6 Best Ruth Gordon Movies

By Vlad Zakh · January 22, 2026

Ruth Gordon reinvented herself late in life as one of the screen’s most delightfully eccentric character actresses, capping a career as an acclaimed writer with two of cinema’s best-loved cult performances, Harold and Maude and Rosemary’s Baby. Harold and Maude pairs a death-obsessed young man with a free-spirited elder, Rosemary’s Baby has a pregnant woman suspecting her neighbours, Lord Love a Duck grants a student’s friend every wish, and Every Which Way but Loose joins a brawler and an orangutan on the road. Inside Daisy Clover and Abe Lincoln in Illinois round out the list.

Every Which Way but Loose (1978)

TMDB ★ 6.4

A bare-knuckle brawler and his orangutan companion road-trip in search of a woman who left him.

Directed by James Fargo · 1h 50m · Rated PG

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

Harold and Maude (1971)

TMDB ★ 7.9

A death-obsessed young man who stages elaborate fake suicides falls for a life-loving elderly woman.

Directed by Hal Ashby · 1h 32m · Rated PG

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Rosemary's Baby (1968)

IMDb ★ 8.0 RT 97% Metacritic 96

A pregnant woman grows convinced her neighbours have disturbing plans for her unborn child.

Directed by Roman Polanski · 2h 18m · Rated R

Won 1 Oscar13 wins & 13 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, Paramount+ Amazon Channel · Rent: JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Lord Love a Duck (1966)

TMDB ★ 6.7

A scheming high school student grants his obsessive friend's every materialistic wish.

Directed by George Axelrod · 1h 45m

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus, ScreenPix Apple TV channel

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Inside Daisy Clover (1965)

TMDB ★ 6.3

A rebellious teenage girl's rapid rise to Hollywood stardom exposes the industry's darker side.

Directed by Robert Mulligan · 2h 08m · Rated NR

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940)

TMDB ★ 6.7

A young, self-taught lawyer rises from humble beginnings towards the presidency.

Directed by John Cromwell · 1h 50m · 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.

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 Ruth Gordon Movies

Every Which Way but Loose (1978)

Harold and Maude (1971)

Rosemary's Baby (1968)

Lord Love a Duck (1966)

Inside Daisy Clover (1965)

Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940)

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