1939 - A Magical Year in Movies

Seventy years ago was a magical year in movies.  1939 arguably saw more movies released that still resonate as classics than any other year before or since.  Who can forget classics such as Gone with the Wind [2], The Wizard Of Oz [3], Mr. Smith Goes To Washington [4], or Stagecoach [5] (featuring a young John Wayne)?  I have to admit I haven't seen all of these, but Gone with the Wind and The Wizard of Oz have always been two of my favorite movies.

[2]  [3]  [4]  [5]

Other titles released in 1939 include:

Young Mr. Lincoln [6]
Classic biographical telling of the life of Abraham Lincoln, from his youth to his death. Directed by John Ford. Starring Henry Fonda.
 

Destry Rides Again [7]
Destry is a mild-mannered deputy who doesn't like guns, but he is called to restore order to the hopelessly corrupt frontier town of Bottleneck. Though reluctant to undertake such an enormous task, he's soon roped into action after meeting the seductive Frenchy, an alluring saloon girl who wins the hero's heart. Directed by George Marshall. Starring Marlene Dietrich & James Stewart.

Gunga Din [8]
Adventure story of three English soldier comrades battling the savage punjabs in India, and their lowly water-bearer, Gunga Din, who longs to be a soldier. Directed by George Stevens. Starring Cary Grant, Victor McLaglen, & Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. .
 

Dark Victory [9]
A beautiful and headstrong heiress suddenly learns that she has only six months to live. Defiant and rebellious at first, she conquers this stroke of fate by the power of great love and ultimately finds peace and happiness in the brief span of life allotted to her. Directed by Edmund Goulding. Starring Bette Davis. Based on the play by George Brewer Jr. and Bertram Bloch.

[10]Ninotchka
A Soviet official in Paris soon turns to pleasure as she discovers the magic of Paris and finds herself succumbing to the special charms of a suave Frenchman named Leon D'Algout. Directed by Ernst Lubitsch.  Starring Greta Garbo & Mervyn Douglas. .
 

[11]Goodbye Mr. Chips [11]
    A shy British school master named Mr. Chipping devotes his life to teaching "his boys" after the death of his lovely, energetic American wife Katherine. Told via flashbacks, the film features an aged Mr. Chipping looking back nostalgically at his long career, taking note of the people who've touched his life over the years. Directed by Sam Wood. Starring Robert Donat & Greer Garson.
 

Wuthering Heights [12]
A tortured love affair ends between Heathcliff and Cathy when Cathy marries the wealthy Edgar. Heathcliff's savage retaliation upon the woman he loves explodes in a stunning climax. Directed by William Wyler.  Starring Merle Oberon, Laurence Olivier, & David Niven. Based on the book Wuthering Heights [13]by Emily Brontë.