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Howard Keel

Howard Keel

Actor · Died November 7, 2004, aged 85 · Gillespie, Illinois, U.S.

Howard Keel (born Harold Clifford Keel; April 13, 1919 – November 7, 2004) was an American actor and singer. He starred in many film musicals of the 1950s. He is best known to modern audiences for his starring role in the CBS television series Dallas from 1981 to 1991, as Clayton Farlow, opposite Barbara Bel Geddes's character, but to an earlier generation, he was known as the star of some of the most famous MGM film musicals ever made, with a rich baritone singing voice.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
April 13, 1919
Died
November 7, 2004 (aged 85)
From
Gillespie, Illinois, U.S.
Works as
Actor
Titles
28 on MovieCove · 45 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 31% in 30 days

What are Howard Keel's films like?

Across their 19 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Comedy7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 73rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 26th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Adventure3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 34th 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
Bonds
38%
Self
21%
Morality
13%
Power
10%
Society
8%
Survival
5%
Ideas
4%
Romantic love10 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds4 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age2 titles, browse their movies with this themeMarriage2 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

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

Light 14 · Serious 0 · Dark 4

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

Grounded 4 · Stylized 10 · Heightened 4

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

Gentle 7 · Charged 9 · Intense 2

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

Steady 10 · Shifting 8 · Whiplash 0

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

Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 11 · Funny 1

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

A split, not a type: Slow burn 10 · Even-paced 8 · 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 16 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 17 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

17 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 6 of 17 analyzed roles.

Hero
6 of 17
Ally
4 of 17
Shapeshifter
3 of 17
Trickster
2 of 17
Mentor
1 of 17
Shadow
1 of 17
Show the 17 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
10
Romantic
12
Tense
6
Warm
7
Hopeful
4
Other
13

How their films linger

Feel-good14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy15
  • Bittersweet3
  • Tragic1

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 Howard Keel's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 9 of their 28 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (4).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Howard Keel'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

45 credits, 28 with a MovieCove page; 19 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Legends (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Show 1 episode · as Self (archive footage) (uncredited) · as Wild Bill Hickok (archive footage) (uncredited)

  • Hart to Hart: Home Is Where the Hart Is (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    as Capt. Quentin "Jack" Jackson

  • Walker, Texas Ranger(1993)

    Show 1 episode · as D. L. Dade

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all shows

  • Good Sports (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 2 episodes · as Sonny Gordon

  • Creepy Classics (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    as Bill Masen - (archive footage)

  • That's Dancing!(1985)

    as From 'Kiss Me Kate' (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Royal Variety Performance 1984(1984)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Murder, She Wrote(1984)

    Show 1 episode · as Larry Thorson

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • Dallas(1978)

    Show 222 episodes · as Clayton Farlow

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all shows

  • The Love Boat(1977)

    Show 1 episode · as Duncan Harlow

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all shows

  • That's Entertainment, Part II(1976)

    as (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • The Quest (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Show 1 episode · as Shanghai Pierce

  • That's Entertainment!(1974)

    as (archive footage) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Here's Lucy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Show 1 episode · as Stanley Livingston

  • Arizona Bushwhackers(1968)

    as Lee Travis

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • The War Wagon(1967)

    as Levi Walking Bear

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Red Tomahawk (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    as Capt. Tom York

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

    as 'Waco'

  • Run for Your Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 1 episode · as Hardie Rankin

  • Kiss Me, Kate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    as Fred Graham

  • The Day of the Triffids(1963)

    as Bill Masen

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Armored Command (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as Col. Devlin

  • The Big Fisherman(1959)

    as Simon Peter

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Floods of Fear (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    as Donovan

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

    Show 1 episode · as Will Gorman

  • Kismet(1955)

    as The Poet

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Jupiter's Darling(1955)

    as Hannibal

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • Deep in My Heart(1954)

    as Performer (segment "My Maryland")

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Seven Brides for Seven Brothers(1954)

    as Brother Adam Pontipee

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Rose Marie(1954)

    as Capt. Mike Malone

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Kiss Me Kate(1953)

    as Fred Graham, "Petruchio"

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Calamity Jane(1953)

    as Wild Bill Hickok

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Ride, Vaquero!(1953)

    as King Cameron

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Fast Company (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as Rick Grayton

  • The Hoaxters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Narrator (voice)

  • Desperate Search(1952)

    as Vince Heldon

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • Lovely to Look At(1952)

    as Tony Naylor

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Callaway Went Thataway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Stretch Barnes / Smoky Callaway

  • Across the Wide Missouri(1951)

    as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Texas Carnival(1951)

    as Slim Shelby

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Show Boat(1951)

    as Gaylord Ravenal

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Three Guys Named Mike(1951)

    as Mike Jamison

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Pagan Love Song(1950)

    as Hazard Endicott

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Annie Get Your Gun(1950)

    as Frank Butler

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • The Small Voice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Boke

Career shape

Star power in the 95th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 45 titles from 1948 to 2006; peak year 1963.

Biggest box office

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954)

$15K worldwide

Highest rated

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954)

Midcredits 88th

Most popular right now

Dallas (1978)

Film career

19482006

Peak 1963 · steadily prominent in film for years. Top draw in 2 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.

  • 1950Screen debut· Annie Get Your Gun
  • 1963First top-billed film· The Day of the Triffids
  • 1963Career best· The Day of the Triffids
  • 1978Career best· Dallas

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting45 of 45: 45 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score50th

By decade

1940s1 · acting1950s22 · acting1960s9 · acting1970s5 · acting1980s4 · acting1990s3 · acting2000s1 · acting

Billing

usually 2nd · top billed in 13% of 8 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 Howard Keel's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 50th percentile, the median of all 24; 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

42ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 18

Reach · how many have seen their films

52ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 18

Midcredits score across 28 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up8
  • 50th to 74th6
  • 25th to 49th10
  • Below 25th4

Shape of the crowd

12 of their 28 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Loved with Detractors1
  • Crowd Pleaser12
  • Broadly Agreed6
  • Mixed7

Most divisive · actor

Royal Variety Performance 1984 (1984)

93rd percentile spread · 19% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

That's Entertainment! (1974)

Midcredits 92nd · 80% liked

Reviewers score the acting 61/100 in their films, across 18 reviewed titles; fans 71, detractors 36. 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 Howard Keel's work okay for kids?

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

Their medianMedian of all films
Sex & Nudity3 titlesmedian 4 · minimalMedian of all films: 32
Profanity3 titlesmedian 10 · minimalMedian of all films: 36

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

Who does Howard Keel work with?

People who share at least 2 of Howard Keel's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Keenan Wynn shares the most, 5.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers