Ronald Reagan Movies

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

Ronald Reagan (1911-2004) was a American actor. He appeared in movies from 1937 to 1964.  Reagan’s second career, politics, far out shined his movie career.  Sixteen years after making The Killing, Reagan became the 40th President in United States history.  Since this is a movie website….those will be the only two sentences about his second career.  His IMDb page shows 81 acting credits from 1937-1989. This page ranks 54 Ronald Reagan movies from Best to Worst in six different sortable columns of information.  His television appearances, uncredited roles, shorts and documentaries were not included in the rankings.

Drivel part:  Recently we got a hold of the Warner Brothers box office ledgers from the Golden Era of Hollywood. One of the actors that had many movies listed in those ledgers was Ronald Reagan.  This got us thinking….which can be dangerous…..Reagan’s movie career is almost considered a joke….with descriptions of his career being: “failed actor”, “B movie player” and “Bonzo’s buddy”.  Was his career as bad as some would say?  Well let’s find out.

gippandrockne
Win one for the Kipper…Ronald Reagan in 1940’s Knute Rockne All American

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

Ronald Reagan 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 Ronald Reagan movies by co-stars of his movies
  • Sort Ronald Reagan movies by adjusted domestic box office grosses using current movie ticket cost (in millions)
  • Sort Ronald Reagan movies by yearly domestic box office rank
  • Sort Ronald Reagan movies by adjusted worldwide box office grosses using current movie ticket cost (in millions)  *** If domestic and worldwide are the same…then worldwide grosses are unknown
  • Sort Ronald Reagan 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 Ronald Reagan movie received.
  • Sort Ronald Reagan 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.
ron-geo1
Ronald Reagan and George Murphy (I think) in 1943’s This Is The Army…Reagan’s monster box office hit

Possibly Interesting Facts About Ronald Reagan

1. Ronald Wilson Reagan was born in Tampico, Illinois in 1911.

2. In the early 1930s, Ronald Reagan, was an baseball announcer for the Chicago Cubs.   His specialty was creating play-by-play accounts of games using as his source only basic descriptions that the station received by wire as the games were in progress

3. While traveling with the Cubs in California, Reagan took a screen test…which resulted in him signing a seven year contract with Warner Brothers.

4. Ronald Reagan’s two best-remembered lines were delivered while he was flat on his back in bed:  “Win just one more for the Gipper!” in 1940’s Knute Rockne All American and “Where’s the rest of me?” in 1942’s Kings Row.

5. Ronald Reagan’s This Is The Army (1943) was the 5th biggest hit of the entire 1940s.  If it was included on Box Office Mojo’s Top Adjusted Gross Hits of All-Time…it would rank in 24th place…right ahead of Jurassic World and The Godfather.

6. As Captain in the U.S. Army, Ronald Reagan signed Major Clark Gable‘s discharge papers in June 1944.

7. Ronald Reagan’s favorite all-time movie was 1952’s High Noon.

8. Check out Ronald Reagan‘s career compared to current and classic actors.  Most 100 Million Dollar Movies of All-Time.

Was his movie career as bad as many people suggest? Currently we have 403 actors and directors in our database.  Here is how he ranks in five different categories.

  • Ronald Reagan has 13 $100 million dollar box office hits. That ties him for 146th place in our rankings.
  • Ronald Reagan’s percentage of $100 million dollar hits to movies made is 24.07%.  That % puts him in 294th place.  Other actors near him in the rankings?  George Clooney and Natalie Portman.
  • Ronald Reagan’s movies earned a total of 14 Oscar® nominations.  That ties him for 298th place in our rankings.  Other actors tied with him in the rankings? Drew Barrymore and Lucille Ball.
  • Ronald Reagan’s average critic/audience rating per movie is 57.00%.  That % puts him in 354th place.  Other actors near him in the rankings?  Julia Roberts and Nicolas Cage.
Academy Award® and Oscar® are the registered trademarks of the Academy of Motion Arts and Sciences. 
(Visited 11,087 times)

31 thoughts on “Ronald Reagan Movies”

  1. Good breakdown on the 40th President. I have not seen many of his movies but your stats make it seem like he was a pretty popular actor. This Is The Army was huge. And I have never even heard of it. Thanks for an informative page.

    Reply

    1. Hey Stein…yep…our 40th President had a nice long and pretty successful movie career. I have not seen This Is The Army…but it sits on my DVD case…unopened…and ready to watch…maybe this Reagan page will get me motivated to watch it. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.

      Reply

  2. Hi

    Reagan was always labelled a B actor, which I could never understand because most of his movies, especially in the 40’s were main features. To be honest I haven’t seen that many, but I always liked Kings Row, definitely his best.
    I remember him in This Is The Army and Dark Victory. But if he hadn’t became President, I don’t think anybody would really be interested nowadays.
    On screen he came across as very likable, all American boy. In one way he wasn’t really acting because I think this is how he probably was in real life. No matter what you thought of his politics, he always came across as a very amicable man.
    I remember reading about an interviewer who went to see him in his retirement, and he said he never agreed with him politically but he left really liking him as a person. For years he had pen pals around America, people he communicated with for decades. I think that says a lot about him.
    Interesting page, thanks.
    Ps. I learnt today that one of the television channels, I think it was Fox, are doing a series called Feud. It’s all about the making of Whatever Happened to Baby Jane. Susan Sarandon playing Davis and Jessica Lang playing Crawford. It will be aired next year. Can’t wait.

    Reply

    1. Hey Chris.
      1. Good points about him being more than a B actor. In the early 1940s he was in some pretty popular high budget movies…..seems as he was peaking…the war came a calling.
      2. He is really good in King’s Row…probably desired an Oscar nomination for that one.
      3. His part in Dark Victory is pretty brief….but it is memorable….plus it is with Bette Davis.
      4. Good behind the scenes stuff on Reagan….though many of his detractors….say his role as President was the best acting job of his life.
      5. Feud is getting lots of coverage here in the states……a few years ago..I actually thought and commented that a movie on Crawford/Davis on the set of Baby Jane would make an interesting story…..apparently I was correct….lol.
      As always…thanks for the comment and the visit.

      Reply

  3. Ronald Reagan was never on the Oracle of Bacon Top 1000 Centers of the Hollywood Universe List. It’s also 52 years since his last picture. These are the only people currently on the list he appeared with;

    The Killers (1964) – 15 Seymour Cassel
    The Young Doctors (1961) – 194 Ben Gazzara, 427 George Segal

    The following actors were on the original list but have fallen off over the years.

    Alice in Movieland (1940) – 824 Frank Wilcox
    An Angel From Texas (1940) – 76 Eddie Albert
    Bedtime for Bonzo (1951) – 746 Herb Vigran
    Boy Meets Girl (1938) – 507 Ralph Bellamy
    Brother Rat (1938) – 76 Eddie Albert
    Brother Rat and a Baby (1940) – 76 Eddie Albert
    Cattle Queen of Montana (1954) – 404 Jack Elam, 859 Myron Healey, 969 Byron Foulger
    Dark Victory (1939) – 918 Bette Davis
    Desperate Journey (1942) – 248 Arthur Kennedy, 629 Walter Brooke, 894 Philip Van Zandt
    Hellcats of the Navy (1957) – 811 Robert Nichols
    Hollywood Hotel (1937) – 299 Fritz Feld
    Hong Kong (1952) – 236 Lee Marvin, 278 Keye Luke
    It’s a Great Feeling (1949) – 222 Bess Flowers, 463 Edward G. Robinson
    Juke Girl (1942) – 783 James Flavin, 824 Frank Wilcox
    Knute Rockne All American (1940) – 205 Brian Keith, 783 James Flavin
    Law and Order (1953) – 697 Don Gordon
    Louisa (1950) – 222 Bess Flowers, 821 Piper Laurie, 963 Frank Ferguson
    Million Dollar Baby (1941) – 746 Herb Vigran
    Murder in the Air (1940) – 824 Frank Wilcox
    Night Unto Night (1949) – 65 Viveca Lindfors, 241 Broderick Crawford
    Prisoner of War (1954) – 54 Stuart Whitman, 310 Steve Forrest, 549 Strother Martin, 583 Paul Stewart, 648 Harry Morgan, 811 Robert Nichols
    Santa Fe Trail (1940) – 824 Frank Wilcox, 962 Olivia De Havilland
    Secret Service of the Air (1939) – 606 Alberto Morin
    She’s Working Her Way Through College (1952) – 222 Bess Flowers
    Stallion Road (1947) – 969 Byron Foulger
    Storm Warning (1951) – 302 Richard Anderson, 459 Dabbs Greer
    Tennessee’s Partner (1955) – 332 Angie Dickinson, 544 Leo Gordon, 859 Myron Healey
    That Hagen Girl (1947) – 573 Lois Maxwell, 867 Rory Calhoun
    The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse (1938) – 463 Edward G. Robinson
    The Angels Wash Their Faces (1939) – 671 Eduardo Cianelli
    The Big Truth (1951) – 271 Peter Brocco
    The Killers (1964) – 236 Lee Marvin, 332 Angie Dickinson, 530 Norman Fell, 979 Clu Gulager
    The Rear Gunner (1943) – 41 Burgess Meredith
    The Voice of the Turtle (1947) – 824 Frank Wilcox
    The Winning Team (1952) – 623 Russ Tamblyn, 963 Frank Ferguson
    The Young Doctors (1961) – 76 Eddie Albert, 538 Arthur Hill
    This is the Army (1943) – 222 Bess Flowers, 287 Richard Farnsworth
    Tropic Zone (1953) – 222 Bess Flowers

    I could come up with 20 Oscar winners that Ronnie appeared with:

    Alice in Movieland (1940) – Jane Wyman
    An Angel from Texas (1940) – Jane Wyman
    Boy Meets Girl (1938) – James Cagney
    Brother Rat (1938) – Jane Wyman
    Brother Rat and a Baby (1940) – Jane Wyman
    Dark Victory (1939) – Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart
    For God and Country (1943) – Walter Huston
    Girls on Probation (1938) – Susan Hayward
    Hollywood Hotel (1937) – Susan Hayward
    Hong Kong (1952) – Lee Marvin
    It’s a Great Feeling (1949) – Gary Cooper, Jane Wyman, Joan Crawford, Patricia Neal
    John Loves Mary (1949) – Patricia Neal
    Kings Row (1942) – Charles Coburn (My favorite Ron film)
    Law and Order (1953) – Dorothy Malone
    Louisa (1950) – Charles Coburn, Edmund Gwenn
    Night Unto Night (1949) – Broderick Crawford
    Santa Fe Trail (1940) – Olivia De Havilland, Van Heflin
    Storm Warning (1951) – Ginger Rogers
    Swing Your Lady (1938) – Humphrey Bogart
    The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse (1938) – Humphrey Bogart, Susan Hayward
    The Bad Man (1941) – Lionel Barrymore, Wallace Beery
    The Hasty Heart (1949) – Patricia Neal
    The Killers (1964) – Lee Marvin
    The Young Doctors (1961) – Fredric March
    Tugboat Annie Sails Again (1940) – Jane Wyman

    Reply

      1. Hey Dan….yep he was the narrator on The Young Doctors…I need to go back and mention that in the table…thanks for the heads up.

        Reply

    2. Hey Dan
      1. New list….not very long…lol. Seymour Cassel should remain on the list for a very long time. George Segal is an interesting choice….he was a leading man for almost 15 years…..yep he is barely remembered today…other than as a supporting television actor…maybe a Segal UMR page would be interesting.
      2. Old list….no Arthur T?…but plenty of Bess Flowers. Looks like the Killers had the most Bacon actors. I did not include The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse in the rankings because many places say it was uncredited.
      3. Oscar list….20? I am actually impressed with that total for two reasons: (1) He made most of his movies while at Warner Brothers and (2) they were almost all low budget ones at that.
      4. Sorry it took so long to respond….but mother nature was not cooperating.

      Reply

    1. Hey Katie….he was a very busy man….he made 20 movies in his first 4 years…..including 8 in 1938. I agree he did not do too badly at all. Thanks for the visit and the comment….it is greatly appreciated.

      Reply

  5. ‘salutes’ Lots of info here on an actor I’m frankly not that familiar with, I knew him better as the Commander-in-chief,

    I’ve only seen clips of the film the critics loved to ridicule Reagan with – Bedtime for Bonzo.

    I’ve seen 6 of the 54 films listed, maybe more but those are the ones I know for sure, my favorite is Desperate Journey, a fun WWII adventure starring Errol Flynn.

    Ronnie also starred with Flynn in Santa Fe Trail playing George Armstrong Custer, Errol Flynn became the most famous screen Custer a year later with They Died With Their Boots On.

    I haven’t seen El Presidente in his most famous film role as George ‘Gipp in Knute Rockne but I am familiar with the famous line – “Win one for the Gipper”.

    I haven’t seen chart toppers Kings Row or Dark Victory either. [Bruce rolls his eyes]

    A lovely tribute to The Great Communicator Bruce. Voted Up!

    Reply

    1. Hey Steve.
      1. As always…thank you for sharing your movie thoughts.
      2. Me too about Bedtime For Bonzo….though the first one was so popular…they tried to turn it into a franchise….but Bonzo Goes To College flopped….Ronnie stayed away from that one.
      3. Our tally is equal….as I am at 6 as well….though I could break the tie because This Is The Army is sitting on my DVD case just waiting to be watched.
      4. I would say Knute is a decent movie….but I did enjoy King’s Row….that one is worth checking out. As for Dark Victory…Ronnie’s role is pretty small…..but his “happy drunk” is a memorable part in the movie.
      Thanks for the nice words.

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.