10 Movies From 1943 That Are Now Considered Classics

The year 1943 sits near the heart of Hollywood’s wartime era, a moment when cinema carried the weight of both escapism and moral reflection. Filmmakers across the world grappled with uncertainty, using stories of romance, faith, suspense and sacrifice to make sense of a turbulent present; while these films spoke to the anxieties and ideals of their era, their storytelling and craftsmanship continue to resonate across time.

The best movies of that year boast a remarkable range of styles, from intimate chamber dramas to sweeping epics, elegant romantic comedies to poetic horror. In The More the Merrier, Connie Milligan (Jean Arthur) rents half her apartment to a retired gentleman, Benjamin Dingle (Charles Coburn), who promptly sublets part of the space to a young soldier, Joe Carter (Joel McCrea).

As Dingle subtly orchestrates a romance, the dialogue sparkles and the cast—Arthur charming and intelligent, McCrea likably relaxed, Coburn mischievous—elevates the material.

United States, Hollywood

1943, hollywood, wartime cinema, romantic comedy, romance, suspense, chamber drama, poetic horror, jean arthur, joel mccrea