The Best Telly Savalas Movies

Updated September 22, 2019 1.4k votes 133 voters 19.4k views56 items

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

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

If you think the best Telly Savalas role isn't at the top, then upvote it so it has the chance to become number one. The greatest Telly Savalas 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 a variety of different films, including Backfire! and Christopher Lee: Darkness Tolls.

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

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The Guns of Navarone
Gregory Peck, David Niven
Released: 1961
Directed by: J. Lee Thompson, Alexander Mackendrick
The Guns of Navarone is a 1961 British-American action/adventure film directed by J. Lee... more on Wikipedia
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The Greatest Story Ever Told
John Wayne, Charlton Heston
Released: 1965
Directed by: George Stevens, Jean Negulesco, David Lean
The Greatest Story Ever Told is a 1965 American epic film produced and directed by George... more on Wikipedia
More The Greatest Story Ever Told
#83 of 236 The Best Movies Based On True Stories#28 of 86 The Best Movies With Christian Themes
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Birdman of Alcatraz
Burt Lancaster, Telly Savalas
Released: 1962
Directed by: John Frankenheimer
Birdman of Alcatraz is a 1962 film starring Burt Lancaster and directed by John Frankenheimer.... more on Wikipedia
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#46 of 152 The Best Movies of the '60s#10 of 28 Great Movies About People Going Through Life Solo
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Lisa and the Devil
Elke Sommer, Telly Savalas
Released: 1973
Directed by: Mario Bava, Alfredo Leone
Lisa and the Devil is a 1973 Italian horror film directed by Mario Bava. The film was released... more on Wikipedia
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Cape Fear
Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum
Released: 1962
Directed by: J. Lee Thompson
Cape Fear is a 1962 American psychological thriller film starring Robert Mitchum, Gregory... more on Wikipedia
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#77 of 242 The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time#106 of 364 The Best Movies Based On Books
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Horror Express
Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing
Released: 1972
Directed by: Eugenio Martín
Horror Express, also known as Pánico en el Transiberiano/Panic on the Trans-Siberian Express,... more on Wikipedia
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On Her Majesty's Secret Service
Diana Rigg, Joanna Lumley
Released: 1969
Directed by: Peter R. Hunt
On Her Majesty's Secret Service is the sixth spy film in the James Bond series, based on the... more on Wikipedia
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Why 'On Her Majesty’s Secret Service' Is - And Always Will Be - The Weirdest Bond Movie Ever#321 of 554 The Greatest Guilty Pleasure Movies
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Battle of the Bulge
Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson
Released: 1965
Directed by: Ken Annakin
Battle of the Bulge is an American widescreen epic film produced in Spain that was released in... more on Wikipedia
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#18 of 214 The Greatest World War II Movies of All Time#79 of 304 The Best Military Movies Ever Made
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The Dirty Dozen
Jim Brown, Donald Sutherland
Released: 1967
Directed by: Robert Aldrich
The Dirty Dozen is a 1967 film directed by Robert Aldrich, released by MGM, and starring Lee... more on Wikipedia
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#731 of 1,189 Every Oscar Winning Film Ever#13 of 374 The 50+ Best War Movies Ever Made, Ranked
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Mackenna's Gold
Omar Sharif, Gregory Peck
Released: 1969
Directed by: J. Lee Thompson
Mackenna's Gold is a 1969 western film directed by J. Lee Thompson, starring Gregory Peck,... more on Wikipedia
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The Scalphunters
Burt Lancaster, Shelley Winters
Released: 1968
Directed by: Sydney Pollack
The Scalphunters is a 1968 American Western film starring Burt Lancaster, Ossie Davis and... more on Wikipedia
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Kelly's Heroes
Clint Eastwood, Donald Sutherland
Released: 1970
Directed by: Brian G. Hutton
Kelly's Heroes is a 1970 comedy film directed by Brian G. Hutton, about a group of WWII... more on Wikipedia
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#164 of 922 The All-Time Greatest Comedy Films#72 of 553 The Best '70s Movies
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The Dirty Dozen: The Deadly Mission
Ernest Borgnine, Telly Savalas
Released: 1987
Directed by: Lee H. Katzin
The Dirty Dozen: The Deadly Mission is a 1987 made-for-TV film and is the second sequel to the... more on Wikipedia
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Good Evening, Ms Campbell
Gina Lollobrigida, Shelley Winters
Released: 1968
Directed by: Melvin Frank
Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell is a 1968 American comedy film starring Gina Lollobrigida and... more on Wikipedia
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Beyond the Poseidon Adventure
Sally Field, Michael Caine
Released: 1979
Directed by: Irwin Allen
Beyond the Poseidon Adventure is a 1979 American disaster film, a sequel to the 1972 film The... more on Wikipedia
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#167 of 313 The Greatest Disaster Movies of All Time#133 of 264 Movies That Should Be Made Into Broadway Musicals
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Escape to Athena
Roger Moore, Claudia Cardinale
Released: 1979
Directed by: George P. Cosmatos
Escape to Athena is a British adventure war film released in 1979, directed and co-authored by... more on Wikipedia
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Pretty Maids All in a Row
Rock Hudson, Angie Dickinson
Released: 1971
Directed by: Roger Vadim
Pretty Maids All in a Row is an American mystery film that is part dark comedy, part murder... more on Wikipedia
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Beau Geste
Leslie Nielsen, Telly Savalas
Released: 1966
Directed by: Douglas Heyes
Beau Geste is a 1966 film based on the novel by P. C. Wren filmed by Universal Pictures in... more on Wikipedia
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Capricorn One
O. J. Simpson, James Brolin
Released: 1977
Directed by: Peter Hyams
Capricorn One is a 1978 government conspiracy thriller film about a Mars landing hoax. It was... more on Wikipedia
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Pancho Villa
Anne Francis, Telly Savalas
Released: 1972
Directed by: Eugenio Martín
Pancho Villa is a 1972 American, British and Spanish spaghetti western film directed by... more on Wikipedia
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The Young Savages
Burt Lancaster, Shelley Winters
Released: 1961
Directed by: John Frankenheimer
The Young Savages is a 1961 crime drama film directed by John Frankenheimer, starring Burt... more on Wikipedia
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The Muppet Movie
Steve Martin, Mel Brooks
Released: 1979
Directed by: James Frawley
The Muppet Movie is a 1979 American-British musical road comedy film and the first of a series... more on Wikipedia
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9
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Christopher Lee: Darkness Tolls
Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing
Released: 1960
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The Cartier Affair
David Hasselhoff, Joan Collins
Released: 1984
Directed by: Rod Holcomb
The Cartier Affair is a 1984 NBC TV movie that starred Knight Rider 's David Hasselhoff and... more on Wikipedia
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His Majesty O'Keefe
Clark Gable, Burt Lancaster
Released: 1954
Directed by: Byron Haskin
His Majesty O'Keefe is a 1954 adventure film starring Burt Lancaster. The film was directed by... more on Wikipedia