Skip to content
MovieCove
Evan Hunter

Evan Hunter

Writer · Died July 6, 2005, aged 78 · New York City, New York, USA

Evan Hunter (né Salvatore Albert Lombino; known as Ed McBain until 1952; October 15, 1926 - July 6, 2005) was an American author and screenwriter. He also used the pen names John Abbott, Curt Cannon, Hunt Collins, Ezra Hannon, and Richard Marsten, amongst others. He is best known for writing the screenplay for THE BIRDS (1963) dir. Alfred Hitchcock.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
October 15, 1926
Died
July 6, 2005 (aged 78)
From
New York City, New York, USA
Works as
Writer
Titles
19 on MovieCove · 40 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 157 days to Oct 28Down 38% in 30 days

What are Evan Hunter's films like?

Across their 18 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Self.

Genres

Crime9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 47th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Drama7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 43rd percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 48th 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
38%
Self
18%
Bonds
15%
Survival
10%
Society
8%
Power
7%
Ideas
3%
Justice11 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this themeViolence4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity2 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this themeClass2 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 18 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 0 · Serious 10 · Dark 8

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

Grounded 11 · Stylized 7 · Heightened 0

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

Gentle 1 · Charged 10 · Intense 7

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

Steady 7 · Shifting 9 · Whiplash 2

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 17 · 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 5 · Even-paced 12 · Relentless 1

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

Casual 1 · Engaged 14 · Full focus 3

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 10 · Open-ended 6 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
17
Melancholic
12
Dread
5
Contemplative
5
Thrilling
2
Other
5

How their films linger

Thought-provoking9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 6 with a twist

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet10
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous5

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 Evan Hunter's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 11 of their 19 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (6).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Evan Hunter'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

40 credits, 19 with a MovieCove page; 4 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Highest 2 Lowest(2025)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Short cuts: The Birds (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Original Film Writer

  • The Chronology Protection Case (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Actor

  • High and Low (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Novel

  • Three Blind Mice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Novel

  • Ed McBain's 87th Precinct: Ice(1996)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • Ed McBain's 87th Precinct: Lightning(1995)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Fallen Angels (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Show 1 episode · Story

  • Method of Murder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Novel

  • Waga Machi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Show 10 episodes · Novel

  • Brokovnice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Novel

  • Skládačka (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Short Story

  • Lonely Heart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Novel

  • Panenka (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Novel

  • The Legend of Walks Far Woman(1980)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Walk Proud(1979)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • The Chisholms (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 5 episodes · Writer

  • Blood Relatives(1978)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Inkaar (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Original Story

  • Fuzz(1972)

    Novel · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Every Little Crook and Nanny (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Novel

  • Easy Money (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Writer

  • Columbo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 2 episodes · Writer

  • Without Apparent Motive(1971)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Le Cri du cormoran, le soir au-dessus des jonques (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Novel

  • Last Summer(1969)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Ironside (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

  • Mister Buddwing(1966)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

  • Chicken Soup (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Novel

  • The Birds(1963)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • High and Low(1963)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • The Young Savages(1961)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Strangers When We Meet(1960)

    Novel · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • The Pusher(1960)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • The Mugger(1958)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Cop Hater(1958)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Alfred Hitchcock Presents(1955)

    Show 2 episodes · Story · Writer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Blackboard Jungle(1955)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • The Birds (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Original Film Writer

Career shape

A full career of 40 titles, 39 of them dated from 1955 to 2025.

Biggest box office

Walk Proud (1979)

$1.7M worldwide

Highest rated

High and Low (1963)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

Highest 2 Lowest (2025)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting1 of 40: 1 only acting, 0 with another roleWriting39 of 40: 39 only writing, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score47th

By decade

1950s4 · crew1960s10 · crew1970s10 · crew1980s3 · crew1990s7 · crew2000s2 · crew2010s1 · acting2020s2 · 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 Evan Hunter's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 47th percentile, the median of all 18; across their 18 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 18

Approval · how many liked their films

44thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 18

Reach · how many have seen their films

58thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 18

Midcredits score across 19 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up7
  • 50th to 74th2
  • 25th to 49th8
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

6 of their 19 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser6
  • Broadly Agreed4
  • Mixed5

Most divisive · writer

Walk Proud (1979)

74th percentile spread · 31% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · writer

High and Low (1963)

Midcredits 99th · 90% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 54/100 and the plot and story 51/100 in their films, across 18 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

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 Evan Hunter's work okay for kids?

Across up to 6 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs lighter than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore4 titlesmedian 56 · moderateMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity6 titles8–43 · median 20 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity4 titlesmedian 35 · mildMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs4 titlesmedian 46 · moderateMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense4 titlesmedian 66 · intenseMedian 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 Evan Hunter work with?

People who share at least 2 of Evan Hunter's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; William Berke shares the most, 2.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers