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Want to know the best Dean Martin movies? How about the worst Dean Martin movies? Curious about Dean Martin’s box office grosses or which Dean Martin movie picked up the most Oscar® nominations? Need to know which Dean Martin movie got the best reviews from critics and audiences and which got the worst reviews? Well you have come to the right place….because we have all of that information.
Recently my favorite movie blogger, Steve Lensman, published a Dean Martin movie poster page that looked at some of his movies. After viewing those posters, it occurred to me that Martin might make a good subject for a Ultimate Movie Rankings page as well. So I cracked open my box office gross books and went to work. It did not take me long to realize that I had seriously under estimated his popularity at the box office….as I came across box office hit after box office hit.
For his career, Martin had 31 movies that earned over 100 million in adjusted for inflation dollars. 31 might not seem like that many, but when you realize that current superstar, Tom Hanks, only has 22 movies to reach that mark…I think you start to see that Dean Martin was a beast at the box office. Another discovery I made was one heck of a Dean Martin tribute blog. The I Love Dino Martin blog is a must follow for any Dean Martin fan out there.
His IMDb page shows 66 acting credits from 1946-1985. This page will rank 51 Dean Martin movies from Best to Worst in seven different sortable columns of information. Television shows, cameos and movies not released in North America were not included in the rankings.
Dean Martin Movies Ranked In Chronological Order With Ultimate Movie Rankings Score (1 to 5 UMR Tickets) *Best combo of box office, reviews and awards.
Dean Martin 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 Dean Martin movies by co-stars of his movies.
- Sort Dean Martin movies by actual domestic box office grosses
- Sort Dean Martin movies by adjusted domestic box office grosses using current movie ticket cost
- Sort Dean Martin movies by yearly box office rank
- Sort Dean Martin 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 Dean Martin movie received.
- Sort Dean Martin 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 |
| 2 | Rio Bravo (1959) | John Wayne & Directed by Howard Hawks |
16.40 | 295.2 | 517.30 | 11 | 85 | 00 / 00 | 98.3 | |
| 3 | Some Came Running (1958) | Frank Sinatra & Shirley MacLaine |
12.70 | 228.0 | 333.30 | 9 | 76 | 05 / 00 | 97.5 | |
| 1 | Airport (1970) AA Best Picture Nom |
Burt Lancaster & Helen Hayes |
102.40 | 712.0 | 712.00 | 2 | 63 | 10 / 01 | 97.1 | |
| 4 | The Young Lions (1958) Uncredited Role |
Marlon Brando & Montgomery Clift |
12.80 | 230.0 | 230.00 | 8 | 74 | 03 / 00 | 96.7 | |
| 5 | The Stooge (1951) | Jerry Lewis | 10.00 | 215.6 | 215.60 | 11 | 74 | 00 / 00 | 96.1 | |
| 7 | Scared Stiff (1953) | Jerry Lewis | 10.60 | 190.6 | 190.60 | 15 | 72 | 00 / 00 | 95.0 | |
| 7 | Artists and Models (1955) | Jerry Lewis & Shirley MacLaine |
10.90 | 225.1 | 225.10 | 28 | 69 | 00 / 00 | 94.9 | |
| 9 | The Sons of Katie Elder (1965) | John Wayne | 16.20 | 171.4 | 171.40 | 15 | 78 | 00 / 00 | 94.8 | |
| 9 | Sailor Beware (1952) | Jerry Lewis | 11.90 | 234.1 | 234.10 | 7 | 68 | 00 / 00 | 94.5 | |
| 11 | The Caddy (1953) | Jerry Lewis | 10.60 | 190.6 | 190.60 | 14 | 70 | 00 / 00 | 94.4 | |
| 11 | My Friend Irma (1949) | Jerry Lewis | 7.80 | 195.0 | 195.00 | 21 | 68 | 00 / 00 | 94.1 | |
| 12 | You're Never Too Young (1955) | Jerry Lewis | 9.70 | 201.4 | 201.40 | 30 | 64 | 00 / 00 | 93.6 | |
| 12 | Jumping Jacks (1952) | Jerry Lewis | 11.10 | 217.8 | 217.80 | 9 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 93.0 | |
| 14 | Hollywood or Bust (1956) | Jerry Lewis | 9.40 | 184.8 | 184.80 | 27 | 66 | 00 / 00 | 92.8 | |
| 14 | Living It Up (1954) | Jerry Lewis | 12.10 | 284.6 | 284.60 | 19 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 92.6 | |
| 16 | At War with the Army (1950) | Jerry Lewis | 9.40 | 211.7 | 211.70 | 8 | 59 | 00 / 00 | 92.2 | |
| 18 | Pardners (1956) | Jerry Lewis | 10.30 | 201.6 | 201.60 | 25 | 57 | 00 / 00 | 91.5 | |
| 17 | Ocean's 11 (1960) | Frank Sinatra & Sammie Davis, Jr. |
16.10 | 252.2 | 252.20 | 10 | 57 | 00 / 00 | 91.3 | |
| 21 | What a Way To Go! (1964) | Paul Newman & Gene Kelly |
17.40 | 199.9 | 324.80 | 6 | 51 | 02 / 00 | 89.8 | |
| 20 | Money From Home (1953) | Jerry Lewis | 10.60 | 190.6 | 190.60 | 16 | 55 | 00 / 00 | 89.7 | |
| 22 | The Silencers (1966) | Stella Stevens | 18.40 | 180.1 | 180.10 | 13 | 57 | 00 / 00 | 89.1 | |
| 22 | Bells Are Ringing (1960) | Judy Holliday | 8.10 | 126.1 | 161.80 | 40 | 73 | 01 / 00 | 89.1 | |
| 23 | Texas Across the River (1966) | Joey Bishop | 10.90 | 106.7 | 138.30 | 27 | 72 | 00 / 00 | 86.2 | |
| 24 | Robin and the 7 Hoods (1964) | Frank Sinatra & Bing Crosby |
12.40 | 142.2 | 235.60 | 19 | 58 | 02 / 00 | 86.0 | |
| 25 | 3 Ring Circus (1954) | Jerry Lewis | 11.10 | 261.1 | 261.10 | 23 | 42 | 00 / 00 | 86.0 | |
| 26 | That's My Boy (1951) | Jerry Lewis | 10.90 | 234.1 | 234.10 | 9 | 42 | 00 / 00 | 86.0 | |
| 28 | My Friend Irma Goes West (1950) | Jerry Lewis | 6.90 | 154.0 | 154.00 | 21 | 56 | 00 / 00 | 85.7 | |
| 28 | The Cannonball Run (1981) | Burt Reynolds & Roger Moore |
72.20 | 279.9 | 279.90 | 6 | 41 | 00 / 00 | 85.5 | |
| 29 | Who Was That Lady? (1960) | Tony Curtis & Janet Leigh |
8.90 | 138.4 | 138.40 | 29 | 57 | 00 / 00 | 84.2 | |
| 31 | Sergeants 3 (1962) | Frank Sinatra & Peter Lawford |
12.40 | 177.5 | 177.50 | 16 | 45 | 00 / 00 | 84.1 | |
| 30 | Murderers' Row (1966) | Ann-Margret & Karl Malden |
15.90 | 155.6 | 155.60 | 19 | 51 | 00 / 00 | 83.9 | |
| 32 | Career (1959) | Shirley MacLaine & Costumes by Edith Head |
6.00 | 107.8 | 107.80 | 41 | 60 | 03 / 00 | 81.9 | |
| 33 | 5 Card Stud (1968) | Robert Mitchum | 12.10 | 99.9 | 99.90 | 31 | 59 | 00 / 00 | 78.4 | |
| 34 | Kiss Me, Stupid (1964) | Directed by Billy Wilder | 4.50 | 51.4 | 51.40 | 67 | 71 | 00 / 00 | 75.0 | |
| 35 | Bandolero! (1968) | James Stewart & Raquel Welch |
15.70 | 129.3 | 129.30 | 23 | 43 | 00 / 00 | 71.9 | |
| 38 | All in a Night's Work (1961) | Shirley MacLaine | 6.30 | 91.6 | 91.60 | 38 | 53 | 00 / 00 | 69.4 | |
| 36 | Ada (1961) | Susan Hayward | 3.60 | 52.0 | 52.00 | 63 | 64 | 00 / 00 | 68.0 | |
| 37 | Who's Got the Action? (1962) | Lana Turner & Walter Matthau |
4.30 | 61.6 | 61.60 | 58 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 68.0 | |
| 39 | How to Save a Marriage and Ruin Your Life (1968) | Stella Stevens | 7.10 | 58.8 | 58.80 | 51 | 59 | 00 / 00 | 64.4 | |
| 40 | Marriage on the Rocks (1965) | Frank Sinatra & Deborah Kerr |
5.80 | 61.0 | 111.00 | 48 | 58 | 00 / 00 | 63.1 | |
| 43 | The Ambushers (1967) | James Gregory | 11.80 | 104.7 | 104.70 | 28 | 42 | 00 / 00 | 60.4 | |
| 41 | Ten Thousand Bedrooms (1957) | Paul Henreid | 2.70 | 52.5 | 93.80 | 89 | 58 | 00 / 00 | 59.8 | |
| 42 | Rough Night in Jericho (1967) | Jean Simmons | 4.40 | 39.0 | 39.00 | 56 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 58.4 | |
| 44 | The Wrecking Crew (1968) | Sharon Tate | 6.90 | 56.4 | 56.40 | 53 | 54 | 00 / 00 | 54.1 | |
| 45 | 4 for Texas (1963) | Frank Sinatra & Charles Bronson |
7.90 | 98.6 | 234.70 | 36 | 40 | 00 / 00 | 53.6 | |
| 46 | Toys in the Attic (1963) | Gene Tierney & Directed by George Roy Hill |
2.60 | 32.7 | 32.70 | 75 | 55 | 01 / 00 | 42.8 | |
| 47 | Something Big (1971) | Brian Keith | 2.90 | 18.8 | 18.80 | 94 | 59 | 00 / 00 | 41.2 | |
| 48 | Showdown (1973) | Rock Hudson | 2.70 | 16.6 | 16.60 | 100 | 60 | 00 / 00 | 40.8 | |
| 49 | Mr. Ricco (1975) | Cindy Williams | 2.40 | 12.7 | 12.70 | 106 | 58 | 00 / 00 | 32.7 | |
| 51 | Cannonball Run II (1984) | Burt Reynolds & Shirley Maclaine |
28.10 | 90.1 | 90.10 | 34 | 30 | 00 / 00 | 27.0 | |
| 50 | Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed? (1963) | Elizabeth Montgomery | 2.40 | 30.4 | 30.40 | 80 | 47 | 00 / 00 | 23.9 |
Possibly Interesting Facts About Dean Martin
1. Dean Martin (1917-1995) was born Dino Paul Crocetti in Ohio.
2. After dropping out of high school in the 10th grade, Dean Martin tried numerous jobs….like delivering bootleg liqour, being a speakeasy croupier, a blackjack dealer, a boxer and working in a mill.
3. In the early 1940s, singing became Dean Martin’s bread and butter. Band leader, Sammy Watkins, suggested that he change his name from Dino Crocetti to Dean Martin. His singing got him noticed by movie studios but he never got a contract offer.
4. The big break of his career was when he met comic, Jerry Lewis, in 1946. Their partnership went from night clubs to radio appearances to an Ed Sullivan television appearance to movies in about 2 and half years. They would make a total of 17 movies (that includes one cameo) together from 1949 to 1956. Although Martin got tired of the movies with Lewis, the public never did as everyone of their movies was a box office hit.
5. After the filming of Hollywood or Bust, the comedy team of Martin and Lewis broke up. The general consensus was Dean Martin would not be able to succeed without Jerry Lewis…..that consensus proved to be completely wrong. Martin continued to star in hit movie after hit movie for the next 14 years. This would include many movies with Frank Sinatra, Shirley MacLaine and 4 Matt Helms movies.
6. It is estimated that 50 million Dean Martin records have been sold worldwide…..with my mom being a huge contributor to that total.
7. Dean Martin was married three times in his life. His first marriage to Elizabeth McDonald lasted from 1941 to 1949 and produced 4 children. His second marriage to Jeanne Martin lasted from 1949 to 1973 and produced 3 children. His last marriage to Catherine Hawn lasted from 1973 to 1976 and produced 1 child.
8. Dean Martin has not one, not two but three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame…..they are for his music career, his movie career and his television career.
9. Dean Martin was one of Frank Sinatra’s closest friends. They were in the Rat Pack together, sang in night clubs and starred in 8 movies together.
10. Dean Martin hosted….Dean Martin’s Celebrity Roasts from 1973-1984…..it is considered one of the greatest television shows of all-time. I highly recommend watching these shows as it takes you back to another time and place and many shows have legendary people like John Wayne, Bob Hope, Ronald Reagan and Frank Sinatra getting roasted and roasting others.
Check out Dean Martin’s career compared to current and classic actors. Most 100 Million Dollar Movies of All-Time.
Steve’s Updated Dean Martin You Tube Video Has Been Added To The Page
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For comments….all you need is a name and a comment….please ignore the rest.
Hi, Bruce.
Regarding the number of films being lower for various actors than you would expect:
I don’t get to watch movies quite as often as I would to see them. I watched a bunch of war films last year because there was construction next door to me and I either tried to avoid being home until it ended for the day or I would watch war films and try to pretend that if I pressed mute all would be silent.
Regarding Dean Martin specifically:
I am a much bigger fan of his than Jerry Lewis and I doubt I’ve seen many of Jerry’s films without Dean, but I’ll see when you finish JL’s page. I think I’ve seen three of their films. Really.
The most recent film I saw of Dean’s for the first time is Airport. It was on my to see list a long time for the number of stars, but I can only handle watching so many disaster films in a short period of time.
My favourite of Dean’s films with Sinatra and friends is Ocean’s 11. 2nd is Some Came Running, and 3rd Robin and the Seven Hoods. I have seen most of their films together.I did not care for 4 For Texas. Otherwise I usually enjoy them together.
Among his films with Jerry Lewis, I guess The Caddy is my favourite. It is not in my top 5 Dean films.
Among his films without Sinatra nor Lewis, Bells Are Ringing is my favourite.
I also love the Matt Helm series of spy spoofs. The Silencers is my favourite so far. I’ve not seen them all.
So overall, my top 5 films of Dean Martin are:
Ocean’s Eleven
Some Came Running
Bells Are Ringing
Ocean’s Eleven
The Silencers
As for my overall total, any lack of high numbers on my part will likely be due to the large number of films he made with Jerry Lewis, whom I find annoying.
Therefore, I will only reference how many of his ranking films for the top 10. The highest ranking film I have seen is No. 1: Rio Bravo, which I saw for him. The lowest ranking film I have seen is 45: Four for Texas
I have seen all of Dean’s top 5.
7 of his top 10
Overall, I have seen 21 films of Mr. Dean Martin out of 51.
In his non Lewis career, I have seen seen 18 of 33 titles. A much higher perecentage.
Cheers,
Flora Breen Robison
Hey Flora. I bet Steve about a year ago that your tally would be 24….turns out I was not too far off….as you are 21….which beats me and Steve again….things are returning back to normal.
I have seen on Lewis/Martin film. Can’t say I am in a hurry to see a 2nd one anytime soon. I like you have enjoyed his movies with Sinatra…..although I have not seen Some Came Running…which is considered one of his best roles. I saw bits and pieces of his Matt Helms movies as a kid….but I have never watched one from beginning to end. Seems that the Matt Helms movies and the Flint (Coburn) movies are hard to find…especially compared to how easy it is to find James Bond stuff.
You must really really like Ocean’s Eleven….as it has not one but two spots in your Top 5. I love the ending to Ocean’s Eleven….a good classic funny ending. Looking at his non Lewis career I have seen 10 of 31….that is a decent %. Congrats on your new winning streak….thanks for the great comment.
Didn’t know Dino had appeared in so many movies Bruce, you did a great job as usual putting all this together.
Wow Airport was massively successful, my favourite Martin film is Rio Bravo, good to see it was a big hit and second on the moviescore board. Not sure Cannonball Run should be rated that high, but it was a moneymaker, I remember the sequel was pretty bad.
Okay I’ve seen 16 of the 51 films you’ve listed, I’m sure I’ve seen more over the years just can’t remember the titles. The 4 Matt Helm films were a lot of fun.
I’ve seen 8 from the box office 10 and 7 from the critics 10.
Excellent work amigo, Jerry Lewis next? [wink]
Hey Steve….let’s see I have seen 11 of his movies….I am betting Flora has seen 24 of his movies….lol. Cannonball Run introduced Martin to a younger audience back then….I remember reading that his appearance in that movie helped him sell some more records….the same was true for Sammie Davis Jr….my 26 year old referred to him as “the old white priest in Cannonball Run”.
Writing this page has me motivated to watch all 4 of the Helms movies….thanks for the visit and the comment….and the motivation.
As for Jerry Lewis….I think about a third of his movies are on this page….so I might as well do the rest…as I am already off to a great start.
I am a huge Dean fan. Glad to see he was a “beast” at the box office. Never realized how badly The Wrecking Crew did at the box office. I see Dino where is the Chairman?
Hey James…thanks for stopping by. I was shocked that Martin was so successful at the box office….I now think he is seriously underrated…as for Frank Sinatra? He is on a list of people to do a page on….not sure when but he will get one of these career overviews.
very interesting stuff
Thanks Tyler….glad you like my latest page.
Hey, I forgot to mention all the good movies that Dean Martin made. Airport was a good role and he gave me many hours of entertainment. Good job Bruce.
Hey BERN…yep when his son died in that plane crash..they say Martin never really recovered from that. Over the years Martin and Lewis did a few things together…but certainly not many.
Glad you liked Airport…and I am glad it hit the top spot on my table….as always thanks for checking out my latest movie pages.