Which European country made the best movies in the 30s-60s

Is this a competition?

Is there wagering?

Fascism, Stalinism and WWII limited, and in some cases destroyed, the film industries in many countries.

France somehow continued to produce masterpieces like "Les enfants du Paradis"(1945) while under Nazi control. There is an excellent movie by Bertrand Tavernier called "Safe Conduct" (2002) set in that situation. You can buy it new for a few dollars. Recommended.

The Russian industry only got going again with "The Cranes are Flying" (1957). This was a great movie, but made in a rather old-fashioned "constructivist" style because its makers had to hark back to pre-clampdown models as examples to follow. I think "Ballad of a Soldier" (1959) was a more modern movie and the first to be internationally popular.

Spanish cinema only kicked off once fascist control started weakening in the late '60s and really flowered with the onset of democracy in the late '70s.

Some excellent Polish films were made under communism after WWII by Andrej Wajda and others, but makers had a lot more freedom than in the USSR and were clever at dodging censorship.

The innovative period of Italian cinema was the social realist wave immediately after WWII, but they also established a healthy industry which enabled the likes of Antonioni and Fellini to flourish later.

Sweden was neutral and relatively affluent during WWII so it could have enjoyed a booming industry for home and export consumption but it only really picked up with Ingmar Bergman after the war.

Britain was not occupied during WWII, and though desperately impoverished by the war effort, the film industry was supported for reasons of morale. Naturally there is a certain amount of flag-waving and truckloads of stiff upper lips, but I think it is creditable how restrained the propaganda aspects were compared with other nations in the conflict. The mood is more of quiet stoicism even in war moves like "The Way to the Stars" (1945).

Because the UK industry had not ground to a halt during the war its people were ready to rock as soon as peace arrived. And they produced many great films in the late 1940s, principally from directors like Powell & Pressburger, David Lean, Carol Reed and Robert Hamer. Once we reach the 1950s, the UK is still producing some good films, but loses its distinctiveness trying to imitate US commercial success. The Bond franchise and Hammer horrors did manage to be both quirkily British and profitable but hardly qualify as great movies. In the sixties new "kitchen sink" and "new wave" films appeared influenced by the Italian and French examples of a few years earlier. These included some fine films but none which matched the brilliance of the immediately Post-War movies.

For consistent quality, variety, and innovation through all four decades I would have to agree with you. Only the US produced more fine movies, and in a greater range of genres, but the US home- and English-speaking market is much greater and the percentage of good films to dross is lower in France.  

Two great points.

? 
  Despite the extreme political climate many exceptional Russian drama, musical, romance, comedy films are to be found  throughout all of these decades,
 Just one example from these four eminent directors for recommendation, from many excellent choices available for each decade, from my collection... 
Schaste , Happiness (1935) Aleksandr Medvedkin,  Odnazhdy nochyu, Dark Is The Night (1945) Boris Barnet,
Karnavalnaya noch, Carnival Night (1956) Eldar Ryazanov, 9 dney odnogo goda , Nine Days Of One Year 1962) Mikhail Romm  

The Russian industry was going strong well before The Cranes Are Flying (1957), many fine films from the early, mid and late 50s are worth a mention, here are just are two from 56 
Sorok pervyy, The Forty-First (1956) was the directorial debut of Grigori Chukhrai a film about the Russian Civil War which tells the story of a tragic romance between a female sniper of the Red Army and an officer of the White Army it attracted 25.1 million viewers in the Soviet Union and won much recognition on the International film festival circuit.
Karnavalnaya noch (1956) is a highly entertaining musical, as well as a biting satire on the stuffy old regime, 48.64 million tickets sold!, both films were successfully released internationally and both still attract and captivate an appreciative audience.. 

The UK and it's not even close.

Oops! My bad! I think the opposite, and have now edited my post as above. Thanks for spotting it.

Having said that, we have to remember that in the English-speaking world we are not much exposed to the really bad French films that get made, whereas mounds of American rubbish turns up on "straight to DVD" and minor TV channels. Where I live in the Caribbean I was starved of movies, and sometimes took a chance on unknown films from street vendors just because I recognized an established star, director or even studio. I gave up doing it because  because 98% were total rubbish. It was new to me how once- (or even still-)top rank actors could lower themselves for a few bucks.

Hello there london777 ..
Thanks for your thoughtful reply and many thanks for your interesting and insightful contribution on this European film conversation
As a great fan of Russian cinema  I  felt that I had to make mention on the point which you raised here about The Cranes... and also following on from another of your posts recently about the film "kick starting" the Russian film Industry. 

Location is no longer an issue for us with our multi region player. Living remotely in country Australia I find and source all my DVDs from the UK USA and Europe.
A collector by nature our home library has grown to a considerable size but here is where age certainly is becoming a worrying factor.
We watch a film every evening and with new films coming in regularly I had this disturbing thought the other day, we need over 5 years of nights just to view the pick of  top quality re-watches available and waiting on our shelves!
Happy Viewing to You...