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Lionel Houser

Writer, also producer · Died November 12, 1949, aged 41 · New York City, New York, USA

Born
April 6, 1908
Died
November 12, 1949 (aged 41)
From
New York City, New York, USA
Works as
Writer, also producer
Titles
12 on Motif · 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 39 days to Oct 28Down 41% in 30 days

What are Lionel Houser's films like?

Across their 12 Motif titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Comedy6 titlesTypical Motif score: 46th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Motif score: 60th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies

Their Motif films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Motif 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
33%
Bonds
30%
Self
12%
Society
11%
Survival
9%
Ideas
5%
Deception5 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love4 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 12 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 8 · Serious 2 · Dark 2

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

Grounded 8 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 0

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

A split, not a type: Gentle 7 · Charged 4 · Intense 1

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

Steady 8 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 3 · Some laughs 6 · Funny 3

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

Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 6 · Relentless 1

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

Casual 10 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 12 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Warm
8
Tense
5
Romantic
5
Joyful
3
Thrilling
3
Other
8

How their films linger

Feel-good7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCozy2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy11
  • Bittersweet1

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 Lionel Houser's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 2 of their 12 Motif titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Subscription and free streaming for Lionel Houser's titles on Motif; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Motif 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, 12 with a Motif page.

  • Christmas in Connecticut(1992)

    Writer

    Motif score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Cargo to Capetown (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1950)

    Producer · Writer

  • The Secret Fury(1950)

    Screenplay

    Motif score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Adventure in Baltimore (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1949)

    Writer

  • Courage of Lassie(1946)

    Screenplay

    Motif score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Faithful in My Fashion(1946)

    Producer · Screenplay

    Motif score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • Christmas in Connecticut(1945)

    Screenplay

    Motif score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Three Hearts for Julia(1943)

    Screenplay · Storyboard

    Motif score: 28th percentile of all films

  • A Yank at Eton(1942)

    Screenplay

    Motif score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Design for Scandal (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1941)

    Screenplay · Story

  • Third Finger, Left Hand(1940)

    Screenplay

    Motif score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Dark Command(1940)

    Screenplay

    Motif score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Wolf of New York (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1940)

    Screenplay

  • First Love (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1939)

    Screenplay

  • Sabotage (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1939)

    Screenplay

  • The Forgotten Woman (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1939)

    Writer

  • Tell No Tales (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1939)

    Screenplay

  • The Girl from Mexico (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1939)

    Screenplay

  • They Made Her a Spy(1939)

    Writer

    Motif score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Smashing the Rackets(1938)

    Writer

    Motif score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Sky Giant (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1938)

    Screenplay · Story

  • Blind Alibi (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1938)

    Screenplay

  • Condemned Women (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1938)

    Screenplay

  • Night Spot (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1938)

    Screenplay

  • Love Takes Flight(1937)

    Screenplay

    Motif score: 34th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Border Cafe (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1937)

    Screenplay

  • Let Them Live (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1937)

    Writer

  • I Promise to Pay (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1937)

    Screenplay

  • She's Dangerous (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1937)

    Writer

  • Devil's Squadron (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1936)

    Writer

  • The Lone Wolf Returns (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1935)

    Writer

  • Grand Exit (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1935)

    Screenplay

  • The Public Menace (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1935)

    Writer

Career shape

A full career of 31 titles from 1935 to 1950.

Highest rated

Christmas in Connecticut (1945)

Motif 89th

Most popular right now

Courage of Lassie (1946)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Writing31 of 31: 29 only writing, 2 with another role · typical Motif score48thProducing2 of 31: 0 only producing, 2 with another role

By decade

1930s19 · crew1940s10 · crew1950s2 · 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 Motif score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on Motif, shown from 5 scored.

How do Lionel Houser's films land?

Their typical Motif film has a Motif score in the 46th percentile, the median of all 12; across their 12 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 53rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

53rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Approval · how many liked their films

41stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Reach · how many have seen their films

38thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Motif score across 12 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up2
  • 50th to 74th2
  • 25th to 49th7
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

5 of their 12 titles are Broadly Agreed.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Crowd Pleaser4
  • Broadly Agreed5
  • Mixed2

Most divisive · writer

Christmas in Connecticut (1992)

70th percentile spread · 41% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · writer

Christmas in Connecticut (1945)

Motif 89th · 80% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 51/100 and the plot and story 40/100 in their films, across 12 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on Motif; 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 Motif score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their Motif 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 Lionel Houser work with?

People who share at least 2 of Lionel Houser's Motif titles, grouped by what they did on them; Harry Marker shares the most, 3.

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers