Skip to content
MovieCove

Joseph Cates

Producer and director, also writer · Died October 10, 1998, aged 74 · New York City, New York, USA

Born
August 10, 1924
Died
October 10, 1998 (aged 74)
From
New York City, New York, USA
Works as
Producer and director, also writer
Titles
14 on MovieCove · 36 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 19% in 30 days

What are Joseph Cates' films like?

Across their 14 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Society and Bonds.

Genres

Comedy4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 45th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 69th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama 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
Society
24%
Bonds
21%
Morality
20%
Self
13%
Ideas
10%
Survival
9%
Power
3%
Community5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds4 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this themeMarriage2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 14 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 3 · Dark 1

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 11 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 1

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

A split, not a type: Gentle 8 · Charged 4 · Intense 2

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

Steady 9 · Shifting 5 · 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 6 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 6

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

A split, not a type: Slow burn 8 · Even-paced 4 · 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 12 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 13 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Warm
7
Joyful
7
Absurd
4
Tense
3
Hopeful
4
Other
7

How their films linger

Feel-good8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy10
  • Bittersweet1
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous1
  • 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 Joseph Cates' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 4 of their 14 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Joseph Cates' 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

36 credits, 14 with a MovieCove page.

  • The Quick and the Dead(1987)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • The Last Days of Frank and Jesse James(1986)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • A Christmas Dream (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Producer

  • Special People(1984)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Homage to Steve(1984)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • The Cradle Will Fall(1983)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • The Berenstain Bears Play Ball (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Executive Producer

  • The Berenstain Bears' Comic Valentine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Executive Producer

  • Magic with the Stars(1982)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Johnny Cash: Christmas in Scotland (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Producer

  • The Berenstain Bears' Easter Surprise (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Executive Producer

  • Command Performance: The Stars Salute the President (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Producer

  • The Berenstain Bears Meet Bigpaw (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Executive Producer

  • All Commercials... A Steve Martin Special(1980)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • The Last Married Couple in America(1980)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Steve Martin: Comedy Is Not Pretty(1980)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Skinflint: A Country Christmas Carol(1979)

    Executive Producer · Producer

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Berenstain Bears' Christmas Tree (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Executive Producer

  • Stubby Pringle's Christmas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Executive Producer

  • Steve Martin: A Wild and Crazy Guy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Producer

  • 50 Years of Country Music(1978)

    Executive Producer · Writer

  • Have I Got a Christmas for You(1977)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Johnny Cash Christmas Special 1976 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Producer

  • Ann-Margret: When You're Smiling (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Producer

  • The Flintstones on Ice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Executive Producer

  • S Wonderful, 'S Marvelous, 'S Gershwin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Executive Producer

  • Dames at Sea (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Producer

  • George M! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Executive Producer

  • Annie: The Women in the Life of a Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Executive Producer

  • The Fat Spy(1966)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films

  • Who Killed Teddy Bear(1965)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Girl of the Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Director

  • The Bachelor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Director · Producer

  • Tony Awards (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Show 3 episodes · Executive Producer

  • The $64,000 Question (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 31 episodes · Producer

  • Cavalcade of Stars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    Show 49 episodes · Producer

Career shape

A full career of 35 titles from 1949 to 1987.

Biggest box office

The Last Married Couple in America (1980)

$13M worldwide

Highest rated

The Quick and the Dead (1987)

Midcredits 71st

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing5 of 35: 2 only directing, 3 with another roleWriting1 of 35: 0 only writing, 1 with another roleProducing33 of 35: 29 only producing, 4 with another role · typical Midcredits score67th

35 titles, 4 with more than one role — producing and directing overlap on 3 of them.

By decade

1940s1 · crew1950s3 · crew1960s3 · crew1970s13 · crew1980s15 · 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 Joseph Cates' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 67th percentile, the median of the 13 of 14 with a score; across their 14 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 14

Approval · how many liked their films

66thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Reach · how many have seen their films

25thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Midcredits score across 13 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up4
  • 50th to 74th4
  • 25th to 49th1
  • Below 25th4

Shape of the crowd

6 of their 13 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser4
  • Mixed6

Most divisive · producer

Skinflint: A Country Christmas Carol (1979)

92nd percentile spread · 63% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · producer

Homage to Steve (1984)

Midcredits 92nd · 81% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 60/100 and the pacing 44/100 in their films, across 10 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

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 Joseph Cates work with?

People who share at least 2 of Joseph Cates' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Gilbert Cates shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Cinematographers

Producers