Melvyn Douglas Movies

Want to know the best Melvyn Douglas movies?  How about the worst Melvyn Douglas movies?  Curious about Melvyn Douglas box office grosses or which Melvyn Douglas movie picked up the most Oscar® nominations? Need to know which Melvyn Douglas 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.

Melvyn Douglas (1901-1981) was a two-time Oscar® winning American actor.  Douglas went straight from being a Broadway star to be a leading man in theaters.  He would make movies from his debut in 1931’s Tonight or Never to 1981’s Ghost Story which was released after his death.  His IMDb page shows 112 acting credits from 1931-1981. This page will rank 67 Melvyn Douglas movies from Best to Worst in six different sortable columns of information. Television appearances, 3 movies (The Wiser Sex, The Broken Wing & Our Wife) and one movie (The Hot Touch) not released in North American theaters were not included in the rankings

Melvyn Douglas and Peter Sellers in 1979’s Being There

Melvyn Douglas Movies Ranked In Chronological Order With Ultimate Movie Rankings Score (1 to 5 UMR Tickets) *Best combo of box office, reviews and awards.

Melvyn Douglas 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 Melvyn Douglas movies by co-stars of his movies.
  • Sort Melvyn Douglas movies by adjusted domestic box office grosses using current movie ticket cost (in millions)
  • Sort Melvyn Douglas movies by yearly domestic box office rank
  • Sort Melvyn Douglas 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 Melvyn Douglas movie received and how many Oscar® wins each Melvyn Douglas movie won.
  • Sort Melvyn Douglas 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.

Melvyn Douglas was Great Garbo’s leading man in three movies

Possibly Interesting Facts About Melvyn Douglas

1. Melvyn Edouard Hesselberg was born in Macon, Georgia in 1902.  He would drop “Hesselberg” and start using his grandmother’s maiden name, Douglas, when he started acting professionally.

2. Melvyn Douglas developed his acting skills in Shakespearean repertory while in his teens and with stock companies in different parts of the country.

3.  Melvyn Douglas served in the United States Army during World War I and World War II.

4.  Melvyn Douglas was married two times and had three children.  His second marriage was to actress Helen “She” Gahagan.  Gahagan would eventually become a politician.  She was Richard Nixon’s opponent for the United States Senate seat from California in 1950.  It was Gahagan who popularized Nixon’s epithet “Tricky Dick”.

5.  One of Melvyn Douglas’ grandchildren is actress Illeana Douglas.  If you look at Illeana and Melvyn’s IMDb pages…..they both have 112 acting credits.  I like that stat a lot!

Illeana Douglas in 1990’s Good Fellas

6.  Melvyn Douglas used to jokingly apologize for ending the acting careers of Greta Garbo and Norma Shearer.  Douglas was Garbo’s last leading man in 1941’s Two-Faced Woman and Shearer last leading man in 1942’s We Were Dancing.

7.  Melvyn Douglas was borrowed by MGM from Columbia so much…..that they eventually just bought Douglas’ Columbia contract….because it was cheaper than paying the fees to borrow him.  MGM viewed Douglas as the replacement for William Powell.  Whenever Powell was not available for a role….Douglas got the part.

8.  Melvyn Douglas and billing.  Douglas – “Well, Freddie Bartholomew had first billing in Captains Courageous and that drove Spencer Tracy mad.  I was billed fourth – and couldn’t have cared less.  Joan Crawford once explained to me she was over Clark Gable and William Powell but under Norma Shearer.  Powell was under Jean Harlow but above Bob Montgomery and Myrna Loy.  Are you still with me?”  JFB (Just for Bob)

9.  Melvyn Douglas’ movies from 1930 to 1939 earned $2.71 billion in adjusted domestic gross.  That puts him in 24th place when looking at all the stars of that decade. 1930’s Top Box Office Stars.

10. Melvyn Douglas’ movies from 1940 to 1949 earned $1.39 billion in adjusted domestic gross.  That puts him in 96th place when looking at all the stars of that decade. 1940’s Top Box Office Stars.

11.  While serving during World War II, Douglas ended up in Burma.  He would met future co-star Peter Sellers there.  Years later they would star in 1979’s Being There.

12.  Melvyn Douglas was nominated for three Oscars®:  He won twice: 1963’s Hud and 1979’s Being There.  His third nomination was for 1970’s I Never Sang For My Father.

13.  Melvyn Douglas’ prank on Joan Crawford. Douglas – “I was very naughty one day.  I’d watch in amazement as Joan would arrive with a long retinue of servants, hairdressers, maids, personal assistants, even her chauffeur.  So next day I asked my brother, my chauffeur and whoever else I could dig up, and we went in a single line.  Joan was not amused and I got chewed out by director Clarence Brown, who told me he was having enough problems with Joan before this calumny!”  Sounds funny to me!

14. Melvyn Douglas was the fifth performer to win an Oscar®, an Emmy® and a Tony®.

15. Check out Melvyn Douglas’ career compared to current and classic actors.  Most 100 Million Dollar Movies of All-Time

Facts #8 and #13 come from a James Bawden interview found in the book Classic Film Stars – Interviews from Hollywood’s Golden Era.

Check out Steve’s Melvyn Douglas YouTube Video

 

Academy Award® and Oscar® are the registered trademarks of the Academy of Motion Arts and Sciences.

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43 thoughts on “Melvyn Douglas Movies”

  1. Cogerson

    I have seen 19 of Melvyn Douglas’s movies. He was a fine bifurcated career. First as a suave leading man in the thirties and forties. Then as a aging character man in the sixties and on.

    Two things stand out for me besides quality. In The Gorgeous Hussy he played John Randolph, a historical figure known for saying of Henry Clay that he was a “being at once so brilliant and yet corrupt, that like a dead herring rotting in the moonlight, he shines and stinks at the same time.”

    My other odd memory is of his early Garbo film As You Desire Me from 1932. He and Garbo are in the bedroom. Garbo steps to the side, out of sight, and obviously begins undressing. The camera stays on Douglas, who has a cigarette in his mouth. We know what Garbo is doing by the puffs of smoke that come faster and faster out of Douglas, sort of like a locomotive revving up. One of the most unintentionally funny (I presume) scenes I have ever seen.

    Of quality, I am not surprised that Ninotchka is his top film. I was a bit surprised that Hud did so poorly with your critics.

    Reply

    1. Hey John
      1. Tally count…..you with 19, Steve with 14 and me with 13.
      2. I agree he had three stages of his career….leading man, television star and beloved character actor. Getting all three of his Oscar nominations in the third part of his career.
      3. Gorgeous Hussey would fall into the “bad blockbuster”….as it made money but people really dislike that one…maybe it was the Transformers of the 1930s.
      4. Sounds like a good scene to watch in As You Desire Me…..I will have to check that one out.
      5. Hud got a Top 10 spot (10th) in my reviews column….but 2nd in the UMR Score column…so we think highly of that movie for sure.
      Thanks for the feedback and the comment.

      Reply

  2. I see Bob is waxing poetic again. (whatever that means)

    But… but.. Bob are you saying that it won’t be long before Bruce introduces other dead film critics to the comments section of his Moviestatopedia? Will we eventually be seeing Pauline Kael’s snippy verdict on Sexy Rexy’s accomplishments in these hallowed pages? The late great Roger Ebert giving naughty Jane Greer a thumbs up? [ooo er missus]

    I’ve seen 14 of the 67 films on the page, more than I thought. Favorites include – The Vampire Bat (it’s dated a bit), Ghost Story (I quite like this one), The Changeling (another creepy ghost story), Twilight’s Last Gleaming (an old favorite picked up on blu-ray just yesterday), Ninotchka (have to confess I prefer the musical remake with Fred & Cyd) and Being There (haven’t seen this in ages).

    Bruce, I thought that you misspelt ‘Niagara’ up on the chart, but the year is 1933 and I don’t remember Mel in Niagara. Also is that ‘Prestige’ or another odd title up there? Not sure.

    I have not seen That Certain Age starring Mel and Diana Durbin [Bob winces]

    Another unique fact-filled addition to your epic website Bruce, well done and Vote Up!

    Reply

    1. HI STEVE

      Glad you noticed the poetry. I think Hirschhorn brings out the artist in all of us with his lofty Oracle like pronouncements. If he had taken to acting he would have been ideal for the part of the wise Yoda in the Star Wars movies.

      Anyway I had to do something to keep busy while I await the entrance of The Cooler King !!

      Reply

      1. Good point….actually think Lucas has said Yoda was based on Joel Hirschhorn. Joel used to go to USC and help out student film directors like Coppola, Spielberg and Lucas. That trio has said there would be no The Godfather, E.T., Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars, Jaws, Schlinder’s List, Apocalypse Now or Howard the Duck without his support…..true story…Jon Lovitz told me about it.

        Reply

    2. Hey Steve
      1. Thanks for the Melvyn Douglas comment.
      2. I think the late Joel and the late Roger will be the only film critics getting any love here. Joel however has stories on over 400 actors….while Roger pretty much only did single movies.
      3. As I have said before Joel has been part of these pages since the Hub Pages days…his thoughts on Brando are the only reason he is getting any attention. One day….Bob will own Rating the Movie Stars book….and then he will see.
      4. Tally count….14…..that is one ahead of me….as I am at 13. I did not count Seduction of Joe T…..but I am pretty sure I have seen that one….but have little memory of the movie at all….so I excluded it.
      5. My favorites would include Being There: Mr. Blandings’ Ghost Story.
      6. I have not seen Twilight’s Last Gleaming…but I want to.
      7. Nope before Monroe and Nolan’s movies….Mr. Douglas made the original versions of Niagar and The Prestige….lol.
      8. Yep….Deanna Durbin makes an appearance here…..her first one in awhile.
      Thanks for the kind word.

      Reply

  3. Joel Hirschhorn
    July 20, 2017 at 5:59 pm
    “All acting, if it’s any good, is character acting. said Melvyn Douglas. Nobody demonstrated the validity of this better than Douglas himself.”

    I am a great admirer of Melvyn but I think I’ll pass here because when this Oracle, this Blast from The Past, has spoken comment from anyone else is superfluous.

    “While words of learned length and thundering sound
    Amazed the gazing rustics ranged around,
    And still they gazed, and still the wonder grew
    That one small head could carry all he knew.
    But past is all his fame. The very spot
    Where many a time he triumphed is forgot,”
    [Oliver Goldsmith The Deserted Village]

    Reply

    1. Hey Bob….nice poem selection. I think you are holding Douglas’ comment against Joel here…..Joel’s comment is pretty much glowing when it comes to MD.

      Nobody demonstrated the validity of this better than Douglas himself. Even in lightweight romantic leads, he suggested colors and complexities not specifically indicated by the script – Joel…..so in this case I think you guys are in agreement.

      Thanks for the feedback on our latest page.

      Reply

      1. Well Bob’s comment gave me a good laugh anyway… but he should watch out, you never know when that Blast from the Past may strike back.

        Thanks for this new page Bruce. Lot’s of good information on Melvyn Douglas. I haven’t seen much of his output as a leading man, but he certainly held his own against Greta Garbo in Ninotchka and I enjoyed many of his character roles. Interesting he was seen a substitute for William Powell. I can see the resemblance. And the Oracle made some good points too 🙂

        Reply

        1. Hey Phil….thanks for checking out my Melvyn Douglas page. Joel has summaries on over 410 classic actors and actresses….so he should be popping up for many of the classic pages we come up with. I agree Dan Oracle provides lots of awesome information in his comments. As do you my friend….appreciate all of your comments.

          Reply

  4. Well how disappointing! Shocked that you did not include The Wiser Sex, The Broken Wing & Our Wife. And you call this website UltimateMovieRankings. There might be a lawsuit coming your way for false advertising. Only listing 67 of his movies what are you thinking! A thorough website one not have posted until they had 100 pure % of the movies.

    I am of course joking with you. Never even heard of the three missing movies. You my friend have one of the most detailed websites out there. As for Douglas, I think it is safe to say he went out on top. With an Oscar win two years before his death and a decent box office winner released after his death. Not many stars can make those claims.

    Reply

    1. That should say. A thorough website would not have posted until they had 100% of his movies.

      Ever thought about an edit button for the commenters? It would be useful.

      Reply

      1. Hey SteinHOF…..very funny comment. Well it looks like Soren might have some information on two of these movies. So if I can figure those two out….that would only leave Our Wife….which the only thing I have seen about that movie is that it was made. So maybe 69 out 70 will redeem us in your eyes….lol.

        As for an edit button…I agree it would be good….but so far I have not been able to find a widget that allows that. But I will keep looking. Good to hear from you.

        Reply

  5. “All acting, if it’s any good, is character acting. said Melvyn Douglas. Nobody demonstrated the validity of this better than Douglas himself. Even in lightweight romantic leads, he suggested colors and complexities not specifically indicated by the script”

    In my humble opinion these are the best Melvyn Douglas performances. All 4 star performances.

    1932’s As You Desire Me
    1933’s Counselor-at-Law
    1934’s Dangerous Corner
    1935’s The People’s Enemy
    1935’s She Married Her Boss
    1936’s The Lone Wolf Returns
    1936’s And So They Were Married
    1936’s Theodora Goes Wild
    1937’s Captains Courageous
    1937’s I Met Him In Paris
    1938’s That Certain Age
    1938’s There’s Always A Woman
    1939’s Ninotchka
    1940’s Too Many Husbands
    1941’s A Woman’s Face
    1948’s Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House
    1963’s Hud
    1964’s An Americanization of Emily
    1970’s I Never Sang For My Father
    1972’s One is a Lonely Number
    1972’s The Candidate
    1979’s The Seduction of Joe Tynan
    1979’s Being There

    Reply

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