Norma Shearer and Joan Crawford are two of the greatest actresses ever. 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 Norma Shearer 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 Joan Crawford Movies vs Norma Shearer Movies by who starred in the movie
- Sort Joan Crawford Movies vs Norma Shearer Movies by co-stars of their movies
- Sort Joan Crawford Movies vs Norma Shearer Movies by adjusted domestic box office grosses using current movie ticket cost (in millions)
- Sort Joan Crawford Movies vs Norma Shearer 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 Joan Crawford Movies vs Norma Shearer Movies received and how many Oscar® wins each Joan Crawford Movies vs Norma Shearer Movies won.
- Sort Joan Crawford Movies vs Norma Shearer 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.
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Rank Movie (Year) Crawford or Shearer UMR Co-Star Links Adj. B.O. Domestic (mil) Critic Audience Rating Oscar Nom / Win UMR Score Mildred Pierce (1945) Joan Crawford Eve Arden & Ann Blyth $239.90 82.00% 06 / 01 82.29 Marie Antoinette (1938) Norma Shearer Tyrone Power $203.90 76.50% 04 / 00 74.56 Women, The (1939) Joan Crawford Norma Shearer & Joan Crawford $203.60 83.50% 00 / 00 70.24 Grand Hotel (1932) Joan Crawford Greta Garbo & Lionel Barrymore $135.20 81.50% 01 / 01 65.26 Divorcee, The (1930) Norma Shearer Robert Montgomery $109.20 69.50% 04 / 01 64.79 Barretts of Wimpole Street, The (1934) Norma Shearer Charles Laughton $131.70 71.00% 02 / 00 63.58 Romeo and Juliet (1936) Norma Shearer Leslie Howard & Directed by George Cukor $108.10 71.50% 04 / 00 60.96 Possessed (1947) Joan Crawford Van Heflin $122.40 78.50% 01 / 00 60.76 Johnny Guitar (1954) Joan Crawford Ernest Borgnine & Sterling Hayden $130.90 86.00% 00 / 00 60.71 What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) Joan Crawford Bette Davis $115.20 84.50% 05 / 01 60.17 Free Soul, A (1931) Norma Shearer Clark Gable & Lionel Barrymore $105.60 75.00% 03 / 01 59.42 Possessed (1931) Joan Crawford Clark Gable $122.30 82.00% 00 / 00 57.50 Sudden Fear (1952) Joan Crawford Jack Palance $70.20 82.50% 04 / 00 55.76 Dancing Lady (1933) Joan Crawford Clark Gable & Fred Astaire $156.00 67.00% 00 / 00 55.67 Chained (1934) Joan Crawford Clark Gable $136.20 72.50% 00 / 00 55.18 Their Own Desire (1930) Norma Shearer Robert Montgomery $129.70 61.00% 01 / 00 55.17 Humoresque (1946) Joan Crawford John Garfield $148.50 67.00% 01 / 00 54.91 Woman's Face, A (1941) Joan Crawford Melvyn Douglas $104.60 82.00% 00 / 00 54.75 Smilin' Through (1932) Norma Shearer Leslie Howard & Fredric March $109.90 70.00% 01 / 00 53.33 Love on the Run (1936) Joan Crawford Clark Gable $128.20 69.50% 00 / 00 52.53 Flamingo Road (1949) Joan Crawford Sydney Greenstreet $123.20 70.50% 00 / 00 52.24 Best of Everything, The (1959) Joan Crawford Stephen Boyd & Hope Lange $140.50 62.50% 02 / 00 51.96 Strange Cargo (1940) Joan Crawford Clark Gable & Peter Lorre $112.80 72.00% 00 / 00 51.32 Escape (1940) Norma Shearer Robert Taylor $116.70 69.00% 00 / 00 50.52 Forsaking All Others (1934) Joan Crawford Clark Gable $146.50 59.00% 00 / 00 50.44 Hollywood Revue (1929) Joan Crawford Norma Shearer & Joan Crawford $117.50 59.00% 01 / 00 49.34 Mannequin (1937) Joan Crawford Spencer Tracy $138.30 57.50% 01 / 00 48.86 Gorgeous Hussy, The (1936) Joan Crawford James Stewart $163.90 48.00% 02 / 00 48.76 Sadie McKee (1934) Joan Crawford Franchot Tone $87.80 73.00% 00 / 00 47.92 Last of Mrs. Cheyney (1937) Joan Crawford William Powell $143.60 54.50% 00 / 00 47.88 Unknown, The (1927) Joan Crawford Lon Chaney Sr. $52.90 84.00% 00 / 00 47.68 Idiot's Delight (1939) Norma Shearer Clark Gable $140.50 54.00% 00 / 00 47.16 Daisy Kenyon (1947) Joan Crawford Henry Fonda $107.80 64.00% 00 / 00 46.79 Let Us Be Gay (1930) Norma Shearer Marie Dressler $107.50 63.50% 00 / 00 46.50 Damned Don't Cry, The (1950) Joan Crawford David Brian $77.30 72.50% 00 / 00 46.05 No More Ladies (1935) Joan Crawford Joan Fontaine $112.10 60.00% 00 / 00 45.58 Private Lives (1931) Norma Shearer Robert Montgomery $96.70 64.50% 00 / 00 45.31 Riptide (1934) Norma Shearer Robert Montgomery $113.00 59.00% 00 / 00 45.25 Paid (1930) Joan Crawford Robert Armstrong $119.30 56.50% 00 / 00 45.05 Shining Hour, The (1938) Joan Crawford Robert Young $117.60 57.00% 00 / 00 45.02 Harriet Craig (1950) Joan Crawford Wendell Corey $55.20 77.00% 00 / 00 44.75 Rain (1932) Joan Crawford Walter Huston $58.90 75.50% 00 / 00 44.61 Trial of Mary Dugan, The (1929) Norma Shearer Lewis Stone $83.60 67.00% 00 / 00 44.45 Strangers May Kiss (1931) Norma Shearer Robert Montgomery $116.40 55.50% 00 / 00 44.12 Our Dancing Daughters (1928) Joan Crawford Johnny Mack Brown $62.60 71.50% 02 / 00 44.10 Dance, Fools, Dance (1931) Joan Crawford Clark Gable $100.70 60.00% 00 / 00 43.81 When Ladies Meet (1941) Joan Crawford Greer Garson & Robert Taylor $112.90 55.00% 01 / 00 43.75 Autumn Leaves (1956) Joan Crawford Cliff Robertson $48.20 76.50% 00 / 00 43.43 Bride Wore Red, The (1937) Joan Crawford Franchot Tone & Robert Young $84.30 64.50% 00 / 00 43.39 Strait-Jacket (1964) Joan Crawford Lee Majors $56.20 73.50% 00 / 00 43.25 Our Blushing Brides (1930) Joan Crawford Robert Montgomery $113.40 53.00% 00 / 00 42.49 Letty Lynton (1932) Joan Crawford Robert Montgomery $82.50 62.50% 00 / 00 42.17 Last of Mrs. Cheyney, The (1929) Norma Shearer Basil Rathbone $85.70 60.50% 01 / 00 42.12 They All Kissed The Bride (1942) Joan Crawford Melvyn Douglas $83.10 59.50% 00 / 00 40.84 I Live My Life (1935) Joan Crawford Frank Morgan $92.40 55.00% 00 / 00 40.17 Susan and God (1940) Joan Crawford Fredric March & Rita Hayworth $70.30 60.00% 00 / 00 39.10 This Modern Age (1931) Joan Crawford Neil Hamilton $84.10 55.00% 00 / 00 38.89 West Point (1927) Joan Crawford William Haines $45.90 67.00% 00 / 00 38.60 Reunion in France (1942) Joan Crawford John Wayne $86.90 52.50% 00 / 00 38.14 Montana Moon (1930) Joan Crawford Johnny Mack Brown $97.40 49.00% 00 / 00 38.13 Queen Bee (1955) Joan Crawford Fay Wray $45.20 64.50% 02 / 00 38.13 Ice Follies of 1939, The (1939) Joan Crawford James Stewart $87.30 51.00% 00 / 00 37.50 Across to Singapore (1928) Joan Crawford Ramon Novarro $45.30 64.50% 00 / 00 37.34 We Were Dancing (1942) Norma Shearer Melvyn Douglas & Gail Patrick $48.30 61.00% 00 / 00 36.16 Story of Esther Costello, The (1957) Joan Crawford Heather Sears $50.50 60.00% 00 / 00 36.03 Laughing Sinners (1931) Joan Crawford Clark Gable $74.10 52.00% 00 / 00 35.93 Her Cardboard Lover (1942) Norma Shearer Robert Taylor & Directed by George Cukor $52.90 58.00% 00 / 00 35.46 Goodbye, My Fancy (1951) Joan Crawford Robert Young $62.60 54.50% 00 / 00 35.32 Our Modern Maidens (1929) Joan Crawford Douglas Fairbanks Jr. $51.90 58.00% 00 / 00 35.30 Strange Interlude (1932) Norma Shearer Clark Gable $104.80 39.50% 00 / 00 34.80 Four Walls (1928) Joan Crawford John Gilbert $50.00 57.50% 00 / 00 34.77 Female on the Beach (1955) Joan Crawford Jeff Chandler $35.90 60.00% 00 / 00 33.76 Torch Song (1953) Joan Crawford Marjorie Rambeau & Gig Young $51.10 52.50% 02 / 00 33.39 Above Suspicion (1943) Joan Crawford Fred MacMurray $72.70 46.00% 00 / 00 32.89 Spring Fever (1927) Joan Crawford William Haines $35.30 58.00% 00 / 00 32.73 Today We Live (1933) Joan Crawford Gary Cooper $61.80 49.00% 00 / 00 32.61 Untamed (1929) Joan Crawford Robert Montgomery $54.90 51.00% 00 / 00 32.48 Tramp, Tramp, Tramp (1926) Joan Crawford Harry Langdon $20.60 61.50% 00 / 00 32.09 Twelve Miles Out (1927) Joan Crawford John Gilbert $59.90 45.50% 00 / 00 30.66 I Saw What You Did (1965) Joan Crawford John Ireland $22.30 57.50% 00 / 00 30.48 This Woman Is Dangerous (1952) Joan Crawford Dennis Morgan $36.20 51.50% 00 / 00 29.81 Rose-Marie (1928) Joan Crawford James Murray $56.10 37.00% 00 / 00 26.09 Caretakers, The (1963) Joan Crawford Robert Stack $44.10 38.00% 01 / 00 25.10 Sally, Irene & Mary (1925) Joan Crawford Constance Bennett $44.30 38.50% 00 / 00 24.97 Duke Steps Out, The (1929) Joan Crawford William Haines $54.90 33.00% 00 / 00 24.02 Berserk! (1967) Joan Crawford Ty Hardin $19.20 42.00% 00 / 00 22.72 Della (1964) Joan Crawford Charles Bickford $10.90 43.00% 00 / 00 21.90 Dream of Love (1928) Joan Crawford Nils Asther $28.00 36.50% 00 / 00 21.49 Pretty Ladies (1925) Joan Crawford Zasu Pitts $38.00 32.00% 00 / 00 20.93 Winners of the Wilderness (1927) Joan Crawford Tim McCoy $14.50 39.50% 00 / 00 20.81 Boob, The (1926) Joan Crawford Gertrude Olmstead $14.50 39.00% 00 / 00 20.58 Paris (1926) Joan Crawford Charles Ray $28.10 32.00% 00 / 00 19.40 Understanding Heart, The (1927) Joan Crawford Ralph Bushman $39.10 28.00% 00 / 00 19.22 Taxi Dancer, The (1927) Joan Crawford Owen Moore $24.10 31.50% 00 / 00 18.54 Law of the Range, The (1928) Joan Crawford Tim McCoy $11.50 26.50% 00 / 00 14.24 Trog (1970) Joan Crawford Michael Gough $12.40 26.00% 00 / 00 14.14
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Very VERY interesting. Of course Shearer got a head start on Crawford, having begun her career properly around 1922 / 1923 — I assume you had no data for her MGM silents from ’24 to ’29. For example: you don’t include Lady of the Night (in which Lucille played the back of Norma’s head). Joan’s earliest roles, as LeSeuer and then Crawford, were a disappointment until Our Dancing Daughters launched her. From then – 1928 – I suppose we can properly compare. (Of course Norma made no films after her Metro contract concluded.) NS hits the 100 million mark far more often that JC in the Thirties. And Marie Antoinette (1938) seems to be her biggest hit, and that’s still behind Mildred Pierce, and so I start to wonder which female at the the time ’40 – ’50 could better her for bums on seats. Garbo? Again HER career ended in the early ’40s. If Bette didn’t do better then who did? Katherine Hepburn? The Women in which they co-starred with equal billing was Shearer’s second biggest movie. Is your Oscar nomination column correct? Norma was, I believe, nominated six times and won once. And Crawford was nominated three times and one once. Maybe I didn’t read it right. Really fascinating and thanks you again for creating it.
Hey Simon C. Yep…my sources for box office are very limited for the silent movie days….so many of Shearer’s early movies are not in her page. Luckily I did find many of Joan’s silent movies. I think if you look at this page you will see Myrna Loy gives her a run for the money. https://www.ultimatemovierankings.com/joan-crawford…/
The Oscar column should be correct…..it is the total nominations the movie received and won….for Joan’s Grand Hotel….the 01/01 means one nomination and one win……one of the few movies to only get one nomination but win the big prize…Best Picture Oscar. You have the right information of their nominations…Norma 06/01 and Joan at 03/01…..like your comment…Joan and classic movie talk…love it