Want to know the best Lana Turner movies? How about the worst Lana Turner movies? Curious about Lana Turner’s box office grosses or which Lana Turner movie picked up the most Oscar® nominations? Need to know which Lana Turner movie got the best reviews from critics and audiences and which movie got the worst reviews? Well you have come to the right place….because we have all of that information.
Gotta make mama happy. Since I started writing movie pages, my mother, BERN1960 , has been asking me for a Lana Turner page. So after putting her request off for for almost 2 years…. now…finally my Lana Turner tribute page is complete and published.
Lana Turner (1921-1995) was an Oscar® nominated actress that appeared in over 50 movies from 1937 to 1991. In 1937 Turner got her big break when she went to a Hollywood drug store for some soda pop and was discovered by a movie producer who happened to be in the same drug store. She would appear in her first movie, They Won’t Forget, later that year and immediately was noticed by the movie going public because of the tight sweater she wore in the movie. She became known as the “sweater girl”….a label that she strongly disliked. It only took her four years to go from supporting roles to leading roles in low budget movies to leading roles in the most prestige movies being made at the time.
By 1941 was sharing top billing with superstars James Stewart, Spencer Tracy and Clark Gable. Her peak movie years happened between 1941 and 1959. During this time frame she appeared in many blockbuster hits and numerous critical hits and was one of the biggest stars working in movies. Her IMDb page shows 61 acting credits from 1937 to 1985. This page will rank Lana Turner movies from Best to Worst in six different sortable columns of information. Television shows, shorts, cameos and movies that received limited North America releases were not included in the rankings.
Lana Turner 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
The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)
1959
Imitation of Life (1959)
1957
Peyton Place (1957)
AA Best Picture Nom
AA Best Actress Nom
1941
Honky Tonk (1941)
1941
Johnny Eager (1941)
1952
The Bad and the Beautiful (1952)
1948
The Three Musketeers (1948)
1947
Green Dolphin Street (1947)
1941
Ziegfeld Girl (1941)
1938
Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938)
1948
Homecoming (1948)
1945
Week-end at the Waldorf (1945)
1955
The Sea Chase (1955)
1944
Marriage is a Private Affair (1944)
1941
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941)
1947
Cass Timberlane (1947)
1942
Somewhere I'll Find You (1942)
1939
Dancing Co-Ed (1939)
1943
Slightly Dangerous (1943)
1945
Keep Your Powder Dry (1945)
1960
Portrait in Black (1960)
1952
The Merry Widow (1952)
1937
They Won't Forget (1937)
1938
The Adventures of Marco Polo (1938)
1954
Betrayed (1954)
1955
The Rains of Ranchipur (1955)
1938
Dramatic School (1938)
1937
The Great Garrick (1937)
1950
A Life of Her Own (1950)
1939
These Glamour Girls (1939)
1961
Bachelor in Paradise (1961)
1954
Flame and the Flesh (1954)
1966
Madame X (1966)
1962
Who's Got the Action? (1962)
1940
We Who Are Young (1940)
1955
The Prodigal (1955)
1940
Two Girls on Broadway (1940)
1961
By Love Possessed (1961)
1953
Latin Lovers (1953)
1958
The Lady Takes a Flyer (1958)
1939
Calling Dr. Kildaire (1939)
1938
Rich Man, Poor Girl (1938)
1958
Another Time, Another Place (1958)
1956
Diane (1956)
1965
Love Has Many Faces (1965)
1951
Mr. Imperium (1951)
1969
The Big Cube (1969)
1980
Witches' Brew (1980)
1974
Persecution (1974)
1976
Bittersweet Love (1976)
Lana Turner Movies Can Be Ranked 6 Ways In Ther Table
The really cool thing about ther table is that it is “user-sortable”. Rank the movies anyway you want.
- Sort Lana Turner movies by the co-stars of her movies.
- Sort Lana Turner movies by adjusted domestic box office grosses using current movie ticket cost (in millions)
- Sort Lana Turner movies by yearly domestic box office rank
- Sort Lana Turner 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 Lana Turner movie received.
- Sort Lana Turner movies by Ultimate Movie Rankings (UMR). 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 |
| 2 | The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946) | John Garfield | 10.20 | 315.1 | 427.10 | 19 | 85 | 00 / 00 | 98.2 | |
| 3 | Imitation of Life (1959) | Juanita Moore | 18.30 | 329.4 | 329.40 | 8 | 80 | 02 / 00 | 97.7 | |
| 1 | Peyton Place (1957) AA Best Picture Nom AA Best Actress Nom |
Lloyd Nolan | 27.10 | 522.5 | 522.50 | 2 | 65 | 09 / 00 | 97.2 | |
| 4 | Honky Tonk (1941) | Clark Gable | 8.50 | 329.1 | 464.10 | 6 | 75 | 00 / 00 | 96.3 | |
| 5 | Johnny Eager (1941) | Robert Taylor & Van Heflin |
6.40 | 247.9 | 370.80 | 12 | 72 | 01 / 01 | 96.1 | |
| 6 | The Bad and the Beautiful (1952) | Kirk Douglas & Walte Pidgeon |
6.60 | 128.9 | 183.60 | 37 | 85 | 06 / 05 | 95.9 | |
| 6 | The Three Musketeers (1948) | Gene Kelly & Van Heflin |
10.90 | 292.5 | 596.60 | 4 | 71 | 01 / 00 | 95.6 | |
| 7 | Green Dolphin Street (1947) | Van Heflin | 11.60 | 338.9 | 564.80 | 8 | 67 | 04 / 01 | 95.5 | |
| 8 | Ziegfeld Girl (1941) | James Stewart & Judy Garland |
6.10 | 234.8 | 385.10 | 14 | 70 | 00 / 00 | 95.2 | |
| 9 | Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938) | Mickey Rooney | 6.50 | 261.4 | 358.90 | 14 | 68 | 00 / 00 | 94.6 | |
| 10 | Homecoming (1948) | Clark Gable | 9.70 | 262.3 | 396.70 | 8 | 67 | 00 / 00 | 94.3 | |
| 11 | Week-end at the Waldorf (1945) | Ginger Rogers & Van Johnson |
12.10 | 384.5 | 543.10 | 9 | 67 | 00 / 00 | 94.3 | |
| 13 | The Sea Chase (1955) | John Wayne | 17.10 | 355.4 | 431.10 | 11 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 92.9 | |
| 14 | Marriage is a Private Affair (1944) | James Craig | 6.20 | 210.2 | 287.90 | 49 | 59 | 00 / 00 | 92.0 | |
| 17 | Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941) | Spencer Tracy & Ingrid Bergman |
4.10 | 158.8 | 292.00 | 43 | 68 | 03 / 00 | 91.5 | |
| 14 | Cass Timberlane (1947) | Spencer Tracy | 10.80 | 313.7 | 408.40 | 10 | 53 | 00 / 00 | 90.1 | |
| 15 | Somewhere I'll Find You (1942) | Clark Gable | 8.20 | 306.4 | 426.30 | 16 | 53 | 00 / 00 | 90.1 | |
| 19 | Dancing Co-Ed (1939) | Richard Carlson | 3.30 | 125.6 | 125.60 | 63 | 76 | 00 / 00 | 89.7 | |
| 19 | Slightly Dangerous (1943) | Walter Brennan | 4.30 | 154.0 | 154.00 | 72 | 67 | 00 / 00 | 89.7 | |
| 20 | Keep Your Powder Dry (1945) | Laraine Day | 5.30 | 166.6 | 237.20 | 69 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 89.5 | |
| 22 | Portrait in Black (1960) | Anthony Quinn | 10.00 | 156.2 | 156.20 | 23 | 59 | 00 / 00 | 87.4 | |
| 22 | The Merry Widow (1952) | Fernando Lamas | 6.40 | 125.2 | 125.20 | 39 | 66 | 02 / 00 | 87.0 | |
| 23 | They Won't Forget (1937) | Claude Rains | 1.20 | 49.8 | 83.60 | 157 | 80 | 00 / 00 | 81.5 | |
| 24 | The Adventures of Marco Polo (1938) | Gary Cooper | 4.50 | 178.9 | 178.90 | 33 | 38 | 00 / 00 | 80.9 | |
| 25 | Betrayed (1954) | Clark Gable & Victor Mature |
5.60 | 131.6 | 279.70 | 56 | 49 | 00 / 00 | 78.4 | |
| 26 | The Rains of Ranchipur (1955) | Fred MacMurray & Richard Burton |
7.40 | 154.0 | 154.00 | 39 | 38 | 01 / 00 | 75.8 | |
| 27 | Dramatic School (1938) | Paulette Goddard | 1.90 | 75.9 | 75.90 | 122 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 74.9 | |
| 26 | The Great Garrick (1937) | Olivia de Havilland | 0.90 | 36.5 | 57.10 | 176 | 75 | 00 / 00 | 74.4 | |
| 29 | A Life of Her Own (1950) | Directed by George Cukor | 4.00 | 90.7 | 123.00 | 78 | 57 | 00 / 00 | 74.1 | |
| 28 | These Glamour Girls (1939) | Lew Ayres | 1.70 | 65.6 | 65.60 | 133 | 64 | 00 / 00 | 73.1 | |
| 32 | Bachelor in Paradise (1961) | Bob Hope | 6.70 | 97.8 | 97.80 | 34 | 53 | 00 / 00 | 71.7 | |
| 33 | Flame and the Flesh (1954) | Pier Angeli | 3.70 | 87.0 | 87.00 | 89 | 55 | 00 / 00 | 70.2 | |
| 31 | Madame X (1966) | Ricardo Montalban | 2.50 | 24.5 | 24.50 | 84 | 74 | 00 / 00 | 69.2 | |
| 34 | Who's Got the Action? (1962) | Dean Martin | 4.30 | 61.6 | 61.60 | 58 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 68.0 | |
| 35 | We Who Are Young (1940) | Gene Lockhart | 1.70 | 66.0 | 66.00 | 121 | 60 | 00 / 00 | 67.9 | |
| 38 | The Prodigal (1955) | James Mitchell | 6.40 | 133.3 | 133.30 | 46 | 35 | 00 / 00 | 63.7 | |
| 36 | Two Girls on Broadway (1940) | Joan Blondell | 1.80 | 67.6 | 67.60 | 118 | 54 | 00 / 00 | 60.2 | |
| 39 | By Love Possessed (1961) | Jason Robards | 5.30 | 77.0 | 77.00 | 43 | 48 | 00 / 00 | 55.9 | |
| 41 | Latin Lovers (1953) | Ricardo Montalban | 4.50 | 81.7 | 81.70 | 74 | 47 | 00 / 00 | 55.7 | |
| 40 | The Lady Takes a Flyer (1958) | Jeff Chandler | 2.90 | 51.3 | 51.30 | 80 | 55 | 00 / 00 | 53.9 | |
| 42 | Calling Dr. Kildaire (1939) | Lionel Barrymore | 2.30 | 86.9 | 86.90 | 104 | 43 | 00 / 00 | 51.6 | |
| 41 | Rich Man, Poor Girl (1938) | Robert Young | 0.50 | 21.2 | 21.20 | 190 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 47.8 | |
| 43 | Another Time, Another Place (1958) | Sean Connery | 1.40 | 25.5 | 25.50 | 123 | 50 | 00 / 00 | 26.2 | |
| 44 | Diane (1956) | Roger Moore | 1.30 | 25.8 | 69.00 | 161 | 45 | 00 / 00 | 17.7 | |
| 45 | Love Has Many Faces (1965) | Cliff Robertson | 2.40 | 25.7 | 25.70 | 95 | 44 | 00 / 00 | 15.4 | |
| 46 | Mr. Imperium (1951) | Debbie Reynolds | 1.30 | 28.3 | 46.50 | 182 | 43 | 00 / 00 | 14.8 | |
| 47 | The Big Cube (1969) | George Charkiris | 2.30 | 17.4 | 17.40 | 94 | 41 | 00 / 00 | 8.7 | |
| 48 | Witches' Brew (1980) | Teri Garr | 2.30 | 9.6 | 9.60 | 131 | 38 | 00 / 00 | 4.8 | |
| 49 | Persecution (1974) | Trevor Howard | 1.80 | 10.5 | 10.50 | 111 | 36 | 00 / 00 | 3.6 | |
| 50 | Bittersweet Love (1976) | Robert Lansin | 2.40 | 12.3 | 12.30 | 114 | 33 | 00 / 00 | 2.4 |
Stats and Possibly Interesting Things From The Above Lana Turner Table
- Twenty-three Lana Turner movies crossed the magical $100 million domestic gross mark. That is a percentage of 46.00% of her movies listed. Peyton Place (1957) was her biggest box office hit.
- An average Lana Turner movie grossed $118.40 million in adjusted box office gross
- Using RottenTomatoes.com’s 60% fresh meter. 26 of Lana Turner’s movies are rated as good movies…or 52.00% of her movies. The Bad and the Beautiful (1952) is her highest rated movie while Bittersweet Love (1976) was her lowest rated movie.
- Nine Lana Turner movies received at least one Oscar® nomination in any category…..or 18.00% of her movies.
- Three Lana Turner movies won at least one Oscar® in any category…..or 6.00% of her movies.
- A “good movie” Ultimate Movie Rankings (UMR) Score is 60.00. 35 Lana Turner movies scored higher that average….or 70.00% of her movies. Peyton Place (1957) got the the highest UMR Score while Bittersweet Love (1976) got the lowest UMR Score.
Possibly Interesting Facts About Lana Turner
1. Lana Turner was born Julia Jean Turner in Wallace, Idaho in 1921. Throughout her life family members called her Judy. It was not until she was discovered that she became Lana.
2. Lana Turner’s list of co-stars is pretty impressive……4 movies with Clark Gable, 2 movies with Spencer Tracy, once with James Stewart, John Wayne, Gary Cooper, Gene Kelly, Ginger Rogers, Richard Burton and Anthony Quinn. She even appeared opposite two James Bonds years before they became Bond….Sean Connery and Roger Moore.
3. Lana Turner received one Oscar® nomination in her career. She was nominated for Best Actress in 1957’s Peyton Place. She never received a Golden Globe® nomination.
4. Lana Turner was married 8 different times to 7 different men. They included a rancher, a hypnotist, a movie producer, an actor, a restaurant owner, a department store owner and a millionaire socialite. Lana Turner had one daughter, Cheryl.
5. In 1958 Lana Turner and her boyfriend at the time, gangster Johnny Stompanato, were in a heated argument. In an effort to protect her mother, Cheryl Turner, killed Stompanato. The amount of media coverage of the killing has been compared to the O.J. Simpson trial in 1995. It was ruled a justifiable homicide.
6. Roles Lana Turner turned down or was seriously considered for: Anatomy of a Murder, Mogambo, The Sound and the Fury, and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. On the other side of this fact….she did however get the role of one of her biggest hits, Green Dolphin Street, when Katharine Hepburn dropped out of the movie.
7. The first agent that had contact with Lana Turner was Zeppo Marx, Groucho’s brother.
8. Check out Lana Turner‘s career compared to current and classic actors. Most 100 Million Dollar Movies of All-Time.
But wait….we have a few more Lana Turner Movie Stats….Adjusted Worldwide Gross on 22 Lana Turner Movies
Lana Turner Box Office Grosses – Adjusted World Wide
| Movie (Year) | UMR Co-Star Links | World-Wide Box Office Adjusted (mil) | S |
|---|---|---|---|
| Movie (Year) | UMR Co-Star Links | World-Wide Box Office Adjusted (mil) | S |
| The Three Musketeers (1948) | Gene Kelly & Van Heflin |
596.60 | |
| Green Dolphin Street (1947) | Van Heflin | 564.80 | |
| Week-end at the Waldorf (1945) | Ginger Rogers & Van Johnson |
543.10 | |
| Honky Tonk (1941) | Clark Gable | 464.10 | |
| The Sea Chase (1955) | John Wayne | 431.10 | |
| The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946) | John Garfield | 427.10 | |
| Somewhere I'll Find You (1942) | Clark Gable | 426.30 | |
| Cass Timberlane (1947) | Spencer Tracy | 408.40 | |
| Homecoming (1948) | Clark Gable | 396.70 | |
| Ziegfeld Girl (1941) | James Stewart & Judy Garland |
385.10 | |
| Johnny Eager (1941) | Robert Taylor & Van Heflin |
370.80 | |
| Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938) | Mickey Rooney | 358.90 | |
| Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941) | Spencer Tracy & Ingrid Bergman |
292.00 | |
| Marriage is a Private Affair (1944) | James Craig | 287.90 | |
| Betrayed (1954) | Clark Gable & Victor Mature |
279.70 | |
| Keep Your Powder Dry (1945) | Laraine Day | 237.20 | |
| The Bad and the Beautiful (1952) | Kirk Douglas & Walte Pidgeon |
183.60 | |
| A Life of Her Own (1950) | Directed by George Cukor | 123.00 | |
| They Won't Forget (1937) | Claude Rains | 83.60 | |
| Diane (1956) | Roger Moore | 69.00 | |
| The Great Garrick (1937) | Olivia de Havilland | 57.10 | |
| Mr. Imperium (1951) | Debbie Reynolds | 46.50 |
Steve’s Updated Lana Turner You Tube Video
If you do a comment….please ignore the email address and website section.
Ah, yes, Lana Turner . . . loved “The Postman Always Rings Twice.” You brought back a ton of memories here. Wow, you really do a lot of research and it is very obvious how much work you have put into your hubs. So detailed and interesting. They really do not make those great movies nowadays it seems. Voted Way up That is sweet to do this for your mom. You are a good son no doubt. In His Love, Faith Reape
Hey Faith Reaper…..I finally saw The Postman Always Rings Twice the other day….I can see why she was so popular back then….her first appearance in the doorway was very memorable. I felt sorry for her at the end of the movie….she was an angel compared to Barbara Stanwyck in Double Indemnity….lol.
Glad you enjoyed the result of my research….I have figured out ways to do a hub faster…but some of these older actors require lots of research….but it is like finding lost treasure when I find a lost statistic that has been buried for many years…thanks for stopping by and thanks for the comment….both are greatly appreciated.
Hey Bruce, I do enjoy the comments on all your PAGES but your MOVIE PAGES are so very interesting and such wonderful information about the movie stars and their movies – but good personal information too. Just doing the research takes lots of time and effort. Debbie Reynolds and Rita Hayworth would be good. DID YOU DO GLENN FORD YET? He and Rita Hayworth made a couple of movies together…….there are so many PAGES – you might have already done Glenn Ford………….thanks again. MOM
Hey BERN1960…thanks for the kind words….even if we are related…lol. I have not done Glenn Ford….and he is probably a ways away from having one done….Rita Hayworth might be soon….and I am currently doing some research on Debbie Reynolds. I think the next page will be on a current actor like Ben Stiller or the director Ridley Scott….as many of my followers do not remember many actors from the golden age of movies. As always thanks for the revisit and the comments..you are the bomb….that is a good thing…lol.
A legendary and beautiful woman. Pity about her daughter and her boyfriend too..that was tragic. Nonetheless, a talented actress who made waves then! I am sharing!
Hey Michelle….thanks for visiting my Lana Turner movie page….a great movie career filled with a tragic personal life…I think it is amazing that she was married 8 times….yet still was unmarried for the last 20 years of her life….so from 18 to 55 she was married those 8 times….that is only a little over 4 years for each marriage. I appreciate the comment.
Your mom has great taste, Coge, I am a Lana Turner fan, too. I’ve seen all but her earliest movies in the 30s and enjoyed every one. She was a movie star when there were genuine movie stars larger than life. Peyton Place is one of my favorites together with The Postman Always Rings Twice and Imitation of Life.
I can remember the newspaper headlines when her gangster boyfriend (at the time) was killed. Very tragic for her and her daughter.
Thanks for bringing her to life with your excellent hub. And give your Mom a hug for her excellent taste in films.
Hey drbj…. I will be sure to tell my mom…although I think she will read it first before I can that chance to tell her…as she seems to like the comments more than the hubs I write…lol.
Glad your two favorites did so well in my ranking system…with Postman Always Rings Twice being 2nd and Imitation of Life coming in 3rd. Thanks for the memories about the headlines back then….can you image the media frenzy if that happened today? Thanks for the very kind words in your comment.
THIS IS BRUCE’S MOM. BETTER LATE THAN NEVER AS THE OLD SAYING GOES……As I mentioned I did not know that Lana Turner was married 8 times either. I will put my thinking cap on and see what else I would like to see as a new MOVIE PAGE. Bruce, you have done so many now…….Thanks so much for all your MOVIE PAGES Looking forward to so many more. Love Mom
Hey BERN1960….thanks for the return visit to your Lana Turner page. I know you have mentioned Rita Hayworth before…and Debbie wants a Debbie Reynolds page….so anybody else you can think off…just let me know. You are very welcome…it is the least I can do for you after all the great things you have done for me.