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Herbert Anderson

Herbert Anderson

Actor · Died June 11, 1994, aged 77 · Oakland, California, USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Herbert Anderson (March 30, 1917 – June 11, 1994) was an American character actor probably best remembered for his role as Henry Mitchell, the father in the CBS television sitcom Dennis the Menace. After a few minor roles in films for Warner Bros., Anderson got his big break in the 1941 picture Navy Blues, followed by The Body Disappears and The Male Animal. His other films include the 1949 World War II film Battleground, Give My Regards to Broadway, Excuse My Dust, Island in the Sky, The Benny Goodman Story, Kelly and Me, Joe Butterfly, My Man Godfrey (1957), I Bury the Living, Sunrise at Campobello, Hold On!, and Rascal. Anderson also acted extensively in Broadway shows, including the role of Dr. Bird in The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial. He was also in the film version of The Caine Mutiny; he was the only actor to appear in both the Broadway play and film. In addition to his role in Dennis the Menace, Anderson is also known for many lead and guest-starring roles on television. Anderson retired from acting in 1982. He died of complications from a stroke in 1994.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
March 30, 1917
Died
June 11, 1994 (aged 77)
From
Oakland, California, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
45 on MovieCove · 93 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 38 days to Oct 27Down 31% in 30 days

What are Herbert Anderson's films like?

Across their 13 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Drama4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 38th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Biography3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 68th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 59th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy 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
Bonds
32%
Self
28%
Morality
20%
Society
19%
Survival
1%
Ambition4 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity4 titles, browse their movies with this themePrejudice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception2 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 12 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 10 · Serious 0 · Dark 2

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

Grounded 10 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 0

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

Gentle 6 · Charged 6 · Intense 0

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

Steady 9 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 0

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 8 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 1

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

Slow burn 6 · Even-paced 6 · 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 10 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 12 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

2 analyzed roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Warm
6
Tense
5
Joyful
5
Melancholic
5
Hopeful
4
Other
8

How their films linger

Feel-good7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy7
  • Bittersweet6

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 Herbert Anderson's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 20 of their 45 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Herbert Anderson'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

93 credits, 45 with a MovieCove page.

  • Virginia Hill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as Sen. Estes Kefauver

  • Adam's Rib (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Waltons(1972)

    Show 1 episode · as Mr. Bennett

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all shows

  • The Paul Lynde Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Rookies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 1 episode · as Orwell

  • Nanny and the Professor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Show 1 episode · as Allen Price, Sr.

  • The Brady Bunch(1969)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all shows

  • Rascal(1969)

    as Mr. Pringle

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Adam-12(1968)

    Show 1 episode · as George Barnes

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all shows

  • The Name of the Game (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Show 1 episode · as Roger Dall

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

    Show 1 episode · as Jim Phillips · as Leon Karp

  • Dragnet 1967(1967)

    Show 1 episode · as Carl Shumley · as Dr. Phillip Lang · as Robert Blake

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all shows

  • Family Affair(1966)

    Show 1 episode · as Chuck

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all shows

  • Hold On! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    as Ed Lindquist

  • Batman(1966)

    Show 1 episode · as Harry Hummert · as Racing Secretary

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

  • I Dream of Jeannie(1965)

    Show 1 episode · as Commander Davis

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all shows

  • Green Acres(1965)

    Show 1 episode · as Mr. Wurthwaxer

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all shows

  • Daniel Boone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Show 1 episode · as Wyman

  • The Cara Williams Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Show 1 episode · as Bender

  • The Man from U.N.C.L.E.(1964)

    Show 1 episode · as Harry Barnman · as Jonathan Fletcher

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows

  • Bewitched(1964)

    Show 1 episode · as Clerk

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows

  • The Bing Crosby Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Petticoat Junction(1963)

    Show 1 episode · as Mr. Norton

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all shows

  • My Three Sons (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Show 1 episode · as Joe Linden · as Major Bowers

  • Sunrise at Campobello(1960)

    as Daly

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Dennis the Menace(1959)

    Show 146 episodes · as Henry Mitchell

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all shows

  • The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Mr. Pomfritt

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows

  • Rawhide (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Sheriff Burr

  • I Bury the Living(1958)

    as Jess Jessup

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Nightmare at Ground Zero (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Actor

  • Sea Hunt(1958)

    Show 1 episode · as Professor George Bryan

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all shows

  • My Man Godfrey(1957)

    as Hubert

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • The Real McCoys(1957)

    Show 1 episode · as Dr. Nugent

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • Perry Mason(1957)

    Show 1 episode · as Eugene Milton

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Night Passage(1957)

    as Will Renner

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Joe Butterfly (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Maj. Ferguson

  • Kelly and Me (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Ben Collins

  • Spring Reunion(1956)

    as Edward

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Four Girls in Town(1957)

    as Ted Larabee

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Official Detective (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Telephone Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Benny Goodman Story(1956)

    as John Hammond Jr.

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Matinee Theater (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

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

    Show 1 episode · as Bob Perkins

  • Alfred Hitchcock Presents(1955)

    Show 1 episode · as George Thompson · as John Keller

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Actor

  • Navy Log (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Gunsmoke (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 1 episode · as Elwood

  • The Millionaire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 1 episode · as Dave

  • The Wonderful World of Disney (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Show 1 episode · as Charles Lowell Smith

  • Climax! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Show 1 episode · as Devlin

  • Father Knows Best(1954)

    Show 1 episode · as Verle Wisman

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows

  • The Caine Mutiny(1954)

    as Ens. Rabbit

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Island in the Sky(1953)

    as Breezy

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • General Electric Theater (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Show 1 episode · as Lt. Haggerty

  • The Ford Television Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Show 1 episode · as Desk Sergeant

  • The Girl in White(1952)

    as Dr. Barclay

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Finders Keepers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Hotel Clerk

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

    Show 1 episode · as Harold Halloway

  • Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · as Charlie · as Healy

  • Excuse My Dust (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Ben Parrott

  • The Magnificent Yankee(1950)

    as Baxter

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • The Lawless(1950)

    as Jonas Creel

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Yellow Cab Man(1950)

    as Willis Tomlin

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Battleground(1949)

    as Hansan

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • The Set-Up(1949)

    as Husband (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

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

    Show 1 episode · as Ernest

  • Give My Regards to Broadway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Frank Doty

  • You Were Meant for Me (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Eddie

  • Love and Learn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Pete

  • That Way with Women (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Melvyn Pfeiffer

  • This Is the Army(1943)

    as Danny Davidson

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • The Male Animal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Michael Barnes

  • The Body Disappears (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as George Appleby

  • Navy Blues (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Homer Matthews

  • Dive Bomber(1941)

    as Chubby Markham

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Highway West (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Worker (uncredited)

  • The Bride Came C.O.D.(1941)

    as Reporter

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Wings of Steel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Actor

  • The Strawberry Blonde(1941)

    as Girl-Chaser in a Park (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Honeymoon for Three (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Floyd T. Ingram

  • Four Mothers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Reporter (uncredited)

  • Meet the Fleet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Dan Howell

  • No Time for Comedy(1940)

    as Actor in Show (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Service with the Colors (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Hiram Briggs

  • The Sea Hawk(1940)

    as Eph Winters

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Young America Flies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Jim

  • Tear Gas Squad(1940)

    as Pliny Jones

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • 'Til We Meet Again(1940)

    as (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet(1940)

    as Medical Assistant

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Calling Philo Vance(1939)

    as First Reporter (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • The Fighting 69th(1940)

    as Private Casey (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

Career shape

Star power in the 92nd percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 93 titles from 1940 to 1974.

Biggest box office

My Man Godfrey (1957)

$2.6M worldwide

Highest rated

The Benny Goodman Story (1956)

Midcredits 72nd

Most popular right now

Dennis the Menace (1959)

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting93 of 93: 93 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score68th

By decade

1940s28 · acting1950s39 · acting1960s19 · acting1970s7 · acting

Billing

usually 14th · top billed in 0% of 14 roles
4045

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 Herbert Anderson's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 66th percentile, the median of all 27; across their 12 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 60th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

60thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Approval · how many liked their films

57thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Reach · how many have seen their films

38thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Midcredits score across 45 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up15
  • 50th to 74th22
  • 25th to 49th6
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

31 of their 45 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved6
  • Crowd Pleaser31
  • Broadly Agreed3
  • Mixed5

Most divisive · actor

This Is the Army (1943)

54th percentile spread · 20% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Set-Up (1949)

Midcredits 96th · 85% liked

Reviewers score the acting 68/100 in their films, across 12 reviewed titles; fans 76, detractors 46. 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 Herbert Anderson work with?

People who share at least 2 of Herbert Anderson's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; William H. Daniels shares the most, 3.

Directors

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers