Dan Dailey (1915 –1978) was an American dancer and Oscar®-nominated actor. He is best remembered for a series of popular musicals he made at 20th Century Fox. His IMDb page shows 66 acting credits from 1940 to 1977. This page will rank 31 Dan Dailey movies from Best to Worst in five different sortable columns of information. The following table only includes his movies that we were able to find a box office number on…we will continue to search for more Dailey movies.
Dan Dailey Movies Can Be Ranked 6 Ways In This Table
The really cool thing about this table is that it is “user-sortable”. Rank the movies anyway you want.
- Sort Dan Dailey movies by co-stars of his movies
- Sort Dan Dailey movies by adjusted domestic box office grosses using current movie ticket cost (in millions)
- Sort Dan Dailey movies by yearly domestic box office rank
- Sort Dan Dailey movies how they were received by critics and audiences. 60% rating or higher should indicate a good movie
- Sort by how many Oscar® nominations and how many Oscar® wins each Dan Dailey movie received.
- Sort Dan Dailey movies by Ultimate Movie Rankings (UMR) Score. UMR Score puts box office, reviews and awards into a mathematical equation and gives each movie a score.
| R | Movie (Year) | UMR Co-Star Links | Adj. B.O. Worldwide (mil) | Review | Oscar Nom / Win | UMR Score | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | Movie (Year) | UMR Co-Star Links | Actual B.O. Domestic (mil) | Adj. B.O. Domestic (mil) | Adj. B.O. Worldwide (mil) | B.O. Rank by Year | Review | Oscar Nom / Win | UMR Score | S |
| 1 | Ziegfeld Girl (1941) | James Stewart & Judy Garland |
6.10 | 234.8 | 385.10 | 14 | 70 | 00 / 00 | 95.2 | |
| 2 | There's No Business Like Show Business (1954) | Marilyn Monroe & Mitzi Gaynor |
12.90 | 301.3 | 301.30 | 16 | 66 | 03 / 00 | 94.9 | |
| 3 | Mother Wore Tights (1947) | Betty Grable | 11.10 | 322.8 | 322.80 | 9 | 64 | 03 / 01 | 94.7 | |
| 4 | When My Baby Smiles at Me (1948) AA Best Actor Nom |
Betty Grable | 8.90 | 241.1 | 241.10 | 14 | 62 | 02 / 00 | 93.5 | |
| 5 | Pepe (1960) | Edward G. Robinson & Greer Garson |
13.70 | 214.3 | 283.30 | 13 | 55 | 07 / 00 | 92.5 | |
| 6 | The Mortal Storm (1940) | James Stewart & Margaret Sullavan |
3.30 | 127.5 | 127.50 | 44 | 83 | 00 / 00 | 92.5 | |
| 7 | You're My Everything (1949) | Buster Keaton & Anne Baxter |
6.70 | 167.1 | 167.10 | 30 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 89.5 | |
| 8 | My Blue Heaven (1950) | Betty Grable & David Wayne |
6.50 | 146.0 | 146.00 | 30 | 66 | 00 / 00 | 88.7 | |
| 9 | Panama Hattie (1942) | Red Skelton & Vincent Minnelli |
5.10 | 191.2 | 247.20 | 38 | 51 | 00 / 00 | 88.4 | |
| 10 | Give My Regards to Broadway (1948) | Fay Bainter | 5.50 | 148.9 | 148.90 | 60 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 87.5 | |
| 11 | It's Always Fair Weather (1955) | Gene Kelly & Cyd Charisse |
3.90 | 81.7 | 140.60 | 85 | 78 | 02 / 00 | 86.0 | |
| 12 | Lady Be Good (1941) | Red Skelton & Robert Young |
3.40 | 130.3 | 211.00 | 70 | 62 | 01 / 01 | 86.0 | |
| 13 | Meet Me in Las Vegas (1956) | Cyd Charisse & Agnes Moorehead |
6.30 | 124.2 | 208.00 | 40 | 64 | 01 / 00 | 85.7 | |
| 15 | You Were Meant For Me (1948) | Jeanne Crain | 5.30 | 141.8 | 141.80 | 63 | 58 | 00 / 00 | 85.2 | |
| 14 | The Wings of Eagles (1957) | John Wayne & Directed by John Ford |
6.40 | 123.7 | 198.00 | 34 | 64 | 00 / 00 | 85.1 | |
| 16 | Call Me Mister (1951) | Betty Grable & Jeffrey Hunter |
6.20 | 134.0 | 134.00 | 37 | 60 | 00 / 00 | 84.7 | |
| 17 | When Willie Comes Marching Home (1950) | William Demarest | 4.90 | 109.1 | 109.10 | 57 | 64 | 01 / 00 | 83.2 | |
| 18 | The Wayward Bus (1957) | Jayne Mansfield | 5.00 | 96.2 | 96.20 | 45 | 68 | 00 / 00 | 82.7 | |
| 19 | The Best Things in Life Are Free (1956) | Ernest Borgnine | 6.40 | 126.0 | 126.00 | 35 | 57 | 00 / 00 | 81.8 | |
| 20 | Chicken Every Sunday (1949) | Natalie Wood & Celeste Holm |
4.20 | 104.4 | 104.40 | 84 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 81.4 | |
| 21 | The Pride of St. Louis (1952) | Joanne Dru | 4.50 | 88.7 | 88.70 | 70 | 63 | 01 / 00 | 78.9 | |
| 22 | What Price Glory (1952) | James Cagney & Robert Wagner |
5.60 | 108.9 | 108.90 | 53 | 56 | 00 / 00 | 78.3 | |
| 24 | I Can Get It For You Wholesale (1951) | Susan Hayward & George Sanders |
4.10 | 87.8 | 87.80 | 88 | 59 | 00 / 00 | 74.5 | |
| 23 | Meet Me At The Fair (1953) | Chet Allen | 3.90 | 70.8 | 70.80 | 94 | 64 | 00 / 00 | 74.3 | |
| 25 | A Ticket to Tomahawk (1950) | Anne Baxter | 3.70 | 83.4 | 83.40 | 87 | 60 | 00 / 00 | 74.2 | |
| 26 | Dulcy (1940) | Ann Sothern | 1.60 | 62.1 | 62.10 | 130 | 64 | 00 / 00 | 71.5 | |
| 27 | The Girl Next Door (1953) | June Haver | 3.60 | 65.3 | 65.30 | 105 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 71.4 | |
| 28 | The Kid From Left Field (1953) | Anne Bancroft & Richard Egan |
2.30 | 41.9 | 41.90 | 151 | 59 | 00 / 00 | 54.7 | |
| 29 | Hullabaloo (1940) | Frank Morgan | 1.10 | 41.3 | 41.30 | 160 | 57 | 00 / 00 | 51.7 | |
| 30 | Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man (1962) | Paul Newman & Diane Baker |
2.70 | 39.0 | 39.00 | 88 | 56 | 00 / 00 | 46.8 | |
| 31 | Oh, Men! Oh, Women! (1957) | Ginger Rogers & David Niven |
2.60 | 49.5 | 49.50 | 94 | 51 | 00 / 00 | 44.5 | |
| 32 | The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover (1977) | Broderick Crawford & Rip Torn |
2.00 | 9.8 | 9.80 | 115 | 58 | 00 / 00 | 30.7 | |
| 33 | Keeping Company (1940) | Frank Morgan | 0.20 | 8.9 | 8.90 | 225 | 56 | 00 / 00 | 27.9 | |
| 34 | Mokey (1942) | Donna Reed | 0.50 | 19.0 | 29.40 | 211 | 46 | 00 / 00 | 14.7 |
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My favorite Dan Dailey was Pride of St. Louis, or the Dizzy Dean Story. I had read of Dizzy’s strange broadcasting career start but never experienced Dizzy first hand. When I was a kid I remember Dan starring in The Governor and JJ which I think was on CBS on Tuesday nights. I remembered I liked JJ (she was the gov’s daughter) played by Julie Sommers who was later an attorney on Matlock.
Dan was never on the Oracle of Bacon Top 1000 Center of the Hollywood Universe list. These are the actors left on the 2016 list who appeared in a film with him;
142 ERNEST BORGNINE The Best Things in Life Are Free (1956)
181 RIP TORN The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover (1977)
220 ELI WALLACH Hemingway’s Adventures of a Young Man (1962)
271 ROBERT WAGNER What Price Glory (1952)
420 MICHAEL PARKS The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover (1977)
828 MICHAEL J. POLLARD Hemingway’s Adventures of a Young Man (1962)
897 TONY CURTIS Pepe (1960)
912 ARTHUR TOVEY Call Me Mister (1951)
912 ARTHUR TOVEY The Best Things in Life Are Free (1956)
912 ARTHUR TOVEY The Pride of St. Louis (1952)
937 ROBERT EASTON Call Me Mister (1951)
The following actors were on the original 2000 list but have since fallen off and have appeared in a film with him;
58 JACK LEMMON Pepe (1960)
67 PAUL NEWMAN Hemingway’s Adventures of a Young Man (1962)
77 JOSE FERRER The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover (1977)
102 DAVID NIVEN Oh, Men! Oh, Women! (1957)
120 ROBERT STACK The Mortal Storm (1940)
141 ANNE BANCROFT The Kid from Left Field (1953)
147 LLOYD BRIDGES The Kid from Left Field (1953)
151 CESAR ROMERO Pepe (1960)
179 JOHN WAYNE The Wings of Eagles (1957)
186 AVA GARDNER Sunday Punch (1942)
222 BESS FLOWERS I Can Get It for You Wholesale (1951)
222 BESS FLOWERS I’ll Get By (1950)
222 BESS FLOWERS Lady Be Good (1941)
222 BESS FLOWERS My Blue Heaven (1950)
222 BESS FLOWERS This Is the Army (1943)
222 BESS FLOWERS You’re My Everything (1949)
222 BESS FLOWERS Ziegfeld Girl (1941)
237 PETER LAWFORD Pepe (1960)
241 BRODERICK CRAWFORD The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover (1977)
248 ARTHUR KENNEDY Hemingway’s Adventures of a Young Man (1962)
256 HANK WORDEN Meet Me in Las Vegas (1956)
256 HANK WORDEN When Willie Comes Marching Home (1950)
265 RICHARD CRENNA The Pride of St. Louis (1952)
270 FRANK SINATRA Meet Me in Las Vegas (1956)
270 FRANK SINATRA Pepe (1960)
271 PETER BROCCO Hemingway’s Adventures of a Young Man (1962)
287 RICHARD FARNSWORTH This Is the Army (1943)
290 GEORGE WALLACE The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover (1977)
296 KENNETH TOBEY The Wings of Eagles (1957)
296 KENNETH TOBEY When Willie Comes Marching Home (1950)
323 GEORGE SANDERS I Can Get It for You Wholesale (1951)
344 JAMES STEWART The Mortal Storm (1940)
344 JAMES STEWART Ziegfeld Girl (1941)
404 JACK ELAM A Ticket to Tomahawk (1950)
424 ZSA ZSA GABOR Pepe (1960)
459 DABBS GREER Call Me Mister (1951)
459 DABBS GREER Meet Me in Las Vegas (1956)
460 SCATMAN CROTHERS Meet Me at the Fair (1953)
463 EDWARD G. ROBINSON Pepe (1960)
499 JESSICA TANDY Hemingway’s Adventures of a Young Man (1962)
503 RICHARD CONTE Pepe (1960)
508 ROBERT BLAKE Mokey (1942)
532 JIM BACKUS Meet Me in Las Vegas (1956)
542 PAUL FIX What Price Glory (1952)
562 PAUL BRYAR It’s Always Fair Weather (1955)
562 PAUL BRYAR What Price Glory (1952)
562 PAUL BRYAR When Willie Comes Marching Home (1950)
571 CHARLES LANE I Can Get It for You Wholesale (1951)
571 CHARLES LANE Sunday Punch (1942)
571 CHARLES LANE You’re My Everything (1949)
592 WHIT BISSELL Chicken Every Sunday (1949)
592 WHIT BISSELL Hemingway’s Adventures of a Young Man (1962)
592 WHIT BISSELL When Willie Comes Marching Home (1950)
599 JOHN DOUCETTE The Pride of St. Louis (1952)
599 JOHN DOUCETTE There’s No Business Like Show Business (1954)
606 ALBERTO MORIN The Wings of Eagles (1957)
606 ALBERTO MORIN When Willie Comes Marching Home (1950)
609 JOHN MARLEY The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover (1977)
612 JEFFREY HUNTER Call Me Mister (1951)
634 JOAN COLLINS The Wayward Bus (1957)
648 HARRY MORGAN What Price Glory (1952)
657 DEBBIE REYNOLDS Pepe (1960)
682 RAY TEAL Ziegfeld Girl (1941)
727 DIANE BAKER Hemingway’s Adventures of a Young Man (1962)
732 ARTHUR O’CONNELL Hullabaloo (1940)
740 GEORGE CHANDLER Meet Me at the Fair (1953)
742 RICARDO MONTALBAN Hemingway’s Adventures of a Young Man (1962)
746 HERB VIGRAN It’s Always Fair Weather (1955)
746 HERB VIGRAN The Girl Next Door (1953)
783 JAMES FLAVIN The Wild Man of Borneo (1941)
783 JAMES FLAVIN The Wings of Eagles (1957)
783 JAMES FLAVIN When Willie Comes Marching Home (1950)
783 JAMES FLAVIN Ziegfeld Girl (1941)
786 LLOYD NOLAN The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover (1977)
811 ROBERT NICHOLS The Pride of St. Louis (1952)
824 FRANK WILCOX Meet Me in Las Vegas (1956)
824 FRANK WILCOX The Kid from Left Field (1953)
830 SUSAN STRASBERG Hemingway’s Adventures of a Young Man (1962)
859 MYRON HEALEY My Blue Heaven (1950)
863 ALAN HALE JR. When Willie Comes Marching Home (1950)
867 RORY CALHOUN A Ticket to Tomahawk (1950)
882 DEAN MARTIN Pepe (1960)
894 PHILIP VAN ZANDT Dulcy (1940)
894 PHILIP VAN ZANDT The Pride of St. Louis (1952)
895 TONY RANDALL Oh, Men! Oh, Women! (1957)
922 JOHN CASSAVETES Taxi (1953)
972 RICHARD BOONE Call Me Mister (1951)
975 MAUREEN O’HARA The Wings of Eagles (1957)
984 PETER MAMAKOS The Best Things in Life Are Free (1956)
989 BRUCE CABOT Susan and God (1940)
You notice if you ever go back on the Oracle of Bacon on the wayback time machine page (the oldest page that exists I believe is summer 2000) if you look any one up at the time they worked with much fewer people. Since the site is based on the IMDB I concur that everyone’s credits at the time were not all that conclusive. It seems more based together from what you would have been able to find in books then, before thousands started contributing to the site. I mean take any old movie, how did you find out in the old days all the uncredited rolls (you didn’t see them on movie credits). So I say for example any picture of the time only listed credited speaking parts. Bess Flowers moved up 100 notches from 2000 to 2005. Arthur Tovey, now off the list made his last picture in 1989 but he didn’t show up on the list till say 2009.
Dan appeared with 27 Oscar winners;
ANNE BANCROFT The Kid from Left Field (1953)
ANNE BAXTER A Ticket to Tomahawk (1950)
ANNE BAXTER Mother Wore Tights (1947)
ANNE BAXTER You’re My Everything (1949)
BING CROSBY Pepe (1960)
BRODERICK CRAWFORD The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover (1977)
CELESTE HOLM Chicken Every Sunday (1949)
CELESTE HOLM The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover (1977)
CHARLES COBURN Pepe (1960)
CHARLES COBURN The Captain Is a Lady (1940)
DAVID NIVEN Oh, Men! Oh, Women! (1957)
DONNA REED Mokey (1942)
DONNA REED Pepe (1960)
DONNA REED The Getaway (1941)
ERNEST BORGNINE The Best Things in Life Are Free (1956)
FRANK SINATRA Meet Me in Las Vegas (1956)
FRANK SINATRA Pepe (1960)
FREDRIC MARCH Susan and God (1940)
GEORGE SANDERS I Can Get It for You Wholesale (1951)
GERALDINE PAGE Taxi (1953)
GINGER ROGERS Oh, Men! Oh, Women! (1957)
JACK LEMMON Pepe (1960)
JAMES CAGNEY What Price Glory (1952)
JAMES DUNN Hemingway’s Adventures of a Young Man (1962)
JAMES STEWART The Mortal Storm (1940)
JAMES STEWART Ziegfeld Girl (1941)
JESSICA TANDY Hemingway’s Adventures of a Young Man (1962)
JOAN CRAWFORD Susan and God (1940)
JOHN WAYNE The Wings of Eagles (1957)
JOSE FERRER The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover (1977)
LIONEL BARRYMORE Lady Be Good (1941)
PAUL NEWMAN Hemingway’s Adventures of a Young Man (1962)
SHIRLEY JONES Pepe (1960)
SUSAN HAYWARD I Can Get It for You Wholesale (1951)
WALTER BRENNAN A Ticket to Tomahawk (1950)
Hey Dan…thanks for the lists and thoughts on another Dan. So he has two people left standing, Michael J. Pollard and Robert Wagner, when looking at the current list. On the second list, good to see Bessie Flowers having so many movies with Dailey. Good point about the old lists and the old movies and their cast lists. I just watched a classic movie….and the entire cast roll was about 8 actors. 27 Oscar winners is a decent total….not a Caine total….but decent. We have UMR pages on 20 of those winners……as Shirley Jones is the latest UMR page. Thanks as always for sharing this information.
Dan Dailey eh… I have actually seen some of these films [cue gasps]
Looking at the chart I’ve seen – There’s No Business Like Show Business, Ziegfeld Girl, Meet Me in Las Vegas, The Wings of Eagles, and my favorite of the bunch – It’s Always Fair Weather. So that’s an impressive 5 out of 32.
It’s Always Fair Weather is a Gene Kelly musical I’ve watched many times in the past and I have it on DVD too. Looking at my files I notice I have a blu-ray disc of There’s No Business Like Show Business, part of a 9-film Marilyn Monroe box set I bought a few years ago. I like the Cinemascope framing of the musical numbers on those two movies.
Good work Bruce. Vote Up!
Hey Steve
1. Your 5 Dan Dailey movies watched…has my total more than doubled…so congrats….lol.
2. I will have to check out It’s Always Fair Weather…pretty sure that is at my local library….just have not checked it out before.
3. This is one of the few times that someone’s number one UMR movie….There’s No Business Like Show Business …..was not seen by me.
4. Thanks for the vote up and kind word.
Good feedback.
cogerson is a winner. I am zero for dan dailey movies. but thanks to flora and UMR I added 6 films to my to be watched list. thanks for the help with my humility.
Hey bob cox…..well…..my two has you beat…..but nobody else…..so not thinking I am a big winner….lol. Glad you were able to find some movies to watch….thanks to Flora.
I have seen 11 Dan Daily movies. That total would be higher if I had the Fox Movie Channel.
The highest rated film I have seen is There’s No Business Like Show Business at number 1.
The highest rated film I have NOT seen is Mother Wore Tights at 3.
The lowest rated film I have seen is The Pride of St. Louis at 21.
My favourite Dan Daily movies are:
My Blue Heaven
There’s No Business Like Show Business
It’s Always Fair Weather
Ziegfeld Girl
Lady Be Good
The other movies not already mentioned which I have seen in UMR order are :
The Mortal Storm – lesser known pairing of Stewart and Sullivan
Meet Me in Las Vegas – enjoyable drama
The Wings of Eagles – not a big fan of Wayne but I enjoy biopics
Call Me Mister – decent musical
Chicken Every Sunday – lesser known Natalie Wood family film
Hey Flora….well your 11…..has my tally easily beat….actually your total is more than 5 times my total. I have seen your favorite Dailey movie….My Blue Heaven. Somehow I have managed not to see her #1 movie…There’s No Business Like Show Business. The Mortal Storm sounds interesting. He has numerous other movies….but I failed to find box office numbers on them….but about 7 or 8 more during his early days….1940-1942….and a few at the end of his career in the 1960s. Good feedback as always.
My grand total is 3. 3 Dan Dailey movies. My Blue Heaven which was a decent musical. The Wings if Eagles which is one of least favorite John Wayne movies…..and The Spirit of St.Louis…which was critical bomb but a movie I liked….though I do not remember Dailey’s role in that one.
Thinking you are mixing up The Pride of St.Louis with The Spirit of St. Louis. Stewart is in a baseball movie but it is not Pride of St. Louis. His baseball movie is The Stratton Story. Stewart’s The Spirit of St. Louis is about Charles Limbaugh. Jimmy Stewart is not in Pride if St. Louis. Joanne Dru should be the co-star.
Hey In The Shadows….you are 100% correct…..got my two St. Louis movies mixed up….no wonder I did not remember Dailey’s performance in The Spirit of St. Louis…..he was not in the movie….lol. But now those issues have been fixed. Thank you.
So with In The Shadows pointing out my mistake….my tally Dan Dailey tally drops down to 2….not too impressive.