matter of Life and Death, A (1946)
Monster Maker (1944)
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Mummy's Curse (1944)
Mummy's Ghost (1944)
Mummy's Hand, The (1940)
Mummy's Tomb, The (1942)
Night Monster (1942)
Night Train to Munich (1940)
Nightmare (1942)
Obsession (1949)
Odd Man Out (1947)
Out of the Past (1947)
Paper Bullets (1941)
Phantom of the Opera, The (1943)
Place of One's Own (1945)
Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)
Rebecca (1940)
Red House (1947)
Return of the Ape Man (1944)
Return of the Vampire (1944)
Riffraff (1947)
Road House (1948)
Scared to Death (1947)
Scarlet Claw, The (1944)
Secret Beyond the Door (1948)
Secret Command (1944)
Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon (1942)
Shock (1946)
Son of Dracula (1943)
Sorry, Wrong Number (1948)
Spellbound (1945)
Spider Woman Strikes Back (1946)
Spiral Staircase (1946)
Stranger, The (1946)
Suspicion (1941)
Terror by Night (1946)
Third Man, The (1949)
Tokyo Joe (1949)
Uninvited, The (1944)
Voodoo Man (1944)
Went the Day Well? (1942)
Woman in Green, The (1945)
Woman in the Window (1944)
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