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David Farrar

David Farrar

Actor · Died August 31, 1995, aged 87 · Forest Gate, London, England, UK

​From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia David Farrar (21 August 1908 – 31 August 1995) was an English stage and film actor, born in Forest Gate, east London. Three of his most notable film roles were leads in the Powell and Pressburger films Black Narcissus (1947), The Small Back Room (1949), and Gone to Earth (1950). He retired in 1962. After the death of his wife Irene in 1976, he moved to South Africa to be with their daughter. Description above from the Wikipedia article David Farrar (actor), licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
August 21, 1908
Died
August 31, 1995 (aged 87)
From
Forest Gate, London, England, UK
Works as
Actor
Titles
17 on MovieCove · 47 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 46% in 30 days

What are David Farrar's films like?

Across their 15 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Power.

Genres

Adventure5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 33rd percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Drama5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 74th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Action3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 59th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: 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
Morality
28%
Power
24%
Self
19%
Bonds
18%
Society
5%
Survival
5%
Ideas
2%
Romantic love5 titles, browse their movies with this themeDuty3 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeGreed2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 15 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 3 · Stylized 8 · Heightened 4

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

Gentle 1 · Charged 10 · Intense 4

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

Steady 4 · Shifting 11 · 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 1 · Funny 0

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

Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 11 · Relentless 0

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

Casual 7 · Engaged 7 · Full focus 1

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 6 · Affecting 4 · Heavy 5

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

Resolved 12 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

12 analyzed roles

Usually the Shadow: 6 of 12 analyzed roles.

Shadow
6 of 12
Herald
2 of 12
Trickster
1 of 12
Hero
1 of 12
Mentor
1 of 12
Threshold guardian
1 of 12
Show the 12 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
12
Romantic
6
Melancholic
6
Thrilling
3
Hopeful
2
Other
10

How their films linger

Bittersweet7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy6
  • Bittersweet5
  • Tragic2
  • 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 David Farrar's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 9 of their 17 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (4).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for David Farrar'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

47 credits, 17 with a MovieCove page.

  • The 300 Spartans(1962)

    as Xerxes

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • The Webster Boy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    as Paul Webster

  • Wild for Kicks(1960)

    as Paul Linden

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Solomon and Sheba(1959)

    as Pharaoh

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • John Paul Jones(1959)

    as John Wilkes

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Watusi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    as Rick Cobb

  • The Son of Robin Hood(1958)

    as Des Roches

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films

  • I Accuse! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    as Mathieu Dreyfus

  • Woman and the Hunter(1957)

    as David Kirby

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Pursuit of the Graf Spee(1956)

    as Narrator

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Lost (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as Detective Inspector Craig

  • Pearl of the South Pacific(1955)

    as Bully Hague

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • The Sea Chase(1955)

    as Commander Jeff Napier

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Escape to Burma (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as The Sawbwa

  • Let's Make Up(1954)

    as Charles King

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • The Black Shield of Falworth(1954)

    as Gilbert Blunt, Earl of Alban

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Duel in the Jungle(1954)

    as Perry Henderson / Arthur Henderson

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • The Golden Horde (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Sir Guy of Devon

  • Night Without Stars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Giles Gordon

  • The Late Edwina Black (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Gregory Black

  • The Wild Heart(1950)

    as John Reddin

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Cage of Gold (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Bill

  • Diamond City (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Stafford Parker

  • The Small Back Room(1949)

    as Sammy Rice

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Mr. Perrin and Mr. Traill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as David Traill

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

    as Robert Dawson

  • Black Narcissus(1947)

    as Mr. Dean

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Lisbon Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as David Warren

  • The Trojan Brothers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Sid Nichols

  • The Echo Murders (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as Sexton Blake

  • Meet Sexton Blake (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as Sexton Blake

  • The World Owes Me a Living (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as Paul Collyer

  • For Those in Peril (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Murray

  • The Hundred Pound Window (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as George Graham

  • The Night Invader (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Dick Marlow

  • Headline (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as 'Brookie ' Brooks

  • The Dark Tower (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Tom Danton

  • They Met in the Dark (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Commander Lippinscott

  • A Fighter Has Crashed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Actor

  • Went the Day Well?(1942)

    as Lieutenant Jung

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Suspected Person (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Inspector Thompson

  • Sheepdog of the Hills (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Reverend Michael Varney

  • Danny Boy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Martin

  • Clouds Over Europe(1939)

    as Viking Bo'sun

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • A Royal Divorce (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Louis Bonaparte

  • Sexton Blake and the Hooded Terror (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Granite Grant

  • Return of a Stranger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Dr. Young

Career shape

Star power in the 94th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 47 titles from 1937 to 1962.

Biggest box office

Black Narcissus (1947)

$303K worldwide

Highest rated

Black Narcissus (1947)

Midcredits 95th

Film career

  • 1939Screen debut· Q Planes
  • 1949First top-billed film· The Small Back Room

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting47 of 47: 47 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score59th

By decade

1930s4 · acting1940s21 · acting1950s19 · acting1960s3 · acting

Billing

usually 3rd · top billed in 18% of 11 roles
3954

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; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do David Farrar's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 59th percentile, the median of all 17; across their 15 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 57th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

57thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Approval · how many liked their films

56thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Reach · how many have seen their films

66thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Midcredits score across 17 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up3
  • 50th to 74th8
  • 25th to 49th3
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

8 of their 17 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Crowd Pleaser8
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed5

Most divisive · actor

Woman and the Hunter (1957)

52nd percentile spread · 30% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Black Narcissus (1947)

Midcredits 95th · 82% liked

Reviewers score the acting 57/100 in their films, across 14 reviewed titles; fans 71, detractors 35. 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 David Farrar work with?

People who share at least 2 of David Farrar's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Emeric Pressburger shares the most, 3.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers