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John R. Cherry III

John R. Cherry III

Director, writer, producer and actor · Died May 8, 2022, aged 73 · Nashville, Tennessee, USA

John R. Cherry III was an American film director and screenwriter, most notable for creating the character of Ernest P. Worrell.

Biography from TMDB.

Born
October 11, 1948
Died
May 8, 2022 (aged 73)
From
Nashville, Tennessee, USA
Works as
Director, writer, producer and actor
Titles
13 on MovieCove · 20 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 79% in 30 days

What are John R. Cherry III's films like?

Across their 12 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Comedy10 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 29th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 24th percentile
: browse their Adventure 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
44%
Self
30%
Morality
9%
Power
9%
Society
8%
Self-worth4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeGreed2 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 12 · Serious 0 · Dark 0

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 6 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 3

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

Gentle 8 · Charged 4 · Intense 0

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

Steady 5 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 2

Funny: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their funny movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 0 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 11

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

Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 8 · 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 12 · Engaged 0 · 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

1 analyzed role

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Absurd
8
Joyful
10
Warm
7
Tense
3
Hopeful
2
Other
4

How their films linger

Feel-good10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy11
  • Bittersweet1

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 R. Cherry III's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 9 of their 13 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for John R. Cherry III'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

20 credits, 13 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Pirates of the Plain(1999)

    Director · Producer · Storyboard Artist · Writer

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • The All New Adventures of Laurel & Hardy in For Love or Mummy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Director

  • Ernest in the Army(1998)

    Director · Producer · Story · as Sgt. Ben Kovsky - aka 'Sarge' (as John Cherry)

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • Ernest Goes to Africa(1997)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay · as Customer

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • Slam Dunk Ernest(1995)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Ernest Goes to School(1994)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Your World as I See It (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Director

  • Ernest Rides Again(1993)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Ernest's Greatest Hits Volume 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Director

  • Ernest Scared Stupid(1991)

    Director · Story

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Disneyland's 35th Anniversary Special(1990)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Ernest Goes to Jail(1990)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Ernest Goes to Splash Mountain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Director

  • Ernest Saves Christmas(1988)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Ernest Goes to Camp(1987)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Hey Vern, Win $10,000...Or Just Count On Having Fun! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Director · as Self

  • The Ernest Film Festival (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Director

  • Ernest's Greatest Hits Volume 1 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Director

  • Dr. Otto and the Riddle of the Gloom Beam(1985)

    Director · Executive Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • Knowhutimean? Hey Vern, It's My Family Album(1983)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 20 titles from 1983 to 1999.

Biggest box office

Ernest Saves Christmas (1988)

$28M worldwide

Highest rated

Ernest Scared Stupid (1991)

Midcredits 42nd

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting2 of 20: 0 only acting, 2 with another roleDirecting19 of 20: 10 only directing, 9 with another role · typical Midcredits score30thWriting9 of 20: 0 only writing, 9 with another role · typical Midcredits score28thProducing5 of 20: 1 only producing, 4 with another role · typical Midcredits score12thOther crew1 of 20: 0 only other crew, 1 with another role

20 titles, 9 with more than one role — directing and writing overlap on 9 of them.

By decade

1980s8 · crew1990s12 · 2 acting · 12 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 John R. Cherry III's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 29th percentile, the median of all 13; across their 12 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 27th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

27thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Approval · how many liked their films

32ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Reach · how many have seen their films

73rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Midcredits score across 13 titles, by percentile

  • 50th to 74th2
  • 25th to 49th6
  • Below 25th5

Shape of the crowd

10 of their 13 titles are Mixed.

  • Cult Classic3
  • Mixed10

Most divisive · director

Disneyland's 35th Anniversary Special (1990)

87th percentile spread · 25% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director, writer, producer

Knowhutimean? Hey Vern, It's My Family Album (1983)

Midcredits 60th · 71% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 48/100 and the pacing 42/100 in their films, across 12 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 John R. Cherry III work with?

People who share at least 2 of John R. Cherry III's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Coke Sams shares the most, 8.

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers