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The Best Shirley MacLaine Movies

Updated September 21, 2019 3.8k votes 596 voters 52.6k views69 items

List RulesVote for your favorite movies, regardless of critic reviews or how big the role was.

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

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

List films range from Joan of Arc to Terms of Endearment.

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

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The Trouble with Harry
Shirley MacLaine, Alfred Hitchcock
Released: 1955
Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
The Trouble with Harry is a 1955 American black comedy film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The screenplay by John Michael Hayes was based on the 1950 novel by Jack Trevor Story. It starred Edmund... more
More The Trouble with Harry
#37 of 83 Great Movies That Take Place In Autumn#43 of 248 The Best Whodunit Movies
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107
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The Apartment
Shirley MacLaine, Jack Lemmon
Released: 1960
Directed by: Billy Wilder
The Apartment is a 1960 American comedy-drama film produced and directed by Billy Wilder, which stars Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, and Fred MacMurray. It was Wilder's next movie after Some Like It... more
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#376 of 456 The Most Quotable Movies Of All Time#65 of 105 The Best Valentine's Day Movies
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104
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Terms of Endearment
Jack Nicholson, Danny DeVito
Released: 1983
Directed by: James L. Brooks
Terms of Endearment is a 1983 comedy-drama film adapted from the novel of the same name by Larry McMurtry, directed, written, and produced by James L. Brooks and starring Shirley MacLaine, Debra... more
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#23 of 46 Movies That Won Best Picture at the Oscars and Golden Globes#35 of 176 The Most Utterly Depressing Movies Ever Made
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95
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Steel Magnolias
Sally Field, Dolly Parton
Released: 1989
Directed by: Herbert Ross
Steel Magnolias is a 1989 American comedy-drama film directed by Herbert Ross, based on the 1987 play by Robert Harling. A young beautician (Daryl Hannah), newly arrived in a small Louisiana town,... more
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#123 of 375 'Old' Movies Every Young Person Needs To Watch In Their Lifetime#116 of 305 The Funniest '80s Movies
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83
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The Evening Star
Jack Nicholson, Shirley MacLaine
Released: 1996
Directed by: Robert Harling
The Evening Star is a 1996 sequel to Academy Award for Best Picture-winning Terms of Endearment, starring Shirley MacLaine, who reprises the role of Aurora Greenway she won an Oscar for playing in... more
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Defending Your Life
Meryl Streep, Shirley MacLaine
Released: 1991
Directed by: Albert Brooks
Defending Your Life is a 1991 romantic comedy-fantasy film about a man who arrives in the afterlife only to find that he must stand trial and justify his lifelong fears in order to advance to the... more
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#981 of 1,506 The Most Rewatchable Movies#404 of 925 The All-Time Greatest Comedy Films
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66
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Bewitched
Nicole Kidman, Will Ferrell
Released: 2005
Directed by: Nora Ephron
Bewitched is a 2005 American romantic comedy fantasy film produced by Columbia Pictures and is a re-imagining of the television series of the same name. The film was released in the United States and... more
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#19 of 29 The Best Classic Movies Streaming On Hulu#42 of 43 The Best Movies About Magic
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62
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Ocean's 11
Frank Sinatra, Shirley MacLaine
Released: 1960
Directed by: Lewis Milestone
Ocean's 11 is a 1960 heist film directed by Lewis Milestone and starring five Rat Packers: Peter Lawford, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr. and Joey Bishop. Centered on a series of Las... more
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79
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Mrs. Winterbourne
Brendan Fraser, Shirley MacLaine
Released: 1996
Directed by: Richard Benjamin
Mrs. Winterbourne is a 1996 American romantic comedy/drama starring Shirley MacLaine, Ricki Lake, and Brendan Fraser. It is loosely based on Cornell Woolrich's novel I Married a Dead Man, which has... more
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#44 of 48 Every Movie with a Cinderella Story, Ranked#261 of 389 The Greatest Romantic Comedies Of All Time
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The Children's Hour
Audrey Hepburn, Shirley MacLaine
Released: 1961
Directed by: William Wyler
The Children's Hour is a 1961 American drama film directed by William Wyler. The screenplay by John Michael Hayes is based on the 1934 play of the same title by Lillian Hellman. The film stars Audrey... more

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84
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Can-Can
Frank Sinatra, Shirley MacLaine
Released: 1960
Directed by: Walter Lang
Can-Can is a 1960 musical film made by Suffolk-Cummings productions and distributed by 20th Century Fox. It was directed by Walter Lang, produced by Jack Cummings and Saul Chaplin, from a screenplay... more
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61
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Being There
Shirley MacLaine, Peter Sellers
Released: 1979
Directed by: Hal Ashby
Being There is a 1979 American comedy-drama film directed by Hal Ashby. Adapted from the 1970 novella by Jerzy Kosinski, the screenplay was written by Kosinski and the uncredited Robert C. Jones. The... more
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#205 of 373 The Best Movies Based On Books#16 of 62 The Funniest Movies About Politics
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Coco Chanel
Shirley MacLaine, Malcolm McDowell
Released: 2008
Directed by: Christian Duguay
Coco Chanel is a 2008 television film directed by Christian Duguay and written by Ron Hutchinson, Enrico Medioli and Lea Tafuri. It stars Shirley MacLaine as Coco Chanel, the pioneering French... more
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49
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Valentine's Day
Jessica Alba, Taylor Swift
Released: 2010
Directed by: Garry Marshall
Valentine's Day is a 2010 American romantic comedy film directed by Garry Marshall. The screenplay and the story were written by Katherine Fugate, Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein. The film consists of... more
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#209 of 783 The Greatest Chick Flicks Ever Made#94 of 126 The Greatest Date Movies Of All Time
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58
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Two Mules for Sister Sara
Clint Eastwood, Shirley MacLaine
Released: 1970
Directed by: Don Siegel
Two Mules for Sister Sara is an American-Mexican western film starring Shirley MacLaine set during the French intervention in Mexico. The film was released in 1970 and directed by Don Siegel. It was... more
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#47 of 401 The Best Western Movies Ever Made#415 of 557 The Best Film Scores Of All Time
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Around the World in 80 Days
Frank Sinatra, Shirley MacLaine
Released: 1956
Directed by: Michael Anderson
Around the World in 80 Days is a 1956 Technicolor epic action adventure comedy film starring David Niven and Cantinflas, produced by the Michael Todd Company and released by United Artists. The epic... more
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#61 of 1,195 Every Oscar Winning Film Ever#90 of 98 The Best Film Adaptations Of Young Adult Novels
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Bernie
Matthew McConaughey, Jack Black
Released: 2012
Directed by: Richard Linklater
Bernie is a 2012 black comedy film directed by Richard Linklater, and written by Linklater and Skip Hollandsworth. The film stars Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine and Matthew McConaughey. It is based on... more
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#19 of 34 The Best Movies Based on Real Murders#44 of 85 The Funniest Crime Parodies and Spoof Movies, Ranked
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Irma la Douce
Shirley MacLaine, James Caan
Released: 1963
Directed by: Billy Wilder
Irma la Douce ([iʁ.ma la dus], "Irma the Sweet") is a 1963 American romantic comedy film starring Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine, directed by Billy Wilder. It is based on the 1956 French stage... more
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#57 of 79 The Best Comedy Movies Of The 1960s#8 of 64 The Best Jack Lemmon Movies
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Salem Witch Trials
Kirstie Alley, Shirley MacLaine
Released: 2002
Directed by: Joseph Sargent
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Madame Sousatzka
Shirley MacLaine, Twiggy
Released: 1988
Directed by: John Schlesinger
Madame Sousatzka is a 1988 British drama film directed by John Schlesinger, with a screenplay by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. It is based upon the novel of the same name by Bernice Rubens.... more

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Used People
Kathy Bates, Shirley MacLaine
Released: 1992
Directed by: Beeban Kidron
Used People is a 1992 American romantic comedy film directed by Beeban Kidron. The screenplay by Todd Graff, adapted from his 1988 off-Broadway play The Grandma Plays, takes a humorous look at a... more
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93
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Rumor Has It
Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Costner
Released: 2005
Directed by: Rob Reiner
Rumor Has It is a 2005 romantic comedy film directed by Rob Reiner, and starring Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Costner, Shirley MacLaine and Mark Ruffalo. The screenplay by Ted Griffin derives from a... more
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58
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Guarding Tess
Nicolas Cage, Shirley MacLaine
Released: 1994
Directed by: Hugh Wilson
Guarding Tess is a 1994 film starring Shirley MacLaine and Nicolas Cage, directed by Hugh Wilson. MacLaine plays a fictional former First Lady protected by an entourage of Secret Service agents led... more
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The Turning Point
Shirley MacLaine, Anne Bancroft
Released: 1977
Directed by: Herbert Ross
The Turning Point is a 1977 drama film centered on the world of ballet in New York City, written by Arthur Laurents and directed by Herbert Ross. The film stars Shirley MacLaine and Anne Bancroft,... more
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The Matchmaker
Shirley MacLaine, Anthony Perkins
Released: 1958
Directed by: Joseph Anthony
The Matchmaker is a 1958 American comedy film directed by Joseph Anthony. The screenplay by John Michael Hayes is based on the 1955 play of the same name by Thornton Wilder. Costumes by Edith Head.... more

Salem Witch Trials