Want to know the best Jack Lemmon movies? How about the worst Jack Lemmon movies? Curious about Jack Lemmon’s box office grosses or which Jack Lemmon movie picked up the most Oscar® nominations? Need to know which Jack Lemmon 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.
John Uhler “Jack” Lemmon III (February 8, 1925 – June 27, 2001) was a two Academy Award® winning actor. Lemmon’s film debut was a uncredited bit part in the 1949 film The Lady Takes a Sailor but he was not noticed until his official debut in 1954’s It Should Happen To You.
Over the next 45 years, Lemmon would appear in numerous classic movies. Movies like Mister Roberts, Some Like It Hot, The Apartment, Day of Wine and Roses, The Great Race and The China Syndrome. Jack Lemmon received 8 Oscar® nominations for acting in his career.
He won twice, once as Best Supporting Actor in 1955’s Mister Roberts and once as Best Actor for 1973’s Save The Tiger. Lemmon also received an incredible 16 Golden Globe® nominations for his movie roles. So basically for every three movies Lemmon made, he would receive one nomination…..not a bad ratio.
His IMDb page shows 96 acting credits from 1949-2000. This page will rank 53 Jack Lemmon movies from Best to Worst in six different sortable columns of information. Television shows, shorts, cameos and bit parts were not included in the rankings.
Jack Lemmon 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
1960
The Apartment (1960)
AA Best Picture Win
AA Best Actor Nom
1959
Some Like It Hot (1959)
AA Best Actor Nom
1955
Mister Roberts (1955)
AA Best Picture Nom
AA Best Supp Actor Win
1991
JFK (1991)
AA Best Picture Nom
1963
Irma La Douce (1963)
1968
The Odd Couple (1968)
1962
Days of Wine and Roses (1962)
AA Best Actor Nom
1979
The China Syndrome (1979)
AA Best Actor Nom
1965
The Great Race (1965)
1993
Grumpy Old Men (1993)
1964
Good Neighbor Sam (1964)
1963
Under The Yum Yum Tree (1963)
1965
How To Murder Your Wife (1965)
1982
Missing (1982)
AA Best Picture Nom
AA Best Actor Nom
1974
The Front Page (1974)
1970
The Out of Towners (1970)
1958
Bell Book and Candle (1958)
1995
Grumpier Old Men (1995)
1954
It Should Happen To You (1954)
1960
The Wackiest Ship In The Army (1960)
1977
Airport '77 (1977)
1962
The Notorious Landlady (1962)
1969
The April Fools (1969)
1955
My Sister Eileen (1955)
1992
Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)
1973
Save the Tiger (1973)
AA Best Actor Win
1966
The Fortune Cookie (1966)
1954
Phffft (1954)
1957
Operation Mad Ball (1957)
1971
Kotch (1971)
1971
Kotch (1971)
1993
Short Cuts (1993)
1996
Hamlet (1996)
1955
Three For The Show (1955)
1959
It Happened To Jane (1959)
1958
Cowboy (1958)
1972
Avanti! (1972)
1956
You Can't Run Away From It (1956)
1989
Dad (1989)
1972
The War Between Men And Women (1972)
1975
The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1975)
1997
12 Angry Men (1997)
Showtime Movies
1996
My Fellow Americans (1996)
1997
Out to Sea (1997)
1980
Tribute (1980)
AA Best Actor Nom
1999
Inherit the Wind (1999)
Showtime Movies
1957
Fire Down Below (1957)
1981
Buddy Buddy (1981)
1984
Mass Appeal (1984)
1998
The Odd Couple II (1998)
1995
The Grass Harp (1995)
1986
That's Life! (1986)
1976
Alex & The Gypsy (1976)
1985
Macaroni (1985)
1967
Luv (1967)
1996
Getting Away with Murder (1996)
Jack Lemmon 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 Jack Lemmon movies by co-stars of his movies
- Sort Jack Lemmon movies by adjusted domestic box office grosses using current movie ticket cost (in millions)
- Sort Jack Lemmon movies by yearly domestic box office rank
- Sort Jack Lemmon 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 Jack Lemmon movie received.
- Sort Jack Lemmon 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 Apartment (1960) AA Best Picture Win AA Best Actor Nom |
Shirley MacLaine & Fred MacMurray |
19.00 | 296.8 | 296.80 | 8 | 87 | 10 / 05 | 99.9 | |
| 2 | Some Like It Hot (1959) AA Best Actor Nom |
Tony Curtis & Marilyn Monroe |
23.20 | 417.2 | 417.20 | 5 | 93 | 06 / 01 | 99.5 | |
| 3 | Mister Roberts (1955) AA Best Picture Nom AA Best Supp Actor Win |
Henry Fonda & James Cagney |
21.40 | 444.2 | 499.60 | 4 | 88 | 03 / 01 | 99.4 | |
| 4 | JFK (1991) AA Best Picture Nom |
Kevin Costner & Tommy Lee Jones |
70.40 | 180.3 | 526.00 | 17 | 81 | 08 / 02 | 98.9 | |
| 5 | Irma La Douce (1963) | Shirley MacLaine & James Caan |
25.20 | 315.9 | 315.90 | 6 | 79 | 03 / 01 | 97.9 | |
| 6 | The Odd Couple (1968) | Walter Matthau & John Fiedler |
44.50 | 366.4 | 366.40 | 6 | 81 | 02 / 00 | 97.9 | |
| 9 | Days of Wine and Roses (1962) AA Best Actor Nom |
Lee Remick | 12.30 | 176.3 | 209.10 | 17 | 83 | 05 / 01 | 97.6 | |
| 8 | The China Syndrome (1979) AA Best Actor Nom |
Jane Fonda & Michael Douglas |
51.70 | 222.1 | 222.10 | 15 | 77 | 04 / 00 | 97.5 | |
| 7 | The Great Race (1965) | Tony Curts & Natalie Wood |
30.80 | 325.6 | 325.60 | 5 | 74 | 05 / 01 | 97.2 | |
| 11 | Grumpy Old Men (1993) | Walter Matthau & Ann-Margret |
70.20 | 182.7 | 182.70 | 14 | 65 | 00 / 00 | 92.4 | |
| 13 | Good Neighbor Sam (1964) | Edward G. Robinson | 14.10 | 162.2 | 162.20 | 13 | 68 | 00 / 00 | 91.0 | |
| 12 | Under The Yum Yum Tree (1963) | Carol Lynley & Dean Jones |
14.10 | 177.3 | 177.30 | 19 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 90.2 | |
| 15 | How To Murder Your Wife (1965) | Terry-Thomas | 15.10 | 160.0 | 160.00 | 16 | 66 | 00 / 00 | 90.0 | |
| 14 | Missing (1982) AA Best Picture Nom AA Best Actor Nom |
Sissy Spacek | 14.00 | 51.3 | 51.30 | 51 | 87 | 04 / 01 | 89.1 | |
| 14 | The Front Page (1974) | Walter Matthau & Susan Sarandon |
23.80 | 137.4 | 137.40 | 26 | 69 | 00 / 00 | 88.6 | |
| 17 | The Out of Towners (1970) | Sandy Dennis | 21.90 | 152.4 | 152.40 | 16 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 87.8 | |
| 16 | Bell Book and Candle (1958) | James Stewart & Kim Novak |
7.10 | 127.1 | 127.10 | 35 | 68 | 02 / 00 | 87.7 | |
| 19 | Grumpier Old Men (1995) | Walter Matthau & Sophia Loren |
71.50 | 177.2 | 177.20 | 20 | 53 | 00 / 00 | 87.0 | |
| 18 | It Should Happen To You (1954) | Judy Holliday & Directed by George Cukor |
4.00 | 93.7 | 93.70 | 79 | 75 | 01 / 00 | 86.3 | |
| 22 | The Wackiest Ship In The Army (1960) | Ricky Nelson | 10.30 | 160.7 | 160.70 | 20 | 54 | 00 / 00 | 85.8 | |
| 23 | Airport '77 (1977) | James Stewart & Olivia de Havilland |
40.80 | 197.1 | 197.10 | 17 | 42 | 00 / 00 | 85.6 | |
| 24 | The Notorious Landlady (1962) | Fred Astaire | 7.50 | 107.8 | 107.80 | 34 | 66 | 00 / 00 | 83.9 | |
| 25 | The April Fools (1969) | Catherine Deneuve | 14.30 | 108.5 | 108.50 | 23 | 65 | 00 / 00 | 83.5 | |
| 24 | My Sister Eileen (1955) | Janet Leigh | 5.10 | 106.6 | 106.60 | 64 | 65 | 00 / 00 | 82.8 | |
| 25 | Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) | Al Pacino & Ed Harris |
10.70 | 27.9 | 27.90 | 95 | 89 | 00 / 00 | 82.6 | |
| 26 | Save the Tiger (1973) AA Best Actor Win |
Jack Gilford | 7.10 | 43.4 | 43.40 | 49 | 80 | 03 / 01 | 82.2 | |
| 26 | The Fortune Cookie (1966) | Walter Matthau & Directed by Billy Wilder |
4.20 | 41.2 | 41.20 | 61 | 79 | 04 / 01 | 82.0 | |
| 30 | Phffft (1954) | Judy Holliday | 4.40 | 103.8 | 103.80 | 66 | 64 | 00 / 00 | 81.9 | |
| 31 | Operation Mad Ball (1957) | Mickey Rooney & Ernie Kovacs |
5.30 | 101.7 | 101.70 | 43 | 64 | 00 / 00 | 81.8 | |
| 32 | Kotch (1971) | Walter Matthau | 10.90 | 71.3 | 71.30 | 34 | 67 | 04 / 00 | 79.8 | |
| 29 | Kotch (1971) | Jack Lemmon & Deborah Winters |
10.90 | 71.3 | 71.30 | 34 | 67 | 04 / 00 | 79.8 | |
| 32 | Short Cuts (1993) | Robert Downey Jr. & Julianne Mooe |
6.10 | 15.9 | 15.90 | 132 | 87 | 01 / 00 | 79.3 | |
| 33 | Hamlet (1996) | Robin Williams & Charlton Heston |
4.70 | 11.5 | 41.10 | 153 | 83 | 04 / 00 | 77.8 | |
| 34 | Three For The Show (1955) | Betty Grable | 3.60 | 74.0 | 74.00 | 90 | 65 | 00 / 00 | 76.0 | |
| 35 | It Happened To Jane (1959) | Doris Day | 4.90 | 87.3 | 87.30 | 51 | 60 | 00 / 00 | 75.4 | |
| 36 | Cowboy (1958) | Glenn Ford | 3.60 | 63.9 | 63.90 | 62 | 64 | 01 / 00 | 72.9 | |
| 36 | Avanti! (1972) | Juliet Mills | 4.50 | 28.8 | 28.80 | 69 | 74 | 00 / 00 | 71.3 | |
| 38 | You Can't Run Away From It (1956) | June Allyson | 4.30 | 84.0 | 84.00 | 69 | 57 | 00 / 00 | 71.2 | |
| 38 | Dad (1989) | Ted Danson & Ethan Hawke |
22.10 | 60.0 | 74.70 | 46 | 60 | 01 / 00 | 66.4 | |
| 40 | The War Between Men And Women (1972) | Barbara Harris & Jason Robards |
12.10 | 76.9 | 76.90 | 30 | 54 | 00 / 00 | 64.7 | |
| 40 | The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1975) | Anne Bancroft | 7.30 | 38.2 | 38.20 | 54 | 66 | 00 / 00 | 64.1 | |
| 41 | 12 Angry Men (1997) Showtime Movies |
George C. Scott | 0.00 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 334 | 76 | 00 / 00 | 62.0 | |
| 45 | My Fellow Americans (1996) | James Garner & Dan Aykroyd |
22.30 | 54.4 | 54.40 | 70 | 59 | 00 / 00 | 61.3 | |
| 46 | Out to Sea (1997) | Walter Matthau | 29.00 | 68.2 | 68.20 | 71 | 54 | 00 / 00 | 60.9 | |
| 44 | Tribute (1980) AA Best Actor Nom |
Robby Benson | 9.00 | 37.3 | 37.30 | 79 | 63 | 01 / 00 | 60.6 | |
| 46 | Inherit the Wind (1999) Showtime Movies |
George C. Scott | 0.00 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 356 | 74 | 00 / 00 | 58.7 | |
| 48 | Fire Down Below (1957) | Robert Mitchum & Rita Hayworth |
5.90 | 112.8 | 112.80 | 41 | 38 | 00 / 00 | 57.2 | |
| 47 | Buddy Buddy (1981) | Walter Matthau & Directed by Billy Wilder |
7.30 | 28.1 | 28.10 | 84 | 64 | 00 / 00 | 56.7 | |
| 49 | Mass Appeal (1984) | Charles Durning | 1.90 | 6.2 | 6.20 | 140 | 66 | 00 / 00 | 47.3 | |
| 50 | The Odd Couple II (1998) | Walter Matthau | 18.90 | 43.5 | 43.50 | 86 | 53 | 00 / 00 | 43.9 | |
| 51 | The Grass Harp (1995) | Walter Matthau & Sissy Spacek |
0.60 | 1.4 | 1.40 | 203 | 64 | 00 / 00 | 39.7 | |
| 52 | That's Life! (1986) | Julie Andrews | 4.10 | 11.9 | 11.90 | 117 | 57 | 01 / 00 | 32.0 | |
| 54 | Alex & The Gypsy (1976) | James Woods & Geneviève Bujold |
3.30 | 16.9 | 16.90 | 97 | 56 | 00 / 00 | 31.5 | |
| 52 | Macaroni (1985) | Marcello Mastroianni | 0.90 | 2.7 | 2.70 | 155 | 60 | 00 / 00 | 31.5 | |
| 55 | Luv (1967) | Peter Falk | 2.30 | 20.5 | 20.50 | 89 | 53 | 00 / 00 | 28.1 | |
| 56 | Getting Away with Murder (1996) | Dan Aykroyd | 0.20 | 0.5 | 0.50 | 241 | 33 | 00 / 00 | 1.4 |
Possibly Interesting Facts About Jack Lemmon.
1. Jack Lemmon was born in an elevator.
2. His father was the president of a doughnut company.
2. Jack Lemmon graduated from Harvard University in 1947.
3. Lemmon taught himself to play the piano. He appears in numerous movies playing the piano.
4. Lemmon appeared in 7 movies directed by Billy Wilder. From 1959’s Some Like It Hot to 1991’s Buddy Buddy.
5. Lemmon made 12 movies with Walter Matthau. From 1965’s The Fortune Cookie to 1998’s The Odd Couple II. To see all 12 movies….just type in Walter in the search box…and they will all pop up.
6. Other roles Lemmon turned down over the years: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolfe? , All That Jazz, Never So Few, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and The Hustler.
7. Lemmon was married twice. His son Chris Lemmon, was his first child by his first wife, actress Cynthia Stone. His second wife was the actress Felicia Farr, with whom he had a daughter, Courtney and a step daughter Denise.
8. Lemmon directed one film in his lifetime…1971’s Kotch. Kotch starred his friend Walter Matthau, and earned Matthau an Oscar® nomination for Best Actor.
9. Lemmon passed away about one year after Matthua passed away. His gravestone simply reads “JACK LEMMON in”
10. Check out Jack Lemmon‘s career compared to current and classic actors. Most 100 Million Dollar Movies of All-Time.
If you do a comment….please ignore the email address and website section.
Way before my time, but it looks like he has some great movies and a ton of awards. I liked him in Glengary Glen Ross as well as all the Old Grumpy Men movies,
Hey JScott….he was way before your time….but it least he reached you with Glengary Glen Ross….a performance that should have gotten at least an Oscar nomination
A great page on a great actor. Keep it up pops
Thanks BryRog57
Jack Lemmon was a very good actor – China Syndrome was one of my favorite movies but he made so many good ones so it is hard to pick them all. Great facts and very interesting Cogerson.
Hey Bern1960…thanks for stopping by…..I am glad you like the Lemmon movie page…..The China Syndrome is a great movie….and still an important movie
I love Jack Lemmon, I was shocked to realize that he is already been gone 10 years, where does the time go. I remember clearly watching the China Syndrome at the theater and it was right when Three Mile Island was going on. It scared me to death. I think all the movies he made with Matthau are great. On your poll, I voted for Sidney Poiter, but I wondered where Matthau was on the poll. Great Lemmon movie page.
Hey KellyE1967….I have the same memories of Three Mile Island and The China Syndrome ….I am sure the producers of the movie could not believe their luck when Three Mile Island had their problems right as The China Syndrome was opening.
No pulse? That’s cool. A comical actor who gave us many laughs. The way he walked and talked actually made me laugh more. He had swagger like Jagger. A terrific tribute to a talented genius! Way to go cogerson! Enjoy your weekend! 🙂
Thanks for stopping by Sunshine625….I wonder how many times Jack Lemmon and Jagger got compared to each other? Thanks for the compliment.