Don Ellis
Composer · Died December 17, 1978, aged 44 · Los Angeles, California, U.S
Donald Johnson Ellis was an American jazz trumpeter, drummer, composer, and bandleader. He is best known for his extensive musical experimentation, particularly in the area of time signatures.
Biography from TMDB.
- July 25, 1934
- December 17, 1978 (aged 44)
- Los Angeles, California, U.S
- Composer
- 8 on MovieCove · 10 credits in all
What are Don Ellis' films like?
Across their 8 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Survival.
Genres
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
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 2 · Earnest 6
Light 1 · Serious 2 · Dark 5
Grounded 6 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 1
Gentle 0 · Charged 4 · Intense 4
Steady 1 · Shifting 6 · Whiplash 1
Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 0
Slow burn 0 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 3
Casual 2 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 3
Easy watch 2 · Affecting 4 · Heavy 2
Resolved 7 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0
Moods and endings
- Happy1
- Bittersweet5
- Ambiguous2
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 Don Ellis' films?
As of October 24, 2026, 4 of their 8 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.
Subscription and free streaming for Don Ellis' 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
10 credits, 8 with a MovieCove page.
Natural Enemies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)
Ruby(1977)
Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films
The Ransom(1977)
Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films
The Deadly Tower(1975)
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
French Connection II(1975)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
In Tandem (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)
The Seven-Ups(1973)
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
Kansas City Bomber(1972)
Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films
The French Connection(1971)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Moon Zero Two(1969)
Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films
Career shape
A full career of 10 titles from 1969 to 1979.
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 Don Ellis' films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 52nd percentile, the median of all 8; across their 8 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 52nd percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up1
- 50th to 74th3
- 25th to 49th2
- Below 25th2
Shape of the crowd
3 of their 8 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved1
- Cult Classic1
- Crowd Pleaser3
- Mixed3
Reviewers score the sound and music 57/100 in their films, across 8 reviewed titles; fans 64, detractors 38. The element that speaks to their work as a composer.
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 Don Ellis' work okay for kids?
Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.
Who does Don Ellis work with?
People who share at least 2 of Don Ellis' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Alexander Jacobs shares the most, 2.
Writers
- Alexander JacobsShared titles: French Connection II (1975), The Seven-Ups (1973)See all 2 shared titles with Alexander Jacobs
Actors
- Stuart WhitmanShared titles: Ruby (1977), The Ransom (1977)See all 2 shared titles with Stuart Whitman
- Fernando ReyShared titles: French Connection II (1975), The French Connection (1971)See all 2 shared titles with Fernando Rey
- Gene HackmanShared titles: French Connection II (1975), The French Connection (1971)See all 2 shared titles with Gene Hackman
- Bill HickmanShared titles: The Seven-Ups (1973), The French Connection (1971)See all 2 shared titles with Bill Hickman
Editors
- Gerald B. GreenbergShared titles: The Seven-Ups (1973), The French Connection (1971)See all 2 shared titles with Gerald B. Greenberg
Producers
- Kenneth UttShared titles: The Seven-Ups (1973), The French Connection (1971)See all 2 shared titles with Kenneth Utt
- Philip D'AntoniShared titles: The Seven-Ups (1973), The French Connection (1971)See all 2 shared titles with Philip D'Antoni
