Rita Hayworth Movies

Rita Hayworth is considered one of greatest actresses of all-time.
Rita Hayworth is considered one of greatest actresses of all-time.

Want to know the best Rita Hayworth movies?  How about the worst Rita Hayworth movies?  Curious about Rita Hayworth box office grosses or which Rita Hayworth movie picked up the most Oscar® nominations? Need to know which Rita Hayworth movie got the best reviews from critics and audiences and which ones got the worst reviews? Well you have come to the right place…. because we have all of that information and much more.

Rita Hayworth (1918-1987) was an American actress, who the American Film Institute ranked as one of the Top 50 Screen Legends of all time.  Hayworth is ranked as the 19th best actress, right behind #18 Shirley Temple and right before #20 Lauren Bacall.  One of our goals is to do a movie page on all 50 Screen Legends.  After completing this page we have now written movie pages on 45 (or 90%) of those performers……leaving only 4 actresses and 1 actor that still need movie pages.

Her IMDb page shows 65 acting credits from 1934-1972. This page will rank 35 Rita Hayworth movies from Best to Worst in seven different sortable columns of information.   With the exception of Dante’s Inferno (1935), all of her pre-1939 movies were not included in the rankings.  Most of these roles were bit parts or uncredited.  In addition television movies and movies not released in North America were not included in the rankings.

Rita Hayworth in 1946's Gilda
Rita Hayworth in 1946’s Gilda

Rita Hayworth 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 Rita Hayworth movies by co-stars of her movies
  • Sort Rita Hayworth movies by adjusted domestic box office grosses using current movie ticket cost (in millions)
  • Sort Rita Hayworth movies by yearly domestic box office rank
  • Sort Rita Hayworth 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 Oscar® wins each Rita Hayworth movie received.
  • Sort Rita Hayworth movies by Ultimate Movie Ranking (UMR) Score.  UMR puts box office, reviews and awards into a mathematical equation and gives each movie a score.
  • Use the sort and search buttons to make this table very interactive.  For example…if you type in “Glenn Ford” in the search box….the 5 Ford/Hayworth movies will pop right up.

Stats and Possibly Interesting Things From The Above Rita Hayworth Table

  1. Sixteen Rita Hayworth movies crossed the magical $100 million domestic gross mark.  That is a percentage of 45.71% of her movies listed. Gilda (1946) was her biggest box office hit.
  2. An average Rita Hayworth movie grosses $100.00 million in adjusted box office gross.
  3. Using RottenTomatoes.com’s 60% fresh meter.  22 of Rita Hayworth’s movies are rated as good movies…or 62.85% of her movies.  Gilda (1946) was her highest rated movie while The Naked Zoo (1970) was her lowest rated movie.
  4. Fifteen Rita Hayworth movies received at least one Oscar® nomination in any category…..or 42.85% of her movies.
  5. Four Rita Hayworth movies won at least one Oscar® in any category…..or 11.42% of her movies.
  6. A “good movie” Ultimate Movie Ranking (UMR) Score is 60.00.  19 Rita Hayworth movies scored higher that average….or 54.28% of her movies. Gilda (1946) got the the highest UMR Movie Score while The Naked Zoo (1970) got the lowest UMR Movie Score.
Rita Hayworth in 1953's Miss Sadie Thompson
Rita Hayworth in 1953’s Miss Sadie Thompson

Possibly Interesting Facts About Rita Hayworth

1. Margarita Carmen Cansino was born on October 17, 1918, in Brooklyn, New York.

2. Margarita Carmen Cansino appeared in 15 movies from 1934 to 1937.  In 1937 she changed her name to Rita Hayworth.  The Rita comes from MargaRITA while Hayworth was her mom’s maiden name.  Hollywood legend says producer Harry Cohn convinced her to change her name because her birth name was “too Spanish”.

3. Rita Hayworth’s nickname was The Love Goddess.  Her most famous trademarks were:  her strawberry blonde hair, her voluptuous figure and her deep sultry voice.

4. Rita Hayworth was married five times in her life.  Her most famous marriages were to Prince Aly Khan (1949 to 1953) and Orson Welles (1943-1948).  She had two children…one with Khan and one with Welles.

5. The image of Rita Hayworth’s face was glued onto an A-bomb which was dropped on the Bikini Atoll during a test in 1946.

6. Rita Hayworth was one of the few actresses to have danced with both Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly in the movies, other actresses that have also done this includes Judy Garland, Cyd Charisse, Vera-Ellen, Debbie Reynolds and Leslie Caron.

7. Rita Hayworth appeared in five movies with classic leading actor Glenn Ford: 1940’s The Lady in Question, 1946’s Gilda, 1948’s The Loves of Carmen, 1952’s Affair in Trinidad and 1965’s The Money Trap.

8. Rita Hayworth never received an Oscar® nomination.  She did receive a Best Actress Golden Globe® nomination for 1964’s Circus World.

9.  Rita Hayworth died of complications from Alzheimer’s disease. The Rita Hayworth Annual Gala, which began as way Princess Yasmin Aga Khan could honor her mother, has raised over $68 million for the Alzheimer’s Association over the last 32 years.

10.   The movie….The Shawshank Redemption (1994) is considered one of the best movies over the last 30 years.  Two things you might not know about that movie:  (1) It was ignorned at the box office and (2) It was based on the Stephen King book Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption.  It is a shame that they left off Rita’s name in the movie title.

Check out Rita Hayworth’s movie career compared to current and classic stars on our Most 100 Million Dollar Movies of All-Time page.

Rita Hayworth in 1942's You Were Never Lovelier
Rita Hayworth in 1942’s You Were Never Lovelier

America Film Institutes’ Top 25 Screen Legend Actress and UMR’s Links That Rank All Of Their Movies.

12. Claudette Colbert
17. Lillian Gish
23. Carole Lombard
24. Mary Pickford
Academy Award® and Oscar® are the registered trademarks of the Academy of Motion Arts and Sciences.  Golden Globes® are the registered trademark and service mark of the Hollywood Foreign Press.

55 thoughts on “Rita Hayworth Movies

  1. Thanks Bob, you mention Blood and Sand being a Tyrone Power movie and not a Rita Hayworth movie and should therefore not be rated as highly as films where Rita has more of a starring role? That would work on a Rita Hayworth fan worship page where her prominent and showy roles would be high up on their charts regardless of worth, that won’t work on my rating system.

    But saying that, I did push Gilda into the no.1 position on this video after it came second to Only Angels Have Wings because I knew I would incur the wrath of Gilda fans and that was her most famous role, my sources gave the Cary Grant film a higher rating. On my video channel I do mention that I may occasionally add my own score to the final total of a particular film, which gives me the excuse to ‘slightly’ adjust the chart positions if need be.

    I think Bruce has the same top 3 on his critics chart, and Gilda also tops his UMR and adjusted US box office, whoa it was a big hit during the 40s.

    One more thing, if the role is tiny or just a cameo I won’t include it on the list no matter how famous the film is, for instance Alan Ladd in Citizen Kane or John Wayne in Greatest Story Ever Told. One exception was Wayne’s General Sherman in How the West Was Won, I included that because he was the star of the Civil War segment of the movie.

    Thanks again for checking these out.

    1. 1 Bruce and I have already agonised over how much credit in the ratings or earnings columns any star should get for cameos or other small rolls with for example the Oracle refusing to recognise the fine albeit posthumous work done by Mr Mumbles in Superman Returns which would would add about a further quarter million to Mr M’s grosses; and there is no doubt that if one credited to a star only those movies in which he/she received top billing many stars like Myrna Loy and even Grace Kelly would take a massive hit. Certainly I would draw the line at one accredited ‘role’ which was listed as “Passer by in street – Paul Newman”.

      2 However if one’s classification is “films in which Rita Hayworth appeared” rather than “Rita Hayworth films” then Blood and Sand definitely deserves to be up there. Anyway actors and actresses got away with historical/cultural murder in Old Hollywood with critics suggesting that the Hayworth ‘vamp’ at 35 was too old to play the Biblical Salome and modern interpretations showing Salome as just a seductive teenager.

      3 John Ford said that he shot in black and white The Man who Shot liberty Valance as colour would reveal that chronologically. Stewart and the Duke were far too old for the Ranse Stoddard and Tom Doniphon parts from the Dorothy M Johnson short story Notes on the movie describe the character of the 54 year old Stewart as a “young idealistic lawyer” – Cmon! So when they are already getting away with murder why are we compounding the situation by giving undue recognition to their more minor roles?

      4 Anyway thanks for the back chat especially as you made me laugh with reference to Ladd
      and Citizen Kane. I have mentioned that my son detests Laddie and every now and again I will wind him up by referring to “Alan Ladd’s Citizen Kane.” Though do you think that Bruce might stretch a point and put Kane,s grosses in Mr Mumbles’ total given the historically often mentioned reference to “RoseBUD” at the end of the film ?

      1. Hey Bob.
        1. My rules for inclusion in my rankings…..which I follow most of the time. (1) If they are used to sell the movie…they are included…no matter how small the part is…Wayne in HTWWW was won might be the best example of that. (2) The actor had to know he was in the movie….ie….Larry Oliver in the Jolie movie and Bud in the Superman V. So Brando’s box office totals will have to remain without Superman Returns.
        2. I think fans of a certain actress or actor make that person the star of the movie. I love Michael Caine….when I think about A Bridge Too Far or The Battle of Britain…..my mind labels them a Caine movie even though his combined minutes in those two movies would be hard pressed to fill a single episode of Frasier.
        3. As many times as I have seen Liberty Valance….I have never had a hard time believing a young lawyer Stewart….that might be because I remember him on the Carson show…when he was no longer that young looking.
        4. Yep…Alan Ladd in Citizen Kane…yes it happened….but not enough of a role to include in the rankings….then again could Citizen Kane been as successful without that Ladd thirty second appearance…..huge Ladd fans might argue he made the movie….lol.
        Glad you checked out Steve’s Hayworth page.

        1. 1 Nice to get your feedback again.

          2 My son argues that Ladd probably had a major part with lots of screen time in Kane but that he was so insignificant a figure when he was younger that we never noticed him !! However he would support you and Steve for not giving Laddie ANY credit !!

          3 Anyway what about an exchange – you give Bud Supe V and I’ll put The Verdict into the Willis page on my database ?

          1. Hey Bob….today felt like a regular day again….and almost caught up with the comments too. Your son is speaking wisely……lol. Can’t do that trade….though when I update the Brando page….the new gross for Sayarno will help Bud move up the chart….let’s see….he is currently…..checking….

          2. Should be enough to pass Bruce Willis and Fred Astaire on the career box office table I have….plus it might be enough to catch Judy Garland too….that will get Bud closer to a Top 50 spot.

        2. 1 Time magazine, Variety, and the American Film Institute whose lists we regularly quote on this site unfortunately have never published their criteria for their selections so how does one argue with them? You on the other hand have always made clear the basis for your choices and rankings, but here are my own personal IMPRESSIONS of who have been the 21 greatest male movie STARS (as distinct from actors) of all time and it is in no particular order. [Female list being considered.]
          Gregory Peck
          Tom Cruise
          John Wayne
          Tom Hanks
          Charlton Heston
          Marlon Brando
          Spencer Tracy
          Paul Newman
          James Stewart
          Sean Connery
          James Cagney
          Clark Gable
          Harrison Ford
          Bob Hope
          Clint Eastwood
          Cary Grant
          Robert Redford
          Humphrey Bogart
          Gary Cooper
          Jack Nicholson
          Bing Crosby
          I would have difficulty in splitting most of these Greats but if you were to press me really hard on who was THE greatest I would place on the table the following 4 names from each era and close my eyes and stick pins in them until I got a top guy from each era?
          MAIN CONTENDERS CLASSIC ERA: Grant/Wayne/Gable/Bogart
          MAIN CONTENDERS MODERN ERA Hanks/Cruise/Newman/Eastwood

          BOB

          1. POSTSCRIPT TO PREVIOUS POST
            I have ignored the silent era in my listings but if that were included Chaplin’s name would be on the table for the pin-sticking contest !

            BOB

          2. Hey Bob. Good list….hard to argue….but of course everybody did and would…lol. Happy to say that I have had movie pages on all of them ….and had them for years now. I would say McQueen and maybe Denzel might be the only missing greats that I would include.

            I like your Main Contenders….though I am somewhat shocked that Brando got left off both eras…as I think you could argue that he qualified in both eras. Are you feeling ok today?….lol.

          3. Hey Bob….not thinking you can go wrong with Chaplin…..thanks for sharing the list….thanks for the visit and thanks for the comment….all are greatly appreciated.

          4. BRUCE:

            1 Just as you left Willis off your Top 25 1950-2010 lists I tried to resist bias in drawing up the above list and you will notice that many of my personal faves such as Widmark, Laddie, Morg Freeman are missing because though great stars I thought that they fell slightly short of any list in which the likes of Grant/Gable/Wayne/Hanks would set the standard.

            2 Today like Bette Davis OVERALL Brando’s legend is up there with the best but because his career was split over the classic and modern eras I do not think that in each of those eras SEPARATELY he did enough at the box office to put him in the top 4 contenders of either era. Indeed he would have needed to have made a lot more films for starters. Does this make sense?

          5. That’s a very good list of greats Bob, can’t really fault it, no pointing fingers and laughing at this one, all good.

            My least favorite of the bunch… probably Tom Cruise, I’m not the biggest fan but I do like him in the Mission Impossible films. Good to see The Omega Man hasn’t been forgotten. 🙂

          6. Hey Bob
            I saw that some of your favorites did not make the list…..I think the older we get the easier it is to realize maybe our opinion is not always the most popular…..I think if I did my Top 25 10 years ago Bruce would have made it.

            I understand your logic with Brando 100%….thanks for the clarification.

    2. Hey Steve…wow only one You Tube Lensman video behind…I thought I would be about 5 or 6 behind….about to go to work……will check out the Lana Turner one when I get home…not to mention sending a link to my mom….who loves Lana T.

      Only Angels Have Wings is one of my favorite movies ever….it made my Top list I made in 1988….and recently rewatched it…..and still found it gripping and awesome. That being said….Hayworth roles is the 8th or 9th biggest part? Thus the problem of separating a supporting role from a leading role…a problem that (a) I never solved in my ranking system….and (b) a problem I have given up on….so I would not have complained if Angels had knocked out Gilda.

      As for Wayne…I never added Greatest Story to his page on my site….while HTWWW made it…got taken off…made it…got taken off….and now is back on….so I see your thinking in including it….plus Wayne’s face is on the movie poster…so he helped make that movie the success it became.

  2. I placed a general post on this site when Bruce did Rita’s stats update recently and I would just add that whilst naturally Gilda always takes central stage when Rita’s name comes up it can be overlooked she shone brightly before that in her two dancing roles with Astaire in the absence of Ginger Rogers in the early 1940s and in Cover Girl with Fred’s rival Kelly. I have now watched your Hayworth video and offer the following comments:

    (1) Broadly your balance is perfect with awful films like Fire Down Below at the bottom and her better films like of course Gilda on top.

    (2) You and the Oracle virtually coincide about the Top 5 and I would disagree with you both about just The Lady from Shanghai which I saw recently and still regard as an average film with the exception of the mirror scene and would therefore place it around 10th.

    (3) Was surprised at Pal Joey being so low and Blood and Sand being so high as the latter was really a Ty Power film. However was glad to see that you have promoted to your Top 10 the Astaire/Hayworth You’ll Never Get Rich

    (4) Technically you were right to avoid giving a vertiginous position to Miss Sadie Thompson but for sentimental reasons I would have nudged it up the chart a bit because Gorgeous George’s Uncle Jose was Rita’s co-star and it also had the marvellous Aldo Ray who back in the 1950s many of us thought would make the Big Time.

    (5) You mentioned in your recent post about Stewart Granger that you thought Salome was a poor film and you were right not to have it high in your chart but Stew was relatively new to Hollywood at that time and that in those days it was quite a feather in the cap of an Englishman to share star billing with a massive Hollywood legend in a lavish costume drama

    One as sexy as Rita was bound to give you a fine range of poster reproductions with for my money the one for Blood and Sand getting the ‘Oscar’ Guns up overall ! Superb treat.

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