73 Jack Lemmon Movies, Ranked Best to Worst

Chicago musicians Joe and Jerry accidentally witness a mafia murder and disguise as women to enlist into an all-female band to get out of town quickly. However, complications arise after Joe poses as a millionaire to impress the band's vocalist and ukulele player Sugar, while Jerry draws the attention of an actual millionaire who won't take refusal kindly.

Timid insurance worker C.C. Baxter attempts to rise up the corporate ladder by lending his apartment to company executives to use for their extramarital affairs. However, he is torn from the inside when he realizes that the personnel director, who recently granted his promotion, brought to his apartment the elevator girl he is attracted to.

After getting married to Kirsten, an alcoholic man named Joe gets her addicted to drinking as well. Things get ugly, when Kirsten is nearly killed one day, after she causes a fire in her apartment while being drunk. When Joe loses his job too, he decides that they need to stop drinking.  

Mister Roberts is a war comedy drama film which tells the story of a Naval officer who is longing for active duty, but he finds himself in conflict with his captain.

Just separated from his wife, Felix Ungar unsuccessfully tries to commit suicide. Perceiving his despondent mood, his divorced best friend Oscar invites Felix to share his apartment till he feels fine. But the two and their house-keeping styles are poles apart; homebody Felix is neat-freak, while fun-loving Oscar is slovenly. Before long, neurotic, obsessively tidy Felix drives sloppy Oscar up the wall.

This biographical suspense drama film revolves around US businessman Ed Horman, who arrives in Chile to find Charles, his son, a politically left leaning journalist, who has been missing since there was a military coup.  

Nestor Patou is an honest cop who is transferred to a more urban neighborhood in Paris. He finds a street full of prostitutes working at a hotel and proceeds to raid the place. However, soon it becomes apparent that his superior is aware of the happenings at the hotel, but tolerates it due to bribes and services. He frames Nestor for bribery and fires him from the job.  

Henry and Nancy are a couple who are living in a quiet town in Ohio. After being married for 27 years, Nancy starts to feel lonely when their last child moves out. Meanwhile, due to corporate downsizing, Henry loses his job as well. He sets out on a plane to New York, but Nancy decides to sneak on the plane along with him. Their journey takes them on a series of misadventures, one after the other.

The China Syndrome is a drama thriller film which tells the story of a reporter who decides to bring an accident at a nuclear plant to the attention of the public. However, she gets herself involved in a big conspiracy.

The Great Race is an action adventure sports comedy film which tells the story of two rivals, The Great Leslie, and Professor Fate, who plan an automobile race from New York to Paris. However, Fate’s sidekick, Max, attempts to sabotage Leslie's car and of the other racers, but Leslie finds an unlikely ally in Maggie, a journalist-turned-racer whose car breaks down during the race.  

A successful businessman goes to Italy to claim the body of his recently deceased father, only to discover that his father had a long-time mistress.

The Fortune Cookie is a black comedy film which tells the story of Harry Hinkle, a cameraman who gets injured by a football player Luther Jackson. Although his injuries are mild, his cunning brother-in-law William convinces him to pretend that he has been paralyzed, so that they can receive a significant sum of money from the insurance company.

Based on the assassination of the former U.S. President, John F. Kennedy, JFK centres around a New Orleans lawyer, Jim Garrison, who sets about investigating the mystery behind the assassination while battling opposition from the government. Widely acclaimed as well as heavily criticized, this political drama stars Kevin Costner as Garrison and delves deeper into the assassination of the former president.

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.

Ricky Roma, Shelley Levene, Dave Moss, and George Aaronow are four real-estate salesmen who work for Premiere Properties, Chicago. When during a sales meeting it is revealed that the bottom two salesmen of the month will be fired, rivalry turns into jealousy and treachery amongst the four. 

An adaptation of the well-known play by William Shakespeare, this drama film tells the story of the Prince of Denmark, Hamlet, who returns home to find his father murdered. Meanwhile his mother is getting married to his uncle, the very man responsible for his father’s death.  

Shortcuts is a comedy-drama film, which revolves around the day-to-day lives of several suburban Los Angeles residents, whose lives are loosely connected. 

Two former best friends, Max and John, who are now rivals, live in the same neighborhood. Their rivalry escalates even further, when a woman moves into the house across the street and they both start to like her. 

Bell Book and Candle is a romantic fantasy comedy film which tells the story of Gillian, a modern-day-witch who takes a liking to a good-looking man named Henderson. Since she dislikes his fiancée, she casts a spell on him, so that he would fall in love with her instead. Soon, her infatuation for Henderson turns into love, and she feels guilty for her actions.

The Player is an American satirical black comedy film, which tells the story of Hollywood film producer Griffin Mill, who starts receiving threats anonymously. However, he is certain that David, a scriptwriter is behind it. He invites the latter to sort things out, but things take an ugly turn, and he ends up murdering him.  

Stanley Ford is a cartoonist working for a newspaper, who is enjoying a well-to-do bachelor life in New York City. While attending a bachelor party for his friend Tobey Rawlins, Ford gets too drunk, and gets accidentally married to an Italian woman who doesn’t even speak English. It also seems impossible to get divorce without legal justification. Thus Ford is forced to live a married life. Although the woman initially seems to be cheerful and affectionate, he eventually begins to regret his marriage. Things get even more complicated when she starts believing that Ford is planning to murder her.

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. 

Howard Brubaker, a Wall Street broker, is successful professionally, but his personal life is not exactly perfect. At a cocktail party hosted by his boss, he meets and falls for a French woman, Catherine, who he later discovers is the boss’s wife. Catherine too is not quite satisfied in her relationship and the two soon decide to elope to Paris.

Stowaway in the Sky is an adventure film which tells the story of a young boy who sneaks into the hot-air balloon made by his inventor grandfather. Eventually, both of them embark on a trip over France.

Post-WWII, in an American medical base in France, Private Hogan falls for dietetic nurse, Lt. Betty Bixby. As their ranks disallow them to socialize, Hogan plans a secret ball for soldiers and nurses. But it is not easy to elude the stern watch of the stickler-for-rules Capt. Lock while making the clandestine arrangements. Will he succeed in winning over the pretty Betty?

Max and John are two friends who like to go fishing together. They attempt to save their favorite bait shop from turning into a restaurant.

Scottie Templeton, a New York based Broadway agent, is divorced and estranged from his son Jud. Then he is diagnosed with leukemia and realizes that he hasn’t much time left. When his ex-wife Maggie and son are in the town, Scottie tries to reconnect with his son and makes efforts to mend their relationship.

The Legend of Bagger Vance tells the story of Captain Junuh, who meets a mysterious golf caddle who teaches him the art of mastering the perfect swing, as well as finding meaning in one’s existence. 

Kramer and Douglas are two former US Presidents who are well-known for their rivalry. However, when they uncover a conspiracy against them by the current corrupt president, they join forces to expose him and clear their names.

Julie marries her husband’s songwriting partner, after she feels that he is no longer alive. Trouble ensues when it turns out that her first husband is still alive.

Peter Wilson, a sarcastic near-sighted cartoonist-cum-author, is going blind. Averse to commitment, he finally falls for Terri, a single mother of three and reluctantly marries her when she refuses have sexual relationship with him. But it will take a lot more for him to change his misanthropic nature and realize that his new family needs him. 

It has been seventeen years since Oscar and Felix saw each other. Things take a turn when they bump into each other at the airport and travel together in a rented car, for the wedding of their children. However, nothing goes as expected as their journey gets filled with misadventures.

Charlie convinces his widowed brother-in-law to join him on a cruise ship, without revealing that they will need to pose as dance instructors. Instead, he promises that there will be many available and lonely women on the ship. Eventually, his promise turns out to be true, as Herb meets and falls for a woman named Vivian, while Charlie begins a romance with Liz, a wealthy widow.

Dad is a comedy drama film which tells the story of John, a busy executive, who is forced by circumstances to become a caretaker for his ailing father. While helping his elderly dad around the house, he begins to rediscover the joy of bonding with family.   

A group of art thieves hijack a Boeing 747 carrying a collection of priceless works of art. Due to circumstances, however, the plane hits an oil rig, after which it crashes into the sea, which leads the passengers and crew to fight for their survival.

Ranch hand Pepe’s world is turned upside down when alcoholic Hollywood director Mr.Holt buys his beloved friend, a white stallion from its owner. Pepe then goes on an extraordinary adventure through Hollywood, meeting celebrities like Frank Sinatra, Jimmy Durante, Zsa Zsa Gabór, Bing Crosby, and others before being reunited with his beloved stallion. 

Depressed with his life, Harry is about to take his own life by jumping off a bridge, when he is stopped by an old friend, Milt. Milt is having his own problems with his marriage, and decides to use Harry to take away his wife.  

Alex & The Gypsy is a romantic comedy film which revolves around Alexander, who is a bail bondsman. He falls for a pretty gypsy girl, one of his customers. When she assaults her boyfriend, she is arrested, but Alexander decides to bail her out.