This ranking is based on an algorithm that combines various factors, including the votes of our users and search trends on the internet.

List of Joan Fontaine Movies: Ranked Best To Worst

1. Rebecca (1940)
24
3
Rebecca
24
3

A naive young woman falls in love with and marries the aristocratic widower Maxim de Winter, and upon reaching his estate, Manderley, realizes that he still loves his first wife, Rebecca, while the domineering housekeeper Mrs. Danvers is also obsessed with her. Just as she becomes consumed by inferiority complex, a sudden crisis changes the dynamics between the characters.

Role:
Mrs. de Winter
Starring:
Alfred Hitchcock, Laurence Olivier, George Sanders, Nigel Bruce, Reginald Denny
Directed By:
2. The Women (1939)
17
2
The Women
17
2

Mary Haines lives a wealthy and happy life with her wealthy financier husband Stephen and their little daughter Molly. But her life takes a turn after her friend finds out that Stephen is having an affair.

Directed By:
3. Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948)
15
2
Letter from an Unknown Woman
15
2

Stefan Brand is a pianist who must face a duel the following morning. However, he has no intention of defending his honor, and after receiving a letter from someone from his past, he decides fo flee.

Role:
Lisa Berndle
Starring:
Louis Jourdan, Mady Christians, Art Smith, Marcel Journet
Directed By:
Max Ophüls
4. Suspicion (1941)
24
2
Suspicion
24
2

Suspicion is a 1941 romantic psychological thriller film, which revolves around a shy young heiress who gets married to a charming young gentleman. However, as time passes, she feels suspicious of him, and begins to worry that he may be trying to murder her.

Role:
Lina McLaidlaw Aysgarth
Starring:
Cary Grant, Alfred Hitchcock, Nigel Bruce, Cedric Hardwicke, Cary Grant
Directed By:
Awards:
Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role
5. Jane Eyre (1943)
16
3
Jane Eyre
16
3

Jane Eyre is a romantic drama film which tells the story of a young woman named Jane, who takes up a job at Thornfield Hall, after being hired by its owner Edward Rochester, to care for his young daughter. Over time, she begins to fall for Edward, although he is much older to her.

Role:
Jane Eyre
Starring:
Orson Welles, Elizabeth Taylor, Agnes Moorehead, Peggy Ann Garner, Margaret O'Brien, John Sutton
Directed By:
Robert Stevenson
6. The Tragedy of Othello: The Moor of Venice (1951)
11
3
The Tragedy of Othello: The Moor of Venice
11
3

Loosely based on the play ‘Othello’ by the famous playwright William Shakespeare, this drama film tells the story of General Othello, who begins to suspect his wife of having an illicit relationship with one of his officers. However, it is actually a scheme by one of Othello's men, who holds a deep grudge against him.

Starring:
Orson Welles, Robert Coote, Micheál MacLiammóir, Hilton Edwards
Directed By:
7. Gunga Din (1939)
13
2
Gunga Din
13
2

Gunga Din is an adventure comedy war film which revolves around three fun-loving British sergeants who are serving in India, during the time of Colonial Rule. One of them is planning to get married, and leave military service. However, their lives take a turn when they encounter the Thuggee cult.

Starring:
Victor McLaglen, Cary Grant, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Sam Jaffe, Cary Grant
Directed By:
George Stevens
8. Ivy (1947)
14
2
Ivy
14
2
Role:
Ivy Lexton
Starring:
Herbert Marshall, Cedric Hardwicke, Patric Knowles, Richard Ney
Directed By:
Sam Wood
9. September Affair (1950)
14
2
September Affair
14
2

A prominent concert pianist and an unhappily married businessman meet on their flight from Rome to New York City. On the way, their plane is diverted to Naples for engine repair. There they go sightseeing and fall in love. Eventually they miss the plane, which they later hear has crashed in the sea and all passengers included themselves are declared dead. 

Role:
Marianne 'Manina' Stuart
Starring:
Jessica Tandy, Françoise Rosay, Joseph Cotten, Robert Arthur
Directed By:
William Dieterle
10. The Affairs of Susan (1945)
12
2
The Affairs of Susan
12
2
Role:
Susan Darell
Starring:
George Brent, Walter Abel, Dennis O'Keefe, Don DeFore
Directed By:
William A. Seiter
11. Kiss the Blood Off My Hands (1948)
12
2
Kiss the Blood Off My Hands
12
2

Bill, a former prisoner of war, is prone to violence. One day, he gets involved in a bar fight and kills a man. Fleeing from the scene, he finds shelter in the home of a nurse, gradually developing a relationship with her.  Shortly, he is arrested for getting involved in another fight. Jane continues to love him and on his release finds him a job before his past catches up with him.  

Role:
Jane Wharton
Starring:
Burt Lancaster, Robert Newton, Lewis L. Russell, Aminta Dyne
Directed By:
Norman Foster
12. This Above All (1942)
11
2
This Above All
11
2
Role:
Prudence Cathaway
Starring:
Henry Stephenson, Nigel Bruce, Tyrone Power, Thomas Mitchell
Directed By:
Anatole Litvak
13. Ivanhoe (1952)
13
2
Ivanhoe
TV-G
13
2

Wilfred of Ivanhoe is a loyal British knight who sets out on a mission to free the King of England, Richard the Lionheart, after he gets kidnapped. He wants to put King Richard back on the throne, to prevent the evil Prince John from ruling the country. However, he encounters various obstacles on the way, and also finds himself attracted to two beautiful maidens.

Role:
Rowena
Starring:
Elizabeth Taylor, Emlyn Williams, Robert Taylor, George Sanders
Directed By:
Richard Thorpe
14. Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (1956)
11
4
Beyond a Reasonable Doubt
11
4
Role:
Susan Spencer
Starring:
Sidney Blackmer, Dana Andrews, Arthur Franz, Philip Bourneuf
Directed By:
15. A Damsel in Distress (1937)
10
2
A Damsel in Distress
10
2

When it is time for the lovely Lady Alyce Marshmorton to get married, everyone on staff at Tottney Castle begins to place bets on who the lucky man is going to be.

Role:
Lady Alyce
Starring:
Fred Astaire, George Burns, Gracie Allen, Reginald Gardiner, Gracie Allen
Directed By:
George Stevens
16. The Constant Nymph (1943)
12
4
The Constant Nymph
12
4

Adapted from the Margaret Kennedy novel of the same name, the film The Constant Nymph tells the story of a poor Belgian composer who is struggling in his professional life and the unrequited love his friend’s young daughter has for him. 

Role:
Tessa Sanger
Starring:
Alexis Smith, Peter Lorre, Charles Boyer, Charles Coburn
Directed By:
Edmund Goulding
17. The Bigamist (1953)
12
2
The Bigamist
12
2
Role:
Eve Graham
Starring:
Edmund Gwenn, Ida Lupino, Edmond O'Brien, Kenneth Tobey
Directed By:
Ida Lupino
18. Born to Be Bad (1950)
14
2
Born to Be Bad
14
2
Role:
Christabel
Starring:
Mel Ferrer, Joan Leslie, Robert Ryan, Zachary Scott
Directed By:
Nicholas Ray
19. Casanova's Big Night (1954)
10
2
Casanova's Big Night
10
2

An 18th century Italian tailor, Pippo Popolino, pretends to be the legendary Casanova to impress the beautiful Widow Francesca Bruni. The real Casanova’s mother asks him to test the commitment of her would-be daughter-in-law. As Pippo reaches Venice to meet the lady, he gets embroiled into uninvited complications, a threat of war and also finds that his life is at risk. 

Role:
Francesca Bruni
Starring:
Bob Hope, John Carradine, Raymond Burr, Vincent Price, Basil Rathbone, Hugh Marlowe
Directed By:
Norman Z. McLeod
20. You Gotta Stay Happy (1948)
11
2
You Gotta Stay Happy
11
2

A New York heiress known for breaking several engagements develops cold feet on her wedding day; but is finally persuaded to tie the knot. However, she panics at night and runs away from her honeymoon suit, taking refuge in the adjoining room, occupied by a World War II veteran running a startup air-freight business on shoe string budget.

Role:
Dee Dee Dillwood
Starring:
Eddie Albert, James Stewart, Roland Young, Willard Parker
Directed By:
H.C. Potter
21. The Duke of West Point (1938)
10
2
The Duke of West Point
10
2
Role:
Ann Porter
Starring:
Richard Carlson, Tom Brown, Louis Hayward, Alan Curtis
Directed By:
Alfred E. Green
22. From This Day Forward (1946)
11
2
From This Day Forward
11
2

Discharged after the First World War, a soldier Bill Cummings narrates the sympathetic story of his married life before he joined the army.  

Role:
Susan
Starring:
Blake Edwards, Harry Morgan, Wally Brown, Rosemary DeCamp
Directed By:
John Berry
23. Something to Live For (1952)
11
2
Something to Live For
11
2

A Broadway actress develops a drinking problem, and soon joins Alcoholics Anonymous after she becomes an alcoholic. She soon starts having an affair with one of the members, but things get complicated as it turns out that he is married.

Role:
Jenny Carey
Starring:
Teresa Wright, Ray Milland, Richard Derr, Douglas Dick
Directed By:
George Stevens
24. Until They Sail (1957)
11
2
Until They Sail
11
2

Set during the WWII in New Zealand, the movie is inspired by a story authored by James A. Michener for Return to Paradise. The movie follows four sisters – Anne, Barbara, Delia and Evelyn – and their romance with US soldiers. Meanwhile Jack Harding, a marine, is assigned to find out the genuineness of the potential matrimonial alliances between the American soldiers and New Zealand women.

Role:
Anne Leslie
Starring:
Jean Simmons, Sandra Dee, Paul Newman, Charles Drake, Piper Laurie
Directed By:
Robert Wise
25. Sky Giant (1938)
9
2
Sky Giant
9
2
Role:
Meg Lawrence
Starring:
Harry Carey, Richard Dix, Chester Morris, Paul Guilfoyle
Directed By:
Lew Landers
26. Man of Conquest (1939)
9
2
Man of Conquest
9
2
Role:
Eliza Allen
Starring:
Richard Dix, Victor Jory, Gail Patrick, Edward Ellis
Directed By:
George Nichols Jr.
27. Quality Street (1937)
10
2
Quality Street
10
2

In this adaptation of J.M. Barrie play Quality Street, Phoebe’s dull life takes a turn when her former beau Valentine returns after a decade of service in the British army. However, Valentine is disappointed by her worn out look. Angered, Phoebe puts on a beautiful dress and works on her looks to appear beautiful. Her new looks deceive even Valentine who thinks that she is Phoebe's niece Livvy.

Starring:
Katharine Hepburn, Fay Bainter, Eric Blore, Franchot Tone
Directed By:
George Stevens
28. A Certain Smile (1958)
10
2
A Certain Smile
10
2
Role:
Françoise Ferrand
Starring:
Rossano Brazzi, Eduard Franz, Christine Carère, Bradford Dillman
Directed By:
Jean Negulesco
29. Darling, How Could You! (1951)
10
2
Darling, How Could You!
10
2
Role:
Alice Grey
Starring:
Mona Freeman, John Lund, Peter Hansen, David Stollery
Directed By:
Mitchell Leisen
30. Frenchman's Creek (1944)
9
2
Frenchman's Creek
9
2
Role:
Dona St. Columb
Starring:
Nigel Bruce, Basil Rathbone, Cecil Kellaway, Arturo de Córdova
Directed By:
Mitchell Leisen
31. Island in the Sun (1957)
9
2
Island in the Sun
9
2

In this adaptation of Alec Waugh's 1955 novel, Island in the Sun, a political battle for the legislative office of Santa Marta rages on between an affluent white candidate, Maxwell Fleury and strong black union leader, David Boyeur. As the candidates compete against one another, interracial affairs happen, long kept family secrets are revealed, jealousy rocks a marriage and then a murder takes place.

Role:
Mavis Norman
Starring:
Joan Collins, Harry Belafonte, James Mason, Dorothy Dandridge, Michael Rennie
Directed By:
Robert Rossen
32. Music for Madame (1937)
9
2
Music for Madame
9
2
Role:
Jean Clemens
Starring:
Alan Hale, Alan Mowbray, Billy Gilbert, Nino Martini
Directed By:
John G. Blystone
33. A Million to One (1937)
9
2
A Million to One
9
2
Role:
Joan Stevens
Starring:
Monte Blue, Kenneth Harlan, Reed Howes, Bruce Bennett
Directed By:
Lynn Shores
34. The Man Who Found Himself (1937)
10
2
The Man Who Found Himself
10
2
Role:
Nurse Doris King
Starring:
George Irving, John Beal, Phillip Huston, Jane Walsh
Directed By:
Lew Landers
35. Maid's Night Out (1938)
10
2
Maid's Night Out
10
2
Role:
Sheila Harrison
Starring:
Hedda Hopper, Billy Gilbert, Cecil Kellaway, Allan Lane
Directed By:
Ben Holmes
36. You Can't Beat Love (1937)
9
2
You Can't Beat Love
9
2
Role:
Trudy Olson
Starring:
Herbert Mundin, Preston Foster, Alan Bruce, William Brisbane
Directed By:
Christy Cabanne
37. Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961)
10
2
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
10
2

Upon learning that the Van Allen radiation belt has been burning, US Navy Admiral Harriman tries to come up with a plan to save mankind before the world goes up in smoke. However, a psychiatrist begins to question Harriman’s sanity.

Role:
Dr. Susan Hiller
Starring:
Barbara Eden, Frankie Avalon, Peter Lorre, Walter Pidgeon, Robert Sterling
Directed By:
Irwin Allen
38. The Emperor Waltz (1948)
10
2
The Emperor Waltz
10
2
Role:
Johanna Augusta Franziska
Starring:
Bing Crosby, Richard Haydn, Lucile Watson, Roland Culver
Directed By:
39. Tender Is the Night (1962)
9
2
Tender Is the Night
9
2

Based on an eponymous novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the film focuses on the relation between a distinguished psychiatrist and his wife, who is suffering from many emotional issues.  She was his patient and he married her against the advice of his mentor and spends the next couple of years indulging in her whims.  But that does not make them happy. 

Role:
Baby Warren
Starring:
Jason Robards, Bea Benaderet, Jennifer Jones, Tom Ewell
Directed By:
Henry King
40. Serenade (1956)
9
2
Serenade
9
2

A gifted vineyard worker, Damon VIncenti, who aspires to be an opera singer, starts singing in San Francisco’s Italian restaurant. Wealthy socialite Kendall Hale helps him become a star opera tenor. Falling in love with his benefactor, Damon suffers a breakdown when Kendall ditches him. Miserable, he runs away to Mexico where Juana, a farm girl, brings joy back in his life.

Role:
Kendall Hale
Starring:
Vincent Price, Joseph Calleia, Sara Montiel, Mario Lanza
Directed By:
Anthony Mann
41. Blond Cheat (1938)
10
2
Blond Cheat
10
2
Role:
Julie Evans
Starring:
Lilian Bond, Derrick De Marney, Cecil Cunningham, Cecil Kellaway
Directed By:
Joseph Santley
42. The Witches (1966)
9
3
The Witches
9
3
Role:
Gwen Mayfield
Starring:
Kay Walsh, Alec McCowen, Ann Bell, Ingrid Boulting
Directed By:
Cyril Frankel
43. Decameron Nights (1953)
8
2
Decameron Nights
8
2

Giovanni Boccaccio is a well-known writer who returns to Florence, Italy, to woo a beautiful noblewoman, Fiametta, who has been widowed recently. However, Fiametta doesn’t show interest in him. Giovanni therefore offers to tell her a few stories.  

Role:
Fiammetta / Bartolomea / Ginevra / Isabella
Starring:
Louis Jourdan, Joan Collins, Godfrey Tearle, Binnie Barnes
Directed By:
Hugo Fregonese
44. No More Ladies (1935)
8
2
No More Ladies
8
2

Marcia Townsend completely believes in loyalty towards one’s partner, which Jim agrees with; but Marcia is interested in womanizing playboy Sheridan Warren. Even after their marriage, Sherry continues with his philandering and is unrepentant about it. Marcia turns tables on him by throwing a society party where she invites Sherry’s girlfriends and declares her intentions of being unfaithful, which finally cures Sherry.

Starring:
Joan Crawford, Robert Montgomery, Charles Ruggles, Franchot Tone, Edna May Oliver
Directed By:
45. Flight to Tangier (1953)
8
2
Flight to Tangier
8
2

A private plane passes over an airport, and then crashes and bursts into flames. Various interested parties soon begin a search for the $ 3 million which the plane was carrying.

Role:
Susan Lane
Starring:
Jack Palance, Marcel Dalio, Robert Douglas, Corinne Calvet
Directed By:
Charles Marquis Warren

TV Movie(s)

1. The Users (1978)
9
2
The Users
9
2
Role:
Grace St. George
Starring:
Tony Curtis, Michelle Phillips, John Forsythe, Jaclyn Smith, Red Buttons, Alan Feinstein
Directed By:
Joseph Hardy
2. The Light That Failed (1961)
13
3
The Light That Failed
13
3
Role:
Hostess
Starring:
Richard Basehart, Edward Atienza, Susan Harrison, Eric Berry
Directed By:
Marc Daniels
3. Dark Mansions (1986)
9
2
Dark Mansions
9
2
Role:
Margaret Drake
Starring:
Michael York, Melissa Sue Anderson, Lois Chiles, Paul Shenar
Directed By:
Jerry London
4. Good King Wenceslas (1994)
9
2
Good King Wenceslas
9
2
Role:
Queen Ludmilla
Starring:
Jonathan Brandis, Leo McKern, Stefanie Powers, Perry King
Directed By:
Michael Tuchner

TV Shows and Videos

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1962)
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
Starring:
Lillian Gish, Peter Graves, Bruce Dern, Peter Falk, Richard Dawson, Angie Dickinson, Ann Sothern
Directed By:
Alfred Hitchcock, Alf Kjellin, Joseph M. Newman, Bernard Girard, John Brahm
The Ford Television Theatre (1952)
The Ford Television Theatre
Starring:
Natalie Wood, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Barbara Stanwyck, Bette Davis, Claudette Colbert, Jane Wyatt, Merle Oberon
Directed By:
James Neilson, Ted Post, Anton Leader, Fred F. Sears, Arnold Laven
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse (1958)
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
Starring:
Jane Russell, James Franciscus, Maximilian Schell, Trevor Howard, Keenan Wynn, Pier Angeli, Rory Calhoun
Directed By:
Jerry Thorpe, Claudio Guzmán, Allen H. Miner, Allen Reisner, Douglas Heyes
The 20th Century-Fox Hour (1955)
The 20th Century-Fox Hour
Starring:
Michael Landon, Steven McQueen, Elsa Lanchester, Claude Akins, James Whitmore, Denver Pyle, Fred MacMurray
Directed By:
Lewis Allen, Jules Bricken, Albert S. Rogell, Robert Stevenson, Ted Post
Kraft Mystery Theater (1959)
Kraft Mystery Theater
Starring:
Jayne Mansfield, Broderick Crawford, Dina Merrill, George Harris Kennedy, Jr, Marion Ross, Rod Taylor, Anna Kashfi
Directed By:
Robert Altman, Richard Kinon, Jerry Thorpe, Peter Graham Scott, David Lowell Rich
Checkmate (1960)
Checkmate
Starring:
Jane Wyman, Celeste Holm, Eleanor Parker, Werner Klemperer, Sid Caesar, Charles Laughton, Jack Benny
Directed By:
Alexander Singer, Don Weis, Alan Crosland Jr., Don Taylor, Herschel Daugherty
One Step Beyond (1959)
One Step Beyond
Starring:
Christopher Lee, Charles Bronson, Elizabeth Montgomery, Warren Beatty, William Shatner, Cloris Leachman, Veronica Cartwright
Directed By:
John Newland
On Trial (1956)
On Trial
Starring:
Alan Ladd, Inger Stevens, Rod Steiger, Barbara Bel Geddes, Joan Crawford, Paulette Goddard, Charles Laughton
Directed By:
Herschel Daugherty
Four Star Playhouse (1952)
Four Star Playhouse
Starring:
John Banner, Angela Lansbury, Joanne Woodward, Amanda Blake, Carolyn Jones, David Niven, Don Rickles
Directed By:
William Asher, Richard Kinon, Anton Leader, Frank McDonald, Laslo Benedek
The Dick Powell Show (1961)
The Dick Powell Show
Starring:
John Wayne, Kurt Russell, Telly Savalas, Henry Fonda, Lee Marvin, Mickey Rooney, Milton Berle
Directed By:
Bernard L. Kowalski, Don Taylor, David Friedkin, Marc Daniels, Buzz Kulik
Aloha Paradise (1981)
Aloha Paradise
Starring:
Debbie Reynolds, Leslie Nielsen, Connie Stevens, Lorne Greene, Jim Nabors, Rosey Grier, Louis Jourdan
Directed By:
Herbert Kenwith, Charlie Picerni
Wagon Train (1957)
Wagon Train
Starring:
David Carradine, Leonard Nimoy, Annette Funicello, Linda Evans, Cliff Robertson, Frances Bavier, Louise Fletcher
Directed By:
Virgil W. Vogel, Joseph Pevney, Jerry Hopper, Allen H. Miner, Herschel Daugherty
Ryan's Hope (1975)
Ryan's Hope
TV-PG
Starring:
Angela Bassett, David Caruso, Kelsey Grammer, Christian Slater, Kate Mulgrew, Mary-Louise Parker, Morgan Freeman
Directed By:
Lela Swift, Jerry Evans, Robert Myhrum, Lynwood King, Bruce Minnix
Star Stage (1955)
Star Stage
Starring:
Betty Grable, Art Carney, Greer Garson, Jeanne Crain, Alice Ghostley, Alan Young, Cloris Leachman
Bare Essence (1983)
Bare Essence
Starring:
Ian McShane, Jessica Walter, Jennifer O'Neill, Genie Francis
Cannon (1971)
Cannon
Starring:
Martin Sheen, Sorrell Booke, Dick Van Patten, Leif Garrett, Charles Durning, Eric Braeden, Micky Dolenz
Directed By:
George McCowan, William Wiard, Lawrence Dobkin, Seymour Robbie, Allen Reisner
Hotel (1983)
Hotel
Starring:
Lynn Redgrave, Robert Reed, George Lazenby, Eva Gabor, Patrick Duffy, James Doohan, Karen Grassle
Directed By:
Bruce Bilson, Jerome Courtland, Nancy Malone, James Brolin, Vincent McEveety
The Bing Crosby Show (1964)
The Bing Crosby Show
Starring:
Frankie Avalon, Bing Crosby, Beverly Garland, Frank McHugh, Carol Faylen
Directed By:
James Sheldon
Crossings (1986)
Crossings
Starring:
Jane Seymour, Christopher Plummer, Stewart Granger, Kelsey Grammer, Cheryl Ladd, Lee Horsley, Garrick Dowhen
Directed By:
Karen Arthur
The Love Boat (1977)
The Love Boat
TV-G
Starring:
Abe Vigoda, Adam West, Andy Griffith, Corey Feldman, Michael J. Fox, Andy Warhol, Tom Hanks
Directed By:
Richard Kinon, Roger Duchowny, Robert Scheerer, Allen Baron, Ted Lange
General Electric Theater (1953)
General Electric Theater
Starring:
Ron Howard, Dennis Hopper, Ryan O'Neal, Ernest Borgnine, Bob Crane, James Coburn, Walter Matthau
Directed By:
Herschel Daugherty, Don Medford, James Neilson, Jules Bricken, Mitchell Leisen
Startime (1959)
Startime
Starring:
Rex Harrison, Nanette Fabray, Mary Wickes, Sydney Pollack, George Peppard, Bobby Darin, Dean Martin
Directed By:
Alfred Hitchcock, Greg Garrison, Gordon Rigsby, Jack Donohue, Bretaigne Windust

Joan Fontaine Awards

Academy Awards
Suspicion Best Actress in a Leading Role 1942