Want to know the best Glenn Ford movies? How about the worst Glenn Ford movies? Curious about Glenn Ford’s box office grosses or which Glenn Ford movie picked up the most Oscar® nominations? Need to know which Glenn Ford 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.
One of our first requested pages (5 years and 2 website homes ago) was for Glenn Ford (1916-2006). So why the delay? The main reason is that we generally stay away from Columbia Pictures performers. The reason for this reluctance, is the fact that it is almost impossible to find box office numbers for Columbia Pictures movies from 1930 to 1980. Getting box office numbers is one of the most important factors in our rankings. Recently we got another request for Ford. A deeper look into Ford’s career showed that many of his movies made Variety’s Top Grossing yearly movie charts. So Søren, Flora, William, Hinton66 and Tom….finally here is your requested page.
Glenn Ford (1916-2006) was a Canadian-born American Golden Globe® winning actor. Ford’s acting career covered 7 decades…from the 1930s to the 1990s. His IMDb page shows 110 acting credits from 1937-1991. This page ranks Glenn Ford movies from Best to Worst in six different sortable columns of information. Television shows, shorts, and movies not released in North America were not included in the rankings.
Glenn Ford Movies Ranked In Chronological Order With Ultimate Movie Rankings Score (1 to 5 UMR Tickets) *Best combo of box office, reviews and awards.
Year
Movie (Year)
Rating
S
Year Movie (Year) Rating S
1946
Gilda (1946)
1980
Superman II (1980)
1978
Superman (1978)
1955
Blackboard Jungle (1955)
1946
A Stolen Life (1946)
1956
The Teahouse of the August Moon (1956)
1976
Midway (1976)
1948
The Loves of Carmen (1948)
1955
Trial (1955)
1949
The Undercover Man (1949)
1957
Don't Go Near the Water (1957)
1952
Affair in Trinidad (1952)
1957
3:10 to Yuma (1957)
1956
The Fastest Gun Alive (1956)
1955
The Violent Men (1955)
1953
The Big Heat (1953)
1941
So Ends Our Night (1941)
1955
Interrupted Melody (1955)
1943
Destroyer (1943)
1948
The Mating of Millie (1948)
1961
Pocketful of Miracles (1961)
1949
Lust For Gold (1949)
1959
The Gazebo (1959)
1940
Blondie Plays Cupid (1940)
1943
The Desperadoes (1943)
1946
Gallant Journey (1946)
1949
Mr. Soft Touch (1949)
1962
Experiment in Terror (1962)
1960
Cimarron (1960)
1959
It Started with a Kiss (1959)
1956
Jubal (1956)
1948
The Man From Colorado (1948)
1958
Imitation General (1958)
1947
Framed (1947)
1951
The Secret of Convict Lake (1951)
1953
The Man from the Alamo (1953)
1951
Follow The Sun (1951)
1956
Ransom! (1956)
1958
The Sheepman (1958)
1940
The Lady in Question (1940)
1964
Fate Is The Hunter (1964)
1949
The Doctor and the Girl (1949)
1950
The White Tower (1950)
1954
Human Desire (1954)
1950
Convicted (1950)
1951
The Redhead and the Cowboy (1951)
1941
Go West, Young Lady (1941)
1961
Cry For Happy (1961)
1958
Cowboy (1958)
1962
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1962)
1963
The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1963)
1942
Flight Lieutenant (1942)
1966
Is Paris Burning? (1966)
1964
Dear Heart (1964)
1948
The Return of October (1948)
1958
Torpedo Run (1958)
1950
The Flying Missile (1950)
1952
The Green Glove (1952)
1942
The Adventures of Martin Eden (1942)
1965
The Rounders (1965)
1953
Plunder of the Sun (1953)
1955
The Americano (1955)
1941
Texas (1941)
1963
Love Is a Ball (1963)
1953
Appointment in Honduras (1953)
1965
The Money Trap (1965)
1969
Smith! (1969)
1940
Men Without Souls (1940)
1981
Happy Birthday To Me (1981)
1968
Day Of The Evil Gun (1968)
1964
Advance To The Rear (1964)
1969
Heaven With A Gun (1969)
1967
The Last Challenge (1967)
1940
Babies For Sale (1940)
1980
Virus (1980)
Film Festival Circuit Only
1939
My Son Is Guilty (1939)
1939
Heaven with a Barbed Wire Fence (1939)
1952
Young Man with Ideas (1952)
1967
A Time for Killing (1967)
1953
Terror On A Train/Time Bomb (1953)
1979
The Visitor (1979)
1979
Day Of The Assassin (1979)
1991
Raw Nerve (1991)
Limited Release
Glenn Ford 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 Glenn Ford movies by co-stars of his movies.
- Sort Glenn Ford movies by adjusted domestic box office grosses using current movie ticket cost (in millions)
- Sort Glenn Ford movies by domestic yearly box office rank or by trivia for that movie
- Sort Glenn Ford 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 Glenn Ford movie received and how many Oscar® wins each Glenn Ford movie won.
- Sort Glenn Ford 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.
- Use the search and sort button to make this page very interactive.
| 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 | Gilda (1946) | Rita Hayworth | 10.30 | 316.3 | 316.30 | 18 | 87 | 00 / 00 | 98.5 | |
| 3 | Superman II (1980) | Gene Hackman & Christopher Reeve |
111.20 | 461.1 | 965.00 | 3 | 86 | 00 / 00 | 98.4 | |
| 1 | Superman (1978) | Marlon Brando & Christopher Reeve |
134.30 | 618.7 | 1,383.40 | 3 | 83 | 03 / 00 | 98.4 | |
| 4 | Blackboard Jungle (1955) | Sidney Poitier | 15.60 | 323.3 | 323.30 | 13 | 75 | 04 / 00 | 97.0 | |
| 5 | A Stolen Life (1946) | Bette Davis & Walter Brennan |
8.70 | 268.2 | 398.30 | 29 | 72 | 01 / 00 | 95.8 | |
| 6 | The Teahouse of the August Moon (1956) | Marlon Brando | 16.30 | 319.9 | 319.90 | 10 | 70 | 00 / 00 | 95.2 | |
| 7 | Midway (1976) | Charlton Heston & Henry Fonda |
65.50 | 331.4 | 331.40 | 7 | 60 | 00 / 00 | 92.4 | |
| 10 | The Loves of Carmen (1948) | Rita Hayworth | 6.60 | 177.3 | 177.30 | 36 | 62 | 01 / 00 | 91.0 | |
| 9 | Trial (1955) | Dorothy McGuire & Arthur Kennedy |
6.60 | 136.9 | 136.90 | 45 | 74 | 01 / 00 | 90.6 | |
| 11 | The Undercover Man (1949) | James Whitmore | 5.40 | 135.8 | 135.80 | 49 | 71 | 00 / 00 | 89.1 | |
| 11 | Don't Go Near the Water (1957) | Anne Francis & Eva Gabor |
12.20 | 234.6 | 234.60 | 10 | 50 | 00 / 00 | 89.0 | |
| 13 | Affair in Trinidad (1952) | Rita Hayworth | 7.50 | 147.0 | 147.00 | 24 | 65 | 01 / 00 | 88.8 | |
| 12 | 3:10 to Yuma (1957) | Van Heflin | 5.30 | 101.7 | 101.70 | 44 | 79 | 00 / 00 | 88.4 | |
| 15 | The Fastest Gun Alive (1956) | Broderick Crawford & Jeanne Crain |
6.30 | 124.3 | 124.30 | 39 | 72 | 00 / 00 | 88.2 | |
| 16 | The Violent Men (1955) | Barbara Stanwyck & Edward G. Robinson |
5.60 | 115.5 | 115.50 | 60 | 73 | 00 / 00 | 87.6 | |
| 14 | The Big Heat (1953) | Lee Marvin | 3.80 | 68.1 | 68.10 | 97 | 87 | 00 / 00 | 87.4 | |
| 17 | So Ends Our Night (1941) | Fredric March & Margaret Sullavan |
2.40 | 91.3 | 91.30 | 101 | 77 | 01 / 00 | 86.7 | |
| 18 | Interrupted Melody (1955) | Eleanor Parker & Glenn Ford |
5.10 | 106.6 | 238.50 | 66 | 69 | 03 / 01 | 86.7 | |
| 19 | Destroyer (1943) | Edward G. Robinson | 3.70 | 133.5 | 133.50 | 84 | 64 | 00 / 00 | 86.6 | |
| 20 | The Mating of Millie (1948) | Evelyn Keyes | 3.70 | 99.3 | 99.30 | 96 | 73 | 00 / 00 | 85.6 | |
| 21 | Pocketful of Miracles (1961) | Bette Davis | 7.00 | 101.9 | 101.90 | 33 | 67 | 03 / 00 | 84.6 | |
| 22 | Lust For Gold (1949) | Ida Lupino | 4.20 | 104.1 | 104.10 | 85 | 69 | 00 / 00 | 84.4 | |
| 23 | The Gazebo (1959) | Debbie Reynolds & Carl Reiner |
5.30 | 95.0 | 95.00 | 46 | 69 | 01 / 00 | 83.8 | |
| 24 | Blondie Plays Cupid (1940) | Penny Singleton & Arthur Lake |
2.40 | 93.0 | 93.00 | 79 | 69 | 00 / 00 | 83.0 | |
| 26 | The Desperadoes (1943) | Randolph Scott & Claire Trevor |
3.10 | 112.9 | 112.90 | 95 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 82.6 | |
| 27 | Gallant Journey (1946) | Janet Blair & Charles Ruggles |
3.60 | 110.3 | 110.30 | 88 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 82.5 | |
| 28 | Mr. Soft Touch (1949) | Evelyn Keyes & John Ireland |
4.40 | 111.4 | 111.40 | 68 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 82.1 | |
| 28 | Experiment in Terror (1962) | Lee Remick & Stefanie Powers |
4.00 | 57.5 | 57.50 | 61 | 78 | 00 / 00 | 81.8 | |
| 29 | Cimarron (1960) | Anne Baxter & Harry Morgan |
6.60 | 103.8 | 215.40 | 43 | 62 | 02 / 00 | 81.7 | |
| 30 | It Started with a Kiss (1959) | Debbie Reynolds | 7.90 | 141.2 | 141.20 | 30 | 51 | 00 / 00 | 81.4 | |
| 30 | Jubal (1956) | Charles Bronson | 5.10 | 100.8 | 100.80 | 58 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 81.1 | |
| 32 | The Man From Colorado (1948) | William Holden | 5.30 | 141.8 | 141.80 | 67 | 50 | 00 / 00 | 81.0 | |
| 31 | Imitation General (1958) | Red Buttons | 5.50 | 98.3 | 98.30 | 48 | 64 | 00 / 00 | 81.0 | |
| 32 | Framed (1947) | Janis Carter | 3.40 | 98.4 | 98.40 | 101 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 80.6 | |
| 35 | The Secret of Convict Lake (1951) | Gene Tierney & Ethel Barrymore |
3.90 | 83.2 | 83.20 | 91 | 65 | 00 / 00 | 78.8 | |
| 34 | The Man from the Alamo (1953) | Julie Adams & Chill Wills |
3.40 | 60.7 | 60.70 | 113 | 72 | 00 / 00 | 78.7 | |
| 36 | Follow The Sun (1951) | Anne Baxter & June Havoc |
3.30 | 70.8 | 70.80 | 111 | 69 | 00 / 00 | 78.5 | |
| 38 | Ransom! (1956) | Donna Reed & Leslie Nielsen |
3.50 | 68.5 | 68.50 | 96 | 69 | 00 / 00 | 78.4 | |
| 39 | The Sheepman (1958) | Shirley MacLaine | 4.30 | 77.0 | 77.00 | 55 | 64 | 01 / 00 | 76.9 | |
| 42 | The Lady in Question (1940) | Rita Hayworth | 2.70 | 104.5 | 104.50 | 65 | 56 | 00 / 00 | 76.7 | |
| 40 | Fate Is The Hunter (1964) | Rod Taylor & Jane Russell |
5.70 | 65.5 | 65.50 | 48 | 67 | 01 / 00 | 76.2 | |
| 42 | The Doctor and the Girl (1949) | Janet Leigh & Charles Coburn |
5.30 | 132.3 | 132.30 | 52 | 46 | 00 / 00 | 76.1 | |
| 43 | The White Tower (1950) | Claude Rains & Lloyd Bridges |
3.70 | 82.5 | 140.20 | 90 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 75.3 | |
| 44 | Human Desire (1954) | Gloria Grahame & Broderick Crawford |
2.30 | 53.6 | 53.60 | 115 | 70 | 00 / 00 | 74.7 | |
| 44 | Convicted (1950) | Broderick Crawford | 3.30 | 73.8 | 73.80 | 99 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 74.6 | |
| 45 | The Redhead and the Cowboy (1951) | Edmond O'Brien & Rhonda Fleming |
3.60 | 77.0 | 77.00 | 105 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 74.6 | |
| 47 | Go West, Young Lady (1941) | Penny Singleton | 2.20 | 83.8 | 83.80 | 110 | 59 | 00 / 00 | 73.3 | |
| 49 | Cry For Happy (1961) | Donald O'Connor | 5.10 | 74.9 | 74.90 | 45 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 73.0 | |
| 49 | Cowboy (1958) | Jack Lemmon | 3.60 | 63.9 | 63.90 | 62 | 64 | 01 / 00 | 72.9 | |
| 48 | The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1962) | Charles Boyer & Lee J. Cobb |
4.60 | 65.7 | 168.40 | 54 | 64 | 00 / 00 | 72.7 | |
| 51 | The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1963) | Ron Howard | 5.40 | 68.0 | 68.00 | 54 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 72.4 | |
| 53 | Flight Lieutenant (1942) | Pat O'Brien | 2.30 | 87.1 | 87.10 | 111 | 56 | 00 / 00 | 71.8 | |
| 52 | Is Paris Burning? (1966) | Orson Welles & Kirk Douglas |
2.00 | 19.6 | 68.10 | 101 | 73 | 02 / 00 | 68.5 | |
| 54 | Dear Heart (1964) | Geraldine Page & Angela Lansbury |
2.10 | 23.9 | 23.90 | 110 | 72 | 01 / 00 | 67.9 | |
| 56 | The Return of October (1948) | Terry Moore | 2.50 | 67.8 | 67.80 | 121 | 58 | 00 / 00 | 66.7 | |
| 55 | Torpedo Run (1958) | Ernest Borgnine & Dean Jones |
3.30 | 58.8 | 58.80 | 66 | 60 | 01 / 00 | 66.4 | |
| 57 | The Flying Missile (1950) | Viveca Lindfors | 2.60 | 57.9 | 57.90 | 119 | 59 | 00 / 00 | 63.1 | |
| 58 | The Green Glove (1952) | George Macready | 2.10 | 40.4 | 40.40 | 153 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 60.8 | |
| 59 | The Adventures of Martin Eden (1942) | Claire Trevor | 0.90 | 34.1 | 34.10 | 183 | 64 | 00 / 00 | 60.0 | |
| 60 | The Rounders (1965) | Henry Fonda | 3.90 | 40.7 | 40.70 | 69 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 59.3 | |
| 61 | Plunder of the Sun (1953) | Diana Lynn & Patricia Medina |
3.00 | 54.4 | 54.40 | 122 | 55 | 00 / 00 | 55.6 | |
| 62 | The Americano (1955) | Frank Lovejoy & Cesar Romero |
3.60 | 74.0 | 74.00 | 93 | 48 | 00 / 00 | 53.1 | |
| 64 | Texas (1941) | William Holden & Claire Trevor |
2.40 | 92.6 | 92.60 | 99 | 42 | 00 / 00 | 53.0 | |
| 64 | Love Is a Ball (1963) | Hope Lange | 1.90 | 24.2 | 24.20 | 92 | 60 | 00 / 00 | 46.5 | |
| 66 | Appointment in Honduras (1953) | Zachary Scott & Ann Sheridan |
2.40 | 43.6 | 43.60 | 146 | 54 | 00 / 00 | 45.9 | |
| 65 | The Money Trap (1965) | Rita Hayworth | 2.30 | 24.3 | 24.30 | 101 | 60 | 00 / 00 | 45.6 | |
| 67 | Smith! (1969) | Warren Oates & Dean Jagger |
3.70 | 28.2 | 28.20 | 61 | 58 | 00 / 00 | 43.9 | |
| 68 | Men Without Souls (1940) | Barton MacLane | 0.50 | 17.5 | 17.50 | 211 | 60 | 00 / 00 | 41.3 | |
| 70 | Happy Birthday To Me (1981) | Melissa Sun Anderson | 10.60 | 41.1 | 41.10 | 75 | 52 | 00 / 00 | 40.4 | |
| 69 | Day Of The Evil Gun (1968) | Arthur Kennedy & Dean Jagger |
1.70 | 14.4 | 14.40 | 138 | 60 | 00 / 00 | 40.2 | |
| 71 | Advance To The Rear (1964) | Stella Stevens & Melvyn Douglas |
3.10 | 36.0 | 36.00 | 80 | 52 | 00 / 00 | 36.3 | |
| 72 | Heaven With A Gun (1969) | David Carradine | 0.90 | 6.6 | 6.60 | 143 | 59 | 00 / 00 | 31.0 | |
| 73 | The Last Challenge (1967) | Angie Dickinson | 1.20 | 10.4 | 10.40 | 135 | 57 | 00 / 00 | 29.4 | |
| 74 | Babies For Sale (1940) | Rochelle Hudson | 0.70 | 26.8 | 26.80 | 187 | 50 | 00 / 00 | 26.9 | |
| 75 | Virus (1980) Film Festival Circuit Only |
George Kennedy | 0.00 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 203 | 58 | 00 / 00 | 25.2 | |
| 75 | My Son Is Guilty (1939) | Bruce Cabot | 0.60 | 21.7 | 21.70 | 213 | 51 | 00 / 00 | 25.0 | |
| 76 | Heaven with a Barbed Wire Fence (1939) | Jean Rogers | 0.50 | 19.2 | 19.20 | 218 | 51 | 00 / 00 | 24.3 | |
| 78 | Young Man with Ideas (1952) | Ruth Roman & Sheldon Leonard |
1.60 | 30.8 | 30.80 | 175 | 47 | 00 / 00 | 22.7 | |
| 77 | A Time for Killing (1967) | Harrison Ford | 1.10 | 9.5 | 9.50 | 140 | 53 | 00 / 00 | 21.8 | |
| 80 | Terror On A Train/Time Bomb (1953) | Harcourt Williams | 1.00 | 18.8 | 40.60 | 211 | 45 | 00 / 00 | 14.2 | |
| 79 | The Visitor (1979) | Mel Ferrer | 0.40 | 1.7 | 1.70 | 155 | 50 | 00 / 00 | 13.4 | |
| 81 | Day Of The Assassin (1979) | Richard Roundtree | 0.10 | 0.2 | 0.20 | 177 | 43 | 00 / 00 | 5.9 | |
| 82 | Raw Nerve (1991) Limited Release |
Jan-Michael Vincent | 0.10 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 219 | 43 | 00 / 00 | 5.7 |
Possibly Interesting Facts About Glenn Ford
1. Gwyllyn Samuel Newton Ford was born in Quebec, Canada in 1916. Ford was related to U.S. President Martin Van Buren.
2. Glenn Ford’s path to stardom: 1. After graduating high school started working in small theater groups. 2. Was taught horsemanship by Will Rogers. 3. Performed with West Coast stage companies. 4. Signed a movie contract with Columbia. 5. After some weak B movies hit a homerun with 1941’s So Ends Our Night. 6. After serving in the Marines during World War 2 he returned to movies. 7. In 1946, Ford appeared in one of his most famous roles, Gilda. Ford was a star the rest of his life.
3. Gummo Marx helped get Glenn Ford his first Columbia movie contract. Gummo was the 2nd youngest Marx Brother.
4. Glenn Ford was never nominated for an Academy Award®. For more on this please visit our Classic Actors Who Got Hosed By The Academy page.
5. Glenn Ford did get nominated for 3 Golden Globe® awards. He received nominations for 1956’s The Teahouse of the August Moon and 1957’s Don’t Go Near The Water. He won the Golden Globe® Best Actor for 1961’s A Pocketful of Miracles.
6. Glenn Ford was married 4 times. His first marriage to singer, dancer, actress Eleanor Powell was from 1943 to 1959. They had one child….Peter Ford who became an actor and writer.
7. Glenn Ford is credited with being the fastest “gun” in Hollywood westerns, able to draw and fire in 0.4 seconds.
8. Glenn Ford was among Hollywood’s Top 10 box office stars 3 times: He ranked 5th in 1956, 1st in 1958, and 6th in 1959.
9. Glenn Ford appeared in 5 movies with Rita Hayworth: The Lady in Question (1940), Affair in Trinidad (1952), The Loves of Carmen (1948), The Money Trap (1965) and of course Gilda (1946). The Ford/Hayworth team is one of the greatest in movie history.
10. Check out Glenn Ford‘s career compared to current and classic actors. Most 100 Million Dollar Movies of All-Time.
Finally: Just want to take a minute to acknowledge a very awesome book on Glenn Ford. Glenn Ford A Life by Peter Ford is a fascinating read. Book offers a look at both Ford’s screen life and his off screen personal life. If you like Glenn Ford then you have to check out this book. Glenn Ford A Life.
Steve’s Glenn Ford Updated You Tube Video
Academy Award® and Oscar® are the registered trademarks of the Academy of Motion Arts and Sciences. Golden Globe® is a registered trademark of the Hollywood Foreign Press.
For comments….all you need is a name and a comment….please ignore the rest.
Glenn Ford is the # 88 most connectible actor of the 1950’s.
Starting tomorrow – Monday July 1st – Glenn Ford will be TCM’s Star of the Month for July. TCM will be airing 37 Glenn Ford movies across 5 Monday nights and one Tuesday daytime (8th). I’ve seen most of these movies, but I never tire of them. I’m excited about this tribute.
“Lucky Flora!” I thought and then quickly moved to check our local TCM channel. Sure enough this Tuesday [2 July] showing there is Glenn’s 1956 Fastest Gun Alive followed by his 1969 Heaven with A Gun. Whether those are just random presentations or the start of a Glenn Ford season to run over the coming weeks I’m not sure.
However I’ll take what I can get because Heaven with a Gun also stars the then 21 year old Barbara Hershey, long a fave actress of mine, in just her second movie; and Fastest Gun Alive is one of 9 fifties westerns featuring Glenn which were a big part of my growing up, and which will always have a large spot in my nostalgic recollections of a decade when I regarded Glenn as one of the most entertaining actors on the screen. The complete list is as follows:
1951/Redhead and the cowboy
1953/Man from the Alamo
1954/Rough Company [aka The Violent Men]
1955/The Americano.
1956/Jubal
1956/Fastest Gun Alive
1957/3.10 to Yuma
1958/The Sheepman
1958/Cowboy.
All of those westerns [with the exception of The Americano] were well received over here by critics and audiences alike with for example Margaret Hinxman the UK’s lead film critic in the 1950s describing Cowboy as “A western with spurs on!” Jubal is a western reworking of Shakespeare’s Othello with Ernie Borgnine representing the latter and Glenn representing Cassio.
Rough Company was one of Columbia’s first movies in the then new Cinemascope process.
I vividly recall queuing one Friday night in 1953 for Man from the Alamo and reaching the head of the queue only for the attendant to come out with the “House Full” sign so that I had to return the following night to see the movie. Glenn was enormously popular in the Belfast of the 1950s.
Our database makes that pretty easy to calculate. For the years 1940 to 1969….here are the Top 36 based on adjusted domestic box office. These numbers are in billion. So Glenn Ford sits in 30th place with $5.49 billion. This is the raw data…so supporting actors did very well in the final numbers.
1st John Wayne $10,550.30
Van Johnson $7,580.60
James Stewart $7,371.70
Bing Crosby $7,331.50
William Demarest$7,304.90
Agnes Moorehead $7,131.70
Gregory Peck $6,933.70
Fred MacMurray $6,798.00
Spencer Tracy $6,611.80
10th Anthony Quinn $6,611.20
Cary Grant $6,551.20
Bob Hope $6,504.80
George Sanders $6,325.90
Frank Sinatra $6,248.50
ElizabethTaylor $6,230.30
William Holden $6,219.40
Walter Brennan $6,167.70
Gary Cooper $6,070.30
Robert Mitchum $6,066.90
20th Humphrey Bogart $5,955.00
Alan Ladd $5,938.40
Susan Hayward $5,796.40
Dean Martin $5,740.40
Dana Andrews $5,715.10
Burt Lancaster $5,688.40
Maureen O’Hara $5,651.80
Anne Baxter $5,545.10
Dorothy Lamour $5,505.10
June Allyson $5,494.20
30th Glenn Ford $5,493.60
Lana Turner $5,474.90
Walter Pidgeon $5,473.40
Vincent Price $5,468.80
Tony Curtis $5,411.90
Charlton Heston $5,401.30
36th EdwardG.Robinson$5,385.90
Who are the top-10 actors and actresses over any 3 decade period. E.g. 30 – 50, 40 – 60, 50 – 70, 60 - 80.
I use 3 decades because I’m interested in longevity: yea, there have been very ‘hot’ actors in every decade but many fade, especially after 10 years or so. If I’m not mistaken Glenn Ford would be right at the top for 40 – 60 (or maybe 50 – 70?), since he was very big in the 50s but strong in decades prior and after that. I.e. he was a fan favorite for a very long time.
Of course many of the top-10 stars you listed would be in the top 10 for a 3 decade period, but I wonder if any of them would be in the top-10 for two of these: e.g. 40 – 60, and 50 – 70? (which means they were ‘strong’ for over 4 decades.
Hey, I know that this would take work, but I just love this stuff and you do good work.