Leigh Brackett
Writer · Died March 18, 1978, aged 62 · Los Angeles, California, USA
Leigh Douglass Brackett (December 7, 1915 – March 18, 1978) was a Hollywood writer and a noted science fiction and fantasy author who was a regular contributor to various science fiction pulps in the 1940's. She was also a mentor and collaborator of Ray Bradbury. She was married to fellow science fiction pulp writer Edmond Hamilton for 31 years (until his death in 1977). In Hollywood, she wrote such films as The Long Goodbye, Hatari! and Rio Bravo. She also wrote the first draft of Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back. Shortly after she completed the draft, she died after a battle with cancer. After her death, George Lucas decided that he did not prefer the direction Brackett's draft was going in. Lucas discarded it and wrote two new drafts with Lawrence Kasdan finishing the script. Brackett's original draft was not mentioned or referenced in the new drafts. However, Lucas felt that her name should be in the credits as a reward for her effort. To ensure Writers Guild of America (which determines screenwriting credit for the film) would award her the credit, Lucas intentionally did not submit his drafts.
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Biography from TMDB.
- December 7, 1915
- March 18, 1978 (aged 62)
- Los Angeles, California, USA
- Writer
- 12 on MovieCove · 16 credits in all
What are Leigh Brackett's films like?
Across their 10 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.
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 1 · Wry 0 · Earnest 9
Light 4 · Serious 5 · Dark 1
A split, not a type: Grounded 5 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 2
Gentle 1 · Charged 8 · Intense 1
Steady 3 · Shifting 6 · Whiplash 1
Straight-faced 4 · Some laughs 6 · Funny 0
Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 7 · Relentless 0
Casual 2 · Engaged 7 · Full focus 1
A split, not a type: Easy watch 5 · Affecting 3 · Heavy 2
Resolved 6 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 1
Moods and endings
- Happy4
- Bittersweet4
- Ambiguous1
- Other1
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 Leigh Brackett's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 6 of their 12 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Pluto TV (3).
Subscription and free streaming for Leigh Brackett'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
16 credits, 12 with a MovieCove page.
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Archer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)
The Rockford Files(1974)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows
The Long Goodbye(1973)
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
Rio Lobo(1970)
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
El Dorado(1966)
Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows
Hatari!(1962)
Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films
13 West Street(1962)
Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films
Gold of the Seven Saints(1961)
Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films
Checkmate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)
Rio Bravo(1959)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
The Unholy Four(1954)
Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films
Crime Doctor's Man Hunt (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)
The Big Sleep(1946)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
The Vampire's Ghost (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)
Career shape
A full career of 16 titles from 1945 to 1980.
Biggest box office
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Highest rated
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
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 Leigh Brackett's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 89th percentile, the median of all 10; across their 10 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 88th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up8
- 50th to 74th3
- Below 25th1
Shape of the crowd
None of their 12 titles divides audiences: 7 are Universally Loved.
- Universally Loved7
- Crowd Pleaser3
- Broadly Agreed2
Reviewers score the dialogue 64/100 and the plot and story 50/100 in their films, across 10 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.
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 Leigh Brackett's work okay for kids?
Across up to 7 MovieCove titles with content scores, alcohol & drugs runs heavier than most films and sex & nudity lighter.
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 Leigh Brackett work with?
People who share at least 2 of Leigh Brackett's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Howard Hawks shares the most, 5.
Directors
- Howard HawksShared titles: Rio Lobo (1970), El Dorado (1966), Hatari! (1962), Rio Bravo (1959), The Big Sleep (1946)See all 5 shared titles with Howard Hawks
Writers
- Raymond ChandlerShared titles: The Long Goodbye (1973), The Big Sleep (1946)See all 2 shared titles with Raymond Chandler
- Jules FurthmanShared titles: Rio Bravo (1959), The Big Sleep (1946)See all 2 shared titles with Jules Furthman
Actors
- John WayneShared titles: Rio Lobo (1970), El Dorado (1966), Hatari! (1962), Rio Bravo (1959)See all 4 shared titles with John Wayne
Composers, cinematographers and editors
- John WilliamsShared titles: Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980), The Long Goodbye (1973)See all 2 shared titles with John Williams
- John WoodcockShared titles: Rio Lobo (1970), El Dorado (1966)See all 2 shared titles with John Woodcock
- Russell HarlanShared titles: Hatari! (1962), Rio Bravo (1959)See all 2 shared titles with Russell Harlan
- Folmar BlangstedShared titles: Gold of the Seven Saints (1961), Rio Bravo (1959)See all 2 shared titles with Folmar Blangsted
Producers
- Paul HelmickShared titles: Rio Lobo (1970), El Dorado (1966), Hatari! (1962)See all 3 shared titles with Paul Helmick