The Best William Holden Movies, Ranked
88 credits from 1929 to 2011, ranked by the Movie Echo Score — a blend of critic reviews, audience ratings and lasting impact. The biggest box office hit is The Towering Inferno (1974) with $116M worldwide. Below: the best films by genre and by decade, the most awarded and the newest releases.
Biggest William Holden Box Office Hits
William Holden's films have made $213M worldwide in total. The Towering Inferno (1974) is the biggest hit at $116M, ahead of The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) ($27.2M). Lifetime grosses, with each film's domestic share.
- 1
The Towering Inferno 1974 · Action $116M $116M dom. - 2
The Bridge on the River Kwai 1957 · Adventure $27.2M $27.2M dom. - 3
Damien: Omen II 1978 · Horror $26.5M $26.5M dom. - 4
Network 1976 · Drama $23.7M $23.7M dom. - 5
S.O.B. 1981 · Drama $14.9M $14.9M dom. - 6
When Time Ran Out... 1980 · Action $3.76M $3.76M dom. - 7
The Wild Bunch 1969 · Action $641K $639K dom. - 8
Sunset Boulevard 1950 · Drama $310K $300K dom. - 9
Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing 1955 · Romance $29.3K - 10
Breezy 1973 · Drama $17.8K
The Best William Holden Movie in Every Genre
The best-rated film in each genre William Holden has worked in, the genres with the most films first. Drama leads with 29 films, and Network (1976) is the pick of them.
- Drama 29 films Network 1976
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Comedy 11 films Casino Royale 1967 - Romance 7 films Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing 1955 · as Mark Elliott
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War 6 films The Bridges at Toko-Ri 1954 · as Lt. Harry Brubaker - Action 5 films The Towering Inferno 1974
- Adventure 4 films The Bridge on the River Kwai 1957
- Horror 2 films Damien: Omen II 1978
The Best William Holden Movie of Each Decade
One pick per decade of William Holden's career, newest decade first: the best-rated film of each ten years, from 1950s to 1980s.
Most Awarded William Holden Movies
William Holden's films with wins at the Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA and the other ceremonies in the awards database, the most decorated first. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) leads with 14 wins from 16 nominations.
The Latest William Holden Movies
The most recent films William Holden is credited on, newest first — starting with Cask of Amontilado (2011). Open any of them for the cast, ratings, box office and where to watch.
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Cask of Amontilado 2011 · Grandson -
Sally’s Beauty Spot 1990 · Robert Lomax (archive footage) -
Bring Me the Head of Charlie Brown 1986 · Charlie Brown (voice) (archive sound) - S.O.B. 1981 · Drama
- When Time Ran Out... 1980 · Action
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Escape to Athena 1979 · POW (uncredited) -
Ashanti 1979 · Jim Sandell - Damien: Omen II 1978 · Horror
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Fedora 1978 · Barry Detweiler - Network 1976 · Drama
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21 Hours at Munich 1976 · Manfred Schreiber - The Towering Inferno 1974 · Action
The Best William Holden Movies: Questions & Answers
The best-rated, highest-grossing, most awarded and newest William Holden films, answered from the rankings on this page.
What is the highest-grossing William Holden movie?
The Towering Inferno (1974) made the most at the box office, with $116M worldwide, followed by The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) with $27.2M. Together, William Holden's films with box office figures have made $213M.
Which William Holden movie won the most awards?
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) is the most decorated William Holden film, with 14 wins from 16 nominations across the Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA and the other ceremonies in the awards database.
What is the best William Holden drama movie?
Network (1976) is the best-rated of William Holden's drama films. In other genres: Casino Royale (comedy), Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (romance) and The Bridges at Toko-Ri (war).
What is the newest William Holden movie?
The newest film on William Holden's filmography is Cask of Amontilado (2011), with William Holden as Grandson.
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