Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. (1909-2000) was an American actor and a decorated naval officer of World War II. He was the only child of silent movie superstar, Douglas Fairbanks Jr.. He has acting credits for an incredible 7 different decades. His IMDb page shows 99 acting credits from 1916 to 1989. This page ranks 42 Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. movies from Best to Worst in six different sortable columns of information. Television shows, bit parts and his movies not released in North America theaters are not included in the rankings. This page was requested by Chad and Anonymous a very long time ago….sorry it took so long.
From Joel Hirschhorn’s Rating The Movie Stars Book: “The old saying, “Like father, like son” applies to Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. and his son. Both displayed a hearty, engaging vitality in costume epics, but Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. demonstrated more range as a dramatic actor, partly due to opportunities provided by talkies.”
Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. Movies Ranked By Combination of Box Office, Reviews and Awards (UMR Score) *Classic UMR Table (the one with all the stats is the second table)
CreditRank
Movie (Year)
UMR Co-Star Links
UMR Score
S
CreditRank Movie (Year) UMR Co-Star Links UMR Score S
1
The Prisoner of Zenda (1937)
David Niven &
Ronald Colman97.8
2
Gunga Din (1939)
Cary Grant &
Joan Fontaine97.4
4
The Young In Heart (1938)
Paulette Goddard &
Janet Gaynor96.4
6
The Dawn Patrol (1930)
Directed by Howard Hawks
96.2
3
Stella Dallas (1925)
Ronald Colman
95.5
7
Little Caesar (1931)
Edward G. Robinson
95.5
5
Sinbad, the Sailor (1947)
Maureen O'Hara &
Anthony Quinn94.8
8
The Corsican Brothers (1941)
Ruth Warrick
93.0
9
The Rage of Paris (1938)
Danielle Darrieux
91.0
10
A Woman of Affairs (1928)
Greta Garbo
87.5
11
Joy of Living (1938)
Irene Dunne &
Lucille Ball85.7
12
Having Wonderful Time (1938)
Ginger Rogers
84.8
12
The Barker (1928)
Milton Sills
83.0
14
Show of Shows (1929)
John Barrymore &
Myrna Loy82.5
15
The Sun Never Sets (1939)
Basil Rathbone
80.7
17
The Narrow Corner (1933)
Ralph Bellamy
80.1
16
Safari (1940)
Madeleine Carroll
79.6
19
Rulers of the Sea (1939)
Margaret Lockwood
77.6
20
Angels Over Broadway (1940)
Rita Hayworth &
Douglas Fairbanks77.0
18
Morning Glory (1933)
Katharine Hepburn &
Best Actress Winner Movies76.5
21
Chances (1931)
Rose Hobart
74.6
22
Union Depot (1932)
Joan Blondell
74.1
24
That Lady in Ermine (1948)
Betty Grable &
Cesar Romero74.0
23
The Life of Jimmy Dolan (1933)
Loretta Young
71.2
25
Green Hell (1940)
Joan Bennett &
George Sanders69.7
26
Our Modern Maidens (1929)
Joan Crawford
68.2
29
When Thief Meets Thief (1937)
Raoul Walsh
67.2
26
Captured! (1933)
Leslie Howard
67.1
32
Ghost Story (1981)
Fred Astaire &
Melvyn Douglas66.9
29
The Great Manhunt (1950)
Glynis Johns
65.9
30
The Fighting O'Flynn (1949)
Richard Greene
65.6
33
Loose Ankles (1930)
Loretta Young
61.4
31
Parachute Jumper (1933)
Bette Davis
60.9
34
Love Is A Racket (1932)
Lyle Talbot
59.7
34
The Way Of All Men (1930)
Dorothy Revier
58.0
36
Outward Bound (1930)
Leslie Howard
55.7
37
It's Tough To Be Famous (1932)
Mary Brian
54.2
37
The Careless Age (1929)
Loretta Young
53.5
38
The Exile (1947)
Maria Montez
51.4
40
I Like Your Nerve (1931)
Boris Karloff &
Loretta Young51.1
41
Little Accident (1930)
Zasu Pitts
45.0
41
Scarlet Dawn (1932)
Nancy Carroll
43.2
43
The Forward Pass (1929)
Loretta Young
40.0
43
Success At Any Price (1934)
Colleen Moore
37.3
45
The Air Mail (1925)
Warner Baxter
36.2
44
Mimi (1935)
Gertrude Lawrence
34.4
45
Mr Drake's Duck (1951)
Yolande Donlan
23.0
48
A Texas Steer (1927)
Will Rogers
8.2
Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. 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 Douglas Fairbanks Jr. movies by movie title and movie trailers.
- Sort Douglas Fairbanks Jr. movies by co-stars of his movies.
- Sort Douglas Fairbanks Jr. movies by adjusted domestic box office grosses using current movie ticket cost
- Sort Douglas Fairbanks Jr. movies by yearly domestic box office rank
- Sort Douglas Fairbanks Jr. movies how they were received by critics and audiences. 60% rating or higher should indicate a good movie.
- Sort by how many Oscar® nominations each Douglas Fairbanks Jr. movie received and how many Oscar® wins each Douglas Fairbanks Jr. movie won.
- Sort Douglas Fairbanks Jr. 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.
| 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 Prisoner of Zenda (1937) | David Niven & Ronald Colman |
5.60 | 269.2 | 269.20 | 14 | 82 | 02 / 00 | 97.8 | |
| 2 | Gunga Din (1939) | Cary Grant & Joan Fontaine |
8.00 | 359.3 | 756.60 | 8 | 80 | 01 / 00 | 97.4 | |
| 4 | The Young In Heart (1938) | Paulette Goddard & Janet Gaynor |
5.20 | 239.8 | 239.80 | 28 | 74 | 03 / 00 | 96.4 | |
| 6 | The Dawn Patrol (1930) | Directed by Howard Hawks | 3.30 | 204.0 | 312.30 | 15 | 74 | 01 / 01 | 96.2 | |
| 3 | Stella Dallas (1925) | Ronald Colman | 5.70 | 264.0 | 264.00 | 4 | 73 | 00 / 00 | 95.5 | |
| 7 | Little Caesar (1931) | Edward G. Robinson | 2.80 | 166.8 | 185.30 | 29 | 83 | 01 / 00 | 95.5 | |
| 5 | Sinbad, the Sailor (1947) | Maureen O'Hara & Anthony Quinn |
7.60 | 255.7 | 445.10 | 33 | 71 | 00 / 00 | 94.8 | |
| 8 | The Corsican Brothers (1941) | Ruth Warrick | 4.20 | 187.2 | 187.20 | 42 | 68 | 01 / 00 | 93.0 | |
| 9 | The Rage of Paris (1938) | Danielle Darrieux | 3.60 | 167.7 | 167.70 | 49 | 70 | 00 / 00 | 91.0 | |
| 10 | A Woman of Affairs (1928) | Greta Garbo | 2.80 | 104.2 | 167.90 | 26 | 79 | 01 / 00 | 87.5 | |
| 11 | Joy of Living (1938) | Irene Dunne & Lucille Ball |
3.10 | 143.0 | 219.80 | 65 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 85.7 | |
| 12 | Having Wonderful Time (1938) | Ginger Rogers | 3.10 | 142.8 | 186.70 | 66 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 84.8 | |
| 12 | The Barker (1928) | Milton Sills | 2.70 | 98.3 | 98.30 | 30 | 70 | 01 / 00 | 83.0 | |
| 14 | Show of Shows (1929) | John Barrymore & Myrna Loy |
4.00 | 143.7 | 182.00 | 16 | 56 | 00 / 00 | 82.5 | |
| 15 | The Sun Never Sets (1939) | Basil Rathbone | 2.50 | 109.5 | 109.50 | 98 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 80.7 | |
| 17 | The Narrow Corner (1933) | Ralph Bellamy | 2.00 | 108.9 | 108.90 | 36 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 80.1 | |
| 16 | Safari (1940) | Madeleine Carroll | 2.20 | 98.5 | 98.50 | 90 | 64 | 00 / 00 | 79.6 | |
| 19 | Rulers of the Sea (1939) | Margaret Lockwood | 2.10 | 95.0 | 95.00 | 112 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 77.6 | |
| 20 | Angels Over Broadway (1940) | Rita Hayworth & Douglas Fairbanks |
2.00 | 91.2 | 91.20 | 96 | 62 | 01 / 00 | 77.0 | |
| 18 | Morning Glory (1933) | Katharine Hepburn & Best Actress Winner Movies |
1.10 | 58.5 | 90.40 | 92 | 70 | 01 / 01 | 76.5 | |
| 21 | Chances (1931) | Rose Hobart | 1.20 | 68.7 | 86.50 | 133 | 67 | 00 / 00 | 74.6 | |
| 22 | Union Depot (1932) | Joan Blondell | 1.40 | 79.2 | 103.40 | 72 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 74.1 | |
| 24 | That Lady in Ermine (1948) | Betty Grable & Cesar Romero |
3.70 | 116.3 | 116.30 | 92 | 50 | 01 / 00 | 74.0 | |
| 23 | The Life of Jimmy Dolan (1933) | Loretta Young | 1.10 | 61.9 | 61.90 | 81 | 65 | 00 / 00 | 71.2 | |
| 25 | Green Hell (1940) | Joan Bennett & George Sanders |
2.00 | 88.6 | 88.60 | 98 | 55 | 00 / 00 | 69.7 | |
| 26 | Our Modern Maidens (1929) | Joan Crawford | 2.20 | 77.0 | 97.80 | 60 | 58 | 00 / 00 | 68.2 | |
| 29 | When Thief Meets Thief (1937) | Raoul Walsh | 1.30 | 64.7 | 64.70 | 148 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 67.2 | |
| 26 | Captured! (1933) | Leslie Howard | 1.00 | 56.8 | 56.80 | 95 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 67.1 | |
| 32 | Ghost Story (1981) | Fred Astaire & Melvyn Douglas |
23.40 | 105.1 | 105.10 | 38 | 48 | 00 / 00 | 66.9 | |
| 29 | The Great Manhunt (1950) | Glynis Johns | 1.20 | 31.7 | 31.70 | 176 | 70 | 00 / 00 | 65.9 | |
| 30 | The Fighting O'Flynn (1949) | Richard Greene | 1.50 | 43.2 | 43.20 | 160 | 66 | 00 / 00 | 65.6 | |
| 33 | Loose Ankles (1930) | Loretta Young | 0.80 | 50.4 | 68.50 | 138 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 61.4 | |
| 31 | Parachute Jumper (1933) | Bette Davis | 0.70 | 37.0 | 61.20 | 147 | 65 | 00 / 00 | 60.9 | |
| 34 | Love Is A Racket (1932) | Lyle Talbot | 0.80 | 43.5 | 50.30 | 140 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 59.7 | |
| 34 | The Way Of All Men (1930) | Dorothy Revier | 0.70 | 43.3 | 58.30 | 147 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 58.0 | |
| 36 | Outward Bound (1930) | Leslie Howard | 0.60 | 38.8 | 45.80 | 154 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 55.7 | |
| 37 | It's Tough To Be Famous (1932) | Mary Brian | 0.90 | 48.9 | 61.90 | 128 | 57 | 00 / 00 | 54.2 | |
| 37 | The Careless Age (1929) | Loretta Young | 0.80 | 30.4 | 46.90 | 121 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 53.5 | |
| 38 | The Exile (1947) | Maria Montez | 0.60 | 21.6 | 21.60 | 171 | 64 | 00 / 00 | 51.4 | |
| 40 | I Like Your Nerve (1931) | Boris Karloff & Loretta Young |
0.80 | 46.8 | 54.90 | 167 | 56 | 00 / 00 | 51.1 | |
| 41 | Little Accident (1930) | Zasu Pitts | 0.80 | 46.6 | 46.60 | 143 | 52 | 00 / 00 | 45.0 | |
| 41 | Scarlet Dawn (1932) | Nancy Carroll | 0.50 | 30.7 | 39.90 | 160 | 57 | 00 / 00 | 43.2 | |
| 43 | The Forward Pass (1929) | Loretta Young | 1.10 | 41.0 | 50.90 | 105 | 52 | 00 / 00 | 40.0 | |
| 43 | Success At Any Price (1934) | Colleen Moore | 0.40 | 19.9 | 19.90 | 181 | 57 | 00 / 00 | 37.3 | |
| 45 | The Air Mail (1925) | Warner Baxter | 0.20 | 7.1 | 7.10 | 111 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 36.2 | |
| 44 | Mimi (1935) | Gertrude Lawrence | 0.40 | 20.3 | 20.30 | 198 | 56 | 00 / 00 | 34.4 | |
| 45 | Mr Drake's Duck (1951) | Yolande Donlan | 0.90 | 23.2 | 23.20 | 210 | 49 | 00 / 00 | 23.0 | |
| 48 | A Texas Steer (1927) | Will Rogers | 0.40 | 13.5 | 13.50 | 106 | 41 | 00 / 00 | 8.2 |
I saw 4. no tens. no 9s. morning glory is the hidden gem with low box office and k. hepburns first best actress Oscar win , a solid 8. one of the 2 Oscar wins Fairbanks jr is associated with the other being 1930’s dawn patrol which won john monk sanders a best writing original story Oscar( the star filled 1938 remake won nothing).
Fairbanks sr. won an honorary Oscar in 1940 for being the first president of the Academy of motion pictures and sciences . he was never nominated. he was one of three founders of united artist with chaplain and dw Griffith. legend said he performed all his own stunts but this is not accurate, he did almost all his own stunts. his image was used for the first superman illustrations 1938.
Hey bob cox….your 4 is right behind my 5. I barely remember watching Morning Glory…though my notes so I did…I always get it mixed up with Hepburn’s Alice Adams. I do not remember Douglas’ role at all. Good trivia on papa Douglas. I wish that Douglas and Mary Pickford’s house had survived…I think that would have let their legacy last a little longer. Good information as always.