Best Private Detective Movies & TV Series of the 1940s

3eyedraven's 15 top-rated private detective movies and TV series of the 1940s — ordered by how strongly audiences rate them and how many actually voted, so the ranking reflects real consensus. Full details on each.

The Maltese Falcon 1941 ★ 7.7

The Big Sleep 1946 ★ 7.6

Murder, My Sweet 1944 ★ 7.3

Unfaithfully Yours 1948 ★ 7.2

The Pearl of Death 1944 ★ 7.1

Castle in the Desert 1942 ★ 7.1

So You Want to Be a Detective 1948 ★ 6.9

Romance on the High Seas 1948 ★ 6.7

Terror by Night 1946 ★ 6.6

I Love Trouble 1948 ★ 6.5

The Falcon Takes Over 1942 ★ 6.3

Riff-Raff 1947 ★ 6.2

Eyes in the Night 1942 ★ 6.1

Detective Kitty O'Day 1944 ★ 4.6

The Living Ghost 1942 ★ 4.3