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John 'Bud' Cardos

John 'Bud' Cardos

Actor, director and producer · Died March 4, 2021, aged 91 · St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Versatile and underrated B-movie Renaissance man John "Bud" Cardos was born in 1929 in St. Louis, Missouri. His family has interesting roots in the entertainment industry: his cousin Spyros Skouras worked at Twentieth Century-Fox and his father and uncle managed the lavish Graumann's Egyptian and Chinese theaters. Cardos began his lengthy and extensive show business career as a child actor in Hal Roach's 1940s "Our Gang" comedies. He was a rodeo rider in his teen years, and worked as an animal wrangler and bird handler on Alfred Hitchcock's outstanding killer animal classic The Birds (1963). Cardos achieved his greatest cult popularity acting in several entertainingly trashy exploitation features for legendary Grade-Z schlockmeister Al Adamson: he's especially memorable as Mohawk-sporting Native American biker Firewater in the splendidly sleazy Satan's Sadists (1969) and as crazed half-breed Joe Lightfoot in the gritty (and often incoherent) western Five Bloody Graves (1969). He got into stunt work, and among the films Cardos performed stunts in are Nightmare in Wax (1969), the trippy hippie gem Psych-Out (1968), The Savage Seven (1968), The Incredible 2-Headed Transplant (1971), and Jud (1971). Cardos tackled second unit director chores for Sam Peckinpah's magnificent landmark western The Wild Bunch (1969). He was a production manager on many movies; they include the creepy Dead of Night (1974), Killers Three (1968), The Rebel Rousers (1970), Lash of Lust (1972), Hell's Bloody Devils (1970), and Deadwood '76 (1965). Cardos made his directorial debut with the blaxploitation item The Red, White, and Black (1970). His other directorial efforts include the superior revolt-of-nature horror winner Kingdom of the Spiders (1977), the not-half-bad sci-fi/horror opus The Dark (1979), and the nifty zombie flick Forbidden World (1982). Outside of his substantial film work, Cardos also did Western art. He died at age 91 on December 31, 2020 in Acton, California.

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Biography from IMDb.

Born
December 20, 1929
Died
March 4, 2021 (aged 91)
From
St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Works as
Actor, director and producer
Titles
20 on MovieCove · 39 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 28Up 5% in 30 days

What are John 'Bud' Cardos' films like?

Across their 11 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Survival and Bonds.

Genres

Horror5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 4th percentile
: browse their Horror movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 6th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 2nd percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 14th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime 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
Survival
35%
Bonds
16%
Morality
15%
Power
12%
Self
11%
Society
11%
Survival5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCorruption2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 11 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 4 · Dark 2

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

Grounded 5 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 1

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

Gentle 4 · Charged 6 · Intense 1

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

Steady 4 · Shifting 6 · Whiplash 1

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 7 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 2

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

Slow burn 8 · Even-paced 3 · Relentless 0

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

Casual 9 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 0

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 7 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
11
Absurd
5
Dread
4
Melancholic
4
Thrilling
1
Other
1

How their films linger

Fun5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy4
  • Bittersweet4
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous2

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 'Bud' Cardos' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 13 of their 20 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (10).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for John 'Bud' Cardos' 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

39 credits, 20 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Blood & Flesh: The Reel Life & Ghastly Death of Al Adamson (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Actor

  • Love and Other Stunts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Actor

  • Storm Catcher(1999)

    Driver

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films

  • Legends of the West (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Director

  • Gor II(1988)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films

  • Act of Piracy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Director

  • Skeleton Coast (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Director

  • Last Resort(1986)

    Stunt Coordinator

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • Mutant(1984)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • The Day Time Ended(1979)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films

  • The Dark(1979)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films

  • Death Dimension(1978)

    Stunt Coordinator · as Driver Henchman (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films

  • Charge of the Model T's (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Special Effects

  • Kingdom of the Spiders(1977)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • Black Samurai (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Associate Producer

  • Breaking Point (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    as Fleming

  • Kitty Can't Help It (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Second Unit Director

  • The Werewolf of Woodstock (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Production Consultant

  • Sunday in the Country(1974)

    Special Effects

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Dead of Night(1974)

    Production Manager

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • House of Terror (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Second Unit Director

  • Lash of Lust (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Production Manager · Stunts

  • Drag Racer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Director

  • The Female Bunch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Assistant Director · Production Manager · Stunts · as Mexican Farmer (uncredited)

  • The Red, White, and Black(1970)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • Hell's Bloody Devils(1970)

    as Bloody Devil

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films

  • Rebel Rousers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    as Townspeople

  • Horror of the Blood Monsters(1970)

    as Vampire Caveman (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • Five Bloody Graves (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Associate Producer · Production Manager · as Joe Lightfoot / Setago

  • Blood of Dracula's Castle(1969)

    Production Manager · as Prison Guard

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • The Wild Bunch(1969)

    Second Unit Director · Stunts

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Satan's Sadists (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    as Firewater

  • Nightmare in Wax(1969)

    Production Manager · as Det. Sgt. Bud Carver

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • The Las Vegas Strangler (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Stunts · as Joe (as John Cardos)

  • Psych-Out(1968)

    Stunts

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Killers Three(1968)

    as Bates

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • The Road Hustlers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    as Chandler

  • Hells Angels on Wheels(1967)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Deadwood '76(1965)

    as Hawk Russell

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 38 titles from 1965 to 2019.

Highest rated

Kingdom of the Spiders (1977)

Midcredits 34th

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting16 of 38: 10 only acting, 6 with another role · typical Midcredits score6thDirecting10 of 38: 9 only directing, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score8thProducing3 of 38: 1 only producing, 2 with another roleOther crew17 of 38: 11 only other crew, 6 with another role · typical Midcredits score6th

38 titles, 7 with more than one role — other crew and acting overlap on 6 of them.

By decade

1960s10 · 8 acting · 6 crew1970s18 · 6 acting · 14 crew1980s6 · crew1990s2 · crew2010s2 · acting

Billing

usually 10th · top billed in 0% of 7 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 'Bud' Cardos' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 8th percentile, the median of all 20; across their 11 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 9th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

9thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Approval · how many liked their films

4thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Reach · how many have seen their films

58thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Midcredits score across 20 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up1
  • 50th to 74th2
  • 25th to 49th2
  • Below 25th15

Shape of the crowd

12 of their 20 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Universally Panned5
  • Crowd Pleaser1
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed12

Most divisive · actor

Horror of the Blood Monsters (1970)

83rd percentile spread · 74% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director

Kingdom of the Spiders (1977)

Midcredits 34th · 37% liked

Reviewers score the acting 36/100 in their films, across 11 reviewed titles; fans 54, detractors 25. 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 John 'Bud' Cardos work with?

People who share at least 2 of John 'Bud' Cardos' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Robert Dix shares the most, 3.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers