Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. (1909-2000) was an American actor and a decorated naval officer of World War II. He was the only child of silent movie superstar, Douglas Fairbanks Jr.. He has acting credits for an incredible 7 different decades. His IMDb page shows 99 acting credits from 1916 to 1989. This page ranks 42 Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. movies from Best to Worst in six different sortable columns of information. Television shows, bit parts and his movies not released in North America theaters are not included in the rankings. This page was requested by Chad and Anonymous a very long time ago….sorry it took so long.
From Joel Hirschhorn’s Rating The Movie Stars Book: “The old saying, “Like father, like son” applies to Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. and his son. Both displayed a hearty, engaging vitality in costume epics, but Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. demonstrated more range as a dramatic actor, partly due to opportunities provided by talkies.”
Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. Movies Ranked By Combination of Box Office, Reviews and Awards (UMR Score) *Classic UMR Table (the one with all the stats is the second table)
CreditRank
Movie (Year)
UMR Co-Star Links
UMR Score
S
CreditRank Movie (Year) UMR Co-Star Links UMR Score S
1
The Prisoner of Zenda (1937)
David Niven &
Ronald Colman98.0
2
Gunga Din (1939)
Cary Grant &
Joan Fontaine97.7
4
The Young In Heart (1938)
Paulette Goddard &
Janet Gaynor96.7
3
Stella Dallas (1925)
Ronald Colman
96.0
5
Sinbad, the Sailor (1947)
Maureen O'Hara &
Anthony Quinn95.4
6
The Dawn Patrol (1930)
Directed by Howard Hawks
94.7
7
Little Caesar (1931)
Edward G. Robinson
94.1
8
The Corsican Brothers (1941)
Ruth Warrick
91.4
9
The Rage of Paris (1938)
Danielle Darrieux
89.7
10
A Woman of Affairs (1928)
Greta Garbo
87.4
11
Joy of Living (1938)
Irene Dunne &
Lucille Ball84.8
12
Having Wonderful Time (1938)
Ginger Rogers
83.6
12
The Barker (1928)
Milton Sills
82.5
14
Show of Shows (1929)
John Barrymore &
Myrna Loy80.9
15
The Sun Never Sets (1939)
Basil Rathbone
79.5
17
The Narrow Corner (1933)
Ralph Bellamy
78.7
16
Safari (1940)
Madeleine Carroll
78.5
18
Morning Glory (1933)
Katharine Hepburn &
Best Actress Winner Movies76.2
19
Rulers of the Sea (1939)
Margaret Lockwood
76.1
20
Angels Over Broadway (1940)
Rita Hayworth &
Douglas Fairbanks75.5
21
Chances (1931)
Rose Hobart
73.5
22
Union Depot (1932)
Joan Blondell
72.5
24
That Lady in Ermine (1948)
Betty Grable &
Cesar Romero70.6
23
The Life of Jimmy Dolan (1933)
Loretta Young
69.9
25
Green Hell (1940)
Joan Bennett &
George Sanders66.2
26
The Great Manhunt (1950)
Glynis Johns
65.5
26
Captured! (1933)
Leslie Howard
65.4
30
Our Modern Maidens (1929)
Joan Crawford
65.4
29
When Thief Meets Thief (1937)
Raoul Walsh
65.0
30
The Fighting O'Flynn (1949)
Richard Greene
64.6
32
Ghost Story (1981)
Fred Astaire &
Melvyn Douglas62.1
31
Parachute Jumper (1933)
Bette Davis
59.4
33
Loose Ankles (1930)
Loretta Young
59.2
34
Love Is A Racket (1932)
Lyle Talbot
57.6
34
The Way Of All Men (1930)
Dorothy Revier
55.8
36
Outward Bound (1930)
Leslie Howard
53.7
37
The Careless Age (1929)
Loretta Young
51.9
37
It's Tough To Be Famous (1932)
Mary Brian
50.9
38
The Exile (1947)
Maria Montez
50.2
40
I Like Your Nerve (1931)
Boris Karloff &
Loretta Young47.7
41
Little Accident (1930)
Zasu Pitts
42.4
41
Scarlet Dawn (1932)
Nancy Carroll
40.9
43
Success At Any Price (1934)
Colleen Moore
36.1
43
The Forward Pass (1929)
Loretta Young
35.9
45
The Air Mail (1925)
Warner Baxter
35.0
44
Mimi (1935)
Gertrude Lawrence
32.8
45
Mr Drake's Duck (1951)
Yolande Donlan
21.2
48
A Texas Steer (1927)
Will Rogers
7.7
Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. 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 Douglas Fairbanks Jr. movies by movie title and movie trailers.
- Sort Douglas Fairbanks Jr. movies by co-stars of his movies.
- Sort Douglas Fairbanks Jr. movies by adjusted domestic box office grosses using current movie ticket cost
- Sort Douglas Fairbanks Jr. movies by yearly domestic box office rank
- Sort Douglas Fairbanks Jr. movies how they were received by critics and audiences. 60% rating or higher should indicate a good movie.
- Sort by how many Oscar® nominations each Douglas Fairbanks Jr. movie received and how many Oscar® wins each Douglas Fairbanks Jr. movie won.
- Sort Douglas Fairbanks Jr. 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 | The Prisoner of Zenda (1937) | David Niven & Ronald Colman |
5.60 | 232.2 | 232.20 | 14 | 82 | 02 / 00 | 98.0 | |
| 2 | Gunga Din (1939) | Cary Grant & Joan Fontaine |
8.00 | 309.8 | 652.50 | 8 | 80 | 01 / 00 | 97.7 | |
| 4 | The Young In Heart (1938) | Paulette Goddard & Janet Gaynor |
5.20 | 206.8 | 206.80 | 28 | 74 | 03 / 00 | 96.7 | |
| 3 | Stella Dallas (1925) | Ronald Colman | 5.70 | 227.7 | 227.70 | 4 | 73 | 00 / 00 | 96.0 | |
| 5 | Sinbad, the Sailor (1947) | Maureen O'Hara & Anthony Quinn |
7.60 | 220.5 | 383.90 | 33 | 71 | 00 / 00 | 95.4 | |
| 6 | The Dawn Patrol (1930) | Directed by Howard Hawks | 3.30 | 176.0 | 269.30 | 15 | 74 | 01 / 01 | 94.7 | |
| 7 | Little Caesar (1931) | Edward G. Robinson | 2.80 | 143.8 | 159.80 | 29 | 83 | 01 / 00 | 94.1 | |
| 8 | The Corsican Brothers (1941) | Ruth Warrick | 4.20 | 161.5 | 161.50 | 42 | 68 | 01 / 00 | 91.4 | |
| 9 | The Rage of Paris (1938) | Danielle Darrieux | 3.60 | 144.6 | 144.60 | 49 | 70 | 00 / 00 | 89.7 | |
| 10 | A Woman of Affairs (1928) | Greta Garbo | 2.80 | 89.8 | 144.80 | 26 | 79 | 01 / 00 | 87.4 | |
| 11 | Joy of Living (1938) | Irene Dunne & Lucille Ball |
3.10 | 123.3 | 189.60 | 65 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 84.8 | |
| 12 | Having Wonderful Time (1938) | Ginger Rogers | 3.10 | 123.1 | 161.00 | 66 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 83.6 | |
| 12 | The Barker (1928) | Milton Sills | 2.70 | 84.8 | 84.80 | 30 | 70 | 01 / 00 | 82.5 | |
| 14 | Show of Shows (1929) | John Barrymore & Myrna Loy |
4.00 | 123.9 | 157.00 | 16 | 56 | 00 / 00 | 80.9 | |
| 15 | The Sun Never Sets (1939) | Basil Rathbone | 2.50 | 94.5 | 94.50 | 98 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 79.5 | |
| 17 | The Narrow Corner (1933) | Ralph Bellamy | 2.00 | 93.9 | 93.90 | 36 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 78.7 | |
| 16 | Safari (1940) | Madeleine Carroll | 2.20 | 85.0 | 85.00 | 90 | 64 | 00 / 00 | 78.5 | |
| 18 | Morning Glory (1933) | Katharine Hepburn & Best Actress Winner Movies |
1.10 | 50.5 | 77.90 | 92 | 70 | 01 / 01 | 76.2 | |
| 19 | Rulers of the Sea (1939) | Margaret Lockwood | 2.10 | 81.9 | 81.90 | 112 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 76.1 | |
| 20 | Angels Over Broadway (1940) | Rita Hayworth & Douglas Fairbanks |
2.00 | 78.6 | 78.60 | 96 | 62 | 01 / 00 | 75.5 | |
| 21 | Chances (1931) | Rose Hobart | 1.20 | 59.2 | 74.60 | 133 | 67 | 00 / 00 | 73.5 | |
| 22 | Union Depot (1932) | Joan Blondell | 1.40 | 68.3 | 89.20 | 72 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 72.5 | |
| 24 | That Lady in Ermine (1948) | Betty Grable & Cesar Romero |
3.70 | 100.3 | 100.30 | 92 | 50 | 01 / 00 | 70.6 | |
| 23 | The Life of Jimmy Dolan (1933) | Loretta Young | 1.10 | 53.4 | 53.40 | 81 | 65 | 00 / 00 | 69.9 | |
| 25 | Green Hell (1940) | Joan Bennett & George Sanders |
2.00 | 76.4 | 76.40 | 98 | 55 | 00 / 00 | 66.2 | |
| 26 | The Great Manhunt (1950) | Glynis Johns | 1.20 | 27.3 | 27.30 | 176 | 70 | 00 / 00 | 65.5 | |
| 26 | Captured! (1933) | Leslie Howard | 1.00 | 49.0 | 49.00 | 95 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 65.4 | |
| 30 | Our Modern Maidens (1929) | Joan Crawford | 2.20 | 66.4 | 84.30 | 60 | 58 | 00 / 00 | 65.4 | |
| 29 | When Thief Meets Thief (1937) | Raoul Walsh | 1.30 | 55.8 | 55.80 | 148 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 65.0 | |
| 30 | The Fighting O'Flynn (1949) | Richard Greene | 1.50 | 37.3 | 37.30 | 160 | 66 | 00 / 00 | 64.6 | |
| 32 | Ghost Story (1981) | Fred Astaire & Melvyn Douglas |
23.40 | 90.6 | 90.60 | 38 | 48 | 00 / 00 | 62.1 | |
| 31 | Parachute Jumper (1933) | Bette Davis | 0.70 | 31.9 | 52.80 | 147 | 65 | 00 / 00 | 59.4 | |
| 33 | Loose Ankles (1930) | Loretta Young | 0.80 | 43.5 | 59.00 | 139 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 59.2 | |
| 34 | Love Is A Racket (1932) | Lyle Talbot | 0.80 | 37.5 | 43.40 | 140 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 57.6 | |
| 34 | The Way Of All Men (1930) | Dorothy Revier | 0.70 | 37.3 | 50.30 | 147 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 55.8 | |
| 36 | Outward Bound (1930) | Leslie Howard | 0.60 | 33.5 | 39.50 | 154 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 53.7 | |
| 37 | The Careless Age (1929) | Loretta Young | 0.80 | 26.2 | 40.40 | 120 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 51.9 | |
| 37 | It's Tough To Be Famous (1932) | Mary Brian | 0.90 | 42.1 | 53.30 | 128 | 57 | 00 / 00 | 50.9 | |
| 38 | The Exile (1947) | Maria Montez | 0.60 | 18.6 | 18.60 | 171 | 64 | 00 / 00 | 50.2 | |
| 40 | I Like Your Nerve (1931) | Boris Karloff & Loretta Young |
0.80 | 40.4 | 47.40 | 167 | 56 | 00 / 00 | 47.7 | |
| 41 | Little Accident (1930) | Zasu Pitts | 0.80 | 42.8 | 42.80 | 143 | 52 | 00 / 00 | 42.4 | |
| 41 | Scarlet Dawn (1932) | Nancy Carroll | 0.50 | 26.5 | 34.40 | 160 | 57 | 00 / 00 | 40.9 | |
| 43 | Success At Any Price (1934) | Colleen Moore | 0.40 | 18.2 | 18.20 | 180 | 57 | 00 / 00 | 36.1 | |
| 43 | The Forward Pass (1929) | Loretta Young | 1.10 | 35.3 | 43.90 | 105 | 52 | 00 / 00 | 35.9 | |
| 45 | The Air Mail (1925) | Warner Baxter | 0.20 | 6.5 | 6.50 | 63 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 35.0 | |
| 44 | Mimi (1935) | Gertrude Lawrence | 0.40 | 17.5 | 17.50 | 198 | 56 | 00 / 00 | 32.8 | |
| 45 | Mr Drake's Duck (1951) | Yolande Donlan | 0.90 | 20.0 | 20.00 | 210 | 49 | 00 / 00 | 21.2 | |
| 48 | A Texas Steer (1927) | Will Rogers | 0.40 | 12.4 | 12.40 | 105 | 41 | 00 / 00 | 7.7 |
I saw 4. no tens. no 9s. morning glory is the hidden gem with low box office and k. hepburns first best actress Oscar win , a solid 8. one of the 2 Oscar wins Fairbanks jr is associated with the other being 1930’s dawn patrol which won john monk sanders a best writing original story Oscar( the star filled 1938 remake won nothing).
Fairbanks sr. won an honorary Oscar in 1940 for being the first president of the Academy of motion pictures and sciences . he was never nominated. he was one of three founders of united artist with chaplain and dw Griffith. legend said he performed all his own stunts but this is not accurate, he did almost all his own stunts. his image was used for the first superman illustrations 1938.
Hey bob cox….your 4 is right behind my 5. I barely remember watching Morning Glory…though my notes so I did…I always get it mixed up with Hepburn’s Alice Adams. I do not remember Douglas’ role at all. Good trivia on papa Douglas. I wish that Douglas and Mary Pickford’s house had survived…I think that would have let their legacy last a little longer. Good information as always.