By Ryan Heffernan
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The 1940s marks a fascinating time in the context of film history, with the era seeing rapid advancements in film-making technologies combine with growing trends in visual storytelling that continue to define the medium to this day. Evolving from the supernatural phantasm of the 30s, the 40s films typically took on board a more grounded focus, with the soaring popularity of film noir and crime cinema defining many of the decade’s distinguishing triumphs.
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This tonal shift extends to the characters of the era, particularly the villains, many of whom thrive as real-world evils. Naturally, a couple of Nazis make the list, but there is also everything from smooth-talking street gangsters to one of the most intensely hated figures in the history of animated cinema as well. Villainy in the 40s was by far the most twisted it had ever been up to that point in time, and it remains one of the most deliciously decadent and devilish decades for antagonists that we have ever seen.
10 Major Heinrich Strasser
'Casablanca' (1942)
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Set in the titular town as the Nazi regime spreads across Europe and into Africa, Casablanca follows American expat Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) as he finds himself embroiled in a love triangle with a former spouse and her husband, a renowned Resistance leader. The film has no shortage of scoundrels, be it Peter Lorre’s slimy thief, Sidney Greenstreet’s connected crime boss, or Claude Rains’s corrupt police captain. However, none compare to the utter evil of Conrad Veidt’s Major Heinrich Strasser.
Defined by his icy demeanor, Strasser is typically a calm and composed character, deceptively civil, in fact, given the authority his uniform grants him to impose himself everywhere he roams. His ultimate goal is to prevent Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid) from leaving Casablanca, but he also actively tries to stamp out every ounce of French patriotism that rears its head in the Moroccan city. He abuses his power, without apprehension, to ensure that these objectives are met.
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Casablanca
PG
Drama
Documentary
Romance
War
- Release Date
- January 23, 1943
- Director
- Michael Curtiz
- Cast
- Humphrey Bogart , Ingrid Bergman , Paul Henreid , Claude Rains , Conrad Veidt , Sydney Greenstreet
- Runtime
- 102 minutes
9 Man
'Bambi' (1942)
“Man was in the forest”. Has such a nondescript character ever inspired such an intense and enduring ire from the audience? Known simply as “Man”, the huntsman makes his infamous first impression when he guns down Bambi’s mother (Paula Winslowe) in what is one of the most traumatizing and intense sequences ever displayed in a family film. Even as Bambi (Donnie Dunagen) grows to become the Great Prince of the Forest, Man’s violent threat lingers over his life.
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Never truly being shown on screen, yet always being signposted by Frank Churchill’s now-famous, three-note leitmotif that sounds out whenever his gun is near (not at all dissimilar to the petrifying tune in Jaws), Man is an antagonistic force defined by a certain haunting and blood-chilling presence. Bambi remains one of Disney’s most iconic and timeless pictures, with the dread and panic induced whenever Man is present complementing the quaint charm of the animated critters to create a picture of arresting emotional heights.
Bambi
G
Animation
Documentary
Drama
Family
- Release Date
- August 14, 1942
- Director
- James Algar , Samuel Armstrong , David Hand
- Cast
- Hardie Albright , Stan Alexander , Bobette Audrey , Peter Behn , Thelma Boardman , Janet Chapman
8 Alexander Sebastian
'Notorious' (1946)
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Another nefarious and noteworthy Nazi, Alexander Sebastian (Claude Rains) is the major antagonist and focal point of Alfred Hitchcock’s superb spy noir thriller, Notorious. Joined by Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman, Rains rounds out a tantalizing trio of Old Hollywood royalty as a Nazi scientist hiding out in Brazil after WWII. Devlin (Grant) is the American agent who has been tasked with infiltrating Sebastian and his group of IG Farben executives and recruits the American daughter of a Nazi war criminal to aid his efforts.
Sebastian stands as a Hitchcock villain like no other. His affection for Alicia Huberman (Bergman) is genuine, and reveals an intriguing and tender vulnerability that makes for a fascinating juxtaposition against the rugged obedience he shows towards his domineering mother and the sly, conniving temperament he reserves for everyone else he meets. It is also interesting to compare his sensitive nature to Devlin's callous demeanor. He is one of the most richly complicated and nuanced villains in Hitchcock's filmography, and one of the best antagonists of the 40s.
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Notorious
R
Thriller
Romance
Noir
- Release Date
- September 6, 1946
- Director
- Alfred Hitchcock
- Cast
- Cary Grant , Ingrid Bergman , Claude Rains , Leopoldine Konstantin , Louis Calhern
- Runtime
- 123 minutes
7 Kasper Gutman
'The Maltese Falcon' (1941)
Noir cinema is the defining film genre of the 1940s, making an immediate and lasting impact with its striking visual style and its hard-boiled yet suave characters. While the genius of The Maltese Falcon can’t be limited to its rogues gallery, its colorful crooks certainly helped it stand out. It sees private investigator Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) become embroiled in the criminal underbelly when a range of gangsters and thieves try to recruit him to help locate the invaluable statuette, the Maltese Falcon.
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While all the stars are sublime, it is Sydney Greenstreet’s impeccable debut performance as Kasper “Fat Man” Gutman that shines brightest as the film’s villainous head. A figure of immense greed and conniving, Gutman is not without a peculiar charm as he strong-arms Spade into working for him. However, he is undeniably ruthless and completely amoral, even willing to sell out his closest companion to get closer to his goal. He set the standard for criminal characters undercut by a certain sophistication, and even served as a significant influence on other noteworthy villains like Star Wars’ Jubba the Hutt.
The Maltese Falcon
NR
Crime
Drama
Mystery
Thriller
- Release Date
- October 18, 1941
- Director
- John Huston
- Cast
- Humphrey Bogart , Mary Astor , Gladys George , Peter Lorre , Barton MacLane , Lee Patrick
- Runtime
- 101
6 Harry Lime
'The Third Man' (1949)
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It is an impressive feat of storytelling that The Third Man contains one of the greatest villains of all time, yet the film is presented as an investigation into his death. It primarily follows Holly Martins (Joseph Cotton), a poor writer who travels to Vienna at the invitation of his childhood friend, Harry Lime (Orson Welles), only to learn upon arrival that Lime has died. Troubled by inconsistencies in the stories of Lime’s demise, Martins sets out to find some answers of his own.
To divulge much more information would be to overindulge in spoilers, but Martins’s findings about his friend’s downfall paint a picture of icy callousness and merciless greed. Yet beneath all his deadly flaws, there is a peculiar softness to Lime, one best displayed in his friendship with Martins and his relationship with his girlfriend, Anna Schmidt (Alida Valli). Complex and nuanced, yet unimaginably cold, Harry Lime is one of the most intriguing characters Welles ever portrayed.
The Third Man
Approved
Noir
Mystery
Thriller
- Release Date
- February 1, 1950
- Director
- Carol Reed
- Cast
- Orson Welles , Joseph Cotten , Alida Valli , Trevor Howard , Paul Hörbiger
- Runtime
- 93 Minutes
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5 Regina Giddens
'The Little Foxes' (1941)
The Little Foxes is one of those delightful films where the story’s main protagonist is also its major villain. In the case of the Oscar-nominated 1941 classic, it is Bette Davis who stars as Regina Giddens, a scheming woman who conspires with her brothers to take advantage of her ailing husband’s condition to make off with his wealth. When the siblings’ plan to marry their children and swipe the inheritance from them fails, they resort to blackmail and bullying to get what they want, and tear the family apart in the process.
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Davis dazzles in her performance as Regina, presenting a cold and calculating woman who has learned to navigate a man’s world with deceit and conviction. Her intense and piercing stare makes for a devastating weapon, while the inhumanity with which she treats her own kin is shocking even by today’s standards. Davis would become well known for her flair in villainous roles, with her portrayal of Regina Giddens among the finest accomplishments of her illustrious career.
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4 Adenoid Hynkel
'The Great Dictator' (1940)
In a decade where deceitful and diligent Nazis made for exceptional villains, there was one fascist foe who rose above them all. Funnily enough, he technically isn’t even a Nazi, but the parable is plain to see. Played by the masterful Charles Chaplin, Adenoid Hynkel is a thinly veiled swipe at Adolf Hitler, a tyrant in charge of the country of Tomainia. The Great Dictator sees Chaplin also star as an unnamed and oblivious Jewish barber living in the ghetto whose resemblance to Hynkel proves to be vital in a rebellious scheme.
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Chaplin takes great delight in his villainous turn, mercilessly skewering Hitler every chance he gets as he depicts him as an explosive and bitterly immature politician with a sneering disposition. Interestingly, despite The Great Dictator being Chaplin’s biggest commercial success, his presentation of Hynkel would have a negative impact on his career going forward, as his "premature anti-fascist" views caught the attention of the U.S. government. Upon reflection, however, Hynkel stands as one of the greatest critiques of fascism cinema has ever seen.
The Great Dictator
G
Comedy
Drama
War
- Release Date
- March 7, 1941
- Director
- Charles Chaplin
- Cast
- Charles Chaplin , Paulette Goddard , Jack Oakie , Reginald Gardiner
- Runtime
- 125 minutes
3 Cody Jarrett
'White Heat' (1949)
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Brilliantly played by James Cagney, Cody Jarrett is one of the first truly unnerving movie psychopaths. White Heat follows federal agent Hank Fallon (Edmond O’Brien) as he infiltrates Jarrett’s gang by going undercover as the criminal’s cellmate in prison and participating in his jailbreak. He then becomes embroiled in the Jarrett gang’s plot to carry out a major heist, relaying information to the authorities as Cody’s mental state becomes increasingly volatile.
At times, there is a certain anti-hero quality to Cody Jarrett, but he is most notably defined by his sporadic appetite for violence and his total disregard for innocent lives. He is without any recognizable code, with the only thing he cares about as much as himself being his mother, with whom he shares an intensely twisted and disturbing relationship. Cagney’s tour de force performance makes Cody Jarrett an arresting and unpredictable villain who, with his bellowing of “made it, Ma! Top of the world”, stands as one of the great screen icons of any era.
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White Heat
Not Rated
Action
Crime
Drama
- Release Date
- September 3, 1949
- Director
- Raoul Walsh
- Cast
- James Cagney , Virginia Mayo , Edmond O'Brien , Margaret Wycherly , Steve Cochran , John Archer , Wally Cassell , Fred Clark
- Runtime
- 114 Minutes
2 Mr. Potter
'It’s A Wonderful Life' (1946)
Despite being a damning failure upon release, It’s a Wonderful Life has endured over the decades as a life-affirming masterpiece of cinema and the ultimate Christmas movie. Jimmy Stewart stars as George Bailey, an overly generous man whose commitment to his community has come at the expense of his own wants in life. When financial disaster strikes, and he states how the town would be better off had he never been born, his guardian angel shows him exactly what such a reality would look like.
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If George Bailey is the embodiment of generosity, then his arch nemesis, Mr. Potter (Lionel Barrymore) is the embodiment of pure greed. An unadulterated consumerist, he aspires to ensnare Bedford Falls under his monopoly, a position which he would use to exploit the town’s residents. With George standing as his only obstacle in his pursuit, Mr. Potter hates him with a burning passion. George aptly describes him when he says Potter treats people as cattle, and it is immensely rewarding in the final sequence to hear that beautiful toast “to my big brother, George: the richest man in town”, both for George’s own triumph, but also for the devastating defeat it means for Potter.
It's a Wonderful Life
PG
Christmas
Supernatural
Drama
- Release Date
- January 7, 1947
- Director
- Frank Capra
- Cast
- James Stewart , Donna Reed , Lionel Barrymore , Thomas Mitchell
- Runtime
- 131
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1 Phyllis Dietrichson
'Double Indemnity' (1942)
Many of the best film noir pictures find their key to greatness in their femme fatales. While Double Indemnity has plenty going for it, from its engrossing story and narrative structure to its litany of spectacular performances, and even its pioneering visual flair, its best asset is Barbara Stanwyck’s exceptional performance. She plays Phyllis Dietrichson, a conniving woman who conspires with lustful insurance agent Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray) to kill her husband and claim his life insurance. The duo’s dastardly scheme lands them in trouble when insurance investigator Barton Keyes (Edward G. Robinson) begins looking into the case.
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An deceitful figure, Dietrichson presents as a helpless damsel in distress to woo Neff to her aid in her grand scheme. When self-interest begins to tear at both of them, with Keyes’ investigation intensifying, the true scope of Dietrichson’s murderous resolve begins to be revealed. She is an entrancing and captivating character, a cunning con artist whose true villainy is far greater than it first seems. Phyllis Dietrichson is not only the greatest villain of the 1940s, but the best female antagonist cinema has ever seen as well.
Double Indemnity
Not Rated
Crime
Thriller
- Release Date
- July 3, 1944
- Director
- Billy Wilder
- Cast
- Fred MacMurray , Barbara Stanwyck , Edward G. Robinson , Porter Hall
- Runtime
- 107 Minutes
NEXT: The 35 Best Movie Villains of All Time, Ranked
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