Jane Powell Movies

Jane Powell

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

Jane Powell (1929-2021) was an American singer, dancer and actress who rose to fame in the mid-1940s with roles in various musicals Her IMDb page shows 43 acting credits from 1944-2002. This page will rank 20 Jane Powell movies from Best to Worst in six different sortable columns of information.  Her many television appearances and her Picture Perfect (not released in theaters) were not included in the rankings.  This comes from a request by Samantha.

Jane Powell in 1954’s Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

Jane Powell Movies Ranked In Chronological Order With Ultimate Movie Rankings Score (1 to 5 UMR Tickets) *Best combo of box office, reviews and awards.

Jane Powell 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 Jane Powell films by co-stars of her movies
  • Sort Jane Powell films by adjusted domestic box office grosses using current movie ticket cost (in millions)
  • Sort Jane Powell films by yearly domestic box office rank
  • Sort Jane Powell films 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 Jane Powell film received.
  • Sort Jane Powell films by Ultimate Movie Rankings (UMR) Score.  UMR Score puts box office, reviews and awards into a mathematical equation and gives each movie a score.
Jane Powell and Fred Astaire in 1951’s Royal Wedding

Possibly Interesting Facts About Jane Powell

  1.  Suzanne Lorraine Burce was born in Portland, Oregon in 1929.

2. In 1943,Suzanne Burce won a talent contest on Janet Gaynor’s radio show Hollywood Showcase: Stars over Hollywood.  After winning the contest she signed a 7 year contract with MGM without even taking a screen test.

3. In 1944, Suzanne Burce was loaned out to United Artist for her first movie role.  She played a character named Jane Powell in Song of the Open Road.  Her stage name was taken from this movie.

4. Although Jane Powell was one of the best singers of her time, she never learned to play an instrument or read music.

5. Jane Powell was married five times.  She has three children.

6. Jane Powell was bridesmaid for Elizabeth Taylor for her first marriage. Taylor was bridesmaid for Powell’s first marriage.

7. When Jane Powell’s The Female Animal (1958) hit theaters it was the A side of a double bill.  The B side?  A little film starring Charlton Heston as a Mexican…1958’s Touch of Evil.

8. Jane Powell’s Tubby the Tuba (1975) was the first animated movie to use computers during production.  Two of the crew members were Edwin Catmull and Alvy Ray Smith, the future founders of Pixar Studios.

9. Parts Jane Powell was seriously considered for or turned down:  Doris Day’s role in 1955’s Love Me or Leave Me, Mitzi Gaynor’s role in 1958’s South Pacific and Debbie Reynolds’ role in 1952’s Singin’ In The Rain.

10. Check out Jane Powell’s movie career compared to current and classic actors.  Most 100 Million Dollar Movies of All-Time.  Also highly recommended is Steve Lensman’s Jane Powell video.

Jane Powell’s Adjusted World Wide Box Office Grosses 

Academy Award® and Oscar® are the registered trademarks of the Academy of Motion Arts and Sciences.

34 thoughts on “Jane Powell Movies

  1. HI COGERSON FELLA

    Since I saw that John Wayne and some half-baked pretend critic had been sending you posts I was wondering whether I should get in my own ten cents worth so I’m welcoming your page on Jane Powell. I do so because I was pleased that you’ve displayed on Jane’s page a poster that gives the lovely Hedy top billing. I think that you owed Miss Lamarr that because you persistently refuse to give her credit for being my Delilah.

    When I first noticed that I said to my pal Richard Widmark “Waita ya see this Dick! Some guy with a movie site has claimed that that Lansbury doll played Delilah in my great epic about Samson. Next thing you know he’ll be telling his readers that M-s Lansbury was Scarlett or that instead of my My Gal Co-star Rita the Lansbury starlet played both Gilda and Salome.”

    I had thought of writing to you at the time Mr C and saying “Fella you must read the wrong movie books.” However I now realise that this sarcasm would have been lost on you because you would simply have thought that I had sussed out some of your dodgy sources. Good coverage of the lovely Jane though so well done on that.

    1. Hey Victor. One day when Ms. Lamarr has her very own UMR page….then she will bump Angela Lansbury from that column….who knows it could come later this month or not. I pretty your concern for her. lol.

      1. 1 STEVE & BRUCE Jane was perfect for the bubbly productions of the relatively harmless musical era but as you know her career as a star vanished with the genre’s decline and I just wish it had been longer so I’ve been on the lookout for this brand new informative Cogerson profile of her complete with its worldwide grosses and some rare domestic ones as well.

        2 Steve’s Jane Powell video and Bruce’s page agree on 4 of Jane’s Top 5 movies but are far apart on A Date with Judy Steve’s No 4 [rating 64.2%] and Bruce’s No 10 for critic/audience [Gringhish rating of 56.5%]. I’m on the fence on this one as it has been so long since I saw it. Even though there is agreement that 7 Brides for 7 Brothers is the No 1 the ratings are far apart with Steve awarding 87.7% and Work Horse giving just 78.5%

        3 The video perfectly complements this page, though Steve’s offering is well worth a further viewing in its own right, and in its opening quote from Jane she honestly sums up the sad plight that befell her “I didn’t quit movies. They quit me.” Heart rending.

    2. Hi there Samson!
      Thanks for stepping in here. I can’t speak for myself, so I’m glad you did. I mean, this Cogerson Fella has pages on Lyle Talbot and DONALD TRUMP!!! Even my best impersonator Joan Bennett has one. And the real thing? Nichts, as we say in Austria. Glad to see Jennifer, Sylvia and good ole Marge here, though.I mean, I had a pretty interesting life, from inventing a war-deciding technology that still is used in modern communication today to starring in one of the most discussed erotic films of the 30’s to being named the most beautiful creature on earth to starring in some big box office hits (and in one sharing the glory with you, hun) to being arrested for shoplifting to having my autobiography written by a ghost only to deny every word that was published immediately. Who can top that? Not those awful wire hanger stories, that’s for sure. Next thing that’ll happen is a page on my ex hubby John I’m afraid. Anyway, great to see a true friend taking my side here…Sam, I wish I’d never cut off your hair …thank’s for being so generous after all I’ve done to you in the old days!

      Love

      Delilah

  2. Hey Bruce,
    you are very buzy lately 😉
    So I guess that little mistake in the Interesting Facts is due to work-overload 🙂
    “9. Jane Russell was a very accomplished singer. She recorded many songs throughout the years…..including “Kisses and Tears” with Frank Sinatra. She debuted in a successful solo nightclub act at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas” I’m experiencing a definite case of Deja Vu here lol!
    About Miss Powell- as charming as she might have been, I’ve never been enthusiastic about her. Of the films mentioned, I have seen 7. My Top Three are Seven Brides, Nancy goes to Rio and, although not really a good film, Hedy Lamarr’s swansong The Female Animal. Granted, the second feature of the original double Bill is rated much higher today, but one mustn’t forget that Touch of Evil was shown in a badly butchered version in 1958, with changes of scenery unexplained, cinematic highlights like the long opening sequence destroyed….yet with Dietrich, Heston, Leigh, Welles, Gabor and many more cast “to the hilt”. Few remember Female Animal today, many know about Touch of Evil. So, dear Jane, even in my comment on your career, I focus on Dietrich and Lamarr…sorry about that!
    Steve, as always, although the subject is not as fascinating as…let’s say Mamie, Jayne or Jane…Vote UP!

    1. Hey Lupino
      1. Yep….I have been a writing machine the last few days….and yep I screwed up Interesting Fact #9.
      2. That has been fixed….thanks for the catch.
      3. My excuse is all of these Chrises and Janes running around has confused me….lol.
      4. Tally count….you and Flora are tied with 7….Steve is in 3rd with 3….France and United States come in with a combined 1…..lol.
      5. The Female Animal has and will always have that connection to Touch of Evil…..the Lamarr swan song is rarely mentioned. My buddy Joel only gave Hedy a 2 star rating for her performance in that one.
      6. Thanks for the feedback…even if you are not a huge Jane Powell fan.

  3. I have seen 7 of Powell’s movies. In order of preference they are:

    Seven Brides For Seven Brothers
    Royal Wedding
    Young, Rich, and Pretty
    Small Town Girl
    Hit the Deck
    The Darling Daughters
    Two Weeks With Love

    1. Hey Flora….as always thanks for the visit and sharing your vast movie knowledge. Your 7 tops the charts…as Steve has only seen 3 of her movies, to my 1 movie and Laurent’s zero. I have seen your second favorite Powell movie. Good feedback as always.

  4. Thanks for the video share, much appreciated. I see you’ve managed to make it a top 20, well you’re the completist. I didn’t want to spoil my Jane Powell slideshow with Tubby the Tuba so mine was a Top 19. No one’s complained so far. 😉

    I’ve seen just three of Powell’s films – Seven Brides, A Date With Judy and Royal Wedding (I think that’s the one with Fred dancing on the ceiling?)

    And those are your top three UMR titles. Seven Brides was easily her biggest hit, worldwide adjusted – half a billion dollars, impressive.

    I’m interested in seeing – Deep in my Heart and Hit the Deck.

    Nice work as always Bruce. Vote Up!

    1. Hey Steve.
      1. No problem sharing your link.
      2. I thought that since Tubby the Tuba was the first computer animated movie that it should make the page.
      3. The Tubby fanbase is just quiet….I am sure they are now boycotting your You Tube channel as we speak…lol.
      4. So you have seen 3 of her movies…I figured that would be higher. That still tops me and Laurent….as we have seen a combined 1 Powell movie.
      5. But I see Flora has us all beat with 7. Actually she has the three of us beat 7 to 4. Not a good showing for us supposed movie buffs…lol.
      6. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers was easily her biggest success…..topping all three major categories….strangely that does not happen too often on these pages.
      Good stuff as always.

  5. Hello Bruce,

    I had to confess, I’ve never seen a Jane Powell’s movie. You know, in France she was never very popular. And I don’t like musicals. So… But I’ve seen Touch Of Evil Lol.

    1. Hey Laurent. I am in the same boat as you. I am not a huge musical fan either. Which is why I have only seen 1 of her movies….so our combined total is 1. I like you have also seen Touch of Evil….lol. Thanks for stopping by.

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