Many different genres of movies were popular in the 1960s, including historical epics, westerns, spy dramas, crime capers, and comedies. It was the decade that gave us the first James Bond movies — starring the recently deceased Sean Connery — and the spaghetti westerns of Clint Eastwood.
Movies of the 60s also responded to political and social currents. There was “Dr. Strangelove,” a dark comedy about nuclear war, and “Easy Rider,” about the hippie culture.
No particular genre dominates our list of the worst movies of the 1960s. There’s something for everybody — or perhaps nobody, as it’s a list of worsts — including action, adventure, comedy, and horror. There are a few surprises, however.
There are two Bond movies, and that franchise is still going, although “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” starred George Lazenby, who was considered a poor choice compared to Sean Connery.
Even great directors can make bad movies, and Alfred Hitchcock has two on the list — “Torn Curtain” and “Topaz.” Roger Corman is a cult favorite but he also has two entries — “The Little Shop of Horrors” and “The Raven.” In fact “The Raven” is at the top of the list, despite the star power of Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, and Boris Karloff.
To determine the worst movie of the 1960s, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data from the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) and Rotten Tomatoes. We created an index based on the average critic rating from Rotten Tomatoes, the average audience rating from Rotten Tomatoes, and the average user rating from IMDb. We only considered feature films with at least 5,000 Rotten Tomatoes audience reviews, 10 Rotten Tomatoes critic reviews, and 10,000 IMDb user reviews. All data is for the most recent period available. Data was collected in February 2021.
The worst movie of the 1960s was The Raven, released in 1963. It was billed as both a horror movie and a comedy. Directed by Roger Corman, it starred Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, Boris Karloff, and Hazel Court. In the film, a magician who has been turned into a raven seeks help from a former sorcerer. It may not sound like much of a plot, which is likely among the reasons it is so poorly regarded.
Click here to read about the worst movies of the 1960s.
Want to Retire Early? Start Here (Sponsor)
Want retirement to come a few years earlier than you’d planned? Or are you ready to retire now, but want an extra set of eyes on your finances?
Now you can speak with up to 3 financial experts in your area for FREE. By simply clicking here you can begin to match with financial professionals who can help you build your plan to retire early. And the best part? The first conversation with them is free.
Click here to match with up to 3 financial pros who would be excited to help you make financial decisions.
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.
Latest from 24/7
