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John Davis Chandler

John Davis Chandler

Actor · Died February 16, 2010, aged 75 · Hinton, West Virginia, USA

John Davis Chandler (1935–2010) was an American character actor renowned for his distinctive, intense onscreen presence and his prolific career playing villains, outlaws, and shady miscreants. Born in Hinton, West Virginia, and trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City, he broke into film in 1961 by landing the title role of real-life 1930s gangster Vincent "Mad Dog" Coll in the biopic Mad Dog Coll. That breakout performance cemented his niche as an exceptional on-screen heavy, enabling him to carve out a nearly 40-year career spanning more than a hundred film and television credits. Throughout his career, Chandler became a familiar face in classic Westerns and gritty crime dramas, notably collaborating multiple times with director Sam Peckinpah in films such as Ride the High Country, Major Dundee, Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, and The Outlaw Josey Wales. Mainstream audiences also recognize him for playing the sneering gang leader Bleak in the 1987 action-comedy Adventures in Babysitting, alongside feature work in Capone, Only the Lonely, and Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead. In addition to his extensive film resume, he was a ubiquitous television guest star, appearing on classic programs ranging from The Rifleman, Gunsmoke, Adam-12, and Columbo to Murder, She Wrote. Science fiction fans also remember him for his appearance as the Orion character Flith in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine sixth-season episode "Honor Among Thieves". He passed away on February 16, 2010, at the age of 75 in Toluca Lake, California, due to cancer.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
January 28, 1935
Died
February 16, 2010 (aged 75)
From
Hinton, West Virginia, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
39 on MovieCove · 82 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 32% in 30 days

What are John Davis Chandler's films like?

Across their 16 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Survival and Morality.

Genres

Action4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 31st percentile
: browse their Action movies
Drama4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 51st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 40th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Horror2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 13th percentile
: browse their Horror 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
Survival
28%
Morality
23%
Society
18%
Bonds
10%
Self
9%
Power
7%
Ideas
5%
Survival5 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity5 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice4 titles, browse their movies with this themeViolence4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRevenge3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 16 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 8 · Stylized 8 · Heightened 0

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

Gentle 1 · Charged 11 · Intense 4

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

Steady 7 · Shifting 9 · Whiplash 0

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

Straight-faced 12 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 2

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

Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 13 · 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 11 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 1

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

Resolved 13 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

3 analyzed roles

Usually the Shadow: 2 of 3 analyzed roles.

Shadow
2 of 3
Threshold guardian
1 of 3

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
13
Dread
7
Thrilling
5
Melancholic
4
Warm
3
Other
11

How their films linger

Bittersweet10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy4
  • Bittersweet6
  • Tragic3
  • Ambiguous3

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 John Davis Chandler's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 24 of their 39 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (16).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for John Davis Chandler'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

82 credits, 39 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Sharon's Secret (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    as Stan

  • ER(1994)

    Show 1 episode · as Thornberg

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • Chicago Hope (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Show 1 episode · as Mr. Ray

  • Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead(1994)

    as Henry

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Walker, Texas Ranger(1993)

    Show 1 episode · as Homeless Man

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all shows

  • Body of Evidence(1993)

    as Dr. Novaro

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • Star Trek: Deep Space Nine(1993)

    Show 1 episode · as Flith

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • Renegade(1992)

    Show 1 episode · as Captain at Base

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all shows

  • Inside Out 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Actor

  • Only the Lonely(1991)

    as Duane Earl Tyrone

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Crash and Burn(1990)

    as Bud

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • Double Revenge (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    as Big Charlie

  • Adventures in Babysitting(1987)

    as Bleak

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Love Among Thieves(1987)

    as San Francisco Desk Clerk

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Murder, She Wrote(1984)

    Show 1 episode · as Gilbert Stoner · as John Detweiler

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • Hunter(1984)

    Show 1 episode · as Paul Hammond

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all shows

  • Airwolf(1984)

    Show 1 episode · as Gentry

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all shows

  • Triumphs of a Man Called Horse(1983)

    as Mason

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Matt Houston (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 1 episode · as Hank · as Roman Petrovich

  • The Sword and the Sorcerer(1982)

    as Guard 1

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • T.J. Hooker(1982)

    Show 1 episode · as Waylon Gilbert

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all shows

  • Cassie & Co. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 1 episode · as Gillian

  • Simon & Simon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Show 3 episodes · Actor

  • Hill Street Blues(1981)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows

  • The Little Dragons (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    as Carl

  • Hart to Hart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • B. J. and the Bear (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 1 episode · as Marsh

  • Doc Hooker's Bunch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    as Roy

  • Fantasy Island(1977)

    Show 1 episode · as Ed Larson

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all shows

  • Confessions of the D.A. Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    as Robin Saydo (as John Chandler)

  • The Incredible Hulk(1977)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all shows

  • Lucan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Shadow of Chikara (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    as Rafe

  • Whiskey Mountain(1977)

    as Rudy

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Chesty Anderson U.S. Navy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    as Dr. Cheech

  • Scorchy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    as Nicky

  • Quincy, M.E. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Show 1 episode · as Robert Gideon

  • Spencer's Pilots (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Outlaw Josey Wales(1976)

    as First Bounty Hunter

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Mako: The Jaws of Death(1976)

    as Charlie

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films

  • Part 2: Walking Tall(1975)

    as Ray Henry

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Capone(1975)

    as Hymie Weiss

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • The Desperate Miles (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Truck Driver

  • The Ultimate Thrill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as Evans

  • Police Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Show 1 episode · as Nolan

  • Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid(1973)

    as Norris

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Hitched (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Jannis

  • Chase (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Thomas L. Traylor

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

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • Moon of the Wolf(1972)

    as Tom Jr.

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

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

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Drag Racer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    as Dave

  • The Partners (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Columbo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 1 episode · as Eddie Kane

  • Cannon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Shoot Out(1971)

    as Skeeter (as John Chandler)

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • O'Hara, United States Treasury: Operation Cobra (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    as Al Garver, the Henchman

  • Barquero(1970)

    as Fair

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • The Good Guys and the Bad Guys(1969)

    as Deuce

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • The Hooked Generation(1968)

    as Acid

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Adam-12(1968)

    Show 1 episode · as Robin Saydo · as Steve Deal · as Wally Barstow

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all shows

  • The High Chaparral (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 1 episode · as Kid Curry

  • Judd, for the Defense (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • Return of the Gunfighter(1966)

    as Sundance

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Felony Squad (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Run for Your Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 1 episode · as Dr. Walker

  • Once a Thief(1965)

    as James Arthur Sargatanas, Walter's Henchman

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Major Dundee(1965)

    as Jimmy Lee Benteen

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Those Calloways(1965)

    as Ollie Gibbons

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · as Dick McBride

  • The Fugitive (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · as Kenny · as Quimby

  • Empire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Show 1 episode · as Aflen

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

    Show 1 episode · as Dog

  • Ride the High Country(1962)

    as Jimmy Hammond

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Straightaway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Ricochet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as Kelso

  • The Young Savages(1961)

    as Arthur Reardon

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Mad Dog Coll (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as Vincent "Mad Dog" Coll

  • Route 66(1960)

    Show 1 episode · as Frank Lauderbeck

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows

  • The Detectives (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Starr

  • The Rifleman(1958)

    Show 1 episode · as Brooks

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

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

    Show 1 episode · as Rogers · as Willie Tomsen

Career shape

Star power in the 95th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 82 titles from 1955 to 1995; peak year 1975.

Biggest box office

Adventures in Babysitting (1987)

$34M worldwide

Highest rated

Adventures in Babysitting (1987)

Midcredits 78th

Film career

19551995

Peak 1975 · back in prominent film roles after a quiet stretch. Top draw in 1 MovieCove title. 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.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting82 of 82: 82 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score50th

By decade

1950s3 · acting1960s21 · acting1970s33 · acting1980s14 · acting1990s11 · acting

Billing

usually 10th · top billed in 0% of 21 roles
616676

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 John Davis Chandler's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 45th percentile, the median of all 25; across their 16 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 46th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

46thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Approval · how many liked their films

38thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Reach · how many have seen their films

63rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Midcredits score across 39 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up10
  • 50th to 74th10
  • 25th to 49th10
  • Below 25th9

Shape of the crowd

14 of their 39 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved5
  • Crowd Pleaser14
  • Broadly Agreed6
  • Mixed14

Most divisive · actor

Mako: The Jaws of Death (1976)

61st percentile spread · 59% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)

Midcredits 97th · 88% liked

Reviewers score the acting 60/100 in their films, across 15 reviewed titles; fans 72, detractors 38. 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.

Is John Davis Chandler's work okay for kids?

Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Sex & Nudity5 titles37–72 · median 46 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32

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 John Davis Chandler work with?

People who share at least 2 of John Davis Chandler's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; William Grefé shares the most, 4.

Directors

Actors

Editors

Mixed roles