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Hal Dresner

Writer · Died March 17, 2023, aged 85 · New York City, New York, USA

Born
June 3, 1937
Died
March 17, 2023 (aged 85)
From
New York City, New York, USA
Works as
Writer
Titles
8 on MovieCove · 11 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 40% in 30 days

What are Hal Dresner's films like?

Across their 6 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Power and Bonds.

Genres

Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 57th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 57th 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
Power
31%
Bonds
24%
Self
19%
Morality
9%
Survival
9%
Ideas
4%
Society
3%
Freedom2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 6 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 4 · Serious 1 · Dark 1

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

Grounded 2 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 0

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

A split, not a type: Gentle 3 · Charged 1 · Intense 2

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

Steady 5 · Shifting 1 · Whiplash 0

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

Straight-faced 2 · 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 3 · Even-paced 3 · 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 4 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 6 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
3
Joyful
3
Romantic
2
Warm
2
Hopeful
1
Other
5

How their films linger

Feel-good3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy3
  • Tragic2
  • Cyclical1

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 Hal Dresner's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 1 of their 8 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, on Hulu (1).

Subscription and free streaming for Hal Dresner'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

11 credits, 8 with a MovieCove page.

  • Zorro: The Gay Blade(1981)

    Screenplay · Screenstory

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • The Harvey Korman Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 6 episodes · Creator · Producer

  • Husbands, Wives & Lovers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 10 episodes · Creator · Producer

  • The Eiger Sanction(1975)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Sssssss(1973)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Catch-22(1973)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • M*A*S*H(1972)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Night Gallery(1969)

    Show 1 episode · Short Story · Writer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows

  • The April Fools(1969)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • The Extraordinary Seaman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Associate Producer · Screenplay

  • Cool Hand Luke(1967)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 11 titles from 1967 to 1981.

Biggest box office

The Eiger Sanction (1975)

$14M worldwide

Highest rated

Cool Hand Luke (1967)

Midcredits 98th

By role

only this rolewith another role
Writing9 of 11: 8 only writing, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score63rdProducing3 of 11: 0 only producing, 3 with another roleOther crew2 of 11: 0 only other crew, 2 with another role

11 titles, 3 with more than one role — writing and producing overlap on 1 of them.

By decade

1960s3 · crew1970s7 · crew1980s1 · 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 Hal Dresner's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 57th percentile, the median of all 6; across their 6 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 55th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

55thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Approval · how many liked their films

56thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Reach · how many have seen their films

77thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Midcredits score across 8 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up3
  • 50th to 74th3
  • 25th to 49th1
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

5 of their 8 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Crowd Pleaser5
  • Mixed1

Most divisive · writer

Zorro: The Gay Blade (1981)

52nd percentile spread · 15% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · writer

Cool Hand Luke (1967)

Midcredits 98th · 89% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 50/100 and the plot and story 38/100 in their films, across 6 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

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.

Is Hal Dresner's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Sex & Nudity3 titlesmedian 30 · mildMedian of all films: 32

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Hal Dresner work with?

People who share at least 2 of Hal Dresner's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Stuart Rosenberg shares the most, 2.

Directors

Actors

Producers