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John Houseman

John Houseman

Actor and producer, also writer · Died October 31, 1988, aged 86 · Bucharest, Romania

John Houseman (September 22, 1902 – October 31, 1988) was a Romanian-born British-American actor and film producer who became known for his highly publicized collaboration with director Orson Welles from their days in the Federal Theatre Project through to the production of Citizen Kane. He is perhaps best known for his role as Professor Charles Kingsfield in the 1973 film The Paper Chase for which he won a best supporting actor Oscar. He reprised his role as Kingsfield in the subsequent TV series adaptation of The Paper Chase. Houseman was also known for his commercials for the brokerage firm Smith Barney. He had a distinctive Mid-Atlantic English accent, in common with many actors of his generation. Description above from the Wikipedia article John Houseman, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
September 22, 1902
Died
October 31, 1988 (aged 86)
From
Bucharest, Romania
Works as
Actor and producer, also writer
Titles
43 on MovieCove · 74 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 37 days to Oct 26Down 46% in 30 days

What are John Houseman's films like?

Across their 35 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Morality.

Genres

Drama20 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 65th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 59th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 92nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 55th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 79th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Horror2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 50th percentile
: browse their Horror 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
Self
29%
Morality
26%
Bonds
16%
Power
10%
Society
9%
Survival
6%
Ideas
4%
Justice9 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love7 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity7 titles, browse their movies with this themeObsession5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose5 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity4 titles, browse their movies with this themePower3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 34 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 5 · Serious 10 · Dark 19

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 16 · Stylized 10 · Heightened 8

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

Gentle 4 · Charged 20 · Intense 10

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

Steady 11 · Shifting 21 · Whiplash 2

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

Straight-faced 27 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 2

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 19 · Even-paced 14 · Relentless 1

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

Casual 10 · Engaged 20 · Full focus 4

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

A split, not a type: Easy watch 7 · Affecting 13 · Heavy 14

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

Resolved 21 · Open-ended 12 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

9 analyzed roles

Usually the Mentor: 3 of 9 analyzed roles.

Mentor
3 of 9
Shadow
2 of 9
Threshold guardian
2 of 9
Shapeshifter
1 of 9
Herald
1 of 9
Show the 9 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
25
Melancholic
18
Contemplative
8
Dread
5
Hopeful
9
Other
29

How their films linger

Bittersweet19 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy9
  • Bittersweet14
  • Tragic6
  • Ambiguous6

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 John Houseman's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 21 of their 43 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (13).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for John Houseman'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

74 credits, 43 with a MovieCove page; 16 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Too Much Johnson (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Producer · as Duelist (uncredited)

  • The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!(1988)

    as Driving Instructor (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Another Woman(1988)

    as Marion's Father

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Bright Lights, Big City(1988)

    as Mr. Vogel

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Lincoln(1988)

    Show 2 episodes · as Gen. Winfield Scott

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all shows

  • Noble House(1988)

    Show 4 episodes · as Sir Geoffrey Allison

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all shows

  • 227(1985)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all shows

  • A.D. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 5 episodes · as Gamaliel

  • Olympic Gala (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Actor

  • The Good Fight: The Abraham Lincoln Brigade in the Spanish Civil War(1984)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Choices of the Heart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Executive Producer

  • A Rose for Emily (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    as Narrator (voice)

  • The Winds of War (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Show 7 episodes · as Aaron Jastrow

  • The Skin of Our Teeth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    as Network Newscaster

  • Marco Polo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 1 episode · as Patriarca di Aquileia

  • Murder by Phone(1982)

    as Stanley Markowitz

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Silver Spoons(1982)

    Show 14 episodes · as Grandfather Edward Stratton II

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all shows

  • American Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 1 episode · as Network Newscaster

  • Ghost Story(1981)

    as Sears James

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Writing: Plain & Fancy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    as Narrator

  • A Christmas Without Snow(1980)

    as Ephraim Adams

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • The Babysitter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    as Dr. Lindquist

  • My Bodyguard(1980)

    as Dobbs

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Wholly Moses!(1980)

    as The Archangel

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • Gideon's Trumpet(1980)

    Executive Producer · as Chief Justice / Offscreen Narrator

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • The Fog(1980)

    as Mr. Machen

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • The French Atlantic Affair (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 3 episodes · as Dr. Archady Clemens

  • The Last Convertible (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 3 episodes · as Dr. Wetherell

  • Old Boyfriends(1979)

    as Dr. Hoffman

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • The Paper Chase (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 58 episodes · as Charles Kingsfield

  • The Cheap Detective(1978)

    as Jasper Blubber

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Aspen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Show 3 episodes · as Joseph Merrill Drummond

  • Washington: Behind Closed Doors (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Show 6 episodes · as Myron Dunn

  • The Displaced Person(1977)

    as Father Flynn

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Six Characters in Search of An Author (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    as The Director

  • Captains and the Kings (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Show 8 episodes · as Judge Newell Chisholm

  • Truman at Potsdam (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    as Winston Churchill

  • St. Ives(1976)

    as Abner Procane

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • The Adams Chronicles (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Show 1 episode · as Justice Gridley

  • The Bionic Woman(1976)

    Show 3 episodes · Actor

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all shows

  • Fear on Trial (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Mike Collins

  • Three Days of the Condor(1975)

    as Mr. Wabash

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Beyond the Horizon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Dr. Fawcett

  • Rollerball(1975)

    as Bartholomew

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • The Six Million Dollar Man(1974)

    Show 1 episode · as Doctor Franklin

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all shows

  • The Paper Chase(1973)

    as Charles W. Kingsfield Jr.

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Great Performances (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 1 episode · as Dr.Fawcett · as Self

  • Evening Primrose (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Executive Producer

  • This Property Is Condemned(1966)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Seven Days in May(1964)

    as Vice Adm. Farley C. Barnswell (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

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

    Show 26 episodes · Producer

  • In the Cool of the Day(1963)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Two Weeks in Another Town(1962)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • All Fall Down(1962)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • The Nutcracker (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Producer

  • Lust for Life(1956)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Moonfleet(1955)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • The Cobweb(1955)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Her Twelve Men (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Producer

  • Executive Suite(1954)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Julius Caesar(1953)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • The Bad and the Beautiful(1952)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Holiday for Sinners (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Producer

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

    Show 1 episode · as Chief Justice · as Winston S. Churchill

  • On Dangerous Ground(1951)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • The Company She Keeps(1951)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • They Live by Night(1948)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Fireside Theater (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    Show 142 episodes · Producer

  • Letter from an Unknown Woman(1948)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • The Blue Dahlia(1946)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Miss Susie Slagle's(1946)

    Associate Producer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • The Unseen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    Associate Producer

  • Jane Eyre(1943)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Citizen Kane(1941)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

Career shape

Star power in the 95th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 73 titles from 1943 to 2013; peak year 1974.

Biggest box office

Three Days of the Condor (1975)

$27M worldwide

Highest rated

Citizen Kane (1941)

Midcredits 98th

Most popular right now

Silver Spoons (1982)

Film career

MilestoneBreakout
19432013

Peak 1974 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 1 MovieCove title. 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.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting48 of 73: 46 only acting, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score57thWriting1 of 73: 1 only writing, 0 with another roleProducing26 of 73: 24 only producing, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score80th

By decade

1940s7 · crew1950s12 · 1 acting · 11 crew1960s7 · 1 acting · 6 crew1970s21 · acting1980s25 · 24 acting · 2 crew2010s1 · 1 acting · 1 crew

Billing

usually 6th · top billed in 0% of 13 roles

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.

How do John Houseman's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 73rd percentile, the median of all 37; across their 34 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 69th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

69thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 34

Approval · how many liked their films

72ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 34

Reach · how many have seen their films

75thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 34

Midcredits score across 43 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up19
  • 50th to 74th13
  • 25th to 49th8
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

24 of their 43 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved6
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser24
  • Broadly Agreed3
  • Mixed9

Most divisive · actor

The Displaced Person (1977)

81st percentile spread · 28% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · writer

Citizen Kane (1941)

Midcredits 98th · 86% liked

Reviewers score the acting 75/100 in their films, across 33 reviewed titles; fans 81, detractors 50. 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 John Houseman's work okay for kids?

Across up to 10 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore7 titles28–69 · median 59 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity10 titles10–37 · median 23 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity7 titles18–56 · median 33 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs7 titles32–53 · median 35 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense7 titles19–71 · median 56 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

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 John Houseman work with?

People who share at least 2 of John Houseman's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Jud Kinberg shares the most, 5.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles