Want to know the best Ruth Gordon movies? How about the worst Ruth Gordon movies? Curious about Ruth Gordon box office grosses or which Ruth Gordon movie picked up the most Oscar® nominations? Need to know which Ruth Gordon movie got the best reviews from critics and audiences? Well, you have come to the right place….because we have all of that information.
Ruth Gordon (1896-1995) was an Oscar® winning American actress and writer. Overall she was nominated for 5 Oscars® in her career: three as a writer and two as an actress. One of her most famous roles was playing Clint Eastwood’s mom in 1978’s Every Which Way But Loose and 1980’s Any Which Way You Can. Her IMDb page shows 57 acting and writing credits from 1915 to 1987. This page will rank Ruth Gordon movies from Best to Worst in six different sortable columns of information. 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.
Ruth Gordon 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 |
| 1968 | Rosemary's Baby (1968) AA Best Supp Actress Win |
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| 1949 | Adam's Rib (1949) AA Best Writing Nom |
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| 1943 | Edge of Darkness (1943) |  |
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| 1943 | Action in the North Atlantic (1943) | |
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| 1947 | A Double Life (1947) AA Best Writing Nom |
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| 1952 | Pat and Mike (1952) AA Best Writing Nom |
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| 1978 | Every Which Way But Loose (1978) |  |
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| 1980 | Any Which Way You Can (1980) | |
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| 1980 | My Bodyguard (1980) | |
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| 1941 | Two-Faced Woman (1941) | |
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| 1952 | The Marrying Kind (1952) | |
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| 1940 | Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet (1940) | |
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| 1940 | Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940) | |
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| 1971 | Harold and Maude (1971) | |
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| 1965 | Inside Daisy Clover (1965) AA Best Supp Actress Nom |
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| 1979 | Scavenger Hunt (1979) |  |
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| 1970 | Where's Poppa? (1970) | |
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| 1969 | What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice? (1969) | |
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| 1966 | Lord Love A Duck (1966) | |
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| 1976 | The Big Bus (1976) | |
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| 1953 | The Actress (1953) |  |
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| 1979 | Boardwalk (1979) |  |
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| 1984 | Delta Pi (1984) |  |
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| 1984 | Voyage of the Rock Aliens (1984) |  |
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| 1982 | Jimmy The Kid (1982) | |
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| 1985 | Maxie (1985) |  |
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| 1987 | The Trouble with Spies (1987) | |
Ruth Gordon 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 Ruth Gordon movies by her co-stars
- Sort Ruth Gordon movies by adjusted domestic box office grosses using current movie ticket cost (in millions)
- Sort Ruth Gordon movies by yearly domestic box office rank.
- Sort Ruth Gordon 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 Ruth Gordon movie received.
- Sort Ruth Gordon 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 | Rosemary's Baby (1968) AA Best Supp Actress Win |
Mia Farrow & John Cassavetes |
42.90 | 352.7 | 352.70 | 8 | 89 | 02 / 01 | 99.0 | |
| 2 | Adam's Rib (1949) AA Best Writing Nom |
Spencer Tracy & Written by Ruth Gordon |
8.30 | 206.9 | 274.90 | 18 | 87 | 01 / 00 | 98.6 | |
| 3 | Edge of Darkness (1943) | Errol Flynn & Ann Sheridan |
5.80 | 209.3 | 376.70 | 45 | 74 | 00 / 00 | 96.1 | |
| 4 | Action in the North Atlantic (1943) | Humphrey Bogart & Raymond Massey |
6.10 | 220.1 | 355.20 | 42 | 66 | 01 / 00 | 94.4 | |
| 5 | A Double Life (1947) AA Best Writing Nom |
Ronald Colman & Written by Ruth Gordon |
4.60 | 133.9 | 133.90 | 77 | 69 | 04 / 02 | 90.4 | |
| 6 | Pat and Mike (1952) AA Best Writing Nom |
Katharine Hepburn & Written by Ruth Gordon |
5.80 | 114.3 | 149.50 | 45 | 80 | 01 / 00 | 90.2 | |
| 7 | Every Which Way But Loose (1978) | Clint Eastwood & Sondra Locke |
85.20 | 392.5 | 392.50 | 4 | 46 | 00 / 00 | 87.5 | |
| 8 | Any Which Way You Can (1980) | Clint Eastwood & Sondra Locke |
70.70 | 293.1 | 293.10 | 8 | 42 | 00 / 00 | 86.0 | |
| 9 | My Bodyguard (1980) | Chris Makepeace & Matt Dillon |
24.90 | 103.2 | 103.20 | 31 | 72 | 00 / 00 | 86.0 | |
| 10 | Two-Faced Woman (1941) | Greta Garbo & Melvyn Douglas |
2.80 | 108.7 | 223.50 | 89 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 81.9 | |
| 12 | The Marrying Kind (1952) | Judy Holliday & Written by Ruth Gordon |
4.70 | 92.6 | 92.60 | 65 | 67 | 00 / 00 | 81.6 | |
| 10 | Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet (1940) | Edward G. Robinson & Ruth Gordon |
1.80 | 71.2 | 103.70 | 110 | 72 | 01 / 00 | 81.3 | |
| 14 | Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940) | Raymond Massey & Gene Lockhart |
1.70 | 66.1 | 66.10 | 120 | 74 | 00 / 00 | 80.8 | |
| 13 | Harold and Maude (1971) | Bud Cort | 6.10 | 39.6 | 39.60 | 56 | 81 | 00 / 00 | 80.2 | |
| 15 | Inside Daisy Clover (1965) AA Best Supp Actress Nom |
Natalie Wood & Robert Redford |
8.10 | 85.7 | 85.70 | 37 | 60 | 03 / 00 | 77.1 | |
| 16 | Scavenger Hunt (1979) | Vincent Price & Roddy McDowall |
10.00 | 42.9 | 42.90 | 64 | 67 | 00 / 00 | 68.3 | |
| 17 | Where's Poppa? (1970) | George Segal | 4.50 | 31.6 | 31.60 | 61 | 67 | 00 / 00 | 62.6 | |
| 18 | What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice? (1969) | Geraldine Page | 3.20 | 24.3 | 24.30 | 67 | 66 | 00 / 00 | 57.1 | |
| 19 | Lord Love A Duck (1966) | Roddy McDowall & Tuesday Weld |
1.80 | 17.5 | 17.50 | 107 | 66 | 00 / 00 | 53.3 | |
| 20 | The Big Bus (1976) | José Ferrer | 5.40 | 27.5 | 27.50 | 78 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 50.6 | |
| 21 | The Actress (1953) | Spencer Tracy & Written by Ruth Gordon |
1.80 | 32.3 | 49.80 | 173 | 57 | 01 / 00 | 46.0 | |
| 22 | Boardwalk (1979) | Janet Leigh | 1.50 | 6.4 | 6.40 | 132 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 34.9 | |
| 23 | Delta Pi (1984) | Laura Branigan | 0.20 | 0.5 | 0.50 | 183 | 56 | 00 / 00 | 21.9 | |
| 24 | Voyage of the Rock Aliens (1984) | Pia Zadora | 0.40 | 1.2 | 1.20 | 175 | 53 | 00 / 00 | 17.2 | |
| 25 | Jimmy The Kid (1982) | Gary Coleman | 0.60 | 2.2 | 2.20 | 140 | 52 | 00 / 00 | 16.1 | |
| 26 | Maxie (1985) | Glenn Close & Mandy Patinkin |
2.60 | 7.8 | 7.80 | 133 | 40 | 00 / 00 | 5.6 | |
| 27 | The Trouble with Spies (1987) | Donald Sutherland | 0.20 | 0.6 | 0.60 | 221 | 31 | 00 / 00 | 0.9 |
Best IMDb Trivia On Ruth Gordon
1. Ruth Gordon Jones was born in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1896.
2. Ruth Gordon made her Broadway debut in 1917. She appeared as Nibs (one of the Lost Boys) in a revival of Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up.
3. Ruth Gordon and her second husband, writer Garson Kanin, collaborated on the screenplays for the Katharine Hepburn – Spencer Tracy films Adam’s Rib (1949) and Pat and Mike (1952). The couple were close friends of Hepburn and Tracy, and incorporated elements of the actors’ real personalities in the films.
4. Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin earned three Oscar® nominations for writing. George Cukor directed all three movies. The two mentioned in #3 and 1948’s A Double Life.
5. Ruth Gordon was awarded the Women in Film Crystal Award in 1983. This award is given for outstanding women who, through their endurance and the excellence of their work, have helped to expand the role of women within the entertainment industry.[
Check out Ruth Gordon’s career compared to current and classic actors. Most 100 Million Dollar Movies of All-Time.
“Nobody can accuse Ruth Gordon of lacking individuality. Her distinctive speech and Peter-Pan-grown-old face have enlivened dozens of films. Gordon occasionally went overboard, as in Every Which Way But Loose and My Bodyguard, but she was always entertaining to watch.”
Ruth Gordon Rating The Movie Stars 4 Star Performances
1943’s Edge of Darkness
1943’s Action in the North Atlantic
1966’s Lord Loves A Duck
1966’s Inside Daisy Clover
1968’s Rosemary’s Baby
1969’s Whatever Happened To Aunt Alice?
As always….it is good to get Joel’s thoughts on this website…at least in my opinion.
I saw 9 including 3 of top 5 as actress. 9 not favorite: rosemarys baby(I am not a fan of darkness). hidden gems: inside daisy clover 8 (natalie wood is riveting ) , Harold and maude 8.
I saw 3 with Gordon as writer her autobiographical the actress a 7 and a hidden gem. adams rib a 10 and favorite. pat and mike a 9. the last 2 she co wrote with her husband for their good friends tracy and Hepburn.
I am not a fan of the eastwood comedies. in fairness comedy is very difficult to rate. consensus is rare. I must be in the mood to laugh at an orangutan and my mood might change daily in that regard. every which way but loose 7 (worth watching), any which way you can 4 out of 10, (not worth watching)
I loved the comments. Yea UMR, Yea commenters, Yea The Bob, Yea Steve, Yea Flora, Yea Pierre, Yea Dan, Yea Cogerson
Hey bob cox……thanks for the thoughts on Ruth Gordon. Tally counts: Tally count. bob cox & Cogerson 12, Flora 11 and Steve 8. Good breakdowns on her movies. Good points on how to rate Clint’s ape movies. I actually think Clint’s worst comedy is Pink Cadillac….made in his prime….that is a dud….saw it in the theater…and nobody even chuckled once. Good stuff as always.
Ruth Gordon has never been on the Oracle of Bacon Top 1000 Center of the Hollywood Universe list. These are the actors on the list she appeared with.
3 CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER Inside Daisy Clover (1965)
4 DONALD SUTHERLAND The Trouble with Spies (1987)
27 FRANK WELKER The Trouble with Spies (1987)
29 NED BEATTY The Big Bus (1976)
29 NED BEATTY The Trouble with Spies (1987)
41 MICHAEL HORDERN The Trouble with Spies (1987)
103 CLINT EASTWOOD Any Which Way You Can (1980)
103 CLINT EASTWOOD Every Which Way But Loose (1978)
105 ROBERT MITCHUM Action in the North Atlantic (1943)
110 RODDY MCDOWELL Inside Daisy Clover (1965)
110 RODDY MCDOWELL Lord Love a Duck (1966)
110 RODDY MCDOWELL Scavenger Hunt (1979)
155 ROBERT MORLEY Scavenger Hunt (1979)
155 ROBERT MORLEY The Trouble with Spies (1987)
218 GEORGE SEGAL Where’s Poppa? (1970)
221 GEOFFREY LEWIS Any Which Way You Can (1980)
221 GEOFFREY LEWIS Every Which Way But Loose (1978)
228 JOSE FERRER The Big Bus (1976)
235 ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER Scavenger Hunt (1979)
274 MIA FARROW Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
281 CLORIS LEACHMAN Scavenger Hunt (1979)
287 GLENN CLOSE Maxie (1985)
318 STOCKARD CHANNING The Big Bus (1976)
334 ROBERT REDFORD Inside Daisy Clover (1965)
454 JAMES GAMMON Any Which Way You Can (1980)
463 TOM SKERRITT Harold and Maude (1971)
469 VINCENT PRICE Scavenger Hunt (1979)
484 BEVERLY D’ANGELO Every Which Way But Loose (1978)
513 LYNN REDGRAVE The Big Bus (1976)
564 MATT DILLON My Bodyguard (1980)
576 JOAN CUSACK MY BODYGUARD (1980)
651 CYRIL CUSACK Harold and Maude (1971)
679 RICHARD MASUR Scavenger Hunt (1979)
692 TONY RANDALL Scavenger Hunt (1979)
712 SALLY KELLERMAN The Big Bus (1976)
744 BARRY CORBIN ANY WHICH WAY YOU CAN (1980)
782 EDWARD G. ROBINSON Dr. Ehrlich’s Magic Bullet (1940)
847 BUD CORT Harold and Maude (1971)
891 RENE AUBERJONOIS The Big Bus (1976)
992 VITO SCOTTI The Big Bus (1976)
1000 MANDY PATINKIN Maxie (1985)
Ruth appeared with 9 Oscar winners.
CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER Inside Daisy Clover (1965)
CLORIS LEACHMAN Scavenger Hunt (1979)
DONALD CRISP DR. EHRLICH’S MAGIC BULLET (1940)
GERALDINE PAGE What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice? (1969)
HUMPHREY BOGART Action in the North Atlantic (1943)
JOSE FERRER The Big Bus (1976)
MARY PICKFORD Madame Butterfly (1915)
MELVYN DOUGLAS Two-Faced Woman (1941)
WALTER HUSTON Edge of Darkness (1943)
Like that 1915 connection to Mary Pickford.
Hey Dan. As always…..thanks for sharing these lists. Pretty small compared to many of the other lists. I like you, like seeing a connection to 1915 and Mary Pickford….you do not see that very often. Looks like Roddy McDowell wins the most frequent co-star on the first list. Two in the Top 5 is pretty good. Plummer and Sutherland are still movie making machines. Good lists.