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Joan Davis

Joan Davis

Actor · Died May 22, 1961, aged 53 · Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Joan Davis (June 29, 1907 – May 22, 1961) was an American comedic actress whose career spanned vaudeville, film, radio and television. Remembered best for the 1950s television comedy, I Married Joan, Davis had a successful earlier career as a B-movie actress and a leading star of 1940s radio comedy. Born as Madonna Josephine Davis in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Davis was a performer since childhood. She appeared with her husband Si Wills in vaudeville. Description above from the Wikipedia article Joan Davis, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
June 29, 1907
Died
May 22, 1961 (aged 53)
From
Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
14 on MovieCove · 49 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 36% in 30 days

What are Joan Davis' films like?

Across their 13 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
44%
Self
20%
Power
15%
Ideas
7%
Society
7%
Morality
5%
Survival
2%
Romantic love6 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship3 titles, browse their movies with this themeHope2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth2 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 13 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 13 · Serious 0 · Dark 0

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

Grounded 6 · Stylized 7 · Heightened 0

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

Gentle 11 · Charged 2 · Intense 0

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

Steady 9 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 0

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

Straight-faced 0 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 8

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 8 · Even-paced 5 · 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 1 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 13 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

9 analyzed roles

Usually the Ally: 6 of 9 analyzed roles.

Ally
6 of 9
Hero
2 of 9
Trickster
1 of 9
Show the 9 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
11
Warm
7
Romantic
5
Absurd
2
Hopeful
1
Other
5

How their films linger

Feel-good13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy12
  • 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 Joan Davis' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 1 of their 14 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Subscription and free streaming for Joan Davis' 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

49 credits, 14 with a MovieCove page; 5 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The Sound of Laughter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    as Jennie Kurtz (Hillbilly Singer)

  • I Married Joan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Show 98 episodes · as Joan Stevens

  • Harem Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Susie Perkins

  • The Groom Wore Spurs(1951)

    as Alice Dean

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Let's Join Joanie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Joanie Davis

  • Love That Brute (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Mamie Sage

  • The Traveling Saleswoman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Producer · as Mabel King

  • Make Mine Laughs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as (archive footage)

  • If You Knew Susie(1948)

    as Susie Parker

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • She Wrote the Book (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Jane Featherstone

  • George White's Scandals(1945)

    as Joan Mason

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • She Gets Her Man(1945)

    as Jane 'Pilky' Pilkington

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Kansas City Kitty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Polly Jasper

  • Show Business(1944)

    as Joan Mason

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Beautiful But Broke (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Dottie Duncan

  • Around the World(1943)

    as Joan Davis

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Two Señoritas from Chicago (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Daisy Baker

  • He's My Guy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Madge Donovan

  • Hedda Hopper’s Hollywood No. 6 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Actor

  • Yokel Boy(1942)

    as Molly Malone

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

  • Two Latins from Manhattan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Joan Daley

  • Sun Valley Serenade(1941)

    as Miss Carstairs

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Hold That Ghost(1941)

    as Camille Brewster

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • For Beauty's Sake (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Dottie Nickerson

  • Manhattan Heartbeat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Edna Higgins

  • Sailor's Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Myrtle

  • Free, Blonde and 21 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Nellie

  • Day-time Wife (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Miss Applegate

  • Too Busy to Work (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Lolly

  • Tail Spin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Babe Dugan

  • Just Around the Corner(1938)

    as Kitty

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Hold That Co-ed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Lizzie Olsen

  • My Lucky Star (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Mary Dwight

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

    as May Morris

  • Sally, Irene and Mary(1938)

    as Irene Keene

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Love and Hisses (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Joan Dolan

  • Life Begins in College (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Inez

  • Thin Ice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Orchestra Leader

  • Wake Up and Live(1937)

    as Comic Spanish Dancer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • You Can't Have Everything(1937)

    as Girl in YWCA (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Sing and Be Happy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Myrtle

  • Angel's Holiday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Strivers

  • The Great Hospital Mystery (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Flossie Duff

  • On the Avenue (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Miss Katz

  • Time Out for Romance(1937)

    as Midge Dooley

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

  • The Holy Terror (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Lili

  • Bunker Bean (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Mabel - Bunker's Secretary (uncredited)

  • Millions in the Air (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Singer

  • Way Up Thar (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Jennie Kurtz

Career shape

Star power in the 60th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 49 titles from 1935 to 1963.

Highest rated

Hold That Ghost (1941)

Midcredits 87th

Film career

  • 1941Screen debut· Hold That Ghost

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting49 of 49: 48 only acting, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score45thProducing1 of 49: 0 only producing, 1 with another role

By decade

1930s22 · acting1940s20 · acting1950s6 · 6 acting · 1 crew1960s1 · 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 Joan Davis' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 45th percentile, the median of all 14; across their 13 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 13

Approval · how many liked their films

42ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Reach · how many have seen their films

22ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Midcredits score across 14 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up2
  • 50th to 74th4
  • 25th to 49th5
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

5 of their 14 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Crowd Pleaser5
  • Broadly Agreed3
  • Mixed5

Most divisive · actor

She Gets Her Man (1945)

58th percentile spread · 24% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Hold That Ghost (1941)

Midcredits 87th · 78% liked

Reviewers score the acting 65/100 in their films, across 12 reviewed titles; fans 73, detractors 49. 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 Joan Davis work with?

People who share at least 2 of Joan Davis' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Douglas Fowley shares the most, 3.

Writers

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers

Mixed roles