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Martha Hyer

Martha Hyer

Actor, also writer · Died May 31, 2014, aged 89 · Fort Worth, Texas, USA

Martha Hyer (August 10, 1924, Fort Worth, Texas - May 31, 2014, Santa Fe, New Mexico) was an American actress. She attended Northwestern University and was a member of Pi Beta Phi fraternity. After completing her education, she next appeared in The Locket in 1946. She had roles in So Big (1953), Sabrina (1954), The Delicate Delinquent in 1956 (Jerry Lewis' first film without Dean Martin), Houseboat (1958), Ice Palace (1960), Desire in the Dust (1960), The Carpetbaggers (1964), First Men in the Moon (1964), Blood on the Arrow (1964) and The Sons of Katie Elder (1965), Night of the Grizzly (1966), among many others. She costarred with Keenan Wynn in Bikini Beach (1964), one of the Beach Party movies with Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello. On television, Hyer played the part of "Hannah Haley" in the episode "Incident West of Lano" on the Western series Rawhide. Her most significant role came as the love interest of Frank Sinatra in Some Came Running for director Vincente Minnelli in 1958, for which she received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Hyer was one of the actresses considered for the Janet Leigh role of the doomed Marion Crane in the Alfred Hitchcock thriller Psycho. Her last film was Day of the Wolves in 1973. Hyer married producer Hal B. Wallis in 1966, and the couple remained together until his death in 1986. She died on May 31, 2014, at the age of 89 from natural causes, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she had lived for many years. Description above from the Wikipedia article Martha Hyer, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
August 10, 1924
Died
May 31, 2014 (aged 89)
From
Fort Worth, Texas, USA
Works as
Actor, also writer
Titles
53 on MovieCove · 98 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 27Up 2% in 30 days

What are Martha Hyer's films like?

Across their 41 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Comedy12 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 47th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama12 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 30th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Crime8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 26th percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Adventure7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 21st percentile
: browse their Adventure 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
35%
Bonds
24%
Self
19%
Survival
8%
Society
7%
Power
6%
Ideas
1%
Justice13 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love10 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds7 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity7 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception9 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption7 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival7 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth4 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 41 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 20 · Serious 16 · Dark 5

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 22 · Stylized 14 · Heightened 5

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

Gentle 15 · Charged 22 · Intense 4

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

Steady 20 · Shifting 20 · Whiplash 1

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 13 · Funny 8

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

Slow burn 17 · Even-paced 23 · 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 29 · Engaged 12 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 36 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

20 analyzed roles

Usually the Ally: 7 of 20 analyzed roles.

Ally
7 of 20
Herald
4 of 20
Shadow
3 of 20
Shapeshifter
3 of 20
Hero
2 of 20
Threshold guardian
1 of 20
Show the 20 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
22
Joyful
11
Thrilling
13
Romantic
11
Warm
9
Other
37

How their films linger

Feel-good20 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun18 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 8 with a twist

  • Happy20
  • Bittersweet16
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous4

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 Martha Hyer's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 22 of their 53 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (11).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Martha Hyer'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

98 credits, 53 with a MovieCove page.

  • Rooster Cogburn(1975)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • The Day of the Wolves(1971)

    as Maggie Anderson

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • McCloud(1970)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • Crossplot(1969)

    as Jo Grinling

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Once You Kiss a Stranger...(1969)

    as Lee Marshall

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • The Name of the Game (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Show 1 episode · as Billie Ramsey

  • House of 1,000 Dolls(1967)

    as Rebecca

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • Another Man's Wife (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    as Ana María

  • Catch As Catch Can (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    as Luisa Chiaramonte

  • Judd, for the Defense (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Some May Live (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    as Kate Meredith

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

    as Monica Delmonico

  • Picture Mommy Dead(1966)

    as Francene Shelley

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • Family Affair(1966)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all shows

  • Cuernavaca in Spring (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Actor

  • The Night of the Grizzly(1966)

    as Angela Cole

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • The Chase(1966)

    as Mary Fuller

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • War Italian Style(1965)

    as Lt. Inge Schultze

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • The Sons of Katie Elder(1965)

    as Mary Gordon

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Branded (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Blood on the Arrow(1964)

    as Nancy Mailer

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films

  • Bewitched(1964)

    Show 1 episode · as Margaret Marshall

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows

  • First Men in the Moon(1964)

    as Kate Callender

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Bikini Beach(1964)

    as Vivien Clements

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • The Carpetbaggers(1964)

    as Jennie Denton

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Pyro... The Thing Without a Face (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    as Laura Blanco

  • Kraft Suspense Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · as Caroline Glenn · as Helen Blaine

  • Burke's Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · as Adrienne Shelton · as Clarissa Montgomery · as Dr. Serena Standish · as Gloria Vickers · as Jerri Vaughn · as Penny Allen

  • The Greatest Show on Earth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Wives and Lovers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    as Lucinda Ford

  • The Man from the Diners' Club(1963)

    as Lucy

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • A Girl Named Tamiko(1962)

    as Fay Wilson

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • The Beverly Hillbillies(1962)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all shows

  • The Alfred Hitchcock Hour(1962)

    Show 1 episode · as Alice Marsden · as Judy Mullett

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • The Virginian (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Show 1 episode · as Amalia Clark

  • The Last Time I Saw Archie(1961)

    as Peggy Kramer

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • The Right Approach (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as Anne Perry

  • Desire in the Dust(1960)

    as Melinda Marquand

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Route 66(1960)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows

  • Mistress of the World - Part II (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    as Karin Johanson

  • Mistress of the World(1960)

    as Karin Johanson

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • Ice Palace (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    as Dorothy Wendt Kennedy

  • The Best of Everything(1959)

    as Barbara Lamont

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • The Deputy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Joy Cartwright

  • The Big Fisherman(1959)

    as Herodias

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

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

    Show 1 episode · as Hannah Haley

  • Some Came Running(1958)

    as Gwen French

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Houseboat(1958)

    as Carolyn Gibson

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Once Upon a Horse... (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    as Miss Amity Babb

  • Paris Holiday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    as Ann McCall

  • My Man Godfrey(1957)

    as Cordelia Bullock

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • The Delicate Delinquent(1957)

    as Martha Henshaw

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Kelly and Me (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Lucy Castle

  • Mister Cory (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Abby Vollard

  • Battle Hymn(1957)

    as Mary Hess

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Show 1 episode · as Laurie Pritchard

  • Showdown at Abilene (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as Peggy Bigelow

  • Red Sundown (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as Caroline Murphy

  • Paris Follies of 1956 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Ruth Harmon

  • Kiss of Fire(1955)

    as Felicia

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Francis in the Navy(1955)

    as Betsy Donevan

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Trouble on the Trail (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Kidnapped Singer

  • Cry Vengeance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Peggy Harding

  • Climax! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Show 1 episode · as Vi Johnson

  • Down Three Dark Streets(1954)

    as Connie Anderson

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Sabrina(1954)

    as Elizabeth Tyson

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Battle of Rogue River(1954)

    as Brett McClain

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Lucky Me(1954)

    as Lorraine Thayer

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Wyoming Renegades(1955)

    as Nancy Warren

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Public Defender (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Scarlet Spear (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Christine

  • Riders to the Stars(1954)

    as Dr. Jane Flynn

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • So Big (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as Paula Hempel

  • Abbott and Costello Go to Mars(1953)

    as Janie Howe

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Four Star Playhouse(1952)

    Show 1 episode · as Gloria · as Jan

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows

  • Yukon Gold(1952)

    as Marie Briand

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Geisha Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Peggy Burns

  • Wild Stallion(1952)

    as Caroline (as an adult)

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · as Lisa

  • Oriental Evil(1951)

    as Cheryl Banning

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Racket Squad (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Kangaroo Kid(1950)

    as Mary Corbett

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Lux Video Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Show 1 episode · as Ivy · as Jean · as Julie · as Lois · as Trudy

  • Frisco Tornado (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Jean Martin

  • The Lawless(1950)

    as Caroline Tyler

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Salt Lake Raiders (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Helen Thornton

  • Outcasts of Black Mesa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Ruth Dorn

  • Roughshod (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Marcia

  • Rustlers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Ruth Abbott

  • The Clay Pigeon(1949)

    as Miss Harwick

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Gun Smugglers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Judy Davis

  • The Velvet Touch(1948)

    as Helen Adams

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • The Judge Steps Out(1948)

    as Catherine Bailey Struthers III

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • The Woman on the Beach(1947)

    as Mrs. Barton (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Thunder Mountain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Ellie Jorth

  • Born to Kill(1947)

    as Maid (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • The Locket(1946)

    as Bridesmaid (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

Career shape

Star power in the 97th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 98 titles from 1946 to 1975; peak year 1964.

Biggest box office

My Man Godfrey (1957)

$2.6M worldwide

Highest rated

Sabrina (1954)

Midcredits 95th

Film career

19461975

Peak 1964 · steadily prominent in film for years. Top draw in 7 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting97 of 98: 97 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score53rdWriting1 of 98: 1 only writing, 0 with another role

By decade

1940s10 · acting1950s46 · acting1960s39 · acting1970s3 · 2 acting · 1 crew

Billing

usually 4th · top billed in 0% of 22 roles
465661

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 Martha Hyer's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 42nd percentile, the median of all 46; across their 41 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 38th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

38thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 41

Approval · how many liked their films

35thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 41

Reach · how many have seen their films

41stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 41

Midcredits score across 53 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up8
  • 50th to 74th20
  • 25th to 49th13
  • Below 25th12

Shape of the crowd

25 of their 53 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Crowd Pleaser25
  • Broadly Agreed10
  • Mixed16

Most divisive · actor

The Big Fisherman (1959)

59th percentile spread · 26% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Sabrina (1954)

Midcredits 95th · 85% liked

Reviewers score the acting 64/100 in their films, across 39 reviewed titles; fans 73, detractors 43. 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 Martha Hyer's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 56 · moderateMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity3 titlesmedian 4 · minimalMedian of all films: 32
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 36 · moderateMedian of all films: 33

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Martha Hyer work with?

People who share at least 2 of Martha Hyer's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Elmer Bernstein shares the most, 4.

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles