153 Charles Durning Movies, Ranked Best to Worst

A remake of the 1932 film of the same name, Scarface narrates the story of an exiled Cuban criminal, Tony Montana, who joins Miami drug lord Frank Lopez and desire to have it all – the empire as well as latter’s trophy wife. He rises to become powerful drug lord himself. However, enemies and his own paranoia eventually lead to his downfall

This Academy Awards-winning movie is about an elaborate con planned to take revenge. When his mentor-partner Luther is killed by a ruthless crime-boss Lonnegan, young swindler Hooker seeks help of con-pro Gondorff to plot a complicated scam to get back at Lonnegan. They assemble a group of con-artists for the scheme. However, they also encounter several twists and obstacles along the way.

A dramatization of the 1972 bank robbery masterminded by John Wojtowicz, the movie Dog Day Afternoon chronicles the events following a bank robbery committed by Sonny Wortzik and Salvatore Naturale. The film is notable for its anti-establishment tone. 

The Muppet Movie is a musical road comedy film, which tells the story of Kermit the Frog, who is told by a talent agent, to try his luck in Hollywood. He soon sets out on a journey to Los Angeles, California, but on the way, he is pursued by an entrepreneur who wants him to be a new spokesperson for his restaurant.

Although a highly respected actor nobody wants to hire Michael Dorsey because of his perfectionism. In desperation, he decides to pose as a woman and audition for the role of Dorothy Michaels in a popular soap opera. He soon becomes popular, not only with the audience, but also with his fellow actors, who take him to be a woman. To make matters worse, he falls for his costar, Julie. 

Hildy Johnson is a successful reporter working for a newspaper in Chicago. However, he decides to leave his career behind and get married to a woman named Peggy. However, when his editor finds out, he decides to go to great lengths to make Hildy continue working in his newspaper.

Hadley American Hickman is a young teen from rural Georgia, who has little in common with the boys of his age, as none of them share his passion for wrestling. He decides to embark on a journey to make it to the California Wrestling Championships.   

The crime-comedy adventure movie follows the journey of three men Ulysses Everett McGill, Pete, and Delmar O'Donnell who escape from a chain-gang to retrieve a treasure. The three go on an incredible journey only to discover that the treasure they seek is entirely different and eventually end up earning their freedom.  

Thomas Stockmann is a doctor and amateur scientist who lives in a small town in Norway. The town receives a lot of tourists due to its nearby springs, which have therapeutic healing powers. However, Stockmann discovers that they are being polluted by waste from the tannery of the town, and decides to take steps to stop this contamination.

Sisters is a psychological horror film which tells the story of a French Canadian model whose twin sister is suspected of a brutal murder. Meanwhile, a reporter named Grace tries to find out the truth about the killing.  

Conspiring board member Sidney J. Mussburger decides to take control of Hudsucker Industries. To do so he hires graduate, Norville Barnes, thinking him to be stupid, to devalue the company’s stock. But things don’t go according to plan when Norville’s latest invention increases the value and undercover reporter Amy Archer finds out about Mussburger’s villainous plans. 

A romantic comedy set in German occupied Poland, To Be or Not to Be looks into the life of a Polish actor. His unsuccessful career and marriage to a woman who entertains young Polish officers sends him into depression. The title is taken from the famous Shakespearean soliloquy by the same name.

The film is about a popular Roman Catholic priest who in spite of maintaining close relationship with his parishioners has always been able to sidestep every kind of controversies. But things change when a rebellion deacon is sent to his parish in the hope that he will be able to mould the young man and make him toe the line. Instead, the young man forces him to rethink his position. 

This science fiction film is about a modern aircraft carrier which is sent back in time to 1941, near Hawaii, just a few hours before Pearl Harbor is attacked by the Japanese.

Based on a novel of the same name, The Fury is a supernatural thriller film which tells us the story of Peter, a former CIA agent, whose son Robin is a psychic. Their lives take a turn after Ben Childress, Peter’s old colleague, kidnaps Robin, as he is studying people with supernatural powers. He hopes that he will be able to develop their talents, to use them as weapons. Peter soon teams up with a teenager with special abilities to rescue his son.

Rev. Desmond Spellacy is a young and ambitious Roman Catholic clergyman in Los Angeles, whose older brother Tom is a homicide detective working with the Los Angeles Police Department. Although they are fond of one another, they hardly spend any time together. They are brought together after many years, when a young prostitute gets murdered. 

This comedy drama film revolves around a film production crew who are forced to relocate into a small town named Watford. This really makes things tough for them. Things get even more complicated due to the unprofessional behavior of the lead actors.

A Harvard graduate takes up an assignment of transporting marijuana from Berkeley to Boston. However, things get complicated when his girlfriend is busted with the second load. Along with his friend, he finds himself against a corrupt policeman and a Cuban gangster, while trying to get the load and his girlfriend back.

Pete is a student who gets a lift from Zack, and he invites the latter for dinner to repay the favor. When Zack praises Adolf Hitler at the dinner, Pete’s liberal roommates kill him. They argue that their action is a favor to humanity. Hoping that such actions would ‘make the world a better place’, they decide to invite other conservative guests for dinner, and if they are unwilling to change their beliefs, they would be killed.

Sharky’s Machine is an action thriller drama film which revolves around Tom Sharky, an undercover cop who is investigating a narcotics kingpin. He soon comes across a mob murder with government ties. He assembles all his investigators and tries to bring the criminals to justice, before all his partners and witnesses are killed one by one.

William Popper is a wealthy college student at Columbia who, one night, accidentally kills a pedestrian with his car. He is sentenced to a year in jail for manslaughter, but before his term is finished, he decides to break out.

Based on real events, The Hindenburg is a disaster drama film, which revolves around the events leading to the destruction of the German airship Hindenburg.

On a hectic working-day, architect Melanie Parker, and newspaper columnist Jack Taylor, both single parents of class-mates Sammy and Maggie respectively, are stuck with their children as the kids miss their field trip. Keeping their differences aside, when they take turns to babysit the boisterous children to save their essential work-commitments, they confess to themselves that their views about other are changing. 

Claudia Larson is a single mom who has just lost her job due to budget cuts. She  decides to spend Thanksgiving with her parents in Baltimore, but she is surprised when her daughter Kitt decides to stay at home instead.

A clerk working at a video store develops an attraction to an introverted woman who visits the pornography section of the store frequently. He tries to impress her multiple times but fails. Eventually, he finds her address in the store’s database, and decides to make his way to her apartment building, hoping to win her affection some way.

Miss Mona runs the Chicken Ranch, a brothel having a long history in a small town in Texas. However, a reporter named Melvin Thorpe tries to expose the brothel and shut it down. This puts the governor in a tough situation.

This romantic comedy film tells the story of a young mechanic who falls for a young mathematician who is the niece of the renowned scientist Albert Einstein. Soon, Einstein helps the young man in winning his niece’s heart.  

Harry and Archie are two elderly gangsters, who are released from prison after serving a sentence of 30 years for trying to hijack a train. They are in for a shock upon seeing that the world is no longer the same, and many things have changed, including clothing, sexual lifestyles, clubs, advances in technology, as well as lack fo respect from the younger generations.

Deadhead Miles is a comedy film which revolves around a long-distance trucker and his experiences with different people on the road.  

Tough detective Dick Tracy is after crimes mastermind Alphonse ‘Big Boy’ Caprice, who is trying to take over the city, and another mysterious criminal, The Blank. Besides, he has to keep girlfriend Tess Trueheart happy, take care of an orphan, and elude advances of seductive club-singer Breathless Mahoney who can furnish evidence against Caprice. Tracy must nab Caprice to save the city.

Harry Dighby and Walter Hill are vaudevillians who land up in jail for robbing audience members. In jail, they end up working for famed bank robber, Worth, but earn his enmity after accidentally messing up his plans. After escaping from jail they team up with newspaperwoman, Lissa Chestnut, to rob the bank before Worth. 

In order to get the respect of the student body, and get noticed by his crush Meg, a high-school senior named Zach decides to complete the ‘Dirty Deeds’ a daunting list of dares which is nearly impossible to complete. This sets him on a wild journey, although the school’s bullies try to thwart him at every turn.

Loosely based on the real-life romance between Aristotle Onassis and Jacqueline Kennedy, the movie tells the story of Greek mogul Theo Tomasis and his relationship with Liz Cassidy, the widow of an assassinated US President. Political twists and personal tragedies further complicate their lives. 

As teenage pinball-wiz Brenda ‘Tilt’ Davenport hustles a gambler, onlooker Neil Gallagher convinces her of his music talent, asking her to help him raise money for demo tape. She travels with him, hustling at bars and arcades. After reaching Texas, Neil fixes a match with ‘The Whale,’ who had earlier caught Neil cheating. Already aware of Neil’s manipulations, Tilt has different plans.

Cooper, CIA deputy director, is trying to play a game against his rival Ross hoping to get a promotion. Knowing that his house has been bugged by the former, Ross leaks a rumor on purpose that a man is arriving at the airport, who will clear him of the scandal he is involved in. Cooper tries to find out who the man is, and this leads him to Richard, a violinist, who has no idea about international espionage.   

A San Francisco cab driver finds a monkey carrying a formula for turning atomic waste into a plutonium bomb. However, he soon finds himself framed for the murder of a scientist. Meanwhile, he is also chased all over the city by people who want the formula for themselves.

Tommy Vinson is a former gambler, who was forced to give up poker years ago, after his wife had threatened to leave him. He begins to teach a college kid about playing cards, as the young man seems to have potential. However, Vinson soon finds himself pulled into the world series of poker, but a call girl tries to ruin the relationship between Tommy and his protégé.

General Rancor is planning to destroy the world using a missile which he has hid in his secret base. Special agent, Dick Steele, is assigned to stop him once and for all. Steele eventually teams up with a KGB Agent named Veronique and they work together to find the General. 

Stiletto is a crime drama film which revolves around a rich playboy who also has a secret life, i.e. he is a professional hitman for the Mafia. However, when it is time for him to retire, his former employers decide to eliminate him as he knows way too much about them.     

Victoria ‘Vic’ Warshawski, Chicago’s tough female private investigator meets ex-hockey player Grafalk in a bar and begins dating him. Once Grafalk leaves his 13-year-old daughter, Kat, with her and is killed in a boat explosion. As Kat and Vic both find something dubious about the explosion, they set out to investigate his supposedly accidental death and both become friends in the process.

Based on the true story of Sergeant-Major Charles Coward, the movie follows the British prisoner of war as he is captured by the German Army during World War II. Even after being incarcerated at the horrific German war camps he not only escapes to his own freedom but inspires many others to escape.