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Robert Keith

Robert Keith

Actor · Died December 22, 1966, aged 68 · Fowler, Indiana, USA

Robert Keith (February 10, 1898 – December 22, 1966) was an American stage and film actor who appeared in several dozen films, mostly in the 1950s as a character actor. He is noted for his performance as the weak-willed father in Fourteen Hours (1951), as a tough cop in Guys and Dolls (1955), and his performance in the 1953 film The Wild One, starring Marlon Brando, in which he played the ineffectual sheriff and father of Brando's love interest. Keith also had a starring role in Douglas Sirk's Written on the Wind. He had roles on television, including a role as Richard Kimble's father in The Fugitive and lead roles on episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents ("Ten O'Clock Tiger") and The Twilight Zone ("The Masks"). Description above from the Wikipedia article Robert Keith (actor), licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
February 9, 1898
Died
December 22, 1966 (aged 68)
From
Fowler, Indiana, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
28 on MovieCove · 41 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 28% in 30 days

What are Robert Keith's films like?

Across their 24 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Drama9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 68th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 56th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 79th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Adventure3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 60th percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 70th 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
34%
Morality
28%
Self
16%
Survival
11%
Power
8%
Ideas
3%
Romantic love10 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice7 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds6 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption4 titles, browse their movies with this themeClass3 titles, browse their movies with this themeDuty3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 24 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 7 · Serious 8 · Dark 9

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 13 · Stylized 9 · Heightened 2

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

Gentle 6 · Charged 11 · Intense 7

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

Steady 13 · Shifting 11 · Whiplash 0

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

Straight-faced 16 · Some laughs 6 · Funny 2

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

Slow burn 11 · Even-paced 13 · 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 15 · Engaged 9 · Full focus 0

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 7 · Affecting 12 · Heavy 5

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

Resolved 21 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

11 analyzed roles

Usually the Mentor: 5 of 11 analyzed roles.

Mentor
5 of 11
Threshold guardian
3 of 11
Shadow
1 of 11
Herald
1 of 11
Ally
1 of 11
Show the 11 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
17
Melancholic
12
Romantic
8
Joyful
4
Contemplative
6
Other
18

How their films linger

Bittersweet11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy10
  • Bittersweet13
  • Ambiguous1

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 Robert Keith's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 10 of their 28 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Prime Video (7).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Robert Keith'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

41 credits, 28 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • The Fugitive (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · as Dr. John Kimble

  • The Alfred Hitchcock Hour(1962)

    Show 1 episode · as Doc

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • Duel of Champions (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as Tullio King of Rome

  • Posse from Hell(1961)

    as Captain Jeremiah Brown

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Cimarron(1960)

    as Sam Pegler

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • The Twilight Zone(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Jason Foster

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • They Came to Cordura(1959)

    as Col. Rogers

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Tempest(1958)

    as Capt. Miranov

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • The Lineup (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    as Julian

  • My Man Godfrey(1957)

    as Alexander Bullock

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Men in War(1957)

    as The Colonel

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Between Heaven and Hell(1956)

    as Col. Cousins

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Written on the Wind(1956)

    as Jasper Hadley

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Ransom! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as Police Chief Jim Backett

  • Guys and Dolls(1955)

    as Lt. Brannigan

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Alfred Hitchcock Presents(1955)

    Show 1 episode · as Arthur 'The Professor' Duffy

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Love Me or Leave Me(1955)

    as Bernard V. Loomis

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Underwater! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Father Cannon

  • Young at Heart(1954)

    as Gregory Tuttle

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Drum Beat(1954)

    as Bill Satterwhite

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Atomic Attack (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Dr. Garson Lee

  • The Wild One(1953)

    as Sheriff Harry Bleeker

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Devil's Canyon(1953)

    as Steve Morgan

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Small Town Girl(1953)

    as Judge Gordon Kimbell

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Battle Circus(1953)

    as Lieutenant Colonel Hillary Whalters

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • Somebody Loves Me (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Sam Doyle

  • Just Across the Street (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Walter Medford

  • I Want You (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Thomas Greer

  • Here Comes the Groom(1951)

    as George Degnan

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Fourteen Hours(1951)

    as Paul E. Cosick

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Woman on the Run(1950)

    as Inspector Martin Ferris

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Branded(1950)

    as T. Jefferson Leffingwell

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Edge of Doom(1950)

    as Lieutenant Mandel

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • The Reformer and the Redhead(1950)

    as Tim Harveigh

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • My Foolish Heart(1949)

    as Henry Winters

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Studio One (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Show 2 episodes · as Brutus

  • The Philco Television Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Boomerang!(1947)

    as 'Mac' McCreery

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • The Shadow Laughs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as George Hackett

  • The Unexpected Father (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Additional Dialogue

  • Abraham Lincoln(1930)

    as Union Courier (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

Career shape

Star power in the 96th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 41 titles from 1930 to 1963.

Biggest box office

My Man Godfrey (1957)

$2.6M worldwide

Highest rated

Written on the Wind (1956)

Midcredits 91st

Film career

Top draw in 5 MovieCove titles.

  • 1947Screen debut· Boomerang!
  • 1958Career best· The Lineup

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting40 of 41: 40 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score69thOther crew1 of 41: 1 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1930s3 · 2 acting · 1 crew1940s3 · acting1950s30 · acting1960s5 · acting

Billing

usually 5th · top billed in 0% of 19 roles
4757

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 Robert Keith's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 65th percentile, the median of all 25; across their 24 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 67th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

67thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 24

Approval · how many liked their films

65thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 24

Reach · how many have seen their films

61stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 24

Midcredits score across 28 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up10
  • 50th to 74th12
  • 25th to 49th5
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

None of their 28 titles divides audiences: 22 are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Crowd Pleaser22
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed2

Most loved · actor

Written on the Wind (1956)

Midcredits 91st · 78% liked

Reviewers score the acting 71/100 in their films, across 24 reviewed titles; fans 79, detractors 44. 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 Robert Keith'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 11 · minimalMedian of all films: 32
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 53 · 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 Robert Keith work with?

People who share at least 2 of Robert Keith's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Vic Morrow shares the most, 3.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers