
George Duning
Composer · Died February 27, 2000, aged 92 · Richmond, Indiana, USA
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia George Duning (February 25, 1908 – February 27, 2000) was an American musicial and film composer. He was born in Richmond, Indiana and educated in Cincinnati, Ohio at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, where his mentor was Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco. In his early 20s Duning played trumpet and piano for the Kay Kyser band, later arranging most of the music for Kyser's radio program, Kollege of Musical Knowledge. It was during the Kyser band's appearance in Carolina Blues (1944) that Duning's work was noticed, leading to a Columbia contract. Duning joined the Navy in 1942 and served as a conductor and arranger with Armed Forces Radio. Film and TV career Morris Stoloff signed Duning to Columbia Pictures in 1946, where he worked almost exclusively through the early 1960s, collaborating most often with director Richard Quine. Prominent Duning scores are two of the best examples of western genre – the original 3:10 to Yuma, and Cowboy – and those he composed for films as diverse as Picnic, The World of Suzie Wong, The Devil at Four O'Clock, Bell, Book, and Candle and Toys in the Attic. Duning shared music adaptation credit with Nelson Riddle for the highly successful 1957 film adaptation of the Rodgers and Hart musical Pal Joey starring Frank Sinatra and Rita Hayworth. During his career, Duning worked on more than 300 film and television scores. His notable television work includes Tightrope, Star Trek, The Big Valley and Naked City, and TV miniseries, such as Top of the Hill (1980), The Dream Merchants (1980) and Goliath Awaits (1981). The quality of his work remained consistently and remarkably high in any medium. His last feature film was The Man with Bogart's Face (1980), and he retired in 1981. Nominated five times for an Academy Award, Duning never won. Duning was an active citizen of the music industry, serving on the ASCAP Board of Directors from 1972 to 1985, and as ASCAP Vice President from 1978 to 1979. He also served on the Board of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and was active in numerous other music industry organizations. In addition to his Academy Award nominations, Duning was also honored with awards from the Society for the Preservation of Film Music, Downbeat Magazine, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and his home state of Indiana (1993 Indiana Composer of the Year).
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Biography from TMDB.
- February 25, 1908
- February 27, 2000 (aged 92)
- Richmond, Indiana, USA
- Composer
- 93 on MovieCove · 155 credits in all
What are George Duning's films like?
Across their 80 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.
Genres
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
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 2 · Wry 5 · Earnest 72
Light 28 · Serious 29 · Dark 23
A split, not a type: Grounded 47 · Stylized 31 · Heightened 2
Gentle 22 · Charged 45 · Intense 13
A split, not a type: Steady 42 · Shifting 34 · Whiplash 4
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 39 · Some laughs 27 · Funny 14
Slow burn 31 · Even-paced 49 · Relentless 0
Casual 52 · Engaged 28 · Full focus 0
A split, not a type: Easy watch 40 · Affecting 28 · Heavy 12
Resolved 69 · Open-ended 9 · Ambiguous 2
Moods and endings
- Happy41
- Bittersweet34
- Tragic3
- 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 George Duning's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 31 of their 93 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (16).
- The Long Gray Line (1955) · composer · free
- The Mob (1951) · composer · free
- Bell Book and Candle (1958) · composer · free
- Cowboy (1958) · composer · free
- Toys in the Attic (1963) · composer · free
- Queen Bee (1955) · composer · free
- It Happened to Jane (1959) · composer · free
- Operation Mad Ball (1957) · composer · free
- The Devil at 4 O'Clock (1961) · composer · free
- The Wackiest Ship in the Army (1960) · composer · free
- Yuma (1971) · composer · free
- Tonight and Every Night (1945) · composer · free
- +4 more
Subscription and free streaming for George Duning'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
155 credits, 93 with a MovieCove page.

Beyond Witch Mountain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

Goliath Awaits (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
The Dream Merchants (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

Top of the Hill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

Child of Glass (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

Father Knows Best: Home for Christmas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

The Love Boat(1977)
Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
The Sky's the Limit(1975)
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Arnold(1973)
Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films
Terror in the Wax Museum(1973)
Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films
Honor Thy Father (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

Climb an Angry Mountain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

A Great American Tragedy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

The Woman Hunter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

Black Noon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

Yuma(1971)
Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
Crowhaven Farm(1970)
Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films
But I Don't Want to Get Married! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

Quarantined (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

Then Came Bronson (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)
Land's End (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

The Second Hundred Years (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

Any Wednesday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

Star Trek(1966)
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows
Brainstorm(1965)
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
My Blood Runs Cold (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

Dear Brigitte(1965)
Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films
Ensign Pulver(1964)
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films
The Three Stooges Scrapbook (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

Toys in the Attic(1963)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films
Island of Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

Critic's Choice(1963)
Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films
Who's Got the Action?(1962)
Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films
That Touch of Mink(1962)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films
The Notorious Landlady(1962)
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
13 West Street(1962)
Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films
Two Rode Together(1961)
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
Cry for Happy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

Sail a Crooked Ship(1961)
Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films
The Devil at 4 O'Clock(1961)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
The World of Suzie Wong(1960)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
All the Young Men(1960)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
Strangers When We Meet(1960)
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
Man on a String(1960)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
1001 Arabian Nights (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
The Last Angry Man(1959)
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
The Silent Kill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

It Happened to Jane(1959)
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
Bell Book and Candle(1958)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
Houseboat(1958)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films
Me and the Colonel(1958)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
Gunman's Walk(1958)
Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films
Cowboy(1958)
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
Pal Joey(1957)
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
The Tijuana Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

The Brothers Rico (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

Operation Mad Ball(1957)
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
3:10 to Yuma(1957)
Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films
Jeanne Eagels(1957)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
The Giant Claw(1957)
Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films
The Shadow on the Window(1957)
Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films
Utah Blaine(1957)
Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films
Full of Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

Nightfall(1956)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
Miami Exposé (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

The Solid Gold Cadillac(1956)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
Storm Center (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

The Werewolf(1956)
Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
The Eddy Duchin Story(1956)
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films
Inside Detroit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

Three Stripes in the Sun(1955)
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
Picnic(1955)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
Queen Bee(1955)
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
Count Three and Pray(1955)
Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films
My Sister Eileen(1955)
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
The Man from Laramie(1955)
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
Chicago Syndicate(1955)
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
Bring Your Smile Along(1955)
Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films
5 Against the House(1955)
Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films
Tight Spot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

Three for the Show(1955)
Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films
Women's Prison(1955)
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
The Long Gray Line(1955)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
Drive a Crooked Road(1954)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
Battle of Rogue River(1954)
Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films
The Big Heat(1953)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
From Here to Eternity(1953)
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
Let's Do It Again(1953)
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films
Salome(1953)
Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
Last of the Comanches(1953)
Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
Assignment: Paris (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

Captain Pirate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

Affair in Trinidad(1952)
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
Paula(1952)
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
Rainbow 'Round My Shoulder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

Scandal Sheet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

The Barefoot Mailman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

Man in the Saddle(1951)
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
The Family Secret (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

The Mob(1951)
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
The Lady and the Bandit(1951)
Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films
Two of a Kind(1951)
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
Lorna Doone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

The Flying Missile (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

Harriet Craig (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
Convicted (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

No Sad Songs for Me(1950)
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
Cargo to Capetown (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

And Baby Makes Three (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

Jolson Sings Again (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

Lust for Gold(1949)
Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films
The Doolins of Oklahoma(1949)
Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films
Johnny Allegro (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

The Undercover Man(1949)
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
Slightly French (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

Shockproof (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

Ladies of the Chorus(1948)
Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films
The Dark Past(1948)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
The Return of October (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

The Untamed Breed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

The Gallant Blade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

The Man from Colorado(1948)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
The Woman from Tangier (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

To the Ends of the Earth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

I Love Trouble (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

Her Husband's Affairs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

The Guilt of Janet Ames(1947)
Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films
Johnny O'Clock (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

The Return of Rusty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

The Man Who Dared (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

Gilda(1946)
Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films
Mysterious Intruder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

The Notorious Lone Wolf (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

The Devil's Mask(1946)
Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films
My Name Is Julia Ross(1945)
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films
Leave It to Blondie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

Eadie Was a Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

Tonight and Every Night(1945)
Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films
Let's Go Steady(1945)
Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
She's a Sweetheart(1944)
Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Strange Affair (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

Carolina Blues(1944)
Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films
Swing Fever(1943)
Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films
Around the World(1943)
Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films
That's Right – You're Wrong (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)
Career shape
A full career of 147 titles from 1939 to 1982.

Biggest box office
From Here to Eternity (1953)

Highest rated
3:10 to Yuma (1957)

Most popular right now
From Here to Eternity (1953)
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 George Duning's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 59th percentile, the median of all 91; across their 80 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 61st percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up21
- 50th to 74th40
- 25th to 49th25
- Below 25th7
Shape of the crowd
55 of their 93 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved6
- Crowd Pleaser55
- Broadly Agreed10
- Mixed22
Reviewers score the sound and music 55/100 in their films, across 63 reviewed titles; fans 62, detractors 37. 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 George Duning's work okay for kids?
Across up to 6 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs lighter than most films.
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 George Duning work with?
People who share at least 2 of George Duning's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Charles Nelson shares the most, 21.
Directors
- Richard QuineShared titles: The Notorious Landlady (1962), Strangers When We Meet (1960), The World of Suzie Wong (1960), It Happened to Jane (1959), Bell Book and Candle (1958), Operation Mad Ball (1957), The Solid Gold Cadillac (1956), Bring Your Smile Along (1955), My Sister Eileen (1955), Drive a Crooked Road (1954), No Sad Songs for Me (1950)See all 11 shared titles with Richard Quine

- Henry LevinShared titles: Two of a Kind (1951), The Man from Colorado (1948), The Guilt of Janet Ames (1947), The Devil's Mask (1946)See all 4 shared titles with Henry Levin

- Rudolph MatéShared titles: Paula (1952), No Sad Songs for Me (1950), The Dark Past (1948), Tonight and Every Night (1945)See all 4 shared titles with Rudolph Maté

- Daniel MannShared titles: Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed? (1963), Who's Got the Action? (1962), The Last Angry Man (1959)See all 3 shared titles with Daniel Mann

Writers
- Blake EdwardsShared titles: The Notorious Landlady (1962), Operation Mad Ball (1957), Bring Your Smile Along (1955), My Sister Eileen (1955), Drive a Crooked Road (1954), She's a Sweetheart (1944)See all 6 shared titles with Blake Edwards

- Jack RoseShared titles: Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed? (1963), Who's Got the Action? (1962), Houseboat (1958)See all 3 shared titles with Jack Rose

- Daniel TaradashShared titles: Bell Book and Candle (1958), Picnic (1955), From Here to Eternity (1953)See all 3 shared titles with Daniel Taradash

- Kenneth GametShared titles: Last of the Comanches (1953), Man in the Saddle (1951), The Doolins of Oklahoma (1949)See all 3 shared titles with Kenneth Gamet
Actors
- Jack LemmonShared titles: The Notorious Landlady (1962), The Wackiest Ship in the Army (1960), It Happened to Jane (1959), Bell Book and Candle (1958), Cowboy (1958), Operation Mad Ball (1957), You Can't Run Away from It (1956), My Sister Eileen (1955), Three for the Show (1955)See all 9 shared titles with Jack Lemmon

- Kim NovakShared titles: The Notorious Landlady (1962), Strangers When We Meet (1960), Bell Book and Candle (1958), Jeanne Eagels (1957), The Eddy Duchin Story (1956), 5 Against the House (1955), Picnic (1955)See all 7 shared titles with Kim Novak

- Glenn FordShared titles: Cowboy (1958), 3:10 to Yuma (1957), Affair in Trinidad (1952), Lust for Gold (1949), The Undercover Man (1949), The Man from Colorado (1948)See all 6 shared titles with Glenn Ford

- Ernie KovacsShared titles: Sail a Crooked Ship (1961), Strangers When We Meet (1960), It Happened to Jane (1959), Bell Book and Candle (1958), Operation Mad Ball (1957)See all 5 shared titles with Ernie Kovacs

Cinematographers and editors
- Charles NelsonShared titles: The Devil at 4 O'Clock (1961), Strangers When We Meet (1960), The Wackiest Ship in the Army (1960), It Happened to Jane (1959), The Last Angry Man (1959), Bell Book and Candle (1958), Me and the Colonel (1958), Operation Mad Ball (1957), Utah Blaine (1957), The Solid Gold Cadillac (1956), My Sister Eileen (1955), Picnic (1955) and 9 moreSee newest 12 of 21 shared titles with Charles Nelson
- Charles Lawton Jr.Shared titles: Ensign Pulver (1964), 13 West Street (1962), Two Rode Together (1961), Man on a String (1960), The Wackiest Ship in the Army (1960), It Happened to Jane (1959), Cowboy (1958), Gunman's Walk (1958), 3:10 to Yuma (1957), Operation Mad Ball (1957), You Can't Run Away from It (1956), Bring Your Smile Along (1955) and 8 moreSee newest 12 of 20 shared titles with Charles Lawton Jr.

- William A. LyonShared titles: Sail a Crooked Ship (1961), Cowboy (1958), Me and the Colonel (1958), The Shadow on the Window (1957), Nightfall (1956), Count Three and Pray (1955), Picnic (1955), The Long Gray Line (1955), The Man from Laramie (1955), From Here to Eternity (1953), No Sad Songs for Me (1950), The Guilt of Janet Ames (1947)See all 12 shared titles with William A. Lyon
- Al ClarkShared titles: 13 West Street (1962), All the Young Men (1960), Man on a String (1960), Cowboy (1958), 3:10 to Yuma (1957), You Can't Run Away from It (1956), Bring Your Smile Along (1955), Last of the Comanches (1953), The Undercover Man (1949), She's a Sweetheart (1944)See all 10 shared titles with Al Clark
Producers
- Fred KohlmarShared titles: Dear Brigitte (1965), The Notorious Landlady (1962), The Devil at 4 O'Clock (1961), The Wackiest Ship in the Army (1960), The Last Angry Man (1959), Gunman's Walk (1958), The Solid Gold Cadillac (1956), My Sister Eileen (1955), Picnic (1955), Three Stripes in the Sun (1955)See all 10 shared titles with Fred Kohlmar
- Buddy AdlerShared titles: From Here to Eternity (1953), Last of the Comanches (1953), Salome (1953), Paula (1952), No Sad Songs for Me (1950), The Dark Past (1948)See all 6 shared titles with Buddy Adler

- Jonie TapsShared titles: The Shadow on the Window (1957), The Eddy Duchin Story (1956), Bring Your Smile Along (1955), Three for the Show (1955), Drive a Crooked Road (1954)See all 5 shared titles with Jonie Taps
- Ted RichmondShared titles: Nightfall (1956), Count Three and Pray (1955), Let's Go Steady (1945), She's a Sweetheart (1944)See all 4 shared titles with Ted Richmond

Mixed roles
- William ConradShared titles: Brainstorm (1965), 5 Against the House (1955)See all 2 shared titles with William Conrad


