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Trevor Howard

Trevor Howard

Actor · Died January 7, 1988, aged 74 · Cliftonville, Kent, England, UK

Trevor Howard (29 September 1913 – 7 January 1988) was a British actor. He was born in Cliftonville, Kent, England, the son of Mabel Grey (Wallace) and Arthur John Howard. He was educated at Clifton College (to which he left in his will a substantial legacy for a drama scholarship) and at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), acting on the London stage for several years before World War II. His first paid work was in the play Revolt in a Reformatory (1934), before he left RADA in 1935 to take small roles. Although stories of his courageous wartime service in the British Army's Royal Corps of Signals earned him much respect among fellow actors and fans alike, files held in the Public Record Office reveal that he had actually been discharged from the British Army in 1943 for mental instability and having a "psychopathic personality". The story, which surfaced in Terence Pettigrew's biography of the actor, published by Peter Owen in 2001, was initially denied by Howard's widow, actress Helen Cherry. Later, confronted with official records, she told the Daily Telegraph (24 June 2001) that his mother had claimed he was a holder of the Military Cross. She added that Howard had an honourable military record and "had nothing to be ashamed of".

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
September 29, 1913
Died
January 7, 1988 (aged 74)
From
Cliftonville, Kent, England, UK
Works as
Actor
Titles
65 on MovieCove · 114 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 30% in 30 days

What are Trevor Howard's films like?

Across their 60 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Action17 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 49th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Adventure13 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 55th percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Drama11 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 67th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 36th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 68th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Biography4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 86th 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
36%
Bonds
21%
Self
18%
Survival
10%
Power
8%
Society
6%
Ideas
2%
Justice14 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love11 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity9 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception10 titles, browse their movies with this themeDuty7 titles, browse their movies with this themeRevenge6 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose6 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 60 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 13 · Serious 16 · Dark 31

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 33 · Stylized 22 · Heightened 5

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

Gentle 8 · Charged 29 · Intense 23

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

Steady 21 · Shifting 36 · Whiplash 3

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

Straight-faced 37 · Some laughs 17 · Funny 6

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

Slow burn 27 · Even-paced 30 · Relentless 3

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

Casual 17 · Engaged 32 · Full focus 11

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 20 · Affecting 16 · Heavy 24

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

Resolved 42 · Open-ended 13 · Ambiguous 5

Roles they play

43 analyzed roles

Usually the Mentor: 15 of 43 analyzed roles.

Mentor
15 of 43
Shadow
11 of 43
Hero
7 of 43
Ally
4 of 43
Herald
3 of 43
Threshold guardian
3 of 43
Show the 43 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
46
Melancholic
29
Romantic
12
Contemplative
12
Dread
8
Other
47

How their films linger

Bittersweet22 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting15 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking15 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 8 with a twist

  • Happy17
  • Bittersweet30
  • Tragic10
  • Ambiguous3

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 Trevor Howard's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 36 of their 65 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (28).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Trevor Howard'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

114 credits, 65 with a MovieCove page; 6 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The Dawning (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    as Grandfather

  • The Unholy(1988)

    as Father Silva

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • White Mischief(1987)

    as Jack Soames

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Hand in Glove (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    as Vicar

  • Christmas Eve (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    as Maitland

  • Shaka Zulu (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Show 10 episodes · as Lord Charles Somerset

  • Foreign Body(1986)

    as Dr Stirry

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Peter the Great (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Show 4 episodes · as Sir Isaac Newton

  • Time After Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    as Brigadier Croshawe

  • Time for Murder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 1 episode · as Sir Daniel Penwarden

  • Dust (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    as Father

  • Memory of the Camps (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    as Narrator

  • God Rot Tunbridge Wells! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    as Georg Friedrich Handel

  • Sword of the Valiant(1984)

    as The King

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films

  • The Bengal Lancers! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    as Uncle George

  • George Washington (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Show 3 episodes · as Lord Fairfax

  • Frontline (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Show 1 episode · as Narrator (voice)

  • Gandhi(1982)

    as Judge Broomfield

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The Missionary(1982)

    as Lord Henry Ames

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • The Deadly Game (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    as Gustave Kummer

  • Inside the Third Reich (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 2 episodes · as Prof. Heinrich Tessenow

  • Light Years Away (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    as Yoshka Poliakeff

  • Ludwig (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Show 5 episodes · as Richard Wagner

  • Staying On (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    as Col. Tusker Smalley

  • Windwalker(1980)

    as Windwalker

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Superman II(1980)

    as Krypton Elder (archive footage) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Sir Henry at Rawlinson End (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    as Sir Henry Rawlinson

  • The Sea Wolves(1980)

    as Jack Cartwright

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • The Shillingbury Blowers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    as Saltie

  • Flashpoint Africa(1980)

    as Program Controller

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Meteor(1979)

    as Michael Hughes

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Hurricane (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    as Father Malone

  • The Spirit of Adventure: Night Flight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    as Riviere

  • Superman(1978)

    as 1st Elder

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Stevie(1978)

    as The Man

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Scorpion Tales (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 1 episode · as Mavor

  • Slavers(1977)

    as Alec Mackenzie

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films

  • The Last Remake of Beau Geste(1977)

    as Sir Hector

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • The Adventures of Eliza Fraser (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    as Capt. Foster Fyans

  • Origins of the Mafia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Show 1 episode · as Don Consalvo Saccone

  • The Bawdy Adventures of Tom Jones(1976)

    as Squire Western

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films

  • Aces High(1976)

    as Lieutenant Colonel Silkin

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • The Night of the Askari(1976)

    as Johannes

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Hennessy(1975)

    as Comdr. Rice

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • The Count of Monte-Cristo(1975)

    as Abbé Faria

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Conduct Unbecoming(1975)

    as Colonel Benjamin Strang

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Persecution (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as Paul Bellamy

  • 11 Harrowhouse(1974)

    as Clyde Massey

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Craze(1974)

    as Supt. Bellamy

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Who? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as Colonel Azarin

  • The Catholics (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as The Abbot

  • A Doll's House(1973)

    as Dr. Rank

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Ludwig(1973)

    as Richard Wagner

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • The Offence(1973)

    as Lieutenant Cartwright, Detective Superintendant

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Pope Joan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    as Pope Leo

  • Kidnapped(1971)

    as Lord Advocate

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Mary, Queen of Scots(1971)

    as William Cecil

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Catch Me a Spy(1971)

    as Trevor Dawson

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • The Night Visitor(1971)

    as Inspector

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Ryan's Daughter(1970)

    as Father Collins

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • London Affair(1970)

    as Twinky's Grandfather

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • Battle of Britain(1969)

    as Air Vice Marshal Keith Park

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • ITV Saturday Night Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Show 1 episode · as The Abbot

  • The Charge of the Light Brigade(1968)

    as Lord Cardigan

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • A Matter of Innocence(1967)

    as Robert Hook

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • The Long Duel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    as Freddie Young

  • Triple Cross(1966)

    as Freddie Young (Distinguished Civilian)

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • The Poppy Is Also a Flower(1966)

    as Sam Lincoln

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • The Liquidator(1965)

    as Mostyn

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Eagle in a Cage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    as Napoleon

  • Morituri(1965)

    as Colonel Statter

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Von Ryan's Express(1965)

    as Major Eric Fincham

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Operation Crossbow(1965)

    as Professor Lindemann

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Father Goose(1964)

    as Commander Frank Houghton

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • The Winston Affair(1964)

    as Major Kensington

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • The Invincible Mr. Disraeli (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    as Benjamin Disraeli

  • Hedda Gabler (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    as Ejlert Lövborg

  • Mutiny on the Bounty(1962)

    as Capt. William Bligh

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • The Lion(1962)

    as John Bullit

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Sons and Lovers(1960)

    as Walter Morel

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Playhouse 90: The Hiding Place (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    as Robert Wilson

  • Moment of Danger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    as John Bain

  • The Roots of Heaven(1958)

    as Morel

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Show 1 episode · as Dr. Derek Lester

  • The Key(1958)

    as Capt. Chris Ford

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Stowaway Girl(1957)

    as James Prothero

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • Pickup Alley(1957)

    as Frank McNally

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Around the World in 80 Days(1956)

    as Denis Fallentin

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Run for the Sun(1956)

    as Browne

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • The Cockleshell Heroes(1955)

    as Captain Thompson

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • The 20th Century Fox Hour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 1 episode · as Doug Elliott

  • Lovers' Net (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Inspector Lewis

  • The Stranger's Hand(1954)

    as Major Roger Court

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • The Heart of the Matter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as Harry Scobie

  • Glory at Sea(1952)

    as Lt. Cmdr Hugh Alginon Fraser

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

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

    Show 1 episode · as Benjamin Disraeli · as Napoleon

  • Outcast of the Islands(1951)

    as Peter Willems

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Bikini Baby(1951)

    as Guest at Theater Accepting Program (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • The Clouded Yellow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Maj. David Somers

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

    as Captain Peter Churchill

  • Golden Salamander (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as David Redfern

  • Sunday Night Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Show 1 episode · as Kellis

  • The Third Man(1949)

    as Major Calloway

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • The Passionate Friends(1949)

    as Prof. Steven Stratton

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Studio One (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Show 1 episode · as Vittorio

  • So Well Remembered (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Dr. Richard Whiteside

  • I Became a Criminal(1947)

    as George Clement 'Clem' Morgan

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Green for Danger(1946)

    as Dr. Barnes

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • I See a Dark Stranger(1946)

    as Lt. David Bayne

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Brief Encounter(1945)

    as Dr. Alec Harvey

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Johnny in the Clouds(1945)

    as Squadron Leader Carter

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • The Way Ahead(1944)

    as Officer on Ship (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • The Aircraft Rocket, Part 4: Tactics, Section 2: Coastal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Briefing Officer

  • Squaring the Circle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Actor

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 114 titles from 1941 to 1988; peak year 1965.

Biggest box office

Superman (1978)

$300M worldwide

Highest rated

The Third Man (1949)

Midcredits 98th

Most popular right now

Superman (1978)

Film career

MilestoneBreakout
19411988

Peak 1965 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 18 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.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting114 of 114: 114 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score63rd

By decade

1940s12 · acting1950s20 · acting1960s21 · acting1970s31 · acting1980s30 · acting

Billing

usually 3rd · top billed in 7% of 45 roles
444959697479

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 Trevor Howard's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 63rd percentile, the median of all 65; across their 60 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 59th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

59thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 60

Approval · how many liked their films

55thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 60

Reach · how many have seen their films

57thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 60

Midcredits score across 65 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up23
  • 50th to 74th18
  • 25th to 49th15
  • Below 25th9

Shape of the crowd

36 of their 65 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved5
  • Crowd Pleaser36
  • Broadly Agreed7
  • Mixed17

Most divisive · actor

Flashpoint Africa (1980)

74th percentile spread · 50% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Third Man (1949)

Midcredits 98th · 86% liked

Reviewers score the acting 71/100 in their films, across 58 reviewed titles; fans 80, detractors 47. 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 Trevor Howard's work okay for kids?

Across up to 15 MovieCove titles with content scores, every category sits near the median of all films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore9 titles22–64 · median 46 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity15 titles10–57 · median 27 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity9 titles2–49 · median 28 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs8 titles12–37 · median 29 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense8 titles25–59 · median 43 · moderatenear the median of all 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 Trevor Howard work with?

People who share at least 2 of Trevor Howard's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Carol Reed shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles