Want to know the best Shirley MacLaine movies? How about the worst Shirley MacLaine movies? Curious about Shirley MacLaine’s box office grosses or which Shirley MacLaine movie picked up the most Oscar® nominations? Need to know which Shirley MacLaine movie got the best reviews from critics and audiences? Well you have come to the right place….because we have all of that information.
Lately it seems that almost every other movie I watched starred Shirley MacLaine. Last week I was watching Can-Can with MacLaine and Frank Sinatra….I was amazed at her singing and dancing in that movie. I did a quick IMDB check on her career and quickly realized that I have not been giving her career enough attention…and that she would be a great addition to my Ultimate Movie Rankings website. Shirley MacLaine (1934-) is an Oscar® winning actress, dancer, singer and director. . She has been nominated for six Oscars® …..winning for her performance in Terms of Endearment.
Her IMDb page shows over 79 acting since 1955. This page will rank Shirley MacLaine movies from Best to Worst in six different sortable columns of information. Television shows, shorts, cameos and movies that were not released in North American theaters were not included in the rankings.
Shirley MacLaine 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
1960
The Apartment (1960)
AA Best Picture Win
AA Best Actress Nom
1983
Terms of Endearment (1983)
AA Best Picture Win
AA Best Actress Win
1956
Around the World in 80 Days (1956)
AA Best Picture Win
1963
Irma La Douce (1963)
AA Best Actress Nom
1958
Some Came Running (1958)
AA Best Actress Nom
1977
The Turning Point (1977)
AA Best Picture Nom
AA Best Actress Nom
1955
Artists and Models (1955)
1989
Steel Magnolias (1989)
1979
Being There (1979)
1960
Can-Can (1960)
1964
What a Way To Go! (1964)
1990
Postcards from the Edge (1990)
1961
The Children's Hour (1961)
1964
The Yellow Rolls-Royce (1964)
1955
The Trouble with Harry (1955)
1959
Ask Any Girl (1959)
1959
Career (1959)
1966
Gambit (1966)
1970
Two Mules for Sister Sara (1970)
1958
The Sheepman (1958)
2005
In Her Shoes (2005)
2013
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)
1962
Two For The Seesaw (1962)
2011
Bernie (2011)
1958
Hot Spell (1958)
1961
All in a Night's Work (1961)
2010
Valentine's Day (2010)
1994
Guarding Tess (1994)
1958
The Matchmaker (1958)
1969
Sweet Charity (1969)
1980
A Change of Seasons (1980)
1988
Madame Sousatzka (1988)
1962
My Geisha (1962)
1965
John Golfarb Please Come Home (1965)
2005
Bewitched (2005)
1971
Desperate Characters (1971)
1997
Closing The Ring (1997)
1990
Waiting for the Light (1990)
2019
Noelle (2019)
Disney Plus
1972
The Possession of Joel Delaney (1972)
1993
Wrestling Ernest Hemingway (1993)
1992
Used People (1992)
2003
Carolina (2003)
2022
American Dreamer (2022)
Film Festival Circuit Only
2000
Bruno (2000)
2005
Rumor Has It... (2005)
1967
Woman Times Seven (1967)
1984
Cannonball Run II (1984)
2016
Wild Oats (2016)
2017
The Last Word (2017)
2014
Elsa & Fred (2014)
1968
The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom (1968)
1980
Loving Couples (1980)
1996
The Evening Star (1996)
1961
Two Loves (1961)
1996
Mrs. Winterbourne (1996)
Shirley MacLaine 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 Shirley MacLaine movies by co-stars of her movies
- Sort Shirley MacLaine movies by adjusted domestic box office grosses using current movie ticket cost.
- Sort Shirley MacLaine movies by yearly box office rank
- Sort Shirley MacLaine 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 Shirley MacLaine movie received.
- Sort Shirley MacLaine 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.
- To get the most out of this table please use the sort and search buttons….as it makes it very interactive
| 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 Apartment (1960) AA Best Picture Win AA Best Actress Nom |
Jack Lemmon & Fred MacMurray |
19.00 | 296.8 | 296.80 | 8 | 87 | 10 / 05 | 99.9 | |
| 2 | Terms of Endearment (1983) AA Best Picture Win AA Best Actress Win |
Jack Nicholson & Debra Winger |
108.40 | 371.0 | 371.00 | 2 | 83 | 11 / 05 | 99.9 | |
| 3 | Around the World in 80 Days (1956) AA Best Picture Win |
David Niven | 35.50 | 695.5 | 695.50 | 2 | 70 | 08 / 05 | 99.7 | |
| 5 | Irma La Douce (1963) AA Best Actress Nom |
Jack Lemmon & James Caan |
25.20 | 315.9 | 315.90 | 6 | 79 | 03 / 01 | 97.9 | |
| 6 | Some Came Running (1958) AA Best Actress Nom |
Frank Sinatra & Dean Martin |
12.70 | 228.0 | 333.30 | 9 | 76 | 05 / 00 | 97.5 | |
| 4 | The Turning Point (1977) AA Best Picture Nom AA Best Actress Nom |
Anne Bancroft | 46.10 | 222.8 | 222.80 | 13 | 63 | 11 / 00 | 96.8 | |
| 7 | Artists and Models (1955) | Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis |
10.90 | 225.1 | 225.10 | 28 | 69 | 00 / 00 | 94.9 | |
| 8 | Steel Magnolias (1989) | Julia Roberts & Sally Field |
83.80 | 227.4 | 260.40 | 14 | 68 | 01 / 00 | 94.5 | |
| 9 | Being There (1979) | Peter Sellers & Melvyn Douglas |
29.00 | 124.5 | 124.50 | 32 | 88 | 02 / 01 | 94.3 | |
| 10 | Can-Can (1960) | Frank Sinatra | 12.00 | 187.5 | 187.50 | 17 | 57 | 02 / 00 | 90.5 | |
| 13 | What a Way To Go! (1964) | Paul Newman & Gene Kelly |
17.40 | 199.9 | 324.80 | 6 | 51 | 02 / 00 | 89.8 | |
| 11 | Postcards from the Edge (1990) | Meryl Streep & Dennis Quaid |
39.10 | 99.6 | 99.60 | 33 | 78 | 02 / 00 | 88.8 | |
| 12 | The Children's Hour (1961) | Audrey Hepburn & James Garner |
4.70 | 68.7 | 68.70 | 48 | 84 | 05 / 00 | 87.7 | |
| 15 | The Yellow Rolls-Royce (1964) | Ingrid Bergman & George C. Scott |
13.30 | 153.0 | 163.90 | 14 | 56 | 00 / 00 | 85.8 | |
| 14 | The Trouble with Harry (1955) | Directed by Alfred Hitchcock | 3.70 | 77.0 | 77.00 | 87 | 78 | 00 / 00 | 84.7 | |
| 16 | Ask Any Girl (1959) | David Niven | 5.70 | 102.7 | 102.70 | 42 | 69 | 00 / 00 | 84.5 | |
| 18 | Career (1959) | Dean Martin | 6.00 | 107.8 | 107.80 | 41 | 60 | 03 / 00 | 81.9 | |
| 17 | Gambit (1966) | Michael Caine | 6.20 | 61.2 | 61.20 | 44 | 74 | 03 / 00 | 81.6 | |
| 19 | Two Mules for Sister Sara (1970) | Clint Eastwood | 10.90 | 75.8 | 75.80 | 33 | 71 | 00 / 00 | 80.8 | |
| 20 | The Sheepman (1958) | Glenn Ford | 4.30 | 77.0 | 77.00 | 55 | 64 | 01 / 00 | 76.9 | |
| 21 | In Her Shoes (2005) | Toni Collette & Cameron Diaz |
32.90 | 55.4 | 139.90 | 83 | 70 | 00 / 00 | 75.4 | |
| 24 | The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013) | Ben Stiller & Sean Penn |
58.20 | 77.2 | 249.50 | 60 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 73.8 | |
| 23 | Two For The Seesaw (1962) | Robert Mitchum | 4.60 | 66.7 | 66.70 | 53 | 63 | 02 / 00 | 73.6 | |
| 22 | Bernie (2011) | Jack Black & Matthew McConaughey |
9.20 | 12.5 | 13.70 | 145 | 81 | 00 / 00 | 73.5 | |
| 25 | Hot Spell (1958) | Anthony Quinn | 2.60 | 46.2 | 46.20 | 89 | 68 | 00 / 00 | 70.1 | |
| 27 | All in a Night's Work (1961) | Dean Martin | 6.30 | 91.6 | 91.60 | 37 | 53 | 00 / 00 | 69.5 | |
| 28 | Valentine's Day (2010) | Julia Roberts & Bradley Cooper |
110.50 | 151.0 | 295.80 | 24 | 32 | 00 / 00 | 68.2 | |
| 28 | Guarding Tess (1994) | Nicolas Cage | 27.10 | 71.5 | 71.50 | 52 | 57 | 00 / 00 | 67.9 | |
| 29 | The Matchmaker (1958) | Shirley Booth & Anthony Perkins |
2.90 | 51.3 | 51.30 | 78 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 66.3 | |
| 29 | Sweet Charity (1969) | Directed by Bob Fosse | 3.10 | 23.9 | 23.90 | 68 | 69 | 03 / 00 | 66.1 | |
| 30 | A Change of Seasons (1980) | Anthony Hopkins & Bo Derek |
16.90 | 70.1 | 70.10 | 46 | 56 | 00 / 00 | 65.1 | |
| 32 | Madame Sousatzka (1988) | Twiggy | 3.50 | 9.3 | 9.30 | 140 | 70 | 00 / 00 | 56.6 | |
| 33 | My Geisha (1962) | Edward G. Robinson | 1.40 | 20.5 | 20.50 | 111 | 65 | 01 / 00 | 54.7 | |
| 36 | John Golfarb Please Come Home (1965) | Peter Ustinov | 7.00 | 74.3 | 74.30 | 43 | 48 | 00 / 00 | 54.5 | |
| 35 | Bewitched (2005) | Nicole Kidman & Michael Caine |
63.30 | 106.6 | 221.40 | 41 | 37 | 00 / 00 | 53.2 | |
| 34 | Desperate Characters (1971) | Kenneth Mars | 2.40 | 15.8 | 15.80 | 105 | 64 | 00 / 00 | 49.4 | |
| 35 | Closing The Ring (1997) | Christopher Plummer | 0.10 | 0.1 | 3.50 | 271 | 68 | 00 / 00 | 47.5 | |
| 37 | Waiting for the Light (1990) | Teri Garr | 0.80 | 2.1 | 2.10 | 192 | 67 | 00 / 00 | 46.8 | |
| 39 | Noelle (2019) Disney Plus |
Bill Hader & Anna Kendrick |
0.10 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 237 | 66 | 00 / 00 | 42.2 | |
| 41 | The Possession of Joel Delaney (1972) | Perry King | 2.70 | 17.3 | 17.30 | 100 | 59 | 00 / 00 | 38.5 | |
| 40 | Wrestling Ernest Hemingway (1993) | Robert Duvall & Sandra Bullock |
0.30 | 0.7 | 0.70 | 211 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 36.9 | |
| 44 | Used People (1992) | Marcello Mastroianni | 18.00 | 46.6 | 46.60 | 69 | 49 | 00 / 00 | 36.9 | |
| 43 | Carolina (2003) | Julia Stiles | 0.10 | 0.1 | 0.60 | 284 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 35.5 | |
| 45 | American Dreamer (2022) Film Festival Circuit Only |
Peter Dinklage & Matt Dillon |
0.10 | 0.1 | 0.20 | 199 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 35.4 | |
| 45 | Bruno (2000) | Gary Sinise & Directed by Shirley MacLaine |
0.00 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 352 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 35.3 | |
| 47 | Rumor Has It... (2005) | Kevin Costner & Jennifer Aniston |
43.00 | 72.4 | 149.80 | 70 | 38 | 00 / 00 | 31.3 | |
| 45 | Woman Times Seven (1967) | Michael Caine | 2.20 | 20.0 | 20.00 | 91 | 54 | 00 / 00 | 30.4 | |
| 49 | Cannonball Run II (1984) | Burt Reynolds & Dean Martin |
28.10 | 90.1 | 90.10 | 34 | 30 | 00 / 00 | 27.0 | |
| 49 | Wild Oats (2016) | Jessica Lange & Demi Moore |
0.10 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 342 | 58 | 00 / 00 | 26.4 | |
| 48 | The Last Word (2017) | Amanda Seyfried | 1.80 | 2.1 | 5.30 | 164 | 56 | 00 / 00 | 22.6 | |
| 50 | Elsa & Fred (2014) | Christopher Plummer | 0.30 | 0.4 | 0.40 | 205 | 54 | 00 / 00 | 18.5 | |
| 51 | The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom (1968) | Richard Attenborough | 2.00 | 16.5 | 16.50 | 118 | 47 | 00 / 00 | 16.1 | |
| 52 | Loving Couples (1980) | James Coburn | 3.50 | 14.5 | 14.50 | 121 | 47 | 00 / 00 | 14.5 | |
| 53 | The Evening Star (1996) | Jack Nicholson | 12.80 | 31.1 | 31.10 | 111 | 39 | 00 / 00 | 11.8 | |
| 54 | Two Loves (1961) | Laurence Harvey | 1.20 | 17.7 | 17.70 | 114 | 42 | 00 / 00 | 10.5 | |
| 55 | Mrs. Winterbourne (1996) | Brendan Fraser | 10.10 | 24.6 | 24.60 | 125 | 36 | 00 / 00 | 6.3 |
Adjusted Shirley MacLaine Adjusted Worldwide Box Office Grosses
| Movie (Year) | UMR Co-Star Links | World-Wide Box Office Adjusted (mil) | S |
|---|---|---|---|
| Movie (Year) | UMR Co-Star Links | World-Wide Box Office Adjusted (mil) | S |
| Some Came Running (1958) AA Best Actress Nom |
Frank Sinatra & Dean Martin |
333.30 | |
| What a Way To Go! (1964) | Paul Newman & Gene Kelly |
324.80 | |
| Valentine's Day (2010) | Julia Roberts & Bradley Cooper |
295.80 | |
| Steel Magnolias (1989) | Julia Roberts & Sally Field |
260.40 | |
| The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013) | Ben Stiller & Sean Penn |
249.50 | |
| Bewitched (2005) | Nicole Kidman & Michael Caine |
221.40 | |
| The Yellow Rolls-Royce (1964) | Ingrid Bergman & George C. Scott |
163.90 | |
| Rumor Has It... (2005) | Kevin Costner & Jennifer Aniston |
149.80 | |
| In Her Shoes (2005) | Toni Collette & Cameron Diaz |
139.90 | |
| Bernie (2011) | Jack Black & Matthew McConaughey |
13.70 | |
| The Last Word (2017) | Amanda Seyfried | 5.30 | |
| Closing The Ring (1997) | Christopher Plummer | 3.50 | |
| Carolina (2003) | Julia Stiles | 0.60 | |
| American Dreamer (2022) Film Festival Circuit Only |
Peter Dinklage & Matt Dillon |
0.20 |
Possibly Interesting Facts About Shirley MacLaine
1. Shirley MacLaine was born in Richmond, Virginia and was named after Shirley Temple.
2. Shirley MacLaine’s little brother is Oscar® winner Warren Beatty.
3. Shirly MacLaine had weak ankles as a child. To help with her ankles her mother enrolled her into ballet class at the age of 3. Her dancing skills eventually took her to Broadway.
4. Shirley MacLaine was the understudy for Carol Haney in the Pajama Game. When Haney got hurt, MacLaine took over the part and eventually signed a movie contract with Paramount Pictures.
5. Shirley MacLaine’s first movie was The Trouble With Harry….which was directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The Beaver (Jerry Mathers) played her son in that movie.
6. Shirley MacLaine has been nominated for 6 Oscars® in her career. She won the Best Actress Oscar® for her role in 1983’s Terms of Endearment. 5 of her nominations were for acting…she also picked up a Best Documentary nomination for 1975’s The Other Half of the Sky: A China Memoir.
7. Shirley MacLaine has been nominated for 15 Golden Globe® nominations for her movie roles. She has won four Golden Globes® for the following movies. 1960’s The Apartment, 1964’s Irma La Douce, 1983’s Terms of Endearment and 1988’s Madame Sousatzka.
8. Shirley MacLaine has been married one time. She was married to Steve Parker from 1954-1982…they have one daughter, actress Sachi Parker.
9. Roles Shirley MacLaine turned down or was seriously considered for: All That Jazz, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, The Exorcist, The Graduate, and Superman.
10. Shirley MacLaine is still going strong…according to IMDb, she has 3 movies in different stages of production…she runs her own website http://www.shirleymaclaine.com/ and has been appearing on popular television shows like Glee and Downtown Abbey.
Check out Shirley MacLaine‘s career compared to current and classic actors. Most 100 Million Dollar Movies of All-Time.
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For comments….all you need is a name and a comment….please ignore the rest.
The Apartment will always be my #1
@Jim…she is great in The Apartment…but in my opinion even greater in Terms of Endearment.
Wow, I didn’t really get the full scope of Shirley’s career until looking at this. So many famous movies.
Hey Kata….I agree 100%…this list has one great movie after another great movie
Been talking about her movies, shows and books for many years with some lovely and wonderful people around the globe. Out on a Limb definately being my fav… Book, mini series and the ‘making of’ book still blow my mind.
Hey Karin….60 years of great movies makes for a full conversation…thanks for checking out this MacLaine tribute.
2 of my favorites were not on the list…My Geisha and Shirley playing Shirley in “Out on a Limb”
Hey Michael…My Geisha sits in the 36th spot in the rankings…while Out on a Limb was a TV movie so it did not get rated….but I have heard it is a movie with checking out.
I was surprised at how many of the movies I have seen. Of course, I am left wondering how appropriate it was for a then eight-year-old to be belting out “Big Spender” LOL It’s fair to say I have been a fan for years.
@Kimberly….Big Spender is a great song and dance….even for small children….lol.