List of Crime Films of The 1930s


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A list of crime films released in the 1930s.

Title Director Cast Country Notes
1930
The Big House George W. Hill Chester Morris, Wallace Beery, Robert Montgomery Prison film
Born Reckless John Ford, Andrew Bennison Edmund Lowe, Catherine Dale Owen, Lee Tracy
The Cat Creeps Rupert Julian, John Willard Helen Twelvetrees, Raymond Hackett, Neil Hamilton
The Doorway to Hell Archie Mayo Charles Judels, Lew Ayres, James Cagney
Manslaughter George Abbott Claudette Colbert, Fredric March, Emma Dunn Crime drama, prison film
Night Owls James Parrott Oliver Hardy, Stan Laurel Crime comedy
Raffles Harry D'Abbadie D'Arrast, George Fitzmaurice Ronald Colman, Kay Francis, David Torrence
The Return of Dr. Fu Manchu Rowland V. Lee Warner Oland, Neil Hamilton, Jean Arthur
The Unholy Three Jack Conway Lila Lee, Elliott Nugent, Harry Earles
1931
Blonde Crazy Roy Del Ruth James Cagney, Joan Blondell, Louis Calhern Gangster film
City Streets Rouben Mamoulian Gary Cooper, Sylvia Sidney, Paul Lukas
Daughter of the Dragon Lloyd Corrigan Anna May Wong, Warner Oland, Sessue Hayakawa
Little Caesar Mervyn LeRoy Edward G. Robinson, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Glenda Farrell
Night Nurse Igor Auzins, William Wellman Barbara Stanwyck, Ben Lyon, Joan Blondell
The Public Enemy William Wellman James Cagney, Edward Woods, Donald Cook
Smart Money Alfred E. Green Edward G. Robinson, Evelyn Knapp, James Cagney, Ralf Harolde
1932
Arsene Lupin Jack Conway John Barrymore, Lionel Barrymore, Karen Morley
The Beast of the City Charles J. Brabin Walter Huston, Jean Harlow, Wallace Ford
Fantômas Paul Fejos Jean Galland, Thomy Bourdelle, Tania Fedor
The Girl From Chicago Oscar Micheaux Eugene Brooks, Starr Calloway, ]
Love Is a Racket William Wellman Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Ann Dvorak, Frances Dee Crime drama
The Mask of Fu Manchu Charles J. Brabin, Charles Vidor, King Vidor Boris Karloff, Lewis Stone, Karen Morley
The Mouthpiece James Flood, Elliott Nugent Warren William, Aline MacMahon, William Janney
Night at the Cross Roads Jean Renoir Pierre Renoir, Winna Winifred, Jean Gehret
Scarface Howard Hawks Paul Muni, Ann Dvorak, Karen Morley
1933
Lady Killer Roy Del Ruth James Cagney, Mae Clarke, Leslie Fenton Gangster film
The Little Giant Roy Del Ruth Edward G. Robinson, Mary Astor, Helen Vinson
The Mayor of Hell Archie Mayo James Cagney, Madge Evans, Allen Jenkins
The Midnight Club George Somnes, Alexander Hall Clive Brook, George Raft, Helen Vinson
'Murders in the Zoo Edward Sutherland Charlie Ruggles, Lionell Atwill, Gail Patrick
Penthouse W.S. Van Dyke Warner Baxter, Myrna Loy, Charles Butterworth
Pick-Up Marion Gering Sylvia Sidney, George Raft, William Harrigan
The Sin of Nora Moran Philip Goldstone Zita Johann, Alan Dinehart, Paul Cavanagh
The Testament of Dr. Mabuse Fritz Lang Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Otto Wernicke, Gustav Diessl
La tête d'un homme Julien Duvivier Gina Manès, Harry Baur, Valery Inkijinoff
1934
Fog Over Frisco William Dieterle, Daniel Reed Bette Davis, Donald Woods, Margaret Lindsay
Limehouse Blues Alexander Hall George Raft, Jean Parker, Anna May Wong
Manhattan Melodrama W.S. Van Dyke Clark Gable, William Powell, Myrna Loy Crime drama
Search for Beauty Erle C. Kenton Larry "Buster" Crabbe, Ida Lupino, Toby Wing
1935
Bulldog Jack Walter Forde Jack Hulbert, Fay Wray, Ralph Richardson
Crime and Punishment Pierre Chenal Harry Baur, Pierre Blanchar, Madeleine Ozeray Crime drama
Crime and Punishment Josef von Sternberg Edward Arnold, Peter Lorre, Marian Marsh Crime drama
G Men William Keighley James Cagney, Margaret Lindsay, Lloyd Nolan
Toni Jean Renoir Charles Blavette, Celia Montalván, Jenny Hélia Crime drama
The Whole Town's Talking John Ford Edward G. Robinson, Jean Arthur, Wallace Ford Crime comedy
1936
15 Maiden Lane Allan Dwan Claire Trevor, Cesar Romero, Douglas Fowley
Big Brown Eyes Raoul Walsh Joan Bennett, Cary Grant, Walter Pidgeon
The Crime of Monsieur Lange Jean Renoir Jules Berry, René Lefèvre, Sylvia Bataille Crime drama
Fury Fritz Lang Spencer Tracy, Sylvia Sidney, Walter Abel Crime drama
The Petrified Forest Archie Mayo Leslie Howard, Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart Crime drama
1937
L'alibi Pierre Chenal Louis Jouvet, Erich von Stroheim, Albert Préjean
Black Legion Archie Mayo Humphrey Bogart, Dick Foran, Erin O'Brien-Moore
Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo Eugene J. Forde Warner Oland, Keye Luke, Virginia Field
Dead End William Wyler Sylvia Sidney, Joel McCrea, Humphrey Bogart
Marked Woman Lloyd Bacon Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart, Isabel Jewell
Pépé le Moko Julien Duvivier Jean Gabin, Mireille Balin, Line Noro Gangster film
You Only Live Once Fritz Lang Sylvia Sidney, Henry Fonda, Barton MacLane Crime drama
1938
Algiers John Cromwell Charles Boyer, Hedy Lamarr, Sigrid Gurie Gangster film
The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse Anatole Litvak Edward G. Robinson, Claire Trevor, Humphrey Bogart Crime comedy
Angels with Dirty Faces Michael Curtiz James Cagney, Pat O'Brien, Humphrey Bogart Crime drama
La Bête Humaine Jean Renoir Jean Gabin, Simone Simon, Julien Carette Crime drama
Crime School Lewis Seiler Billy Halop, Bobby Jordan, Huntz Hall Juvenile delinquency film
Dangerous to Know Robert Florey Stanley Blystone, Barlowe Borland
I Am the Law Alexander Hall Edward G. Robinson, Barbara O'Neil, Wendy Barrie
Port of Shadows Marcel Carné Michèle Morgan, Jean Gabin, Michel Simon Crime drama
A Slight Case of Murder Lloyd Bacon Edward G. Robinson, Jane Bryan, Allen Jenkins Crime comedy
They Drive by Night Arthur B. Woods Emlyn Williams, Ernest Thesiger, Anna Konstam
You and Me Fritz Lang Sylvia Sidney, George Raft, Robert Cummings Crime comedy
1939
Blackmail H.C. Potter Edward G. Robinson, Ruth Hussey, Gene Lockhart
Daybreak Marcel Carné Jean Gabin, Jules Berry, Arletty Crime drama
Each Dawn I Die William Keighley James Cagney, George Raft, Jane Bryan
I Stole a Million Frank Tuttle George Raft, Claire Trevor
King of the Underworld Lewis Seiler Humphrey Bogart, James Stephenson, John Eldredge
Let Us Live John Brahm Maureen O'Sullivan, Henry Fonda, Ralph Bellamy
The Roaring Twenties Raoul Walsh James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart, Priscilla Lane
You Can't Get Away with Murder Lewis Seiler Humphrey Bogart, Gale Page, Billy Halop

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    Do your children view themselves as successes or failures? Are they being encouraged to be inquisitive or passive? Are they afraid to challenge authority and to question assumptions? Do they feel comfortable adapting to change? Are they easily discouraged if they cannot arrive at a solution to a problem? The answers to those questions will give you a better appraisal of their education than any list of courses, grades, or test scores.
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    Weigh what loss your honor may sustain
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    After all, crime is only a left-handed form of human endeavor.
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    Science fiction films are not about science. They are about disaster, which is one of the oldest subjects of art.
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