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Alan Curtis

Alan Curtis

Actor · Died February 2, 1953, aged 43 · Chicago, Illinois, USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Alan Curtis (July 24, 1909 - February 2, 1953) was an American film actor appearing in over 50 films. Born Harry Ueberroth in Chicago, Illinois, he began his career as a model before becoming an actor, appearing in local newspaper ads. His looks did not go unnoticed in Hollywood. He began appearing in films in the late 1930s (including a Technicolor appearance in the Alice Faye-Don Ameche film Hollywood Cavalcade and a memorable role in High Sierra (1941). He is probably best known as one of the romantic leads in Abbott and Costello's first hit movie Buck Privates. His chance for leading-man stardom came when he replaced the unwilling John Garfield in the 1943 production Flesh and Fantasy. Curtis played a ruthless killer opposite Gloria Jean. Unfortunately for both actors, the studio removed their performances from the final film. The footage was later expanded into a B-picture melodrama Destiny. The film failed to establish Curtis as a major-name star, but it did typecast him in hardbitten roles, like the man framed for murder in Phantom Lady (1944) and the detective Philo Vance. He starred in over two dozen movies and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Alan Curtis was married three times; his wives included actresses Priscilla Lawson and Ilona Massey. He died from complications during an operation in New York City, New York, he was 43. He is buried in the Ueberroth family plot in Evanston, Illinois. Description above from the Wikipedia article Alan Curtis, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
July 24, 1909
Died
February 2, 1953 (aged 43)
From
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
11 on MovieCove · 43 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 25% in 30 days

What are Alan Curtis' films like?

Across their 10 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Drama4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 37th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Crime3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 40th percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 78th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy 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
40%
Bonds
35%
Power
8%
Survival
8%
Self
3%
Ideas
3%
Society
3%
Romantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption2 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty3 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRevenge2 titles, browse their movies with this themeWar2 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 10 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 2 · Stylized 8 · Heightened 0

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

Gentle 3 · Charged 5 · Intense 2

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

Steady 4 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 1

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 2

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

Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 6 · 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 6 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 0

Easy watch: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their easy watch movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 4 · Affecting 6 · Heavy 0

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

Resolved 9 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

7 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 3 of 7 analyzed roles.

Hero
3 of 7
Ally
2 of 7
Herald
1 of 7
Shapeshifter
1 of 7
Show the 7 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
6
Joyful
3
Melancholic
4
Dread
3
Romantic
1
Other
8

How their films linger

Bittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy5
  • Bittersweet2
  • Tragic3

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 Alan Curtis' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 2 of their 11 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (2).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Alan Curtis' 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

43 credits, 11 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • City of Violence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Paolo Giacomo

  • The Pirates of Capri (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Commodore Van Diel

  • Apache Chief (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Young Eagle

  • The Enchanted Valley (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Johnny Nelson

  • Philo Vance's Secret Mission (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Philo Vance

  • Philo Vance's Gamble (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Philo Vance

  • Renegade Girl(1946)

    as Fred Raymond

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • Flight to Nowhere (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Hobe Carrington

  • Inside Job (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Edward "Eddie" Norton

  • The Daltons Ride Again(1945)

    as Emmett Dalton

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Shady Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as Marty Martin

  • The Naughty Nineties (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as Mr. Crawford

  • See My Lawyer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as Charlie Rodman

  • Frisco Sal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as Rio Jordan aka John Warren

  • Destiny(1944)

    as Cliff Banks

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • The Invisible Man's Revenge(1944)

    as Mark Foster

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films

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

    as Alan Curtis (uncredited)

  • Phantom Lady(1944)

    as Scott Henderson

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

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

    as John Harbison

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • Crazy House (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Alan Curtis

  • Two Tickets to London (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as First Mate Dan Driscoll

  • Hitler's Madman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Karel Vavra

  • Remember Pearl Harbor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Bruce Gordon

  • We Go Fast (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Bob Brandon

  • New Wine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Franz Schubert

  • Buck Privates(1941)

    as Bob Martin

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • High Sierra(1941)

    as Babe

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Four Sons (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Karl Bern

  • Hollywood Cavalcade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Nicky Hayden

  • Good Girls Go to Paris(1939)

    as Tom Brand

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Sergeant Madden (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Dennis Madden

  • Burn 'Em Up O'Connor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Jose "Rocks" Rivera

  • The Duke of West Point (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Cadet Strong

  • The Shopworn Angel(1938)

    as 'Thin Lips'

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Yellow Jack (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Brinkerhof

  • Mannequin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Eddie Miller

  • The Woman I Love(1937)

    as (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Smartest Girl in Town (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Model who Escorts Cookie (uncredited)

  • One Live Ghost (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Alan

  • Without Orders (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Co-Pilot

  • Don't Turn 'em Loose (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Wedding Attendant with Telegram

  • Walking on Air (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Fred Randolph

  • The Witness Chair (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Reporter in Coutroom

Career shape

Star power in the 88th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 43 titles from 1936 to 1951.

Highest rated

High Sierra (1941)

Midcredits 92nd

Most popular right now

Buck Privates (1941)

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting43 of 43: 43 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score71st

By decade

1930s15 · acting1940s27 · acting1950s1 · acting

Billing

usually 3rd · top billed in 0% of 6 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 Alan Curtis' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 71st percentile, the median of all 11; across their 10 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 59th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

59thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Approval · how many liked their films

56thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Reach · how many have seen their films

56thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Midcredits score across 11 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up4
  • 50th to 74th2
  • 25th to 49th3
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

5 of their 11 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Crowd Pleaser5
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed3

Most divisive · actor

The Woman I Love (1937)

70th percentile spread · 13% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

High Sierra (1941)

Midcredits 92nd · 83% liked

Reviewers score the acting 66/100 in their films, across 10 reviewed titles; fans 74, detractors 43. 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 Alan Curtis work with?

People who share at least 2 of Alan Curtis' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Frank Skinner shares the most, 3.

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors