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Victor Mature

Victor Mature

Actor, also producer · Died August 4, 1999, aged 86 · Louisville, Kentucky, USA

Victor John Mature was an American stage, film and television actor. In July 1942 Mature attempted to enlist in the U.S. Navy but was rejected for color blindness. He enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard after taking a different eye test the same day. He was assigned to the USCGC Storis (WMEC-38), which was doing Greenland patrol work. After 14 months aboard the Storis, Mature was promoted to the rate of Chief Boatswain's Mate. In 1944 he did a series of War Bond tours and acted in morale shows. He assisted Coast Guard recruiting efforts by being a featured player in the musical revue "Tars and Spars" which opened in Miami, Florida in April of 1944 and toured the United States for the next year. In May 1945 Mature was reassigned to the Coast Guard manned troop transport USS Admiral H. T. Mayo (AP-125) which was involved in transferring troops to the Pacific Theater. Mature was honorably discharged from the Coast Guard in November 1945 and he resumed his acting career. Film career After the war, Mature was cast by John Ford in My Darling Clementine, playing Doc Holliday opposite Henry Fonda's Wyatt Earp. For the next decade, Mature settled into playing hard-boiled characters in a range of genres such as Westerns and Biblical films, such as The Robe (with Richard Burton and Jean Simmons) and its popular sequel, Demetrius and the Gladiators (with Susan Hayward). Mature also starred with Hedy Lamarr in Cecil B. DeMille's Bible epic, Samson and Delilah (1949) and as Horemheb in The Egyptian (1954) with Jean Simmons and Gene Tierney. He reportedly stated he was successful in Biblical epics because he could "make with the holy look". He also starred with Esther Williams in Million Dollar Mermaid (1952) and, according to her autobiography, had a romantic relationship with her.  After five years of retirement, he was lured back into acting by the opportunity to parody himself in After the Fox (1966), co-written by Neil Simon. In a similar vein in 1968 he played a giant, The Big Victor, in Head, a potpourri movie starring The Monkees. The character poked fun at both his screen image and, reportedly, RCA Victor who distributed Colgems Records, the Monkees's label. Mature enjoyed the script while admitting it made no sense to him, stating "All I know is it makes me laugh." Mature was famously self-deprecatory about his acting skills. Once, after being rejected for membership in a country club because he was an actor, he cracked, "I'm not an actor — and I've got sixty-four films to prove it!" He was quoted in 1968 on his acting career: "Actually, I am a golfer. That is my real occupation. I never was an actor. Ask anybody, particularly the critics." Victor Mature died of leukemia in 1999, at his Rancho Santa Fe, California home, at the age of 86. He was buried in the family plot at St. Michael's Cemetery in his hometown of Louisville. For his contribution to the motion picture industry, Victor Mature has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 6780 Hollywood Blvd.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
January 29, 1913
Died
August 4, 1999 (aged 86)
From
Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Works as
Actor, also producer
Titles
39 on MovieCove · 60 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Down 27% in 30 days

What are Victor Mature's films like?

Across their 36 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Drama11 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 56th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Action9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 32nd percentile
: browse their Action movies
Comedy5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 32nd percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 85th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Adventure4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 29th percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 50th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies

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

share of theme weight
Morality
35%
Bonds
22%
Self
16%
Survival
11%
Society
8%
Power
7%
Ideas
1%
Justice8 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love9 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition7 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds7 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal6 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption5 titles, browse their movies with this themeRevenge5 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 36 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 11 · Stylized 22 · Heightened 3

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 7 · Charged 21 · Intense 8

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 17 · Shifting 17 · Whiplash 2

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 25 · Some laughs 7 · Funny 4

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 8 · Even-paced 25 · Relentless 3

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

A split, not a type: Casual 15 · Engaged 21 · Full focus 0

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 15 · Affecting 15 · Heavy 6

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 34 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

34 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 24 of 34 analyzed roles.

Hero
24 of 34
Ally
3 of 34
Shadow
2 of 34
Mentor
1 of 34
Threshold guardian
1 of 34
Herald
1 of 34
Trickster
1 of 34
Shapeshifter
1 of 34
Show the 34 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
21
Romantic
15
Thrilling
12
Melancholic
11
Warm
6
Other
23

How their films linger

Feel-good12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy22
  • Bittersweet10
  • Tragic3
  • 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 Victor Mature's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 11 of their 39 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (6).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Victor Mature'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

60 credits, 39 with a MovieCove page; 6 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Hidden Hollywood II: More Treasures from the 20th Century Fox Vaults (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    as (archive footage)

  • Sphinx – Secrets of the History (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Show 1 episode · as Hanibal

  • Samson and Delilah(1984)

    as Manoah

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Firepower(1979)

    as Howard Everett

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood(1976)

    as Nick

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Every Little Crook and Nanny (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    as Carmine Ganucci

  • Head(1968)

    as The Big Victor

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • The Legend of Marilyn Monroe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Actor

  • After the Fox(1966)

    as Tony Powell

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Uncertain Verification (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    as (archive footage)

  • The Tartars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as Oleg

  • Hannibal(1959)

    as Hannibal

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • The Big Circus(1959)

    as Henry Jasper 'Hank' Whirling

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • The Bandit Of Zhobe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    as Kasmin Khan

  • Escort West(1959)

    as Ben Lassiter

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Timbuktu(1958)

    as Mike Conway

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • China Doll(1958)

    Producer · as Capt. Cliff Brandon

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Tank Force! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    as Sgt. David Thatcher

  • The Long Haul (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Harry Miller

  • Pickup Alley(1957)

    as Charles Sturgis

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Zarak(1956)

    as Zarak Khan

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films

  • The Sharkfighters(1956)

    as Lt. Cmdr. Ben Staves

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • Safari(1956)

    as Ken Duffield

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • The Last Frontier(1955)

    as Jed Cooper

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Chief Crazy Horse(1955)

    as Crazy Horse

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Violent Saturday(1955)

    as Shelley Martin

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Betrayed(1954)

    as 'The Scarf'

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • The Egyptian(1954)

    as Horemheb

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Demetrius and the Gladiators(1954)

    as Demetrius

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Dangerous Mission(1954)

    as Matt Hallett

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • The Veils of Bagdad(1953)

    as Antar

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • The Robe(1953)

    as Demetrius

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Affair with a Stranger(1953)

    as Bill Blakeley

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • The Glory Brigade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as Lt. Sam Pryor

  • Million Dollar Mermaid(1952)

    as James Sullivan

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Androcles and the Lion(1952)

    as Captain

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Something for the Birds (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Steve Bennett

  • The Las Vegas Story(1952)

    as Lt. Dave Andrews

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • House of Dreams (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Narrator (voice)

  • Gambling House (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Marc Fury

  • Stella (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Jeff DeMarco

  • Wabash Avenue (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Andy Clark

  • Samson and Delilah(1949)

    as Samson

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Easy Living(1949)

    as Pete Wilson

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Red, Hot and Blue(1949)

    as Danny James

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Cry of the City(1948)

    as Lt. Candella

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Fury at Furnace Creek(1948)

    as Cash Blackwell / Tex Cameron

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Kiss of Death(1947)

    as Nick Bianco

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Moss Rose (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Michael Drego

  • My Darling Clementine(1946)

    as Dr. John 'Doc' Holliday

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Seven Days' Leave(1942)

    as Johnny Grey

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Footlight Serenade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Tommy Lundy

  • My Gal Sal(1942)

    as Paul Dresser

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Song of the Islands (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Jefferson Harper

  • The Shanghai Gesture (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Doctor Omar

  • I Wake Up Screaming(1941)

    as Frankie Christopher (Botticelli)

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • No, No, Nanette (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as William Trainor

  • Captain Caution (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Daniel 'Dan' Marvin

  • One Million B.C.(1940)

    as Tumak

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • The Housekeeper's Daughter(1939)

    as Lefty

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 60 titles from 1939 to 1999; peak year 1966.

Biggest box office

The Robe (1953)

$36M worldwide

Highest rated

My Darling Clementine (1946)

Midcredits 95th

Most popular right now

Samson and Delilah (1949)

Film career

MilestoneBreakout
19391999

Peak 1966 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 10 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.

  • 1940Screen debut· One Million B.C.
  • 1940First top-billed film· One Million B.C.
  • 1947Breakout· Kiss of Death

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting60 of 60: 60 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score47th

By decade

1930s1 · acting1940s17 · acting1950s31 · acting1960s5 · acting1970s3 · acting1980s1 · acting1990s2 · acting

Billing

usually 1st · top billed in 50% of 20 roles
405055

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 Victor Mature's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 47th percentile, the median of all 39; across their 36 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 50th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

50thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 36

Approval · how many liked their films

43rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 36

Reach · how many have seen their films

46thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 36

Midcredits score across 39 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up5
  • 50th to 74th12
  • 25th to 49th15
  • Below 25th7

Shape of the crowd

17 of their 39 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Crowd Pleaser17
  • Broadly Agreed9
  • Mixed12

Most divisive · actor

Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976)

64th percentile spread · 44% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

My Darling Clementine (1946)

Midcredits 95th · 82% liked

Reviewers score the acting 61/100 in their films, across 36 reviewed titles; fans 71, detractors 39. 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.

Who does Victor Mature work with?

People who share at least 2 of Victor Mature's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Philip Dunne shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers