The Best Karl Malden Movies

Reference
Updated August 11, 2023 1.1K votes 142 voters
Over 100 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The Best Karl Malden Movies
Voting Rules
Vote for your favorite movies, regardless of critic reviews or how big the role was.

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

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

List ranges from Meteor to Where the Sidewalk Ends and more.

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

Alfred Hitchcock and John Ford both worked with Karl Malden over the years, as have plenty of other well-known directors. If Karl Malden movies are your thing, then check out the greatest movies by Richard Widmark and Stewart Granger too.

Most divisive: The Gunfighter
Ranked by
  • Baby Doll
    1

    Baby Doll

    Karl Malden, Carroll Baker, Eli Wallach
    30 votes
    • Released: 1956
    • Directed by: Elia Kazan
    Based on a play by Tennessee Williams, "Baby Doll" centers on Archie Lee Meighan (Karl Malden), a failing cotton gin owner who is married to Baby Doll (Carroll Baker), a 19-year old childlike beauty whose father arranged the marriage for financial reasons. As Archie awaits the arrival of Baby Doll's 20th birthday, the day that they are supposed to consummate their marriage, he faces interference from business rival Silva Vacarro (Eli Wallach), who plots to seduce Baby Doll away from Meighan.

    Available On:

  • A Streetcar Named Desire
    2

    A Streetcar Named Desire

    Marlon Brando, Vivien Leigh, Kim Hunter
    34 votes
    • Released: 1951
    • Directed by: Elia Kazan
    Based on the play by Tennessee Williams, this renowned drama follows troubled former schoolteacher Blanche DuBois (Vivien Leigh) as she leaves small-town Mississippi and moves in with her sister, Stella Kowalski (Kim Hunter), and her husband, Stanley (Marlon Brando), in New Orleans. Blanche's flirtatious Southern-belle presence causes problems for Stella and Stanley, who already have a volatile relationship, leading to even greater conflict in the Kowalski household.
  • On the Waterfront
    3

    On the Waterfront

    Marlon Brando, Eva Marie Saint, Karl Malden
    39 votes
    • Released: 1954
    • Directed by: Elia Kazan
    Dockworker Terry Malloy (Marlon Brando) had been an up-and-coming boxer until powerful local mob boss Johnny Friendly (Lee J. Cobb) persuaded him to throw a fight. When a longshoreman is murdered before he can testify about Friendly's control of the Hoboken waterfront, Terry teams up with the dead man's sister Edie (Eva Marie Saint) and the streetwise priest Father Barry (Karl Malden) to testify himself, against the advice of Friendly's lawyer, Terry's older brother Charley (Rod Steiger).

    Available On:

    free

  • One-Eyed Jacks
    4

    One-Eyed Jacks

    Marlon Brando, Karl Malden, Katy Jurado
    31 votes
    • Released: 1961
    • Directed by: Marlon Brando
    After pulling a bank heist in Mexico, the outlaw Rio (Marlon Brando) and his partner, Dad Longworth (Karl Malden), make a run for it, but Dad has bigger plans than freedom. He betrays Rio and absconds with the loot, and Rio ends up in prison. Years pass before Rio finally breaks free to enact his long-plotted revenge. Tracking Dad to California, Rio learns he's become a sheriff -- which is no deterrent -- but when Rio falls for Dad's stepdaughter, Louisa (Pina Pellicer), he has second thoughts.

    Available On:

    subscription

    free

  • Patton
    5

    Patton

    George C. Scott, Karl Malden, Michael Bates
    29 votes
    • Released: 1970
    • Directed by: Franklin J. Schaffner
    Patton is a biographical war film that delves into the life of the audacious World War II General George S. Patton, portrayed by George C. Scott. The movie paints an incisive portrait of Patton's passionate and larger-than-life persona, his military genius, and his controversial methods. It explores his key operations during WWII, including the North Africa campaign and the Battle of the Bulge. Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, Patton bagged seven Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Actor for Scott. This epic film seamlessly blends historical drama with intense war sequences to provide a riveting viewing experience.

    Available On:

    subscription

  • Birdman of Alcatraz
    6

    Birdman of Alcatraz

    Burt Lancaster, Karl Malden, Thelma Ritter
    23 votes
    • Released: 1962
    • Directed by: John Frankenheimer
    Sentenced to life in solitary confinement after killing a prison guard, despondent inmate Robert Stroud (Burt Lancaster) combats loneliness and tedium by nursing an ailing bird back to health. Stroud develops an interest in caring for birds and becomes a talented ornithologist. After publishing a book on bird diseases from jail, he meets and marries Stella (Betty Field), a fellow bird enthusiast. When Stroud is suddenly moved to Alcatraz, though, his marriage and work are both threatened.

    Available On:

    free