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Les Baxter

Les Baxter

Composer · Died January 15, 1996, aged 73

Born
March 14, 1922
Died
January 15, 1996 (aged 73)
Works as
Composer
Titles
67 on MovieCove · 84 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 10% in 30 days

What are Les Baxter's films like?

Across their 63 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Survival.

Genres

Drama16 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 34th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy14 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 23rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Action12 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 15th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Horror8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 22nd percentile
: browse their Horror movies
Crime7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 30th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Adventure6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 14th percentile
: browse their Adventure 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
24%
Survival
21%
Bonds
20%
Self
12%
Power
12%
Society
6%
Ideas
5%
Survival12 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love12 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice11 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds9 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception6 titles, browse their movies with this themePower5 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty6 titles, browse their movies with this themeViolence6 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 63 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 27 · Serious 14 · Dark 22

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 30 · Stylized 24 · Heightened 9

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

Gentle 13 · Charged 32 · Intense 18

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

Steady 28 · Shifting 29 · Whiplash 6

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 38 · Some laughs 12 · Funny 13

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

Slow burn 21 · Even-paced 40 · Relentless 2

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

Casual 31 · Engaged 30 · Full focus 2

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

Resolved 48 · Open-ended 13 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
48
Dread
23
Thrilling
16
Absurd
14
Melancholic
18
Other
39

How their films linger

Fun25 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling23 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good18 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet16 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 10 with a twist

  • Happy21
  • Bittersweet27
  • Tragic5
  • Ambiguous9
  • 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 Les Baxter's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 59 of their 67 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Les Baxter'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

84 credits, 67 with a MovieCove page.

  • Lightning in a Bottle(1993)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • The Beast Within(1982)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Born Again (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Composer

  • Switchblade Sisters(1975)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Savage Sisters(1974)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • I Escaped from Devil's Island(1973)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • The Devil and Leroy Bassett(1973)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films

  • The Oval Portrait (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Composer

  • One Minute Before Death (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Composer

  • Frogs(1972)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films

  • Blood Sabbath(1972)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films

  • Dagmar's Hot Pants, Inc.(1971)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films

  • Diabolic Wedding(1971)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • El ogro(1971)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Cry of the Banshee(1970)

    Composer · Conductor

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • The Dunwich Horror(1970)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • An Evening of Edgar Allan Poe(1970)

    Composer · Conductor

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Flareup(1969)

    Composer · Conductor

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Target: Harry (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Composer

  • Hell's Belles(1969)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Bora Bora(1968)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • Terror in the Jungle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Composer

  • Wild in the Streets(1968)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • The Mini-Skirt Mob(1968)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • The Young Animals(1968)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • The Eye Creatures (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Composer

  • Sadismo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Composer

  • Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs(1966)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films

  • Fireball 500(1966)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini(1966)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • The Wild Weird World of Dr. Goldfoot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Music Director

  • Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine(1965)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Sergeant Dead Head(1965)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • How to Stuff a Wild Bikini(1965)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Beach Blanket Bingo(1965)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • Pajama Party(1964)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • The Mighty Jungle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Composer

  • Muscle Beach Party(1964)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • The Comedy of Terrors(1963)

    Composer · Conductor

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Bikini Beach(1964)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Beach Party(1963)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes(1963)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • The Terror(1963)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • The Raven(1963)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Operation Bikini(1963)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films

  • The Young Racers(1963)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Panic in Year Zero!(1962)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Tales of Terror(1962)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Escape to Paradise(1960)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Premature Burial(1962)

    Additional Music

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • White Slave Ship (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Composer

  • Fall Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Composer · Compositor

  • The Pit and the Pendulum(1961)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Master of the World(1961)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • Reptilicus(1961)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • Goliath and the Dragon(1960)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • House of Usher(1960)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Macabre(1958)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold(1958)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • The Bride and the Beast (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Composer

  • Fort Bowie(1958)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Hell Bound(1957)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • The Invisible Boy(1957)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • The Girl in Black Stockings(1957)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • Jungle Heat(1957)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • War Drums(1957)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Untamed Youth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Composer

  • Revolt at Fort Laramie(1957)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • The Storm Rider (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Composer

  • Pharaoh's Curse(1957)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films

  • Voodoo Island(1957)

    Composer · Music Director

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films

  • Outlaw's Son(1957)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • The Dalton Girls(1957)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Tomahawk Trail(1957)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • A Woman's Devotion(1956)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Hot Cars(1956)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Rebel in Town(1956)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • The Black Sleep(1956)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Quincannon, Frontier Scout(1956)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Hot Blood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Composer · as Gas Station Attendant (uncredited)

  • Monika, the Story of a Bad Girl! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Composer

  • A Life at Stake(1955)

    Composer · Music Director

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • It's Everybody's Business (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Composer

  • The Yellow Tomahawk(1954)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 75 titles from 1954 to 1993.

Biggest box office

The Beast Within (1982)

$7.7M worldwide

Highest rated

An Evening of Edgar Allan Poe (1970)

Midcredits 85th

Most popular right now

House of Usher (1960)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting1 of 75: 0 only acting, 1 with another roleMusic74 of 75: 66 only music, 8 with another role · typical Midcredits score24thOther crew8 of 75: 1 only other crew, 7 with another role · typical Midcredits score24th

75 titles, 8 with more than one role — music and other crew overlap on 7 of them.

By decade

1950s23 · 1 acting · 23 crew1960s37 · crew1970s13 · crew1980s1 · crew1990s1 · crew

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.

How do Les Baxter's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 24th percentile, the median of all 67; across their 63 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 31st percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

31stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 63

Approval · how many liked their films

20thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 63

Reach · how many have seen their films

42ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 63

Midcredits score across 67 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up3
  • 50th to 74th10
  • 25th to 49th20
  • Below 25th34

Shape of the crowd

31 of their 67 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Panned7
  • Crowd Pleaser13
  • Broadly Agreed16
  • Mixed31

Most divisive · composer

Diabolic Wedding (1971)

79th percentile spread · 52% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · composer

An Evening of Edgar Allan Poe (1970)

Midcredits 85th · 75% liked

Reviewers score the sound and music 52/100 in their films, across 56 reviewed titles; fans 62, detractors 38. The element that speaks to their work as a composer.

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 Les Baxter's work okay for kids?

Across up to 12 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore4 titlesmedian 40 · moderateMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity12 titles14–62 · median 48 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity4 titlesmedian 15 · minimalMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs5 titles20–43 · median 33 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense4 titlesmedian 47 · moderateMedian 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 Les Baxter work with?

People who share at least 2 of Les Baxter's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Samuel Z. Arkoff shares the most, 22.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

  • John F. Schreyer17 titles    See newest 12 of 17 shared titles with John F. Schreyer
  • Floyd Crosby13 titles    See newest 12 of 13 shared titles with Floyd Crosby
  • Fred R. Feitshans Jr.11 titles    See all 11 shared titles with Fred R. Feitshans Jr.
  • Eve Newman10 titles    See all 10 shared titles with Eve Newman

Producers

Mixed roles