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Ethel Waters, actor
Actor

Ethel Waters: Movies & Filmography

films
13
on screen
1929–1989
Career at a glance

Ethel Waters's Career in Numbers

Ethel Waters's films in numbers — as an actor, not counting appearances as themselves: when they were made, the genres Ethel Waters works in most and the milestones along the way. The filmography runs from On With the Show! (1929) to The Sound and the Fury (1959), and the 1940s were the busiest decade.

Ethel Waters Movies by Decade

  1. 1920s 1
  2. 1930s 2
  3. 1940s 5
  4. 1950s 2

The 1940s were Ethel Waters's busiest decade, with 5 films.

Ethel Waters Movies by Genre

  • Drama 4
  • Comedy 2
  • War 1
  • Fantasy 1
  • Music 1
  • Romance 1

Drama is the genre Ethel Waters has worked in most, with 4 films, ahead of comedy (2).

Ethel Waters Career Milestones

First film
On With the Show! 1929
Newest film
The Sound and the Fury 1959
13 credits

Ethel Waters Filmography: Every Movie

Every film Ethel Waters is credited on, newest first, with the role, the box office and the Movie Echo Score. Re-order the list to see the best-rated films or the biggest hits first.

Ethel Waters Movies as an Actor

10
  1. 1959 The Sound and the Fury (1959) movie poster The Sound and the Fury as Dilsey · Drama
  2. 1952 The Member of the Wedding (1952) movie poster The Member of the Wedding as Berenice Sadie Brown · Drama
  3. 1949 Pinky (1949) movie poster Pinky as Dicey Johnson · Drama
  4. 1943 Stage Door Canteen (1943) movie poster Stage Door Canteen as Ethel Waters · War
  5. 1943 Cabin in the Sky (1943) movie poster Cabin in the Sky as Petunia Jackson · Fantasy
  6. 1942 Cairo (1942) movie poster Cairo as Cleona Jones, Marcia's Maid · Music
  7. 1942 Tales of Manhattan (1942) movie poster Tales of Manhattan as Esther · Drama
  8. 1934 Bubbling Over (1934) movie poster Bubbling Over as Ethel Peabody · Comedy
  9. 1933 Rufus Jones for President (1933) movie poster Rufus Jones for President as Mother of Rufus · Comedy
  10. 1929 On With the Show! (1929) movie poster On With the Show! as Ethel · Romance

Ethel Waters in Documentaries & Specials

3
  1. 1989 Wild Women Don’t Have the Blues (1989) movie poster Wild Women Don’t Have the Blues as Self (archive footage)
  2. 1943 The Voice That Thrilled the World (1943) movie poster The Voice That Thrilled the World as Self (segment 'On with the Show!') (archive footage) · History
  3. 1934 Gift of Gab (1934) movie poster Gift of Gab as Herself · Comedy
FAQ

Ethel Waters: Questions & Answers

How many movies Ethel Waters has made, the biggest hit, the best-rated film, the award record and more, answered from the filmography above.

How many movies has Ethel Waters been in?

Ethel Waters is credited on 13 films, from 1929 to 1989. The filmography on this page lists every one of them, newest first, with the role and the Movie Echo Score.

What is Ethel Waters's newest movie?

The most recent film on Ethel Waters's filmography is Wild Women Don’t Have the Blues (1989), in the role of Self (archive footage).

Who does Ethel Waters work with most often?

Ethel Waters shares the most films with Juanita Moore (2 films) and Paul Muni (2 films).

The Best Ethel Waters Movies, Ranked

Top rated, most awarded and biggest box office hits from 13 credits.

See the ranking

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