Sort by Popularity - Most Popular Movies and TV Shows With Esther Rolle
- Job Types
- Movies or TV
- Genres
- Keywords
- IMDb Rating
- Instant Watch Options
- In Theaters
- Release Year
1. Murder, She Wrote (1984–1996)
TV-PG | 50 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Professional writer and amateur sleuth Jessica Fletcher uses her intellect, charm, and persistence to get to the bottom of every crime she encounters.
Stars: Angela Lansbury, William Windom, Ron Masak, Louis Herthum
Votes: 29,435
2. The Love Boat (1977–1987)
TV-G | 60 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
The romantic and comic tales of the passengers and crew of the cruise ship, Pacific Princess.
Stars: Gavin MacLeod, Bernie Kopell, Ted Lange, Fred Grandy
Votes: 13,705
3. Cape Fear (1991)
R | 128 min | Crime, Thriller
A convicted rapist, released from prison after serving a fourteen-year sentence, stalks the family of the lawyer who originally defended him.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robert De Niro, Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange, Juliette Lewis
Votes: 217,504 | Gross: $79.10M
4. Good Times (1974–1979)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy
A poor family make the best of things in the Chicago housing projects.
Stars: Ja'net DuBois, Ralph Carter, BernNadette Stanis, Jimmie 'JJ' Walker
Votes: 8,161
5. The Incredible Hulk (1978–1982)
TV-PG | 60 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A fugitive scientist has the curse of becoming a powerful green monster under extreme emotional stress.
Stars: Bill Bixby, Lou Ferrigno, Jack Colvin, Charles Napier
Votes: 16,210
6. Touched by an Angel (1994–2003)
TV-G | 60 min | Drama, Family, Fantasy
Three angels are sent to Earth to tell depressed and troubled people that God loves them and hasn't forgotten them.
Stars: Roma Downey, Della Reese, John Dye, Valerie Bertinelli
Votes: 8,046
7. Fantasy Island (1977–1984)
TV-G | 60 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
The mysterious Mr. Roarke runs a unique resort island in the Pacific Ocean that can fulfill any fantasy, but they rarely turn out as expected.
Stars: Ricardo Montalban, Hervé Villechaize, Wendy Schaal, Christopher Hewett
Votes: 9,019
8. One Life to Live (1968–2013)
TV-PG | 60 min | Drama, Romance
One Life to Live centres takes place in the fictional town of Llanview, PA.around the wealthy Lord family, and the middle-class Woleks and Rileys.
Stars: Erika Slezak, Michael Storm, Michael Easton, Kristen Alderson
Votes: 2,644
9. The New Mike Hammer (1984–1989)
TV-PG | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The cases of Mickey Spillane's classic private eye character.
Stars: Stacy Keach, Lindsay Bloom, Don Stroud, Kent Williams
Votes: 1,288
10. Maude (1972–1978)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy
"All In The Family" spin-off centered around Edith's cousin, Maude Findlay, a liberal, independent woman living in Tuckahoe, New York.
Stars: Bea Arthur, Bill Macy, Conrad Bain, Adrienne Barbeau
Votes: 4,715
11. Driving Miss Daisy (1989)
PG | 99 min | Comedy, Drama
An old Jewish woman and her African-American chauffeur in the American South have a relationship that grows and improves over the years.
Director: Bruce Beresford | Stars: Morgan Freeman, Jessica Tandy, Dan Aykroyd, Patti LuPone
Votes: 117,818 | Gross: $106.59M
12. Match Game (1973–1990)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy, Game-Show
The five-day-a-week syndicated successor to the popular CBS game show, where two could compete to match fill-in-the-blank phrases with those of the celebrities.
Stars: Gene Rayburn, Johnny Olson, Brett Somers, Richard Dawson
Votes: 2,490
13. Poltergeist: The Legacy (1996–1999)
TV-14 | 60 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
A group of poltergeist experts locate, retrieve, confiscate, or otherwise do what it takes to fix haunting situations.
Stars: Derek de Lint, Martin Cummins, Robbi Chong, Helen Shaver
Votes: 1,996
14. American Masters (1985– )
TV-14 | 90 min | Documentary, Biography, History
Documentary series focusing on great American artists and personalities.
Stars: Martin Scorsese, Peter Bogdanovich, Tony Bennett, Dick Cavett
Votes: 1,184
15. Scarlett (1994)
PG-13 | 90 min | Drama, Romance
In this long-awaited sequel to Gone With the Wind, Scarlett's flight from the scrutiny of Atlanta society takes her on a journey to Savannah, Charleston, England, and Ireland, where she discovers her family's roots.
Stars: Joanne Whalley, Timothy Dalton, Annabeth Gish, Julie Harris
Votes: 3,402
16. How to Make an American Quilt (1995)
PG-13 | 117 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Bride-to-be Finn Dodd hears tales of romance and sorrow from her elders as they construct a quilt.
Director: Jocelyn Moorhouse | Stars: Winona Ryder, Ellen Burstyn, Anne Bancroft, Kaelynn Craddick
Votes: 12,523 | Gross: $23.57M
17. The Mighty Quinn (1989)
R | 98 min | Action, Crime, Drama
When police officer Xavier Quinn's childhood friend, Maubee, becomes associated with murder and a briefcase full of ten thousand dollar bills, The Mighty Quinn must clear his name. Or try to catch him, which could be even trickier.
Director: Carl Schenkel | Stars: Denzel Washington, Robert Townsend, James Fox, Mimi Rogers
Votes: 6,575 | Gross: $4.56M
18. Rosewood (1997)
R | 140 min | Action, Drama, History
A dramatization of a 1923 horrific racist lynch mob attack on an African-American community.
Director: John Singleton | Stars: Jon Voight, Ving Rhames, Don Cheadle, Bruce McGill
Votes: 8,916 | Gross: $13.10M
19. My Fellow Americans (1996)
PG-13 | 101 min | Adventure, Comedy
Two former U. S. Presidents, hated rivals, join forces to expose the current, corrupt President at the risk of their lives.
Director: Peter Segal | Stars: Jack Lemmon, James Garner, Dan Aykroyd, John Heard
Votes: 15,933 | Gross: $22.29M
20. Promised Land (1996–1999)
TV-G | 60 min | Drama
A family devotes their lives to traveling the country to help those in need.
Stars: Gerald McRaney, Wendy Phillips, Austin O'Brien, Sarah Schaub
Votes: 768
21. American Playhouse (1980–1994)
61 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Anthology series which ran on PBS throughout the 1980s.
Stars: Jeffrey DeMunn, Elizabeth Franz, Edward Herrmann, Sada Thompson
Votes: 420
22. Nothing But a Man (1964)
Not Rated | 95 min | Drama, Romance
A black man and his school-teacher wife face discriminatory challenges in 1960s America.
Director: Michael Roemer | Stars: Ivan Dixon, Abbey Lincoln, Julius Harris, Gloria Foster
Votes: 2,028 | Gross: $0.02M
23. Cleopatra Jones (1973)
PG | 89 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
During the 1970s, U.S. Special Agent Cleopatra Jones proves to be an invaluable asset to the local police forces in the war on drugs.
Director: Jack Starrett | Stars: Tamara Dobson, Bernie Casey, Brenda Sykes, Antonio Fargas
Votes: 3,541 | Gross: $2.98M
24. Flamingo Road (1980–1982)
60 min | Drama, Romance
The lives and trials of the residents of Truro, Florida.
Stars: John Beck, Woody Brown, Howard Duff, Morgan Fairchild
Votes: 469
25. The Mike Douglas Show (1961–1982)
89 min | Comedy, Music, Talk-Show
Mike Douglas, aided by a different celebrity co-host every week, interviews a variety of figures from the world of entertainment.
Stars: Mike Douglas, Ellie Frankel, Ellie Frankel Sextet, Stan Kann
Votes: 580
26. House of Cards (1993)
PG-13 | 109 min | Drama
A widow tries to find out why her daughter's strange behavior, a reaction to her father's death, is progressively worsening.
Director: Michael Lessac | Stars: Kathleen Turner, Tommy Lee Jones, Asha Menina, Shiloh Strong
Votes: 2,955 | Gross: $0.32M
27. To Dance with the White Dog (1993 TV Movie)
PG | 100 min | Drama
An unusual love story in which a strange white dog appears and helps Sam Peek, a Georgia tree farmer, cope with the loss of his wife, Cora. Stars Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy. From the Hallmark Hall of Fame Collection.
Director: Glenn Jordan | Stars: Hume Cronyn, Jessica Tandy, Christine Baranski, Terry Beaver
Votes: 692
28. N.Y.P.D. (1967–1969)
30 min | Crime, Drama
The three detectives fight every kind of criminal all over New York City. The show featured many actual New York City locations, as well as episodes based on real New York City police cases.
Stars: Jack Warden, Robert Hooks, Frank Converse, Ted Beniades
Votes: 344
29. Match Game PM (1975–1981)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy, Family, Game-Show
A group of celebrities would be given a sentence with a missing word, which they would then have to fill in. The contestants would then give their own answer, and scored points according to how many celebrities gave the same answer.
Stars: Gene Rayburn, Johnny Olson, Brett Somers, Charles Nelson Reilly
Votes: 554
30. The Merv Griffin Show (1962–1986)
TV-PG | 60 min | Comedy, Family, Music
Merv Griffin invites a series of actors, actresses, writers, and directors to discuss the progressive work they have done and current culture, arts, and entertainment surrounding the numerous projects.
Stars: Merv Griffin, Mort Lindsey, Mort Lindsey Orchestra, Arthur Treacher
Votes: 610
31. Darkroom (1981–1982)
60 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
"Darkroom" was a hosted horror/thriller anthology series hosted by James Coburn.
Stars: James Coburn, Helen Hunt, David Carradine, Billy Crystal
Votes: 351
32. Up the Down Staircase (1967)
Approved | 124 min | Drama
The experiences of a young female English teacher in an inner-city New York high school.
Director: Robert Mulligan | Stars: Patrick Bedford, Sandy Dennis, Eileen Heckart, Ruth White
Votes: 2,482
33. Donny and Marie (1975–1979)
60 min | Music
Long running variety show, featuring the brother-sister singing duo of Donny and Marie Osmond. The first season also featured all of the Osmond families, but Donny and Marie were obviously ... See full summary »
Stars: Donny Osmond, Marie Osmond, Paul Lynde, Ruth Buzzi
Votes: 491
34. The New Odd Couple (1982–1983)
30 min | Comedy
An African American remake of the television series inspired by the Neil Simon play about two friends living together despite their completely disparate attitudes to life.
Stars: Ron Glass, Demond Wilson, John Schuck, Bart Braverman
Votes: 172
35. Finder of Lost Loves (1984–1985)
Drama
Cary Maxwell is a private investigator and owner of Maxwell Unlimited. MU specializes in helping people find their lost loves. Each week Maxwell, along with Daisy Lloyd and Rita Hargrove, ... See full summary »
Stars: Anthony Franciosa, Deborah Adair, Anne Jeffreys, Richard Kantor
Votes: 121
36. Down in the Delta (1998)
PG-13 | 112 min | Drama
In a desperate attempt to change her life, Loretta -- a troubled single mother from a tough Chicago neighborhood -- is sent to spend a summer at her family's ancestral home in rural Mississippi.
Director: Maya Angelou | Stars: Alfre Woodard, Al Freeman Jr., Mary Alice, Esther Rolle
Votes: 1,900 | Gross: $5.66M
37. Dinah! (1974–1980)
90 min | Comedy, Music, Talk-Show
Dinah's show premiered 9 September 1974 and continued through to 4 September 1981. She started out the 70's with Dinah's Place which usually featured one guest and was more of a home ... See full summary »
Stars: Dinah Shore, Charles Nelson Reilly, Betty White, Norm Crosby
Votes: 314
38. Singer & Sons (1990)
30 min | Comedy
Deli owner Nathan Singer has no sons to inherit it. His housekeeper Sarah has a novel idea that he hire her boys Reggie and Mitchell, creating a clash of cultures and generations. Nathan's neurotic Sheldon occasionally appears.
Stars: Harold Gould, Esther Rolle, Bobby Hosea, Thomas Mikal Ford
Votes: 20
39. The RuPaul Show (1997–1998)
TV-14 | 30 min | Music, Talk-Show
A celebrity talk show featuring drag queen superstar RuPaul.
Stars: Michelle Visage, Michael Orenstein, RuPaul, Olivia Newton-John
Votes: 88
40. Tony Orlando and Dawn (1974–1976)
60 min | Music
Nineteen-seventies' era comedy/variety television show, starring Tony Orlando (and Dawn).
Stars: Tony Orlando, Telma Hopkins, Joyce Vincent Wilson, Bob Rozario
Votes: 152
41. P.K. and the Kid (1987)
PG-13 | 89 min | Drama
P.K. runs away from home because her stepfather keeps harassing her sexually and her mother ignores this problem. She hides in the loading space of Kid Kane's pickup, who's on the way to ... See full summary »
Director: Lou Lombardo | Stars: Paul Le Mat, Molly Ringwald, Alex Rocco, Charles Hallahan
Votes: 233
42. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1979 TV Movie)
96 min | Biography, Drama
Based on writer Maya Angelou's childhood, this story is about a young girl in the South who is sent to live with her grandmother after her parents divorce.
Director: Fielder Cook | Stars: Paul Benjamin, Diahann Carroll, Ruby Dee, Roger E. Mosley
Votes: 337
43. Message from Nam (1993 TV Movie)
TV-PG | 175 min | Drama, Romance
Journalism Major Paxton Andrews loses the man she loves in the Vietnam War. Always having followed the beat of a different drum, she decides to work out her grief by going to Vietnam and ... See full summary »
Director: Paul Wendkos | Stars: Jenny Robertson, Nick Mancuso, Ed Flanders, Ted Marcoux
Votes: 371
44. See China and Die (1981 TV Movie)
60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A maid who reads detective stories finds herself embroiled in a real-life mystery involving her dead boss and a mysterious statue he brought back from China.
Director: Larry Cohen | Stars: Esther Rolle, Kene Holiday, Frank Converse, Paul Dooley
Votes: 82
45. Don't Play Us Cheap (1972)
Not Rated | 99 min | Comedy, Musical, Romance
As an African American family and friends gather in an apartment for a house party, two imps take human form in order to break up the party.
Director: Melvin Van Peebles | Stars: Thomas Anderson, Jay Van Leer, Robert Dunn, Mabel King
Votes: 388
46. Summer of My German Soldier (1978 TV Movie)
100 min | Drama, Romance, War
A young American girl meets a German prisoner of war.
Director: Michael Tuchner | Stars: Kristy McNichol, Bruce Davison, Esther Rolle, Michael Constantine
Votes: 465
47. Who Says I Can't Ride a Rainbow! (1971)
G | 85 min | Family, Drama
Barney (Jack Klugman) owns the last working farm in Manhattan. For various reasons, city officials have decided to close it down. A special event is planned to raise awareness and money to ... See full summary »
Director: Edward Mann | Stars: Jack Klugman, Norma French, Reuben Figueroa, David Mann
Votes: 94
48. The Kid Who Loved Christmas (1990 TV Movie)
TV-PG | 118 min | Drama
A family is torn apart at Christmas when the wife of a couple trying to adopt a son is killed in a car accident and the husband, a musician, is deemed unfit to raise a child.
Director: Arthur Allan Seidelman | Stars: Cicely Tyson, Michael Warren, Sammy Davis Jr., Gilbert Lewis
Votes: 313
49. The Hollywood Squares (Syndication) (1971–1981)
30 min | Game-Show
This is a prime-time or syndicated version of The Hollywood Squares that originated in 1971 after as successful run of the daytime version. The object of the game is to get 3 in a row ... See full summary »
Stars: Peter Marshall, Kenny Williams, Vincent Price, Paul Lynde
Votes: 65
50. Ethnic Notions (1986)
Not Rated | 57 min | Documentary
This documentary traces the deep-rooted stereotypes which have fueled anti-black prejudice.
Director: Marlon Riggs | Stars: Esther Rolle, Barbara T. Christian, Janette Faulkner, George Frederickson
Votes: 559