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Tom Ewell

Tom Ewell

Actor · Died September 12, 1994, aged 85 · Owensboro, Kentucky, USA

Tom Ewell (born Samuel Yewell Tompkins) was an American stage, screen, and television actor. He is noted for having Starred alongside two of Classic Hollywood's Iconic Bombshells, first reprising his stage role in The Seven Year Itch (1955), which he starred Opposite Marilyn Munroe in what is considered one of her most iconic roles and then the following year The Girl Can't Help it (1956) alongside Jayne Mansfield in her breakthrough role. Ewell had 70 credits in film and television.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
April 29, 1909
Died
September 12, 1994 (aged 85)
From
Owensboro, Kentucky, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
24 on MovieCove · 53 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 55% in 30 days

What are Tom Ewell's films like?

Across their 16 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Comedy7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 68th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 43rd percentile
: browse their Drama 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
Bonds
40%
Morality
23%
Survival
13%
Society
13%
Self
6%
Power
5%
Marriage4 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship2 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception2 titles, browse their movies with this themeWar2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 16 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 7 · Serious 5 · Dark 4

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 11 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 2

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

Gentle 6 · Charged 8 · Intense 2

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

A split, not a type: Steady 9 · Shifting 5 · 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 6 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 6

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

A split, not a type: Slow burn 9 · Even-paced 7 · 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 8 · Engaged 7 · Full focus 1

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

Resolved 13 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

9 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 4 of 9 analyzed roles.

Hero
4 of 9
Ally
2 of 9
Mentor
2 of 9
Herald
1 of 9
Show the 9 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
10
Joyful
5
Melancholic
5
Warm
5
Absurd
4
Other
11

How their films linger

Feel-good7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy7
  • Bittersweet7
  • 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 Tom Ewell's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 9 of their 24 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (5).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Tom Ewell'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

53 credits, 24 with a MovieCove page; 8 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe: The Unheard Tapes(2022)

    as Richard Sherman

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • All Governments Lie: Truth, Deception, and the Spirit of I.F. Stone(2016)

    as Richard Sherman (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Murder, She Wrote(1984)

    Show 1 episode · as Josh Corbin

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • Easy Money(1983)

    as Scrappleton

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Terror at Alcatraz (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    as Johnson

  • Best of the West (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Show 22 episodes · as Jerome Kullens

  • Trapper John, M.D. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Eischied (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Butterflies in Heat(1986)

    as Hadley Crabtree

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Return of Mod Squad(1979)

    as Cook

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Flying High (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Taxi(1978)

    Show 1 episode · as Dr. Richmond

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows

  • Fantasy Island(1977)

    Show 1 episode · as Burt 'Fingers' Lonegan

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all shows

  • Promise Him Anything (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Judge

  • Baretta (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Show 2 episodes · as Billy Truman

  • The Great Gatsby(1974)

    as Mourner (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • The Spy Who Returned from the Dead (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as Lubow

  • They Only Kill Their Masters(1972)

    as Walter

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Temperatures Rising (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Show 1 episode · as Harry Butler

  • To Find a Man(1972)

    as Dr. Hargrove

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Alias Smith and Jones (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came(1970)

    as Billy Joe Davis

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • The Name of the Game (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Show 1 episode · as District Attorney Simpson

  • The World of Abbott and Costello (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    as Nugget Joe McDermott in Lost In Alaska (archive footage)

  • Burke's Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · as Leander Clement

  • Marilyn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    as archive footage

  • State Fair(1962)

    as Abel Frake

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Tender Is the Night(1962)

    as Abe North

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • The Tom Ewell Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Show 32 episodes · Actor

  • A Nice Little Bank That Should Be Robbed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    as Max Rutgers

  • The Girl Can't Help It(1956)

    as Tom Miller

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • The Great American Pastime (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as Bruce Hallerton

  • The Lieutenant Wore Skirts(1956)

    as Gregory Whitcomb

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Playwrights '56 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Alfred Hitchcock Presents(1955)

    Show 1 episode · as Albert Pelham

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • The Seven Year Itch(1955)

    as Richard Sherman

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • General Electric Theater (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Show 1 episode · as John Emmet Owens

  • Back at the Front(1952)

    as Willie

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Lost in Alaska(1952)

    as Nugget Joe McDermott

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Finders Keepers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Tiger Kipps

  • Up Front (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Willie

  • Mr. Music (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as 'Cupcake' Haggerty

  • American Guerrilla in the Philippines(1950)

    as Jim Mitchell

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • A Life of Her Own(1950)

    as Tom Caraway

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Your Show of Shows (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • Robert Montgomery Presents (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Show 1 episode · as Tom Howard

  • Adam's Rib(1949)

    as Warren Attinger

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Lights Out (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Concerning a Woman of Sin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    Actor

  • Studio One (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Show 1 episode · as Willie Mason

  • Paramount Pacemaker: Babies, They're Wonderful (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    Actor

  • Desert Bandit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Texas Ranger Ordway

  • They Knew What They Wanted(1940)

    as New Hired Hand (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

Career shape

Star power in the 88th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 52 titles from 1940 to 2016.

Biggest box office

The Seven Year Itch (1955)

$29K worldwide

Highest rated

Adam's Rib (1949)

Midcredits 93rd

Most popular right now

The Seven Year Itch (1955)

Film career

  • 1949Screen debut· Adam's Rib
  • 1956First top-billed film· The Girl Can't Help It

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting52 of 52: 52 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score55th

By decade

1940s7 · acting1950s17 · acting1960s7 · acting1970s16 · acting1980s4 · acting2010s1 · 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 Tom Ewell's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 50th percentile, the median of all 20; across their 16 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 50th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

50thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Approval · how many liked their films

46thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Reach · how many have seen their films

51stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Midcredits score across 24 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up7
  • 50th to 74th6
  • 25th to 49th9
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

9 of their 24 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Crowd Pleaser9
  • Broadly Agreed5
  • Mixed8

Most divisive · actor

To Find a Man (1972)

70th percentile spread · 16% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Adam's Rib (1949)

Midcredits 93rd · 81% liked

Reviewers score the acting 62/100 in their films, across 14 reviewed titles; fans 72, detractors 41. 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.

Is Tom Ewell'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 21 · 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 Tom Ewell work with?

People who share at least 2 of Tom Ewell's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Frank Tashlin shares the most, 2.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors