For lack of any new inspiration, we’re going to go back and put together by-the-decade lists of our five favorite films from each year. It’s like having all your favorite recipes in one cook book. Or at least ours. We’ll begin with the 1940s (asterisks after the absolute can’t-miss films on the list):

1940

The Philadelphia Story*

His Girl Friday

The Grapes Of Wrath

The Great Dictator

Rebecca

1941

Citizen Kane

Sullivan’s Travels

The Maltese Falcon*

The Lady Eve

The Wolf man

1942

Casablanca*

Mrs. Miniver*

Now, Voyager

Woman Of The Year

Holiday Inn

1943

For Whom The Bell Tolls

The Ox-Bow Incident

Shadow Of A Doubt

The Life And Death Of Colonel Blimp

Lassie Come Home

1944

Double Indemnity*

Laura*

Miracle Of Morgan’s Creek/Hail The Conqueing Hero

To Have And Have Not

Gaslight

1945

Lost Weekend

Brief Encounter

Anchors Aweigh

Leave Her To Heaven*

Spellbound

1946

The Best Years Of Our Lives*

It’s A Wonderful Life*

Gilda

Notorious

My Darling Clementine

1947

The Bishop’s Wife

Out Of The Past

Black Narcissus

Miracle On 34th Street

Gentleman’s Agreement

1948

Key Largo*

Johnny Belinda

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre*

Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House

Rope

1949

White Heat

Adam’s Rib

On The Town

She Wore A Yellow Ribbon

In The Good Ol’ Summertime