6 Best J. Farrell MacDonald Movies

By Vlad Zakh · August 2, 2026

J. Farrell MacDonald was one of Hollywood’s most prolific character actors and appeared in hundreds of films from the silent era across five decades. My Darling Clementine settles Wyatt Earp’s score with the Clanton gang, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn follows a girl’s hope and books, The Palm Beach Story leaves a husband for a wealthier suitor, and Meet John Doe spirals a fabricated stunt into a movement. Topper and Sunrise round out the list.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945)

TMDB ★ 7.5

A poor Brooklyn family's dreams and struggles, seen through their determined young daughter.

Directed by Elia Kazan · 2h 08m · Rated PG

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

My Darling Clementine (1946)

TMDB ★ 7.5

A lawman seeking revenge for his brother's murder faces a legendary showdown at the O.K. Corral.

Directed by John Ford · 1h 37m

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Palm Beach Story (1942)

TMDB ★ 7.0

Claudette Colbert plays a woman who leaves her struggling husband to pursue a wealthy new suitor, hoping to help him financially.

Directed by Preston Sturges · 1h 28m · Rated NR

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Meet John Doe (1941)

TMDB ★ 7.3

A fabricated newspaper hoax about a suicidal everyman spirals into an unstoppable political movement.

Directed by Frank Capra · 2h 03m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, Philo, Brew, MGM Plus, Pure Flix, Fandor Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Fandango At Home, FlixFling

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Topper (1937)

TMDB ★ 6.7

Alan Mowbray features in this comedy about a stuffy banker whose life is upended when he is haunted by the ghosts of a fun-loving young couple.

Directed by Norman Z. McLeod · 1h 37m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, Cineverse · Rent or buy: Amazon Video

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927)

IMDb ★ 8.1 RT 98% Metacritic 95

A man's planned murder of his wife unravels into an unexpected reconciliation over one day in the city.

Directed by F. W. Murnau · 1h 34m · Rated NR

Won 3 Oscars10 wins & 2 nominations

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.

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.

6 Best J. Farrell MacDonald Movies

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945)

My Darling Clementine (1946)

The Palm Beach Story (1942)

Meet John Doe (1941)

Topper (1937)

Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927)

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