Joan Crawford Movies vs Bette Davis Movies

Bette Davis and Joan Crawford are two of the greatest actresses ever.  Both are listed in AFI’s Top 10 of Classic Screen Legends….Davis ranked 2nd….while Crawford comes in 10th place.  Their greatness can not be argued.  Still we felt it would be fun to look at their entire careers and see who has the statistical edge.  So…we looked at all of their movies and put them in this massive table.  Below the table is our breakdown of their stats in 6 different categories.  Not sure this proves anything…but it is cool to see their movies listed together.

Joan Crawford Movies vs Bette Davis 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.

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65 thoughts on “Joan Crawford Movies vs Bette Davis Movies”

  1. Hi

    I think the T.V. show Feud has really reignited interest in the Crawford/Davis relationship and careers. There’s no doubt the Mommie Dearest Book did Crawford a lot of harm. Partly because it was the first book of its kind. The book about Davis in comparison wasn’t telling us something to public didn’t already know. Although lately I’ve watched a documentary about Davis’ daughter, claiming that her mother was involved in witchcraft. But there’s so much negative stuff now that it hardly raises an eyebrow. Although I think the Crosby book did Bing a lot of harm.
    Anyway getting back to Davis/Crawford, I think Davis will always have the upper hand. She was a bigger personality and left a better body of work. Crawford without Mildred Pierce would probably be half forgotten. Whereas Davis without All About Eve still had that great legacy of Warner Bros. It’s a pity they both couldn’t complete Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte because it was actually better than Baby Jane.
    Nevertheless, both legends.

    Reply

    1. Hey Chris
      1. I think you are correct….Feud has given their relationship a boost for sure.
      2. As much as they did not seem to like it each other…their lifes were almost a mirror image of each other…..from the movies to the tell all books.
      3. I think you are right….Crawford’s career is lacking that all-time classic movie. Mildred Pierce is awesome…but how often do people mention it on the their all-time great movies.
      4. The lines in the sand are being drawn for sure….Bob and S. Tolley and one side ….you and Lupino on the other side…..while I sit in the middle and referee.
      Both legends indeed….thanks for the feedback.

      Reply

  2. Joan had beauty and class…..two things Bette did not. Perhaps that’s why Joan’s films grossed so much more profit than Bette’s did.

    Reply

    1. S. Tolley, I am sure BOB will just LOVE your comment 🙂 I like both actresses, but if pressed, I’d settle for Bette. I like her movies from all her decades, because she was never less than interesting- be it in a good or bad way. My favorite Joan moments are from her later years, I love her WB movies and some of her 50’s stuff, while her 30’s movies are watchable, but not as intriguing as Bette’s movies are for me. Exceptions: Rain, her Flämmchen in Grand Hotel and her Chrystal in The Women.

      Reply

      1. Bob would be standing beside S. Tolley in this argument….I would be in the middle saying…they are both all-time legends. Good breakdown on Joan and Bette…..they make sense to me….but I am sure Bob and S. Tolley are staring you down…lol.

        Reply

    2. Hey S. Tolley…..thanks for checking out our Davis vs Crawford page….we will put you on the Joan side of this debate. Appreciate the comment and the visit.

      Reply

  3. I am in heaven here loved Mildred pierce but Bette is on a higher plane I have most of her films and never tire watching them.

    Reply

    1. Hey Leslie…glad you like this page so much…I think it is a fun page that is filled with lots of great information…thanks for the visit and the comment.

      Reply

  4. I feel part of the reason Joan has been “forgotten”, for lack of a more appropriate word, was the irreparable damage done to her reputation by Mommie Dearest (book & film).

    She’s viewed as a megalomaniacal, drunken, abusive actress who had a memorable, reputable role or two…

    Reply

    1. Hey Michael S…..good point about the impact Mommie Dearest has had on Crawford’s legacy. Davis’ daughter did the same thing, but for some reason it never took off the way Mommie Dearest did for Crawford….thanks for the comment and the visit.

      Reply

  5. Hey Madeline K. Glad you like the link and thanks for the feedback. I think that the remake of The Women was so poorly attended in theaters shows how much better the original was…just looking at the rankings by year..The Women in 1939 was the biggest hit of the year while The Women in 2008 was the the 101st biggest hit of the year….sorry sometimes I can not control the stat monster inside me….lol.

    Reply

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