6 Best Esther Dale Movies

By Vlad Zakh · July 4, 2026

Comedy feel good

Esther Dale brought a sturdy, often comically stern presence to Hollywood’s golden age and excelled as housekeepers, aunts and no-nonsense matriarchs. The Awful Truth undoes a divorcing couple’s new romances, Mr. & Mrs. Smith discovers a marriage was never valid, The Women gossips through a socialite’s husband’s affair, and The Egg and I tests a city couple on a chicken farm. Dead End and Easy Living round out the list.

The Egg and I (1947) 01

The Egg and I (1947)

TMDB ★ 7.1

Donald MacBride appears in this comedy about a city couple whose move to a ramshackle chicken farm tests their marriage and their patience with rural life.

Directed by Chester Erskine · 1h 48m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941) 02

Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941)

TMDB ★ 5.9

A married couple discovers their marriage was never legally valid and must decide what to do about it.

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock · 1h 35m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
The Women (1939) 03

The Women (1939)

TMDB ★ 7.2

Barbara Pepper features in this comedy about a wealthy socialite who navigates gossip, betrayal and divorce among her catty circle of friends.

Directed by George Cukor · 2h 13m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: TCM · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
The Awful Truth (1937) 04

The Awful Truth (1937)

TMDB ★ 7.2

Al Bridge appears as a divorcing couple's attempts to move on with new partners keep sabotaging each other.

Directed by Leo McCarey · 1h 31m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Dead End (1937) 05

Dead End (1937)

TMDB ★ 7.0

Residents of a poor New York slum street cross paths with a notorious gangster who grew up there.

Directed by William Wyler · 1h 33m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent or buy: Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Easy Living (1937) 06

Easy Living (1937)

TMDB ★ 7.2

A woman mistaken for a rich tycoon's mistress after receiving a discarded fur coat navigates comic chaos.

Directed by Mitchell Leisen · 1h 28m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

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Vlad Zakh

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.