376 Films & TV Shows Set In North America During The 1940s
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Scene of the Crime
California The 1940sBe there when it happens! — A cop investigates the shooting of another policeman... that may have been involved in crooked activities.
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Task Force
Hawaii The 1940sNothing ever like it ! Nothing you ever liked more ! — After learning the finer points of carrier aviation in the 1920s, career officer Jonathan Scott and his pals spend the next two decades promoting the superiority of naval air power. But military and political "red tape" continually frustrate their efforts, prompting Scott to even consider leaving the Navy for a more lucrative civilian job. Then the world enters a second World War and Scott finally gets the opportunity to prove to Washington the valuable role aircraft carriers could play in winning the conflict. But what will it cost him and his comrades personally?
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Intruder in the Dust
Mississippi The 1940sIt's Sensational! — Rural Mississippi in the 1940s: Lucas Beauchamp, a local black man with a reputation of not kowtowing to whites, is found standing over the body of a dead white man, holding a pistol that has recently been fired. Quickly arrested for murder and jailed, Beauchamp insists he's innocent and asks the town's most prominent lawyer, Gavin Stevens, to defend him, but Stevens refuses. When a local boy whom Beauchamp has helped in the past and who believes him to be innocent hears talk of a mob taking Beauchamp out of jail and lynching him, he pleads with Stevens to defend Beauchamp at trial and prove his innocence.
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It Happens Every Spring
Missouri The 1940s"oh yeah?" "Oh yeah!" — A scientist discovers a formula that makes a baseball which is repelled by wood. He promptly sets out to exploit his discovery.
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Lust for Gold
Arizona The 1940s The 1880s The 1840sRuthless Fortune Seekers Who Will Stop at Nothing... — A man determined to track down the fabled Arizona gold mine known as The Lost Dutchman has an affair with a married treasure hunter, whose pursuit of the mine has lead her to double-cross her husband.
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Tough Assignment
California The 1940sAn Action-Packed Expose of Cattle Rustling Today — A meddlesome reporter sporting a young bride takes on a gang of modern day cattle rustlers. Donald "Red" Barry plays Dan Reilly, a newspaper reporter just returned to LA with his wife, photographer Margie (Marjorie Steele). Margie insists on taking pictures of everywhere they go, and so as she's walking into a butcher shop she poses for Dan - while at the same time three thugs make their way quickly out after beating up the proprietors. Soon Margie and Dan are involved in investigating an illegal meat operation that rustles cattle and forces butchers to buy it - or else. Dan gets beaten up a couple of times, but is undaunted in pursuing the great story - and hey, he's only got 64 minutes to do so, he'd best get cracking!
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Come to the Stable
New England New York Connecticut The 1940sLaughs To Make Your Heart Ring Out With Joy ! — Two nuns arrive unannounced in the small New England town of Bethlehem, where they recruit various townspeople to help them build a children's hospital.
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Cry of the City
New York The 1940s The 1930sFrom the heart of its people comes the ... cry of the city. — Petty crook and cop-killer Martin Rome, in bad shape from wounds in the hospital prison ward, still refuses to help slimy lawyer Niles clear his client by confessing to another crime. Police Lt. Candella must check Niles' allegation; a friend of the Rome family, he walks a tightrope between sentiment and cynicism. When Martin fears Candella will implicate his girlfriend Teena, he'll do anything to protect her. How many others will he drag down to disaster with him?
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Sorry, Wrong Number
New York The 1940sTangled Wires... Whispering of Murder! Tangled Lives... Fighting to Escape! — Leona Stevenson is confined to bed and uses her telephone to keep in contact with the outside world. One day she overhears a murder plot on the telephone and is desperate to find out who is the intended victim.
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Call Northside 777
Illinois The 1940s The 1930sIt couldn't happen... but it did! — In 1932, a cop is killed and Frank Wiecek sentenced to life. Eleven years later, a newspaper ad by Frank's mother leads Chicago reporter P.J. O'Neal to look into the case. For some time, O'Neal continues to believe Frank guilty. But when he starts to change his mind, he meets increased resistance from authorities unwilling to be proved wrong.
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The Iron Curtain
Ontario The 1940sThe Iron Curtain is based on the actual 1945 case of Soviet cipher clerk Igor Gouzenko, (Dana Andrews), who, after careful training, was assigned to the U.S.S.R. Embassy in Ottawa, Canada in the midst of World War II. Eventually, Gouzenko defected with 109 pages of material implicating several high level Canadian officials, outlined the steps taken to secure information about the the details of the nuclear bomb via numerous sleeper cells established throughout North America. The scandal that resulted when details of this case were publicized by American columnist Drew Pearson in early 1946 involved Canada, Britain and the United States.
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The Babe Ruth Story
New England The 1900s The 1910s The 1920s The 1930s The 1940sThe incredible life... the spectacular thrills... the fabulous times of America's best-loved hero....... — The baseball player (William Bendix) goes from wayward youth to Boston Red Sox pitcher to New York Yankees home-run hero.
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Beyond Glory
New York The 1940sNEVER A LADD LIKE THIS...NEVER A PICTURE LIKE..."BEYOND GLORY" — Thinking he may have caused the death of his commanding officer Captain Daniels in Tunisia, Rocky visits Daniels' widow. She falls for him, he falls for her, she encourages him to go to West Point. While there he faces serious disciplinary review for having forced a plebe into resigning. He may even be court-martialled.
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The Russian Question
New York The 1940sThe film is based on the play by K. Simonov. It is the story of an American journalist who spends time in Russia and sees socialism in action. Upon his return to the U.S., a prestigious editor asks him to write a book about his experience. He receives a handsome advance for the project and he and his fiancée are able to buy a house, a car, and other symbols of the American dream. But the editor’s generosity comes with a caveat: the book must present a negative picture of Soviet society. Will he simply keep the money and do what is expected of him, or will he instead tell the truth?
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Dear Ruth
New York The 1940sFrom Broadway... To Chicago... To Los Angeles... Ten Million People Roared At The Play. Now YOU can see the funniest stage hit in years! — A normal day in the Wilkins family: reticent beauty Ruth, crusty judge father, petition-happy political activist teen Miriam. Who should show up but Ruth's soldier pen pal Bill Seacroft...whom she doesn't know about. It seems Miriam used her sister's name and picture to build up wartime morale. Ruth reluctantly agrees to "humor" Bill for his 2-day leave, though she's just become engaged to her stuffy suitor Albert. Can Miriam's cloud castle last the weekend without crashing to earth?
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The Voice of the Turtle
New York The 1940sListen, Lovers, Listen!!! — An aspiring Broadway actress falls in love with a soldier on leave during a weekend in New York City.
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It's a Wonderful Life
New York The 1940s The 1930s The 1920s The 1910sIt's a wonderful laugh! It's a wonderful love! — A holiday favourite for generations... George Bailey has spent his entire life giving to the people of Bedford Falls. All that prevents rich skinflint Mr. Potter from taking over the entire town is George's modest building and loan company. But on Christmas Eve the business's $8,000 is lost and George's troubles begin.
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The Strange Love of Martha Ivers
Pennsylvania The 1940s The 1920sFate drew them together… and only murder could part them! — Three childhood friends, Martha, Walter and Sam, share a terrible secret. Over time, the ambitious Martha and the pusillanimous Walter have married. She is a cold businesswoman; he is the district attorney: a perfect combination to dominate the corrupt city of Iverstown at will. But the unexpected return of Sam, after years of absence, deeply disturbs the life of the odd couple.
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The Time of Their Lives
🇺🇸 United States of America The 1940s The 18th CenturyFOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO DIE LAUGHING! — Two ghosts who were mistakenly branded as traitors during the Revolutionary War return to 20th century New England to retieve a letter from George Washington which would prove their innocence.
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Colonel Effingham's Raid
Georgia The 1940sWho Says You Can't Fight City Hall? — The story takes place in 1940. On the eve of America's entry in World War II, a colonel retired to his small Southern town, and discovers that there is a plan afoot to tear down Confederate Monument Square. He begins a campaign to rally the townspeople to save the square.
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The Bamboo Blonde
New York The 1940sA pilot of a B 29 meets Louise Anderson, a singer in a New York nightclub. He falls in love with her, but he had to leave next day for action in the Pacific. He lets paint her picture on his bomber, the "Bamboo Blonde" and becomes a hero with his crew sinking a Japanese battleship and shooting down a Japanese fighter wing. Back in New York, he leaves his fiancée and engages him to Louise.
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The Searching Wind
District of Columbia 🇫🇷 France 🇩🇪 Germany 🇮🇹 Italy The 1940s The 1930s The 1920sWith a screenplay adapted by Lillian Hellman from her own play, director William Dieterle's 1946 drama stars Robert Young as a U.S. ambassador in Europe in the years before WW2.
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The House on 92nd Street
New York 🇩🇪 Germany The 1940s The 1930sThe F.B.I.'s own tense, terrific story behind the protection of the ATOMIC BOMB! — The US Government tries to track down embedded Nazi agents in the States.
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Thrill of a Romance
California The 1940sMusical bliss with every kiss! — A soldier falls in love with a newly-married woman after her husband abandons her for a business meeting on their honeymoon.
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Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo
California Tokyo Prefecture The 1940sHeart-Warming Romance . . . Ripped from the Heart! — In the wake of Pearl Harbor, a young lieutenant leaves his expectant wife to volunteer for a secret bombing mission which will take the war to the Japanese homeland.
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