7. The Maltese Falcon
Legendary director John Huston directed this film about San Francisco detective Sam Spade in 1941 and ended up helping to establish film noir as one of the preeminent American sub-genres. The Maltese Falcon helped to establish many of the tropes of the genre, including the femme fatale, the morally ambiguous leading man, and a convoluted narrative. In addition, The Maltese Falcon benefits from one of the defining Humphrey Bogart performances, as well as the typically outstanding supporting duo of Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet, and finally Mary Astor as the memorable leading lady. The Maltese Falcon was praised upon its release, being nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, but its stature has grown even more since its release to the extent that is commonly regarded as one of the greatest American films ever made. The Maltese Falcon is unusual for a debut film in that nearly everyone associated with it is now a legend. Although Bogart, Lorre, and Astor were already well-known, their careers went to another level in this film while Greenstreet went on to become one of the best character actors in the business and Huston went on to become one of the most important directors in American history. In this film, everyone is in their prime and the result is one of the best films of the 1940s.