The Best Will Rogers Movies

Reference
Updated August 11, 2023
Help shape these rankings by voting on this list of The Best Will Rogers Movies
Voting Rules
Vote for your favorite movies, regardless of critic reviews or how big the role was.

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

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

List includes State Fair, Doctor Bull and more.

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

Ranked by
  • Judge Priest
    1

    Judge Priest

    Will Rogers, Tom Brown, Anita Louise
    16 votes
    • Released: 1934
    • Directed by: John Ford
    In this John Ford comedy, Will Rogers stars as Judge William Priest, an amiable Civil War veteran living in small-town Kentucky. While the widowed Judge Priest, a proud former Confederate, dispenses justice in his court, he also finds time to help his nephew, Jerome (Tom Brown), and woo Ellie May Gillespie (Anita Louise), the girl of his dreams. The easy-going Priest also memorably performs with the doting Aunt Dilsey (Hattie McDaniels), making for a rousing depiction of postwar Southern living.

    Available On:

    subscription

    free

  • Steamboat Round the Bend
    2

    Steamboat Round the Bend

    Will Rogers, Eugene Pallette, Anne Shirley
    13 votes
    • Released: 1935
    • Directed by: John Ford
    Steamboat Round the Bend is a 1935 American comedy film directed by John Ford. The film stars Will Rogers and was released a few weeks after his death in an airplane crash.
  • Doctor Bull
    3

    Doctor Bull

    Will Rogers, Vera Allen, Marian Nixon
    9 votes
    • Released: 1933
    • Directed by: John Ford
    Country physician Dr. Bull (Will Rogers) is big on homespun wisdom and thinks little of newfangled medicine. He also spends much of his time wooing widow Janet Cardmaker (Vera Allen). But his attitude toward his job and his taste in women are making him the target of town gossips, and, when circumstances beyond his control prevent him from saving a young girl, the locals turn on him. A typhoid case then breaks out, which could either help prove Doc's worth or cement his reputation as a quack.
  • A Connecticut Yankee
    4

    A Connecticut Yankee

    Will Rogers, Maureen O'Sullivan, Myrna Loy
    6 votes
    • Released: 1931
    • Directed by: David Butler
    Making a delivery to a mysterious mansion in a rainstorm, radio salesman Hank Martin (Will Rogers) is knocked out when a suit of armor topples on him. Upon awakening, Hank finds himself in the time of King Arthur (William Farnum). At Camelot Castle, Hank uses a cigarette lighter and his skill with a lasso to save himself from being executed as a demon. Hank so impresses Arthur that the king orders him to joust with one of his knights to save the life of Princess Alisande (Maureen O'Sullivan).

    Available On:

  • Life Begins at Forty
    5

    Life Begins at Forty

    Will Rogers, Rochelle Hudson, Sterling Holloway
    5 votes
    • Released: 1935
    • Directed by: George Marshall
    Life Begins at Forty is a 1935 black-and-white film starring Will Rogers and Richard Cromwell. It is based on the non-fiction self-help book Life Begins at 40 by Walter B. Pitkin.
  • Doubting Thomas
    6

    Doubting Thomas

    Will Rogers, Billie Burke, Alison Skipworth
    6 votes
    • Released: 1935
    • Directed by: David Butler
    A Hollywood agent visits a small town where several residents aspire to be actors. Among them is beautician Peggy Burns (Frances Grant), whose father, Thomas (Will Rogers), forbids her to try out. Thomas explains that Peggy's mother, Paula (Billie Burke), also longed to be an actress, until he persuaded her to marry him instead. As the town is swept up in acting fever and plans a play, Peggy and Paula join forces to realize their dream, which may come true when a movie director arrives in town.