The Best Joseph Cotten Movies

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Updated September 1, 2023 1.6K votes 335 voters 21.5K views
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List of the best Joseph Cotten movies, ranked best to worst with movie trailers when available. Joseph Cotten'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 Joseph Cotten movies is decided by how many votes they receive, so only highly rated Joseph Cotten movies will be at the top of the list. Joseph Cotten has been in a lot of films, so people often debate each other over what the greatest Joseph Cotten movie of all time is. If you and a friend are arguing about this then use this list of the most entertaining Joseph Cotten films to end the squabble once and for all.

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

The list you're viewing is made up of different films like Hers to Hold and Guyana: Crime of the Century.

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

Is Joseph Cotten your favorite person to watch on the big screen? You might also want to vote on our best Ray Milland and John Barrymore films lists too.

Most divisive: Dr. Phibes Rises Again
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  • The Third Man
    1

    The Third Man

    Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Trevor Howard
    73 votes
    • Released: 1949
    • Directed by: Carol Reed
    In the aftermath of World War II, Holly Martins (Joseph Cotten), an American writer, navigates the shadowy underbelly of ruined Vienna in search of his friend Harry Lime (Orson Welles). A British officer tells him that Harry is dead, but inconsistencies arise. As a web of deception unravels, Martins discovers a chilling secret about Lime. This noir classic The Third Man is directed by Carol Reed and won an Oscar for Best Cinematography. Its haunting zither score and atmospheric cinematography remain iconic in cinema history.
  • Shadow of a Doubt
    2

    Shadow of a Doubt

    Teresa Wright, Joseph Cotten, Macdonald Carey
    93 votes
    • Released: 1943
    • Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
    Uncle Charlie (Joseph Cotten) visits his relatives in Santa Rosa. He is a very charming man, but his niece slowly realizes that he is wanted for murder and he soon recognizes her suspicions. Although one of the suspected murderers is killed and the case is considered closed, she still has her suspicions.

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  • Portrait of Jennie
    3

    Portrait of Jennie

    Jennifer Jones, Joseph Cotten, Ethel Barrymore
    50 votes
    • Released: 1948
    • Directed by: William Dieterle
    In Depression-era New York, painter Eben Adams (Joseph Cotten) despairs at his lack of success. One cold winter evening in Central Park, he meets an enigmatic, old-fashioned little girl, Jennie Appleton (Jennifer Jones), who captures his fancy when she asks him to wait for her to grow up. Soon after, Eben sells a sketch of Jennie to kindly art dealer Miss Spinny (Ethel Barrymore) and, as he meets the oddly mutable Jennie in fleeting moments, begins to realize they share a special destiny.
  • Gaslight
    4

    Gaslight

    Charles Boyer, Ingrid Bergman, Joseph Cotten
    50 votes
    • Released: 1944
    • Directed by: George Cukor
    After the death of her famous opera-singing aunt, Paula (Ingrid Bergman) is sent to study in Italy to become a great opera singer as well. While there, she falls in love with the charming Gregory Anton (Charles Boyer). The two return to London, and Paula begins to notice strange goings-on: missing pictures, strange footsteps in the night and gaslights that dim without being touched. As she fights to retain her sanity, her new husband's intentions come into question.

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  • The Magnificent Ambersons
    5

    The Magnificent Ambersons

    Joseph Cotten, Tim Holt, Dolores Costello
    43 votes
    • Released: 1942
    • Directed by: Orson Welles
    Orson Welles' acclaimed drama follows two generations in a well-to-do Indianapolis family. Isabel Amberson receives a proposal from dashing Eugene (Joseph Cotten), but opts instead to marry boring Wilbur. Time passes, and Wilbur and Isabel's only son, George (Tim Holt), is loathed as a controlling figure in the town. When Wilbur dies, Eugene again proposes to Isabel, but George threatens the union. As George in turn courts the woman he wants to marry, a string of tragedies befalls the family.

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  • Niagara
    6

    Niagara

    Marilyn Monroe, Joseph Cotten, Jean Peters
    42 votes
    • Released: 1953
    • Directed by: Henry Hathaway
    Rose Loomis (Marilyn Monroe) and her older, gloomier husband, George (Joseph Cotten), are vacationing at a cabin in Niagara Falls, N.Y. The couple befriend Polly (Jean Peters) and Ray Cutler (Casey Adams), who are honeymooning in the area. Polly begins to suspect that something is amiss between Rose and George, and her suspicions grow when she sees Rose in the arms of another man. While Ray initially thinks Polly is overreacting, things between George and Rose soon take a shockingly dark turn.

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