The best Joan Crawford movies
The top 3 according to 106 votes from people: Mildred Pierce (1945) · Johnny Guitar (1954) · Possessed (1947). (Updated Mar 20, 2025.)
From silent-era flapper to Mildred Pierce and Baby Jane: Joan Crawford's best-regarded films, drawn from Gold Derby's ranking, the Chicago Reader's pick of her best performances and her filmography.
Top 12
-
1
Mildred Pierce (1945)
Michael Curtiz. A devoted mother betrayed; her Oscar.
-
2
Johnny Guitar (1954)
Nicholas Ray. Vienna, saloon owner in Arizona.
-
3
Possessed (1947)
Curtis Bernhardt. A nurse consumed by obsession.
-
4
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
Robert Aldrich. Opposite Bette Davis.
-
5
The Women (1939)
George Cukor. The other woman in an all-female cast.
-
6
Sudden Fear (1952)
David Miller. A playwright who discovers a murder plot.
-
7
Grand Hotel (1932)
Edmund Goulding. A stenographer among the guests.
-
8
Humoresque (1946)
Jean Negulesco. A patron and a young violinist.
-
9
Daisy Kenyon (1947)
Otto Preminger. A woman between two men.
-
10
The Unknown (1927)
Tod Browning. Opposite Lon Chaney in a circus.
-
11
Our Dancing Daughters (1928)
Harry Beaumont. The jazz-age flapper that made her a star.
-
12
A Woman's Face (1941)
George Cukor. A scarred blackmailer.
How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.
Is something missing?
Comments (1)
Mildred Pierce is the right #1 but Johnny Guitar being second is the real win here. What a wild movie