1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year

Written by Gary Leva and Constantine Nasr

As America struggled to emerge from the depression, and with World War II just over the horizon, 1939 was a window in cinematic time. Never before had a single year produced so many films destined to be classics. With timeless movies like Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Ninotchka, Stagecoach, The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind, 1939 stands out as the greatest year in Hollywood history.

This rich, multilayered documentary, narrated by Kenneth Branagh and broadcast on Turner Classic Movies, celebrates the era and its films, while revealing the hidden forces that would change the Hollywood studio system forever, making 1939 a signpost at the end of Hollywood's Golden Age.