The Fighting Forties was a memorably turbulent era, forever linked in the public consciousness with World War II (1937/1939-1945), the development of the first atomic weapons and subsequent Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This also marked the start of the Cold War and the Arab–Israeli Conflict. But this era also brought many other changes on the world's political map. The Soviet Union annexed Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, while Burma, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Israel, Lebanon, Pakistan, Syria, and the Philippines gained independence from various European and American colonial empires. New regimes also emerged in existing countries; Republican Italy, West Germany, Red China, and East Germany all emerged in the second half of the decade.
The technological innovations of the decade included the first digital computers - notably Z3 by Konrad Zuse (1941, German), the Atanasoff–Berry Computer (1942, American), the Colossus Mark 1 and Mark 2 computers (1943 and 1944, British), the Harvard Mark I (1944, American), Z4 by Konrad Zuse (1944, German), ENIAC (1946, American), the Manchester Small-Scale Experimental Machine (nicknamed "Baby") (1948, British), Sergey Lebedev's MESM (1948, USSR), the EDSAC (1949, British), the Manchester Mark 1 (1949, British), and the CSIRAC (1949, Australia).
While functioning radars were actually developed in the 1930s, they were first widely used in this decade, with several of the World War II combatants adopting and/or improving the relatively new technology. The first military jeeps were developed for the United States Army in 1940; the private companies creating them introduced civilian models in 1945. The German V-2, introduced in 1942, was the first successful ballistic missile and served as the progenitor of all modern rockets. Jet aircraft were still in an experimental phase during the start of the decade, but the jet-powered Messerschmitt Me 262 (1942, Germany) served as the first operational jet fighter aircraft, the first of many.
Television was still in its infancy. At the start of the decade, only a few countries had operational television stations (including the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, the Soviet Union, Mexico, the Free City of Danzig, Poland, Japan and Italy), and said stations only broadcast in major cities. Only a very limited number of people owned or had access to a television set - as of 1941, WRGB in Schenectady, NY was the only TV station outside a major world city anywhere. Later in the decade, the Philippines, Czechoslovakia, Chile, and the Netherlands would get their first experimental broadcasts. Commercial television got its start in this decade with the launching of early privately-owned networks.
The hit toy of the era was the Slinky, a helical spring which stretched and bounced up and down. Developed by engineer Richard Thompson James, it became commercially available in 1945. Tupperware, an airtight plastic container for storing food, was created by the eponymous Earl Tupper in 1946. The first commercial microwave oven was introduced by Raytheon in 1947, based on the experiments of inventor Percy Spencer. Velcro was invented by George de Mestral in 1948, though it would not become commercially available until the late 1950s. Momofuku Ando embarked on his quest for instant noodlesnote in 1947, finally succeeding ten years later.
The cinemas of several countries managed to produce influential films. The Golden Age of Hollywood was still ongoing, and hit films such as Citizen Kane, The Maltese Falcon (1941), and Casablanca were arguably among its best products. The Film Noir genre rose to particular prominence. British cinema had some major hits in the adaptation of Shakespearean works by Laurence Olivier and the exemplary noir The Third Man. In France, influential directors such as Marcel Carné, Robert Bresson, and René Clément scored major hits in the aftermath of the War. Italian neorealism was developed in this decade, with major directors in the genre including Roberto Rossellini, Vittorio De Sica, and Giuseppe De Santis. In the Soviet Union, Ivan the Terrible by Sergei Eisenstein was arguably the most notable film of its decade. Meanwhile, a new generation of directors managed to produce their own hits. In Japan, new director Akira Kurosawa began his career.
As for fashion, styles for dresses, suits (especially zoot suits) and sportswear were a continuation of 1930s silhouettes, like shoulder pads and backless evening wear, only more robust, mannish and simplistic. Hairstyles for women were often long and updone in which they often showed their foreheads. Fedoras and Latin American-influenced hats were popular headwear; while high-heeled wedgies, mary-janes, close-footed oxfords and peep-toe pumps were popular choices for footwear. Gloves were a must. The decade also introduced a new fabric — nylon — and it was used in hosiery, toothbrush bristles, ropes, and parachutes.
During the war, due to fabric rationing and the closing of fashion houses in Paris, many day dresses were American-made, strictly knee-length and plainly decorated. Nylon stockings suffered shortages due to the need for parachutes, and sportswear was often substituted for casual wear. Many more had innovated themselves in order to be more stylish, even while working on factories. For instance, some women applied makeup on their legs in place of wearing stockings, while other women had the need to borrow their man's trousers and suits while joining the workforce. And somehow, in a certain loophole, while dresses only used a limited amount of fabric and cutting, accessories such as hats, gloves and jewelry weren't. Hats, while they use fabric, but are considered accessories, can have wide brims and often decorated with fruit as they can get, gloves can be as high as they can reach the padded shoulders, and necklaces can go as low as they can hit the dancefloor. After the war, restrictions were still implemented but were gradually relaxed in 1947, when a Parisian designer named Christian Dior created a new set of style, which included long full skirts, rounded busts, wide hips and narrow shoulders. Journalists had dubbed it the "New Look" and the innovative style lingered on until the end of The '50s.
For music, jazz was the main ingredient to swing (the rage of the dance floor), bebop (the cutting edge, characterized by extremely fast tempos and complex improvisation), and Latin dances like samba, mambo, salsa and conga brought by soldiers. And then, before The '50s popularized teen sensations, Frank Sinatra was the teen sensation.
Politically, the Forties encompassed at the very least the entirety of World War II (1939-1945) and at the latest stretched until the start of the Korean War in 1950, and the election of Dwight Eisenhower as President ending two decades of Democrat dominance of Washington in 1952. Culturally, the decade started with the New York World's Fair in 1939 and somewhat ended with the premiere of I Love Lucy in 1951. Please note that 1945 was a point of inflection, marking the end of WWII and the start of the Cold War, as well as the first stages of the postwar boom. Also a nostalgic point during the second half of The '60s (with many war movies made during this time), as well during The '70s and especially The '80s (for the exaggerated fashions, of course).
See Also: The Gay '90s, The Roaring '20s, The Great Depression, The '50s, The '60s, The '70s, The '80s, The '90s, Turn of the Millennium, The New '10s, and The New '20s.
Popular tropes included in this period are:
- America Won World War II: Among the people freed from the Axis such war movies were very popular.
- Babies Ever After: There's a reason people born for the 20 years after the end of the war were called "Baby Boomers".
- Cool Shades: Ray Ban aviator sunglasses started to become a must.
- Dance Sensation: Swing, and in later years, Latin dances like mambo and salsa.
- Dumb Blonde: While the stereotype surged two decades earlier, the late forties saw the character type of the pretty but dim blonde woman become really popular.
- The Edwardian Era: Still a very strong nostalgic setting in the decade. Christian Dior's "New Look" designs were heavily based on this era.
- The Fashionista/I Was Quite a Fashion Victim: While most fashions of the war era are seen today as hideous (such as the zoot suit), these were made out of necessity. And the not-so hideous "New Look" of the later part of the decade became this for many when the rationing got lifted up.
- Film Noir: This genre was spawned out of the hard-boiled detective stories. In fact, many of those stories were made into film noir adaptations.
- Foreign Culture Fetish:
- As a result of the Good Neighbor Policy to Latin America, Anglo-Americans went gaga for Latin American stuff like sombreros, samba, mambo, conga, Carmen Miranda and fruit hats.
- Also in the list were all things Hawaiian/Polynesian due to the soldiers island hopping; with printed shirts, lei necklaces, hibiscus on hair, tikis, and sarongs coming into the scene. In turn, the Pacific Islanders have a liking for canned luncheon meat. This particular case is known as "Tiki Culture".
- Glamorous Wartime Singer: Vera Lynn for the UK, The Andrews Sisters and Frank Sinatra for the USA.
- Hard Boiled Detective: Introduced in the twenties, the trope reached its peak in this era.
- High-Class Gloves: Continuing with the last decade's trend, a fashionable woman feels completely naked without gloves.
- Hipster: Hipsters originated from this time period. Their lifestyles differ from those today, though.
- Japan Takes Over the World: A real threat during World War II, but even after the war, it was still used for dystopian war stories and comics, because the Japanese were still acceptable to mock back then.
- Lobotomy: This is when they were relatively common, if controversial even for their day, before psychiatric medication replaced them starting in The '50s.
- Malt Shop: Actually a bit Older Than They Think.
- Music of the 1940s:
- Big Band: Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Harry James... every jazz band leader had one.
- Blues: Chicago blues made use of an electric guitar and heavy drum sound, popularized by John Lee Hooker and Muddy Waters.
- Jazz: Be-bop Jazz was very popular during the second half of the decade. Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie were the most famous musicians.
- Nothing but Hits: It ain't the '40s without tuning in "In the Mood" or "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B".
- Pimped-Out Dress: Despite the fabric rationing, dresses, whether on special occasions, casual wear, or sportswear are considered elegant. Then the latter half of the decade went on straight thanks to rising couturiers like Dior and Balenciaga. Prominent designers include:
- Gilbert Adrian: a very prominent Hollywood designer, who had made costumes for over 200 films in his career. The most notable is the ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz in 1939.
- Norman Hatnell: The royal dressmaker for The House of Windsor, famous for designing the wedding dress of the then-Princess Elizabeth to Prince Philip in 1947.
- Claire Mccardell: A very savvy American designer of the "Make, Do, and Mend" era, famous for her practical and functional ready-to-wear clothing and sportswear.
- Christian Dior: Famous for relaunching the French fashion industry with his ultrafeminine New Look designs that debuted in 1947.
- The Roaring '20s: Due to the turbulence of the Great Depression and Second World War, the 1920s gained a reputation as a more peaceful time and became the decade for nostalgia.
- Sharp-Dressed Man / Badass in a Nice Suit: For the gents, we have the Nazi uniforms designed by Hugo Boss, the trenchcoats worn by private detectives, the ration-defying zoot suits, and the ultrafeminine New Look's Spear Counterpart, the savvy Bold Look.
- Shoulders of Doom: From dictators to soldiers to 1890s enthusiasts to Rosie Riveters to savvy women, emphasized and accented shoulders were the fad until 1947. The pads were revived forty years later, only bigger.
- Slapstick: Still popular, with W. C. Fields, Abbott and Costello, The Three Stooges, Bob Hope and Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis as the most iconic ones.
- Smoking Is Glamorous: Hollywood glamorized smoking still, with Bette Davis, Lauren Bacall, Humphrey Bogart as the most iconic examples.
- Suburbia: The "G.I. Bill" brought many ex-soldiers and their newly-formed families out of the big city. This also made Western states to have as many people as the ones at the Atlantic.
- Sultry Bangs: Thanks to Film Noir and pin-ups, the flirtatious, low maintenance hairstyle was codified by the likes of sex symbols as Veronica Lake and Rita Hayworth. Even updos like victory rolls and bumper bangs can be regarded as such thanks to Betty Grable and Barbara Stanwyck.
- Trope Makers and Trope Codifiers of the era. With Hollywood, radio, wartime inventions and the emerging technological device, the television on fire with new media tropes, we have:
- Adolf Hitlarious: Poking fun at Adolf Hitler become more prominent during this era, with Charlie Chaplin's The Great Dictator as the most iconic example.
- All Germans Are Nazis: An association Germany is still trying to shed off.
- Fanservice: While the trope had been omnipresent since time immemorial, the modern form of it exploded in this era with pin-ups of Betty Garble or Rita Hayworth in lingerie or swimsuits, whose voluptuous figures were photographed by eager soldiers, painted on the noses of aircrafts or tattooed on sailors' bodies. The decade also gave us bikinis in 1946.
- It's a Wonderful Plot: While It's a Wonderful Life would only become popular decades later it did introduce this Stock Parody.
- "Nighthawks" Shot: Edward Hopper's painting Nighthawks became so iconic that it reached Stock Parody status.
- Roswell That Ends Well: The 1947 Roswell UFO incident introduced UFO's in popular culture.
- The Prankster / Karmic Trickster: Became popular archetypes in animation from the World War II era onward.
- Tutti Frutti Hat: Brazilian actress Carmen Miranda ruled this trope with her headbands and turbans covered with fruit, and has been a Stock Parody fodder ever since.
- The VJ Day Kiss: Became a Stock Parody after a famous photograph of a soldier kissing a woman in the street was made on V-Day, 1945.
- Wrench Wench: Motivated by Rosie the Riveter, the women set up to factories to help their men abroad.
- Those Wacky Nazis: The trope where Nazis are depicted as comedic buffoons started during World War Two in Allied propaganda.
- Wartime Cartoon: Many early 1940s cartoons have references to war bonds, rationing, the draft and characters fighting against Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini or Japanese soldiers.
- Wartime Wedding: Those who survived and lived to tell the tale may have great rewards.
- Yakuza: The golden age of the Japanese Yakuza was in the late 1940's, after Japan was defeated in World War II.
- You Have Waited Long Enough for me to return from the war.
Works that were made in this time period:
- The Golden Age of Comic Books was still ongoing.
- Tintin. Series started in 1929.
- Tintin: The Crab with the Golden Claws (1941).
- Tintin: The Shooting Star (1942).
- Tintin: The Secret Of The Unicorn (1943).
- Red Rackham's Treasure (1944).
- Tintin: The Seven Crystal Balls (1948).
- Tintin: Prisoners of the Sun (1949).
- Superman. First appeared in July, 1938.
- Superman's Service to Servicemen. First appeared in 1943.
- Superboy. First appeared in January-February, 1945.
- The Flash/Jason "Jay" Garrick. First appeared in January, 1940.
- Hawkman
- Hawkman/Carter Hall. First appeared in January, 1940.
- Hawkwoman/Hawkgirl/Shiera Sanders. First appeared in January, 1940.
- The Shield. First appeared in January, 1940.
- Captain Marvel/Billy Batson. First appeared in February, 1940.
- Captain Marvel, Jr. Character debuted in December, 1941.
- Mary Marvel. First appeared in December, 1942.
- The Monster Society of Evil. Storyline started in February, 1943.
- The Spectre. First appeared in February, 1940.
- Catwoman. First appeared in Spring, 1940.
- The Joker. First appeared in Spring, 1940.
- Hourman/Rex Tyler. First appeared in March, 1940.
- Lex Luthor. First appeared in April, 1940.
- Robin/Richard "Dick" Grayson. First appeared in April, 1940. He would eventually become Nightwing.
- Doctor Fate. First appeared in May, 1940.
- The Spirit. First appeared in June, 1940.
- All-Star Comics. Series began June, 1940.
- "Introducing Wonder Woman". Story published in December, 1941.
- Green Lantern/Alan Scott. First appeared in July, 1940.
- Green Lantern (1941). Series began November, 1941.
- The Atom. First appeared in October, 1940.
- Disney Ducks Comic Universe. Some of them were introduced in comic strips by Osborne and Taliaferro. Others in comic books by Carl Barks.
- Daisy Duck. Adapted to the medium in November, 1940.
- Neighbor J. Jones. First appeared in July, 1943. Redesigned and fleshed out in November, 1943.
- Grandma Duck/Elvira Coot. First appeared in September, 1943.
- Scrooge McDuck. First appeared in December, 1947.
- Gladstone Gander. First appeared in January, 1948.
- Abigail "Ma" Hunkel became the Red Tornado in November, 1940.
- Justice Society of America. Debuted in Winter, 1940.
- Bucky Barnes. First appeared in March, 1941.
- Captain America. First appeared in March, 1941.
- Red Skull
- Red Skull/George Maxon. First appeared in March, 1941.
- Red Skull/Johann Schmidt. First appeared in October, 1941.
- Red Skull/Albert Malik. First appeared in March, 1947.
- Patsy Walker. First appeared in November, 1944.
- Tom Poes. First appeared on March 16, 1941.
- Blackhawk. First appeared in August, 1941.
- Nelvana of the Northern Lights. First appeared in August, 1941.
- Plastic Man. First appeared in August, 1941.
- Phantom Lady. First appeared in August, 1941.
- Looney Tunes. First adapted to the medium in October, 1941.
- Aquaman. First appeared in November, 1941.
- Green Arrow. First appeared in November, 1941.
- Jimmy Olsen. First named appearance in November, 1941.
- Archie Comics
- Archibald "Archie" Andrews. First appeared in December, 1941.
- Elizabeth "Betty" Cooper. First appeared in December, 1941.
- Forsythe Pendleton "Jughead" Jones III. First appeared in December, 1941.
- Fred Andrews. Father of Archie. First appeared in December, 1941.
- Mary Andrews. Mother of Archie. First appeared in December, 1941.
- Hal Cooper. Father of Betty. First appeared in December, 1941.
- Alice Cooper. Mother of Betty. First appeared in December, 1941.
- Coach Kleats. First appeared in February, 1942.
- Mr. Waldo Weatherbee. First appeared in Spring, 1942.
- Veronica "Ronnie" Lodge. First appeared in April, 1942.
- Reginald "Reggie" Mantle. First appeared in Summer, 1942.
- Miss Geraldine Grundy. First appeared in August, 1942.
- Hiram Lodge. Father of Veronica. First appeared in September, 1942.
- Hermione Lodge. Mother of Veronica. First appeared in Winter, 1942.
- Dilton Doiley. First appeared in February, 1948.
- Professor Elmer Benjamin Flutesnoot. Appeared c. April, 1948.
- Marmaduke "Big Moose" Mason. First appeared in 1949.
- Sandy the Golden Boy/Sanderson Hawkins. First appeared in December, 1941. He would later assume "The Sandman" identity.
- Seven Soldiers of Victory. First appeared in Winter, 1941.
- Wonder Woman. First appeared in December, 1941.
- Steve Trevor. First appeared in December, 1941.
- Hercules. First appeared in December, 1941.
- Etta Candy. First appeared in February, 1942.
- Ares. First appeared in October, 1942.
- Cheetah/Priscilla Rich. First appeared in September, 1943.
- Circe. First appeared in September, 1949.
- Wonder Woman (1942). Series began June, 1942
- Wonder Woman (Charles Moulton) (1942 - 1948)
- Sensation Comics. Series began January, 1942.
- Mister Terrific. First appeared in January, 1942.
- Wildcat. First appeared in January, 1942.
- "Wonder Woman Arrives in Man's World". Story published in January, 1942.
- Guardian. First appeared in April, 1942.
- Suzie. First appeared in July, 1942.
- Two-Face. First appeared in August, 1942.
- The Shade (DC Comics). First appeared in September, 1942.
- Comic Cavalcade. Series began December, 1942.
- The Heap. First appeared December, 1942.
- Spirou and Fantasio. Fantasio first appeared in September, 1943. He was elevated to co-protagonist in October, 1944.
- Vandal Savage. First appeared in December, 1943.
- EC Comics, a publisher of many groundbreaking comics such as Tales from the Crypt and MAD, debuted in 1944.
- Suske en Wiske.
- Wiske first appeared in March, 1945.
- Suske first appeared in December, 1945.
- Katy Keene. First appeared in Summer, 1945.
- Black Adam. First appeared in December, 1945.
- Millie the Model. First appeared in Winter, 1945.
- Cosmo Cat. First appeared in Spring, 1946.
- Blake and Mortimer. First appeared in September, 1946.
- Lucky Luke. First appeared in September, 1946. Set in The Wild West.
- Buck Danny. First appeared in January, 1947. The early storylines were set in World War II.
- Black Canary. First appeared in August, 1947.
- Mickey Mouse Comic Universe
- Eega Beeva. First appeared in September, 1947.
- Rhyming Man. First appeared in April, 1948.
- Ellsworth Bheezer. First appeared in October, 1949.
- Alix. First appeared in September, 1948.
- Alix l'intrépide (1948–1949)
- Le Sphinx d'or (1949–1950)
- The Riddler. First appeared in October, 1948.
- The Adventures of Peter Wheat. Published in April, 1948.
- Willie and Joe. First appeared in 1940.
- Paulus de Boskabouter. First published in February, 1946.
- Rip Kirby. First appeared in March, 1946.
- PedroFull Name . First appeared in January, 1947.
- Li'l Folks. First appeared in June, 1947.
- Nero. First appeared in October, 1947.
- Pogo. First appeared in October, 1948.
- Princess Iron Fan. 1941 animated feature film. The first Chinese feature-length animated film.
- The Lost Letter. 1945 Soviet cel-animated feature film.
- The Czech Year. 1947 Czechoslovak animated feature film.
- The Humpbacked Horse. 1947 Soviet animated feature film.
- The Emperor's Nightingale. 1949 Czechoslovak animated feature film.
- On 25 February, 1940, an Ice Hockey game is televised. The first broadcast of its kind. The game was between the New York Rangers and the Montreal Canadiens.
- On 28 February, 1940, a Basketball game is televised. The first broadcast of its kind. The game was between the teams of Fordham University and the University of Pittsburgh.
- On 10 March, 1940, a performance of the Metropolitan Opera of New York City is televised. The first of its kind. The show included excerpts from the Pagliacci and four other operas.
- A 1941 decision of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) allows American Television Stations to broadcast Commercials. On 1 July, 1941, ten stations incorporate commercials to their programs. The first known television commercial was one for Bulova watches. Broadcast during a Baseball game between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies.
- Truth or Consequences, the popular radio show, was simulcast on radio and television for a single day on 1 July, 1941. To attract viewers to the station showing it. The game would not return to television until 1950.
- CBS Television Quiz debuted in 2 July, 1941. Becoming the first regularly scheduled Game Show. It was cancelled in May, 1942. In favor of war-related programming.
- By a 1942 decision of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the minimum weekly programming time required of American stations is lowered from 15-hours to 4 hours for the duration of World War II. Most stations switch to limited programming.
- The Voice of Firestone Televues, a television program featuring highlighted selections from opera and operetta, debuted in 1943. Later known as "The Voice of Firestone", it would become an early Long runner. Broadcast in 1943-1947, 1949-1959, and 1962-1963.
- Missus Goes a Shopping, a Game Show, debuted in 1944. Broadcast by the Columbia Broadcasting System, it is considered a pioneer of its genre.
- NBC broadcast hours of news coverage on 8 May, 1945. In celebration of Victory in Europe Day. The network was preparing to resume full service, following years of limited programming during World War II.
- Moscow TV center resumed regular broadcasting on 15 December, 1945. It had went on hiatus during World War II.
- The BBC Television Service resumed broadcasting on 7 June, 1946. It had went on hiatus in 1939 due to the outbreak of World War II.
- Regular network service by DuMont started on 15 August, 1946.
- The 1946-47 television season is generally regarded as the first season in the United States (NBC and DuMont), with 1949-50 being the first full season on all four networks at the time.
- Pinwright's Progress, a British television Sitcom, is considered the pioneer of its genre. Debuted in 1946.
- Boxing from St. Nicholas Arena, an American sports program, debuted in NBC. Running from 1946 to 1948. It was revived by DuMont from 1954 to 1956.
- Meet the Press. Television adaptation of the radio show. Debuted in 1947.
- Queen for a Day. First Simulcast for radio and television in 1947. Continued in this format from 1948 onwards.
- Break the Bank. Television adaptation of the radio show. Debuted in 1948.
- Candid Camera. Debuted in 1948.
- The Ed Sullivan Show. Debuted in 1948.
- Winner Take All. Television adaptation of the radio show. Debuted in 1948.
- The Aldrich Family. Television adaptation of the radio show. Debuted in 1949.
- Captain Video. Debuted in 1949.
- The Lone Ranger. Television adaptation of the radio show. Debuted in 1949.
- Ripley's Believe It or Not!. Television adaptation of the comic strip feature. Debuted in 1949.
- Freddie Blassie
- Eddie Graham. Debuted in 1947.
- Ed "Strangler" Lewis. Retired during this decade.
- Antonino Rocca. Earliest known in matches in Texas in 1948-49.
- "The Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers
- Lou Thesz. Debuted in 1932, first laid claim to the NWA World Heavyweight Title in the late 1940s.
- George Wagner/Gorgeous George
- Mae Young. Debuted in 1993, laid claim as one of the pioneers in women's wrestling during this decade.
- National Wrestling Alliance. Formed in 1948.
- The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949)
- Andy Panda
- Bambi (1942)
- Barney Bear
- Big Tim
- Casper the Friendly Ghost
- There's Good Boos Tonight (1948)
- Classic Disney Shorts
- Chip 'n Dale
- Daisy Duck
- Donald Duck
- Mr. Duck Steps Out (1940)
- Truant Officer Donald (1941)
- The New Spirit (1942)
- Der Fuehrer's Face (1943)
- The Spirit of '43 (1943)
- Donald's Crime (1945)
- Cured Duck (1945)
- Donald's Dilemma (1947)
- Wide Open Spaces (1947)
- Chip an' Dale (1947)
- Tea for Two Hundred (1948)
- Toy Tinkers (1949)
- Education for Death (1943)
- Figaro
- Goofy
- Mickey Mouse
- Symphony Hour (1942)
- Minnie Mouse
- Pete
- Pluto the Pup
- Springtime for Pluto (1944)
- Miscellaneous Disney Shorts
- Color Classics
- Crusader Rabbit. Early television animation.
- Dumbo (1941)
- Fantasia (1940)
- The Fox and the Crow
- Fun and Fancy Free (1947)
- Heckle and Jeckle
- Herman and Katnip
- Little Audrey
- Little Lulu
- Looney Tunes in the '40s
- Book Revue (1946)
- Bugs Bunny
- Elmer's Candid Camera (1940)
- A Wild Hare (1940)
- Bugs Bunny Gets the Boid (1942)
- A Corny Concerto (1943)
- Tortoise Wins by a Hare (1943)
- Little Red Riding Rabbit (1944)
- Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs (1943)
- Daffy Duck
- The Great Piggy Bank Robbery (1946)
- The Dover Boys (1942)
- Foghorn Leghorn
- Pepé Le Pew
- Porky Pig
- You Ought to Be in Pictures (1940)
- Wagon Heels (1945)
- Sylvester the Cat and Tweety Bird
- Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner
- Make Mine Freedom (1948)
- Make Mine Music (1946)
- Melody Time (1948)
- MGM Oneshot Cartoons
- Mighty Mouse
- Mr. Bug Goes to Town (1941)
- Mr. Magoo
- Noveltoons
- Oswald the Lucky Rabbit
- Pinocchio (1940)
- Popeye
- Private Snafu
- The Reluctant Dragon (1941)
- Saludos Amigos (1942)
- Screen Songs
- Superman Theatrical Cartoons
- The Mad Scientist (1941)
- The Mechanical Monsters (1941)
- Tex Avery MGM Cartoons
- Droopy
- Blitz Wolf (1942)
- Red Hot Riding Hood (1943)
- Who Killed Who? (1943)
- Batty Baseball (1944)
- Northwest Hounded Police (1946)
- King Size Canary (1947)
- The Cat That Hated People (1948)
- Bad Luck Blackie (1949)
- The Three Caballeros (1944)
- Tom and Jerry
- Puss Gets the Boot (1940)
- Dog Trouble (1942)
- Tee for Two (1945)
- Flirty Birdy (1945)
- The Milky Waif (1946)
- The Cat Concerto (1947)
- Kitty Foiled (1948)
- Wartime Cartoon
- Woody Woodpecker
- Knock Knock (1940)
- The Cracked Nut (1941)
- The Screwball (1943)
- The Barber of Seville (1944)
Art
- ''Nighthawks''
◊(1942) by Edward Hopper.
Film
Literature
Magazine
Music
- See Music of the 1940s.
Pinball
- Humpty Dumpty, the first game with electro-mechanical flippers, came out in 1947.
Tabletop Games
Theater
Theme Parks
Video Games
Works that are set in this time period are:
- Duster (2015)
- Ghost Girl I
- The Invaders
- The Legend of Wonder Woman (2016)
- Magneto: Testament
- Nick Fury
- Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos
- Sgt. Rock
- Simon Says: Nazi Hunter
- Superman Smashes the Klan: Miniseries published from Oct. 2019-Feb. 2020, set in 1946. And for good reason, it's a loose adaption of that year's "Clan of the Fiery Cross", the most famous story from the Superman radio show.
- Commander Steel. The original character.
- Suicide Squad. The original version of the Squad was founded in World War II. Depicted in origin stories and flashbacks.
- Unknown Soldier.
- Wonder Woman: Black and Gold. "I'm Ageless", "Golden Age", and "Wing Woman" are set in the 1940s.
- By the Sea is a Star Wars: The Clone Wars AU fanfic, set in the mid/late 1940s in a mundane America-ish setting; the protagonist is a veteran of World War II.
- The Adventures of Tintin (2011), based on the comic series of the same name. Set in 1949, according to the official art book.
- Return To Never Land (2002). Set around World War II.
- Up (2009). The protagonist gets A Minor Kidroduction in 1940.
- 10 Rillington Place (1971). Set in 1949.
- 42 (2013). Set from 1945-1947.
- 1941 (1979) Set in 1941.
- Agent Carter (2013). Set in 1946.
- Australia (2008). Set from 1939-1942.
- Avengers: Endgame (2019). The very last scene of the film is set somewhere after World War II.
- The Aviator (2004)
- Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971). Set in 1940.
- Below (2002). Set aboard an American submarine in August 1943.
- Captain America: The First Avenger (2011). Set during World War II.
- Cast a Deadly Spell (1991). Set in a Diesel Punk version of 1948.
- The Chorus (2004). Set in 1949.
- A Christmas Story (1983). Set in 1940.
- It Runs in the Family (1994). The sequel, set in 1941.
- Another sequel, A Christmas Story 2 (2012), is set in 1946.
- The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001). Set in 1940.
- Dead Again (1991). Set in both 1948 and 1949.
- Devil in a Blue Dress (1995)
- Distant Voices, Still Lives (1988). The first part of the film takes place in this decade.
- The Dresser (1983)
- Farewell, My Lovely (1975). Set in 1941.
- Gandhi (1982). Story Book Ends in 1948 during and after Mahatma Gandhi's death.
- The Godfather (1972). Begins in 1945.
- The Great Raid (2005). Set during World War II.
- The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (2018). Set in 1946, with flashbacks to the war years.
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: The Pensieve flashback is set in 1943.
- Hurry Sundown (1967). Set in 1946.
- The Incredible Mr. Limpet. The main action of the film is in the years 1941-1945.
- A League of Their Own (1992)
- Life Is Beautiful (1993). The film's main plot is set during The Holocaust.
- Marshall (2017). Set in 1941.
- Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (2008). Set in 1938, as Europe is about to go to war.
- Mrs Henderson Presents (2005). Much of the film takes place from 1940-1944.
- The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008). Set in 1946/1947.
- Murder in the First (1995). Set in 1941.
- My Dog Skip (2000)
- Newsfront (1978): Set between 1948 and 1956.
- The Notebook (2004)
- Pearl Harbor (2001). Set during World War II.
- Peyton Place (1957). Set between 1941 and 1943.
- Psycho IV: The Beginning (1990). Partly set in 1949.
- Radio Days (1987)
- Saving Private Ryan (1998). Set during World War II.
- Schindler's List (1993). Set during The Holocaust.
- Seabiscuit (2003). Red Pollard Bio Pic.
- The Shawshank Redemption (1994). First half of the film set from 1947-1949.
- A Soldier's Story (1984). Set during World War II.
- Sophie's Choice (1982)
- Summer of '42 (1971). Set in the summer of 1942.
- Sunset Boulevard (1950). First half of both the film and its 1993 musical adaptation takes place toward the end of 1949, ending on New Year's Eve.
- The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976). Set in 1946.
- The Trip to Bountiful (1985)
- Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988). Set in 1948.
- Wild Wind (1985). Set in wartime Yugoslavia.
- Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988). Set in 1947.
- Professor Marston and the Wonder Women (2017). Set in the early 1940s.
- X-Men Film Series(2000-):
- X-Men (2000). Prologue set during The Holocaust.
- X-Men: First Class (2011). Prologue is an extended version of the above.
- The Wolverine (2013). Prologue set in World War II during the bombing of Nagasaki.
- American Pastoral: Published in 1997, set mostly from 1947-70.
- The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas: Published in 2006, takes place during The Holocaust.
- Breakfast at Tiffany's: Published in 1958, set in 1943-44.
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: The Pensieve flashback is set in 1943.
- The Land Mine: Published in 2016, set in 1943.
- Navigating Early: Published in 2013, set in 1945.
- The Night Garden: Published in 2017, set in 1945.
- Peyton Place: Published in 1956, set from 1937-44.
- Roller och ridåer takes place in 1949. Judith has become obsessed with becoming a movie star (she has to settle for being a more modest actress), and she and her cousin Elisabet talk about "The New Look".
- A Separate Peace: Published in 1959, set in 1942-43.
- Agent Carter, first season set in 1946 and second season set in 1947.
- 'Allo 'Allo!
- Alma Gêmea
- Black Sheep Squadron: Set in the Pacific Theater of Operations in the Solomon Islands.
- Chōjinki Metalder: Prologue set during World War II.
- Dad's Army
- The Disguiser: Set in 1940s Shanghai, the series tells the (fictional) tale of the Ming family and their actions as spies for the anti-Japanese movement as they work to help end the Japanese occupation of China.
- Ellery Queen
- Foyle's War
- Goodnight Sweetheart has its protagonist jumping back and forth between the '40s and his own time of The '90s.
- Hogan's Heroes
- Interview with the Vampire (2022): Most of the past events in the Season 1 finale take place in 1940.
- Lazy Company, set in summer 1944-France.
- A League of Their Own (2022): Set in 1943 America.
- Legends of Tomorrow: The titular team time travels to World War II near the end of Season 1 and again for the first two episodes of Season 2.
- Miss S
- Mob City
- The final episode of Poirot, "Curtain: Poirot's Last Case" (2013), takes place toward the end of 1949 (October 1949, if you will). And it is also a Deadly Distant Finale, in which our greatest Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot, dies of a heart attack after so many years of solving cases.
- Remember WENN, begins in 1939 and ends more or less immediately after the Pearl Harbor attack.
- Sparrow: Takes place in 1940s Shanghai under Japanese occupation, following the story of Chen Shen, an undercover communist agent with the code name Sparrow trying to obtain information about a secret Japanese plan to destroy China.
- The Waltons, beginning in season 6.
- Why Women Kill, Season 2 is set in 1949.
- Mage: The Awakening: Historical setting Mage Noir covers the 1940s in the USA, with a focus on the latter half of the decade.
- Bright Star
- Driving Miss Daisy. Begins in 1948.
- Lost in Yonkers. Set in 1942.
- The Subject Was Roses. Set in 1946.
- Captain America: Super Soldier: Video game adaptation of Captain America: The First Avenger.
- L.A. Noire. Set in 1947.
- Mafia II - The first few chapters are set in 1945.
- Sakura Wars (2019) takes place in an alternate 1940 where World War II doesn't even happen.
- Pick a World War II game, any World War II game.
