The Best Fred Gwynne Movies

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Updated September 23, 2019
Over 50 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The Best Fred Gwynne Movies
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List of the best Fred Gwynne movies, ranked best to worst with movie trailers when available. Fred Gwynne'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 Fred Gwynne movies is decided by how many votes they receive, so only highly rated Fred Gwynne movies will be at the top of the list. Fred Gwynne has been in a lot of films, so people often debate each other over what the greatest Fred Gwynne movie of all time is. If you and a friend are arguing about this then use this list of the most entertaining Fred Gwynne films to end the squabble once and for all.

If you think the best Fred Gwynne role isn't at the top, then upvote it so it has the chance to become number one. The greatest Fred Gwynne performances didn't necessarily come from the best movies, but in most cases they go hand in hand.

These films, like The Cotton Club and My Cousin Vinny include images when available.

"This list answers the questions, "What are the best Fred Gwynne movies?" and "What are the greatest Fred Gwynne roles of all time?"

Fred Gwynne was in some really popular films, and is right up there with stars like Robert Vaughn and Ernest Borgnine in terms of fame and success.

Ranked by
  • My Cousin Vinny
    1

    My Cousin Vinny

    Joe Pesci, Marisa Tomei, Ralph Macchio
    22 votes
    • Released: 1992
    • Directed by: Jonathan Lynn
    My Cousin Vinny is a comedic courtroom drama, centering around two New Yorkers wrongfully accused of murder in Alabama. Bill Gambini (Ralph Macchio) and Stan Rothenstein (Mitchell Whitfield) are saved by the inexperienced but determined Vincent LaGuardia 'Vinny' Gambini (Joe Pesci). Vinny, a recently minted lawyer with an abrasive personality, struggles to navigate the Southern legal system alongside his fiery fiancée Mona Lisa Vito (Marisa Tomei), who won an Academy Award for her performance. The film skillfully blends humor and tension as it explores themes of culture clash and underdogs in law.

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  • Pet Sematary
    2

    Pet Sematary

    Dale Midkiff, Fred Gwynne, Denise Crosby
    20 votes
    • Released: 1989
    • Directed by: Mary Lambert
    In the chilling horror film Pet Sematary, Dr. Louis Creed (Dale Midkiff) relocates his family to rural Maine, unaware of the eerie pet cemetery near their new home. The story takes a dark turn when tragedy strikes, leading Louis to an old local named Jud Crandall (Fred Gwynne). A secret, ancient burial ground with sinister powers is unveiled by Jud. As the Creeds grapple with death and its unnatural reversal, director Mary Lambert masterfully unravels a tale of escalating dread and unspeakable horror. Characters plunge into a nightmare where boundaries between life and death hauntingly blur.

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  • Disorganized Crime
    3

    Disorganized Crime

    Hoyt Axton, Corbin Bernsen, Rubén Blades
    9 votes
    • Released: 1989
    • Directed by: Jim Kouf
    Four crooks cause trouble while waiting for their leader (Corbin Bernsen) being chased by two inept detectives.

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  • The Cotton Club
    4

    The Cotton Club

    Richard Gere, Gregory Hines, Diane Lane
    10 votes
    • Released: 1984
    • Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
    The lives of various characters intersect at Harlem's renowned Cotton Club. Handsome horn player Dix Dwyer (Richard Gere) falls for Vera Cicero (Diane Lane), the stunning girlfriend of famous gangster Dutch Schultz (James Remar). Meanwhile Dix's brother, Vincent (Nicolas Cage), falls in with Schultz's crew, while Owney Madden (Bob Hoskins), the jazz venue's proprietor, has his own mob ties. Although Dix goes on to become a Hollywood actor, his life doesn't get any less complicated or dangerous.

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  • Shadows and Fog
    5

    Shadows and Fog

    Woody Allen, Mia Farrow, John Malkovich
    7 votes
    • Released: 1992
    • Directed by: Woody Allen
    A serial strangler is on the loose, and a mob of neighborhood vigilantes is on the hunt. When several neighbors wake up the skittish Max Kleinman (Woody Allen), a bookkeeper, they want him to get dressed and join the search party. Finally pulling himself together, Kleinman goes downstairs to find no one waiting for him. Left to investigate alone, he winds up in one predicament after another, which eventually leads him to meet Irmy (Mia Farrow), a sword swallower from the visiting circus.

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  • The Secret of My Success
    6

    The Secret of My Success

    Michael J. Fox, Helen Slater, Richard Jordan
    8 votes
    • Released: 1987
    • Directed by: Herbert Ross
    Recent college graduate Brantley Foster (Michael J. Fox) travels from his home in Kansas to New York City to pursue a new finance job. However, when Brantley arrives, he learns that his position has been eliminated, and he's forced to take a job working for his inept Uncle Howard (Richard Jordan), who became a company president through marriage. Brantley starts as a mere mailroom worker, but quickly climbs the corporate ladder when he begins posing as an executive.

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