Entertainment
The Best Donna Reed Movies
List Rules
Vote for your favorite movies, regardless of critic reviews or how big the role was.
List of the best Donna Reed movies, ranked best to worst with movie trailers when available. Donna Reed's highest grossing movies have received a lot of accolades over the years, earning millions upon millions around the world. The order of these top Donna Reed movies is decided by how many votes they receive, so only highly rated Donna Reed movies will be at the top of the list. Donna Reed has been in a lot of films, so people often debate each other over what the greatest Donna Reed movie of all time is. If you and a friend are arguing about this then use this list of the most entertaining Donna Reed films to end the squabble once and for all.
If you think the best Donna Reed role isn't at the top, then upvote it so it has the chance to become number one. The greatest Donna Reed performances didn't necessarily come from the best movies, but in most cases they go hand in hand.
List films include Shadow of the Thin Man, See Here, Private Hargrove and many additional films as well.
"This list answers the questions, "What are the best Donna Reed movies?" and "What are the greatest Donna Reed roles of all time?"Ranked by
1James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore- Released: 1946
- Directed by: Frank Capra
After George Bailey (James Stewart) wishes he had never been born, an angel (Henry Travers) is sent to earth to make George's wish come true. George starts to realize how many lives he has changed ...more
2Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Deborah Kerr- Released: 1953
- Directed by: Fred Zinnemann
At an Army barracks in Hawaii in the days preceding the attack on Pearl Harbor, lone-wolf soldier and boxing champion "Prew" Prewitt (Montgomery Clift) refuses to box, preferring to play the bugle ...more![The Courtship of Andy Hardy]()
3Mickey Rooney, Lewis Stone, Donna Reed- Released: 1942
- Directed by: George B. Seitz
In the small town of Carvel, the family of Judge Hardy (Lewis Stone) welcome eldest daughter Marian (Cecilia Parker) back from New York but are dismayed when she takes up with the local "wolf." Hardy ...more- 4Charles Laughton, Binnie Barnes, Richard Carlson
- Released: 1943
- Directed by: Robert Z. Leonard
As World War I ends, Jocko Wilson (Charles Laughton), a soldier returning to Australia, rescues two small orphans in Belgium, sneaking them aboard his transport ship home. Two decades later, ...more ![Backlash]()
5Richard Widmark, Donna Reed, William Campbell- Released: 1956
- Directed by: John Sturges
Jim Slater (Richard Widmark) never knew his father, who died in an Apache ambush in Arizona. After hearing that someone may have survived the ambush and escaped with a stash of gold, Slater sets out ...more![Gun Fury]()
6Rock Hudson, Donna Reed, Philip Carey- Released: 1953
- Directed by: Raoul Walsh
California-bound rancher Ben Warren (Rock Hudson) is shot and left for dead when a demented ex-Confederate, Frank Slayton (Phil Carey), kidnaps his Southern bride-to-be (Donna Reed). Revived, Ben ...more![The Benny Goodman Story]()
7Steve Allen, Donna Reed, Berta Gersten- Released: 1955
- Directed by: Valentine Davies
When a young Benny Goodman (Barry Truex) first starts taking music classes, he becomes very adept at the clarinet and gravitates towards ragtime and jazz. After playing for a few years, an older ...more![Green Dolphin Street]()
8Lana Turner, Donna Reed, Richard Hart- Released: 1947
- Directed by: Victor Saville
The year is 1840, and siblings Marianne (Lana Turner) and Marguerite Patourel (Donna Reed) have found love; the problem is, both women want William Ozone (Richard Hart). Ozone has eyes for ...more![They Were Expendable]()
9Robert Montgomery, John Wayne, Donna Reed- Released: 1945
- Directed by: John Ford, Robert Montgomery
After a demonstration of new PT boats, navy brass are still unconvinced of their viability in combat, leaving Lt. "Rusty" Ryan (John Wayne) frustrated. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, however, Ryan ...more![Calling Dr. Gillespie]()
10Lionel Barrymore, Philip Dorn, Donna Reed- Released: 1942
- Directed by: Harold S. Bucquet
Dr. Leonard Gillespie (Lionel Barrymore) and his new protégé, Dr. John Gerniede (Philip Dorn), must treat Roy Todwell (Phil Brown), an unstable young man brought in for an evaluation after attacking ...more![The Far Horizons]()
11Fred MacMurray, Charlton Heston, Donna Reed- Released: 1955
- Directed by: Rudolph Maté
Following the Louisiana Purchase, President Thomas Jefferson assigns Capt. Meriwether Lewis (Fred MacMurray) and Lt. William Clark (Charlton Heston) to an expedition to explore the new U.S. ...more![The American Film Institute Salute to Frank Capra]()
12Donna Reed, Claudette Colbert, Frank Capra- Released: 1982
- Directed by: Marty Pasetta
![See Here, Private Hargrove]()
13Robert Walker, Donna Reed, Keenan Wynn- Released: 1944
- Directed by: Wesley Ruggles
After being drafted into World War II, journalist Marion Hargrove (Robert Walker) travels to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where he plans to mine his boot camp experiences for writing material. ...more![Trouble Along the Way]()
14John Wayne, Donna Reed, Charles Coburn- Released: 1953
- Directed by: Michael Curtiz
Once a famous football coach, Steve Williams (John Wayne) is now a bookie in a pool hall. To earn enough money to keep custody of his tomboy daughter, Carole (Sherry Jackson), Steve accepts an offer ...more![Scandal Sheet]()
15Broderick Crawford, Donna Reed, John Derek- Released: 1952
- Directed by: Phil Karlson
Editor Mark Chapman (Broderick Crawford) presides over a trashy but financially successful tabloid newspaper in New York City. With his hotshot crime reporter, Steve McCleary (John Derek), and ...more- 16Bill Paxton, Ally Sheedy, Donna Reed
- Released: 1983
- Directed by: William Wiard
Deadly Lessons is a 1983 made-for-TV movie starring Larry Wilcox, Academy Award winner Donna Reed, David Ackroyd, Diane Franklin, future Brat Packer Ally Sheedy and Nancy Cartwright, later the voice ...more ![The Picture of Dorian Gray]()
17George Sanders, Hurd Hatfield, Angela Lansbury- Released: 1945
- Directed by: Albert Lewin
Posing for a portrait, Dorian Gray (Hurd Hatfield) talks with Lord Henry Wotton (George Sanders), who says that men should pursue their sensual longings, but laments that only the young get to do so. ...more![Ransom!]()
18Glenn Ford, Donna Reed, Leslie Nielsen- Released: 1956
- Directed by: Alex Segal
After the kidnapping of his son, an executive, Dave Stannard (Glenn Ford), prepares to cave in to the demand of a $500,000 ransom. When the police chief (Robert Keith) and a reporter (Leslie Nielsen) ...more![They Rode West]()
19Robert Francis, Donna Reed, May Wynn- Released: 1954
- Directed by: Phil Karlson
Dr. Allen Seward (Robert Francis) is the new doctor at a remote Army outpost. His liberal attitudes towards Native Americans become a source of tension between him and his superiors, especially Capt. ...more![Apache Trail]()
20Lloyd Nolan, Donna Reed, William Lundigan- Released: 1942
- Directed by: Richard Thorpe
Stagecoach employee Tom Folliard (William Lundigan) is sent to manage the desolate Tonto Valley station, deep in Apache territory. As the tribe threatens to attack the station, Tom must deal with the ...more![The Bugle Sounds]()
21Wallace Beery, Marjorie Main, Lewis Stone- Released: 1942
- Directed by: S. Sylvan Simon
Cavalry sergeant "Hap" Doan (Wallace Beery) is a traditional soldier used to horses, and he doesn't take too well to the changes the army has in store. They plan on introducing tanks and armored cars ...more![Dr. Gillespie's Criminal Case]()
22Lionel Barrymore, Van Johnson, Donna Reed- Released: 1943
- Directed by: Willis Goldbeck
Dr. Leonard Gillespie (Lionel Barrymore) presses prison officials about one of his former patients, convicted murderer Roy Todwell (John Craven), trying to convince them that Todwell is dangerously ...more![Shadow of the Thin Man]()
23William Powell, Myrna Loy, Barry Nelson- Released: 1941
- Directed by: W. S. Van Dyke
In San Francisco, retired Detective Nick Charles (William Powell) and his attractive wife, Nora (Myrna Loy), learn from police Lt. Abrams of the murder of a race jockey, but Nick refuses to get ...more![Elizabeth Taylor Triad]()
24Elizabeth Taylor, Roger Moore, Spencer Tracy- Released: 1947
- Directed by: Vincente Minnelli, Michael Curtiz
![Eyes in the Night]()
25Edward Arnold, Ann Harding, Donna Reed- Released: 1942
- Directed by: Fred Zinnemann
Aided by his trusty guide dog, blind investigator Duncan MacLain (Edward Arnold) takes on a case brought to him by old acquaintance Norma Lawry (Ann Harding). One of Norma's past lovers, veteran ...more
