Joel McCrea
ActingAbout Joel McCrea
Joel Albert McCrea (November 5, 1905 – October 20, 1990) was an American actor whose career spanned a wide variety of genres over almost five decades, including comedy, drama, romance, thrillers, adventures, and Westerns, for which he became best known. He appeared in over one hundred films, starring in over eighty, among them Alfred Hitchcock's espionage thriller Foreign Correspondent (1940), Preston Sturges' comedy classics Sullivan's Travels (1941), and The Palm Beach Story (1942), the romance film Bird of Paradise (1932), the adventure classic The Most Dangerous Game (1932), Gregory La Cava's bawdy comedy Bed of Roses (1933), George Stevens' romantic comedy The More the Merrier (1943), William Wyler's These Three, Come and Get It (both 1936) and Dead End (1937), Howard Hawks' Barbary Coast (1935), and a number of western films, including Wichita (1955) as Wyatt Earp and Sam Peckinpah's Ride the High Country (1962), opposite Randolph Scott. Description above from the Wikipedia article Joel McCrea, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Career Statistics & Market Influence
Analyzing the cinematic journey of Joel McCrea reveals a career defined by diverse artistic exploration. With a total of 50 major appearances, the actor has established a significant footprint in global cinema.
Genre Dominance: Drama
The majority of Joel McCrea's filmography leans towards the Drama genre. Audience data suggests that viewers respond most favorably to this persona, though their versatility has allowed for successful crossovers into other categories.
The "Box Office" Signature
With a 48% Success Ratio (movies rated above 6.5), Joel McCrea remains a reliable draw for studios. Their peak performance was recorded in Sioux Nation, which continues to be the benchmark for their career rating-wise.
Best Joel McCrea Movies Ranked
Must-watch hits from Joel McCrea's career based on audience ratings.
Complete Filmography & Success Status
Tracking the career evolution and box office verdicts of Joel McCrea.
| Year | Movie | Character | Success | More |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Thou Shalt Not: Sex, Sin and Censorship in Pre-Code Hollywood | John Neville Jr. (archive footage) | Average | Similar → |
| 2004 | Sam Peckinpah's West: Legacy of a Hollywood Renegade | Self (archive footage) | Super Hit | Similar → |
| 1997 | Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down The Line | Self (archive footage) | Super Hit | Similar → |
| 1982 | Night of 100 Stars | Self | Hit | Similar → |
| 1973 | The Great American Cowboy | Narrator | Average | Similar → |
| 1970 | Sioux Nation | - | Super Hit | Similar → |
| 1962 | Ride the High Country | Steve Judd | Hit | Similar → |
| 1958 | Fort Massacre | Vinson | Average | Similar → |
| 1958 | Cattle Empire | John Cord | Average | Similar → |
| 1957 | The Tall Stranger | Ned Bannon | Hit | Similar → |
| 1957 | Trooper Hook | Sgt. Clovis Hook | Hit | Similar → |
| 1956 | The First Texan | Sam Houston | Average | Similar → |
| 1955 | Wichita | Wyatt Earp | Average | Similar → |
| 1954 | Border River | Clete Mattson | Average | Similar → |
| 1953 | Rough Shoot | Lt. Col. Robert Taine | Average | Similar → |
| 1951 | Cattle Drive | Dan Mathews | Average | Similar → |
| 1951 | Hollywood Story | Joel McCrea | Hit | Similar → |
| 1950 | Saddle Tramp | Chuck Conner | Average | Similar → |
| 1950 | Stars in My Crown | Josiah Doziah Gray | Hit | Similar → |
| 1950 | The Outriders | Will Owen | Hit | Similar → |
| 1949 | Colorado Territory | Wes McQueen | Hit | Similar → |
| 1947 | Ramrod | Dave Nash | Hit | Similar → |
| 1946 | The Virginian | The Virginian | Average | Similar → |
| 1943 | The More the Merrier | Joe Carter | Hit | Similar → |
| 1942 | The Palm Beach Story | Tom Jeffers | Hit | Similar → |
| 1941 | Sullivan's Travels | John Sullivan | Hit | Similar → |
| 1941 | The Great Man's Lady | Mr. Sempler | Average | Similar → |
| 1941 | Reaching for the Sun | Russ Eliot | Average | Similar → |
| 1940 | Foreign Correspondent | John Jones | Hit | Similar → |
| 1940 | Primrose Path | Ed Wallace | Hit | Similar → |
| 1939 | They Shall Have Music | Peter McCarthy | Average | Similar → |
| 1939 | Union Pacific | Jeff Butler | Hit | Similar → |
| 1938 | Three Blind Mice | Van Dam Smith | Average | Similar → |
| 1937 | Dead End | Dave | Hit | Similar → |
| 1937 | Internes Can't Take Money | Jimmie Kildare | Average | Similar → |
| 1936 | Come and Get It | Richard Glasgow | Hit | Similar → |
| 1936 | These Three | Dr. Joseph 'Joe' Cardin | Hit | Similar → |
| 1935 | Splendor | Brighton Lorrimore | Average | Similar → |
| 1935 | Barbary Coast | Jim Carmichael | Average | Similar → |
| 1935 | Woman Wanted | Tony | Average | Similar → |
| 1935 | Private Worlds | Dr. Alex MacGregor | Average | Similar → |
| 1934 | Gambling Lady | Garry Madison | Average | Similar → |
| 1933 | One Man's Journey | Jimmy Watt | Hit | Similar → |
| 1933 | Bed of Roses | Dan | Average | Similar → |
| 1933 | The Silver Cord | David Phelps | Hit | Similar → |
| 1932 | Rockabye | Jacobs 'Jake' Van Riker Pell | Average | Similar → |
| 1932 | The Most Dangerous Game | Robert Rainsford | Hit | Similar → |
| 1932 | The Lost Squadron | Red | Average | Similar → |
| 1931 | Girls About Town | Jim Baker | Average | Similar → |
| 1929 | Dynamite | Marco | Average | Similar → |
Joel McCrea - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best movie of Joel McCrea?
According to audience ratings, the best movie starring Joel McCrea is "Sioux Nation" with a rating of 8.5/10.
How many movies has Joel McCrea acted in?
Joel McCrea has been featured in at least 50 major films throughout their career.
What are some other popular movies by Joel McCrea?
Other notable films include "Sam Peckinpah's West: Legacy of a Hollywood Renegade", "Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down The Line", and "Sullivan's Travels".