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Jeff Donnell

Jeff Donnell

Actor · Died April 11, 1988, aged 66 · Windham, Maine, USA

Jean Marie "Jeff" Donnell (July 10, 1921 — April 11, 1988) was an American film and television actress. She grew up in South Windham, Maine. As a child, she adopted the nickname "Jeff" after the character in her favorite comic strip, Mutt and Jeff. Donnell graduated from Towson High School, Towson, Maryland, in 1938 and attended the Leland Powers School of Drama in Boston, Massachusetts. Later, she studied at the Yale School of Drama. She was signed to a contract by Columbia Pictures in 1942 and made her film debut in My Sister Eileen. She later had roles in some RKO films. She was not a major star, but she did have a lengthy film and television career in various supporting roles, including the role of Gidget's mother, "Dorothy Lawrence", opposite Carl Reiner in the 1961 movie Gidget Goes Hawaiian. Description above from the Wikipedia article Jeff Donnell, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
July 10, 1921
Died
April 11, 1988 (aged 66)
From
Windham, Maine, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
35 on MovieCove · 109 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 39 days to Oct 28Down 32% in 30 days

What are Jeff Donnell's films like?

Across their 18 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Morality.

Genres

Comedy8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 48th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 67th percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Drama3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 97th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 61st percentile
: 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
Self
31%
Morality
31%
Bonds
25%
Power
7%
Society
5%
Survival
1%
Romantic love5 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition5 titles, browse their movies with this themeMarriage3 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice4 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 18 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 10 · Serious 3 · Dark 5

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

Grounded 8 · Stylized 9 · Heightened 1

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

Gentle 6 · Charged 10 · Intense 2

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

A split, not a type: Steady 10 · Shifting 6 · Whiplash 2

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 9 · Some laughs 6 · Funny 3

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

Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 13 · Relentless 1

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

A split, not a type: Casual 10 · Engaged 7 · Full focus 1

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

Resolved 15 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

3 analyzed roles

Usually the Ally: 2 of 3 analyzed roles.

Ally
2 of 3
Herald
1 of 3

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
10
Warm
7
Joyful
5
Romantic
6
Melancholic
5
Other
14

How their films linger

Feel-good8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 4 with a twist

  • Happy8
  • Bittersweet9
  • Ambiguous1

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 Jeff Donnell's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 16 of their 35 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (9).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Jeff Donnell'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

109 credits, 35 with a MovieCove page; 3 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Portrait of a Stripper(1979)

    as Edith Sterling

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Rendezvous Hotel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    as Mrs. Williams

  • Murder by Natural Causes(1979)

    as Mrs. Mathews

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Spider-Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    as Aunt May Parker

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

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • McNaughton's Daughter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Show 3 episodes · as Mrs. Wilson

  • Matt Helm (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Show 7 episodes · as Ethel

  • Paper Moon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Show 1 episode · as Mrs. Carson

  • The Girl with Something Extra (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • A Gift of Terror (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Mrs. Cummings

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

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • Barnaby Jones(1973)

    Show 1 episode · as Janet Gossett

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all shows

  • Here We Go Again (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Show 1 episode · as Aunt Patti

  • The ABC Afternoon Playbreak (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Show 1 episode · as Mrs. Cummings

  • The Bob Newhart Show(1972)

    Show 1 episode · as Clara Hackler

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • Stand Up and Be Counted(1972)

    as Ruth

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • Emergency!(1972)

    Show 1 episode · as Katie

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • Me and the Chimp (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Congratulations, It's a Boy! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    as Rose

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

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Love Hate Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    as Mary Blunden

  • The Partridge Family(1970)

    Show 1 episode · as Mrs. Monahan

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all shows

  • Tora! Tora! Tora!(1970)

    as Cornelia

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • The Comic(1969)

    as Nurse

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Love, American Style (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Show 1 episode · as Mrs. Gellar · as Mrs. Hutton

  • Medical Center (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Show 1 episode · as Mrs. Hersey

  • Marcus Welby, M.D.(1969)

    Show 1 episode · as Cleaning Woman

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all shows

  • The Bold Ones: The New Doctors (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Show 1 episode · as Nurse Klein

  • Adam-12(1968)

    Show 1 episode · as Mrs. James Nelson

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all shows

  • The Mothers-in-Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 1 episode · as Elaine

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

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The F.B.I. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 1 episode · as Mrs. Kraft · as Rooming House Manager

  • Gidget(1965)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all shows

  • Daniel Boone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Show 1 episode · as Varna Montgomery

  • The Addams Family(1964)

    Show 1 episode · as Eleanor Digby

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • Bristle Face (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    as Mrs. Jarkey

  • Gidget Goes to Rome(1963)

    as Mrs. Lawrence

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • The Iron Maiden (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    as Miriam Fisher

  • Force of Impulse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as Louise Reese

  • Dr. Kildare (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 5 episodes · as Evelyn Driscoll

  • Gidget Goes Hawaiian (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as Dorothy Lawrence

  • Mister Ed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 1 episode · as Martha Harper

  • Special for Women (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Show 1 episode · as The Career Woman

  • The DuPont Show with June Allyson (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Millie Moon

  • My Man Godfrey(1957)

    as Molly

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Perry Mason(1957)

    Show 1 episode · as Rose Carol · as Sylvia Dykes

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Sweet Smell of Success(1957)

    as Sally

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Destination 60,000 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Ruth Buckley

  • The Guns of Fort Petticoat(1957)

    as Mary Wheller

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Sincerely, Willis Wade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as Sylvia

  • Magnificent Roughnecks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as Julie

  • Matinee Theater (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Wonderful World of Disney (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Show 2 episodes · as Mrs. Jarkey

  • Climax! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Show 1 episode · as Kay Matheson

  • Studio 57 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Meet the O'Briens (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Nancy

  • Massacre Canyon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Cora

  • Flight Nurse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as Lt. Ann Phillips

  • So This Is Love(1953)

    as Henrietta Van Dyke

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • The Blue Gardenia(1953)

    as Sally Ellis

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Omnibus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Show 1 episode · as Helen

  • The Ford Television Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Show 1 episode · as Doris

  • Because You're Mine(1952)

    as Patty Ware

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Cavalcade of America (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Show 1 episode · as Ann Rutledge

  • Skirts Ahoy!(1952)

    as Giff

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Thief of Damascus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Sheherazade

  • The First Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Donna Gilbert

  • Hallmark Hall of Fame (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · as Marlene · as Pug

  • Racket Squad (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Three Guys Named Mike(1951)

    as Alice Raymend

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Walk Softly, Stranger(1950)

    as Gwen

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Redwood Forest Trail (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Julie Wescott

  • The Fuller Brush Girl(1950)

    as Jane Bixby

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Big Timber (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Sally

  • Hoedown (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Vera Wright

  • In a Lonely Place(1950)

    as Sylvia Nicolai

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Easy Living(1949)

    as Penny McCarr

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Post Office Investigator (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as April Shaughnessy

  • Outcasts of the Trail (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Vinnie White

  • Stagecoach Kid (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Jessie Arnold

  • Roughshod (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Elaine Wyatt

  • Mr. District Attorney(1947)

    as Miss Miller

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • It's Great to Be Young (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Georgia Johnson

  • Singing on the Trail (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Cindy Brown

  • Cowboy Blues (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Susan Nelson

  • The Unknown (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Nina Arnold

  • That Texas Jamboree (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Jean Warren

  • The Phantom Thief (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Anne Parks Duncan

  • Night Editor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Martha Cochrane

  • Throw a Saddle on a Star (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Judy Lane

  • Tars and Spars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Peggy McDougal

  • Song of the Prairie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as Penelope 'Penny' Stevens

  • Over 21(1945)

    as Jan Lupton

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • A Thousand and One Nights(1945)

    as Harem Girl

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • The Power of the Whistler (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as Frances 'Francie' Lane

  • Eadie Was a Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as Pamela 'Pepper' Parker

  • Carolina Blues(1944)

    as Charlotte Barton

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Dancing in Manhattan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Julie Connors

  • Three Is a Family(1944)

    as Hazel Whittaker

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Mr. Winkle Goes to War(1944)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • She's a Soldier Too (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Mary Fleming (uncredited)

  • Stars on Parade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Mary Brooks

  • Nine Girls(1944)

    as "Butch" Hendricks

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • There's Something About a Soldier (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Jean Burton

  • Doughboys in Ireland (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Molly Callahan

  • A Night to Remember(1942)

    as Anne Carstairs

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • The Boogie Man Will Get You (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Winnie Slade

  • My Sister Eileen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Helen Loomis

Career shape

Star power in the 90th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 109 titles from 1942 to 1979; peak year 1977.

Biggest box office

My Man Godfrey (1957)

$2.6M worldwide

Highest rated

In a Lonely Place (1950)

Midcredits 98th

Film career

19421979

Peak 1977 · steadily prominent in film for years. 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
Acting109 of 109: 109 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score56th

By decade

1940s32 · acting1950s34 · acting1960s20 · acting1970s23 · acting

Billing

usually 6th · top billed in 0% of 9 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 Jeff Donnell's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 56th percentile, the median of all 26; across their 18 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 60th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

60thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 18

Approval · how many liked their films

53rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 18

Reach · how many have seen their films

41stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 18

Midcredits score across 35 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up9
  • 50th to 74th13
  • 25th to 49th9
  • Below 25th4

Shape of the crowd

16 of their 35 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved7
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser16
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed9

Most divisive · actor

Portrait of a Stripper (1979)

74th percentile spread · 30% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

In a Lonely Place (1950)

Midcredits 98th · 88% liked

Reviewers score the acting 69/100 in their films, across 17 reviewed titles; fans 77, detractors 44. 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 Jeff Donnell work with?

People who share at least 2 of Jeff Donnell's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Lee Patrick shares the most, 3.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers