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Elmer Clifton

Elmer Clifton

Director and writer, also producer · Died October 15, 1949, aged 59 · Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Born in Chicago, he was an actor in touring stock companies before making his screen debut in 1912. Joining D.W. Griffith's Fine Arts Studio in 1914, he was cast as Union officer Phil Stoneman in "The Birth of a Nation" (1915) and as The Rhapsodie in the Babylonian story of "Intolerance" (1916). He was also a second-unit director for those films. Promoted to director in 1917, Clifton supervised several successful Fine Arts comedies starring Dorothy Gish while continuing to serve as Griffith's assistant. Their association culminated with the blockbuster "Way Down East" (1920). Clifton shot much of its famous "Rescue from the ice" sequence and doubled for star Richard Barthelmess in the riskier scenes. He then left Griffith to form his own production company and had a smash hit with "Down to the Sea in Ships" (1922), a colorful whaling saga made on location in New England. It made a star of future "It Girl" Clara Bow, who appeared as a cross-dressing stowaway. In 1923 Clifton signed a lucrative seven-year contract with Fox and was poised to become one of Hollywood's major directors. Then tragedy struck. He was filming "The Warrens of Virginia" in Texas when his lead actress died from burns in an accident on the set. Although Clifton was blameless in the incident, he was fired by Fox and his career never regained its momentum.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
March 12, 1890
Died
October 15, 1949 (aged 59)
From
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Works as
Director and writer, also producer
Titles
27 on MovieCove · 134 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 37 days to Oct 26Down 37% in 30 days

What are Elmer Clifton's films like?

Across their 25 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Power.

Genres

Drama16 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 24th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Crime5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 9th percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Action3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 24th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action 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
58%
Power
14%
Society
12%
Bonds
11%
Survival
3%
Ideas
2%
Justice21 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity9 titles, browse their movies with this themeGreed7 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception6 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCorruption2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 25 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 18 · Serious 5 · Dark 2

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

Grounded 19 · Stylized 6 · Heightened 0

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

Gentle 12 · Charged 13 · Intense 0

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

Steady 18 · Shifting 7 · Whiplash 0

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

Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 18 · 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 17 · 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 23 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 23 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
18
Thrilling
13
Hopeful
9
Absurd
6
Melancholic
4
Other
14

How their films linger

Fun15 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good15 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy21
  • Bittersweet3
  • Tragic1

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 Elmer Clifton's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 21 of their 27 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (12).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Elmer Clifton'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

134 credits, 27 with a MovieCove page.

  • I Am Not a Racist (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    as Phil (archive footage) (uncredited)

  • Outcasts of Black Mesa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Story

  • The Silver Bandit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Director · Screenplay · Story

  • The Kid from Gower Gulch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Screenplay

  • Red Rock Outlaw (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Not Wanted (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    Director

  • The Judge(1949)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Quick on the Trigger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Screenplay

  • Sunset Carson Rides Again(1948)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • West to Glory(1947)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Rainbow Over the Rockies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    Screenplay

  • Song of the Sierras (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    Screenplay

  • Outlaws of the Plains(1946)

    Story

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Swing, Cowboy, Swing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    Director · Writer

  • Lightning Raiders(1946)

    Original Story · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Ambush Trail(1946)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Frontier Fugitives(1945)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Three in the Saddle(1945)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Marked for Murder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    Director · Screenplay

  • The Whispering Skull(1944)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Dead or Alive(1944)

    Director

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

  • Youth Aflame (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Gangsters of the Frontier(1944)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • Gunsmoke Mesa(1944)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Seven Doors to Death (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Brand of the Devil(1944)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Teen Age(1943)

    Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Spook Town(1944)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Pinto Bandit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    Director · Screenplay · Story

  • Guns of the Law(1944)

    Director · Screenplay

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

  • Outlaw Roundup(1944)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Captain America(1944)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Boss of Rawhide (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Director · Screenplay · Story

  • The Return of the Rangers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Director · Screenplay · Story

  • Frontier Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Raiders of San Joaquin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Screenplay

  • Cheyenne Roundup (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Screenplay · Story

  • Days of Old Cheyenne (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Director

  • The Blocked Trail (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Director

  • Bad Men of Thunder Gap (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Writer

  • The Sundown Kid (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Director

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

    Writer

  • The Old Chisholm Trail (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Deep in the Heart of Texas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Director

  • Swamp Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Director

  • Hard Guy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Director

  • I'll Sell My Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Director · Screenplay

  • City of Missing Girls(1941)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films

  • The Trail of the Silver Spurs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Story

  • West of Pinto Basin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    Story

  • Isle Of Destiny (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    Director

  • Crashing Thru (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    Director

  • California Frontier (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Director

  • Law of the Texan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Director

  • The Stranger from Arizona (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Director

  • Paroled from the Big House (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Director

  • The Secret of Treasure Island (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Assassin of Youth(1938)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • Slaves in Bondage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Director

  • Mile a Minute Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Director

  • Ten Laps to Go (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Director

  • Pilot X(1936)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Gambling with Souls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Director

  • Wildcat Trooper (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Director

  • Wolves of the Sea (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Director · Story

  • Custer's Last Stand(1936)

    Director

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

  • Custer's Last Stand (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Director

  • Skull and Crown(1935)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Rip Roaring Riley (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Director

  • Captured in Chinatown(1935)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Rough Riding Ranger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Fighting Caballero (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Director · Writer

  • Cyclone of the Saddle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Director · Writer

  • Pals of the Range (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Director · Writer

  • Maid to Order (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Director

  • The Fallen Empire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Director

  • Light of India (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Director

  • The Devil's Apple Tree (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Director

  • Tropical Nights (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Director

  • Virgin Lips (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Director

  • Beautiful But Dumb (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Director

  • Let 'Er Go Gallegher (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Director

  • The Bride of the Colorado (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Director

  • The Wreck of the Hesperus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Director

  • Daughters of the Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    Director

  • The Warrens of Virginia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    Director

  • Six Cylinder Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    Director

  • Down to the Sea in Ships (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    Director · Producer

  • Mary Ellen Comes to Town (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    Director

  • Turning the Tables (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Director

  • Nobody Home(1919)

    Director

  • Nugget Nell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Director

  • I'll Get Him Yet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Director

  • Peppy Polly (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Director

  • Boots (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Director

  • The Hope Chest (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Director

  • Kiss or Kill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Director · Writer

  • Battling Jane (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Director

  • Winner Takes All (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Director

  • The Eagle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Director

  • Smashing Through (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Director

  • The Guilt of Silence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Director

  • The Two-Soul Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Director · Writer

  • Brace Up (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Director · Story

  • The Flash of Fate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Director

  • The High Sign (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Director

  • The Man Trap (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Director

  • Flirting with Death (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Director

  • A Stormy Knight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Director

  • The Midnight Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Director

  • High Speed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Director

  • The Flame of Youth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Director

  • Her Official Fathers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Director

  • Nina, the Flower Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    as Jimmie

  • The Old Folks at Home (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    as Steve Coburn

  • Intolerance(1916)

    First Assistant Director · as The Rhapsode (Babylonian Story)

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • The Little School Ma'am (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    as Wilbur Howard

  • Acquitted (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    as Ned Fowler

  • The Missing Links (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    as Horace Gaylord

  • The Sable Lorcha (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    as Phillip Clyde - Evelyn's Fiancé

  • The Lily and the Rose (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    as Allison Edwards

  • The Fox Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    as Marashida

  • The Lost House (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    as Cuthbert

  • The Birth of a Nation(1915)

    Assistant Director · as Stoneman's Elder Son Phil

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • A Lucky Disappointment (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    as Jack Holt

  • The Sisters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    as Frank (Carol's country lover)

  • The Folly of Anne (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    as The Sympathtic Publisher

  • Burning Daylight: The Adventures of 'Burning Daylight' in Alaska (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    as Charley Bates

  • Martin Eden (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    as Cub Reporter

  • A Duel for Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    Actor

  • John Barleycorn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    as Jack, 3rd period

  • The Truth About Men (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

  • The Virgin Wife (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

  • Wives at Auction (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

Career shape

A full career of 133 titles, 130 of them dated from 1914 to 2019.

Highest rated

Captain America (1944)

Midcredits 24th

Most popular right now

Teen Age (1943)

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting19 of 133: 17 only acting, 2 with another roleDirecting93 of 133: 65 only directing, 28 with another role · typical Midcredits score19thWriting48 of 133: 21 only writing, 27 with another role · typical Midcredits score20thProducing1 of 133: 0 only producing, 1 with another roleOther crew2 of 133: 0 only other crew, 2 with another role

133 titles, 30 with more than one role — directing and writing overlap on 27 of them.

By decade

1910s42 · 18 acting · 26 crew1920s13 · crew1930s25 · crew1940s46 · crew1950s3 · crew2010s1 · acting

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 Elmer Clifton's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 24th percentile, the median of the 26 of 27 with a score; across their 25 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 28th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

28thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 25

Approval · how many liked their films

14thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 25

Reach · how many have seen their films

7thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 25

Midcredits score across 26 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up1
  • 25th to 49th11
  • Below 25th14

Shape of the crowd

20 of their 26 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Cult Classic3
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed20

Most divisive · actor

The Birth of a Nation (1915)

82nd percentile spread · 24% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Intolerance (1916)

Midcredits 91st · 79% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 44/100 and the pacing 44/100 in their films, across 18 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 Elmer Clifton work with?

People who share at least 2 of Elmer Clifton's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Dave O'Brien shares the most, 10.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles