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Harry Essex

Writer and director, also producer · Died February 6, 1997, aged 86 · New York City, New York, USA

Born
November 29, 1910
Died
February 6, 1997 (aged 86)
From
New York City, New York, USA
Works as
Writer and director, also producer
Titles
21 on MovieCove · 33 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 18% in 30 days

What are Harry Essex's films like?

Across their 20 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Survival.

Genres

Drama8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 40th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Crime7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 59th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Horror3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 62nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Horror 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
41%
Survival
26%
Bonds
13%
Power
10%
Ideas
6%
Society
2%
Self
2%
Survival9 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice9 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRevenge2 titles, browse their movies with this themeGreed4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption3 titles, browse their movies with this themeDuty3 titles, browse their movies with this themePower2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 20 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 12 · Stylized 8 · Heightened 0

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

Gentle 2 · Charged 10 · Intense 8

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

Steady 7 · Shifting 13 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 14 · Some laughs 6 · Funny 0

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

Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 14 · Relentless 1

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

Casual 8 · Engaged 11 · Full focus 1

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

Resolved 16 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
19
Dread
8
Thrilling
8
Melancholic
8
Hopeful
2
Other
5

How their films linger

Unsettling7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteInfuriating2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 6 with a twist

  • Happy5
  • Bittersweet12
  • Ambiguous3

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 Harry Essex's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 10 of their 21 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (7).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Harry Essex'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

33 credits, 21 with a MovieCove page.

  • It Came from Outer Space II(1996)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films

  • Hostage Flight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Story

  • Deaf Smith & Johnny Ears (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Writer

  • The Cremators(1972)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films

  • Octaman(1971)

    Director · Co-Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films

  • I Dream of Jeannie(1965)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all shows

  • The Sons of Katie Elder(1965)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Kraft Suspense Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

  • 77 Sunset Strip (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Show 5 episodes · Writer

  • The Lonely Man(1957)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Raw Edge(1956)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Teen-Age Crime Wave (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Screenplay

  • Mad at the World(1955)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Southwest Passage(1954)

    Idea · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Creature from the Black Lagoon(1954)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Dragnet(1954)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • I, the Jury(1953)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Devil's Canyon(1953)

    Adaptation

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • It Came from Outer Space(1953)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • The 49th Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Screenplay

  • Kansas City Confidential(1952)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • The Las Vegas Story(1952)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • The Fat Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Screenplay

  • Undercover Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Screenplay

  • Wyoming Mail(1950)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • The Killer That Stalked New York(1950)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • He Walked by Night(1948)

    Additional Dialogue · Writer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Bodyguard(1948)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Dragnet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    Writer

  • Desperate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    Screenplay

  • Boston Blackie and the Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    Screenplay

  • Dangerous Business (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    Novel

  • Man Made Monster(1941)

    Story

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 32 titles from 1941 to 1995.

Biggest box office

Octaman (1971)

$281K worldwide

Highest rated

Kansas City Confidential (1952)

Midcredits 90th

Most popular right now

Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing4 of 32: 0 only directing, 4 with another roleWriting31 of 32: 27 only writing, 4 with another role · typical Midcredits score41stProducing2 of 32: 0 only producing, 2 with another roleOther crew1 of 32: 1 only other crew, 0 with another role

32 titles, 4 with more than one role — writing and directing overlap on 4 of them.

By decade

1940s7 · crew1950s17 · crew1960s3 · crew1970s3 · crew1980s1 · crew1990s1 · 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 Harry Essex's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 47th percentile, the median of all 20; across their 20 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 48th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

48thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 20

Approval · how many liked their films

46thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 20

Reach · how many have seen their films

44thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 20

Midcredits score across 21 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up5
  • 50th to 74th6
  • 25th to 49th5
  • Below 25th5

Shape of the crowd

11 of their 21 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Panned3
  • Crowd Pleaser11
  • Broadly Agreed5
  • Mixed2

Most divisive · director, writer, producer

Octaman (1971)

57th percentile spread · 72% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · writer

Kansas City Confidential (1952)

Midcredits 90th · 81% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 48/100 and the plot and story 47/100 in their films, across 20 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 Harry Essex's work okay for kids?

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

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 49 · moderateMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity3 titlesmedian 17 · mildMedian of all films: 32
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 43 · moderateMedian of all films: 39

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

Who does Harry Essex work with?

People who share at least 2 of Harry Essex's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Whit Bissell shares the most, 5.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers