The 30 greatest musicals of the 1940s
by Mr_K1 | created - 26 Aug 2021 | updated - 12 Sep 2021 | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Springtime in the Rockies (1942)
Approved | 91 min | Musical, Romance
Broadway partners Vicky Lane and Dan Christy have a tiff over Christy's womanizing. Jealous Vicky takes up with her old flame and former dance partner, Victor Price, and Dan's career takes ... See full summary »
Director: Irving Cummings | Stars: Betty Grable, Carmen Miranda, John Payne, Cesar Romero
Votes: 753
2. Diamond Horseshoe (1945)
Approved | 104 min | Musical, Romance
A medical student who wants to be a crooner gets involved with a showgirl who has an ulterior motive.
Director: George Seaton | Stars: Betty Grable, Dick Haymes, Phil Silvers, William Gaxton
Votes: 310
3. The Gang's All Here (1943)
Passed | 103 min | Musical, Romance
A soldier falls for a chorus girl and then experiences trouble when he is posted to the Pacific.
Director: Busby Berkeley | Stars: Alice Faye, Carmen Miranda, Phil Baker, Benny Goodman
Votes: 2,058
4. Orchestra Wives (1942)
Approved | 98 min | Drama, Musical, Romance
Connie Ward is in seventh heaven when Gene Morrison's band rolls into town. She is swept off her feet by trumpeter Bill Abbot. After marrying him, she joins the bands tour and learns about ... See full summary »
Director: Archie Mayo | Stars: George Montgomery, Ann Rutherford, Glenn Miller and His Orchestra, Lynn Bari
Votes: 1,146
5. Footlight Serenade (1942)
Approved | 80 min | Comedy, Musical, Romance
A boxing champ gets involved with a Broadway show and a shapely chorine...who's engaged to his new sparring partner.
Director: Gregory Ratoff | Stars: John Payne, Betty Grable, Victor Mature, Jane Wyman
Votes: 258
6. Hello Frisco, Hello (1943)
Approved | 99 min | Musical
In turn-of-the-century San Francisco, an ambitious vaudevillian takes his quartet from a honky tonk to the big time, while spurning the love of his troupe's star singer for a selfish heiress.
Director: H. Bruce Humberstone | Stars: Alice Faye, John Payne, Jack Oakie, Lynn Bari
Votes: 559 | Gross: $3.40M
7. The Harvey Girls (1946)
Passed | 102 min | Comedy, Drama, History
On a train trip West to become a mail-order bride, Susan Bradley (Judy Garland) meets a cheery crew of young women travelling out to open a "Harvey House" restaurant at a remote whistle-stop.
Director: George Sidney | Stars: Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, John Hodiak, Angela Lansbury
Votes: 4,864
8. Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
Passed | 126 min | Biography, Drama, Family
The life of the renowned musical composer, playwright, actor, dancer, and singer George M. Cohan.
Director: Michael Curtiz | Stars: James Cagney, Joan Leslie, Walter Huston, Richard Whorf
Votes: 16,867 | Gross: $11.80M
9. Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
Passed | 113 min | Comedy, Drama, Family
Young love and childish fears highlight a year in the life of a turn-of-the-century family.
Director: Vincente Minnelli | Stars: Judy Garland, Margaret O'Brien, Mary Astor, Lucille Bremer
Votes: 27,690 | Gross: $7.57M
10. On the Town (1949)
Passed | 98 min | Comedy, Musical, Romance
Three sailors wreak havoc as they search for love during a whirlwind 24-hour leave in New York City.
Directors: Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly | Stars: Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Betty Garrett, Ann Miller
Votes: 18,789
11. Holiday Inn (1942)
Passed | 100 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
At an inn which is open only on holidays, a crooner and a hoofer vie for the affections of a beautiful up-and-coming performer.
Directors: Mark Sandrich, Robert Allen | Stars: Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Marjorie Reynolds, Virginia Dale
Votes: 17,629 | Gross: $8.18M
12. Easter Parade (1948)
G | 103 min | Musical, Romance
A nightclub performer hires a naive chorus girl to become his new dance partner to make his former partner jealous and to prove he can make any partner a star.
Director: Charles Walters | Stars: Judy Garland, Fred Astaire, Peter Lawford, Ann Miller
Votes: 11,093 | Gross: $9.03M
13. Rainbow Island (1944)
Approved | 98 min | Comedy, Musical, Romance
The hilarious adventures of three torpedoed American sailors on an isolated Pacific island during WW2.
Director: Ralph Murphy | Stars: Dorothy Lamour, Eddie Bracken, Gil Lamb, Barry Sullivan
Votes: 71
14. In the Good Old Summertime (1949)
Approved | 102 min | Comedy, Musical, Romance
In turn-of-the century America, Andrew and Veronica are co-workers in a music shop who dislike one another during business hours but unwittingly carry on an anonymous romance through the mail.
Director: Robert Z. Leonard | Stars: Judy Garland, Van Johnson, S.Z. Sakall, Spring Byington
Votes: 4,309 | Gross: $6.30M
15. You Were Never Lovelier (1942)
Passed | 97 min | Comedy, Musical, Romance
In Buenos Aires, a man who has decreed that his daughters must marry in order of age allows an American dancer to perform at his club under the condition that he play suitor to his second-oldest daughter.
Director: William A. Seiter | Stars: Fred Astaire, Rita Hayworth, Adolphe Menjou, Isobel Elsom
Votes: 4,087 | Gross: $0.67M
16. Sun Valley Serenade (1941)
Passed | 86 min | Comedy
After Phil Corey's band arrives at the Idaho ski resort, its pianist Ted Scott is smitten with a Norwegian refugee he has sponsored, Karen Benson. Later, soloist Vivian Dawn quits and Karen stages an ice show as a substitute.
Director: H. Bruce Humberstone | Stars: Sonja Henie, John Payne, Glenn Miller, Milton Berle
Votes: 1,951
17. Anchors Aweigh (1945)
Passed | 140 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Musical
A pair of sailors on leave try to help a movie extra become a singing star.
Directors: George Sidney, Joseph Barbera, William Hanna | Stars: Frank Sinatra, Kathryn Grayson, Gene Kelly, José Iturbi
Votes: 9,436
18. For Me and My Gal (1942)
Not Rated | 104 min | Musical, Romance, War
Two vaudeville performers fall in love, but find their relationship tested by the arrival of WWI.
Director: Busby Berkeley | Stars: Judy Garland, George Murphy, Gene Kelly, Mártha Eggerth
Votes: 3,845 | Gross: $4.37M
19. Road to Rio (1947)
Approved | 100 min | Adventure, Comedy, Musical
Two inept vaudevillians stow away on a Brazilian-bound ocean liner and foil a plot by a sinister hypnotist to marry off her niece to a greedy fortune hunter.
Director: Norman Z. McLeod | Stars: Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour, Gale Sondergaard
Votes: 3,525 | Gross: $4.50M
20. State Fair (1945)
Passed | 100 min | Comedy, Drama, Musical
Each member of the Frake clan has his/her own reason for attending the annual Iowa State Fair.
Director: Walter Lang | Stars: Jeanne Crain, Dana Andrews, Dick Haymes, Vivian Blaine
Votes: 4,498
21. Romance on the High Seas (1948)
Approved | 99 min | Comedy, Musical, Mystery
Romantic misunderstandings abound when spouses suspect each other of being unfaithful, and a nightclub singer takes a cruise under a false identity.
Directors: Michael Curtiz, Busby Berkeley | Stars: Jack Carson, Janis Paige, Doris Day, Don DeFore
Votes: 2,739
22. Ziegfeld Girl (1941)
Passed | 132 min | Drama, Musical, Romance
In the 1920s, three women become performers in the renowned Broadway show the Ziegfeld Follies, where they find fame, love, and tragedy.
Directors: Busby Berkeley, Robert Z. Leonard | Stars: James Stewart, Judy Garland, Hedy Lamarr, Lana Turner
Votes: 3,456
23. Cover Girl (1944)
Passed | 107 min | Comedy, Music, Musical
Rusty Parker wins a contest and becomes a celebrated cover girl; this endangers her romance with dancing mentor Danny.
Director: Charles Vidor | Stars: Rita Hayworth, Gene Kelly, Lee Bowman, Phil Silvers
Votes: 5,943
24. You'll Never Get Rich (1941)
Passed | 88 min | Comedy, Romance
In order to cover up his philandering ways, a married Broadway producer sets one of his dancers up on a date with a chorus girl for whom he had bought a gift, but the two dancers fall in love for real.
Director: Sidney Lanfield | Stars: Fred Astaire, Rita Hayworth, Robert Benchley, John Hubbard
Votes: 2,868
25. Road to Singapore (1940)
Approved | 85 min | Comedy, Musical, Romance
Two playboys try to forget previous romances in Singapore - until they meet a beautiful dancer.
Director: Victor Schertzinger | Stars: Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour, Charles Coburn
Votes: 4,090
26. Take Me Out to the Ball Game (1949)
Approved | 93 min | Comedy, Musical, Romance
Two turn-of-the-century baseball players, who work in vaudeville during the off-season, run into trouble with their team's new female owner and a gambler who doesn't want them to win the pennant.
Director: Busby Berkeley | Stars: Frank Sinatra, Esther Williams, Gene Kelly, Betty Garrett
Votes: 4,077
27. Week-End in Havana (1941)
Passed | 81 min | Comedy, Musical, Romance
Nan Spencer is on a boat bound for Havana which runs aground. The man sent to rescue her is engaged and she doesn't understand his disinterest. Monte Blanca is interested, to the annoyance of his girlfriend.
Director: Walter Lang | Stars: Alice Faye, Carmen Miranda, John Payne, Cesar Romero
Votes: 734
28. The Fleet's In (1942)
Passed | 93 min | Musical, Romance
After a shy sailor is kissed by a female starlet as part of a publicity stunt, he becomes known as a stud; his friends then bet that he'll be able to defrost an icy nightclub singer.
Director: Victor Schertzinger | Stars: Dorothy Lamour, William Holden, Eddie Bracken, Betty Hutton
Votes: 428
29. It Happened in Brooklyn (1947)
Approved | 104 min | Comedy, Musical, Romance
Soldier Danny Miller returns home to Brooklyn after war. Aiming for singing success, he helps friends chasing dreams.
Director: Richard Whorf | Stars: Frank Sinatra, Kathryn Grayson, Peter Lawford, Jimmy Durante
Votes: 1,078
30. Ziegfeld Follies (1945)
Approved | 110 min | Comedy, Musical
The late, great impresario Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. looks down from Heaven and ordains a new revue in his grand old style.
Directors: Lemuel Ayers, Roy Del Ruth, Robert Lewis, Vincente Minnelli, George Sidney, Merrill Pye, Charles Walters | Stars: William Powell, Judy Garland, Lucille Ball, Fred Astaire
Votes: 3,634 | Gross: $7.93M
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