The only directors to have made over 100 movies
Filmmaking is a challenging process that requires a lot of time, money and effort. Most productions have their ups and downs, sometimes leading their directors to exhaustion and extreme stress. Yet, the finished project is almost always worth it, resulting in many timeless classic movies and cult favourites.
However, that hasn’t stopped certain directors from releasing tens of films, with some even racking up over 100 credits. The directors listed below all released many short films, helping to up their number count, although many were silent-era movies made at a time when feature-length films were not widespread. Only a few directors have made over 100 films, from silent filmmakers to French New Wave legends.
Jean-Luc Godard is one of the most well-known directors to have over 100 directing credits – 133, to be precise. The French New Wave icon began his career in the 1950s, releasing his first feature-length movie, Breathless, in 1960. After releasing many classics, such as Vivre sa vie, Masculin Feminin and Le Mepris, Godard turned his attention towards divisive, avant-garde political cinema. Until his death in 2022, Godard released many experimental movies, exploring fiction, documentary and video essays.
Another massive name with over 100 credits is western legend John Ford, known for movies such as The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, The Searchers and Stagecoach. Ford made silent films in the 1910s and 1920s, although many are now lost. His first feature film, Straight Shooting, was released in 1917, paving the way for a highly successful career as one of America’s most beloved directors. In his career, he racked up over 140 film credits.
Cinema legend Michael Curtiz, known for classics such as Casablanca and Mildred Pierce, possesses 129 directing credits. The Hungarian/American filmmaker was a champion of both the silent era and Hollywood’s studio system, winning two Academy Awards. He was known for being highly prepared, comparing directing with being an army general.
With 104 directing credits is Raoul Walsh, a massively influential filmmaker who gave John Wayne his first starring role in The Big Trail and even starred in the controversial silent film The Birth of a Nation. He directed Ida Lupino in films such as High Sierra and The Man I Love, weaving between Westerns, neo-noirs, crime thrillers and even musicals.
Similarly, Leo McCarey also started his career as a silent filmmaker, eventually making comedies in the 1930s and religious flicks in the 1940s. Best known for movies such as An Affair to Remember and Duck Soup, McCarey earned 108 credits during his career before passing away in 1969.
Due to the length of early silent films, directors could amass quite a prolific list of credits in a short period of time. French filmmaker Louis Feuillade, who created the iconic horror Les Vampires (which formed the basis of the future classic Irma Vep), directed over 630 films between 1906 and 1924. However, he also made several serials, such as Fantômas, pioneering techniques that would define the thriller and horror genres in years to come.
Finally, the only director on this list that is still alive, Takashi Miike, has around 112 directing credits, most recently directing the television series Connect in 2022. However, he is better known for violent movies such as Audition and Ichi the Killer. Despite beginning his career in the 1990s, he has managed to consistently pump out new directorial projects, from family-friendly flicks to samurai movies.
Directors who made over 100 movies:
- Jean-Luc Godard
- John Ford
- Michael Curtiz
- Raoul Walsh
- Leo McCarey
- Louis Feuillade
- Takashi Miike
