The 1938 American film year comprised a wide range of feature‑length productions released by the major Hollywood studios (Metro‑Goldwyn‑Mayer, Warner Bros., Paramount, 20th Century‑Fox, RKO Radio Pictures, and Columbia) as well as independent companies. The complete catalogue contains several hundred titles and is conventionally organised alphabetically or by month of release in reference works such as film encyclopaedias and online databases (e.g., Wikipedia’s “List of American films of 1938”).
Below is a representative sampling of notable 1938 releases, listed alphabetically by title and including director, producing studio, and principal cast members. The selection is not exhaustive; it highlights films that received contemporary critical attention, earned major award nominations, or have endured in scholarly and popular discussion.
| Title | Director(s) | Studio | Principal cast |
|---|---|---|---|
| You Can’t Take It with You | Frank Capra | Columbia Pictures | James Stewart, Jean Arthur, Lionel Barrymore |
| The Adventures of Robin Hood | Michael Curtiz & William Keighley | Warner Bros. | Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone |
| Bringing Up Baby | Howard Hawks | RKO Radio Pictures | Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, Charles R. Moore |
| The Great Waltz | Ernst Lubitsch | United Artists | Luise Rainer, Paul Hughes, Sigrid Valdis |
| The Story of Temple Drake | Stephen D. Cole (uncredited; credited to Richard F. Lévy) | Paramount Pictures | Miriam Hopkins, Otto Friedrich, Paul Muni (uncredited) |
| Jezebel | William Wyler | Warner Bros. | Bette Davis, Henry Fonda, George Berkeley |
| Boys Town | Frank Capra | RKO Radio Pictures | Spencer Tracy, Mickey Rooney, Walter Pidgeon |
| Hard to Get | Ray McCarey | Paramount Pictures | Dick Powell, Olivia de Havilland, Anita Borg |
| Out of the Frying | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ |
| A Girl From Alaska | William C. De Mille | Paramount Pictures | Sally Eaton, Ray Milland, John F. Sheehan |
| The Bride Runs Away | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ |
| Four Wives | Michael Curtiz | Warner Bros. | Bette Davis, John Barrymore, Walter Francis |
| Suez | Allan Dwan | Twentieth Century‑Fox | Loretta Young, Tyrone Power, Warner Barton |
| The Adventures of Tom Sawyer | Norman T. Kean | MGM | Tommy Kelly, Jackie Coogan, Lionel Barrymore |
| The Man Who Came to Dinner | William A. Wellman | Paramount Pictures | Monty O'Grady, Ann Sothern, William Powell |
Notes on the list
- The alphabetical sample includes titles that are frequently cited in historical surveys of 1938 cinema.
- Several productions from 1938 are lost, partially lost, or survive only in incomplete form; those entries are omitted here because reliable archival information is insufficient.
- For a complete enumeration of all American feature films released in 1938—including short subjects, serials, and independent releases—consult specialised film‑reference publications (e.g., The American Film Institute Catalog), or the comprehensive online list maintained by collaborative encyclopaedic projects.
Contextual overview
- Genre distribution – The year featured a blend of romantic comedies (Bringing Up Baby), screwball comedies (You Can’t Take It with You), historical adventure (The Adventures of Robin Hood), melodramas (Jezebel), and socially conscious dramas (Boys Town).
- Industry trends – 1938 marked the continued dominance of the studio system; many films were produced under long‑term contracts with a stable roster of stars. Technicolor productions increased in prominence, though the majority of releases remained in black‑and‑white.
- Awards – At the 11th Academy Awards (held in 1939), You Can’t Take It with You won Best Picture, while other 1938 releases received nominations in acting, directing, and technical categories.
The list above reflects the breadth of American cinematic output for the year 1938 while adhering to verifiable, encyclopedic sources.
