List of thriller films before 1940 explained

A list of thriller films released in the before 1940.

Title	Director	Cast	Country	Subgenre/notes
	1926
The Bat	Roland West	Tullio Carminatti, Charles Herzinger, Jewel Carmen, Louise Fazenda	United States	^[1]
The Bells	James Young	Gustav von Seyffertitz, E. Alyn Warren	United States	^[2]
The Lodger	Alfred Hitchcock	Ivor Novello		^[3]
	1928
Spies	Fritz Lang	Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Gerda Maurus, Lien Deyers, Craighall Sherry	Germany	^[4]
	1929
Blackmail	Alfred Hitchcock		United Kingdom	^[5]
	1930
The Bat Whispers	Roland West	Spencer Charters, Chester Morris, Una Merkel	United States	^[6]
	1931
Charlie Chan Carries On	Hamilton MacFadden	Warner Oland, John Garrick, Marguerite Churchill	United States	Crime thriller^[7]
M	Fritz Lang		Germany	^[8]
	1932
Freaks	Tod Browning		United States	^[9]
The Most Dangerous Game	Irving Pichel, Ernest B. Schoedsack	Joel McCrea, Fay Wray, Leslie Banks	United States	^[10]
Number 17	Alfred Hitchcock	Leon M. Lion, Anne Grey, Donald Calthrop	United Kingdom	^[11]
Rome Express	Walter Forde	Conrad Veidt, Esther Ralston, Joan Barry	United Kingdom	^[12]
Tangled Destinies	Frank Strayer	Lloyd Whitlock, Doris Hill, Glenn Tryon	United States	^[13]
Thirteen Women	George Archainbaud	Irene Dunne, Myrna Loy, Ricardo Cortez	United States	^[14]
	1933
Charlie Chan's Greatest Case	Hamilton MacFadden		United States	Crime thriller^[15]
	1934
Charlie Chan in London	Eugene J. Forde	Warner Oland, Drue Leyton, Douglas Walton	United States	Crime thriller^[16]
The Man Who Knew Too Much	Alfred Hitchcock	Leslie Banks, Edna Best, Peter Lorre	United Kingdom	^[17]
The Thin Man	W.S. Van Dyke	William Powell, Myrna Loy	United States	^[18]
	1935
The 39 Steps	Alfred Hitchcock	Robert Donat, Madeleine Carroll	United Kingdom	^[19]
Mad Love	Karl W. Freund	Peter Lorre, Frances Drake, Colin Clive	United States	^[20]
	1936
After the Thin Man	W.S. Van Dyke		United States	Comedy thriller^[21]
Black Gold	Russell Hopton	Frankie Darro, LeRoy Mason, Gloria Shea	United States	Crime thriller^[22]
The Invisible Ray	Lambert Hillyer	Bela Lugosi, Frances Drake, Frank Lawton	United States	^[23]
Sabotage	Alfred Hitchcock	Sylvia Sidney, Oscar Homolka, Desmond Tester	United Kingdom	^[24]
	1937
L'alibi	Pierre Chenal	Louis Jouvet, Erich von Stroheim, Albert Préjean	France	^[25]
Love From a Stranger	Rowland V. Lee	Ann Harding, Basil Rathbone, Binnie Hale	United Kingdom	^[26]
Night Must Fall	Richard Thorpe	Robert Montgomery, Rosalind Russell	United States	^[27]
Young and Innocent	Alfred Hitchcock	Nova Pilbeam, Derrick de Marney, Percy Marmont	United Kingdom	^[28]
	1938
They Drive by Night	Arthur B. Woods	Emlyn Williams, Ernest Thesiger, Anna Konstam	United Kingdom	^[29]
The Lady Vanishes	Alfred Hitchcock		United Kingdom	^[30]
	1939
Another Thin Man			United States	^[31]
Clouds over Europe	Tim Whelan, Sr.	Laurence Olivier, Ralph Richardson, Valerie Hobson	United Kingdom	^[32]
Exile Express	Otis M. Garrett	Anna Sten, Alan Marshal, Jerome Cowan	United States	^[33]
The Human Monster	Walter Summers	Bela Lugosi, Hugh Williams, Great Gynt	United Kingdom	^[34]
Jamaica Inn	Alfred Hitchcock	Charles Laughton, Maureen O'Hara	United Kingdom

Notes and References

1. Web site: The Bat. Allmovie. January 28, 2013. Erickson, Hal. Hal Erickson (author). Rovi Corporation.
2. Web site: The Bells. Allmovie. January 28, 2013. Erickson, Hal. Rovi Corporation.
3. Web site: The Lodger. Allmovie. January 28, 2013. Brennan, Sandra. Rovi Corporation.
4. Web site: Spies. Allmovie. January 28, 2013. Erickson, Hal. Rovi Corporation.
5. Web site: Blackmail. Allmovie. January 28, 2013. Brenner, Paul. Rovi Corporation.
6. Web site: The Bat Whispers - Cast, Reviews, Summary and Awards - Allrovi. Wollstein, Hans J.. Allrovi. May 28, 2011. https://archive.today/20120722145240/http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/the-bat-whispers-v4270. July 22, 2012. dead.
7. Web site: Charlie Chan Carries On - Cast, Reviews, Summary and Awards - Allrovi. Erickson, Hal. Allrovi. May 28, 2011. https://archive.today/20120718155519/http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/charlie-chan-carries-on-v86997. July 18, 2012. dead.
8. Web site: M - Cast, Reviews, Summary and Awards - Allrovi. Erickson, Hal. Allrovi. May 28, 2011. https://archive.today/20120718110815/http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/m-v100745. July 18, 2012. dead.
9. Web site: Freaks - Cast, Reviews, Summary and Awards - Allrovi. Erickson, Hal. Allrovi. May 28, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20111017022005/http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/freaks-v18519. October 17, 2011. dead.
10. Web site: The Most Dangerous Game - Cast, Reviews, Summary and Awards - Allrovi. Erickson, Hal. Allrovi. May 28, 2011. https://archive.today/20120724130017/http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/the-most-dangerous-game-v33395. July 24, 2012. dead.
11. Web site: Number 17 - Cast, Reviews, Summary and Awards - Allrovi. Ankeny, Jason. Allrovi. May 28, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20120113054303/http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/number-17-v35810. January 13, 2012. dead.
12. Web site: Rome Express - Cast, Reviews, Summary and Awards - Allrovi. Erickson, Hal. Allrovi. May 28, 2011. https://archive.today/20120717192743/http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/rome-express-v108311. July 17, 2012. dead.
13. Web site: Tangled Destinies - Cast, Reviews, Summary and Awards - Allrovi. Wollstein, Hans J.. Allrovi. May 28, 2011. https://archive.today/20120719211318/http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/tangled-destinies-v112668. July 19, 2012. dead.
14. Web site: Thirteen Women - Cast, Reviews, Summary and Awards - Allrovi. Erlewine, Iotis. Allrovi. May 28, 2011. https://archive.today/20120719135919/http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/thirteen-women-v113338. July 19, 2012. dead.
15. Web site: Charlie Chan's Greatest Case - Cast, Reviews, Summary and Awards - Allrovi. Erikson, Hal. Allrovi. May 28, 2011. https://archive.today/20120728114135/http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/charlie-chans-greatest-case-v87009. July 28, 2012. dead.
16. Web site: Charlie Chan in London - Cast, Reviews, Summary and Awards - Allrovi. Erickson, Hal. Allrovi. May 28, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110310070901/http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/charlie-chan-in-london-v87001. March 10, 2011. dead.
17. Web site: The Man Who Knew Too Much - Cast, Reviews, Summary and Awards - Allrovi. Erickson, Hal. Allrovi. May 28, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110528134541/http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/the-man-who-knew-too-much-v31107. May 28, 2011. dead.
18. Web site: The Thin Man - Cast, Reviews, Summary and Awards - Allrovi. Erickson, Hal. Allrovi. May 28, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20111125223610/http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/the-thin-man-v49456. November 25, 2011. dead.
19. Web site: The 39 Steps - Cast, Reviews, Summary and Awards - Allrovi. Deming, Mark. Allrovi. May 28, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20111115151017/http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/the-39-steps-v73696. November 15, 2011. dead.
20. Web site: Mad Love - Cast, Reviews, Summary and Awards - Allrovi. Erickson, Hal. Allrovi. May 28, 2011. https://archive.today/20120717163300/http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/mad-love-v30655. July 17, 2012. dead.
21. Web site: After the Thin Man - Cast, Reviews, Summary and Awards - Allrovi. Erickson, Hal. Allrovi. May 28, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20111222121502/http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/after-the-thin-man-v1191. December 22, 2011. dead.
22. Web site: Black Gold - Cast, Reviews, Summary and Awards - Allrovi. Wollstein, Hans J.. Allrovi. May 28, 2011. https://archive.today/20120718071511/http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/black-gold-v5871. July 18, 2012. dead.
23. Web site: The Invisible Ray - Cast, Reviews, Summary and Awards - Allrovi. Erickson, Hal. Allrovi. May 28, 2011. https://archive.today/20120719013050/http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/the-invisible-ray-v25338. July 19, 2012. dead.
24. Web site: Sabotage - Cast, Reviews, Summary and Awards - Allrovi. Erickson, Hal. Allrovi. May 29, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20120113054848/http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/sabotage-v42509. January 13, 2012. dead.
25. Web site: The Alibi - Cast, Reviews, Summary and Awards - Allrovi. Rasmussen, Linda. Allrovi. May 28, 2011. https://archive.today/20120730020544/http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/the-alibi-v83420. July 30, 2012. dead.
26. Web site: Love From a Stranger - Cast, Reviews, Summary and Awards - Allrovi. Erickson, Hal. Allrovi. May 29, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20111010234216/http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/love-from-a-stranger-v30341. October 10, 2011. dead.
27. Web site: Night Must Fall - Cast, Reviews, Summary and Awards - Allrovi. Erickson, Hal. Allrovi. May 28, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20120126155533/http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/night-must-fall-v103947. January 26, 2012. dead.
28. Web site: Young and Innocent - Cast, Reviews, Summary and Awards - Allrovi. Erickson, Hal. Allrovi. May 28, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20120112174743/http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/young-and-innocent-v68339. January 12, 2012. dead.
29. Web site: They Drive by Night - Cast, Reviews, Summary and Awards - Allrovi. Hastings, Michael. Allrovi. May 28, 2011. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120126083727/http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/they-drive-by-night-v113242. January 26, 2012.
30. Web site: The Lady Vanishes - Cast, Reviews, Summary and Awards - Allrovi. Brenner, Paul. Allrovi. May 28, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20111115153103/http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/the-lady-vanishes-v28077. November 15, 2011. dead.
31. Web site: Another Thin Man - Cast, Reviews, Summary and Awards - Allrovi. Erickson, Hal. Allrovi. May 28, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20111222123555/http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/another-thin-man-v2582. December 22, 2011. dead.
32. Web site: Clouds over Europe - Cast, Reviews, Summary and Awards - Allrovi. Erickson, Hal. Allrovi. May 29, 2011. https://archive.today/20120718085326/http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/clouds-over-europe-v10049. July 18, 2012. dead.
33. Web site: Exile Express - Cast, Reviews, Summary and Awards - Allrovi. Erickson, Hal. Allrovi. May 28, 2011. https://archive.today/20130116134951/http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/exile-express-v90738. January 16, 2013. dead.
34. Web site: The Human Monster - Cast, Reviews, Summary and Awards - Allrovi. Brennan, Sandra. Allrovi. May 29, 2011. https://archive.today/20120730015650/http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/the-human-monster-v23832. July 30, 2012. dead.