193 thoughts on “Marlon Brando Movies”

1. STEVE & BRUCE – Two onto one – is this fair !?
   1 Marlon’s career had 4 phases (1) the 1950s when the hits cascaded down and critics love him (2) the 1960s – see below (3) the 1970s when he went into record books as highest paid actor in history and in which he like Sinatra after From Here to Eternity seemed to confirm that in Hollywood when you’ve fallen from favour but bounce back you become fireproof and can forever do what you like and (4) the post-1970s when he barely wanted to work but was paid small fortunes for doing so with Variety ultimately opining that the truly artistic phase of his great career had effectively ended with Godfather and Last Tango back in 1972/73.

   2. In the 1960s he had a number of flops but opinion and comments can be subjective and Bruce’s cold objective stats above indicate that the commercial seriousness of those flops might have been exaggerated as it made for a better story [If the legend’s more exciting than the truth go with the legend -The Man Who Shot liberty Valance – 1962]. In the 1960s Marlon made 13 films and Bruce’s average adjusted domestic gross for them is $78.3 mil whereas Bette Davis’ overall average is $74.4 ***and Kirk Douglas 73.3 so that if Brando’s 60s are regarded as a commercial failure in their entirety so must the overall box office careers of Davis/Douglas and their likes.

   3 I have noted our comments and also your scores and as Brando undeniably made a number of below par films your ratings are reasonable as none of Steve’s 30 goes under 6.2 and only 20 of Bruce’s Top 30 drop below 62.5% His life and career are over but in a sense he once more albeit posthumously has “it all” as Bruce expresses it in the opening paragraphs of this page because AFI regards him as the 4th Greatest Male Screen LEGEND of All Time and in the most recent list of greatest ACTORS of all time published on the International Movie Database he is ranked 2nd behind Chaplin. Also Time Magazine lists him as one of only four Hollywood stars that it included in its 100 Greatest PEOPLE of the 20th Century; in Life Magazine’s list of the 100 Greatest AMERICANS of the 20th Century he is the only actor mentioned; and Entertainment Weekly opined him to be the 12 Greatest ENTERTAINER of all time. However maybe this now is his finest hour as he has succeeded in attracting the combined attention of you two great doyens of his trade !!

   ***Joan Crawford’s average is 80.5 !!

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   1. Good post, but… but… but.. Bob, Joan Crawford was making those ‘awful horror pictures’ during the 1960s how did she get a higher overall gross than Brando or Douglas?

      Problem with Brando, was that he hated his profession or that’s the impression he gave. Basically he was saying that acting is not something a grown man should be doing, but you can say the same thing about singing and dancing if you wanted to be nasty about it. When I was looking for a Brando quote for the opening of my video it took forever finding one that wasn’t a snide putdown of acting, actors or Hollywood.

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      1. STEVE:

         1 Overall Box Office Grosses. To the old adage of “There’s lies, damn and statistics,” perhaps we should add “And then there’s Cogerson.”

         2 According to Jane Fonda “the impression he gave.” is the more accurate at least when he was younger. She described that when working on The Chase (1966) she went onto the set early 1st day to rehearse alone but discovered someone else was there, so she hid and saw that it was Mr M who was creeping about the set testing our for himself all the best camera and lighting angles etc and when it came to actual filming he was able to take up positions that allowed him to dominate proceedings.

         3 Maybe in the post 1970s era he had just gotten old and since they were prepared to pay him large fortunes for doing little he was happy to take advantage of that. Possibly also though if The Godfather hadn’t happened and he had had to work hard for his money like most other actors we would have gotten further artistic performances from him. Conversely it must be remembered that he lived on that island of his with a tribe of past wives and lovers and their children by him and that his son was jailed for murder/manslaughter and his daughter committed suicide all of which would have been sufficient to sap anyone’s creative enthusiasm. “The Gods giveth and the God’s taketh away.” and he certainly paid dearly in the end for his huge fame.

         4 He was not the only actor though to run down his trade because the English actor Stewart Granger said that he was in acting for only the money and thought that it was a “sissy” occupation. There perhaps the dots were being joined up because it was reported that he and Marlon had a romantic attachment when Brando was making Desiree/Guys and Dolls with Stewart’s then wife Jean Simmons.

         5 Whatever the exact situation in relation to all of the above it does not detract from the fact that your Brando video is another highly entertaining presentation.

         BOB

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         1. Thanks Bob, talking of Stewart Granger where is Cogersons stat filled guide on this once popular actor? His real name was James Stewart and he had to change it so as not to confuse movie poster credits and future readers of Halliwells Film Guide, his friends called him Jimmy. He moaned that unlike his Hollywood friends he had never made any great films.

            “I made “King Solomon’s Mines” and I became popular because Quatermain was a mysterious man with a leopard skin around his hat. It was Africa romantic. Deborah Kerr and I made love up a tree. I said to Deborah — I had a six month affair with her — that we should never have come down from that tree. Spencer Tracy was an actor’s actor. Everybody thought he was great. Marlon Brando is an actor’s actor — or was. Richard Burton also. I don’t try to be cruel, but Alan Ladd was not an actor’s actor. But he was a very successful film star.”

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            1. Great quote from Granger – never saw it before – thanks.

            2. 1 I don’t think that Bruce’s negligence of Granger means that he has something against English actors – after all Cary Grant was once English and Sir Maurice Mickewhite is English ! – but rather that whilst Bruce could easily provide us with stats on Stewart’s Hollywood career from about 1950-1962 Stewart made many obscure British films before he went to Hollywood and locating stats on the latter might prove extremely difficult even for Bruce.

               2 That said Bruce did a good job in producing figures for the handful of British films that Audrey Hepburn made before making the Big Time; and as for me Stewart Granger was such a colourful figure in the early 1950s that I would consider a collector’s item even just the grosses for Stew’s Hollywood career, during which he made Quigley’s Top 25 in 1952 and 1953.

               3 In your post you also provided a potential for dot joining that even Dan might envy in that you referred to Deborah Kerr and then reeled off a list of actors every one of whom appeared in a movie with her;
               Stewart Granger/King Solomon’s Mines and The Prisoner of Zenda
               Alan Ladd/Thunder in the East
               Spencer Tracy/Edward my Son
               Marlon Brando/Julius Caesar
               Richard Burton/Night of the Iguana.

               4 Also Kerr claimed that Mr Mumbles was the only star to whom she ever wrote a personal fan letter and she had it delivered to him him when he was on the set of Sayonara.

               5 Reports here suggest that Hurricane Matthew is dying away but there is still no sign of our own Force of Nature. Perhaps he is still holed up somewhere glued to that Bette Davis encyclopedia. Question of the month for all Cogerson followers – has Bette now joined that select group of stars who are officially the site’s idols, namely Sir Maurice, Cary Grant and the former Mr Demi Moore?

               BOB

            3. Hey Steve….I will add Mr. Granger to the request list. Good quotes from Granger.

   2. I agree.

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2. Bruce suggested I link my Brando video here and well that’s all the excuse I needed. 🙂

   And just for fun I’ll also post our recent comments on the youtube page –

   Bruce Cogerson –

   I can hear Bob all the way from Belfast when he saw your latest video. Good to see you giving “Mr. Mumbles” as you call him some credit. #30 Mmmm…hard movie to get through. #29 Appaloosa…a decent western #28 A Dry White Season…Brando is good in movie…but part is very brief #26 The Ugly America is good but depressing #24 The Score….good to see Godfather alumni together #23 Don Juan….seen it barely remember it #22 The Freshmen…has it’s moments #21 I want to see Bedtime Story #20 Missouri Breaks….strange Brando performance #18 Teahouse…I imagine if they made that today it would be boycotted #17 Mutiny….pretty movie….not as bad as it’s rep. #14 One Eyed Jacks…cult classic #13 Young Lions….great trilogy of stars #12 Sayarona….one of the biggest hits of the 1950s #11 Guys and Dolls…a musical I liked…wow….decent total for me…of the first 20…I am at 70% or 14.

   Top 10. #9 The Wild One….one of the few times it looked like Brando was actually having fun while making a movie. #7 Last Tango In Paris…a cult classic….but I did not enjoy it either time I watched it. #6 Superman…a fun superhero movie #5 Julius Caesar…he is good…but James Mason steals the movie #4 Apocalypse Now….great Vietnam war movie….but I always felt the movie comes to a halt when Sheen finally finds Brando #3 Streetcar…I know it is a classic….but I did not like it…and I have watched it three times trying to figure out why people like it so much #2 Waterfront….great movie great Brando performanc. #1 The Godfather…our rankings match….and all it took was one of the greatest movies of all time. So 8 here 14 there for a total of 22 Brando movies watched for me. Very good video….you should share it at my site. Voted up.

   Steve Lensman –

   I wonder if Bob has seen all of Mr. Mumbles movies, you’ve seen quite a few yourself Bruce, you must be a bit of a fan. I liked Mutiny on the Bounty a shame I couldn’t get it any higher. Young Lions was 3rd on Dean Martins video, 10th on Clifts and 13th on Brando’s. Believe it or not Island of Dr. Moreau wasn’t last on my list, Christopher Columbus the Discovery won that spot with a rating of 3.2.

   The Godfather wasn’t just no.1 on this chart but so far it’s the highest rated movie on my list of 7000 films, Citizen Kane and Casablanca are in 2nd and 3rd positions. But only a few modern movies have been rated by me so far, are there any that might beat those three I wonder? Apocalypse Now would have been a highly rated movie even if Brando wasn’t cast as Kurtz, but having a screen legend like him in the film does elevate the film and gives it a special aura that wouldn’t be there if say the more than capable Rod Steiger was playing Kurtz (and in full bellow). Thanks as always for commenting Bruce.

   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDgYrvYkWFs

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   1. Hey Bob and Steve….interesting comments from you two. Fun read.

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3. 42 Oscar winners for Marlon

   A Countess From Hong Kong (1967) – Sophia Loren, Margaret Rutherford
   A Dry White Season (1989) – Susan Sarandon
   A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) – Vivien Leigh, Kim Hunter, Karl Malden
   Bedtime Story (1964) – David Niven
   Candy (1968) – James Coburn, Walter Matthau
   Christopher Columbus: The Discovery (1992) – Catherine Zeta-Jones
   Don Juan Demarco (1994) – Faye Dunaway
   Free Money (1998) – Mira Sorvino
   Guys and Dolls (1955) – Frank Sinatra
   Julius Caesar (1953) – John Gielgud, Edmond O’Brien, Greer Garson
   Morituri (1965) – Yul Brynner
   Mutiny on the Bounty (1962) – Hugh Griffith
   On the Waterfront (1954) – Rod Steiger, Martin Balsam, Karl Malden, Eva Marie Saint
   One-Eyed Jacks (1961) – Ben Johnson, Karl Malden, Katy Jurado
   Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967) – Elizabeth Taylor
   Sayonara (1957) – Red Buttons, Miyoshi Umeki
   Superman (1978) – Gene Hackman
   The Chase (1966) – Robert Duvall, Jane Fonda
   The Formula (1980) – John Gielgud, George C. Scott
   The Freshman (1990) – Maximilian Schell
   The Fugitive Kind (1960) – Maureen Stapleton, Anna Magnani, Joanne Woodward
   The Godfather (1972) – Robert Duvall, Al Pacino, Diane Keaton
   The Men (1950) – Teresa Wright
   The Missouri Breaks (1976) – Jack Nicholson
   The Night of the Following Day (1969) – Rita Moreno
   The Score (2001) – Robert De Niro
   The Wild One (1953) – Lee Marvin
   The Young Lions (1958) – Maximilian Schell
   Viva Zapata! (1952) – Anthony Quinn

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   1. Only 42 for Marlon? I guess considering he only made 37 movies…that is one than one for every movie. I imagine one day Johnny Depp and Edward Norton might add to his tally. This is making me wonder how some of my other favorites did…Cary Grant, James Caan, Bruce Willis and Judd Nelson….I imagine the over under on Nelson is 3…lol.

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4. Hey Dr Tim…..first of all sorry it took me so long to respond to your comment….not sure how I missed this comment.

   Candy rated so because it was one of his biggest hits….15th in box office totals. It’s reviews were just under the “fresh rating” of 60%….so that got it somewhat high on the table…though 15th overall pretty much puts this in the average Brando club when looking at all 37 of his movies.

   As for A Dry White Season…yes his part was small….but it would be hard not to include a role that earned an Oscar nomination. I remember when he got that nomination people could not really figure that one out. His nomination helped get his least popular movie at the box office up to 21st in my ranking system. Thanks for the visit and the comment…..once again sorry for the delay in the response.

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5. Very impressive list and research. At a quick glance I wonder if and how Candy gets such a high rating? Also, even though he was nominated for an Academy Award, doesn’t A Dry White Season count as a cameo? Or does the nomination elevate it to a higher standard?

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