Who were the Top Movie Stars of the 1940s statistically? This page will attempt to answer that question. Our main source of information was our massive Ultimate Movie Ranking (UMR) that looked at over 1,300 movies made from 1940 to 1949. Granted this is far from all the movies made during that time frame….but it does cover most of the major movie releases in that decade. To see that massive page…check out 1940s Box Office Grosses.
We have included four lists of information. List one looks at the Top 15 stars by adjusted domestic box office (the Top Star might surprise you). List two looks at the Top 15 stars by highest average rating per movie according to critics and audiences. List three looks at the Top 15 Stars by highest average UMR score per movie. List four shows our entire table of all the stars we looked at while complying these lists.
Top 15 Adjusted Domestic Box Office Leaders 1940 – 1949
- 1st – Van Johnson $5,254,200,000
- 2nd – William Bendix $5,144,000,000
- 3rd – Bing Crosby $4,791,800,000
- 4th – Dorothy Lamour $4,724,400,000
- 5th – William Demarest $4,692,600,00
- 6th – Thomas Mitchell $4,550,700,000
- 7th – John Wayne $4,508,800,000
- 8th – Edward Arnold $4,495,500,000
- 9th – Walter Brennan $4,368,000,000
- 10th – Bob Hope $4,322,000,000
- 11th – Dennis Morgan $4,297,800,000
- 12th – Dana Andrews $4,296,000,000
- 13th – Ray Milland $4,200,500,000
- 14th – Humphrey Bogart $3,992,500,000
- 15th – Spencer Tracy $3,917,800,000
Top 15 Average Critic/Audience Rating Leaders 1940 – 1949 (min 9 movies)
1st – Teresa Wright – 79.20%
2nd – Orson Welles – 79.00%
3rd – Joseph Cotton – 76.00%
4th – Cary Grant – 75.40%
5th – Humphrey Bogart – 74.90%
6th – Edward G. Robinson – 74.90%
7th – Burt Lancaster – 74.50%
8th – Ingrid Berman – 74.00%
9th – Katharine Hepburn – 73.20%
10th – Elsa Lanchester – 73.10%
11th – Bing Crosby – 73.00%
12th – Myrna Loy – 72.70%
13th – Gary Cooper – 72.60%
14th – Judy Garland – 72.60%
15th – Claude Rains – 72.60%
Top 15 Average UMR Score Per Movie (minimum 9 movies)
1st – Katharine Hepburn
2nd – Teresa Wright
3rd – Gregory Peck
4th – Gary Cooper
5th – Ingrid Bergman
6th – Judy Garland
7th – Bing Crosby
8th – Bob Hope
9th – Greer Garson
10th – Cary Grant
11th – Clark Gable
12th – Bette Davis
13th – Olivia de Havilland
14th – Spencer Tracy
15th – Celeste Holm
Top Movie Stars 1940-1949 Main Table
The really cool thing about this table is that it is “user-sortable”. Rank the movies anyway you want.
- Sort by actor or actress
- Sort by movies made between 1940 and 1949
- Sort by total adjusted domestic box office from 1940 to 1949
- Sort by total adjusted worldwide box office from 1940 to 1949
- Sort by how many Oscar® nominations and how many Oscar® wins each performers’ movies earned
- Sort by average Ultimate Movie Rankings (UMR) Score. UMR puts box office, reviews and awards into a mathematical equation and gives each movie a score.
| Rank | Thespians | Movies | Adj. Domestic B.O. | Adj. Worldwide B.O. | AVG Review% | Oscar Noms / Wins | AVG UMR Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Van Johnson | 27 | $5,254,200,000 | $7,508,400,000 | 66.3 % | 025 / 04 | 74.85 | |
| William Bendix | 40 | $5,144,000,000 | $5,237,600,000 | 63.9 % | 013 / 01 | 68.61 | |
| Bing Crosby | 19 | $4,791,800,000 | $5,462,700,000 | 73.0 % | 032 / 09 | 82.02 | |
| Dorothy Lamour | 31 | $4,724,400,000 | $4,873,400,000 | 64.0 % | 011 / 00 | 70.25 | |
| William Demarest | 33 | $4,692,600,000 | $4,911,800,000 | 68.0 % | 019 / 03 | 70.89 | |
| Thomas Mitchell | 33 | $4,550,700,000 | $5,128,400,000 | 66.9 % | 039 / 07 | 70.75 | |
| John Wayne | 32 | $4,508,800,000 | $5,168,400,000 | 65.9 % | 029 / 02 | 70.97 | |
| Edward Arnold | 37 | $4,495,500,000 | $6,035,900,000 | 64.0 % | 013 / 02 | 67.45 | |
| Walter Brennan | 28 | $4,368,000,000 | $5,087,400,000 | 69.8 % | 045 / 04 | 74.43 | |
| Bob Hope | 20 | $4,322,000,000 | $4,424,000,000 | 70.8 % | 011 / 01 | 81.21 | |
| Dennis Morgan | 29 | $4,297,800,000 | $5,820,000,000 | 61.2 % | 012 / 01 | 69.67 | |
| Dana Andrews | 30 | $4,296,000,000 | $4,967,000,000 | 67.4 % | 038 / 11 | 71.53 | |
| Ray Milland | 31 | $4,200,500,000 | $4,365,600,000 | 63.9 % | 024 / 06 | 69.15 | |
| Humphrey Bogart | 25 | $3,992,500,000 | $5,975,300,000 | 74.9 % | 021 / 07 | 78.28 | |
| Spencer Tracy | 19 | $3,917,800,000 | $5,542,100,000 | 68.8 % | 016 / 02 | 78.96 | |
| Barry Fitzgerald | 24 | $3,902,400,000 | $4,260,100,000 | 67.5 % | 037 / 15 | 73.51 | |
| Gary Cooper | 16 | $3,836,800,000 | $4,380,400,000 | 72.6 % | 050 / 06 | 83.35 | |
| Cary Grant | 20 | $3,804,000,000 | $5,198,600,000 | 75.4 % | 036 / 06 | 80.95 | |
| Judy Garland | 17 | $3,774,000,000 | $5,471,800,000 | 72.6 % | 013 / 02 | 82.72 | |
| Fred MacMurray | 32 | $3,763,200,000 | $3,927,000,000 | 62.2 % | 018 / 00 | 65.95 | |
| Walter Pidgeon | 23 | $3,707,600,000 | $5,567,800,000 | 64.7 % | 040 / 12 | 72.60 | |
| June Allyson | 18 | $3,706,200,000 | $5,369,000,000 | 65.0 % | 010 / 02 | 78.42 | |
| George Sanders | 27 | $3,688,200,000 | $4,004,400,000 | 66.6 % | 038 / 07 | 69.20 | |
| Paulette Goddard | 26 | $3,598,400,000 | $3,644,100,000 | 61.9 % | 029 / 02 | 67.63 | |
| Lionel Barrymore | 26 | $3,585,400,000 | $4,501,600,000 | 66.7 % | 022 / 02 | 67.35 | |
| Agnes Moorehead | 24 | $3,549,600,000 | $4,415,700,000 | 69.7 % | 040 / 04 | 73.93 | |
| Betty Grable | 20 | $3,512,000,000 | $3,511,900,000 | 63.5 % | 012 / 02 | 73.59 | |
| Maureen O'Hara | 23 | $3,512,100,000 | $3,735,700,000 | 64.1 % | 024 / 10 | 72.69 | |
| Eve Arden | 31 | $3,431,700,000 | $4,447,900,000 | 63.3 % | 015 / 02 | 65.60 | |
| Mickey Rooney | 19 | $3,429,500,000 | $4,740,500,000 | 64.6 % | 014 / 04 | 76.58 | |
| Anthony Quinn | 24 | $3,429,600,000 | $3,861,600,000 | 67.5 % | 009 / 02 | 71.52 | |
| Barbara Stanwyck | 22 | $3,390,200,000 | $4,012,500,000 | 68.7 % | 016 / 00 | 75.62 | |
| Sydney Greenstreet | 24 | $3,364,800,000 | $5,210,400,000 | 70.4 % | 016 / 03 | 72.60 | |
| Anne Baxter | 23 | $3,355,700,000 | $3,573,200,000 | 67.9 % | 024 / 02 | 72.80 | |
| Robert Young | 30 | $3,354,000,000 | $3,969,100,000 | 65.6 % | 010 / 01 | 67.70 | |
| Ingrid Bergman | 13 | $3,321,500,000 | $4,750,700,000 | 74.0 % | 051 / 10 | 82.75 | |
| Charles Bickford | 17 | $3,286,100,000 | $3,584,200,000 | 68.7 % | 033 / 07 | 77.22 | |
| Claude Rains | 24 | $3,276,000,000 | $4,666,400,000 | 72.6 % | 036 / 08 | 73.58 | |
| Lana Turner | 16 | $3,270,400,000 | $4,832,800,000 | 65.9 % | 009 / 02 | 77.36 | |
| Alan Ladd | 22 | $3,238,400,000 | $3,297,700,000 | 66.1 % | 005 / 00 | 72.39 | |
| Linda Darnell | 24 | $3,180,000,000 | $3,179,500,000 | 65.3 % | 017 / 05 | 70.54 | |
| Fay Bainter | 23 | $3,169,400,000 | $3,969,200,000 | 66.8 % | 012 / 03 | 70.61 | |
| Errol Flynn | 20 | $3,152,000,000 | $5,280,400,000 | 64.8 % | 015 / 01 | 74.53 | |
| Jane Wyman | 27 | $3,148,200,000 | $3,783,700,000 | 62.1 % | 027 / 08 | 65.60 | |
| John Garfield | 22 | $3,130,600,000 | $4,218,200,000 | 68.1 % | 022 / 05 | 72.10 | |
| Ann Sheridan | 22 | $3,126,200,000 | $4,318,900,000 | 66.6 % | 005 / 00 | 72.09 | |
| Gene Tierney | 20 | $3,098,000,000 | $3,141,300,000 | 67.1 % | 022 / 03 | 73.67 | |
| Randolph Scott | 29 | $3,085,600,000 | $3,415,000,000 | 59.4 % | 010 / 00 | 64.26 | |
| Donald Crisp | 19 | $3,078,000,000 | $4,459,100,000 | 70.4 % | 029 / 07 | 76.09 | |
| Claudette Colbert | 17 | $3,066,800,000 | $3,361,100,000 | 69.5 % | 023 / 02 | 75.36 | |
| Red Skelton | 20 | $3,054,000,000 | $4,518,100,000 | 61.4 % | 006 / 02 | 70.20 | |
| Robert Walker | 15 | $3,034,500,000 | $3,995,700,000 | 65.2 % | 018 / 02 | 76.01 | |
| Walter Huston | 17 | $3,019,200,000 | $3,927,800,000 | 70.0 % | 029 / 07 | 76.40 | |
| Harry Morgan | 28 | $2,996,000,000 | $3,121,700,000 | 66.9 % | 009 / 02 | 66.97 | |
| Peter Lawford | 19 | $2,984,900,000 | $4,437,000,000 | 66.8 % | 012 / 03 | 73.14 | |
| Peter Lorre | 24 | $2,976,000,000 | $4,537,100,000 | 72.1 % | 015 / 03 | 71.29 | |
| Abbott & Costello | 25 | $2,970,000,000 | $3,086,200,000 | 69.3 % | 000 / 00 | 70.76 | |
| Elisha Cook Jr. | 27 | $2,959,200,000 | $3,388,700,000 | 67.5 % | 025 / 03 | 66.56 | |
| Hattie McDaniel | 21 | $2,937,900,000 | $3,561,200,000 | 63.5 % | 017 / 03 | 68.35 | |
| Gene Kelly | 15 | $2,917,500,000 | $4,301,500,000 | 66.4 % | 018 / 03 | 77.35 | |
| Hedy Lamarr | 17 | $2,910,400,000 | $3,640,200,000 | 60.2 % | 009 / 02 | 69.08 | |
| Greer Garson | 13 | $2,910,700,000 | $4,968,200,000 | 68.3 % | 037 / 08 | 81.11 | |
| Marsha Hunt | 31 | $2,889,200,000 | $4,256,000,000 | 64.1 % | 022 / 03 | 63.47 | |
| Ronald Reagan | 22 | $2,842,400,000 | $3,619,300,000 | 59.5 % | 009 / 01 | 63.89 | |
| Dan Duryea | 24 | $2,822,400,000 | $3,771,800,000 | 72.1 % | 036 / 02 | 70.08 | |
| Donna Reed | 21 | $2,801,400,000 | $3,793,400,000 | 66.7 % | 022 / 03 | 68.92 | |
| Gregory Peck | 12 | $2,775,600,000 | $3,067,900,000 | 72.4 % | 035 / 08 | 84.00 | |
| Mary Astor | 18 | $2,736,000,000 | $3,857,300,000 | 66.7 % | 014 / 02 | 72.54 | |
| Tyrone Power | 15 | $2,728,500,000 | $2,728,500,000 | 66.4 % | 020 / 05 | 76.01 | |
| Edward G. Robinson | 22 | $2,719,200,000 | $3,129,700,000 | 74.9 % | 012 / 01 | 73.87 | |
| Ginger Rogers | 16 | $2,718,400,000 | $3,331,900,000 | 63.2 % | 011 / 01 | 73.60 | |
| Esther Williams | 12 | $2,689,200,000 | $4,339,100,000 | 63.7 % | 003 / 01 | 77.95 | |
| Lucille Ball | 22 | $2,662,000,000 | $3,478,100,000 | 63.6 % | 003 / 00 | 66.58 | |
| Angela Lansbury | 13 | $2,658,500,000 | $3,863,700,000 | 69.2 % | 024 / 08 | 76.37 | |
| Van Heflin | 20 | $2,654,000,000 | $3,857,800,000 | 69.0 % | 011 / 03 | 71.09 | |
| Joseph Cotten | 16 | $2,652,800,000 | $3,011,900,000 | 76.0 % | 046 / 07 | 77.20 | |
| Virginia Mayo | 17 | $2,633,300,000 | $3,512,600,000 | 66.3 % | 018 / 08 | 70.34 | |
| Margaret O'Brien | 17 | $2,631,600,000 | $3,732,200,000 | 69.9 % | 017 / 01 | 73.79 | |
| Vincent Price | 16 | $2,622,400,000 | $2,936,500,000 | 68.1 % | 036 / 11 | 74.16 | |
| Veronica Lake | 20 | $2,608,000,000 | $2,608,200,000 | 67.2 % | 008 / 00 | 70.32 | |
| Bette Davis | 17 | $2,568,700,000 | $4,063,900,000 | 72.5 % | 033 / 03 | 79.86 | |
| Olivia de Havilland | 16 | $2,552,000,000 | $3,325,800,000 | 70.7 % | 026 / 07 | 79.81 | |
| George Brent | 28 | $2,525,600,000 | $3,116,900,000 | 62.8 % | 005 / 00 | 63.27 | |
| Lee J. Cobb | 17 | $2,519,400,000 | $2,547,200,000 | 64.5 % | 020 / 06 | 70.23 | |
| Clark Gable | 11 | $2,502,500,000 | $3,454,100,000 | 69.3 % | 002 / 00 | 79.97 | |
| Henry Fonda | 20 | $2,502,000,000 | $2,639,300,000 | 68.4 % | 010 / 02 | 71.97 | |
| Susan Hayward | 22 | $2,492,600,000 | $2,767,600,000 | 62.7 % | 016 / 01 | 66.43 | |
| Cornel Wilde | 18 | $2,422,800,000 | $2,474,200,000 | 65.6 % | 014 / 01 | 69.24 | |
| Robert Mitchum | 20 | $2,420,000,000 | $3,085,000,000 | 64.7 % | 011 / 01 | 68.13 | |
| Herbert Marshall | 20 | $2,418,000,000 | $3,025,300,000 | 68.8 % | 033 / 01 | 68.50 | |
| Judith Anderson | 16 | $2,393,600,000 | $2,894,100,000 | 72.0 % | 022 / 03 | 74.23 | |
| Rita Hayworth | 18 | $2,392,200,000 | $2,580,500,000 | 67.4 % | 020 / 03 | 71.87 | |
| Roddy McDowall | 14 | $2,371,600,000 | $2,884,100,000 | 68.8 % | 019 / 05 | 75.34 | |
| Ida Lupino | 20 | $2,360,000,000 | $3,189,700,000 | 67.0 % | 005 / 00 | 68.61 | |
| Loretta Young | 18 | $2,356,200,000 | $2,597,800,000 | 67.2 % | 017 / 02 | 72.17 | |
| Jeanne Crain | 12 | $2,349,600,000 | $2,349,200,000 | 67.4 % | 015 / 04 | 76.56 | |
| Betty Hutton | 14 | $2,321,200,000 | $2,320,900,000 | 63.9 % | 006 / 00 | 73.67 | |
| Robert Preston | 20 | $2,306,000,000 | $2,366,300,000 | 62.8 % | 014 / 02 | 65.33 | |
| Paul Henreid | 16 | $2,264,000,000 | $3,548,700,000 | 70.8 % | 014 / 04 | 69.03 | |
| Gail Russell | 18 | $2,262,600,000 | $2,262,800,000 | 63.4 % | 007 / 00 | 68.04 | |
| Teresa Wright | 10 | $2,249,000,000 | $3,097,700,000 | 79.2 % | 044 / 14 | 85.37 | |
| Glenn Ford | 23 | $2,242,500,000 | $2,354,000,000 | 63.0 % | 003 / 00 | 63.96 | |
| Kathryn Grayson | 12 | $2,235,600,000 | $3,493,800,000 | 60.9 % | 008 / 01 | 71.58 | |
| Victor Mature | 17 | $2,135,200,000 | $2,233,400,000 | 63.6 % | 012 / 03 | 66.07 | |
| Lena Horne | 11 | $2,129,600,000 | $2,947,700,000 | 63.8 % | 005 / 00 | 74.29 | |
| Joan Fontaine | 13 | $2,129,400,000 | $2,417,400,000 | 69.8 % | 023 / 05 | 78.37 | |
| Elsa Lanchester | 15 | $2,119,500,000 | $2,565,900,000 | 73.1 % | 020 / 02 | 74.96 | |
| Rosalind Russell | 18 | $2,091,600,000 | $2,398,100,000 | 63.1 % | 012 / 00 | 68.62 | |
| Don Ameche | 22 | $2,090,000,000 | $2,090,500,000 | 61.4 % | 011 / 00 | 63.67 | |
| Katharine Hepburn | 10 | $2,081,000,000 | $2,972,800,000 | 73.2 % | 011 / 03 | 85.97 | |
| James Cagney | 12 | $2,076,000,000 | $2,714,100,000 | 68.5 % | 014 / 04 | 77.12 | |
| Leo G. Carroll | 15 | $2,052,000,000 | $2,393,600,000 | 70.0 % | 025 / 05 | 71.26 | |
| Shirley Temple | 15 | $2,052,000,000 | $2,273,700,000 | 64.8 % | 012 / 02 | 67.85 | |
| Irene Dunne | 11 | $2,044,900,000 | $2,605,900,000 | 72.5 % | 020 / 02 | 76.77 | |
| Basil Rathbone | 26 | $2,038,400,000 | $2,493,400,000 | 64.7 % | 003 / 01 | 61.33 | |
| Fred Astaire | 11 | $2,026,200,000 | $2,975,600,000 | 70.4 % | 016 / 01 | 76.42 | |
| James Stewart | 15 | $1,992,000,000 | $2,404,600,000 | 71.5 % | 012 / 03 | 75.10 | |
| Robert Taylor | 15 | $1,975,500,000 | $3,222,000,000 | 61.7 % | 008 / 02 | 69.78 | |
| Cyd Charisse | 13 | $1,976,000,000 | $2,988,000,000 | 60.9 % | 006 / 01 | 68.99 | |
| Myrna Loy | 12 | $1,948,800,000 | $2,782,400,000 | 72.7 % | 009 / 08 | 74.42 | |
| Robert Cummings | 21 | $1,942,500,000 | $2,299,800,000 | 66.1 % | 011 / 01 | 64.85 | |
| Charles Laughton | 18 | $1,935,000,000 | $2,236,100,000 | 64.1 % | 006 / 01 | 66.96 | |
| Dean Stockwell | 13 | $1,924,000,000 | $2,586,200,000 | 68.6 % | 018 / 04 | 70.60 | |
| George Raft | 17 | $1,912,500,000 | $2,159,200,000 | 59.6 % | 003 / 00 | 63.63 | |
| Pat O'Brien | 24 | $1,855,200,000 | $2,122,000,000 | 59.9 % | 004 / 00 | 60.07 | |
| Elizabeth Taylor | 10 | $1,820,000,000 | $2,775,500,000 | 66.6 % | 012 / 03 | 75.28 | |
| Monty Woolley | 10 | $1,807,000,000 | $2,136,600,000 | 70.5 % | 019 / 02 | 78.65 | |
| Dick Powell | 18 | $1,794,600,000 | $1,930,600,000 | 62.1 % | 004 / 00 | 64.27 | |
| Arthur Kennedy | 17 | $1,795,200,000 | $2,516,800,000 | 70.0 % | 013 / 02 | 69.37 | |
| Ralph Bellamy | 21 | $1,768,200,000 | $1,956,000,000 | 62.9 % | 004 / 00 | 60.91 | |
| Robert Ryan | 18 | $1,764,000,000 | $2,171,000,000 | 63.4 % | 013 / 01 | 65.63 | |
| Jennifer Jones | 8 | $1,740,800,000 | $1,793,400,000 | 72.6 % | 030 / 06 | 79.73 | |
| Gig Young | 12 | $1,738,800,000 | $2,749,500,000 | 65.0 % | 007 / 01 | 72.52 | |
| William Holden | 18 | $1,720,800,000 | $1,749,000,000 | 59.7 % | 000 / 00 | 62.21 | |
| Claire Trevor | 17 | $1,710,200,000 | $2,090,500,000 | 66.6 % | 007 / 01 | 66.56 | |
| Jack Benny | 11 | $1,708,300,000 | $1,948,100,000 | 70.0 % | 002 / 00 | 74.09 | |
| Joan Bennett | 21 | $1,703,100,000 | $1,857,100,000 | 62.5 % | 002 / 00 | 61.53 | |
| June Haver | 10 | $1,701,000,000 | $1,763,000,000 | 60.5 % | 003 / 00 | 72.64 | |
| Ruth Hussey | 14 | $1,698,200,000 | $2,087,200,000 | 66.8 % | 009 / 02 | 69.40 | |
| William Powell | 12 | $1,693,200,000 | $2,400,300,000 | 68.2 % | 004 / 00 | 71.50 | |
| Dan Dailey | 14 | $1,649,200,000 | $1,902,300,000 | 62.5 % | 006 / 02 | 66.96 | |
| Joel McCrea | 16 | $1,640,000,000 | $1,874,300,000 | 68.3 % | 013 / 01 | 68.18 | |
| Merle Oberon | 15 | $1,551,000,000 | $1,776,500,000 | 60.9 % | 011 / 00 | 63.06 | |
| Charles Boyer | 13 | $1,548,300,000 | $2,084,500,000 | 70.6 % | 018 / 02 | 72.77 | |
| Alice Faye | 10 | $1,546,000,000 | $1,545,500,000 | 64.8 % | 005 / 02 | 73.12 | |
| Melvyn Douglas | 17 | $1,540,200,000 | $1,915,500,000 | 62.3 % | 002 / 00 | 63.01 | |
| Norman Lloyd | 14 | $1,521,800,000 | $1,604,900,000 | 67.4 % | 012 / 01 | 66.16 | |
| Deanna Durbin | 15 | $1,512,000,000 | $1,511,800,000 | 66.3 % | 011 / 00 | 67.14 | |
| Lloyd Bridges | 15 | $1,504,500,000 | $1,589,800,000 | 65.3 % | 006 / 00 | 64.81 | |
| Joan Crawford | 12 | $1,504,800,000 | $2,140,200,000 | 67.6 % | 009 / 01 | 71.08 | |
| Fredric March | 12 | $1,488,000,000 | $1,913,800,000 | 69.8 % | 014 / 07 | 69.17 | |
| Wallace Beery | 16 | $1,476,800,000 | $1,630,300,000 | 58.5 % | 000 / 00 | 61.60 | |
| Ethel Barrymore | 12 | $1,466,400,000 | $1,675,900,000 | 67.8 % | 015 / 03 | 72.86 | |
| Celeste Holm | 9 | $1,451,700,000 | $1,452,100,000 | 71.4 % | 024 / 06 | 79.86 | |
| Jessica Tandy | 7 | $1,439,200,000 | $1,841,100,000 | 66.0 % | 005 / 00 | 74.57 | |
| Victor McLaglen | 17 | $1,416,100,000 | $1,645,200,000 | 63.0 % | 004 / 01 | 61.60 | |
| Edmond O'Brien | 15 | $1,393,500,000 | $1,635,200,000 | 67.0 % | 010 / 02 | 64.94 | |
| Danny Kaye | 6 | $1,339,800,000 | $1,853,900,000 | 73.0 % | 006 / 01 | 82.39 | |
| Johnny Weissmuller | 12 | $1,326,000,000 | $2,276,500,000 | 59.4 % | 002 / 00 | 62.72 | |
| Dorothy McGuire | 7 | $1,318,800,000 | $1,385,700,000 | 71.3 % | 012 / 04 | 83.19 | |
| Boris Karloff | 21 | $1,318,800,000 | $1,533,300,000 | 63.5 % | 003 / 00 | 57.84 | |
| Marlene Dietrich | 10 | $1,303,000,000 | $1,555,500,000 | 61.4 % | 009 / 00 | 69.45 | |
| Frank Sinatra | 8 | $1,260,000,000 | $1,736,000,000 | 63.4 % | 009 / 02 | 72.41 | |
| Broderick Crawford | 23 | $1,248,900,000 | $1,291,100,000 | 62.1 % | 007 / 03 | 58.28 | |
| Burt Lancaster | 9 | $1,205,100,000 | $1,204,700,000 | 74.5 % | 005 / 00 | 75.97 | |
| Joan Blondell | 13 | $1,199,900,000 | $1,338,000,000 | 64.0 % | 004 / 01 | 62.43 | |
| Robert Montgomery | 13 | $1,184,300,000 | $1,422,300,000 | 65.3 % | 012 / 03 | 65.44 | |
| Dean Jagger | 12 | $1,172,400,000 | $1,340,000,000 | 66.3 % | 012 / 02 | 66.84 | |
| Lizabeth Scott | 9 | $1,169,100,000 | $1,169,500,000 | 64.3 % | 001 / 00 | 69.31 | |
| Dorothy Malone | 9 | $1,168,200,000 | $1,643,000,000 | 61.9 % | 000 / 00 | 67.55 | |
| Donald O'Connor | 17 | $1,156,000,000 | $1,155,700,000 | 65.5 % | 002 / 00 | 61.31 | |
| Eleanor Parker | 10 | $1,146,000,000 | $1,613,400,000 | 62.5 % | 002 / 00 | 64.67 | |
| Rhonda Fleming | 7 | $1,145,200,000 | $1,186,900,000 | 68.4 % | 007 / 01 | 75.48 | |
| Ava Gardner | 12 | $1,098,000,000 | $1,294,000,000 | 62.5 % | 004 / 00 | 63.16 | |
| Andy Hardy | 7 | $1,094,800,000 | $1,611,900,000 | 61.8 % | 000 / 00 | 73.29 | |
| Janet Leigh | 10 | $1,092,000,000 | $1,649,900,000 | 65.1 % | 004 / 01 | 67.59 | |
| Paul Lukas | 14 | $1,080,800,000 | $1,426,300,000 | 67.8 % | 007 / 01 | 64.68 | |
| Elia Kazan | 5 | $1,071,500,000 | $1,174,500,000 | 73.3 % | 014 / 04 | 88.49 | |
| Lauren Bacall | 5 | $1,070,000,000 | $1,572,900,000 | 84.0 % | 001 / 01 | 88.19 | |
| Raymond Burr | 18 | $1,069,200,000 | $1,294,200,000 | 63.3 % | 002 / 01 | 58.83 | |
| Orson Welles | 10 | $1,067,000,000 | $1,099,000,000 | 79.0 % | 015 / 02 | 74.97 | |
| Ed Begley | 8 | $1,064,000,000 | $1,063,600,000 | 66.5 % | 006 / 00 | 71.83 | |
| Jean Arthur | 8 | $1,060,000,000 | $1,220,700,000 | 71.3 % | 018 / 01 | 76.10 | |
| Clifton Webb | 5 | $1,045,000,000 | $1,044,900,000 | 77.2 % | 010 / 02 | 86.99 | |
| Gloria Grahame | 9 | $1,031,400,000 | $1,303,200,000 | 69.0 % | 010 / 00 | 69.71 | |
| Ronald Colman | 7 | $1,019,900,000 | $1,635,600,000 | 71.9 % | 022 / 02 | 75.62 | |
| Burgess Meredith | 11 | $996,600,000 | $1,108,400,000 | 56.9 % | 008 / 00 | 61.57 | |
| Lew Ayres | 12 | $993,600,000 | $1,062,800,000 | 64.2 % | 013 / 01 | 62.97 | |
| Laurence Olivier | 8 | $989,600,000 | $1,068,500,000 | 75.9 % | 030 / 09 | 79.62 | |
| Natalie Wood | 9 | $983,700,000 | $983,300,000 | 65.7 % | 005 / 03 | 67.97 | |
| Maria Montez | 22 | $981,200,000 | $1,204,900,000 | 56.0 % | 006 / 00 | 54.32 | |
| Oscar Levant | 7 | $960,400,000 | $1,299,000,000 | 61.9 % | 007 / 00 | 69.62 | |
| Priscilla Lane | 11 | $943,800,000 | $1,188,500,000 | 65.0 % | 003 / 00 | 62.3 | |
| Kirk Douglas | 8 | $937,600,000 | $995,700,000 | 71.4 % | 012 / 03 | 72.71 | |
| Ann Miller | 15 | $937,500,000 | $1,150,200,000 | 65.5 % | 002 / 01 | 59.62 | |
| David Niven | 10 | $912,000,000 | $1,034,100,000 | 67.2 % | 005 / 01 | 65.53 | |
| Eleanor Powell | 6 | $895,800,000 | $1,259,100,000 | 62.9 % | 005 / 01 | 69.84 | |
| Jane Powell | 6 | $888,000,000 | $1,287,800,000 | 51.2 % | 002 / 00 | 66.06 | |
| Rex Harrison | 11 | $887,700,000 | $887,700,000 | 70.8 % | 009 / 03 | 65.09 | |
| Ruth Gordon | 7 | $863,100,000 | $1,303,500,000 | 73.2 % | 007 / 02 | 73.69 | |
| Yvonne De Carlo | 11 | $845,900,000 | $932,500,000 | 63.8 % | 001 / 00 | 61.58 | |
| Jeanette MacDonald | 8 | $826,400,000 | $1,386,500,000 | 60.3 % | 003 / 00 | 64.54 | |
| Betty Garrett | 5 | $819,000,000 | $1,196,800,000 | 68.8 % | 002 / 02 | 77.40 | |
| Lillian Gish | 5 | $805,500,000 | $805,300,000 | 70.2 % | 005 / 01 | 71.14 | |
| Kay Francis | 10 | $791,000,000 | $953,900,000 | 60.3 % | 001 / 00 | 59.68 | |
| Richard Widmark | 6 | $762,600,000 | $762,300,000 | 69.9 % | 002 / 00 | 73.64 | |
| Jane Russell | 3 | $759,900,000 | $760,000,000 | 63.8 % | 001 / 01 | 76.50 | |
| Bela Lugosi | 20 | $724,000,000 | $742,600,000 | 58.5 % | 001 / 00 | 53.16 | |
| Thelma Ritter | 5 | $698,000,000 | $698,000,000 | 75.5 % | 007 / 05 | 78.94 | |
| Farley Granger | 6 | $692,400,000 | $915,700,000 | 70.9 % | 006 / 00 | 70.35 | |
| Madeleine Carroll | 9 | $684,900,000 | $685,000,000 | 65.5 % | 006 / 01 | 62.46 | |
| Sonja Henie | 5 | $674,000,000 | $764,900,000 | 56.0 % | 003 / 00 | 66.09 | |
| James Mason | 8 | $668,800,000 | $781,900,000 | 71.2 % | 003 / 01 | 66.65 | |
| Douglas Fairbanks Jr. | 8 | $660,800,000 | $661,100,000 | 62.7 % | 003 / 00 | 62.48 | |
| Constance Bennett | 10 | $661,000,000 | $758,300,000 | 62.9 % | 003 / 00 | 59.66 | |
| Maureen O'Sullivan | 6 | $655,200,000 | $1,071,600,000 | 70.1 % | 001 / 01 | 70.04 | |
| Arlene Dahl | 5 | $643,000,000 | $831,000,000 | 57.5 % | 001 / 00 | 65.13 | |
| Joe E. Brown | 7 | $639,800,000 | $826,300,000 | 62.3 % | 000 / 00 | 59.85 | |
| Dorothy Dandridge | 8 | $636,000,000 | $751,800,000 | 55.6 % | 009 / 00 | 58.37 | |
| Nelson Eddy | 8 | $630,400,000 | $850,300,000 | 62.1 % | 010 / 02 | 61.94 | |
| Burl Ives | 4 | $625,200,000 | $680,100,000 | 64.8 % | 002 / 00 | 71.63 | |
| Gene Autry | 28 | $624,400,000 | $623,600,000 | 64.3 % | 001 / 00 | 53.54 | |
| Laurel and Hardy | 10 | $615,000,000 | $615,400,000 | 63.9 % | 000 / 00 | 58.67 | |
| W.C. Fields | 6 | $600,000,000 | $600,200,000 | 70.6 % | 004 / 00 | 68.31 | |
| Deborah Kerr | 9 | $588,600,000 | $745,100,000 | 69.0 % | 004 / 03 | 62.40 | |
| Tallulah Bankhead | 3 | $583,200,000 | $583,200,000 | 70.7 % | 005 / 00 | 72.27 | |
| Marjorie Main | 3 | $553,500,000 | $553,600,000 | 68.5 % | 001 / 00 | 71.92 | |
| Vivien Leigh | 5 | $545,500,000 | $659,500,000 | 66.0 % | 007 / 01 | 69.18 | |
| Miriam Hopkins | 5 | $529,000,000 | $710,400,000 | 69.8 % | 008 / 04 | 70.24 | |
| Paul Muni | 5 | $523,500,000 | $523,400,000 | 64.2 % | 007 / 00 | 66.97 | |
| Jean Simmons | 6 | $495,600,000 | $495,800,000 | 72.4 % | 014 / 08 | 70.13 | |
| Eva Gabor | 7 | $480,900,000 | $480,700,000 | 55.4 % | 002 / 00 | 55.79 | |
| Margaret Sullavan | 6 | $480,000,000 | $480,000,000 | 74.2 % | 002 / 00 | 66.75 | |
| Sylvia Sidney | 5 | $472,000,000 | $509,000,000 | 57.3 % | 001 / 01 | 60.06 | |
| Judy Holliday | 2 | $452,800,000 | $510,600,000 | 78.2 % | 001 / 00 | 85.08 | |
| Montgomery Clift | 3 | $447,900,000 | $448,000,000 | 86.7 % | 014 / 05 | 85.36 | |
| Barbara Bel Geddes | 4 | $443,200,000 | $520,000,000 | 70.3 % | 005 / 00 | 71.82 | |
| Karl Malden | 3 | $441,300,000 | $441,300,000 | 67.7 % | 003 / 00 | 71.05 | |
| Lyle Talbot | 5 | $433,000,000 | $433,100,000 | 62.1 % | 003 / 00 | 59.25 | |
| Ben Johnson | 3 | $401,700,000 | $581,000,000 | 75.3 % | 002 / 01 | 76.59 | |
| Charles Chaplin | 2 | $384,000,000 | $384,000,000 | 89.0 % | 006 / 00 | 89.51 | |
| Marx Brothers | 5 | $383,000,000 | $486,300,000 | 61.3 % | 000 / 00 | 60.67 | |
| Helen Hayes | 1 | $378,600,000 | $378,600,000 | 54.0 % | 002 / 00 | 77.20 | |
| Ethel Merman | 1 | $378,600,000 | $378,600,000 | 54.0 % | 002 / 00 | 77.20 | |
| Doris Day | 3 | $372,300,000 | $517,100,000 | 58.2 % | 003 / 00 | 67.04 | |
| Frances Farmer | 6 | $367,800,000 | $388,000,000 | 60.1 % | 000 / 00 | 57.40 | |
| Carole Lombard | 4 | $355,200,000 | $430,800,000 | 65.6 % | 002 / 00 | 65.23 | |
| Sterling Hayden | 5 | $351,000,000 | $350,900,000 | 59.8 % | 000 / 00 | 59.06 | |
| Shelley Winters | 5 | $336,500,000 | $336,700,000 | 67.1 % | 005 / 02 | 62.20 | |
| José Ferrer | 2 | $315,200,000 | $415,600,000 | 67.5 % | 007 / 02 | 76.72 | |
| Buster Keaton | 2 | $313,200,000 | $351,100,000 | 66.3 % | 000 / 00 | 75.36 | |
| Patricia Neal | 3 | $301,500,000 | $322,300,000 | 69.4 % | 001 / 00 | 68.84 | |
| Trevor Howard | 8 | $293,600,000 | $293,600,000 | 76.1 % | 006 / 01 | 61.20 | |
| Louis Jourdan | 4 | $288,400,000 | $350,400,000 | 68.5 % | 002 / 00 | 63.10 | |
| Red Buttons | 1 | $277,000,000 | $277,000,000 | 65.0 % | 000 / 00 | 81.60 | |
| Norma Shearer | 3 | $236,700,000 | $361,200,000 | 62.7 % | 000 / 00 | 61.69 | |
| Leslie Howard | 3 | $229,800,000 | $229,900,000 | 73.8 % | 003 / 01 | 68.35 | |
| Zero Mostel | 1 | $224,400,000 | $305,000,000 | 55.5 % | 000 / 00 | 77.10 | |
| Ralph Richardson | 6 | $219,600,000 | $219,700,000 | 70.5 % | 010 / 04 | 60.48 | |
| Jack Albertson | 1 | $211,700,000 | $326,600,000 | 72.5 % | 003 / 01 | 86.90 | |
| John Gielgud | 2 | $206,600,000 | $208,800,000 | 73.0 % | 007 / 04 | 72.56 | |
| Christopher Lee | 1 | $204,900,000 | $204,900,000 | 81.0 % | 007 / 04 | 98.05 | |
| Robert Morley | 5 | $204,500,000 | $204,300,000 | 62.3 % | 000 / 00 | 55.27 | |
| Mae West | 2 | $202,000,000 | $201,900,000 | 62.3 % | 000 / 00 | 64.90 | |
| Alec Guinness | 3 | $200,400,000 | $200,500,000 | 82.4 % | 005 / 02 | 70.71 | |
| Marilyn Monroe | 3 | $188,700,000 | $188,600,000 | 51.4 % | 000 / 00 | 53.54 |
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Thanks Bruce for another interesting page and novel way to categorize the great stars of the 40s. A few comments:
1. Indeed Van Johnson occupying the top spot in terms of overall box office returns is a surprise (Bing Crosby in 2nd place makes more sense to me), and it shows once again that box office success, while important, is a fleeting thing. I recall that my parents, who were young movie goers in the 40s, were very familiar with Van Johnson and even my dad – who often got mixed up with names of actors – could instantly recognize him. However, Johnson declined quickly and apart from a few years in the mid-40s, his popularity was usually surpassed by other stars. Nevertheless, it’s interesting to see how successful his movies were overall during the decade.
2. I would agree with Bob that if the intent is to highlight “box office leaders” of the 40s, the inclusion of supporting players, such as Walter Brennan (as good as he was), is not really meaningful. I would go further and in fact only count the films the actor or actress concerned actually had a starring role in, as the box office success of a movie is rarely due to the presence of particular supporting actors.
3. With respect to the “ratings leaders”, you indicate above that the top 3 spots are held by Burt Lancaster, Edward G. Robinson and Humphrey Bogart. However, when I sort the stars by average ratings on your table, Lauren Bacall, Clifton Webb and Laurence Olivier come up first, followed by Lancaster and the others (something similar happens when sorting by UMR score). Maybe I’m missing something here? In any case, my bigger point is that using the “average” rating of all the films of an actor/actress gives a somewhat skewed result that does not quite reflect the overall critical success of these stars during the decade, since some some made many films during these years and other just a handful. Statistically speaking, it seems to be a fact that using your rating method, the films of Bacall and Webb rate higher on average than the films of say Bogart and Cary Grant, but how meaningful is that fact when one considers that Bacall and Webb only have 5 movies listed? Of course, there’s no perfect way to do this, but if the purpose is to rank stars according to the critical acclaim their films received, in my view, a more appropriate method, for example, would be to count the number of films an actor has starred in that enjoys a relatively high rating, such as 70% or 80% . I think this would not be perfect but result in a fairer and more accurate ranking of critical success.
Anyway, just some thoughts to consider.
Thanks again for the page, it’s still quite fun to use.
Hey Phil. When I listed by top stars by critic/audience and UMR leaders…I put a minimum of 9 movies to qualify…..that took people like Bacall and Webb out of consideration….but I did want to include the movies they made….as each made 5 movies….while Sir Larry has the biggest complaint because he just missed the cutoff…..I figured making close to a movie a year was fair….but that is of course just my opinion.
As for Brennan…I agree…he is a supporting player…..but he was one of the big stars back then….my Rating The Movie Stars book….has him listed…..they list 400 stars from silent days to the early 1980s….it is my “bible” of this movie page. So it seemed he deserved inclusion here….but I can easily see your, Steve’s and Bob’s view….that is why I included 15 in my list….so you can throw out some names and still have a top 10.
Good idea….about the 70% to 80% range…I have used that criteria in other pages. Interesting info on Van Johnson and his impact on your parents…..the man was in many box office hits in the 1940s….but if you look at average per movie….Bing Crosby in my mind was the champ….he just did not make as many movies as Van.
Good comment.
Thanks Bruce for your reply and explanations. Well, I certainly won’t complain about Lancaster coming first in terms of ratings (well second now that Cotten showed up) though I can see that Sir Larry would be slightly peeved of just having missed the threshold of 9 movies! If he gives you any more trouble, you may want to consider the alternative ranking method discussed above 🙂
Whether Brennan was a big star or not is up for debate, but I think it makes sense that particularly distinguished or popular character actors and supporting players would make a list of the top 400 stars. I guess my point was not so much about Brennan in particular but more generally on giving equal credit to supporting players and the stars of the films. The same argument would apply for instance to Anthony Quinn, who was in supporting roles in most of his movies in the 40s or even to Robert Mitchum getting full credit for several the small or supporting roles he had between 1943 and 1945. However, rather than excluding them, in my own much more limited and rudimentary system, I would give them full credit (i.e. full box office amount) for outstanding supporting roles (i.e. Mitchum in the Story of GI Joe), half the credit for a good supporting role and zero for relatively minor roles. Brennan would still end up with over $2 billion in adjusted box office, which he should be very happy with. However, I can see that this would be complex and time-consuming to do with all the stars and movies your are considering, so I’m not suggesting this for your ranking. Perhaps, a bit more context and caveats highlighting some of the potential limitations of the rankings would help those (such as myself) who are not wholly familiar with the work of all these actors and actresses.
Finally, good job on adding Joseph Cotten to the list and I would support a UMR page for him. He did make star in a number of exceptional films.
Hey Phil
1. Two of the main problems here at UMR.com….are…..(a) the website is not dynamic….meaning everytime I change a stat….I have to manually change the stat on every page the movie appears on….which has become a daunting task….as the site has gotten so big and (b) figuring out a way to separate leading roles from supporting roles….your suggestion makes sense….BUT…..it becomes to subjective….the best example would be Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight….by all standards….it was a supporting role….YET…..his performance and untimely death are one of the main reasons the movie was so big. So in theory he would not get the full box office credit because of the supporting tag….so to be fair….I would have to look at each movie (which would be over 33,000 movies in our database) and judge if they deserved full credit or not. I have seen a lot of movies in my life….but no way can I judge all of those movies…..so in the end….a supporting role gets the same credit as a leading role.
2. Yep Sir Larry has a good reason to complain….but…..those Larry fans can sort the table and get him to the top of the pile…..they should be happy with that…lol.
3. I need to do a page on Mr. Cotton…..I was looking at his career….I have almost all of his “made during his peak” movies in the database…it is the low budget movies near the end of his career which would require lots of research…..but I will admit….I was very surprised that he did so well in this table.
4. WoC has been playing with the “new” table generator she created…..the one that made this page possible….in it….you can figure out which star has been the biggest box office star since you have been alive….for instance…..for my 10 year old…Robert Downey, Jr has been the biggest box office star, for my 29 year old….Samuel L. Jackson is the leader….for me 50 and my wife 47 it is Harrison Ford…..needless to say…I am working on a 1950s decade page.
Thanks for the comment.
hello Bruce,
Simply Great and amazing, so only one word THANKS!!
Many stars are in the shadows to day or nearly and all the great classical stars from the 30 are on the list except Garbo because she leave the place, in the mean time some of them are exclusevely for the 40 Lile Andrews, Darnell and this decade is the last years of great black and white; sometimes it is always pure magic like for Laura but i like very much the three Musketeers with Turner and Kelly and it is perfect in flamboyant color;
i am sorry but i dont known Van Johnson and for me Bing Grosby stay a great Voice for singing, i think i saw him in some Road to…with Lamour but that s all.
my favorite Lady fot the 40 are
Dietrich,Darnell, Tierney and Joan fontaine specialy in Rebecca;
my Favorite leading men stay Wayne, Gable Cooper, Grant Andrews and Lancaster
may be you remember Danielle Darrieux, she started films in1931 she became rapidly one of the favorite french stars with some films like Mayerling, Port Arthur ou Premier rendez vous and she plaid at Hollywood with Douglas Fairbanks Jr in the rage of Paris in 1938 and some others like Pretty rich and young and the mother of Richard Burton in Alexander the Great in the 50.
few days ago she turn to 100 ANS and she made movies until the beginning of the 2000.
A very lon carriere and one of her best part is Madame de From Max Ophuls.
a very good film which just is ont the screen again in Paris to day.
Have a nice day
Pierre
Hello Pierre,
Danielle Darrieux is, along with Micheline Presle and Simone Simon, my favorite french actress of the past. I really like Madame de…but I think La Ronde is even better! According to Imdb, she was active on television until 2010. Didn’t know she’s as old as Olivia de Havilland. French air must be very healthy 😉 By the way, one of the more modern french actresses I really like is Marlène Jobert, while I never could understand the fascination surrounding Catherine Deneuve (although I agree that she was extremly beautiful).
Bye, hope to talk to you soon again!
LUPINO/PIERRE/STEVE
1 I was very interested in the exchanges about French stars. When I was growing up in Belfast few French movies got released over here, classics such as Rififi, Wages of Fear, Breathless and The Fiends being the exception but being a film buff even then I at least made myself AWARE of the great stars of the French cinema who were about or came upon the scene in my time such as Gabin, Signoret, Montand, Delon, Belmondo and the great survivor of 100 years Darrieux.
2 Ultimately some movies of the top French cinema stars got wide releases over here like the brilliant French/Italian Borsalino (1970) with Delon & Belmondo and the US made Let’s Make Love (1960) co-starring Montand and Monroe. Simone really hit the jackpot when she appeared in the 1958 British movie Room at the Top and got billed above the English actor Laurence Harvey who was at the peak of his career then and I and was also lucky to see 39 year old Darrieux with Richard Burton In the 1956 Alexander the Great. I also enjoyed Danielle in the 1961 Brit movie Greengage Summer [aka Loss of Innocence].
3 Gabin was the darling of the critics and historians seem to regard him as THE all-time greatest movie star of the French-speaking cinema. Indeed as I have mentioned before a panel of worldwide film directors some years ago ranked Gabin in the Top 10 greatest ACTORS of all time in a list that included Chaplin, DeNiro, Tracy, Brando and Olivier.
4 I always laugh when I think of my father’s protesting comments because he like me was disappointed our mutual idol Duke Wayne was not on the list “But how can they say Gabin’s a great actor? He doesn’t speak English in his films!” If he had been part of those exchanges that great Englishman of this site Steve Lensman would no doubt have rejoined that by that token Brando shouldn’t have been on the list either! Sadly my pop would have agreed with Steve.
LUPINO/PIERRE/STEVE
In my previous post I referred the the French classic The Fiends. I should explain that such was the title here in Northern Ireland of Cluzot’s 1955 masterpiece Les Diaboliques starring the great Simone Signoret. It was called Diabolique in US cinemas and The Devils on US television. It was [very poorly] remade in 1996 with Sharon Stone.
🙂
BOB,
although my first love remain american and british classics, there are some truly great french films released in those “good old days” long gone by. Les Diaboliques is a true classic, and I couldn’t agree more with you about the remake starring Sharon Stone. Without giving it a lot of thought, I would add Les Enfants du Paradis, La Belle et la Bete and Le Trou as some of my favorite french classics.
Gabin certainly was a great actor, to me (and some american critics) he is the french equivalent to America’s Spencer Tracy. He was a true sensation when he shot to stardom in the late 30’s, so “hot” in fact, that he was brought to Hollywood, were he received Top Billing in his very first picture, Moontide, along Ida Lupino. His american career never really took off, and he soon returned to France where he remained a big star until the end of his life.
Simone Signoret was highly popular, too, with some great movies like La Ronde, Casque d’or,Ship of Fools, the ones mentioned by you already. She also had a well publicized marriage to Yves Montand, some scandals (Montand and Monroe) and a great movie costarring her with Gabin in 1971, Le Chat. Both were physically way beyond their prime (Signoret didn’t age well anyway) but their talent never relied on physical attraction. (Bruce, Le Chat belongs into the categorie “Watching 2 unhappy people spending a 100 minutes to make each other’s lifes even more unbearable”, so I guess NOT your cup of tea;) )
On the strength of her success along Gabin in La Bete Humaine, Simone Simon also found her way to Hollywood, and while her career there never really took of, she was perfect in Tourneur’s Cat People and it’s sequel, Curse of the cat People and is remembered for those until this day. Back in Europe, she remained a star there and had no problem finding employment right to 1956.
I really had to smile reading your story about John Wayne and Marlon Brando!
Hello Bob,
thank you for your comments, i like read yours and the others like Lupino, Steve , Dan or Phil because i learn a lot and by the way it is always good for me to pick some expressions in english.
To day in France Gabin stay the boss because he made films and stay a star until his last films and one of them was with Darrieux/ L’année Sainte i think in 1976.
after him of course Belmondo and Delon are on the place but they d ont play any more;
Montand and Signoret stay on the memory but for les Diaboliques a film i saw when i was very young and on TV I can tell you that i was really afraid especailly for the scene of the bathroom of course now after the first Alien and Scanners i can see everything;
Gabin is a french star but not very international even if he was in hollywood for
few moments.
and of course he had an affaire with Dietrich and a film Martin Roumagnac with her which was turned in France in 1946 and had a good box office in France;
They should turn a picture call Les Portes de la Nuit with Jean Renoir as Director but at the end it was Montand and Nathalie Nattier;
a few months ago Michele Morgan passed away, she was her leading lady for several films like Quai des Brumes in 1938 but one of her most beautiful lady was Mireille Ballin before the war in Pépé the Moko or Geule d’amour.
Thanks again for share tours comments and have a nice day
bye
Pierre
🙂
hello Lupino,
nice to talk with you again, DD made three films with Max Ophuls and the three are good films but for me the best part of Miss Darrieux is call La vérité sur Bébé Donge with Jean Gabin a film which start like a comedy and finish with the murder of Gabin by Darrieux.
Micheline Presle of course in Le diable au corps with Gerard Philippe or Falbalas;
Simone Simon in a film i lke very much Cat People, an horror amaerican film very good made in Hollywood;
Thanks for the french air in fact we need it especially in Paris with the pollution;
Marlene Jobert stop films for a long time ago but she has a daugter Eva Green who is acting;
miss Jobert write books for kids to day.
in fact we lost ou best Lady of screen when Romy Shneider passed away and Catherine Deneuve stay alone on the place with Isabelle Adjani and Huppert.
Catherine Deneuve started films in the end of the 50 notably with Darrieux as her mother, but in fact she is very good in comedy better than in Drama;
if you can see for instance La vie de Chateau;
Have a nice Day
Pierre
Bonsoir Pierre,
funny to read that you count Romy Schneider as a french actress. She easily is the most prominent actress in Germany, born in Austria, she started her career in german/austrian productions that were so successful at the boxoffice that her fame literally shot through the roof here. She tried to escape that early image as a sweet ingenue, and would readily agree with you about being an actress in the “french tradition” rather than being remembered for her part as empress Elizabeth in the blockbuster “Sissi” trilogy, three movies that enjoy constant reruns on german TV each christmas with good ratings each and every time.
I know Jobert stopped making movies in the late 90’s, but for a classic movie fan like myself, that was only yesterday 😉
I didn’t know about her writing children’s books, though, so thank you for the information! I enjoyed Eva Green’s performance in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, so she must have inherited some of her mother’s talent.
Never saw your favorite Danielle Darrieux picture, so I will put it on my watch list.
About Deneuve: I really like her more since she has “matured”, she has a special aura now, something “Ladylike” that I can appreciate. In her youth, her beauty seemed cold and distant to me, so I found it hard to connect with the roles she portrayed. I have the same feeling towards Grace Kelly, never could appreciate her as an actress, although I am huge fan of other beautifull actresses- so it can’t be their beauty that drives me away from those two.
As always, enjoyed talking to you!
Lupino
I enjoyed the “Sissi” triology, and have a probably ignorant question.
Why are these movies popular in Germany when they deal with the Hapsburgs?
Seems a bit odd to an American, but I suppose it is like us liking films about the British monarchy.
Hey John, Lupino and Pierre. Fun reading your comments though I must admit I know nothing on these subjects….but your comments have me interested in tracking down these movies.
Not sure how this has gone from a discussion of top US stars of the 40s to French and European stars and films, but being partly French myself, I find it’s a very interesting conversation to go through! I think there were more similarities between mainstream American cinema and European cinema in these days, probably because many Hollywood directors came from Europe.
Coincidentally, I recently saw Danielle Darrieux co-starring with James Mason in the slick espionage drama 5 Fingers from 1952. She was deliciously evil! Great actress, who made many international films.
Of the later French actresses, I also like Marlene Jobert very much, though she is not as well known as the others mentioned. One of the films I particularly liked her in was the one where she plays a rape victim, Le passager de la pluie (Rider on the Rain), with Charles Bronson.
Hey Pierre….glad you enjoyed this page..I am currently working on a 1950-1959 page….which will make Bob and Steve happy because some of their favorites had an awesome 1950s. Danielle Darrieux? Gotta admit I am not aware of her at all…..but thanks to your comment…I will check her out. Garbo will do better in my 1930s decades page…as she only made one movie in this decade. Glad your favorite actors did well in the rankings….some are really impressive like Stewart and Gable when you remember they left to fight in WW2. Thanks for the visit, the comment and the very compliment….all are greatly appreciated.
Hey John,
I must admit your question had me thinking for a while, but there are numerous reasons, and the main one, I truly believe, was Romy Schneider’s performance in the central role. She was already a famous leading Lady in escapist extravaganzas (you must consider the state Germany was in- looser of two wars, bombed cities, broken families, years of starvation still fresh in the collective memory. Many people were refugees, because the areas they were born in were taken by the allied countries). Nazi idiology was still firmly implanted in many people’s minds, as evidenced, for example, by the reception of Marlene Dietrich in Berlin in 1960- signs reading “Marlene go Home!” were on the nicer side of public reaction. Many people wanted their “Kaiser” back, Austria was still considered as part of Germany by many, there was a deep longing for lost leadership, but also for beauty and escapim. The films were shot on beautiful locations, in glorious color, the more ugly realities of history were whitewashed. Schneider, herself being the offspring of “actor royalty”, captured the hearts with her fresh and “clean” beauty and her carefree, almost naive charisma.The fact that she was a highly capable actress was not yet visible and of no importance at all for the phenomenon that was known as “Sissi” (on a sidenote: Empress Elizabeth was called “Sisi” in real life, only after the movie has she become “Sissi”, a name she herself never heard during her lifetime but the one she is known by since the 1950’s).
Well, this has become a long and “highly educational” post, and believe me, I could go on rambling about Sissi’s “rebellious” character, the state of the german film industry in the 50’s and the state of the collective german mind. Maybe my answer should just have said the obvious: Sisi was born and raised in Bavaria, and Bavaria has always been part of Germany 😉
Lupino
Thanks for the reply. Gave perspective. Romy Schneider was indeed charming in the lead role.
Your point about the Germans wanting to forget the first half of the 20th century and so look back to the placid days of the 19th when the future appeared so promising makes a lot of sense.
Besides the reasons given, I suppose it would be difficult to drum up a romantic film about the Hohenzollerns (sp?). Kaiser Bill and Bismarck and the like just weren’t the moonlight and roses types.
What did surprise me Bruce is the poor showing for Myrna Loy on the charts, our “box office queen”. What happened amigo? I’ll bet Bob was grinning from ear to ear though he can’t have been pleased to see his ‘screen goddess’ Joan Crawford barely make a dent in the charts either.
I do agree with Bob on Walter Brennan, he is a great character actor but not really a movie star.
Van Johnson the biggest box office attraction of the 1940s? I didn’t see that coming. Dana Andrews bigger than John Wayne? [gasps]
The best chart is the UMR score per movie though Cary Grant is too low on there, I know we were pointing fingers at you earlier for favoritism towards Cary but dropping him down to no.9 was cruel. [wink]
Lauren Bacall topping the big chart is another eye opener. Bob might never recover from that one. [snickers]
An interesting movie page Bruce which might have started a riot if placed on my movie forum about 10 years ago. You should see the fights over who was greater – Ford or Hitchcock – it was a bloodbath.
Vote Up!
Hey Steve
1. The answer to your first question…WW2 happened to Mryna Loy…..she stopped making movies to concentrate on raising funds for the war.
2. I agree with you and Bob about Brennan….but just like Samuel L. Jackson’s claim to be the all-time box office champ…there are stats to back up the claim.
3. I was equally surprised to see Van at the top…the man was very busy in the 1940s……which helped him reach the top.
4. The big table does not filter out the people who did not make many movies….which put Betty Bacall on top.
5. Cary sits in 4th place when I put a minimum of 9 movies made in the 1940s.
Thanks for the comment and visit.
HI BRUCE
1 Highly comprehensive statistical data relating to the movie world of the 1940s and you must have put much hard work into this exercise.
2 However given my past form I’m sure you’d be disappointed at my own inconsistency if I didn’t raise my eyebrows at Walter Brennan being called a box office leader as it was not long ago that we were accepting Walter as a leading character actor within the context of that type of actor being defined as mainly a supporting actor. It therefore might be deemed inconsistent if one was to truly regard Walt as the 4th biggest box office star of the 1940s.
3 However “When mortals have done their best the angels can do no more” and you have given us the cold stats and left the individual free to interpret them however he/she thinks fit and I suppose that in the interests of a fair balance it is time that a fine MALE performer like Walt was accorded the kind of hyperbole on this site that Myrna has long enjoyed!
4 Anyway there is a goldmine of information in your new 1940s spreads and I am sure that others among your regulars will be as grateful to you as I am for being made privy to the material. Sincerest thanks.
Hey Bob
1. I think it is safe to say that it took over six years to collect all of this data.
2. As for Mr. Brennan, my first thought was too exclude supporting thespians….but in the end I left them in…..despite these lofty numbers there are even better ones for him as his UMR is only a partial page….he has many more movies that could be included.
3. WoC set it up so I can now do any Year combination I want. So you might see other decade breakdowns like this soon. 🙂
1 Excellent news as I look forward to other decide breakdown.
2 I accept of course that STATISTICALLY speaking Brennan was in the 1940s films with the 4th highest collective gross..
Massive list. Thanks for all that information. I am not surprised that Van Johnson got such a high rating. But I am surprised that Kirk Douglas was so low on the final table.
Hey Flora…thanks for checking out this massive list….it was fun to put together. As for Kirk Douglas…..he was just starting out…..so he only had 8 movies and 3 years from 1940 – 1949….and he still almost made the Top 100.
The awesomeness of WoC….is I can already do a search on 1950 to 1959….and when I do that …..Kirk jumps up to the 22nd spot for that decade. I hope you noticed that my UMR score put Gregory Peck in the 2nd spot…..so it has to be a good way to rank these movies…lol.
Yes, I did notice. 🙂
🙂