Irwin Allen (June 12, 1916 – November 2, 1991) was an American film and television producer and director, known for his work in science fiction, then later as the "Master of Disaster" for his work in the disaster film genre. His most successful productions were The Poseidon Adventure (1972) and The Towering Inferno (1974). He also created and produced the popular 1960s science fiction television series Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Lost in Space, The Time Tunnel and Land of the Giants.
Read moreShow less
Biography from TMDB.
- June 12, 1916
- November 2, 1991 (aged 75)
- New York City, New York, USA
- Producer, writer and director
- 30 on MovieCove · 42 credits in all
What are Irwin Allen's films like?
Across their 25 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Survival and Morality.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 3 · Earnest 22
A split, not a type: Light 11 · Serious 7 · Dark 7
Grounded 10 · Stylized 12 · Heightened 3
Gentle 5 · Charged 10 · Intense 10
Steady 8 · Shifting 15 · Whiplash 2
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 17 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 4
Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 22 · Relentless 0
Casual 12 · Engaged 12 · Full focus 1
Easy watch 12 · Affecting 12 · Heavy 1
Resolved 23 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 0
Moods and endings
- Happy13
- Bittersweet10
- Tragic1
- Ambiguous1
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Irwin Allen's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 6 of their 30 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (4).
Subscription and free streaming for Irwin Allen's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
42 credits, 30 with a MovieCove page; 6 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Lost in Space(2018)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films
Lost in Space(1998)
Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films
Outrage! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)
Alice in Wonderland (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)
Cave-In! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)
Terror at Alcatraz (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)
Aliens From Another Planet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)
Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films
The Memory of Eva Ryker(1980)
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
When Time Ran Out...(1980)
Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films
Hanging by a Thread (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)
The Swarm(1978)
Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films
Viva Knievel!(1977)
Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films
Flood(1976)
Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films
Fire! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)
Time Travelers(1976)
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films
The Swiss Family Robinson (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
Adventures of the Queen(1975)
Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
The Towering Inferno(1974)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
Lost in Space (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)
The Poseidon Adventure(1972)
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
City Beneath the Sea(1971)
Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films
Land of the Giants(1968)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows
The Time Tunnel(1966)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all shows
Lost in Space(1965)
Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all shows
Lost in Space - No Place to Hide (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows
Five Weeks in a Balloon(1962)
Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films
The Lost World(1960)
Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films
The Big Circus(1959)
Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films
The Story of Mankind(1957)
Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films
The Animal World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)
Dangerous Mission(1954)
Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
The Sea Around Us (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)
A Girl in Every Port(1952)
Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films
Double Dynamite(1951)
Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
Where Danger Lives(1950)
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
Career shape
A full career of 38 titles from 1950 to 2018.
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.
How do Irwin Allen's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 26th percentile, the median of all 25; across their 25 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 30th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up3
- 50th to 74th8
- 25th to 49th7
- Below 25th12
Shape of the crowd
14 of their 30 titles are Mixed.
- Cult Classic1
- Crowd Pleaser9
- Broadly Agreed6
- Mixed14
Reviewers score the dialogue 36/100 and the plot and story 35/100 in their films, across 24 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Irwin Allen's work okay for kids?
Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.
Who does Irwin Allen work with?
People who share at least 2 of Irwin Allen's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Charles Bennett shares the most, 7.
Writers
- Charles BennettShared titles: Five Weeks in a Balloon (1962), Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961), The Lost World (1960), The Big Circus (1959), The Story of Mankind (1957), Dangerous Mission (1954), Where Danger Lives (1950)See all 7 shared titles with Charles Bennett
- Stirling SilliphantShared titles: When Time Ran Out... (1980), The Swarm (1978), The Towering Inferno (1974), The Poseidon Adventure (1972)See all 4 shared titles with Stirling Silliphant
- Jules VerneShared titles: The Return of Captain Nemo (1978), Five Weeks in a Balloon (1962)See all 2 shared titles with Jules Verne
- Norman KatkovShared titles: The Return of Captain Nemo (1978), Viva Knievel! (1977)See all 2 shared titles with Norman Katkov
Actors
- Red ButtonsShared titles: When Time Ran Out... (1980), Viva Knievel! (1977), The Poseidon Adventure (1972), Five Weeks in a Balloon (1962), The Big Circus (1959)See all 5 shared titles with Red Buttons
- Peter LorreShared titles: Five Weeks in a Balloon (1962), Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961), The Big Circus (1959), The Story of Mankind (1957)See all 4 shared titles with Peter Lorre
- Francine YorkShared titles: The Night the Bridge Fell Down (1980), Flood (1976), Time Travelers (1976)See all 3 shared titles with Francine York
- Roddy McDowallShared titles: The Memory of Eva Ryker (1980), Flood (1976), The Poseidon Adventure (1972)See all 3 shared titles with Roddy McDowall
Composers and editors
- Richard LaSalleShared titles: The Memory of Eva Ryker (1980), The Night the Bridge Fell Down (1980), The Return of Captain Nemo (1978), Flood (1976), Adventures of the Queen (1975), The Swiss Family Robinson (1975), City Beneath the Sea (1971)See all 7 shared titles with Richard LaSalle
- Bill BrameShared titles: Beyond the Poseidon Adventure (1979), The Return of Captain Nemo (1978), Flood (1976), Time Travelers (1976), Adventures of the Queen (1975), The Swiss Family Robinson (1975)See all 6 shared titles with Bill Brame
- Paul SawtellShared titles: Five Weeks in a Balloon (1962), Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961), The Lost World (1960), The Big Circus (1959), The Story of Mankind (1957)See all 5 shared titles with Paul Sawtell
- Harold F. KressShared titles: The Swarm (1978), Viva Knievel! (1977), The Towering Inferno (1974), The Poseidon Adventure (1972)See all 4 shared titles with Harold F. Kress
Producers
- Al GailShared titles: When Time Ran Out... (1980), Beyond the Poseidon Adventure (1979), Flood (1976), Adventures of the Queen (1975), The Swiss Family Robinson (1975)See all 5 shared titles with Al Gail
- George E. SwinkShared titles: The Memory of Eva Ryker (1980), When Time Ran Out... (1980), City Beneath the Sea (1971), The Story of Mankind (1957)See all 4 shared titles with George E. Swink
- Irving Cummings Jr.Shared titles: A Girl in Every Port (1952), Double Dynamite (1951), Where Danger Lives (1950)See all 3 shared titles with Irving Cummings Jr.
- William WelchShared titles: Adventures of the Queen (1975), The Swiss Family Robinson (1975)See all 2 shared titles with William Welch