27 Best Comedy Movies 1940s – Find Your New Favorite Classic!
This post may contain affiliate links
Popular movie genres in the 1940s and the 27 best comedy movies 1940s
This post is all about the Best Comedy Movies in the 1940s
The 1940s saw a range of popular movie genres.
Film noirs emerged as a popular genre, along with war dramas, westerns, musicals and comedies.
Alfred Hitchcock also established his iconic status as the master of suspense as he made his mark on Hollywood with iconic films like Rebecca and Notorious.
During World War II in the early 1940s, screwball comedies and musicals became a form of escapism from the war.
Looking to get a good laugh?
Here are 27 of the best 1940s comedy movies, across a range of genres, in no particular order.
Some are well-known comedies that are great for re-watching, and there are some lesser known gems we think you’ll love as well.
Grab the popcorn and enjoy a few laughs, and hopefully you’ll find a new favorite on the way.
This post is focused on comedy movies from the 1940s, for more 1940s movies from other genres, you might like:
Best Comedy Movies 1940s #1: My Favorite Wife
Screwball comedy directed by Garson Kanin and starring Irene Dunne, Cary Grant, and Randolph Scott
A woman returns home after being presumed dead for seven years to find her husband about to marry another woman.
Randolph Scott stars as the man marooned on the island with her, starting a comedic love triangle.
Fun fact:
A remake of this film was Marilyn Monroe’s final unfinished film before her tragic death.
The film was Something’s Gotta Give, also starring Dean Martin.
The remake was then remade again, starring Doris Day, and James Garner, called Move Over, Darling.
Best Comedy Movies 1940s #2: I Love You Again
Romantic comedy directed by W.S. Van Dyke and starring William Powell, Myrna Loy, and Frank McHugh
A boring businessman gets a knock on the head, recovering from amnesia and discovers that instead of a boring business man he’s a con artist.
His wife who is about to divorce him, suddenly decides that maybe he’s not so boring after all.
Note:
We recently discovered this movie and were pleasantly surprised at how much we liked it, especially as it doesn’t seem to be too well known.
For more Myrna Loy movies you might like:
Best Comedy Movies 1940s #3: Miss Grant Takes Richmond
A romantic comedy directed by Lloyd Beacon and starring Lucille Ball, William Holden and Janis Carter
A bookie masquerading as a Realtor hires a ditzy secretary who is oblivious to the situation to help out in the office.
Best Comedy Movies 1940s #4: I was a Male War Bride
Lightheared war comedy directed by Howard Hawks and starring Cary Grant, Ann Sheridan, and Marion Marshall
A man marries an American Lieutenant who he was working with in Germany. After facing legal issues coming to America, they try to have him come over under the war bride act.
If you’re a Cary Grant fan, you might also like:
Best Comedy Movies 1940s #5: The Bishops Wife
A fantasy comedy directed by Henry Koster and starring Cary Grant, Loretta Young, and David Niven
An angel comes to earth to help a bishop and his wife raise money for a new church.
Best Comedy Movies 1940s #6: The Shop Around the Corner
A romantic comedy directed by Ernst Lubitsch and starring Margaret Sullavan, James Stewart, and Frank Morgan
Two employees at a gift shop can’t stand each other, not realizing that they are secret pen pals and falling in love with each other.
Fun fact:
The shop around the corner was somewhat recently remade as You’ve Got Mail, starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks.
Best Comedy Movies 1940s #7: Philadelphia story
A romantic comedy directed by George Cukor and starring Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, and James Stewart
A timeless classic of a wealthy young woman about to remarry when her ex-husband and a reporter show up to change things up.
Fun fact:
The Philadelphia Story was remade as High Society starring Grace Kelly, Bing Crosby, and Frank Sinatra. Grace Kelly took on Katharine Hepburn’s role as Tracy Lord.
Best Comedy Movies 1940s #8: Miracle on 34th Street
A family comedy directed by George Seaton and starring Edmund Gwenn, Maureen O’Hara, and John Payne
A feel-good holiday movie about a department store Santa Clause who claims to be the real deal.
Best Comedy Movies 1940s #9: The Palm Beach Story
A comedy directed by Preston Sturges and starring Claudette Colbert, Joel McCrea and Mary Astor
A woman heads to palm beach to divorce her husband after a quarrel, but her husband follows her to palm beach with other ideas.
Best Comedy Movies 1940s #10: The Pirate
A comedy directed by Vincente Minnelli and starring Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, and Walter Slezak
An engaged girl dreams about a legendary pirate. A man poses as the pirate to impress her.
Best Comedy Movies 1940s #11: The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer
A romantic comedy directed by Irving Reis and starring Cary Grant, Myrna Loy, and Shirley Temple
A high school girl and her older sister fall for the same man.
Best Comedy Movies 1940s #12: Holiday Inn
A musical comedy directed by Mark Sandrich and Robert Allen and starring Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire and Marjorie Reynolds
Enjoy lots of musical numbers in this comedy at an inn that is open during the holidays. Two men vie for the affections of the same woman.
Best Comedy Movies 1940s #13: Woman of the Year
Romantic comedy directed by George Stevens and starring Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, and Fay Bainter
Two reporters get married, however the husband begins to get jealous and feel neglected with her busy and successful lifestyle.
Katharine Hepburn was nominated as best actress for the film, and the film won an award for best screenplay.
Best Comedy Movies 1940s #14: Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House
A comedy directed by H.C. Potter and starring Cary Grant, Myrna Loy, and Melyvn Douglas
A couple builds their dream house in the country only to meet with one mishap after another.
Best Comedy Movies 1940s #15: His Girl Friday
A romantic comedy directed by Howard Hawks and starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell.
A reporter divorces her editor husband and wants to marry someone else.
The editor decides he doesn’t want to lose her and tries everything to delay her trip.
Best Comedy Movies 1940s #16: Mr. & Mrs. Smith
A romantic comedy directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Carole Lombard, Robert Montgomery and Gene Raymond
A rare comedy directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
A couple finds out they aren’t legally married and begin to question if they want to be married at all.
Best Comedy Movies 1940s #17: Meet John Doe
A romantic comedy directed by Frank Capra and starring Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck, and Edward Arnold
A homeless man is hired to impersonate a fictional character who is about to commit suicide in political protest.
For more Barbara Stanwyck movies:
Best Comedy Movies 1940s #18: Cover Girl
Musical comedy directed by Charles Vidor and starring Rita Hayworth, Gene Kelly and Lee Bowman
A chorus girl becomes a famous cover girl threatening her relationship with her boyfriend.
Best Comedy Movies 1940s #19: Adams Rib
A romantic comedy directed by George Cukor and starring Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn and Judy Holliday
A husband and wife work as opposing lawyers on a tense case.
Best Comedy Movies 1940s #20: The Lady Eve
A romantic comedy directed by Preston Sturges and starring Barbara Stanwyck, Henry Fonda and Charles Coburn
A con artist falls her subject. They split and she tries to get him back by posing as an English lady.
Best Comedy Movies 1940s #21: Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein
A fantasy comedy directed by Charles Barton and Walter Lantz starring Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, and Lon Chaney Jr.
A slapstick comedy involving Frankenstein and Dracula.
This film was a big hit on it’s release and led to more Abbot and Costello horror films.
Best Comedy Movies 1940s #22: On the Town
Musical comedy directed by Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly and starring Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, and Betty Garrett
With 24 hours of leave in New York City, three sailors find love and adventure with plenty of musical numbers.
Best Comedy Movies 1940s #23: Sullivan’s Travels
Adventure comedy directed by Preston Sturges and starring Joel McCrea, Veronica Lake and Robert Warwick
A movie director decides he needs to experience life as a homeless person to gain experience for an upcoming film.
Best Comedy Movies 1940s #24: Arsenic and Old Lace
A dark crime comedy directed by Frank Capra and starring Cary Grant, Priscilla Lane, and Raymond Massey
A confirmed bachelor finally ties the knot and learns that his “sweet old aunts” are serial killers.
Best Comedy Movies 1940s #25: Once Upon a Honeymoon
An adventure comedy directed by Leo McCarey and starring Ginger Rogers, Cary Grant, and Walter Slezak
A couple in Europe seem to attract trouble wherever they go while a reporter is tracking them for a story.
Best Comedy Movies 1940s #26: The Devil and Miss Jones
A romantic comedy directed by Sam Wood and starring Jean Arthur, Robert Cummings, and Charles Coburn
Department store owner goes undercover at his own store to root out union organizers and ends up falling in love.
Best Comedy Movies 1940s #27: Arise my Love
A drama comedy directed by Mitchell Leisen and starring Claudette Colbert, Ray Milland, and Dennis O-Keefe
A reporter and a soldier fall in love in Europe as World War II starts.
This post was all about the best comedy movies from the 1940s
What is your favorite 1940s comedy?
Other posts you might like:
20 of the Best 1950s Film Noir Movies You’ll Love
4 Charming Cary Grant Hitchcock Movies You’ll Love
Originally published Apr 2024, updated Aug 9, 2024
