Inspirational Women's History Performer Biopics
by urbanemovies | created - 21 Mar 2019 | updated - 06 Feb 2023 | PublicEach March in the USA, we recognize female achievements during Women's History Month. Biographical movies are a great way to educate the public about landmark events in the struggle for gender equality. At the same time, these movies honor and celebrate each woman's achievement with the star power they deserve. Bios Source: Wikipedia.com In honor of these trailblazing women:
Which of these select female performance artists* inspires you the most, or alternatively their biopic does? * PERFORMANCE ARTS: Actresses, Dancers, Vaudeville/Theater/Burlesque Performers, Circus Performers, Models, Comediennes, Entertainers, Etc.
Women's History Month Companion Polls Leader Biopics : Trailblazer Biopics : Humanitarian Biopics : Sports Biopics : Writer Biopics : Singer/Musician Biopics : Visual Artist Biopics : Performance Artist Biopics
Discuss the topic here.
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1. My Week with Marilyn (2011)
R | 99 min | Biography, Drama
Colin Clark, an employee of Sir Laurence Olivier, documents the tense interaction between Olivier and Marilyn Monroe during the production of The Prince and the Showgirl (1957).
Director: Simon Curtis | Stars: Michelle Williams, Eddie Redmayne, Kenneth Branagh, Julia Ormond
Votes: 89,586 | Gross: $14.60M
Marilyn Monroe: Actress
Alternative Biopics: Blonde (2022), Norma Jean & Marilyn (1996) and Blonde (2001)
2. The Josephine Baker Story (1991 TV Movie)
R | 130 min | Biography, Drama, History
Born poor in St. Louis, Missouri, Josephine Baker achieved fame and fortune through her sizzlingly exotic, erotic performances. Starting life on the American Vaudeville circuit, success ... See full summary »
Director: Brian Gibson | Stars: Lynn Whitfield, Rubén Blades, David Dukes, Louis Gossett Jr.
Votes: 1,587
Josephine Baker: Entertainer
Alternative Biopics: Joséphine Baker, première icône noire (2018)
3. Being the Ricardos (2021)
R | 131 min | Biography, Drama
Follows Lucy and Desi as they face a crisis that could end their careers--and another that could end their marriage.
Director: Aaron Sorkin | Stars: Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, J.K. Simmons, Nina Arianda
Votes: 44,670
Lucille Ball: Comedienne and Actress
Alternative Biopics: Lucy and Desi (2022), Lucy and Desi: A Home Movie (1993) and Lucy & Desi: Before the Laughter (1991)
4. Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999 TV Movie)
R | 120 min | Biography, Drama, Music
Dorothy Dandridge's way to fame and fortune as a dancer, singer and actress.
Director: Martha Coolidge | Stars: Halle Berry, Brent Spiner, Klaus Maria Brandauer, Obba Babatundé
Votes: 3,917
Dorothy Dandridge: Entertainer
5. Walk the Line (2005)
PG-13 | 136 min | Biography, Drama, Music
A chronicle of country music legend Johnny Cash's life, from his early days on an Arkansas cotton farm to his rise to fame with Sun Records in Memphis, where he recorded alongside Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins.
Director: James Mangold | Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Ginnifer Goodwin, Robert Patrick
Votes: 265,756 | Gross: $119.52M
June Carter Cash: Singer, Songwriter, Actress, Dancer, and Comedienne
Alternative Biopics: Ring of Fire (2013)
6. What's Love Got to Do with It (1993)
R | 118 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The story of singer Tina Turner's rise to stardom and how she gained the courage to break free from her abusive husband, Ike Turner.
Director: Brian Gibson | Stars: Angela Bassett, Laurence Fishburne, RaéVen Kelly, Virginia Capers
Votes: 24,566 | Gross: $39.10M
Tina Turner: Rock Star and Actress
7. Judy (II) (2019)
PG-13 | 118 min | Biography, Drama, Music
Legendary performer Judy Garland arrives in London in the winter of 1968 to perform a series of sold-out concerts.
Director: Rupert Goold | Stars: Renée Zellweger, Jessie Buckley, Finn Wittrock, Rufus Sewell
Votes: 54,813
Judy Garland: Singer and Actress
Alternative Biopics: Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows (2001)
8. Funny Girl (1968)
G | 151 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
The life of Fanny Brice, famed comedienne and entertainer of the early 1900s. We see her rise to fame as a Ziegfeld girl, subsequent career, and her personal life, particularly her relationship with Nick Arnstein.
Director: William Wyler | Stars: Barbra Streisand, Omar Sharif, Kay Medford, Anne Francis
Votes: 25,142 | Gross: $58.50M
Fanny Brice: Comedian and Vaudeville Performer
Alternative Biopic: Funny Lady (1975)
9. Grace of Monaco (2014)
Not Rated | 103 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
The story of former Hollywood star Grace Kelly's crisis of marriage and identity, during a political dispute between Monaco's Prince Rainier III and France's Charles De Gaulle, and a looming French invasion of Monaco in the early 1960s.
Director: Olivier Dahan | Stars: Nicole Kidman, Tim Roth, André Penvern, Frank Langella
Votes: 21,181
Grace Kelly: Actress
10. The Audrey Hepburn Story (2000 TV Movie)
PG | 133 min | Biography, Drama
Biographic made-for-TV movie of the life of one of Hollywood's most famous actreses: Audrey Hepburn, spaning from her early childhood to the 1960's which details her life as Dutch ... See full summary »
Director: Steven Robman | Stars: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Frances Fisher, Keir Dullea, Gabriel Macht
Votes: 2,749
Audrey Hepburn: Actress
Alternative Biopic: Audrey (2020)
11. Ingrid Bergman: In Her Own Words (2015)
Not Rated | 114 min | Documentary, Biography
A captivating look behind the scenes of the remarkable life of a young Swedish girl who became one of the most celebrated actresses of American and World cinema.
Director: Stig Björkman | Stars: Ingrid Bergman, Pia Lindström, Roberto Rossellini, Isotta Rossellini
Votes: 2,493 | Gross: $0.14M
Ingrid Bergman: Actress
Alternative Biopic: Ingrid (1984)
12. Annie Get Your Gun (1950)
Passed | 107 min | Comedy, Musical, Romance
The story of the great sharpshooter Annie Oakley, who rose to fame while dealing with her love/professional rival, Frank Butler.
Directors: George Sidney, Busby Berkeley | Stars: Betty Hutton, Howard Keel, Louis Calhern, J. Carrol Naish
Votes: 5,274 | Gross: $8.00M
Annie Oakley: Buffalo Bill's Wild West Markswoman
Alternative Biopic: Annie Oakley (1935)
13. Isadora (1968)
M/PG | 131 min | Biography, Drama, Music
A biography of the 1920s dancer Isadora Duncan, who forever changed people's ideas of ballet. Her nude, semi-nude, and pro-Soviet dance projects as well as her attitude and lifestyle shocked the public of her time.
Director: Karel Reisz | Stars: Vanessa Redgrave, James Fox, Jason Robards, John Fraser
Votes: 2,607
Isadora Duncan: Dancer
Alternative Biopic: Isadora Duncan, the Biggest Dancer in the World (1966), La danseuse (2016), and Dekabr
14. Calamity Jane (1953)
Passed | 101 min | Musical, Romance, Western
The story of Calamity Jane, her saloon, and her romance with Wild Bill Hickok.
Director: David Butler | Stars: Doris Day, Howard Keel, Allyn Ann McLerie, Philip Carey
Votes: 10,841
Calamity Jane: Buffalo Bill's Wild West Storyteller
Alternative Biopic: Wild Bill (1995)
15. Feud (2017–2024)
TV-MA | 60 min | Biography, Drama
An anthology series centering on famous feuds, including Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, and Truman Capote and the New York elite.
Stars: Jessica Lange, Alison Wright, Naomi Watts, Susan Sarandon
Votes: 25,973
Bette Davis: Actress
16. Gilda Radner: It's Always Something (2002 TV Movie)
90 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
A biography about famous comedienne Gilda Radner, the woman who made the leap to success on Saturday Night Live (1975).
Director: Duane Clark | Stars: Jami Gertz, Tom Rooney, George Wyner, Eric Siegel
Votes: 471
Gilda Radner: Comedienne
Alternative Biopic: Love, Gilda (2018)
17. Evita (1996)
PG | 135 min | Biography, Drama, History
The hit musical based on the life of Eva Perón (Evita Duarte), a B-picture Argentinian actress who eventually became the wife of Argentinian president Juan Domingo Perón, and the most beloved and hated woman in Argentina.
Director: Alan Parker | Stars: Madonna, Jonathan Pryce, Antonio Banderas, Jimmy Nail
Votes: 37,566 | Gross: $50.05M
Eva Peron: Singer and Actress
Alternative Biopic: Eva Perón (1996)
18. Girl with a Pearl Earring (2003)
PG-13 | 100 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
A young peasant maid working in the house of painter Johannes Vermeer becomes his talented assistant and the model for one of his most famous works.
Director: Peter Webber | Stars: Scarlett Johansson, Colin Firth, Tom Wilkinson, Judy Parfitt
Votes: 82,639 | Gross: $11.63M
Griet: Model
19. The Girl (2012 TV Movie)
TV-14 | 91 min | Biography, Drama
The turbulent relationship between filmmaker Sir Alfred Hitchcock (Toby Jones) and actress Tippi Hedren (Sienna Miller).
Director: Julian Jarrold | Stars: Sienna Miller, Toby Jones, Imelda Staunton, Conrad Kemp
Votes: 7,206
Tippi Hedren: Actress
20. The Actress (1953)
Passed | 90 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
This is an account of the real life experience of actress/playwright Ruth Gordon.
Director: George Cukor | Stars: Spencer Tracy, Jean Simmons, Teresa Wright, Anthony Perkins
Votes: 1,504
Ruth Gordon: Actress and Screenwriter *auto-biographical
21. Mommie Dearest (1981)
R | 129 min | Biography, Drama
The abusive and traumatic adoptive upbringing of Christina Crawford at the hands of her mother, screen queen Joan Crawford, is depicted.
Director: Frank Perry | Stars: Faye Dunaway, Diana Scarwid, Steve Forrest, Howard Da Silva
Votes: 18,326 | Gross: $19.03M
Joan Crawford: Actress
Alternative Biopic: Feud (2017)
22. Fighting with My Family (2019)
PG-13 | 108 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
A former wrestler and his family make a living performing at small venues around the country while his kids dream of joining World Wrestling Entertainment.
Director: Stephen Merchant | Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Lena Headey, Vince Vaughn, Florence Pugh
Votes: 87,536 | Gross: $22.96M
Saraya "Paige" Bevis: Pro Wrestler and Actress
23. Marina Abramovic: The Artist Is Present (2012)
Not Rated | 106 min | Documentary, Biography, History
A documentary that follows the Serbian performance artist as she prepares for a retrospective of her work at The Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Directors: Matthew Akers, Jeff Dupre | Stars: Marina Abramovic, Ulay, Klaus Biesenbach, David Balliano
Votes: 6,473 | Gross: $0.09M
Marina Abramovic: Performance Artist
24. Lola Montès (1955)
Not Rated | 116 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
When she is reduced to appearing in a circus, a notorious beauty thinks back on her past loves.
Director: Max Ophüls | Stars: Martine Carol, Peter Ustinov, Anton Walbrook, Henri Guisol
Votes: 6,045 | Gross: $0.11M
Lola Montez: Dancer and Circus Performer
Alternative Biopic: Lola Montes (1944)
25. I'll Cry Tomorrow (1955)
Passed | 117 min | Biography, Drama, Music
Susan Hayward stars as singer-actress Lillian Roth, whose rise to stardom was nearly destroyed by alcoholism.
Director: Daniel Mann | Stars: Susan Hayward, Richard Conte, Eddie Albert, Jo Van Fleet
Votes: 2,485
Lillian Roth: Broadway Actress
26. Center Stage (1991)
126 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
Biopic of 1930s Chinese actress Lingyu Ruan.
Director: Stanley Kwan | Stars: Maggie Cheung, Han Chin, Tony Ka Fai Leung, Carina Lau
Votes: 2,718
Ruan Ling Yu: Actress
27. Mahanati (2018)
Not Rated | 177 min | Biography, Drama
Biography of Savitri, an actress from South India movie industry, who ruled the industry for two decades during 50s and 60s.
Director: Nag Ashwin | Stars: Keerthy Suresh, Dulquer Salmaan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Vijay Deverakonda
Votes: 14,609
Savitri: Actress
Added 30 January 2023
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