The 90 Best Jack Palance Movies

Reference
Updated April 30, 2024 28.9K views 90 items
Ranked By
1.3K votes
317 voters
Voting Rules
Vote for your favorite movies, regardless of critic reviews or how big the role was.

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

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

The list you're viewing has a variety of films in it, like The Godchild and Ebenezer.

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

Notable directors that worked with Jack Palance include names like Tim Burton, Simon Wincer and Alf Kjellin. If Jack Palance movies are your thing, then check out the greatest movies by Ernest Borgnine and James Coburn too.

Most divisive: The Silver Chalice
Over 300 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The 90 Best Jack Palance Movies
  • Shane
    1
    Alan Ladd, Jean Arthur, Van Heflin
    49 votes
    Enigmatic gunslinger Shane (Alan Ladd) rides into a small Wyoming town with hopes of quietly settling down as a farmhand. Taking a job on homesteader Joe Starrett's (Van Heflin) farm, Shane is drawn into a battle between the townsfolk and ruthless cattle baron Rufus Ryker (Emile Meyer). Shane's growing attraction to Starrett's wife, Marian (Jean Arthur), and his fondness for their son Joey (Brandon de Wilde), who idolizes Shane, force Shane to realize that he must thwart Ryker's plan.
  • Bagdad Café
    2
    Marianne Sägebrecht, CCH Pounder, Jack Palance
    17 votes
    German tourist Jasmin Munchgstettner (Marianne Sägebrecht) argues with her husband after car trouble strands them along a dusty highway in the American Southwest. Fuming, she storms off and travels by foot to the nearest outpost of civilization -- the Bagdad Café. Upon arriving, she butts heads with the owner (CCH Pounder), but they soon forge an unlikely friendship. What begins as a few days' respite becomes a prolonged stay as Jasmine finds her niche within this eccentric truck-stop community.
  • City Slickers
    3
    Billy Crystal, Daniel Stern, Bruno Kirby
    38 votes
    City Slickers, a comedy-western film, follows the life of Mitch Robbins (Billy Crystal), a radio ad salesman. On his 39th birthday, he and his two friends, Phil Berquist (Daniel Stern) and Ed Furillo (Bruno Kirby), embark on a two-week cattle drive from New Mexico to Colorado. This adventure is designed to help them escape their city lives. Along the way, they encounter Curly Washburn (Jack Palance), an intimidating cowboy who won an Academy Award for this role. The combination of humor, friendship, and self-discovery makes this movie a must-watch.
  • Panic in the Streets
    4
    Richard Widmark, Paul Douglas, Barbara Bel Geddes
    25 votes
    After Dr. Clint Reed (Richard Widmark) is called in to supervise an autopsy of a unknown man, he discovers that the John Doe died of pneumonic plague. Revealing his discovery to the mayor and city officials, Reed is informed that he has 48 hours before the public will be told about a potential outbreak. Joined by Captain Tom Warren (Paul Douglas) and his wife, Nancy (Barbara Bel Geddes), Reed must race against time to find out where the unknown man came from.
  • Chato's Land
    5
    Charles Bronson, Jack Palance, Richard Basehart
    14 votes
    Half-Apache Pardon Chato (Charles Bronson) finds himself in a bar fight with a bigoted sheriff and kills the man to save his own life. The locals won't accept this defense, though, and angry Civil War veteran Quincey Whitmore (Jack Palance) rounds up a gang of toughs to track down Chato, who is forced to flee the scene. But when the posse finds Chato's family and brutalizes them, the escapee decides it's time to stop running and start taking revenge on the lynch mob.
  • Monte Walsh
    6
    Lee Marvin, Jeanne Moreau, Jack Palance
    24 votes
    At the end of the Wild West era, cowboys Monte Walsh (Lee Marvin) and Chet Rollins (Jack Palance) arrive in the town of Harmony, where they reconnect with their old friend Shorty Austin (Mitch Ryan). The former wanderers do their best to settle down: Chet gets married and finds work, while Monte pursues saloon girl Martine (Jeanne Moreau) to a nearby township. But when the doldrums of sedentary life set in, they begin falling apart and find themselves embroiled in robbery, murder and vandalism.
  • Attack
    7
    Jack Palance, Eddie Albert, Lee Marvin
    27 votes
    Lt. Joe Costa (Jack Palance) is a part of Fragile Fox Company, a National Guard unit sent to a Belgian town in the final stages of World War II. Costa harbors some serious doubts about the leadership abilities of Captain Cooney (Eddie Albert), a coward who only secured his position because of his ties to Lt. Col. Bartlett (Lee Marvin). Cooney's inexperience and his open contempt for Costa threaten the lives of his men as they draw closer to Battle of the Bulge.
  • The Professionals
    8
    Lee Marvin, Burt Lancaster, Claudia Cardinale
    26 votes
    Four soldiers of fortune are hired by a wealthy rancher to rescue his beautiful young wife who has been kidnapped by a villainous Mexican bandit. When they finally find her, after fighting their way across deserts and mountains, they discover she is not being held against her will. This causes friction within the band as to whether they should honor their agreement.
  • Oklahoma Crude
    9
    Faye Dunaway, Jack Palance, George C. Scott
    12 votes
    Oklahoma Crude is a 1973 American drama film directed by Stanley Kramer. It stars George C. Scott and Faye Dunaway. It was entered into the 8th Moscow International Film Festival where Kramer won the Golden Prize for Direction. The song "Send a Little Love My Way" was featured in the film and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song in 1973.
  • Man in the Attic
    10
    Jack Palance, Constance Smith, Byron Palmer
    11 votes
    Jack the Ripper's rampage has all of London gripped in fear -- no matter how many constables patrol the streets, streetwalkers continue to turn up dead. On the night that a fourth woman is killed, the mysterious Slade (Jack Palance) rents out the attic of William and Helen Harley. Later, he meets their niece, Lily Bonner (Constance Smith), an actress. While he intrigues her, his behavior and obsessions arouse suspicion that Slade could be Jack the Ripper -- and Lily his next victim.
  • The Swan Princess
    11
    John Cleese, Jack Palance, Frank Welker
    15 votes
    The Swan Princess is a 1994 American animated musical fantasy film based on the ballet "Swan Lake". Starring the voice talents of Jack Palance, John Cleese, Steven Wright, and Sandy Duncan, the film is directed by a former Disney animation director, Richard Rich, with a music score by Lex de Azevedo. The film was followed by four direct-to-video sequels: The Swan Princess: Escape from Castle Mountain, The Swan Princess: The Mystery of the Enchanted Kingdom, The Swan Princess Christmas, and The Swan Princess: A Royal Family Tale.
  • Sign of the Pagan
    12
    Jack Palance, Allison Hayes, Jeff Chandler
    14 votes
    Sign of the Pagan is a 1954 film starring Jeff Chandler about Attila the Hun and his invasion of Rome.
  • Sudden Fear
    13
    Joan Crawford, Jack Palance, Gloria Grahame
    14 votes
    Following a whirlwind courtship, acclaimed playwright Myra Hudson (Joan Crawford) marries Lester Blaine (Jack Palance), a slick actor she has just fired from her latest play. Shortly after the honeymoon, Myra overhears Lester and his lover, Irene (Gloria Grahame), plotting to murder the wealthy writer for her inheritance. Shattered by the revelation, Myra pulls herself together and hatches a revenge scheme. But can she go through with her violent plans?
  • Tango & Cash
    14
    Sylvester Stallone, Kurt Russell, Teri Hatcher
    13 votes
    Police officers Ray Tango (Sylvester Stallone) and Gabe Cash (Kurt Russell) are narcotics experts working to bring down drug lord Yves Perret (Jack Palance). In an attempt to stymie their efforts, Perret sets up Tango and Cash, making it look as if they've killed an FBI agent. Arrested and put in prison, the two cops formulate an escape plan and, once out, team up with Tango's exotic dancer sister, Katherine (Teri Hatcher), in order to clear their records and take down Perret once and for all.
  • Cops & Robbersons
    15
    Chevy Chase, Jack Palance, Dianne Wiest
    12 votes
    Cops & Robbersons is a 1994 American comedy film directed by Michael Ritchie, and starring Chevy Chase, Jack Palance, Dianne Wiest, and Robert Davi.
  • Batman
    16
    Jack Nicholson, Michael Keaton, Kim Basinger
    24 votes
    In the heart of Gotham City, a shadowy vigilante known as Batman (Michael Keaton) emerges from the darkness to battle crime. Our caped crusader, tormented by his past, is drawn into a complex web spun by The Joker (Jack Nicholson), a deranged villain with a macabre sense of humor. As the city descends into chaos, Batman must navigate through a labyrinth of deceit and danger to save it. This action-packed superhero film, steeped in noir aesthetics, unravels an intricate tale of justice, fear, and redemption. Winning an Academy Award for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Batman redefined the genre with its darkly stylized vision and compelling characters.
  • Barabbas
    17
    Anthony Quinn, Silvana Mangano, Arthur Kennedy
    24 votes
    Epic biblical tale about the criminal who was released by Pontius Pilate in preference to Jesus, prior to the Crucifixion. The action follows Barabbas after his lucky escape, his return to crime and his subsequent recapture and imprisonment in the sulphur mines. Based on the novel by Swedish writer Par Lagerkvist.
  • Bram Stoker's Dracula
    18
    Jack Palance, Simon Ward, Nigel Davenport
    18 votes
    At the request of Count Dracula (Jack Palance), solicitor Jonathan Harker (Murray Brown) visits Transylvania in order to help the count finalize a real estate purchase. While there, he's bewitched by a group of female vampires, and is lucky to escape the castle alive. Meanwhile, back in England, Harker's fiancée, Mina (Penelope Horner), is taken ill, and the attending doctor, Van Helsing (Nigel Davenport), traces the sickness to the recent arrival of the mysterious Dracula.
  • Young Guns
    19
    Emilio Estevez, Kiefer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips
    20 votes
    John Tunstall (Terence Stamp), a distinguished British gentleman, employs downtrodden youths to tend his herd on the New Mexican frontier. When Tunstall is gunned down by the crooked Lawrence G. Murphy (Jack Palance), a ragtag group of cow hands -- including Doc Scurlock (Kiefer Sutherland), Richard Brewer (Charlie Sheen) and young William "Billy the Kid" Bonney (Emilio Estevez) -- ride forth in search of bloody vengeance for the death of their beloved mentor.
  • The Mercenary
    20
    Franco Nero, Tony Musante, Jack Palance
    16 votes
    Sergei Kowalski (Franco Nero), a mercenary only out for himself and a few dollars, joins up with a Mexican peasant-turned-revolutionary, Paco Roman (Tony Musante), when the price is right. No longer content to toil for the rich and powerful, Roman plans to bring a new order to Mexico by force with his small ragtag group. While Roman and Kowalski are outnumbered facing the Mexican army, they also have to contend with Curly (Jack Palance), a vengeful killer out for blood.
  • Compañeros
    21
    Jack Palance, Franco Nero, Fernando Rey
    13 votes
    Compañeros is a Zapata Western directed by Sergio Corbucci in 1970. The film, an Italian-Spanish co-production, stars Franco Nero, Tomas Milian, Jack Palance and Fernando Rey. The soundtrack for the film was written by Ennio Morricone, and the orchestra was conducted by Bruno Nicolai. Compañeros is one of Corbucci's best-known westerns, as well as one of the best-known spaghetti westerns altogether. The film has been compared to Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo, as it intertwines the paths of several characters in the middle of a conflict, but takes place during the Mexican Revolution instead of the American Civil War. Due to the setting and Nero's and Milián's characters, it is similar also to Corbucci's earlier Zapata western, Il mercenario, which was released two years earlier. Alejandro Ulloa was the cinematographer for both films. Compañeros is the only film in which the two stars of Italian genre films, Franco Nero and Tomás Milián, acted together. Nero later complained that Corbucci concentrated too much on Milian, and refused to act in ¡Viva la muerte... tua!, if Corbucci was to direct it.
  • Arrowhead
    22
    Charlton Heston, Jack Palance, Brian Keith
    9 votes
    Arrowhead is a 1953 western film directed by Charles Marquis Warren and starring Charlton Heston and Jack Palance. The film is based on the novel Adobe Walls by W.R.Burnett. The screenplay was also by Charles Marquis Warren.
  • The Big Knife
    23
    Jack Palance, Ida Lupino, Rod Steiger
    15 votes
    Movie star Charlie Castle (Jack Palance) draws the ire of Hollywood producer Stanley Hoff (Rod Steiger) when he refuses to sign a new seven-year contract. Castle is sick of the low quality of the studio's films and wants to start a new life. While his estranged wife (Ida Lupino) supports him in the decision, Castle's talent agent (Everett Sloane) urges him to reconsider. When Castle continues to be uncooperative, Hoff resorts to blackmail in order to get his way.
  • City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold
    24
    Billy Crystal, Daniel Stern, Jon Lovitz
    20 votes
    Two years after a momentous cattle drive under the guidance of cowboy Curly (Jack Palance) in the first "City Slickers," Curly has passed away, and Mitch (Billy Crystal) discovers the dead man's treasure map, which shows the location of a hidden cave containing the stash. With his brother Glen (Jon Lovitz) and best friend Phil (Daniel Stern), Mitch sets out to find Curly's gold. On the trail, the trio once again battle danger, this time with the help of Curly's twin brother, Duke (Palance).
  • Sarah, Plain and Tall: Winter's End
    25
    Glenn Close, Christopher Walken, Jack Palance
    8 votes
    In this final chapter of the "Sarah, Plain and Tall" series, Sarah Witting (Glenn Close) and her husband, Jacob (Christopher Walken), are taken by surprise when Jacob's father, John (Jack Palance), who abandoned his son and family many years earlier, returns to live with the Wittings as he faces the end of his life. As Jacob struggles to reconcile with John, the Wittings' children face troubles of their own, leaving Sarah alone to lead her family through their travails in rural 1920s Kansas.
  • The Lonely Man
    26

    The Lonely Man

    Anthony Perkins, Jack Palance, Lee Van Cleef
    8 votes
    The Lonely Man is a 1957 western film directed by Henry Levin.
  • Ten Seconds to Hell
    27
    Jeff Chandler, Jack Palance, Martine Carol
    11 votes
    After the end of World War II, six German soldiers return to Berlin and form a bomb disposal unit. Defusing bombs is extremely risky business, so every week the group contributes to a fund that will go to the last man standing. Only Karl Wirtz (Jeff Chandler) and Eric Koertner (Jack Palance) are left, and their once solid friendship is starting to crack. Adding to the tension is their rivalry over a local woman (Martine Carol) and one last job that could change everything.
  • Che!
    28
    Omar Sharif, Jack Palance, Cesare Danova
    24 votes
    Based on the real life of the famed Argentine revolutionary, this film follows Ernesto "Che" Guevara (Omar Sharif) as he joins the conflict in Cuba during the 1950s. Working his way up in the ranks, Guevara eventually becomes the right-hand man to Fidel Castro (Jack Palance), who is determined to overthrow the Cuban dictatorship. After the revolution succeeds, Guevara plays a key role in punishing war criminals and establishing a new Cuban government, even as his international fame grows.
  • I Died a Thousand Times
    29
    Jack Palance, Shelley Winters
    15 votes
    I Died a Thousand Times is a 1955 color film noir directed by Stuart Heisler. The drama features Jack Palance as paroled bank robber Roy Earle, with Shelley Winters, Lee Marvin, Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez, and Lon Chaney, Jr. I Died a Thousand Times is a scene-by-scene remake of the 1941's High Sierra, which was based upon a novel by W.R. Burnett and starred Humphrey Bogart as Earle. The same story had also been transformed into a Western in 1949, Colorado Territory with Joel McCrea. The film marks the third motion picture appearance of Dennis Hopper's six-decade career, and Nick Adams makes an uncredited appearance as a bellhop.
  • Austerlitz
    30
    Orson Welles, Claudia Cardinale, Jack Palance
    7 votes
    Austerlitz is a 1960 film directed by Abel Gance and starring Jean Marais, Rossano Brazzi, Jack Palance, Claudia Cardinale, Vittorio de Sica, Orson Welles, Leslie Caron and Elvire Popesco. Pierre Mondy portrays Napoleon in this film about his victory at the Battle of Austerlitz. Leslie Caron plays the role of his mistress Elisabeth Le Michaud d'Arçon.