6 Best Richard Carlson Movies

By Vlad Zakh · July 14, 2026

Richard Carlson brought an earnest, likeable presence to Hollywood and became an unlikely icon of 1950s science fiction as one of the genre’s most reliable leading men. Creature from the Black Lagoon wakes an amphibious creature in the Amazon, The Valley of Gwangi finds surviving dinosaurs, Hold That Ghost inherits a haunted roadhouse, and The Little Foxes schemes against a Southern family. The Howards of Virginia and The Young in Heart round out the list.

The Valley of Gwangi (1969)

TMDB ★ 7.1

Richard Carlson features in this western-monster mashup where cowboys discover a hidden valley of surviving dinosaurs and try to capture one.

Directed by Jim O'Connolly · 1h 36m · Rated G

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

TMDB ★ 6.8

A scientific expedition in the Amazon awakens a prehistoric amphibious creature guarding its ancient lagoon.

Directed by Jack Arnold · 1h 19m · Rated G

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Hold That Ghost (1941)

TMDB ★ 6.8

Two bumbling gas station attendants inherit a haunted roadhouse rumoured to hide stolen loot.

Directed by Arthur Lubin · 1h 26m · Rated NR

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Little Foxes (1941)

TMDB ★ 7.5

Bette Davis plays a ruthless Southern matriarch scheming against her own greedy brothers to seize control of the family fortune.

Directed by William Wyler · 1h 57m

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Howards of Virginia (1940)

TMDB ★ 6.7

Richard Carlson appears as a rugged frontiersman whose marriage into Virginia aristocracy is tested by the coming revolution.

Directed by Frank Lloyd · 1h 56m · Rated NR

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Young in Heart (1938)

TMDB ★ 6.6

Richard Carlson features in this comedy about a family of charming con artists who target a wealthy widow and end up growing genuinely fond of her.

Directed by Richard Wallace · 1h 30m

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent or buy: Amazon Video

▶ 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 Richard Carlson Movies

The Valley of Gwangi (1969)

Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

Hold That Ghost (1941)

The Little Foxes (1941)

The Howards of Virginia (1940)

The Young in Heart (1938)

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