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David Garfield

David Garfield

Actor and editor · Died November 24, 1994, aged 51 · Los Angeles, California, USA

Actor, film editor and the only son of screen legend John Garfield, he was named David Patton Garfield at birth, after his maternal grandfather and General George S. Patton. His early years were spent in Hollywood, however, his father's death in 1952 provoked a permanent return to New York for the family. In the mid-1960s, after work on the stage, David began getting small but interesting film roles, billing himself usually as John Garfield, Jr. Despite some real talent, his acting career never really took off and he drifted into behind-the-camera work. He worked alongside John Cassavetes on projects and established himself as a reliable film editor. Like his father, who died at 39, David died of heart failure at a 51. He is not to be confused with the younger American actor J.D. Garfield or the British actor David Garfield.

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Biography from IMDb.

Born
July 25, 1943
Died
November 24, 1994 (aged 51)
From
Los Angeles, California, USA
Works as
Actor and editor
Titles
23 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 9% in 30 days

What are David Garfield's films like?

Across their 15 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Drama6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 72nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Action4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 54th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Comedy4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 35th percentile
: 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
Self
38%
Bonds
25%
Society
11%
Morality
7%
Power
7%
Survival
7%
Ideas
4%
Coming of age3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth3 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIsolation2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 15 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 8 · Serious 3 · Dark 4

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

Grounded 11 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 1

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

Gentle 4 · Charged 6 · Intense 5

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

Steady 9 · Shifting 6 · Whiplash 0

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 7 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 5

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

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

Casual 11 · Engaged 3 · 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 7 · Affecting 5 · Heavy 3

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

Resolved 12 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
6
Hopeful
4
Melancholic
4
Joyful
3
Romantic
4
Other
18

How their films linger

Hopeful9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy7
  • Bittersweet6
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous1

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 Garfield's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 15 of their 23 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on The Roku Channel (9).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for David Garfield'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, 23 with a MovieCove page.

  • Frankenstein: The College Years(1991)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Scorchers(1991)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • It Takes Two(1988)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Run for the Lifeboat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    as Trev

  • Vice Versa(1988)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • The Karate Kid Part II(1986)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Desert Bloom(1986)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Sylvester(1985)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Flashpoint(1984)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • All the Right Moves(1983)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Silent Rage(1982)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • The Chosen(1981)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Belle Starr (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Editor

  • Hero at Large(1980)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • The Last Giraffe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Editor

  • Damien: Omen II(1978)

    Assistant Editor

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Hot Tomorrows (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    as Dr. Stern

  • The Front(1976)

    Production Assistant

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • The Other Side of the Mountain(1975)

    as CRC Patient

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • White Line Fever(1975)

    as Witness Miller

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • The Golden Voyage of Sinbad(1973)

    as Abdul

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Blume in Love(1973)

    as Party Guest (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • The Stepmother(1972)

    as Goof

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films

  • Ghost Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Show 1 episode · as Royal Warlock

  • The Onedin Line (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 1 episode · as Dom Vasco

  • Savage Intruder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    as Vic

  • That Cold Day in the Park(1969)

    as Nick

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Mackenna's Gold(1969)

    as Adams' Boy

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • The Swimmer(1968)

    as Ticket Seller

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • The Solarnauts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 1 episode · as Power

  • Warning Shot(1966)

    as Police Surgeon (as John Garfield Jr.)

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Solarnauts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    as Power

  • Shane (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Show 1 episode · as Young Man

Career shape

A full career of 30 titles from 1966 to 1991.

Biggest box office

The Karate Kid Part II (1986)

$115M worldwide

Highest rated

The Swimmer (1968)

Midcredits 95th

Most popular right now

The Karate Kid Part II (1986)

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting17 of 30: 17 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score66thEditing11 of 30: 11 only editing, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score40thOther crew2 of 30: 2 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1960s7 · acting1970s12 · 9 acting · 3 crew1980s10 · 1 acting · 9 crew1990s1 · crew

Billing

usually 13th · top billed in 0% of 7 roles

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.

How do David Garfield's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 50th percentile, the median of all 23; across their 15 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 49th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

49thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Approval · how many liked their films

46thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Reach · how many have seen their films

65thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Midcredits score across 23 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up5
  • 50th to 74th7
  • 25th to 49th9
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

11 of their 23 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Universally Panned1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser11
  • Broadly Agreed3
  • Mixed6

Most divisive · editor

Scorchers (1991)

79th percentile spread · 26% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Swimmer (1968)

Midcredits 95th · 83% liked

Reviewers score the acting 73/100 in their films, across 14 reviewed titles; fans 81, detractors 44. 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 David Garfield's work okay for kids?

Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, profanity runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore4 titlesmedian 49 · moderateMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity5 titles19–63 · median 34 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity5 titles15–58 · median 50 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs4 titlesmedian 33 · mildMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense4 titlesmedian 36 · moderateMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does David Garfield work with?

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

Directors

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors