Of the countless recognizable stars from Hollywood’s Golden Age, there are few with as immense a reputation asCary Grant. The British-American actor was featured in over 70 films throughout his career, and he is still considered to be one of the biggest movie stars of all time. Many of his films were massive hits upon their initial release, and a lot of them have gone on to become unforgettable classics as well. Numerous films of his have also been inducted into theNational Film Registryof the United States by the Library of Congress, which speaks to the significant role he played in classic American cinema.
Interestingly, Grant is a Hollywood legend who never won an Oscar. Despite the consistent and universal praise for his performances, the actor was only nominated twice – first in 1942 forPenny Serenadeand then again in 1945 forNone But the Lonely Heart(neither of which appear on this list). This lack of recognition from the Academy was remedied to a degree in 1970, when Grant received an Honorary Oscar for his body of work, four years after he retired from acting. Looking back at Grant’s filmography, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of outstanding works.
We’ve decided to revisit his catalog through the lens of the modern film review aggregator, Rotten Tomatoes, to see which of his films are still most widely considered to be the best. While it’s not a perfect metric by any means, here are Grant’s ten highest-rated films on the site:
10Suspicion (1941) – 97%
Looking at this list, one fascinating detail that emerges is how many of Grant’s best movies were released in a short period of time. None of the films on this list go below a 97% approval rating, and 80% of them were released in the five-year period between 1938 and 1943. The first film on the list is 1941’sSuspicion, directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The film, which loosely adapted the novelBefore the Factby Francis Iles, starred Grant alongside Joan Fontaine, who went on to win the Oscar for Best Actress for her performance. The film was also nominated for Best Picture, alongsideclassics likeThe Maltese FalconandCitizen Kane, though John Ford’sHow Green Was My Valleywon the award. Based on 34 reviews,Suspicionholds a 97% approval from critics, while audiences have given the film a score of 77%.
9Bringing Up Baby (1938) – 97%
The first of five films Grant would star in from director Howard Hawks,Bringing Up Babyis one of the most famous entries in either of their catalogs. The actor starred alongside Katherine Hepburn in the screwball comedy adapted from a short story of the same name. The film was famously a disaster at the box office, with its incredible reputation gradually developing in the decades after. These days, the film is often considered one of the best of all-time. LikeSuspicion, the film sits at a 97% critic approval, though we’ve placed it higher on the list since there are 68 reviews counted, twice that of the Hitchcock film. The audience score is also more positive than it is forSuspicion, coming in at an 89% rating.
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8North By Northwest (1959) – 97%
Grant starred infour films by Hitchcockover the course of his career, with the final and most beloved being 1959’sNorth by Northwest. The film was nominated for three Oscars at the time, but its reputation has only continued to grow over the last 60 years. The film also holds a 97% critic rating, though its 114 counted reviews give it the edge over bothSuspicionandBringing Up Baby. The film, unsurprisingly, is also often considered one of Hitchcock’s and Grant’s best. It came at the latter end of both their careers, and it was further proof that both men were just as sharp as ever.
7His Girl Friday (1940) – 99%
1940’sHis Girl Fridaywas the third film from Hawks that Grant had starred in, and it is undoubtedly the most famous of the five throughout his career. The film was a comedy that had Grant starring opposite Rosalind Russell, with them both playing savvy reporters and ex-lovers who work together on a rapidly developing story regarding a man sentenced to death. Though it was overlooked by the Academy at the time,His Girl Fridayhas become astaple entry in film history, as the fast-paced and often overlapping dialogue was largely unprecedented at the time of its release. With 104 reviews counted,His Girl Fridayhas a 99% approval from critics, while the audience score sits at 90%.
6Mr. Lucky (1943) – 100%
One of the biggest indicators of the incredible quality of Grant’s filmography is the fact that the top six spots on this list are all occupied by films with 100% critical approval ratings. As impressive as that is, several of them only have a handful of reviews counted, which has made it easier to hold that score and place above classics likeNorth by NorthwestandHis Girl Friday. One such film is 1943’sMr. Lucky, which is a romance from director H.C. Potter, in which Grant starred opposite Laraine Day. The film was clearly well received, and it was a box office success upon its release. Today, it holds a 100% rating based on just six reviews. The audience score, on the other hand, sits at 70% with over 500 ratings.
5In Name Only (1939) – 100%
The next film on the list, 1939’sIn Name Only, falls into the same category asMr. Lucky; it has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on just 6 reviews. However, we’ve placed it overMr. Luckybecause the audience score is slightly higher at 73%. The film was directed by John Cromwell, and it starred Grant alongside both Carole Lombard and Kay Francis. It was adapted from the 1935 book by Bessie Breuer,Memory of Love, and its story depicts a romance in which Grant’s Alec Walker is caught between two different women, played by Francis and Lombard. The film was reviewed positively at the time, and it still receives acclaim from those who have seen it, though it has fallen by the wayside a bit in comparison to Grant’s other works.
4Indiscreet (1958) – 100%
Although Grant and Ingrid Bergman’s most famous collaboration was on the Hitchcock filmNotoriousin 1945, that was not the last time that the two mega-stars worked together. They re-teamed again in 1958 on the filmIndiscreet, a romantic comedy fromdirector Stanley Donen, who had previously co-directed films such asSingin’ in the RainandOn the Townalongside Gene Kelly.Indiscreetwas a major highlight of both Grant and Berman’s filmographies in the ‘50s. It has a higher review count thanIn Name OnlyandMr. Lucky, with its 100% approval being determined by 21 reviews. The audience score is still notably lower than its critic rating, though, with a 70% score based on over 5,000 viewer ratings.
Related:Best Cary Grant Movies, Ranked
3Only Angels Have Wings (1939) – 100%
Between the Hawk and Grant’s most famous collaborations –Bringing Up Babyin 1938 andHis Girl Fridayin 1940 – was 1939’sOnly Angels Have Wings. The most frequently overlooked film in this trilogy of sorts,Only Angels Have Wingsstarred Grant alongside Jean Arthur, with Thomas Mitchell and Rita Hayworth also notably playing supporting roles. WhileBringing Up BabyandHis Girl Fridayare both consideredscrewball comedies,Only Angels Have Wingstakes a more dramatic approach to its romance. It may be overshadowed by those two films a bit, but the film is still beloved by those who have seen it, and it and was also entered into the US National Film Registry alongside both of them – even if it was several decades later. It also received a single Oscar nomination after for Best Special Effects. It earns its 100% rating based on 29 reviews, while over 5,000 audience ratings average out to an 82% score.
2Holiday (1938) – 100%
While it may feel like remakes of pre-existing films is a modern phenomenon, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Film remakes are about as old as Hollywood itself. The 1938 filmHolidayis an excellent example of that, as it is adapted from the 1930 film of the same name starring Ann Hardin and Mary Astor, which is in turn based on a play from 1928. The 1938 film is directed by George Cukor, with whom Grant collaborated with on three occasions.
Holidaywas a romantic comedy which starred Grant alongside Catherine Hepburn, who were praised for their chemistry together. It was also nominated for Best Art Direction at the 1939 Academy Awards, though it lost out toThe Adventures of Robin Hood. LikeOnly Angels Have Wings, the film holds a 100% based on 29 reviews. We’ve placed it higher on the list because the audience score of 89% is seven points higher than that of Grant’s second Hawks film.
1The Philadelphia Story (1940) – 100%
Finally, the highest-rated film of Grant’s career on Rotten Tomatoes is none other than 1940’sThe Philadelphia Story. It doesn’t earn this spot on a technicality either, as the movie is Certified Fresh at 100% with 105 critic reviews counted, more than every other film on this list – save forNorth by Northwest. The film was also directed by George Cukor, and it was his, Grant and Hepburn’s follow-up to 1938’sHoliday. The reputation forThe Philadelphia Storyprecedes it, and it is often considered one of the best romantic comedies of all time. Grant and Hepburn were joined in the cast by James Stewart, and that trio in this movie has proven to be one of the most iconic groupings of the Golden Age.
The film was nominated for six Oscars, and it won two – one for Best Screenplay and the other for Stewart as Best Leading Actor, which was the only Oscar he won in his career.The Philadelphia Storyis one of the most famous films of Grant’s career, for good reason.
