Irish American Movies: An A-to-Z Guide

Irish Americans have made their mark on movies since the early days of cinema.  In addition to the scores of Irish American movie stars who've graced the silver screen, dozens of movies about Irish American families and culture have been produced, and dozens of other films prominently feature Irish American characters.

The following is a detailed list of Irish American films and films featuring Irish American characters, listed by year from oldest to newest. 

Also See:
Famous Irish American Songs
Famous Irish American Books

1920s-1930s Irish American Movies

Underworld (1927)
The Racket (1928)
The Last Dance (1930)
The Deadline (1931)
The Public Enemy (1931)
Me and My Gal (1932)
Lady Killer (1933)
Picture Snatcher (1933)
Come on Marines (1934)
The Silver Streak (1934)
Ceiling Zero (1936)
San Francisco (1936)
In Old Chicago (1937)
Mannequin (1937)
North of the Rio Grande (1937)
Angels with Dirty Faces (1938)
Boys Town (1938)
The Flying Irishman (1939)
Gone with the Wind (1939)
Union Pacific (1939)
Waterfront (1939)

1940s Irish American Movies

The Fighting 69th (1940)
East Side Kids (1940)
Little Nellie Kelly (1940)
The Strawberry Blonde (1941)
Gentleman Jim (1942)
My Favorite Blonde (1942)
Wrecking Crew (1942)
Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
Going My Way (1944)
Roger Touhy Gangster (1944)
The Sullivans (1944)
The Bells of St. Mary's (1945)
Incendiary Blonde (1945)
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945)
The Valley of Decision (1945)
Dragonwyck (1946)
The Kid from Brooklyn (1946)
Blind Spot (1947)
The Lady from Shanghai (1947)
My Wild Irish Rose (1947)
The Cobra Strikes (1948)
I Wouldn't Be in Your Shoes (1948)
The Luck of the Irish (1948)
Champion (1949)
The Undercover Man (1949)

1950s Irish American Movies

The Quiet Man (1952)
Sally and Saint Anne (1952)
Island in the Sky (1953)
Taxi (1953)
The Bridges at Toko-Ri (1954)
On the Waterfront (1954)
To Hell and Back (1955)
The Long Gray Line (1955)
Beau James (1957)
The Last Hurrah (1958)
The Matchmaker (1958)
Anatomy of a Murder (1959)

1960s Irish American Movies

Mad Dog Coll (1961)
Long Day's Journey into Night (1962)
Madigan (1968)

1970s Irish American Movies

Quackser Fortune Has a Cousin in the Bronx (1970)
Dirty Harry (1971)
The French Connection (1971)
The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973)
Magnum Force (1973)
Serpico (1973)
The Towering Inferno (1974)
New York, New York (1977)

1980s Irish American Movies

Caddyshack (1980)
The Outsider (1980)
Ragtime (1981)
The Verdict (1982)
Bad Boys (1983)
Back to the Future (1985)
The Untouchables (1987)


1990s Irish American Movies

GoodFellas (1990)
Home Alone (1990)
King of New York (1990)
Miller's Crossing (1990)
Q&A (1990)
State of Grace (1990)
Backdraft (1991)
Mad Dog Coll (1992)
Patriot Games (1992)
Leprechaun (1993)
The Brothers McMullen (1995)
Celtic Pride (1996)
Last Man Standing (1996)
She's the One (1996)
Sleepers (1996)
Two If by Sea (1996)
Good Will Hunting (1997)
Claire Dolan (1998)
Angela's Ashes (1999)
The Boondock Saints (1999)
Exiled (1999)
Outside Providence (1999)

2000s Irish American Movies

Beautiful Joe (2000)
Green (2000)
Frequency (2000)
Keeping the Faith (2000)
Thirteen Days (2000)
Two Family House (2000)
Gavin's Way (2001)
L.I.E. (2001)
The Rest of Your Life (2001)
25th Hour (2002)
The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys (2002)
Death to Smoochy (2002)
Gangs of New York (2002)
In America (2002)
Road to Perdition (2002)
Daredevil (2003)
Duplex (2003)
The Last Samurai (2003)
Mystic River (2003)
Seabiscuit (2003)
Ladder 49 (2004)
Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Cinderella Man (2005)
Four Brothers (2005)
A History of Violence (2005)
Must Love Dogs (2005)
The Departed (2006)
Emerald City 2006)
Beantown (2007)
Black Irish (2007)
Michael Clayton (2007)
Gran Torino (2008)
Milk (2008)
Survival of the Dead (2009)
The Fighter (2010)
The Town (2010)