Bringemovies
← Browse Movies
1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year
TITLE DETAILS

1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year

2009-07-02 · 69 min · ★ 7.5

Documentary · TV Movie

This documentary focuses on 1939, considered to be Hollywood's greatest year, with film clips and insight into what made the year so special.

Open detail page

Trailers are previews, not full movies.

No authorized playback source configured. Use the legal watch options below.

Production details

Directors
Constantine Nasr
Production companies
New Wave Entertainment
Countries
United States of America
Status
Released

Top Cast

Kenneth BranaghKenneth BranaghNarrator (voice)
Clark GableClark GableSelf (archive footage)
Vivien LeighVivien LeighSelf (archive footage)
Olivia de HavillandOlivia de HavillandSelf (archive footage)
Judy GarlandJudy GarlandSelf (archive footage)
Leonard MaltinLeonard MaltinSelf
Errol FlynnErrol FlynnSelf (archive footage)
Bette DavisBette DavisSelf (archive footage)
Thomas SchatzSelf
F. X. FeeneyF. X. FeeneySelf
Scott EymanSelf
Jeanine BasingerJeanine BasingerSelf
Aubrey SolomonSelf
Molly HaskellMolly HaskellSelf
George CukorGeorge CukorSelf (archive footage)
Rudy BehlmerRudy BehlmerSelf
Francis LedererFrancis LedererSelf (archive footage)
Joseph McBrideJoseph McBrideSelf
Frank CapraFrank CapraSelf (archive footage)
Howard HawksHoward HawksSelf (archive footage)

Title information and images are supplied by TMDb. Explore our discovery guide for advice on comparing metadata and legal viewing options.

Where to watch

Availability provided by JustWatch via TMDb. Offers can change. Provider links are listed on TMDb; full playback requires a separately authorized source.

Availability not listed for this country.

Recommendations

And the Oscar Goes To...
★ 6.8
And the Oscar Goes To...2014Documentary · TV Movie

The story of the gold-plated statuette that became the film industry's most coveted prize, AND THE OSCAR GOES TO... traces the history of the Academy itself, which began in 1927 when Louis B. Mayer, then head of MGM, led other prominent members of the industry in forming this professional honorary organization. Two years later the Academy began bestowing awards, which were nicknamed "Oscar," and quickly came to represent the pinnacle of cinematic achievement.

Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound
★ 6.9
Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound2019Documentary

The history of cinematic sound, told by legendary sound designers and visionary filmmakers.

What We Left Behind: Looking Back at Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
★ 7.1
What We Left Behind: Looking Back at Star Trek: Deep Space Nine2018Documentary

A documentary exploring the legacy of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the reasons it went from the black sheep of Star Trek to a beloved mainstay of the franchise, and a brainstorm with the original writers on what a theoretical eighth season of the show could look like.

The Crystal Calls - Making The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance
★ 7.5
The Crystal Calls - Making The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance2019Documentary

Go behind the scenes with stars, puppeteers and creators as they bring Jim Henson's magical world of Thra back to life in a sweeping fantasy series.

I Am Heath Ledger
★ 7.4
I Am Heath Ledger2017Documentary

The life and career of an actor, artist, and icon. His own journey through his own camera.

Downloaded
★ 6.5
Downloaded2013Documentary

A documentary that explores the downloading revolution; the kids that created it, the bands and the businesses that were affected by it, and its impact on the world at large.

For the Love of Spock
★ 7.4
For the Love of Spock2016Documentary

The life of Mr. Spock, as well as that of Leonard Nimoy, the actor who played him for almost fifty years, written and directed by his son: Adam.

The Untold History Of The United States
★ 8.2
The Untold History Of The United States2012Documentary

Oliver Stone charts the history of the United States from the Second World War to the present.

The Last Waltz
★ 7.7
The Last Waltz1978Documentary

Martin Scorsese's documentary intertwines footage from The Band's incredible farewell tour with probing backstage interviews and featured performances by Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Eric Clapton, and other rock legends.

The September Issue
★ 6.6
The September Issue2009Documentary

A documentary chronicling Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour's preparations for the 2007 fall-fashion issue.

Halloween: 25 Years of Terror
★ 6.8
Halloween: 25 Years of Terror2006Documentary

Follow the evolution of the 'Halloween' movies over the past twenty-five years. It examines why the films are so popular and revisits many of the original locations used in the films - seeing the effects on the local community. For the first time, cast, crew, critics and fans join together in the ultimate 'Halloween' retrospective.

End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones
★ 7.6
End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones2003Documentary

A years-in-the-making documentary on the legendary punk band the Ramones. Through a mixture of archival footage, archival and new interviews with all members of the band's various lineups, and new interviews with a number of their contemporaries, the film traces the peaks and valleys the band experienced over the course of its 20-plus year career before disbanding in 1995.

The Show Must Go On: The Queen + Adam Lambert Story
★ 7.3
The Show Must Go On: The Queen + Adam Lambert Story2019Documentary

A documentary chronicling Queen and Lambert's incredible journey since they first shared the stage together on "American Idol" in 2009.

David Bowie: The Last Five Years
★ 7.1
David Bowie: The Last Five Years2017Documentary · TV Movie

In the last five years of his life, David Bowie ended nearly a decade of silence to engage in an extraordinary burst of activity, producing two groundbreaking albums and a musical. David Bowie: The Last Five Years explores this unexpected end to a remarkable career. Made with remarkable access, Francis Whately’s documentary is a revelatory follow-up to his acclaimed 2013 documentary David Bowie: Five Years, which chronicled Bowie’s golden ‘70s and early-‘80s period.

Being James Bond
★ 7.8
Being James Bond2021Documentary

Daniel Craig candidly reflects on his 15 year adventure as James Bond. Including never-before-seen archival footage from Casino Royale to the upcoming 25th film No Time To Die, Craig shares his personal memories in conversation with 007 producers, Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli.

Hôtel Terminus: The Life and Times of Klaus Barbie
★ 7.1
Hôtel Terminus: The Life and Times of Klaus Barbie1988Documentary

Marcel Ophuls' riveting film details the heinous legacy of the Gestapo head dubbed "The Butcher of Lyon." Responsible for over 4,000 deaths in occupied France during World War II, Barbie would escape—with U.S. help—to South America in 1951, where he lived until a global manhunt led to his 1983 arrest and subsequent trial.

The U.S. vs. John Lennon
★ 6.6
The U.S. vs. John Lennon2006Documentary

A documentary on the life of John Lennon, with a focus on the time in his life when he transformed from a musician into an antiwar activist.

Audrey
★ 7.1
Audrey2020Documentary · TV Movie

An unprecedented and intimate look at the life, work and enduring legacy of British actress Audrey Hepburn (1929-1993).

More Brains! A Return to the Living Dead
★ 7.4
More Brains! A Return to the Living Dead2011Documentary

Retrospective documentary about the making of the horror cult classic "The Return of the Living Dead."

Justin Bieber's Believe
★ 6.9
Justin Bieber's Believe2013Documentary

A backstage and on-stage look at Justin Bieber during his rise to super stardom.

Similar titles

Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story
★ 6.9
Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story2018Documentary

The life and career of the hailed Hollywood movie star and underappreciated genius inventor, Hedy Lamarr.

The Massie Affair
★ 6.0
The Massie Affair2005Documentary

In the waning days of summer 1931, Honolulu's tropical tranquility was shattered when a young Navy wife made a drastic allegation of rape against five nonwhite islanders. What unfolded in the following days and weeks was a racially-charged murder case that would make headlines across the nation, enrage Hawai'i's native population, and galvanize the island's law enforcers and the nation's social elite.

Popular Science J-8-1
Not rated
Popular Science J-8-11938Documentary

A variety of scientific subjects, including the laboratory of a plastic surgeon in London, and his method for applying permanent makeup; a new school for kiddies employing finger paint so they can express their urge to put things on paper; Army aviation, showing the latest development in blind landing. Produced in Cinecolor.

After Mein Kampf?
★ 9.0
After Mein Kampf?1961Documentary

By combining actual footage with reenactments, this film offers both a documentary and fictional account of the life of Adolf Hitler, from his childhood in Vienna, through the rise of the Third Reich, to his final act of suicide in the waning days of WWII. The film also provides considerable, and often shocking, detail of the atrocities enacted by the Nazi regime under Hitler's command.

Biancaneve e i sette nani: la realizzazione dell’impossibile
Not rated
Biancaneve e i sette nani: la realizzazione dell’impossibile2026Documentary

In 1934, Walt Disney set out to do what no one had dared before: transform animation, until then confined to short, rhythmic gags, into a feature-length film. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs forced his studio to reinvent techniques, working methods, and even the art of visual storytelling itself. Amid delays, runaway budgets, and hundreds of artists at work, what seemed like madness turned into an unprecedented challenge. This is the story of making the impossible a reality.

Comrades under Edelweiss
★ 7.5
Comrades under Edelweiss1943Documentary

This rare documentary was filmed with the participation and personal camera of Wolfgang Gorther, a German military cinematographer of the 1st mining division, who participated in the legendary ascent of Elbrus on the night of August 21, 1942. From the beginning of the Second World War and the last international winter sports week in Garmisch-Partenkirchen follows the invasion of the German troops into the Soviet Union: Dnieper, Zaporozhy, Kharkov, Rostov-on-Don, Nogaean Steppe, Caucasus – fighting at 50 degrees below zero, military expedition into the world of ice and snow; – ascent of mountain arrows and subsequent hoisting of flags on the Elbrus at an altitude of 5,633 meters.

Poster unavailable
Not rated
Čenkovej deti1975TV Movie

Poster unavailable
★ 9.0
Moje Praha2002Documentary

Otakar Vávra walks through Prague in front of the camera and with the camera, and remembers those who in the 1930s determined the pulse of the cultural and political life of that time.

Land Without Bread
★ 7.1
Land Without Bread1933Documentary

An exploration —manipulated and staged— of life in Las Hurdes, in the province of Cáceres, in Extremadura, Spain, as it was in 1932. Insalubrity, misery and lack of opportunities provoke the emigration of young people and the solitude of those who remain in the desolation of one of the poorest and least developed Spanish regions at that time.

Poland 1939: When German Soldiers Became War Criminals
★ 8.0
Poland 1939: When German Soldiers Became War Criminals2019Documentary

September 1st, 1939. Nazi Germany invades Poland. The campaign is fast, cruel and ruthless. In these circumstances, how is it that ordinary German soldiers suddenly became vicious killers, terrorizing the local population? Did everyone turn into something worse than wild animals? The true story of the first World War II offensive that marks in the history of infamy the beginning of a carnage and a historical tragedy.

Salty Dog Blues
Not rated
Salty Dog Blues2012Documentary

The film looks at men and women of color in the U.S. Merchant Marine from 1938-1975. Through chronicling the lives of these men and women who, with a median age of 82, are beset with a host of life-threatening illnesses, the movie tells how they navigated issues of racism, disparities in the workplace, gender and familial relations.

La ruta de don Quijote
★ 6.0
La ruta de don Quijote1934Documentary

A poetic journey through the paths and places of old Castile that were traveled and visited by the melancholic knight Don Quixote of La Mancha and his judicious squire Sancho Panza, the immortal characters of Miguel de Cervantes, which offers a candid depiction of rural life in Spain in the early 1930s and illustrates the first sentence of the first article of the Spanish Constitution of 1931, which proclaims that Spain is a democratic republic of workers of all kind.

Nanking
★ 7.1
Nanking2007Documentary

The story of the rape of Nanking, one of the most tragic events in history. In 1937, the invading Japanese army murdered over 200,000 and raped tens of thousands of Chinese. In the midst of this horror, a small group of Western expatriates banded together to save 250,000. Nanking shows the tremendous impact individuals can make on the course of history.

The Riddle of the Stinson
★ 7.2
The Riddle of the Stinson1988TV Movie

A true story. In 1937, a routine passenger and mail flight crashes during bad weather on a flight between Brisbane and Sydney. A local bushman begins his own search, and finds the wreckage and two survivors ten days after the crash.

Riding the Rails
★ 6.2
Riding the Rails1997Documentary

Riding the Rails offers a visionary perspective on the presumed romanticism of the road and cautionary legacy of the Great Depression. The filmmakers relay the experiences and painful recollections of these now-elderly survivors of the rails. Forced to travel more by economic necessity than the spirit of adventure, the film's subjects dispel romantic myths of a hobo existence and its corresponding veneer of freedom. Riding the Rails recounts the hoboes' trade secrets for survival and accounts of dank miseries, loneliness, imprisonment, death, and dispossession. Sixty years later, the filmmakers transport their subjects back to the tracks, where the surging impact of sound and movement resuscitates memories of a shattered adolescence and devastating rite of passage.

Hitler's Games, Berlin 1936
★ 7.0
Hitler's Games, Berlin 19362016Documentary

Summer 1936 - The Berlin Olympics, organized by the Nazi regime on the eve of World War II, acted as a grand showcase for a Germany that was athletic, peaceful and rejuvenated. The violence and hate that until then had reigned in the streets of Berlin suddenly vanished. Adolf Hitler became the triumphant host of European countries he would soon try to invade or face in a deadly global conflict.

Triumph of the Will
★ 6.9
Triumph of the Will1935Documentary

A showcase of German chancellor and Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler at the 1934 Nuremberg Rally.

Something the Lord Made
★ 8.0
Something the Lord Made2004TV Movie

A dramatization of the relationship between heart surgery pioneers Alfred Blalock and Vivien Thomas.

Goodnight, Mister Tom
★ 7.0
Goodnight, Mister Tom1998TV Movie

A shy and quiet World War II evacuee is housed by a disgruntled old man, and they soon develop a close bond.

Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical
★ 6.6
Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical2006TV Movie

From an ominous Lecturer, a small 1930s middle American community learns of the Harper Affair, in which young Jimmy Harper finds his life of promise turn into a life of debauchery and murder thanks to the new drug menace marijuana. Along the way, he receives help from his girlfriend Mary and Jesus Himself, but always finds himself in the arms of the Reefer Man and the rest of the denizens of the Reefer Den.

Your favorites

Recently viewed

Watch

Choose an authorized server.

Full video from an operator-configured authorized source. Official trailers use a separate player. If a server fails, retry or select another authorized server.

Legal watch options

Official trailer

Trailer preview only. Press Play to start.

Privacy choices

Favorites stay in your browser. Movie images load from TMDb. YouTube trailers contact YouTube only after you allow external media and choose a trailer. Advertising consent, if ads are enabled, is managed separately by the operator’s certified CMP.

Privacy policy

After allowing external media, choose the trailer button to load its player.