
Brian Keith
Actor · Died June 24, 1997, aged 75 · Bayonne, New Jersey, USA
Brian Keith (November 14, 1921 – June 24, 1997) was an American film, television, and stage actor who in his four decade-long career gained recognition for his work in movies such as the 1961 Disney family film The Parent Trap, the 1966 comedy The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming, and the 1975 adventure saga The Wind and the Lion, in which he portrayed Theodore Roosevelt. On television, two of his best known roles were that of a widowed uncle turned bachelor: Bill Davis, in the 1960s sitcom Family Affair, and a tough judge in the 1980s drama Hardcastle and McCormick.
Read moreShow less
Biography from TMDB.
- November 14, 1921
- June 24, 1997 (aged 75)
- Bayonne, New Jersey, USA
- Actor
- 66 on MovieCove · 139 credits in all
What are Brian Keith's films like?
Across their 48 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds 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 2 · Wry 2 · Earnest 39
A split, not a type: Light 20 · Serious 12 · Dark 13
Grounded 31 · Stylized 12 · Heightened 2
Gentle 10 · Charged 28 · Intense 7
A split, not a type: Steady 23 · Shifting 20 · Whiplash 2
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 26 · Some laughs 10 · Funny 9
A split, not a type: Slow burn 23 · Even-paced 22 · Relentless 0
Casual 25 · Engaged 19 · Full focus 1
A split, not a type: Easy watch 25 · Affecting 14 · Heavy 6
Resolved 39 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 1
Roles they play
Usually the Hero: 11 of 42 analyzed roles.
Show the 42 rolesHide the roles
- Allyas Capt. Bill North in Arrowhead (1953)
- Shadowas Tony in Jivaro (1954)
- Shadowas Brick in 5 Against the House (1955)
- Shapeshifteras Cole Wilkison in The Violent Men (1955)
- Threshold guardianas John in Nightfall (1956)
- Shadowas Capt. Clark in Run of the Arrow (1957)
- Mentoras Mike Flanagan in The Young Philadelphians (1959)
- Heroas Dave Blassingame in The Westerner (1960)
- Allyas Brown in The Westerner (1960)
- Shadowas William 'Bill' Dunn in Ten Who Dared (1960)
- Heroas Yellowleg in The Deadly Companions (1961)
- Threshold guardianas Maj. Gen. John M. Vanneman in Moon Pilot (1962)
- Heroas John G. McElroy in The Raiders (1963)
- Mentoras Uncle Beck Coates in Savage Sam (1963)
- Heroas Frank Wallingham in The Hallelujah Trail (1965)
- Heroas Cam Calloway in Those Calloways (1965)
- Heroas Uncle Bill Davis in Family Affair (1966)
- Shadowas Jonas Cord in Nevada Smith (1966)
- Mentoras Jonas Cord in Nevada Smith (1966)
- Mentoras Alexander Bowen in The Rare Breed (1966)
- Allyas Link Mattocks in The Russians Are Coming the Russians Are Coming (1966)
- Mentoras Gen. 'Howling Bull' Hallenby in Way... Way Out (1966)
- Heroas Jake Iverson in With Six You Get Eggroll (1968)
- Tricksteras Connerly in Krakatoa: East of Java (1968)
- Heroas Capt. Jack Connor in The McKenzie Break (1970)
- Heroas Officer Michael M. Nace in Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came (1970)
- Heroas John McCanless in Scandalous John (1971)
- Threshold guardianas Col. Morgan in Something Big (1971)
- Heroas Johnny Wade in The Bull of the West (1972)
- Allyas George Tanner in The Yakuza (1974)
- Mentoras Theodore Roosevelt in The Wind and the Lion (1975)
- Allyas Allan Jacobson - Defense Attorney in The Court-Martial of George Armstrong Custer (1977)
- Mentoras Jocko Doyle in Hooper (1978)
- Allyas Dr. Dubov in Meteor (1979)
- Allyas Henry Frapp in The Mountain Men (1980)
- Threshold guardianas Police Chief in Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen (1981)
- Allyas Papa in Sharky's Machine (1981)
- Allyas Col. Davy Crockett in The Alamo: Thirteen Days to Glory (1987)
- Threshold guardianas Byron Monroe in After the Rain (1988)
- Allyas David Henderson in Lady in the Corner (1989)
- Threshold guardianas Frank Wellman Sr. in Perry Mason: The Case of the Lethal Lesson (1989)
- Mentoras Truman Richards in Wind Dancer (1993)
Moods and endings
- Happy20
- Bittersweet22
- Tragic2
- Ambiguous3
- Cyclical1
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 Brian Keith's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 32 of their 66 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (16).
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) · actor · free
- The Russians Are Coming the Russians Are Coming (1966) · actor · free
- Hooper (1978) · actor · free
- The Commish (1991) · actor · free
- The McKenzie Break (1970) · actor · free
- The Hallelujah Trail (1965) · actor · free
- The Return of Hunter: Everyone Walks in L.A. (1995) · actor · free
- The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw (1991) · actor · free
- Family Affair (1966) · actor · free
- The Alamo: Thirteen Days to Glory (1987) · actor · free
- Walking Thunder (1995) · actor · free
- The Deadly Companions (1961) · actor · free
- +4 more
- The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1962) · actor
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) · actor
- The Russians Are Coming the Russians Are Coming (1966) · actor
- The Westerner (1960) · actor
- Young Guns (1988) · actor
- The Commish (1991) · actor
- The Return of Hunter: Everyone Walks in L.A. (1995) · actor · free
- Family Affair (1966) · actor
- The Alamo: Thirteen Days to Glory (1987) · actor
- Walking Thunder (1995) · actor
- The Deadly Companions (1961) · actor
- Follow Your Heart (1999) · actor
- +3 more
- The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1962) · actor · free
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) · actor · free
- The Violent Men (1955) · actor · free
- The Westerner (1960) · actor · free
- The Commish (1991) · actor · free
- Family Affair (1966) · actor · free
- Entertaining Angels: The Dorothy Day Story (1996) · actor · free
- Walking Thunder (1995) · actor · free
- The Deadly Companions (1961) · actor · free
- Something Big (1971) · actor · free
- Walker, Texas Ranger (1993) · actor · free
- Pacific Blue (1996) · actor · free
- Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993) · actor · free
- The Russians Are Coming the Russians Are Coming (1966) · actor · free
- The Commish (1991) · actor · free
- Family Affair (1966) · actor · free
- The Deadly Companions (1961) · actor · free
- Touched by an Angel (1994) · actor · free
- Favorite Deadly Sins (1995) · actor · free
- Walker, Texas Ranger (1993) · actor · free
- Pacific Blue (1996) · actor · free
- Shout! TV, show their 3 titles on Shout! TV
- Howdy, show their 2 titles on Howdy
- ScreenPix, show their 2 titles on ScreenPix
- Best TV Ever, show their title on Best TV Ever
- Best Westerns Ever, show their title on Best Westerns Ever
- Cineverse, show their title on Cineverse
- IndieFlix, show their title on IndieFlix
- Midnight Pulp, show their title on Midnight Pulp
Subscription and free streaming for Brian Keith'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
139 credits, 66 with a MovieCove page; 6 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

Follow Your Heart(1999)
Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films
The Second Civil War(1997)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films
Rough Riders(1997)
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films
Pacific Blue(1996)
Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all shows
Favorite Deadly Sins(1995)
Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films
Picture Windows: Lightning (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
Walking Thunder(1995)
Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films
Cybill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows
Touched by an Angel(1994)
Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all shows
Duckman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

Burke's Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

Walker, Texas Ranger(1993)
Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows
Wind Dancer(1993)
Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films
Walter & Emily (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)
Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
The Commish(1991)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all shows
Lady in the Corner(1989)
Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
Welcome Home (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

Heartland (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
After the Rain(1988)
Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Young Guns(1988)
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all filmsPursuit of Happiness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

Death Before Dishonor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

The B.R.A.T. Patrol (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

Murder, She Wrote(1984)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows
Hardcastle and McCormick (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

Cry for the Strangers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

World War III (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

Sharky's Machine(1981)
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films
The Mountain Men(1980)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
The Silent Lovers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

Power (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

Meteor(1979)
Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films
The Seekers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

The Chisholms (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

Centennial (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

Hooper(1978)
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
In the Matter of Karen Ann Quinlan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

How the West Was Won(1976)
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all shows
Nickelodeon(1976)
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
The Loneliest Runner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)
Joe Panther (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

The Quest (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

The Quest (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

The Wind and the Lion(1975)
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
Archer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

The Yakuza(1974)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
The Zoo Gang (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

The Brian Keith Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

The Bull of the West(1972)
Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films
Second Chance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

Something Big(1971)
Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films
Scandalous John(1971)
Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films
The McKenzie Break(1970)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films
Gaily, Gaily (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

Krakatoa: East of Java(1968)
Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films
With Six You Get Eggroll(1968)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
Way... Way Out(1966)
Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films
Family Affair(1966)
Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all shows
Nevada Smith(1966)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
The Tenderfoot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

The Rare Breed(1966)
Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
Johnny Shiloh (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

The Hallelujah Trail(1965)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
The Pleasure Seekers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

Those Calloways(1965)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all filmsProfiles in Courage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

The Tenderfoot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

A Tiger Walks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

Bristle Face (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

The Raiders(1963)
Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films
Kraft Suspense Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

The Great Adventure (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

The Fugitive (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

Savage Sam(1963)
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows
The Virginian (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

Moon Pilot(1962)
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films
Target: The Corruptors! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

Dr. Kildare (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

The Wonderful World of Disney (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

The Deadly Companions(1961)
Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
The Parent Trap(1961)
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
Ten Who Dared(1960)
Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films
Rapids Ahead/Bear Country (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

The Westerner(1960)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows
Outlaws (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

The Untouchables (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

Laramie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

The Young Philadelphians(1959)
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
Rawhide (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

77 Sunset Strip (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

Villa!! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

Sierra Baron (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

Desert Hell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

Violent Road (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

Fort Dobbs(1958)
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
Hell Canyon Outlaws (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

Run of the Arrow(1957)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
Appointment with a Shadow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

Chicago Confidential (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

Dino (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

Nightfall(1956)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

Storm Center (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)
Crusader (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows
5 Against the House(1955)
Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films
Tight Spot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

The Violent Men(1955)
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

The Wonderful World of Disney (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

Climax! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

Studio 57 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

The Bamboo Prison (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

Jivaro(1954)
Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films
Alaska Seas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)
The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

Arrowhead(1953)
Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films
The Ford Television Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

Hallmark Hall of Fame (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

Tales of Tomorrow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

Fourteen Hours(1951)
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all filmsLux Video Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

Robert Montgomery Presents (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

Suspense (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

Boomerang!(1947)
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
Career shape
Star power in the 98th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 139 titles from 1940 to 1999; peak year 1965.

Biggest box office
Hooper (1978)

Highest rated
The Young Philadelphians (1959)

Most popular right now
Family Affair (1966)
Film career
Peak 1965 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 12 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.
- 1947Screen debut· Boomerang!
- 1963First top-billed film· Savage Sam
- 1964Career best· Those Calloways
- 1966Career best· Family Affair
Billing
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. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.
How do Brian Keith's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 55th percentile, the median of all 53; across their 45 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 49th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up17
- 50th to 74th23
- 25th to 49th17
- Below 25th9
Shape of the crowd
32 of their 66 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved5
- Universally Panned1
- Cult Classic3
- Crowd Pleaser32
- Broadly Agreed4
- Mixed21
Reviewers score the acting 64/100 in their films, across 45 reviewed titles; fans 73, detractors 42. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.
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 Brian Keith's work okay for kids?
Across up to 8 MovieCove titles with content scores, profanity runs heavier than most films.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.
Who does Brian Keith work with?
People who share at least 2 of Brian Keith's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Walt Disney shares the most, 5.
Directors
- Craig ClydeShared titles: Walking Thunder (1995), Wind Dancer (1993)See all 2 shared titles with Craig Clyde

- Andrew V. McLaglenShared titles: Something Big (1971), The Rare Breed (1966)See all 2 shared titles with Andrew V. McLaglen

- Gordon DouglasShared titles: Way... Way Out (1966), Fort Dobbs (1958)See all 2 shared titles with Gordon Douglas

- Norman TokarShared titles: Those Calloways (1965), Savage Sam (1963)See all 2 shared titles with Norman Tokar

Writers
- James HennessyShared titles: Walking Thunder (1995), Wind Dancer (1993)See all 2 shared titles with James Hennessy

- John GayShared titles: The Court-Martial of George Armstrong Custer (1977), The Hallelujah Trail (1965)See all 2 shared titles with John Gay

- William BowersShared titles: Way... Way Out (1966), 5 Against the House (1955)See all 2 shared titles with William Bowers

- Stirling SilliphantShared titles: Nightfall (1956), 5 Against the House (1955)See all 2 shared titles with Stirling Silliphant

Actors
- Ben JohnsonShared titles: The Bull of the West (1972), Something Big (1971), The Rare Breed (1966), Ten Who Dared (1960)See all 4 shared titles with Ben Johnson

- Burt ReynoldsShared titles: Sharky's Machine (1981), Hooper (1978), Nickelodeon (1976)See all 3 shared titles with Burt Reynolds

- Martin LandauShared titles: Meteor (1979), Nevada Smith (1966), The Hallelujah Trail (1965)See all 3 shared titles with Martin Landau

- Maureen O'HaraShared titles: The Rare Breed (1966), The Deadly Companions (1961), The Parent Trap (1961)See all 3 shared titles with Maureen O'Hara

Composers, cinematographers and editors
- William H. ClothierShared titles: The Rare Breed (1966), Way... Way Out (1966), The Deadly Companions (1961), Fort Dobbs (1958)See all 4 shared titles with William H. Clothier

- Cotton WarburtonShared titles: Scandalous John (1971), Moon Pilot (1962), Ten Who Dared (1960)See all 3 shared titles with Cotton Warburton
- Burnett GuffeyShared titles: Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came (1970), Nightfall (1956), The Violent Men (1955)See all 3 shared titles with Burnett Guffey

- Max SteinerShared titles: Those Calloways (1965), Fort Dobbs (1958), The Violent Men (1955)See all 3 shared titles with Max Steiner

Producers
- Walt DisneyShared titles: Those Calloways (1965), Savage Sam (1963), Moon Pilot (1962), The Parent Trap (1961), Ten Who Dared (1960)See all 5 shared titles with Walt Disney

- Bryce W. FillmoreShared titles: Walking Thunder (1995), Wind Dancer (1993)See all 2 shared titles with Bryce W. Fillmore
- Ray TremblayShared titles: Walking Thunder (1995), Wind Dancer (1993)See all 2 shared titles with Ray Tremblay
- Troy RohovitShared titles: Walking Thunder (1995), Wind Dancer (1993)See all 2 shared titles with Troy Rohovit
Mixed roles
- Burt KennedyShared titles: The Alamo: Thirteen Days to Glory (1987), Fort Dobbs (1958)See all 2 shared titles with Burt Kennedy

- John HustonShared titles: The Wind and the Lion (1975), Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967)See all 2 shared titles with John Huston

- Howard MorrisShared titles: With Six You Get Eggroll (1968), Way... Way Out (1966)See all 2 shared titles with Howard Morris





