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Rod Cameron

Rod Cameron

Actor · Died December 21, 1983, aged 73 · Calgary, Alberta, Canada

The well-worn phrase "Tall in the saddle" is certainly one easy way of describing (and perhaps pigeon-holing) leathery, wiry-framed 1940s and early 1950s western film star Rod Cameron, although he proved quite capable in crime stories, horrors and even swing-era musicals. The 6'4" Canadian-born actor was born Nathan Roderick Cox on December 7, 1910, and raised in Alberta. Once his aspirations of becoming a Royal Canadian Mountie passed, he decided to seek fame and fortune as an actor in New York and initially grabbed some work as a laborer on the Holland Tunnel project in Manhattan. When no progress was made acting-wise, he moved to California where he made his "debut" in an unbilled bit in one of Bette Davis' scenes in The Old Maid (1939). Upon release, however, he discovered his bit in the scene had been deleted. Cameron found a slight "in" (as in "stand-in") with Paramount Pictures for such stars as Fred MacMurray while managing to find himself sparingly used in other Paramount films. To supplement his income he also played leading man in the studio's screen tests for starlet wanna-bes and his athleticism paid off playing stunt double for such established cowboy icons as Buck Jones. Cameron toiled as a bit player for quite some time and appeared insignificantly in such classics as Christmas in July (1940) and North West Mounted Police (1940) (where he fulfilled his early wish by playing a Mountie!). Occasionally he would find a noticeable secondary role, in such lesser films as The Monster and the Girl (1941), The Forest Rangers (1942) and as Jesse James in The Remarkable Andrew (1942). Cameron's banner year was 1943, when he finally broke out of the minor leagues and into the major ranks. His breakout screen role was as clench-jawed Agent Rex Bennett, out to bring down the foreign enemy and save the world, in the Republic serial cliffhangers G-Men vs. The Black Dragon (1943) and Secret Service in Darkest Africa (1943). From there he was signed by Universal to appear in a flurry of low-budget westerns with Fuzzy Knight as his comic sidekick. Aside from the rough-hewn heroics he was paid to display, he would occasionally show a softer side for the ladies, such as with fellow Canadian Yvonne De Carlo in Salome, Where She Danced (1945), Frontier Gal (1945) and River Lady (1948). Seldom would he venture outside the action genre, however, one of the few times being his role as a symphony conductor in Swing Out, Sister (1945). For the most part he remained rooted in westerns and the only variance within that realm was the occasional black-hatted bad guy. Among Cameron's many dusty showcases (more often than not made at Republic or Universal), Brimstone (1949), Stampede (1949), Dakota Lil (1950) and San Antone (1953) are worth a good look. Cameron never found his Stagecoach (1939) or Shane (1953), a vehicle that might have held him even "taller" in the saddle, but between 1953 and 1955 he was still ranked "top 5" box-office. In the 1950s Cameron found time to settle into a couple of syndicated TV series. Both City Detective (1953) and State Trooper (1956) lasted a couple of seasons. He also guested on the more popular western series, such as Bonanza (1959), Laramie (1959) and The Virginian (1962). When his movie career began to fade in the early 1960s, he went to Spain for a few spaghetti westerns and appeared in a couple of low-budget westerns such as Requiem for a Gunfighter (1965) and The Bounty Killer (1965), which was noticed more for reuniting sagebrush stars from yesteryear than for its high quality. He also played an aging rodeo star who dies early in the story in the biopic Evel Knievel (1971). The only serious tabloid scandal he ever found himself in was when he divorced wife Angela Alves-Lico (1950-1960) and then immediately married his ex-wife's mother, Dorothy, who was a few years older than him. An extended battle with cancer finally claimed the 73-year-old actor in 1983 at a Gainesville, Georgia, hospital.

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Biography from IMDb.

Born
December 7, 1910
Died
December 21, 1983 (aged 73)
From
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Works as
Actor
Titles
42 on MovieCove · 112 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 27Up 31% in 30 days

What are Rod Cameron's films like?

Across their 23 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Society.

Genres

Drama11 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 36th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Action3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 25th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Adventure3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 19th percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 55th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 34th 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
Morality
49%
Society
15%
Power
11%
Bonds
9%
Self
7%
Survival
4%
Ideas
4%
Justice13 titles, browse their movies with this themeRevenge6 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity6 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themeGreed3 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption4 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 23 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 11 · Serious 7 · Dark 5

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

Grounded 10 · Stylized 12 · Heightened 1

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

Gentle 4 · Charged 16 · Intense 3

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

Steady 11 · Shifting 12 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 13 · Some laughs 9 · Funny 1

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

Slow burn 8 · Even-paced 12 · Relentless 3

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

Casual 18 · Engaged 5 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 22 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

18 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 12 of 18 analyzed roles.

Hero
12 of 18
Trickster
2 of 18
Shadow
2 of 18
Mentor
2 of 18
Show the 18 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
18
Thrilling
10
Melancholic
9
Warm
5
Romantic
4
Other
15

How their films linger

Feel-good11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy13
  • Bittersweet7
  • Ambiguous1
  • Cyclical2

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 Rod Cameron's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 20 of their 42 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (16).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Rod Cameron'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

112 credits, 42 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Love and the Midnight Auto Supply(1977)

    as Sheriff Dawson

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

  • Psychic Killer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Dr. Commanger

  • Jessi's Girls(1975)

    as Rufe

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • The Rockford Files(1974)

    Show 1 episode · as Jack Chilson

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Police Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The French Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Actor

  • The Last Movie(1971)

    as Pat Garrett

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Bearcats! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 1 episode · as Warden Price

  • Evel Knievel(1971)

    as Charlie Knesson

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Alias Smith and Jones (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • Adam-12(1968)

    Show 1 episode · as Henry Komac · as Martin Broule · as Slim Berkeley

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all shows

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

    Show 1 episode · as Esau Billings

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

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Winnetou und sein Freund Old Firehand(1966)

    as Old Firehand

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Bonanza: Ride the Wind (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    as Curtis Wade

  • The Bounty Killer(1965)

    as Johnny Liam

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Requiem for a Gunfighter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    as Dave McCloud

  • Branded (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 1 episode · as Holland Thorp

  • Bullet in the Flesh (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    as Nathaniel Masters

  • Bullets Don't Argue(1964)

    as Sheriff Pat Garrett

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · as Tiny

  • Burke's Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · as Harry Joe Murdock

  • The Gun Hawk(1963)

    as Sheriff Ben Corey

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • The Virginian (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Show 1 episode · as Dunn

  • Gunfight at Black Horse Canyon(1961)

    as Nathan Chance

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • The Man Who Found the Money (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    as Mr. Newsome

  • Coronado 9 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Show 39 episodes · as Dan Adams

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

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • Bonanza(1959)

    Show 2 episodes · as Curtis Wade

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows

  • The Man Who Died Twice(1958)

    as William 'Bill' Brennon

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Escapement (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    as Jeff Keenan

  • Perry Mason(1957)

    Show 1 episode · as Grover Johnson

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Spoilers of the Forest(1957)

    as Boyd Caldwell

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Yaqui Drums (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as Webb Dunham

  • State Trooper (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Show 108 episodes · as Rod Blake

  • Passport to Treason (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as Mike O'Kelly

  • The Fighting Chance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Bill Binyon

  • Alfred Hitchcock Presents(1955)

    Show 1 episode · as Mr. Newsome

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Headline Hunters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Woody Woodruff

  • Double Jeopardy(1955)

    as Marc Hill

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Santa Fe Passage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Jess Griswold

  • Hell's Outpost (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Tully Gibbs

  • Studio 57 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Show 1 episode · as Jonathan Hart · as Sandy

  • Southwest Passage(1954)

    as Edward Fitzpatrick Beale

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • The Steel Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as Mike Monahan

  • The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Show 1 episode · as Gorman

  • The Loretta Young Show(1953)

    Show 1 episode · as Dave Goodwick · as Warren

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows

  • City Detective (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Show 64 episodes · Actor

  • San Antone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as Carl Miller

  • Ride the Man Down(1952)

    as Will Ballard

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • The Jungle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Steven Bentley

  • Woman of the North Country(1952)

    as Kyle Ramlo

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Wagons West (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Jeff Curtis

  • Fort Osage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Tom Clay

  • Chevron Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Show 1 episode · as Ashley Cummings

  • The Sea Hornet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Gunner McNeil

  • Cavalry Scout (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Kirby Frye

  • Oh! Susanna (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Capt. Webb Calhoun

  • Short Grass(1950)

    as Steve Llewellyn

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Stage to Tucson (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Grif Holbrook

  • Dakota Lil (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Harve Logan / Kid Curry

  • Brimstone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Johnny Tremaine

  • Stampede(1949)

    as Mike McCall

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Strike It Rich (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Duke Massey

  • Belle Starr's Daughter(1948)

    as Bob 'Bitter Creek' Yauntis

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films

  • The Plunderers(1948)

    as John Drum

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • River Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Dan Corrigan

  • Panhandle(1948)

    as John Sands

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Pirates of Monterey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Captain Phillip Kent

  • The Runaround (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Eddie J. Kildane

  • Frontier Gal(1945)

    as Jonathan (Johnny) Hart

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Renegades of the Rio Grande (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as Buck Emerson

  • Swing Out, Sister (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as Geoffrey Cabot

  • Beyond the Pecos (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as Lew Remington

  • Salome, Where She Danced(1945)

    as Jim Steed

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • The Old Texas Trail (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Jim Wiley, posing as Rawhide Carney

  • Mrs. Parkington(1944)

    as Al Swann

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Riders of the Santa Fe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Matt Conway

  • Trigger Trail (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Clint Farrel

  • Boss of Boomtown (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Steve Hazard

  • Follow the Boys (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Rube Tedrow (archive footage) (uncredited)

  • 'Gung Ho!': The Story of Carlson's Makin Island Raiders(1943)

    as Rube Tedrow

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • Riding High (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Sam Welch

  • The Kansan(1943)

    as Kelso

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Secret Service In Darkest Africa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Rex Bennett

  • Honeymoon Lodge (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Big Boy Carson

  • No Time for Love(1943)

    as Taylor (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • G-men vs. the Black Dragon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Rex Bennett

  • Commandos Strike at Dawn(1942)

    as Pastor

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • The Forest Rangers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Jim Lawrence

  • Wake Island (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Capt. Pete Lewis

  • Priorities on Parade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Stage Manager

  • Star Spangled Rhythm (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Petty Officer (uncredited)

  • The Remarkable Andrew (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Jesse James

  • The Fleet's In(1942)

    as 'Texas' - Sailor

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Pacific Blackout (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Pilot

  • Among the Living (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Actor

  • No Hands on the Clock (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Tom Reed

  • The Night of January 16th (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Attrorney Polk's Assistant

  • Henry Aldrich for President (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Ed Calkins

  • Nothing But the Truth(1941)

    as Sailor (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Buy Me That Town(1941)

    as Gerard

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Riders of Death Valley(1941)

    as Rider

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • The Monster and the Girl(1941)

    as Sam Daniels

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Life with Henry (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Bill Van Dusen

  • Christmas in July(1940)

    as Dick

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • North West Mounted Police(1940)

    as Corporal Underhill

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • The Quarterback (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Tex

  • Rangers of Fortune (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Shelby Henchman

  • Stagecoach War (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Cowboy

  • If I Had My Way(1940)

    as Bridge Worker Slim (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Heritage of the Desert(1939)

    as Cowhand

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

Career shape

Star power in the 86th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 112 titles from 1939 to 1977; peak year 1966.

Biggest box office

Christmas in July (1940)

$471 worldwide

Highest rated

Christmas in July (1940)

Midcredits 89th

Most popular right now

Winnetou und sein Freund Old Firehand (1966)

Film career

19391977

Peak 1966 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

  • 1940Screen debut· North West Mounted Police
  • 1966First top-billed film· Thunder at the Border
  • 1966Career best· Thunder at the Border

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting112 of 112: 112 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score44th

By decade

1930s1 · acting1940s50 · acting1950s34 · acting1960s17 · acting1970s10 · acting

Billing

usually 11th · top billed in 11% of 9 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 Rod Cameron's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 39th percentile, the median of all 36; across their 23 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 38th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

38thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 23

Approval · how many liked their films

30thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 23

Reach · how many have seen their films

23rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 23

Midcredits score across 42 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up7
  • 50th to 74th11
  • 25th to 49th15
  • Below 25th9

Shape of the crowd

15 of their 42 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Crowd Pleaser15
  • Broadly Agreed9
  • Mixed15

Most divisive · actor

Love and the Midnight Auto Supply (1977)

78th percentile spread · 35% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Christmas in July (1940)

Midcredits 89th · 80% liked

Reviewers score the acting 59/100 in their films, across 21 reviewed titles; fans 71, detractors 42. 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 Rod Cameron work with?

People who share at least 2 of Rod Cameron's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Joseph Kane shares the most, 5.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers