40 Janet Gaynor Movies, Ranked Best to Worst

Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ is an adventure romantic drama film which tells the story of Ben-Hur, a wealthy young Jewish prince, who is a friend fo the powerful Roman tribune, Messala. Ben-Hur’s life gets ugly when an accident and a false accusation leads him to getting arrested falsely. Instead of helping him, Messala, who has now become arrogant and corrupt, makes sure that Be-Hur is jailed and separated from the rest of his family.  

A Star Is Born is a romantic drama film which tells the story of Esther, a young farm girl from North Dakota, who aspires to become a Hollywood actress. She eventually goes to Hollywood, but she is not able to find any work. She soon gets acquainted with Norman Maine, an actor who used to be a star, but ruined his career due to his alcoholism. He helps her get the role of the female lead in his next film. The film is a huge success, but over time, Esther becomes more popular than Norman.

Mrs Honey Skinner asks her husband to demand a raise, but it is denied since the biggest customer of his boss, has withdrawn his business. Problem is that Honey has already told most of her friends about the raise, but Skinner has not had the heart yet to tell her the truth.

A penniless family of con-artists including Colonel Anthony ‘Sahib’ Carleton, his wife Marmy, his daughter George-Anne, and son Richard, befriend the rich spinster, Miss Ellen Fortune, on their way back to London. While initially intending to swindle her, Ellen’s kindness changes their lives forever.  

Happy Days is a musical film which revolves around Margie, a singer who sings on a showboat. When she comes to know that the showboat is in financial trouble, she decides to travel to New York City. She tries to persuade the former stars of the boat to perform in a show, to collect funds and rescue the showboat from financial ruin.

Based on the eponymous novel by Phil Stong, the film is the first of three released versions. The story follows four members of a farmer family preparing for a visit to the State Fair; the parents hoping to win prizes for their boar and pickles and the children looking for romance. While they all have a grand time at the fir site, something they did not plan also takes place.  

One More Spring is a comedy drama film which revolves around three homeless and unemployed people who decide to live together at a maintenance shed at a Park, in order to avoid living on the streets.

Bored with her life, Katherine Brannan decides to marry prominent surgeon Robert Dakin after a drunken night out. But Robert is engaged to socialite Priscilla Kelly. To avoid a scandal, Robert and Katherine decide to pretend to be married for six months and then divorce quietly. They end up falling in love but Priscilla complicates matters. 

Socialite Jack Cromwell has second thoughts regarding his coming marriage, when he sees his fiancée flirting. He runs off to New York, where he meets Molly, daughter of a grocer, who lives in a poor neighborhood. He persuades Molly to return to Southampton with him to make his fiancée jealous. But the two develop a liking for each other in the process. 

Ladies in Love is a romantic comedy drama film which tells the love stories of three working girls living together in a shared apartment, as they look for ways to impress their dates. 

Jotham Klore is a leading canal boater on the Erie Canal. His cook, Molly, who is also his girlfriend likes to work on the canal and sail with him. However, things take an interesting turn, when Molly starts falling for Dan, an aspiring farmer.

After completing their graduation, four college graduates relocate to New York City, looking for employment. However, they soon realize that jobs are scarce and finding employment wouldn’t be as easy as they thought. Although they are great friends, their relationships are strained by their romantic entanglements.  

Although her parents want her to get married to an old prince, a rebellious princess decides to take a stand for herself because she is in love with a common man. But she is unsure if the man will accept her once he learns about her identity.

This silent drama film revolves around Sir Miles O’Hara, and his daughter, who rent out living quarters to a poor family. The problem is that due to their financial condition, they can never pay the rent on time.

Bernardine is a musical comedy film which revolves around Sanford and Beau, two high school students who like to play pranks on others. They enter a fictional woman’s name in a contest, and things get complicated when the contestant wins.

The Blue Eagle is an action drama film which tells the story of George and Big Jim, who are comrades in the Navy, but in the outside world, they are rivals since they both are attracted to the same woman, i.e. Rose, daughter the local policeman. Eventually, it is decided that they will settle their differences through a boxing fight.

A family in California is sent a letter which informs them that unless they travel to Hollywood to pay a fee that they owe, they are going to be evicted. Grandpa decides to go and get the problem solved but the son wants to see Hollywood as well, so his convinces his mother to allow him accompany his granddad.  

Hugh Carver is a football star studying at Prescott College, who falls for a popular party girl named Cynthia Day. Soon, he finds it impossible to keep her happy as well as keep up with his studies and sports training, and therefore their relationship goes through difficulties.

Jimmie, a resident at a boarding house, receives a telegram telling him to pick up a shipment from the train station. However, things don’t go as expected, as on the way to the station, he experiences problems with his car.