1938 Movies
Browse 897 titles in our 1938 Movies Database
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
- The Lady Vanishes
- The Adventures of Robin Hood
- Stagecoach
- You Can't Take It with You
- Angels with Dirty Faces
- Wuthering Heights
- Holiday
- Jezebel
- Alexander Nevsky
- Port of Shadows
- Pygmalion
- Reefer Madness
- A Christmas Carol
- La Bête Humaine
- Boys Town
- Room Service
- Olympia Part One: Festival of the Nations
- Bluebeard's Eighth Wife
- Block-Heads
- Olympia Part Two: Festival of Beauty
- Carefree
- Vivacious Lady
- Ferdinand the Bull
- Mickey's Trailer
- The Dawn Patrol
- Brave Little Tailor
- Marie Antoinette
- Algiers
- Hotel du Nord
- The Hurricane
- The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse
- The Mad Miss Manton
- In Old Chicago
- The Baker's Wife
- The Citadel
- Swiss Miss
- Alexander's Ragtime Band
- Merrily We Live
- Porky in Wackyland
- The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
- Four Daughters
- The Sisters
- Three Comrades
- Love Finds Andy Hardy
- The Edge of the World
- The Terror of Tiny Town
- Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
- Oh, Mr. Porter!
- Boat Builders
- Too Hot to Handle
- The Shopworn Angel
- You and Me
- Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo
- The Young in Heart
- The Divorce of Lady X
- Mannequin
- Night Mail
- Crime School
- La Marseillaise
- A Yank at Oxford
- Of Human Hearts
- Donald's Golf Game
- Four's a Crowd
- The Great Waltz
- Donald's Nephews
- The Shining Hour
- Mr. Wong, Detective
- Nancy Drew: Detective
- A Woman's Face
- Good Scouts
- Child Bride
- The Big Broadcast of 1938
- Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars
- The Saint in New York
- If I Were King
- Having Wonderful Time
- Sex Madness
- The Rage of Paris
- There's Always a Woman
- Little Miss Broadway
- Boys' School
- Donald's Better Self
- Violent Is the Word for Curly
- The Drum
- Joy of Living
- Suez
- Mysterious Mr. Moto
- Daffy Duck in Hollywood
- Listen, Darling
- Four Men and a Prayer
- Polar Trappers
- Blondie
- Have You Got Any Castles?
- The Masseurs and a Woman
- Mr. Moto's Gamble
- Racket Busters
- Boy Meets Girl
- Hollywood Hotel
- Mr. Moto Takes a Chance
- Wynken, Blynken & Nod
- Heartbeat
- The Buccaneer
- Volga - Volga
- Gorky 1: The Childhood of Maxim Gorky
- Self Control
- An Optical Poem
- Bulldog Drummond's Revenge
- Hard to Get
- Young Dr. Kildare
- Trade Winds
- Katnip Kollege
- Sweethearts
- The Baroness and the Butler
- Just Around the Corner
- Daffy Duck & Egghead
- There Goes My Heart
- Kentucky
- Man-Proof
- The River
- Mad About Music
- Everybody Sing
- I Accuse
- Farmyard Symphony
- Bulldog Drummond in Africa
- Bulldog Drummond's Peril
- Fast Company
- Blockade
- Mother Goose Goes Hollywood
- Mystery House
- Paradise for Three
- The Whalers
- Always Goodbye
- Rocket Ship
- The Daffy Doc
- Gold Is Where You Find It
- The Fox Hunt
- Fools for Scandal
- Spawn of the North
- Swing Your Lady
- Healthy, Wealthy and Dumb
- The Affairs of Annabel
- Tassels in the Air
- College Swing
- Merbabies
- Men Are Such Fools
- Mickey's Parrot
- Brother Rat
- Termites of 1938
- Bank Holiday
- Wee Wee Monsieur
- Three Missing Links
- Sinners in Paradise
- Overland Stage Raiders
- Convict 99
- Mutts to You
- Wives Under Suspicion
- Flat Foot Stooges
- Porky's Hare Hunt
- The Goldwyn Follies
- International Crime
- Three Loves Has Nancy
- Arrest Bulldog Drummond
- Arsène Lupin Returns
- Second Honeymoon
- Blondes at Work
- I Am the Law
- Gold Diggers in Paris
- Santa Fe Stampede
- My Bill
- Judge Hardy's Children
- Porky & Daffy
- Give Me a Sailor
- Dramatic School
- Jungle Jitters
- A Man to Remember
- White Banners
- Assassin of Youth
- Maid's Night Out
- The Girl of the Golden West
- The Crowd Roars
- The Invisible Menace
- Lord Jeff
- Red River Range
- Torchy Blane in Panama
- Girls on Probation
- Adventure in Sahara
- Dick Tracy Returns
- Secrets of an Actress
- Comet Over Broadway
- Dollar
- Out West with the Hardys
- Going Places
- Letter of Introduction
- Next Time I Marry
- The Duke Is Tops
- I Met My Love Again
- Under Western Stars
- Skola základ zivota
- Quadrille
- When Were You Born?
- Porky's Party
- Porky's Poppa
- Pals of the Saddle
- Three Blind Mice
- Torchy Gets Her Man
- That Certain Age
- Nurse Edith Cavell
- The Toy Wife
- Out of the Inkwell
- Rich Man, Poor Girl
- The Patient in Room 18
- Thanks for the Memory
- The Texans
- The Renegade Ranger
- Duchácek to zarídí
- The Strange Monsieur Victor
- The Beachcomber
- Mother Carey's Chickens
- Annabel Takes a Tour
- Kidnapped
- A Date to Skate
- Hatred
- Cowboy from Brooklyn
- Crashing Hollywood
- Garden of the Moon
- The Devil's Party
- Hunky and Spunky
- Prison Break
- Blond Cheat
- Billy the Kid Returns
- The Curtain Rises
- Accidents Will Happen
- The Isle of Pingo Pongo
- Stolen Death
- Spring Madness
- Yellow Jack
- Submarine Patrol
- Valley of the Giants
- The Girl Downstairs
- He Couldn't Say No
- Mars Attacks the World
- The Captain's Christmas
- Old Bones of the River
- Love Is a Headache
- Start Cheering
- The Novel of Werther
- Woman Against Woman
- The Mountain Calls
- Sexton Blake and the Hooded Terror
- The Law West of Tombstone
- Hold That Kiss
- All's Fair at the Fair
- Go Chase Yourself
- I'll Give a Million
- There's That Woman Again
- Stablemates
- Inside Nazi Germany
- The Beloved Brat
- The Alibi
- The Lone Ranger
- The Man with 100 Faces
- Professor Beware
- Let's Go Up the Champs-Élysées
- Condemned Women
- The Black Doll
- Climbing High
- Hey! Hey! U.S.A!
- By Pike
- Dangerous to Know
- The Broken Jug
- Girls' School
- The Song of the Scarlet Flower
- The Frontiersmen
- Broadway Musketeers
- Bulldozing the Bull
- The Secret of Treasure Island
- Women Are Like That
- Danger on the Air
- Little Tough Guy
- Law of the Underworld
- Count Me Out
- The Sneezing Weasel
- Sailing Along
- Double Danger
- Birthright
- Heart of Arizona
- Gang Bullets
- Big Chief Ugh-Amugh-Ugh
- The New Adventures of Tarzan
- My Lucky Star
- Big Fella
- Porky's Five & Ten
- Love, Honor and Behave
- Hold That Co-ed
- Porky's Naughty Nephew
- 13 Stühle
- The Challenge
- Coral Reefs
- Bar 20 Justice
- Happy Landing
- Partners of the Plains
- Men with Wings
- Sunset Murder Case
- In Old Mexico
- Sky Giant
- Island in the Sky
- Hide and Shriek
- Keep Fit
- Águila o sol
- Blind Alibi
- Rawhide
- Sergeant Murphy
- Saleslady
- Night Spot
- Pride of the West
- Pawel i Gawel
- The Four Companions
- The First Hundred Years
- Porky's Phoney Express
- Medved
- South Riding
- The Old Barn Dance
- Heart of the North
- Convicted
- The Duke of West Point
- Tsuruhachi and Tsurujiro
- Cassidy of Bar 20
- Charlie Chaplin Carnival
- Penrod's Double Trouble
- Hollywood Stadium Mystery
- Man from Music Mountain
- Shadows Over Shanghai
- The Lady in the Morgue
- Smashing the Rackets
- Swing!
- Gangs of New York
- Love on the Wing
- Tarnished Angel
- The Spider's Web
- Special Inspector
- Juvenile Court
- Two-Gun Man from Harlem
- Breaking the Ice
- Held for Ransom
- Rollin' Plains
- Prison Train
- Spirit of Youth
- Sirocco
- Straight Place and Show
- Dangerous Secrets
- The Lady Objects
- Magda
- This Marriage Business
- Penrod and His Twin Brother
- Johnny Smith and Poker-Huntas
- Call of the Yukon
- The Man with the Gun
- I See Ice!
- Midnight Intruder
- Port of Seven Seas
- Josette
- Border G-Man
- Over the Wall
- Who Killed Gail Preston?
- Women of Niskavuori
- Sally Swing
- Artists and Models Abroad
- Alf's Button Afloat
- The New Moscow
- Six-Shootin' Sheriff
- The Chaser
- Come on, Rangers!
- Gun Law
- Her Jungle Love
- Romance on the Run
- Carrefour
- The Daredevil Drivers
- Zapomniana melodia
- Mr. Boggs Steps Out
- Painted Desert
- Sally, Irene and Mary
- Peck's Bad Boy with the Circus
- Campus Cinderella
- Das indische Grabmal
- Five of a Kind
- Gangway
- Came the Brawn
- This Man Is News
- Little Miss Thoroughbred
- The Tiger of Eschnapur
- Radio City Revels
- The Gladiator
- Tulitikkuja lainaamassa
- Call the Mesquiteers
- The Fighting Devil Dogs
- The Shanghai Drama
- Shine on Harvest Moon
- King of the Newsboys
- Morena Clara
- The Merry Wives
- The Awful Tooth
- Kentucky Moonshine
- Crime Ring
- Paroled - To Die
- Wide Open Faces
- King of Alcatraz
- God's Step Children
- Thrills and Chills
- Phantom Ranger
- Kaibyô nazo no shamisen
- Red Barry
- Storm
- Queen of Destiny
- Covered Tracks
- Army Girl
- Storm Over Bengal
- Five Millions Seek an Heir
- So You Don't Know Korff Yet?
- Everybody's Doing It
- It Happened in Gibraltar
- Children Must Laugh
- Tropic Holiday
- Tanz auf dem Vulkan
- Born to Be Wild
- Time Out for Murder
- Carmen (la de Triana)
- The Lone Wolf in Paris
- The Mysterious Rider
- Composition Class
- Tsar to Lenin
- Port of Missing Girls
- Gangster's Boy
- Barefoot Boy
- Nobleza baturra
- She Returned at Dawn
- Who Goes Next?
- The Missing Guest
- Gold Mine in the Sky
- The Feud Maker
- Sysmäläinen
- Un de la légion
- Frontier Scout
- Prairie Moon
- Tex Rides with the Boy Scouts
- Here's Flash Casey
- Western Jamboree
- Doctor Rhythm
- Another Romance of Celluloid
- Treasure Island
- Pudgy the Watchman
- Prison Farm
- Soldier's Bride
- Robert Koch: The Battle Against Death
- The Purple Vigilantes
- Prison Nurse
- Cipher Bureau
- Maga lesz a férjem
- Women Who Work
- Six-Gun Trail
- The Lion Man
- Hawaii Calls
- The Lady Is a Bit Cracked
- The Hen-Pecked Husband
- Cocoanut Grove
- The Puritan
- Strange Boarders
- International Settlement
- Romance of the Limberlost
- Swing It, Sailor!
- Flaming Frontiers
- Lightning Carson Rides Again
- The Spy Ring
- Hawk of the Wilderness
- Rhythm of the Saddle
- Slander House
- Café de Paris
- Rebellious Daughters
- Air Devils
- Fugitives for a Night
- The Rat
- Strachy
- Mother Love
- Under the Big Top
- Frontier Town
- Say It in French
- Knight of the Plains
- Ultimatum
- Katia
- Mr. Chump
- Outlaws of Sonora
- Career
- Gateway
- Flirting with Fate
- Five Scouts
- Young Fugitives
- Rykmentin murheenkryyni
- Bolette's Bridal Shower
- Whirlwind Horseman
- A Night in May
- Walking Down Broadway
- The Stranger from Arizona
- Battle of Broadway
- Ettore Fieramosca
- The Tears of an Onion
- Bolshaya zhizn
- Tip-Off Girls
- Female Fugitive
- The Arkansas Traveler
- Mystery of Room 13
- Romance in the Dark
- Old Mother Riley in Paris
- Where the Buffalo Roam
- Vacation from Love
- The Girl in the Taxi
- Mr. Doodle Kicks Off
- Convicts at Large
- If War Comes Tomorrow
- California Frontier
- Hercule
- The Kid Comes Back
- The Song from Earth
- Två år i varje klass
- Kilómetro 111
- Buzzy Boop
- Thunder in the Desert
- The Devil Is an Empress
- Barnabé
- Füsilier Wipf
- Utah Trail
- Queen of Crime
- Lachine, the People's Hope
- Napoleon ist an allem schuld
- Verbena trágica
- Delinquent Parents
- Poikamiesten holhokki
- Desert Patrol
- Tom Sawyer, Detective
- Prison sans barreaux
- Ai yori ai e
- The King Kong That Appeared in Edo
- People Who Travel
- Buzzy Boop at the Concert
- I Am a Criminal
- The Singing Blacksmith
- La vuelta al nido
- Old Mother Riley
- The Stars Shine
- Péntek Rézi
- Little Miss Molly
- Klapzubova XI.
- The Singing Cowgirl
- A Brivele der mamen
- L'aventurier
- Keep Smiling
- Men of Ireland
- Holka nebo kluk
- Nummisuutarit
- Mutiny on the Elsinore
- Moydodyr - Wash 'til Holes
- Ungen
- Thanks for Everything
- Little Orphan Annie
- Rio Grande
- Mamele
- Olenko minä tullut haaremiin
- Hunted Men
- Rasputin
- Flowers Have Fallen
- Under Secret Orders
- The Woman from the End of the World
- Exposed
- The Crime of Doctor Hallet
- Gang Smashers
- Professor Mamlock
- Over She Goes
- Songs and Saddles
- Come on, Leathernecks!
- Vieras mies tuli taloon
- Border Wolves
- Murder in the Family
- The Great Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok
- Furlough on Parole
- Gunsmoke Trail
- The Country Bride
- Dawn Over Ireland
- On the Great White Trail
- Rascals
- Les pirates du rail
- King of the Sierras
- Where the West Begins
- Break the News
- Kangaroo Kid
- Sigge Nilsson och jag
- Alarm
- Sons of the Legion
- Rozmaring
- Profesor Wilczur
- Die Umwege des schönen Karl
- One Wild Night
- Youth Takes a Fling
- The Road to Reno
- Love on a Budget
- Black Bandit
- Second Best Bed
- The Farmer Goes to Town
- Ride a Crooked Mile
- The Big Birdcast
- Vingar kring fyren
- Markan tähden
- Reformatory
- Outlaw Express
- Pour le Mérite
- Torpedoed
- Invisible Enemy
- Starlight Over Texas
- City of Youth
- The Adventures of Chico
- Waltz Melodies
- They Wanted Peace
- Sing as You Swing
- The Rangers' Round-Up
- Kamrater i vapenrocken
- I Was an Adventuress
- Bara en trumpetare
- The Green Hell
- La rubia del camino
- Conflit
- The New Audioscopiks
- The Marines Come Thru
- Je chante
- The Last Curtain
- The Playboy
- The Painted Trail
- Gone to the Dogs
- He Loved an Actress
- Said O'Reilly to McNab
- The Case of the Frightened Lady
- La zandunga
- Bargekeepers Daughter
- I Demand Payment
- Pride and Prejudice
- Capriccio
- Boys Will Be Girls
- The Stream
- Tricoche et Cacolet
- Incident in Shanghai
- Under byens tage
- The Dummy Owner
- Durango Valley Raiders
- John Halifax
- Blaavand melder Storm
- Adolf klarar skivan
- We're Going to Be Rich
- S.O.S. Mediterranean
- Jugend
- Le patriote
- Kreutzer Sonata
- Irish and Proud of It
- Soviet Border
- Animal Cracker Circus
- Sergeant Berry
- Monsieur Coccinelle
- Fröken Julia jubilerar
- Syyllisiäkö?
- Milly, Maria och jag
- Elinan surma
- Nanon
- The Last Adventurers
- Rhythm Racketeer
- Kloka gubben
- Stolen Heaven
- The Frog Pond
- Lumières de Paris
- The Lafarge Case
- A Road in India
- Den mandlige husassistent
- Marked Girls
- We from the Theatre
- Songs and Bullets
- The Girls Aunt
- Blixt och dunder
- A Day at Denham
- Temples of India
- Los millones de Chaflán
- Jettatore
- Betrayal
- Eli Sjursdotter
- Tango Notturno
- Life's Mirror
- Paimen, piika ja emäntä
- A Cruise in the Albertina
- Yes, Madam?
- Gun Packer
- Livet paa Hegnsgaard
- String Bean Jack
- Frau Sixta
- Tough Kid
- Sun Over Sweden
- Morskoy post
- Sing for Sweetie
- Mitka Lelyuk
- The Life of Giuseppe Verdi
- Geheimzeichen LB 17
- Styrman Karlssons flammor
- Stepping Toes
- Woman on the Edge
- Beaux and Errors
- Delhi
- Paix sur le Rhin
- Die kleine und die große Liebe
- Goda vänner och trogna grannar
- La Valentina
- Men of the Sea
- Bakililar
- Krok do tmy
- The Woman Thief
- Cupid Takes a Holiday
- Art for Art's Sake
- Granitsa na zamke
- Frauen für Golden Hill
- Under the Southern Cross
- Svensson ordnar allt!
- Nirmala
- Comrades at Sea
- Yvette
- Hordubalové
- The Dream of Butterfly
- Storms in May
- The Painted Stallion
- Die verschwundene Frau
- Champagnegaloppen
- Easy Riches
- Street Without Joy
- Adrienne Lecouvreur
- Balletten danser
- Gastspiel im Paradies
- The Islanders
- Die Frau am Scheidewege
- The Lady in White
- Wild Horse Canyon
- The Lone Mountie
- Man's Country
- Oh Boy!
- Make-Up
- Intimate Relations
- Nellie the Sewing Machine Girl or Honest Hearts & Willing Hands
- The Face of Scotland
- Discretion with Honor
- Beate's Mystery
- Scruffy
- Adiós Buenos Aires
- Eddie Carroll and His Orchestra
- Feed the Kitty
- Verklungene Melodie
- Anna Favetti
- Das Leben kann so schön sein
- The Girl of Last Night
- Satan's Paradise
- Storm över skären
- Sky Pirates
- The Last Chance
- The West
- The Auto Clinic
- Druzya iz tabora
- The Broken Melody
- Unsere kleine Frau
- The Main Event
- Under Sealed Orders
- Roxy und das Wunderteam
- Legions of Honor
- Love from a Stranger
- Am seidenen Faden
- Der Optimist
- Concert in Tirol
- Tempête sur l'Asie
- Men of the Sea
- The Foolish Virgin
- Julius Caesar
- Karmankolon kuningas
- Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Crawford
- Arctic Highway
- Der Spieler
- Kongen bød
- Die fromme Lüge
- The Eternal Fire
- Gym Jams
- The Brown Bomber
- A Radio Hook-Up
- Indian Durbar
- Revolutionshochzeit
- Die Nacht der Entscheidung
- Au soleil de Marseille
- Devil's Rock
- The Empty Cradle
- Little Sinner
- Chûshingura - Ten no maki
- Sheep Dog
- Buynaya vataga
- Mother and Child
- Menschen, Tiere, Sensationen
- La que no perdonó
- Star of the Sea
- Rote Orchideen
- Vor Liebe wird gewarnt
- Frühlingsluft
- Canto a mi tierra
- Florentine
- Maja zwischen zwei Ehen
- Ihr Leibhusar
- A Spot of Bother
- Le joueur
- Gopal Krishna
- Who Is Happier Than I?
- Refugees in Madrid
- A Nation Is Built
- Romance à la carte
- You Live and Learn
- Shusse taikoki
- Baldwin's Wedding
- Tamara la complaisante
- You're the Doctor
- Thank Evans
- Schneeweißchen und Rosenrot
- Herr husassistenten
- Around the Town
- Un fichu métier
- Many Tanks Mr. Atkins
- I nöd och lust
- The Awakening
- Paid in Error
- Almost a Gentleman
- Sorte Grande
- Ballade
- Glamour Girl
- Kurama Tengu
- Callejón sin salida
- Darts Are Trumps
- Pescadores de perlas
- Smugglers Beware
- Kriminalfall Erich Lemke
- Три мушкетёра
- Cinema Adverts Humber, Raleigh, Rudge
- My Heart Belongs to Thee
- L'avion de minuit
- Racing Romance
- Right and Duty
- Styles and Smiles
- Der letzte Appell
- My Foster Sister
- Le capitaine Benoît
- Southern Bar
- Nuits de princes
- Glorious Nights
- Alarm
- The Illusion Factory
- El fakir Rodríguez
- The Future's in the Air
- Pengar från skyn
- Il suo destino
- Den stora kärleken
- Quintupland
- False Roomers
- Laivan kannella
- Kampf um Anastasia
- Scrappy's Playmates
- Markus setä kertoo...
- Kiusaus
- Ulkosaarelaiset
- Salt Shakers
- Mazha Mulga
- Venetian Moonlight
- Ah, Wilderness!
- Ein schwieriger Fall
- Das Protektionskind
- Eine Tat mit Vorbedacht
- Wochenendfriede
- Bobby
- Notgemeinschaft Hinterhaus
- Arabian Bazaar
- Blechmusik
- Gute Reise, Herr Meier
- Pow Wow
- Hats and Dogs
- East of Ludgate Hill
- Nice Work.. If You Can Get It
- Cargo for Ardrossan
- Die Funcken von der Heide
- Der Kapland-Diamant
- Horse Transport
- Gefiederte Strandgäste an der Ostsee
- S.E. Tibet and E. Bhutan
- Derby c.1938 - Eisner Personal Film
- Indian Elephants in the Service of Man
- The Tough 'un
- Old Age Pensioners' Seaside Holiday To Southend-on-Sea
- Год девятнадцатый
The Best Movies in 1938
The Adventures of Robin Hood
Released in a year marked by groundbreaking cinema, "The Adventures of Robin Hood" brought to life the legendary tale of the heroic outlaw. Starring Errol Flynn in what would become one of his signature roles, the film dazzles with its dynamic action sequences and rich Technicolor visuals. The production spared no expense, evident in the elaborate sets that transport viewers to a vividly realized medieval England. Integral to the film's enduring appeal is Erich Wolfgang Korngold's score, which enhances the swashbuckling action and sweeping romance. With Flynn at the helm, "The Adventures of Robin Hood" remains a quintessential adventure film, celebrated for its artistry and entertainment value.
Alexander's Ragtime Band
"Alexander's Ragtime Band" stands apart for its unique blend of musical drama and historical narrative. The film, directed by Henry King, charts the evolution of American popular music, from the vaudeville stages to the era of swing, using Irving Berlin's compositions as its backbone. Tyrone Power and Alice Faye lead a talented cast, bringing to life the trials and triumphs of musicians in a changing culture. The film not only pays homage to Berlin's music but also serves as a nostalgic look back at a transformative period in musical history, making it a rich, cinematic treat.
Algiers
Set against the backdrop of the Casbah's winding streets and hidden courtyards, "Algiers" captures the imagination with its tale of love and danger. Charles Boyer delivers a compelling performance as Pepe le Moko, a jewel thief on the run from the law. His nuanced portrayal of a man torn between freedom and love adds depth to the film's romantic and suspenseful narrative. "Algiers" stands out for its atmospheric setting and the chemistry between its leads, offering a glimpse into a world of intrigue and passion.
Holiday
Under the direction of George Cukor, "Holiday" explores themes of love, societal norms, and the quest for personal happiness. Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant shine as the film's protagonists, their performances imbuing the story with charm and relatability. Set against the backdrop of the affluent American society, the film gets into the conflict between individual desires and societal expectations. The chemistry between Hepburn and Grant elevates the film, making "Holiday" a captivating exploration of love and life's priorities.
Boys Town
"Boys Town" tells the inspiring story of Father Edward Flanagan's vision to create a haven for wayward boys. Spencer Tracy's portrayal of Father Flanagan is both authentic and poignant, reflecting the film's underlying themes of redemption and the power of compassion. The narrative focuses on Flanagan's unwavering belief in the goodness inherent in all boys, challenging societal preconceptions about juvenile delinquency. With its emotional depth and impactful storytelling, "Boys Town" champions the transformative effect of kindness and understanding.
Film & Industry Highlights of 1938
Notable Film Releases of 1938
In 1938, the film industry presented a lineup of movies that have since become benchmarks in cinematic history. "The Adventures of Robin Hood," directed by Michael Curtiz, featured Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland in pivotal roles, earning its place as a definitive adventure film. Its narrative, visual style, and performances have influenced countless productions in the genre.
Another release, "Boys Town" from MGM, emerged as the highest-grossing film in North America for the year, with earnings of $2,828,000. Its commercial success underscores its resonance with the audience of the time. Furthermore, films like "Alexander's Ragtime Band," "Test Pilot," "You Can't Take It with You," and "Sweethearts" also ranked among the top earners, highlighting a year rich in various cinematic stories.
Industry Events and Happenings
The 10th Academy Awards, held on March 10, 1938, celebrated the films released in 1937. "The Life of Emile Zola" stood out, securing the Best Picture award and becoming the evening's most lauded film with three Oscars. This ceremony is a historical point of reference for industry achievements and trends.
July 1938 saw the sixth Venice Mostra (Venice Film Festival) amid a tense international atmosphere. The influence of political pressures from Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy was evident, impacting the festival's operations and awards. This period underscores the complex relationship between politics and the arts.
Additionally, the groundwork for the Cannes Film Festival was laid in 1938 as a counter to the politicized environment of the Venice Film Festival, aiming for a more impartial celebration of cinema. Scheduled to officially start in 1939, its origins in 1938 mark a pivotal moment in film festival history.
Industry Challenges and Campaigns
The year also brought its share of hurdles for the film industry. A notable protest by cine technicians, as reported in the World Film News, underscored the industry's internal and external challenges. These included navigating bad publicity and rebounding from a period of diminished box office returns.
In an effort to revitalize interest and attendance, the American film industry initiated "Motion Pictures' Greatest Year" in September 1938, a four-month public relations effort. This campaign was designed to spotlight the industry's contributions and the entertainment value of its productions, aiming to bolster public engagement and box office performance.