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Richard Hartley

Richard Hartley

Composer · Born July 28, 1944 (82)

Richard Neville Hartley is an English composer, best known for his work on The Rocky Horror Show. He grew up in Holmfirth, West Yorkshire. In the 1970s he began a long association with Richard O'Brien. Hartley was originally part of the four-piece band for The Rocky Horror Show. He went on to arrange the score for the London stage and film adaptation (The Rocky Horror Picture Show) as well as its follow-up Shock Treatment, and then worked with O'Brien on another, as yet unproduced, sequel, Revenge of the Old Queen. His other 1970s film scores included Galileo (1975), The Romantic Englishwoman (1975), Aces High (1976), and the remake of The Lady Vanishes (1979). In the 1980s, Hartley worked primarily in television, including providing the music for the 1986 Doctor Who story Mindwarp, and TV movie productions, such as Kennedy (1983), Hitler's SS: Portrait in Evil (1985), Mandela (1987) and Rules of Engagement (1989). However he also composed for film, including the Nicolas Roeg film Bad Timing (1980), Bad Blood (1982), The Trout (1982), The Return of Captain Invincible (1983), Sheena (1984) (for which Hartley was nominated for a Golden Raspberry Award), Dance with a Stranger (1985), Parker (1985), The Good Father (1985), Consuming Passions (1988) and Tree of Hands (1989). However, one of his lesser known works is the music for The Fifth Dimension, a dark ride at Chessington World of Adventures.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
July 28, 1944 (82)
Works as
Composer
Titles
41 on MovieCove · 78 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 30% in 30 days

What are Richard Hartley's films like?

Across their 37 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Drama13 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 54th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 41st percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Adventure4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 54th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Biography4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 65th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Crime3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 28th percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 52nd 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
Bonds
26%
Morality
23%
Self
20%
Survival
11%
Power
11%
Ideas
7%
Society
3%
Family bonds9 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity8 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love6 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice6 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship4 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma5 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception5 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 36 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 11 · Serious 8 · Dark 17

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 21 · Stylized 9 · Heightened 6

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

Gentle 8 · Charged 18 · Intense 10

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

Steady 16 · Shifting 17 · Whiplash 3

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 20 · Some laughs 10 · Funny 6

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 23 · Even-paced 13 · 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 15 · Engaged 15 · Full focus 6

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 11 · Affecting 10 · Heavy 15

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

Resolved 23 · Open-ended 7 · Ambiguous 6

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
20
Melancholic
18
Warm
7
Contemplative
9
Bittersweet
9
Other
32

How their films linger

Bittersweet16 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteDevastating6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 7 with a twist

  • Happy7
  • Bittersweet16
  • Tragic8
  • Ambiguous6

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 Richard Hartley's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 24 of their 41 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (19).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Richard Hartley'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

78 credits, 41 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Good Life(2021)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • Rocky Horror Show Live(2015)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Great Expectations(2012)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Murderland(2009)

    Show 3 episodes · Composer

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all shows

  • Flashbacks of a Fool(2008)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • The Life and Death of Peter Sellers(2004)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • The Lion in Winter(2003)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • L.A. County 187(2003)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Pete's Meteor(1998)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Puckoon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Composer

  • The Martins (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Composer

  • When Brendan Met Trudy(2000)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Don Quixote(2000)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Mad About Mambo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Composer

  • All the Little Animals(1998)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Rogue Trader(1999)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Alice in Wonderland(1999)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • It All Came True(1998)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Playing God(1997)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • A Thousand Acres(1997)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • The Designated Mourner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Composer

  • Victory (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Composer

  • The Van(1996)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Flowers of the Forest (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Composer

  • Stealing Beauty(1996)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Rough Magic(1995)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • The Absence of War (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Composer

  • An Awfully Big Adventure(1995)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Murder in Mind (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Composer

  • Princess Caraboo(1994)

    Composer · Conductor

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • The Secret Rapture (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Composer

  • Comics (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Show 2 episodes · Composer

  • Anna Lee: Headcase (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Composer

  • Suddenly, Last Summer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Composer

  • The Man Who Cried(1993)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • The Railway Station Man(1992)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Running Late (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Composer

  • Midnight's Child (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Composer

  • Adam Bede (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Composer

  • Afraid of the Dark(1991)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Die Kinder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Show 6 episodes · Composer

  • Ball-Trap On The Cote Sauvage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Composer

  • Dealers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Composer

  • Rules of Engagement (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Show 6 episodes · Composer

  • Dream Baby (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Composer

  • Metamorphosis (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Composer

  • Tree of Hands (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Composer

  • Here Is the News (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Composer

  • Tumbledown (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Composer

  • Soursweet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Composer

  • Consuming Passions(1988)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • The Impossible Spy(1987)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Mandela(1987)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Doctor Who: Mindwarp (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Composer

  • Dead Head (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Show 4 episodes · Composer

  • The Good Father(1985)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Where Did I Come From? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Composer

  • Parker (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Composer

  • Dance with a Stranger(1985)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Screen Two (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 1 episode · Composer

  • Hitler's S.S.: Portrait in Evil(1985)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • December Flower (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Composer

  • Sheena(1984)

    Composer · Conductor

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Kennedy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Show 3 episodes · Composer

  • The Return of Captain Invincible(1983)

    Songs

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Bad Blood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Composer

  • The Trout (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Composer

  • Shock Treatment(1981)

    Composer · Music Arranger · Musician · Songs

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • High Tide (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Composer

  • Bad Timing(1980)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

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

    Show 12 episodes · Composer

  • The Lady Vanishes(1979)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Aces High(1976)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • High Fidelity (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Composer

  • The Rocky Horror Picture Show(1975)

    Composer · Songs

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • The Romantic Englishwoman(1975)

    Composer · Conductor

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Galileo(1975)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Doctor Who(1963)

    Show 4 episodes · Composer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

Career shape

A full career of 74 titles from 1963 to 2015.

Biggest box office

A Thousand Acres (1997)

$7.9M worldwide

Highest rated

The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004)

Midcredits 76th

Most popular right now

Stealing Beauty (1996)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Music73 of 74: 68 only music, 5 with another role · typical Midcredits score52ndOther crew6 of 74: 1 only other crew, 5 with another role · typical Midcredits score41st

74 titles, 5 with more than one role — music and other crew overlap on 5 of them.

By decade

1960s1 · crew1970s7 · crew1980s28 · crew1990s26 · crew2000s10 · crew2010s2 · 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 Richard Hartley's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 49th percentile, the median of all 39; across their 36 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 36

Approval · how many liked their films

46thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 36

Reach · how many have seen their films

69thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 36

Midcredits score across 41 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up5
  • 50th to 74th15
  • 25th to 49th19
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

18 of their 41 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser16
  • Broadly Agreed4
  • Mixed18

Most divisive · composer

Good Life (2021)

78th percentile spread · 29% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · composer

Rocky Horror Show Live (2015)

Midcredits 95th · 81% liked

Reviewers score the sound and music 58/100 in their films, across 29 reviewed titles; fans 67, detractors 42. 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 Richard Hartley's work okay for kids?

Across up to 10 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 10 · minimalMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity10 titles27–77 · median 57 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity3 titlesmedian 38 · moderateMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 55 · moderateMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 27 · mildMedian 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 Richard Hartley work with?

People who share at least 2 of Richard Hartley's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Mike Newell shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers