Want to know the best Monty Woolley movies? How about the worst Monty Woolley movies? Curious about Monty Woolley box office grosses or which Monty Woolley movie picked up the most Oscar® nominations? Need to know which Monty Woolley movie got the best reviews from critics and audiences? Well, you have come to the right place….because we have all of that information.
Monty Woolley (1888-1963) was an Oscar®-nominated American actor. At the age of 50, he achieved a measure of stardom for his best-known role in the 1939 stage play The Man Who Came to Dinner and its 1942 film adaptation. His distinctive white beard was his trademark and he was affectionately known as “The Beard.” His IMDb page shows 32 acting credits from 1937 to 1959. This page will rank Monty Woolley movies from Best to Worst in six different sortable columns of information. Television shows, shorts and one uncredited role were not included in the rankings. To do well in our overall rankings a movie has to do well at the box office, get good reviews by critics, be liked by audiences and get some award recognition.
Monty Woolley 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 |
| 1947 | The Bishop's Wife (1947) AA Best Picture Nom |
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| 1944 | Since You Went Away (1944) AA Best Picture Nom AA Best Supp Actor Nom |
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| 1942 | The Pied Piper (1942) AA Best Picture Nom AA Best Actor Nom |
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| 1938 | Three Comrades (1938) |  |
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| 1938 | The Girl of the Golden West (1938) | |
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| 1942 | The Man Who Came To Dinner (1942) | |
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| 1944 | Irish Eyes are Smiling (1944) | |
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| 1948 | Miss Tatlock's Millions (1948) | |
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| 1943 | Holy Matrimony (1943) | |
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| 1937 | Nothing Sacred (1937) | |
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| 1946 | Night and Day (1946) | |
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| 1939 | Dancing Co-Ed (1939) |  |
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| 1939 | Midnight (1939) | |
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| 1939 | Man About Town (1939) | |
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| 1938 | Arsène Lupin Returns (1938) | |
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| 1938 | Young Dr. Kildare (1938) | |
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| 1939 | Honeymoon in Bali (1939) | |
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| 1937 | Live, Love and Learn (1937) | |
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| 1938 | Lord Jeff (1938) |  |
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| 1938 | Everybody Sing (1938) | |
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| 1939 | Never Say Die (1939) | |
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| 1938 | Zaza (1938) | |
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| 1955 | Kismet (1955) | |
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| 1951 | As Young As You Feel (1951) |  |
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| 1942 | Life Begins at Eight-Thirty (1942) | |
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| 1945 | Molly and Me (1945) | |
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| 1938 | Artists and Models Abroad (1938) | |
Monty Woolley 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 Monty Woolley movies by his co-stars
- Sort Monty Woolley movies by adjusted domestic box office grosses using current movie ticket cost (in millions)
- Sort Monty Woolley movies by yearly domestic box office rank.
- Sort Monty Woolley movies by 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 Monty Woolley movie received.
- Sort Monty Woolley movies by Ultimate Movie Rankings (UMR) Score. UMR 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 |
| 1 | The Bishop's Wife (1947) AA Best Picture Nom |
Cary Grant & David Niven |
9.40 | 272.5 | 363.00 | 20 | 78 | 05 / 01 | 98.8 | |
| 2 | Since You Went Away (1944) AA Best Picture Nom AA Best Supp Actor Nom |
Claudette Colbert & Shirley Temple |
14.00 | 470.0 | 470.00 | 2 | 73 | 09 / 01 | 98.7 | |
| 3 | The Pied Piper (1942) AA Best Picture Nom AA Best Actor Nom |
Roddy McDowall & Directed by Otto Preminger |
5.70 | 212.4 | 212.40 | 30 | 77 | 03 / 00 | 98.4 | |
| 6 | Three Comrades (1938) | Margaret Sullavan & Robert Taylor |
4.80 | 190.5 | 326.30 | 31 | 77 | 01 / 00 | 96.2 | |
| 4 | The Girl of the Golden West (1938) | Jeanette MacDonald & Nelson Eddy |
6.40 | 255.0 | 460.30 | 19 | 71 | 00 / 00 | 95.3 | |
| 7 | The Man Who Came To Dinner (1942) | Bette Davis & Ann Sheridan |
4.80 | 176.9 | 272.40 | 52 | 78 | 00 / 00 | 95.3 | |
| 5 | Irish Eyes are Smiling (1944) | Anthony Quinn | 7.30 | 244.5 | 244.50 | 31 | 68 | 01 / 00 | 94.8 | |
| 9 | Miss Tatlock's Millions (1948) | John Lund & Barry Fitzgerald |
6.10 | 163.1 | 163.10 | 44 | 72 | 00 / 00 | 92.4 | |
| 10 | Holy Matrimony (1943) | Gracie Fields | 4.30 | 154.0 | 154.00 | 75 | 73 | 01 / 00 | 92.2 | |
| 11 | Nothing Sacred (1937) | Carole Lombard & Fredric March |
3.40 | 142.0 | 142.00 | 62 | 77 | 00 / 00 | 92.0 | |
| 11 | Night and Day (1946) | Cary Grant | 10.80 | 333.0 | 535.10 | 16 | 54 | 00 / 00 | 90.5 | |
| 12 | Dancing Co-Ed (1939) | Lana Turner | 3.30 | 125.6 | 125.60 | 63 | 76 | 00 / 00 | 89.7 | |
| 13 | Midnight (1939) | Claudette Colbert & Don Ameche |
2.30 | 87.0 | 87.00 | 103 | 86 | 00 / 00 | 89.0 | |
| 14 | Man About Town (1939) | Jack Benny & Edward Arnold |
3.80 | 145.5 | 145.50 | 53 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 86.8 | |
| 16 | Arsène Lupin Returns (1938) | Melvyn Douglas | 3.60 | 145.7 | 145.70 | 48 | 57 | 00 / 00 | 85.0 | |
| 15 | Young Dr. Kildare (1938) | Lionel Barrymore & Lew Ayres |
2.40 | 96.8 | 96.80 | 93 | 71 | 00 / 00 | 84.5 | |
| 17 | Honeymoon in Bali (1939) | Fred MacMurray | 2.90 | 111.7 | 111.70 | 81 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 82.9 | |
| 18 | Live, Love and Learn (1937) | Robert Montgomery & Mickey Rooney |
2.80 | 118.1 | 118.10 | 86 | 58 | 00 / 00 | 81.0 | |
| 19 | Lord Jeff (1938) | Mickey Rooney | 2.50 | 98.3 | 98.30 | 91 | 60 | 00 / 00 | 78.6 | |
| 20 | Everybody Sing (1938) | Judy Garland | 2.60 | 104.6 | 160.20 | 85 | 55 | 00 / 00 | 76.3 | |
| 21 | Never Say Die (1939) | Bob Hope & Martha Raye |
1.50 | 57.8 | 57.80 | 147 | 68 | 00 / 00 | 74.6 | |
| 22 | Zaza (1938) | Claudette Colbert & Herbert Marshall |
1.80 | 70.2 | 70.20 | 134 | 64 | 00 / 00 | 74.1 | |
| 23 | Kismet (1955) | Howard Keel & Directed by Vincent Minnelli |
3.50 | 72.1 | 108.20 | 94 | 60 | 00 / 00 | 70.9 | |
| 24 | As Young As You Feel (1951) | Thelma Ritter | 2.30 | 49.3 | 49.30 | 142 | 66 | 00 / 00 | 68.8 | |
| 25 | Life Begins at Eight-Thirty (1942) | Ida Lupino | 1.50 | 54.7 | 54.70 | 151 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 67.8 | |
| 26 | Molly and Me (1945) | Roddy McDowall | 1.40 | 45.1 | 45.10 | 130 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 62.3 | |
| 27 | Artists and Models Abroad (1938) | Joan Bennett | 1.70 | 67.3 | 67.30 | 141 | 52 | 00 / 00 | 56.6 |
Best IMDb Trivia On Monty Woolley
1. Edgar Montilion “Monty” Woolley was born in Manhattan, New York in 1888.
2. Monty Woolley grew up in the highest social circles. Woolley received a bachelor’s degree at Yale University, and master’s degrees from Yale and Harvard Universities
3. Monty Woolley was a Yale classmate and lifelong friend of composer and songwriter Cole Porter.
4. Monty Woolley is referred to in Cole Porter’s song “Farming” and served as the witty player of words in Porter’s classic “De-Lovely“. Woolley’s favorite song for entertaining at parties was Porter’s “Miss Otis Regrets”.
5. Monty Woolley was well known for his famous whiskers. He once valued them at $8,000. When Paramount Pictures asked him to shave them off for a movie role, he asked for $2,000 down and $500 a week for the three months it would take to grow it back. Paramount declined the offer.
Check out Monty Wooley’s career compared to current and classic actors. Most 100 Million Dollar Movies of All-Time.
Monty Python… yes, Monty Woolley… not so much.
Looking at the chart I’ve seen just 3 of Woolly Monty’s films, they are Nothing Sacred, The Bishop’s Wife and Kismet.
Nothing Sacred was enjoyable, The Bishop’s Wife isn’t a favorite (I’m not a fan of the ‘glum & romantic’ side of Cary Grant, preferring his more mischevious roles e.g. Gunga Din, His Girl Friday, To Catch a Thief, North by Northwest).
I’ve always had a soft spot for Kismet, it’s not a great musical but I liked the Borodin-flavored song score and Howard Keel was perfectly cast in the lead.
Nice work Bruce. Vote Up!
Hey Steve. Thanks for the visit, and movie count. Movie count, Flora 13, Cogerson 5, Steve 3 and Bob 2. I am not a fan of the bishops wife either, I recently re-watched it, liked it more but still way down the list of my favorite Cary Grant movies. I get confused with the different versions of Kismet. Pretty sure I’ve not seen this version, but your little mini review makes me want to check it out. Thanks for checking out the unknown Python.
I have seen Monty in just 2 movies: The Man who Came to Dinner [thank goodness!] and Al Leach’s 1946 Night and Day. He did not share star billing with Archibald and Alexis Smith who were billed above the title whilst Monty [who played himself] was credited below it. Archie and Alexis were of course Mr and Mrs Cole Porter in that one. [I wonder did Cole ever conduct an interview with his wife Linda Lee.]
Although they were different types of actors I always equated Monty in a way with Sydney Greenstreet who worked for years on the stage and was aged 61 when he made his first movie The Maltese Falcon. However from the moment he stood before the cameras he remained a consistent tour de force on the big screen; and it would be true to say of him that late in life he became a star “after a fashion” like Monty who was 54 when he made his main cinematic mark in Man Who Came to Dinner.
In summary Monty was overall in 30 feature films; a short and a documentary. The Work Horse covers above 27 of the 30 feature films and that’s 90% of the latter total which is a very comprehensive profile of Monty’s film work which he performed long ago-well done Bruce and “Voted Up!”
Hey Bob, got to admit I’m shocked that you have not seen the bishop’s wife with Cary Grant. It is actually wanna carry highest rated movies at UMR. Now knowing, that he and Cole Porter we’re such good friends makes his role in Night and Day seem more important. Thanks for another movie count. Flora easily wins this again, with her 13 seen. I have a seen five which amazed me. Steve sits at 4, and you at two. As for the missing three movies, when was uncredited pretty sure the other two were shorts. His last two credits including his last one we’re television roles. Good comment. Thank you.
HI BRUCE: Thanks for the feedback. I have explained before that with the exception of Hirchcock’s 1946 Notorious I liked no Al Leach movie until the dozen or so that he made ifn the 1950s /60s starting with The Catch a Thief; and I have always preferred the older Archibald to the younger Archie.
For my money his best performance was in N by NW followed by That Touch of Mink; though I did think that overall he was underrated as an actor and should have had a real Oscar instead of that pretend thing which was of course good enough for The Thin Woman. Whoa Bike! On reflection I’ll stop leg pulling for a moment to be serious and concede that she too should have neen given “the Real McCoy”.
I’m more or less “confined to quarters” at the moment except when I go for my daily walks and it is OK to do that provided one doesn’t go into shops or mingle with crowds etc. The cinemas are of course closed along with pubs and restaurants etc so I am dependent more than ever on Cogerson and Lensman for my entertainment!
From my perspective ‘the right people’ are encouraging me to maintain the necessary discipline: Roger Federer has just come onto social media holding up a big “stay at home” sign!
Take care yourself and do everything which you can that is necessary to keep your family and you safe.
Hey Bob. Glad you are heeding Roger’s advice. That is about what we are doing. WoC stays home, while I go and get supplies….which we do about every 3 days. Kids are doing nicely….and so far….knock on wood….my area has no cases currently. I would like that to continue.
As for Cary Grant…..I like all Cary Grant time periods. The Awful Truth from the 1930s, Notorious from the 1940s, North by Northwest from the 1950s, Father Goose and Charade from the 1960s. I can really only think of a few that I did not like at all. Dream Wife, Room For One More and The Howards of Virginia come to mind.
Good stuff…keep healthy!
The Work Horse hit the nail on the head when he said that Monty had gained movie stardom “after a fashion”. Before making 1942’s The Man who came to Dinner Monty appeared in 19 movies and in all of them he was listed well down the cast and indeed at times near the bottom; and was uncredited in two of that 19.
In Man who came to Dinner he was given star billing for the first time but despite as Bruce indicates virtually ‘owning’ that production on stage and screen Monty did not have sufficient star power then to top the bill and was given equal 3rd billing to Bette Davis and Ann Sheridan.
He made a further 11 movies subsequently and was top billed in 6 of them. Therefore he had top billing in around 20% of a total of 31 movies one of which was a short film.. As well he ws also the US narrator in a 1947 documentary – Paris 1900; French thespian Claude Dauphin did the narration in the French version.
From 1927-1939 Monty was in 11 stage productions the final one of which was The Man Who came to Dinner. He was in two radio presentations as well: 1942’s The Man who came to Dinner [surprise! surprise!] and some kind of Christmas show on 21 Dec 1943.
Hey Bob. Thanks for the detailed comment. I will freely admit I knew almost nothing about him before writing this page. Heck I didn’t even realize he was in two Cary Grant movies, which I have seen.So your explanation of his career, his billings and his other projects are appreciated. Good stuff as always.
I have seen 13 Monty Wooley movies.
The HIGHEST rated movie I have seen is The Bishop’s Wife.
The highest rated movie I have NOT seen is Irish Eyes Are Smiling.
The LOWEST rated movie I have seen is Kismet.
Favourite Monty Wooley Movies;
The Bishop’s Wife
Since You Went Away
The Pied Piper
Night and Day
Nothing Sacred
Young Dr. Kildare
Arsene Lupin Returns
Live, Love and Learn
EVerybody Sing
Other Monty Wooley Movies I Have Seen:
The Man Who came to Dinner – I know it’s a favourite of others, but I’m not a fan
The Girl of the Golden West
Lord Jeff
Kismet – prefer the Ronald Colman version
Hey Flora. Thanks for the visit on our Monty page. Your 13 is almost half of his movie output. It more than doubles my total of five. I have seen three of your favorites. I am not a fan of night and day, as it is one of my least favorite Cary Grant movies.I like you was not that impressed with the man who came to dinner.Good stuff as always hope things are quite in your neck of the woods.
Monty Wooley was never on the Oracle of Bacon Top 1000 Center of the Hollywood Universe list These are the actors on the list he las appeared with.
30 ANTHONY QUINN Irish Eyes Are Smiling (1944)
109 DAVID NIVEN The Bishop’s Wife (1947)
110 RODDY MCDOWELL Molly and Me (1945)
110 RODDY MCDOWELL The Pied Piper (1942)
172 MICKEY ROONEY Live, Love and Learn (1937)
172 MICKEY ROONEY Lord Jeff (1938)
227 KEENAN WYNN Since You Went Away (1944)
241 AKIM TAMIROFF Honeymoon in Bali (1939)
305 JOSEPH COTTEN Since You Went Away (1944)
309 ROBERT TAYLOR Three Comrades (1938)
435 ROBERT STACK Miss Tatlock’s Millions (1948)
487 MARCEL DALIO The Pied Piper (1942)
501 RAY MILLAND Miss Tatlock’s Millions (1948)
524 JACK ELAM Kismet (1955)
672 WALTER PIDGEON The Girl of the Golden West (1938)
801 BETTE DAVIS The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942)
805 CHARLES LANE Honeymoon in Bali (1939)
805 CHARLES LANE Nothing Sacred (1937)
867 PETER LAWFORD Lord Jeff (1938)
942 RUSS TAMBLYN As Young as You Feel (1951)
Only Russ is still alive.
Monty appeared with 20 Oscar winners.
ANNE BAXTER The Pied Piper (1942)
ANTHONY QUINN Irish Eyes Are Smiling (1944)
BARRY FITZGERALD Miss Tatlock’s Millions (1948)
BETTE DAVIS The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942)
CHARLES COBURN Lord Jeff (1938)
CLAUDETTE COLBERT Midnight (1939)
CLAUDETTE COLBERT Since You Went Away (1944)
CLAUDETTE COLBERT Zaza (1938)
DAVID NIVEN The Bishop’s Wife (1947)
DON AMECHE Midnight (1939)
DOROTHY MALONE Night and Day (1946)
FREDRIC MARCH Nothing Sacred (1937)
GALE SONDERGAARD LORD JEFF (1938)
GALE SONDERGAARD NEVER SAY DIE (1939)
GIG YOUNG The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942)
HATTIE MCDANIEL NOTHING SACRED (1937)
HATTIE MCDANIEL SINCE YOU WENT AWAY (1944)
JANE WYMAN Night and Day (1946)
JENNIFER JONES Since You Went Away (1944)
LIONEL BARRYMORE Since You Went Away (1944)
LIONEL BARRYMORE Young Dr. Kildare (1938)
LORETTA YOUNG The Bishop’s Wife (1947)
MARY ASTOR Midnight (1939)
MELVYN DOUGLAS Arsène Lupin Returns (1938)
RAY MILLAND Miss Tatlock’s Millions (1948)
Hey Dan. Good to know we still count on you for your awesome massive lists. Not surprised at all that he is not on the Oracle list. A late start and a fairly brief career does not bode well to make that list. Looking at the first list, hard to believe they’re all gone except for Russ. 20 Oscar winning costars is actually pretty impressive total for his limited career. I have been thinking about you especially as the news from New York City seems to get bleaker and bleaker by the hour. Hope you are staying safe and healthy