Best Family Movies of 1939

The classic Shirley Temple film in which a little girl goes in search of her father who is reported missing by the military during the Second Boer War.

Huckleberry Finn, a rambunctious boy adventurer chafing under the bonds of civilization, escapes his humdrum world and his selfish, plotting father by sailing a raft down the Mississippi River.

Gulliver washes ashore on Lilliput and attempts to prevent war between that tiny kingdom and its equally-miniscule rival, Blefiscu, as well as smooth the way for the romance between the Princess and Prince of the opposing lands. In this he is alternately aided and hampered by the Lilliputian town crier and general fussbudget, Gabby. A life-threatening situation develops when the bumbling trio of Blefiscu spies, Sneak, Snoop, and Snitch, manage to steal Gulliver's pistol.

Police officer Porky is called to investigate strange noises at a house that might be haunted. Before he arrives, we tour the house and hear some evil-sounding cackles, which, it turns out, are coming from a radio one that a ghost was listening to. The ghost then sings the title song while getting ready for a night of haunting, just as Porky arrives. The ghost invites him in with a woman's voice, then disappears. Porky comes in and gets spooked by some flapping curtains. When he comes back in, the ghost puts a couple frogs into a pair of shoes and sets them loose; they collect a hatrack and a curtain, forming a sort of black ghost that ultimately scares Porky upstairs right into the arms of the ghost.

The future is bleak for a troubled boy from a broken home in the slums. He runs away when his step father breaks his violin, ending up sleeping in the basement of a music school for poor children.

While trying to collect autographs at a Hollywood studio, Donald meets a number of movie stars, and runs afoul of a security guard.

A tour of the zoo, in typical Tex Avery style: a series of one-liners and sight gags, punctuated by Egghead teasing a lion at intervals, despite the admonishments of the narrator.

Porky Pig is on his way to the store to pick up some groceries for his mother when he walks by a sign saying that the local movie theater is having a "kids admitted free" day. The excited Porky rushes in and views a series of spoofs of newsreels, movie trailers, feature films, and even the Lone Ranger!

Pluto's in a dog show against lots of snooty, high society dogs. While Mickey's chasing after a dropped can, Pluto is making eyes at the dog next door. Pluto's turn for judging comes, and when the judge makes fun of him, Pluto gets mad and goes after the judge, which gets them thrown out. A fire breaks out, and the dog Pluto was romancing is trapped inside; it's up to Pluto to rescue her.